Questions to ask your PAP MP

Forum: Concerned about the state of cleanliness in Chinatown​

Jul 15, 2025

As a long-time resident of Chinatown, I am increasingly concerned about the state of cleanliness in the neighbourhood. Over the past few months, the decline has become hard to ignore.

Rubbish is often seen along the pavements, and it is not uncommon to spot rats rummaging through trash in broad daylight.

Chinatown was never spotless, but it used to be decently clean, pleasant enough for a nice walk or to welcome visiting friends. These days, I find myself avoiding certain alleys and street corners because they have become too unsightly or unhygienic.


It is easy to point fingers at tourists or foreign workers, but I’ve noticed that many of the offenders are locals.

Some older individuals openly spit or discard litter as though someone else is responsible for cleaning up after them. This undermines the values we claim to uphold as a clean and green society.

Before the blame is placed on the hired cleaners, I believe it must be acknowledged that this may not be a matter of efficiency but of resourcing.

In a high-traffic neighbourhood like Chinatown, no cleaning team, no matter how hard-working, can keep up without sufficient manpower and support.

What is urgently needed is both stronger enforcement of anti-littering laws and a cleaning force that matches the scale of activity in the area. Public messaging alone is not enough.

I urge the authorities and all fellow Singaporeans to take this matter seriously.

Cleanliness is not just about civic pride. It is about hygiene, safety and preserving the liveability of the spaces we all share.

Justin Kan Rui Liang

Why should we bear the burden of budget meals and app discounts, some hawkers ask​

Hawkers at Bukit Canberra Hawker Centre are expected to offer app discounts and budget meals.

Aug 20, 2025

SINGAPORE – When Bukit Canberra Hawker Centre’s management announced it would scrap clauses requiring hawkers to provide free meals for the needy at their own cost, the update was met with relief by hawkers. But many question why they continue to be called upon to provide budget meals and discounts to diners who pay using operator apps.

The Pay-it-Forward initiative by Canopy Hawkers Group, which manages the Socially-conscious Enterprise Hawker Centre (SEHC), initially required stallholders to contribute 100 free meals over three years.

It was criticised by veteran food critic K.F. Seetoh in an Aug 8 Facebook post that described it as “forced charity”. Health Minister Ong Ye Kung – who oversees the ward where the hawker centre is located – waded into the debate on Aug 11, writing on Facebook that hawkers did not face penalties if they did not provide the meals.

However, copies of the contract shown to the media, including The Straits Times, indicated that hawkers could chalk up demerit points for failing to provide the meals. The management team later said on Aug 15 that it would not enforce the obligation in the future.

“Some stalls are not doing well, so it’s better not to force them,” says John (not his real name), a hawker in his 50s, who runs one of the 44 stalls there. Like many of the tenants ST spoke to, he declined to reveal his name for fear of repercussions from his operator.

Another hawker, who is also in his 50s, adds: “Doing charity is voluntary, not by force.”

But many hawkers lament that they are still obliged to provide budget meals under $3.50 and pay for discounts given to diners using operator apps.

A 2022 version of the contract seen by The Straits Times states that hawkers could face three demerit points and $30 in liquidated damages for “failure to use Bukit Canberra HC mobile apps for customers to place orders, make payment”.

Hawkers say the app was intended for the convenience of customers and should be a value-added service by the operator.


“Its cost should not be passed on to the tenants,” says John, who has to absorb the 10 per cent discount customers get from the Food Canopy app. “Hawker prices are controlled and many have thin margins due to rising costs. This just makes things harder.”

In response to ST’s queries, Canopy Hawkers Group says the loyalty programme, which provides a 10 per cent rebate for customers paying through its app, is meant to encourage repeat customers and support hawkers’ business.

A similar arrangement has been rolled out at hawker centres run by FairPrice Group and Timbre Group.

Customers who pay using the app enjoy a 10 per cent discount on meals at One Punggol Hawker Centre and Yishun Park Hawker Centre, according to Timbre Group’s website.

“We lose a thousand dollars every month from the Timbre app,” says a 42-year-old who wanted to be known only as Rahman. He sells rojak and prata at One Punggol. However, he concedes that it was something he had agreed to when signing the contract.

Mr Yasser Farag, who runs Arabica Kebab stall in the same centre, was also prepared to offer concessions to customers, though the number of discounts caught him by surprise.


“I knew I had to keep prices low, but I didn’t expect so many people to have the app,” says the 58-year-old, who maintains that his experience at the hawker centre has otherwise been smooth.

Another hawker, who is in her late 50s, says prevalent usage of the app costs her around a thousand dollars each month. With the price of ingredients and utilities rising, her earnings have been shaved by a fifth. “I can’t afford to raise prices either, because I empathise with customers,” she adds.

