SINGAPORE: Recent rat sightings at Beauty World Food Centre have raised concerns among customers and hawkers, with many calling for better sanitation measures. While individual stallholders have made efforts to keep their stalls clean, they say the overall cleanliness of the food centre remains poor. Rubbish is often scattered across the floor, and food spills attract rats, pigeons, and cockroaches.
When Channel News Asia (CNA) visited the hawker centre at around 4 pm on Feb 3, a rat was seen running along the pipes near the ceiling, while about ten pigeons were hopping from table to table, feeding on leftover scraps. Pests have been perennial, and hawkers say they have been doing their part to maintain hygiene, but management needs to address the problem in shared spaces.
Hawkers’ efforts to maintain area safety
Many stallholders engage in pest control services regularly to keep their stalls clean. Mr Lim, who owns a Western food stall, shared that several stallholders split the cost of pest control, paying around S$30 per month from their own pockets. He recalled how cockroaches used to be a significant issue, making pest control an essential investment. Although he has not personally seen rats in his stall, customers have reported sightings, which is concerning.
Mr Lim, who runs the stall with his wife, is meticulous about hygiene. He ensures that they always wear gloves when handling food and that the metal tabletops in their stall are wiped down and organised. However, despite these efforts, overall conditions at the food centre continue to deter customers.
Following reports of the rat problem, the number of customers has dropped, and Mr Lim noted a decline in business, serving only around 20 customers by 4 pm on Monday—far fewer than usual.
Similarly, Mr Terry Ng, owner of drinks stall Kopifellas, also hires pest control services for his own stall, spending S$80 per month. However, he believes the main problem lies in the shared areas of the hawker centre, where cleanliness is out of individual stallholders’ control. He pointed out that while stall owners do their best to maintain hygiene within their own spaces, the general upkeep of the hawker centre remains inadequate.
Ongoing issues and structural concerns
Apart from rats, the open-air hawker centre, located on the fourth storey of Beauty World Centre, also has a pigeon problem. The birds frequently gather around tray-return stations, often defecating in the area.
CNA reported that a stallholder operating near one of these stations expressed frustration, stating that he had repeatedly complained about the issue, but no action had been taken. He said that the presence of pigeon droppings creates an unpleasant dining environment and poses a hygiene risk, yet little has been done to address the matter.
In addition to the pigeon problem, there are structural issues that contribute to the rat sightings. The same stallholder pointed out holes in the ceiling, which he believes provide easy access for rats. This is particularly concerning because rodents can find their way into food storage areas and pose a serious risk to food safety.
Authorities investigate
In response to these concerns, the Singapore Food Agency and the National Environment Agency conducted a joint inspection at the food centre, as announced in a statement on Feb 1. Their initial findings indicated signs of rat activity in the ceiling and common areas of the hawker centre.
Although authorities have not yet confirmed the extent of the infestation, they have advised the building management and the managing agent to enhance pest control efforts. They also reminded stallholders to take precautions, such as storing food in rat-proof containers, properly bagging waste before disposal, and ensuring food scraps are cleared away to prevent attracting rodents.
Mixed reactions
Despite the hygiene concerns, some customers remain unfazed. Ms Elaine Ng was about to eat a bowl of noodles when she saw a rat scurrying across a metal pipe multiple times before disappearing, as reported by CNA.
However, she still considers the food centre “acceptable” and said she would continue dining there unless she started seeing multiple rats at once. She noted that while the presence of rubbish on the floor is not ideal, it is not severe enough to stop her from returning. However, she would be more concerned if she saw rats inside the stalls or near the food itself.
A netizen in the Reddit forum shared that they didn’t experience the same issue. “I’ve been (fortunate) enough not to have any rat sightings while at Beauty World Food Centre, but I don’t think it’s the worst hawker centre I’ve visited,” the user commented.
Another Redditor made light of the whole situation, saying, “Beauty World is becoming Rat World Food Centre at this rate.”
Featured image by Vecteezy (for illustration purposes only)