Category: Sosial

Abuse Of Future Hawkers While Keeping Prices Low

By Foo CL

This article by Straits Times, “First of 20 new hawker centres will open in Hougang in August 2015: NEA” wrote about how new hawker centres bring about more hawker and affordable food to Singaporean.

For one of such hawker centres, NEA mentioned that Fei Siong Food Management will manage the new hawker centre on a not-for-profit basis, by channelling operating surplus “to improve vibrancy and create social benefits”.”

I saw this as a step in the right direction but at the end, I cannot describe how disappointed after I was directed to “FEI SIONG FOOD MANAGEMENT PTE LTD”, knowing more about the tendering of the hawker stall.

In the article, it states that the rental is S$1500-S$1800 which is comparable to others hawker at the same area, but failed to mention all the hidden cost charge by Fei Siong food management.

Cleaning and washing fee up to S$2000 per month excludes GST.

In most hawker centers, their highest rate to clean tables ranges between S$450-600 and S$600-1000 to wash the bowl inclusive of GST. Even taking the highest rate of the of the busiest hawker center, most would never exceed S$1600 in total cleaning fee (GST INCLUDED).

The rates offered is very much higher than the prevailing market rate.

Compulsory rental of point of sale (POS)

The POS system cost S$50 a month and the Fei Siong food management can also access your sales figure through this system.

Fixed uniform and utensil

Uniform and utensils will be provided by Fei Siong food management at an undisclosed amount.

Unfair tendering system.

There is a total of 40 stores but only 20 will be open tender, and the other 20 will be under the “entrepreneurship” program which will be operated by Fei Siong food management.

Under this program, applicants will write in the food they can cook and Fei Siong food management will select them to operate the stall on their behalf. The operator and the helper will be paid 25% of the stall sales. If u cannot meet the sales target, you will be removed from the program.

The rest of the 20 stall will be selected by Fei Siong food management instead of an open tender, which I will cover in the next point.

Conflict of interest?

Since Fei Siong food management will be managing 20 of the stalls and select the other tender. Wouldn’t Fei Siong food management give priority to food stores that are more popular, better profit margin and easier to operate to themselves and left over choices to those that decided to tender the stall remaining 20 stalls?

This 20 stalls will also have an unfair advantage due to higher overheads and operation cost stated above.

Strict Terms and conditions.

Fei Siong food management will require the hawkers to operate their stalls for 12 hrs a day. Wear their uniform, and control their off days so there will be a minimum numbers of stall opened every day.

This will not be easy for small family operated businesses that wish to keep their overhead low since they will definitely need to hire helpers to operate such long hours.

Business entity or government entity.

Is this hawker center that is built by taxpayer money been tender to Fei Siong food management for revenue or is it build for the benefit of residents to keep the food pricing low?

Price control

Despite having a higher operation cost, the hawker center management still wish to disguise it as a low-cost food center by restricting at least 2 product to be below $2.80

Been in F&B business myself, all the condition seem awfully similar to those in commercially operated food courts. But this is a NEA hawker center that is built by taxpayer money and released by the government as a form to assist citizen keeping food cost low. Why is it being abused as such?

Source: www.theonlinecitizen.com

July 2, 2015
Heartless Lorry Driver Swipes Motorcyclist, Then Says “He Die His Problem Lar”

Hi everyone,

Spread awareness of this heartless lorry driver of vehicle no. YL3271E.

This lorry driver was driving very recklessly on the roads when he turned and hit on a rider. The rider lost his balance, hit onto our car and flew.

When we stop, we confront the lorry driver but he deny it is his fault. After arguing for a while he just say “If he die his problem la!”

Now the rider still unconscious in hospital.

Please do share the lorry driver photo and let everyone be careful of him!

Jez
A.S.S. Contributor

Source: www.allsingaporestuff.com

July 2, 2015
Maid Sentenced To Two Weeks Jail For Fracturing Baby’s Elbow

A maid was sentenced to two weeks’ jail after she caused a fracture on the right elbow of her employer’s seven-month-old daughter in February by yanking on the baby’s arm.

Valencia Gemalyn Garma, 24, a Filipina, had been employed to do general house cleaning and look after her employer’s two children.

The court heard that on Feb 21, at about 1.30am, Garma, who had been working for the family for seven months, had settled down to sleep with the baby when the child began crying.

She said she had not managed to fall asleep and was agitated and tired after having had to care for her employer’s older child, who is two years old. She picked up the baby in an attempt to pacify her, carrying her on her right arm.

Later, she transferred the baby to her chest by forcefully pulling at the baby’s right arm. When the baby continued crying for 10 minutes, Garma suspected that she had hurt the baby, but she did not inform her employer out of fear.