Echoing the same sentiment is Ms Kumiko Tan, 44, owner of Hakka Leipopo, a chain with outlets in SEHCs, such as Anchorvale Village Hawker Centre and Punggol Coast Hawker Centre, both run by FairPrice Group.

“Times are hard for everyone. We won’t change the price of food to account for the discount,” she says. The cost of her dishes remains consistent across all outlets, even the one at the Tanjong Pagar Town Council-run Bukit Merah View Market & Hawker Centre.

Roughly 80 per cent of her customers at Anchorvale Village and Punggol Coast pay with the FairPrice Group app, which yields a 10 per cent discount. She adds: “I don’t think many of them know that the discount is paid for by the store owner. They think maybe it’s from the Government or the operator.”



Discounts offered through FairPrice Group app on display at Anchorvale Village Hawker Centre.

ST PHOTO: CHERIE LOK

But some hawkers, like a 38-year-old man operating a stall at Anchorvale Village Hawker Centre, feel the 10 per cent cut is fair, as the app helps boost business. “It’s a perk that, in a way, attracts customers,” he says.

The discount, however, cannot be applied to budget meals, which are low-cost dishes that tenants at SEHCs are obliged to offer – contractually, in the case of Bukit Canberra Hawker Centre’s tenants, at least.

At hawker centres operated by FairPrice Group, these affordable options are usually priced between $3 and $3.50, according to checks by ST.

Adam (not his real name), a hawker who runs a stall at Hawker Centre @ Our Tampines Hub, says that $3.50 is a manageable price point for budget meals. When

ST spoke to him in June 2024, his budget meals were fixed at $2.80.

Back then, a spokesperson for operator FairPrice Group confirmed budget meals at that particular hawker centre cost $2.80, but that the company was conducting a review.

Since the budget meal price has increased to $3.50, Adam says it is “much more reasonable”. “At least now, I can make around 20 to 30 cents in profit for each meal,” he adds. He previously told ST it was “impossible to make a profit” from $2.80 meals.

“I can’t make money off of it, but maybe only five to 10 people each month buy my budget meals, so still can tahan (endure in Malay),” adds a 45-year-old hawker, who wants to be known only as Hasan, at Buangkok Hawker Centre.

But Penang Alley’s $3.20 budget meals are snapped up by some 50 customers each month. Mrs Eileen Leong, the 57-year-old owner of the Buangkok Hawker Centre stall, says such meals, which consist of mainly eggs and kway teow, are “unsustainable”.

She tried asking her operator, Fei Siong Social Enterprise, to increase the budget meal price to $4 without success. With operation costs spiking 50 per cent and footfall down three-quarters by her estimates, she is seeking a reprieve.

In response to queries from ST, the National Environment Agency (NEA) reiterated what then-Senior Minister of State for Sustainability and the Environment Koh Poh Koon said in a November 2024 parliamentary address: Such value meals only account for 5 to 20 per cent of meals sold in SEHCs.

Portions, according to hawkers, tend to be smaller and often omit more expensive proteins such as meat.

“Hawkers are not expected to make a loss selling value meals as they would have taken into the consideration of its impact in their rentals when applying for the stalls. Moreover, SEHC operators can propose to revise the price of such value meals options, which NEA will review based on the market situation and stallholders’ ability to make a fair livelihood,” said NEA’s spokesperson, citing the case of Ci Yuan Hawker Centre in Hougang, where the price was reviewed and adjusted based on feedback from operators and hawkers.

Canopy Hawkers Group, likewise, adds that food prices are adjusted from time to time, in discussion with tenants.

According to NEA, in 2023, the median monthly stall rental at SEHCs and non-subsidised stalls at comparable NEA-managed hawker centres were $1,700 and $1,625 respectively. Ancillary costs at SEHCs, such as table-cleaning and centralised dishwashing fees, are comparable with similar NEA-managed hawker centres, it added.

The agency also assists hawkers financially through schemes such as the Hawkers’ Productivity Grant, which provides 80 per cent co-funding for hawkers to buy kitchen automation equipment and digital solutions such as queue management systems.

ST has contacted the relevant operators for more information. Timbre Group declined to comment, while FairPrice Group and Fei Siong Social Enterprise did not respond by press time.

Pickleball noise causes tension in some estates as sport gains popularity​

Pickleball games, which have grown in popularity over the past year, produce sharp sounds when plastic balls strike hard paddles and ricochet off the floor.

