President of the Association for the Recycling of Second Hand Goods, Mr Koh Ah Koon, reported that ex-vendors at the iconic Thieves Market at Sungei Road have resorted to peddling their goods illegally after the government permanently closed down the Market last year.
Mr Koh reportedly added that 2 ex-vendors have been arrested for illegal peddling and being unable to pay the fine, according to activists campaigning for the government to issue vendors a more permanent space.
The individuals running the Save Sungei Road Market Facebook page released an interview with Mr Koh today and said that their conversation with Mr Koh showed them that these ex-vendors may have resorted to illegal peddling instead of selling their goods at the temporary Pasar Sungei that moves around the country, due to a number of reasons:
“There are many possible reasons to why they may not want to get onboard a more legitimate alternative. They may not be able to afford the rent perhaps, and are not willing to get help from sponsors as it hurts their pride. The pasar moves around alot, sometimes to places that are remote or far from their home, making it difficult for them to travel.”
In the video interview, Mr Koh shared that some vendors cannot even afford the rent at the temporary Pasar Sungei market, which is just $10 per lot per day. Mr Koh reported that he works with sponsors to help subsidise the rent for some of these vendors who depend on their trade:
https://www.facebook.com/savesungeiroadmarket/videos/903955479761008/
Mr Koh added that Pasar Sungei is only a temporary avenue to help vendors cope as they wait for a permanent space to peddle their wares. He appealed to the government to initiate dialogue and discussion so that these elderly vendors can eventually be allotted a permanent space.
Pasar Sungei is presently located at Khatib, beside the MRT station.
https://theindependent.sg.sg/90-year-old-former-sungei-road-market-vendor-i-cannot-even-earn-enough-for-my-daily-cup-of-coffee-at-chinatown/