SINGAPORE: The National Environment Agency (NEA) is being urged to review its “decades-old policy” after a hawker’s husband complained that he was forced to make his pregnant wife be physically present at their stall following an NEA warning.
The NEA issued a statement on 20 February defending the rule, which requires stallholders to personally operate their stalls to prevent subletting.
The issue gained attention after Noorman Mubarak, husband of the stallholder of the Nasi Lemak Ayam Taliwang stall, posted on Facebook on 18 February, expressing frustration over the regulation. His post quickly went viral, garnering over 1,400 shares.
Noorman argued that while the tenancy agreement requires stallholders to manage their stalls, it does not explicitly state that they must be physically present at all times.
The couple has run their stall at Yishun Park Hawker Centre since 2017.
Initially, they were physically present, but in recent years, they transitioned to managing administrative tasks while staff handled daily operations.
Noorman highlighted that his wife’s pregnancy made it difficult for her to be at the stall, which led to the NEA’s warning.
Yishun Park Hawker Centre’s Response
Yishun Park Hawker Centre clarified that the stall is registered under Noorman’s wife, and Noorman is not a registered stallholder.
Under existing regulations, stallholders must personally operate their stalls but can appoint a joint operator who must be physically present for at least four hours per business day.
“In view of Mrs Noorman’s absence, we have engaged her multiple times to understand her circumstances and explore solutions. “
“We suggested options, including appointing a joint operator or nominee, but despite repeated requests, no such appointment has been made. Two reminders were issued to the stallholder,” it said.
The hawker centre operator emphasised that its priority is to support a thriving hawker culture while ensuring compliance with tenancy policies.
“It is not our intention to disrupt hawkers’ businesses.”
The hawker centre operator encouraged stallholders facing challenges to engage in open communication to explore viable solutions together.
NEA: Regulations Prevent Subletting to Control Rental and Food Prices
NEA in a separate statement explained that hawker stall regulations are in place to prevent subletting, which could drive up rental and food prices.
“Hawker stalls provide an opportunity for Singaporeans to run their own small businesses. As such, we require stallholders to be personally involved in their stall operations,” NEA said.
The agency acknowledged the challenges hawkers face in balancing personal circumstances with business operations.
It noted that stallholders unable to run their stalls for valid reasons can appoint a joint operator or nominee. Additionally, temporary closures are supported through rental rebates.
“This policy applies to stalls in hawker centres managed by NEA and our operators,” it added.
NEA also confirmed that while the stall is registered under Mrs Noorman, Mr Noorman is not a registered stallholder or assistant.
Its appointed operator, Timbre+ Hawkers, had observed that Mrs Noorman was not operating the stall personally and had reached out to her about appointing a joint operator or nominee.
However, she allegedly declined the offer.
“We remain committed to safeguarding hawker culture and supporting our hawkers,” NEA stated.
Hawker Calls for Policy Review
In response to NEA’s statement, Noorman called for a review of what he described as an outdated policy.
He stated that they had informed Timbre that his wife was still managing the stall and that she was pregnant.
While Timbre initially replied, there was no further communication until another email was sent three weeks later.
He expressed frustration that after providing an explanation, their WhatsApp message was not responded to.
He highlighted that his interpretation of “personally operate” differs from NEA’s definition.
He also revealed that Timbre had recently reached out to discuss the matter and urged NEA decision-makers to attend the meeting.
“The policy you mentioned is decades old—maybe even older than most young hawkers. Is it time for a change or a positive tweak? Your presence matters, and it gives hawkers like myself the opportunity to address this existential issue,” he added.
In a live video posted in the early hours of 21 February, Noorman said his wife would be at the stall that morning to comply with NEA’s requirement for stallholders to be physically present.
He also encouraged customers and supporters to visit their stall.
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