Vivian wants more of our children to become hawkers.

[Confuseous]

In the good old days, Singaporean parents had always exhorted their children to work hard so as to become a doctor, lawyer or some professional in the future.

However, Minister for Environment and Water Resources Vivian Balakrishnan said he hoped to see more Singaporeans to become hawkers instead.

Speaking during a community event on Saturday, Dr Balakrishnan said he wants to encourage Singaporeans to view the ‘hawking profession’ more favorably:

“To make sure that there are enough Singaporeans who want to go into this business … I have to make sure that we send the message that there will be places available, there will be reasonable rentals,” he said.

(Not so long ago, he held the view that high rentals had no impact on the price of hawker fare).

Dr Balakrishnan had announced the building of 10 new hawker centers over the next 10 years and the removal of minimum bids for stalls in April which have led to a drop in rental prices of hawker stalls.


“All these factors mean that rentals are going to fall, and I’m quite happy for that to happen, because our key objective is to provide good and affordable food for Singaporeans out in the heartlands,” he added.

Dr Balakrishnan added that his ministry is also looking into ways to train and upgrade skills of hawkers:

“There are many areas we can work on to uplift our hawking profession, and I think in the years ahead, I want to make it an attractive and honourable profession for Singaporeans to move into, and especially for younger Singaporeans.”

 

[drifter]

lets be fair , there is nothing wrong being a hawker . if you know how to cook , you can bring in 5 figures every month . never look down on hawker .

 

[Narong Wongwan]

Add hawkers to the list of jobs for lowlife sinkies.
Security guards, cleaners, dishwashers, taxi drivers.

 

[drifter]

Add hawkers to the list of jobs for lowlife sinkies.
Security guards, cleaners, dishwashers, taxi drivers.

taxi driver and hawker are business owner . unlike those blue collars office workers , wear nice nice to work but pocket no money .

 

[Narong Wongwan]

taxi driver and hawker are business owner . unlike those blue collars office workers , wear nice nice to work but pocket no money .

行行出状元 I understand this motto but shouldn't we aspire ourselves or our kids to be more than than just taxi drivers and hawkers? (taking nothing away from these hardworking honest folks).
I am sure taxi drivers and hawkers want their kids to do 'better'.

It like when casino opened they tell you to go and be croupiers....nothing wrong with the job why ministers never enrol their own kids?

 

[drifter]

行行出状元 I understand this motto but shouldn't we aspire ourselves or our kids to be more than than just taxi drivers and hawkers? (taking nothing away from these hardworking honest folks).
I am sure taxi drivers and hawkers want their kids to do 'better'.

It like when casino opened they tell you to go and be croupiers....nothing wrong with the job why ministers never enrol their own kids?

yes , taxi drivers and hawkers want their kids to do better ...because all kena brainwashed by singapore culture and the goverment that being hawker is a disgracing job . in japan , kids are taught that no job is disgrace . many japanese kids feel proud if they can take over their father farm or job . even its hard work . thats why many small company in japan is hundreds years old . theres many old small shops in asakusa selling rice crakers are hundreds years history .

if you ask some kids in japan what they want to do when they grow up , many would say they want to follow their father foot step ....they feel proud of their father job even if he is a taxi driver .

 

[laksaboy]

lets be fair , there is nothing wrong being a hawker . if you know how to cook , you can bring in 5 figures every month . never look down on hawker .

There's a difference between becoming a hawker because you have a passion for cooking, versus becoming a hawker as a last resort because all the choice white-collar jobs have been snapped up by cheaper FTs.

It's the same with the issue of retirement. There's a difference between working beyond the official retirement age because you are bored and have nothing better to do, versus 'collect cardboard boxes and aluminium cans, or starve today'.

What is the true motivation behind working, or doing anything at all?

 

[drifter]

There's a difference between becoming a hawker because you have a passion for cooking, versus becoming a hawker as a last resort because all the choice white-collar jobs have been snapped up by cheaper FTs.

It's the same with the issue of retirement. There's a difference between working beyond the official retirement age because you are bored and have nothing better to do, versus 'collect cardboard boxes and aluminium cans, or starve today'.

What is the true motivation behind working, or doing anything at all?

yes , i agree with you passion plays an important role . but imagine a country that look down on hawker how far can a person passion go if we started to look down on certain job ?

 

[chonburifc]

Good hawker and market stall holders earn so much until nobody know. They call it "Tan Ka Bo Lang Zai" in Hokkien. Those that do not make so much or lose money in this line are those that blindly follow the crowd and pay overly high rentals. The rental kill the biz.

One thing about this biz is the long working hours. If you can make good food and willing to work long hours, can consider this line.

