The
unauthorised sale of Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) apparel and
equipment is an offence, but these items are still openly sold on
China's popular Taobao e-commerce website.
Such online
competition, coupled with an impending lease expiry, have added to
the woes of vendors at the Beach Road army market. On Taobao, items
such as uniforms, kneepads, elbow guards, water pouches, boots and
even berets can be found.
The army's
chief supply officer, Colonel Keith Ho, said: "We wish to stress
that the unauthorised sale of SAF equipment by servicemen and
contracted suppliers is prohibited and we take a serious view on
this matter." He added: "We advise servicemen to procure their
personal equipment from authorised sources like the SAF eMart or
from the official online eMart website, which can be found on the
NS portal."
The
unauthorised sale of SAF gear is an offence under military law.
Those guilty of misappropriation or theft of SAF property can be
jailed for up to three years.
In 1997, the
armed forces introduced the SAF eMart, in which personnel are given
credits to buy equipment online or at eMart outlets. But the
unauthorised sale of SAF equipment online has still been reported.
In 2010, for example, army-issued helmets were put up for sale on
online forums HardwareZone and Gumtree.
DWINDLING CROWDS
It's very quiet
now. People prefer to go online. There used to be a lot of people
here on weekends in the past.
SHOP OWNER JEFFREY YAP
Meanwhile, the availability of army items
online has affected the business of the Beach Road army market
located on the second storey of the 38-year-old Golden Mile Food
Centre.In 2012, freesheet My Paper reported that more than
10 vendors were hawking cotton T-shirts or singlets with the SAF
logo on Taobao.
Only a
handful of the shops there still sell army gear. Most of the owners
of these shops are in their 60s and 70s. Other shops have turned to
selling outdoor gear and camping equipment.
Most of the
shops selling authorised army gear were sold under the Government's
Stall Ownership Scheme in 1996 for about $60,000 per unit. When the
stalls' 20-year leases expire in December, they will be returned to
the Government and stallholders will become tenants.
Businesses
said profits have halved compared with five years ago. Shop owner
Jeffrey Yap said: "It's very quiet now. People prefer to go
online.
"There used
to be a lot of people here on weekends in the past."
The
65-year-old opened his shop 20 years ago, but stopped selling
military gear about three years back. "I now focus on backpacks,
camping equipment, deck chairs and water bottles," he said.
A 75-year-old
shop owner, who gave her name only as Madam Liew, said in Malay:
"There used to be a lot of people here but business now is
difficult." Her 30-year-old shop has T-shirts, socks, backpacks and
"a little bit of everything", including glow sticks.
Mr Lim Gin
Peng, 75, who has been selling army gear for 25 years, has also
been hit by online competition. He said: "People want things cheap
and compare them to eMart prices. But I need to profit also."