73-year-old hawker at job fair after closing down his stall as rent and expenses exceed S$5K/month

SINGAPORE: An elderly hawker who shuttered his food stall in January went to a job fair at Marina Bay Sands (MBS) on Sunday (Mar 9) with his wife. They had gone in the hopes of getting employed in the hotel industry, according to a Mothership report, although they were not overly optimistic about the outcome.

The hawker, Mr Hong, was the owner and proprietor of Bukit Merah Central Wu Xiang Shrimp Cake at Block 164 Bukit Merah Central. He has been in the hawker industry for more than 40 years. A Jan 9 Facebook post announced the retirement of the hawkers “after so many years of operation,” apologizing to its “valued customers” for any inconvenience the stall’s closing had caused.

“We have enjoyed our time in business and would like to thank all our customers for their loyalty and support over the years. 谢谢!” they added.

However, a report in Lianhe Zaobao said that after their rent and other business expenses reached over S$5,000 each month, the elderly couple found they were unable to keep on running the stall. Mr Hong said that every time the coffeeshop where his stall was located changed hands, the rental rates would rise.

This was instrumental in causing him and his wife, who is also over 70, to try working in the hotel industry instead, even part-time, as this would give them more stability. Mr Hong is seeking any role that would pay him around $1,500 monthly.

Although he is aware of the physical limitations of his age and knows he is no longer as strong as younger workers, he also recognizes that he has “decades of experience in the food industry and can endure hardships.”

Nevertheless, he told Lianhe Zaobao that getting a job at MBS is somewhat of a long shot, given that many of the roles offered are for full-time positions for three shifts, which is something someone his age is hardly suited for.

Mr Hong doesn’t even have a mobile phone, reports added.

Fortunately, he and his wife have savings to fall back on for their daily needs, but he is looking for work as this would give them additional income. Also, he expressed the desire to keep on being active, which regular employment would force him to do. Mothership also quotes him as saying, “If I sit idle and do nothing, I’m afraid it will increase my risk of dementia.”

The featured image above is from Depositphotos and is for illustration purposes only. /TISG

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