The employer was awakened by the baby’s cries and took over, telling Garma to go to sleep.

But when her daughter continued to cry for half an hour before falling asleep, and woke up crying again at 3am, she became concerned that the baby might be in pain. Examinations by doctors at Thomson Medical Centre and KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital revealed that the child had suffered a fracture to her right elbow.

When questioned by her employer, Garma initially denied any involvement but later admitted to hurting the child.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Fong Jin Heng submitted that Garma’s failure to inform her employer of the possible injury significantly delayed the baby’s mother from seeking necessary medical attention.

District Judge Toh Yung Cheong took into account the fact that Garma had not had prior experience in caring for children and her tired state at the time of the negligent act, and ordered a sentence of two weeks’ jail.

For causing grievous hurt by a negligent act, Garma could have been jailed up to six months and fined up to $2,500.

Source: www.straitstimes.com

July 2, 2015
Judge Increases Jail Sentence To 3 Months For Foreigner Who Attacked Cabby

Just two weeks after he was sentenced to a three weeks’ jail for assaulting a taxi driver, 34-year old Dutchman Dino Petrus Johannes van Deijzen saw his sentence increased to three months.

The deputy public prosecutor had appealed the original sentence, saying the judge in that case, District Judge Imran Abdul Hamid, seemed to have been convinced by van Deijzen’s portrayal of himself as a victim.

The Dutchman, a design executive, had claimed that the taxi driver, Me Ee Kah Ling, had also hit him, resulting in the former losing consciousness.

Justice Imran was reported to have “noted that the victim had also engaged in a scuffle with van Deijzen and traded blows, which would have explained the blunt force trauma suffered by the accused.”

However, justice Tay rejected this.

He said Mr van Deijzen’s claims were “convenient excuses to downplay his use of inexcusable violence” against Mr Ee, 42.

Further, justice Tay noted that Mr van Deijzen was not remorseful and that there were neither an offer of compensation to Mr Ee noran apology from the Dutchman.

Mr van Deijzen and his girlfriend were reportedly intoxicated when they hailed and boarded Mr Ee’s cab at Dunlop Street at almost 1am on 21 October.

They asked to be ferried to blk 538 in Ang Mo Kio.

When the taxi reached the destination, Mr van Deijzen’s girlfriend vomited in the taxi.

Mr Ee then asked the couple to leave the car and asked for the fare.

The couple, however, ignored him and walked away without paying.

At this point, Mr Ee threatened to call the police, and was retrieving his phone from his taxi when Mr van Deijzen pounced on him, slammed the door and punched Mr Ee.

Me Ee tried to escape and ran away, but Mr van Deijzen gave chase and pushed him to the ground, and continued to punch and kick Mr Ee.

The heinous act was caught by the in-vehicle CCTV of Mr Ee’s taxi.

Soosay (Photo: Straits Times)

Also in June, National University of Singapore (NUS) law professor, Sundram Peter Soosay, 43, has been found guilty of assaulting a taxi driver while drunk.

Mr Soosay, who is a Singapore permanent resident and has been working at NUS since 2008, was lambasted by District Judge Victor Yeo in court.

Judge Yeo said Mr Soosay’s testimony was “riddled with hindsight reasoning, convenient conjecture and hypothesis”.

Judge Yeo then sentenced the law professor to four months jail and ordered him to compensate the taxi driver, 71-year old Sun Chun Hua. (See here.)

Source: www.theonlinecitizen.com

July 2, 2015
Singaporean In Induced Coma After Holiday Accident In Perth

A Singaporean woman was put into an induced coma after she was seriously injured in a road accident near the wine resort town of Margaret River, about 280km south of Perth in Western Australia.

Miss Heidi Ang, 25, was driving a rented car when it was involved in an accident with a four-wheel-drive last Friday afternoon.

Also in the car were her friends — Mr Lim Zi Jie, who sat next to her in the front, and Miss Huang Huifang, who was in the back seat. They escaped with minor injuries.

Miss Huang told The New Paper on Wednesday that firefighters had to rescue Miss Ang who was trapped in the driver’s seat.

She was then flown to Royal Perth Hospital by a rescue helicopter in a serious condition, a Western Australia Police spokesman said.

Miss Ang’s older brother, Mr Wilmer Ang, said she had sustained three broken ribs and brain damage and was put into an induced coma until Sunday and has since made progress in her recovery.

Miss Huang regretted that their holiday had ended in tragic circumstances, but she was also relieved that all of them survived the crash.

She was also optimistic about Miss Ang recovery, saying: “I am sure she will be recover quickly. She is a strong girl.”

Source: www.tnp.sg

July 2, 2015