Sometimes they ask and I tell them not finished yet, sometimes they mutter something which I can't make out and they proceed to try and clear, other times they are so sullen that they start clearing without even asking.
There are different types and you can't expect the cleaners to be like waiters at a restaurant, although that would be great.............
I fully agree with bro jw5.
As I mentioned in some other thread before, some cleaners really have this fucktard attitude in doing their work. They just approach the table and proceed to clear the plates and utensils even if you tell them to leave them alone until you have finished. We are not here to put them down or look down on them. They got their job to do yes, but they should have the common sense, decency and courtesy when someone is eating, wait until the person has finished and if more than one person, wait till the whole table is done.
Chinese have a saying 民以食为天 that is to emphasize that ordinary people view eating as a very important event. The Hokkiens also have another saying - chiak peng, hong tei tua (吃饭皇帝大), that is, when one is eating, he is as grand as the emperor, meaning, have respect for the person who who is eating and leave him to eat in peace.
That is why the best restaurants are the ones who train their waiters and waitresses to wait by the side quietly, unobtrusively and never, never to interrupt the customer while he is eating. The waiter/waitress will go to customer only if he (customer) summons for some service or when the people on the whole table have completed their eating.
Unfortunately, hawker centres and food courts can never be compared to restaurant service. Whilst we know this, the cleaners and their supervisors at least ought to learn to respect the customers by leaving them in peace to complete their meals without being disturbed by the clearing of plates and utensils.