By TEMASEK TODAY
Clean two hawker centres - so complicated meh? But its like a
korean drama for past two weeks, AHPETC vs hawkers vs
NEA.
So what's story? We decided to pay the hawker centres a visit and
ask penetrating questions like "What happened
ah?"
So here's a simple version.
Hawker centre 1 close for 5 days, but when hawkers came back, they
realized the AHPETC only wash the floor and never clean the
ceiling. Damn angry, lost income for 5 days for nothing.
How can?
3 months later, hawker centre 2 which is due to close for 5 days
cleaning, is increasingly anxious -"Will I also kena?"
They talk to AHPETC, who told them "This one not my
pasa, anything above 2.5m, look for NEA." Now hawkers lagi
angry.
Then newspapers expose the story. Angry hawkers wrote
petitions and say the ceiling must be cleaned - and free of charge,
like last time.
After story come out, NEA issued notice to AHPETC that must
clean. AHPETC said they would clean and FOC to hawkers.
Everything solved (more or less)!
But like every Singaporean school teacher and army sergeant, we
want to ask – whose fault is this?
NEA said AHPETC’s fault. Every town council in Singapore also
know it's their job to clean the ceiling, and they already collect
money from hawkers every month so cannot charge anymore for
cleaning ceiling.
AHPETC said NEA’s fault. Pritam Singh produced letter from
NEA saying that hawkers would settle the scaffoldings.
Since scaffoldings not set up by hawkers, cleaners
cannot climb to the ceiling, so they never clean the ceiling of
hawker centre 1.
NEA said the letter was referring to the cover of the stalls, not
scaffoldings for climbing.
NEA said AHPETC not truthful. AHPETC said NEA politicizing.
So whose fault? We say:
First, scaffolds is scaffolds, cover is cover. If NEA really
write like that, AHPETC sure misinterpret what.
Second, even if really miscomm, hawker centre 1 close for 5 days
and nobody clean ceiling, how come nobody scream ‘Ooi, what's going
on??!!". Actually the hawkers got scream but AHPETC never do
anything to solve the problem. And after 3 months, same thing
going to happen to hawker centre 2 and still no solution from
AHPETC other than - above 2.5m not my pasa.
Conclusion:
But one thing still puzzles us. AHPETC said they never ask hawkers
to pay for cleaning the ceiling. hawkers told us they did.
But they rejected because they never had to pay
before.
Korean
drama deepens.. One thing I know for sure, all the hawker aunty
uncles I know earn a hard living, every dollar counts for them.. So
I doubt they were lying.. So AHPETC, urm, I think you should prove
yourself lah.."