Summary

• Pickleball's rising popularity in Singapore has led to noise complaints from residents, especially night-shift workers, although some are less bothered by it.
• Town councils are responding by shortening court hours, posting noise reminders, and encouraging quieter play; Marine Parade-Braddell Heights GRC even switches off lights.
• Some MPs urge considerate play and communication between residents and players to address the noise issue.

AI generated

Sep 11, 2025

SINGAPORE – The noise made by people playing pickleball almost daily for months near a Bukit Panjang block of flats is frustrating a resident who wanted to be known only as Ms Tan, 77.

“The pickleball noise is disturbing us, especially for those who have to work night shifts,” said the home maker, who lives in Block 524 Jelapang Road.

Pickleball games, which have grown in popularity over the past year, produce sharp sounds when plastic balls strike hard paddles and ricochet off the floor. But the noise has also been a source of tension among some residents, with the authorities taking measures to ensure a fair compromise.

Ms Tan said she has heard other frustrated residents yelling at pickeball players to stop playing. She keeps her main door shut to block out the noise, but has to put up with a stuffy flat as a result.

But some of her neighbours, like Ms Pauline Tan, 28, are less bothered.

“Actually, I kind of enjoy watching them play. I even bring my baby down sometimes to see,” she said. “I think that it adds to the neighbourhood spirit.”

Said Ms Julia Hassan, 60, a healthcare centre manager: “I might even consider joining if I have the chance because it helps me to stay active.”

Complaints about noisy pickleball games have surfaced periodically on social media in recent years, along with the sport’s growing popularity.

In June 2025, one writer to The Straits Times’ Forum pages expressed her concerns about “constant noise” from these games, which prevent her husband, a night-shift security officer, from resting during the day.

In response, some MPs have urged pickleball players to be considerate about their playing hours, while town councils have introduced measures to address noise concerns.

Jurong East-Bukit Batok GRC MP David Hoe said some pickleball players told him they have encountered residents throwing things, such as eggs, at them from a height.

“If residents are bothered by the noise, I encourage them to approach the players and explain the situation to them in a non-accusatory manner,” he said.

His town council also encourages players to use balls made of materials that produce less noise, and is considering moving the playing cut-off time to 9pm instead of 10pm. Residents and players will be consulted before implementing any changes, he added.


In Marine Parade-Braddell Heights GRC, the town council has started switching off lights earlier at selected courts to discourage late-night play. It received 90 complaints about pickleball in 2025 – most of which were about noise – compared with 30 complaints in 2024.

Signs have also been put up to remind players to keep their noise levels down and play during designated hours, said a town council spokeswoman.


“Our teams have also engaged court users on site to encourage considerate play and to consider using quieter sports equipment to help reduce the overall sound impact,” she added.

The town council manages one pickleball court at Block 47 Marine Crescent, although the sport is also played at multi-purpose courts across the estate.

Madam Esther Sim, 77, whose two-room flat in Eunos Crescent overlooks one such multi-purpose court, said that pickleball games can get noisy if the ball flies out of the court and hits surrounding structures.

In July, the lights at the court started going off at 9.40pm, slightly earlier than the usual 10pm, she said.

“I’m not usually bothered by the noise, but I’m glad the town council is responding to residents’ feedback,” said the retired administrative executive, who added that she has not come across anyone playing past the designated hours.



Complaints about noisy pickleball games have surfaced periodically on social media in recent years, along with the sport’s growing popularity.

ST PHOTO: NG SOR LUAN

In the west, Marsiling-Yew Tee Town Council has put up signs at a badminton court near Block 636A Choa Chu Kang North 6, reminding residents of the proper use of the court.

It has also shortened the court’s opening hours. The court now closes at 9pm instead of 9.30pm daily, except on Mondays, when it closes at 9.30pm.

A town council spokesperson said it had received feedback about noise from pickleball games. “We continue to remind residents of the considerate and responsible use of the courts, and to minimise inconvenience to nearby residents”, a spokesperson from the town council said.

When ST visited the Choa Chu Kang court on Sept 4 at 9.45am, the gates to the court were locked. The town council said residents can contact it to open the gates.

Nearby residents told ST that pickleball noise is not an issue.

In Bishan-Toa Payoh GRC, pickleball players are encouraged to use the indoor court opposite Bishan Community Club. More courts are also being set up at the newly opened Thomson Community Club,

Ms Elysa Chen, who is MP for the Bishan East-Sin Ming ward, said pickleball playing times for courts in the constituency have been limited to three two-hour slots between 10am and 8pm on weekdays, and 3pm to 8pm on weekends.

“I believe it’s important to build neighbourhoods where residents feel welcome to use our facilities while also ensuring a conducive and restful environment for other residents,” she added.