11-08-2025
KF Seetoh slams Bukit Canberra Hawker Centre operator over ‘charity meal' clause; Ong Ye Kung disputes claims
SINGAPORE: Veteran food critic KF Seetoh, founder of Makansutra, has accused Bukit Canberra Hawker Centre's management of imposing excessive costs and obligations on stallholders.
In a series of social media posts, he alleged hawkers were charged S$70 per month for using a blue basket to store supplies.
He also claimed hawkers were contractually obliged to provide 60 free charity meals each month.
Storage fee and free meal obligations questioned
Seetoh first raised concerns in a video posted on 4 August, asserting that hawkers were billed monthly for the storage space suppliers use to leave their daily orders.
He criticised the operator, Canopy Hawkers Group Ltd, for practices he said undermined hawkers' ability to keep food affordable in a publicly funded hawker centre.
The centre is one of 22 managed by operators appointed by the National Environment Agency (NEA).
Social media criticism escalates
In an 8 August Facebook post, Seetoh claimed hawkers were required to provide 30 free meals each month for a Customer Relationship Management (CRM) initiative and another 30 for a 'Pay-it-Forward' programme.
According to Seetoh, the meals — priced between S$3 and S$3.50 — were not subsidised.
He called the policy a 'ridiculous smash and grab' and posted what appeared to be part of a tenancy agreement.
'Hawkers seem to be the ones obliged to help the poor and disadvantaged. Some don't mind helping, they know what's it like to struggle. But it's not just for the poor, even Elon and Gates are entitled to it. Atrocious, ' Seetoh wrote.
Ong Ye Kung refutes storage fee claim; meal initiative described as voluntary
On 11 August, Minister for Health Ong Ye Kung responded onFacebook, stating that the storage fee allegation was untrue.
'There is no such practice of charging for the use of the blue baskets at the back of their stalls,' Ong said.
He added that the claim hawkers must provide 60 free meals each month 'does not present the full picture.'
Ong explained that when the hawker centre opened, stallholders agreed to provide 30 meals per month for low-income residents. This was later revised to 100 meals over the three-year lease term.
'There are no penalties if they do not or are unable to provide the meals,' he said, describing it as a 'well-intentioned initiative' that had not yet started.
The aim, Ong said, was to encourage hawkers to 'Pay-It-Forward' and contribute to the community.
Ong praised Bukit Canberra Hawker Centre as a 'lively and welcoming space' that has quickly become a community hub.
He said he visits frequently and has seen its growth firsthand, adding that everyone — patrons, hawkers, operators, and government agencies — should work together to sustain hawker culture without 'putting down anyone.'
Seetoh maintains concerns over contract terms
In response, Seetoh thanked Ong for addressing the matter but stood by his concerns.
He said that even if the free meal provision was not enforced, it remained part of the contract and could be activated by the management at any time.
'Charity should be a personal deed between a person and his godly duties to heaven. It should not be in a contract even if hawkers agree to it,' Seetoh wrote.
Regarding the S$70 storage fee, Seetoh said a hawker had shown him an invoice and receipt for payment, labelling the space a 'Backyard Cluster' of 0.48 metres.
He urged Ong to examine the full contract to see if any terms conflicted with the responsibilities of a socially responsible hawker centre operator.
Seetoh also questioned what guidelines and duties Socially-conscious Enterprise Hawker Centres (SEHCs) must follow or improve upon.
He emphasised the importance of safeguarding Singapore's hawker culture, which has been recognised by UNESCO.
'We can certainly do more for its sustainable future, its potentials and opportunities,' he said.
