Makansutra founder KF Seetoh took to social media on Monday (Nov 14) calling out the bidding process used to decide hawker rental rates.
In a Facebook post, he wrote: “It’s not the hawkers fault they bid high rates for a stall. It’s the Bid concept”.
He said that the government builds hawker centres with public funds to protect micro food business operators and “to keep prices as low as possible to feed the masses”.
However, he added that the hawkers are then made to bid for stalls and are told to keep menu prices low. “Desperation n greed creeps in naturally. Everyone wants a stall in their favourite centres. It just does not add up. Major head scatch. Everyone need to make money in this uncertain times..including hawkers. They owe you nothing but their hard work n craft”, he wrote.
Mr Seetoh called for the bidding process to be done away with. He asked for fair rental rates to be offered and given to the most deserving ones based on “menu, talent and preservation of our food culture”.