 

[Narong Wongwan]

yes , taxi drivers and hawkers want their kids to do better ...because all kena brainwashed by singapore culture and the goverment that being hawker is a disgracing job . in japan , kids are taught that no job is disgrace . many japanese kids feel proud if they can take over their father farm or job . even its hard work . thats why many small company in japan is hundreds years old . theres many old small shops in asakusa selling rice crakers are hundreds years history .

if you ask some kids in japan what they want to do when they grow up , many would say they want to follow their father foot step ....they feel proud of their father job even if he is a taxi driver .

Kudos to jao culture then.
I would think its the exception rather than the norm compare to most societies.
Nothing wrong or disgraceful if one can earn a decent living doing menial jobs.

If we had all along been brainwashed then now it seems they are seeking to reverse the brainwashing...
Only difference is that now the campaign of lowering sinkies aspirations only apply to peasant sinkies.

 

[Narong Wongwan]

There's a difference between becoming a hawker because you have a passion for cooking, versus becoming a hawker as a last resort because all the choice white-collar jobs have been snapped up by cheaper FTs.

It's the same with the issue of retirement. There's a difference between working beyond the official retirement age because you are bored and have nothing better to do, versus 'collect cardboard boxes and aluminium cans, or starve today'.

What is the true motivation behind working, or doing anything at all?

This sums it up nicely Thanks

 

[Narong Wongwan]

Good hawker and market stall holders earn so much until nobody know. They call it "Tan Ka Bo Lang Zai" in Hokkien. Those that do not make so much or lose money in this line are those that blindly follow the crowd and pay overly high rentals. The rental kill the biz.

One thing about this biz is the long working hours. If you can make good food and willing to work long hours, can consider this line.

Again this is exception rather than the norm like those millionaire property / insurance agents.
Typical hawkers only make enough to get by.
If hawking is such a good career choice in Sinkieland then why no ministers get their kids to be one?

 

[Wildfire]

Vivian Balakrishnan said he hoped to see more Singaporeans to become hawkers instead.

I wonder if there is subtle message behind the above statement ....

We want to reserve the PMETs jobs so that we can continuously attached more FTs ... as such, we strongly "encourage"
Sinkies to be hawkers, janitors, old cardboard collectors, cleaners, etc because these are jobs that are more difficult to attach FTs. :*::*::*::*

 

[drifter]

Again this is exception rather than the norm like those millionaire property / insurance agents.
Typical hawkers only make enough to get by.
If hawking is such a good career choice in Sinkieland then why no ministers get their kids to be one?

its not the job that have problem , its how you manage your biz .

 

[drifter]

if you ask anybody wants to start fish farm in singapore ...nobody will raise their hands ...but if the ceo of a listed company qianhu ( fish farm biz ) ask the same question ...all will raise their hands .

 

[chonburifc]

Again this is exception rather than the norm like those millionaire property / insurance agents.
Typical hawkers only make enough to get by.
If hawking is such a good career choice in Sinkieland then why no ministers get their kids to be one?

Guess the ministar don't want to hug their kids with a 'fishy' or 'oily' smell.

OK, another thing on why some hawkers or market stall owners who seems to be doing very well but no money. Yeah, gambling horse is one of the reason. I grew up in market environment, so I know all the uncles and aunties habits. Most are compulsive gamblers. Buy vegetable from them, sometimes 10 cent also cannot reduce but when on the gambling table or betting horse, one round of horse, bet 1-1 or 2-2 face no change color.

 

[drifter]

Guess the ministar don't want to hug their kids with a 'fishy' or 'oily' smell.

OK, another thing on why some hawkers or market stall owners who seems to be doing very well but no money. Yeah, gambling horse is one of the reason. I grew up in market environment, so I know all the uncles and aunties habits. Most are compulsive gamblers. Buy vegetable from them, sometimes 10 cent also cannot reduce but when on the gambling table or betting horse, one round of horse, bet 1-1 or 2-2 face no change color.

you are right , many of them love to gamble ...remember the nasi lemak case ?

 

[chonburifc]

Forget to add another group. Taxi drivers. Many taxi drivers also horse lovers. Know many uncles who drive day and night on weekdays but weekend whole morning 'bo eng'. Morning study Punter's way with friends at Kopi Tiam, afternoon real action. If win, celebrate at KTV, if lose, go home or go kopi tiam talk about their almost win stories or 'early know' grievance.

This is the life. If can avoid gambling, think chance of success very high.

 

[drifter]

most ppl in singapore dont work for passion they just go where the money is ...

 

[drifter]

i always believe , if you have the passion in work ...i mean any work , you will go far .