Singapore’s Dying Hawker Trend

As we step into a vibrant and bustling hawker centre, the strong aroma of traditional hawker food welcomes us. In Singapore, the diversity of food is probably our pride and joy. What better place to appreciate Singapore’s diversity than in our very own food havens- hawker centres?

With over thirteen thousand stalls islandwide, hawker culture has become extremely integrated into our day to day lives. It is thus without doubt that hawker food means a great deal to Singaporeans. However, this hawker trend is slowly dying and here are some reasons why.

Firstly, many hawkers who have been running their stalls for decades are slowly leaving the industry due to old age. This leaves the next generation of the family to take over the business but most of the younger generation would prefer not to take over the tedious job. Their reason being lack of interest or passion to do the job.

Secondly, most of the younger generation (and their parents) would prefer not to work as a hawker due to the gruelling hours and amount of effort they have to put in to run the stall. On average, hawkers work 12 full hours. Most hawkers began the day at around 5am, preparing the food in the wee hours of the morning before heading to the stall, setting up and then serving food until around 4pm. They then head back home and continue preparing ingredients. The long hours make the job extremely intense and not many are up for the challenge and commitment.

Lastly, the rising costs of rent paired with the lack of customers would mean that few people would attempt to venture into the business. The hawker business is dependent on the public. Skyrocketing rents and lesser people patronizing hawker centres are constant deterrents for those considering the business. Hence, the next-generation of hawkers are hard to come by. 

However, it is without doubt that the Singapore hawker culture is extremely iconic and it is something that all Singaporeans can connect with. In my opinion, Singapore should try to preserve its hawker culture. Almost everyone grew up having meals in hawker centres and it would definitely be a pity to have it slowly die down in the hands of the younger generation. Nothing could compare to the heated discussions between Singaporeans about which stall served the best wanton mee or nasi lemak. 

I feel that the government could introduce incentives for young hawkers starting out. For example, monthly discounts for stall rental for hawkers just starting out. Or allow for more holidays for hawkers. This would lead to hawkers to be more comfortable in their work environment and hence step up to try their hand at being a hawker. The interest could be cultivated in the younger generation so as to ensure that we can still maintain the high-quality yet affordable food for all to enjoy. 

Lok Qi Ern

2 Loyalty