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Michelin Guide hawker brand Nasi Lemak Ayam Taliwang recently had a bone to pick with the National Environment Agency (NEA)’s hawker policies, with their online rant sparking some debate.
Noorman Mubarak, who runs Nasi Lemak Ayam Taliwang with his wife, took to Facebook to complain about a warning NEA issued to her. According to the agency, they had violated their tenancy agreement by not being physically present in their stall during operating hours.
NEA’s official Tenancy Agreement states that owners “must operate the stall personally with or without assistants” for at least 4 hours per business day. “Personally” implies “physically”, a requirement difficult for the nasi lemak chain with 20 outlets under its belt to meet.
The couple ran their original stall themselves from 2017 to 2021, working 12 to 18 hours daily. Since then, they have created their own system allowing them to manage administrative duties and R&D remotely while their staff do the physical work. It’s an effective arrangement, especially for now since Mubarak’s wife is pregnant.
In Mubarak’s opinion, the NEA’s hawker policy will only hinder their progress and efficiency. “[NEA wants] you to remain in the stall until you give up,” he said.
Facebook netizens had mixed reactions to the situation, with many in favour of the hawker. There were several who understood NEA’s stand, pointing out that hawker stalls were initially meant for sole proprietors. Large hawker chains that didn’t require their owners present would hence be no different from those opened by big corporations.
Others also said that it was NEA’s way of ensuring that hawker owners are still responsible for their stalls and not just benefitting from their workers’ labour. Food standards were also brought into question since the original hawkers leave their recipes and cooking to their workers instead of doing it themselves.
We celebrate successful hawkers. At the same time, it’s hard to imagine a Singapore where every hawker stall is just another branch of a mega successful chain.
What are your thoughts? Are NEA’s hawker policies hindering hawkers from expanding their businesses or are they justified?
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