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Tag: NEA

  • Singapore To Experience Warm Weather In July

    Singapore To Experience Warm Weather In July

    Singapore is likely to have continued warm weather in the first half of July with temperatures hitting 34 degrees Celsius on some afternoons.

    The National Environment Agency (NEA) said in its latest forecast that the Republic can expect three to five days of short thundery showers mostly in the late morning and early afternoon.

    In addition, slightly hazy conditions can be expected on a few days, particularly in the early morning.

    Singapore experienced dry and warm conditions in June with most parts of the country receiving below-average rainfall.

    The highest rainfall of 160mm to 191mm (0 to 20% above average) was recorded over the western part of the island around Jurong. Rainfall was lowest over the central and eastern parts of Singapore,

    Based on long-term statistics, July has the lowest average monthly rainfall in the year. The rainfall for the first fortnight of July 2015 is likely to be below normal.

     

    Source: www.straitstimes.com

  • Hawker: Regular Customers Are Like Family

    Hawker: Regular Customers Are Like Family

    When flooding occurred at the Marine Parade Food Centre in November 2013, it was so bad that even the walkways were submerged.But that did not stop loyal customers from queueing at the D’Authentic Nasi Lemak stall.

    So determined they were that they sat on the tables to keep their feet dry and enjoy their food.

    This is just one of the many memorable moments for stall owner Sulaiman Abu in his 20 years there.

    The Marine Parade Central Market And Food Centre will undergo major renovations once the lease runs out in 2017.

    The other two centres – Geylang Bahru Market And Food Centre and Bukit Merah Central Market And Food Centre – will close in November next year.

    Several hawkers told The New Paper that they were unsure about the future of their businesses once the centres close.

    “I have no concrete plans as of now,” said Mr Sulaiman.

    “I may move to another centre during the renovations but it really depends on how many stalls are available.

    “I think the best solution would be to have a temporary food centre.”

    Ms Annie Lau, who is in her 50s and runs her mother-in-law’s Soon Huat Lor Mee stall at Bukit Merah Central, said: “I am not sure whether my mother-in-law wants to continue the business after the centre closes. We will see how things go.”

    Various hawkers, whose businesses have been around for more than 10 years, said that they have many loyal customers, most of whom live or work around the area.

    “Some of my regulars come so often we know what their orders are before they are placed,” said Madam Irene Koh, 54. She has been operating her Mei Ji Fishball Noodles stall for 35 years.

    Mr Sulaiman added: “I have many regular customers who are now working adults but have been frequenting my stall since they were in primary school.

    “Some even have their own families now and bring their families here for meals. These regular customers are like family to me.”

    A second-generation co-owner of Katong Chicken Curry Puff at Marine Parade Central, who wanted to be known only as Mrs Koh, said she even has foreign fans.

    “A few of my customers are from the US. They would visit our stall whenever they visit Singapore,” said Mrs Koh, who co-owns the stall with her husband, Mr Koh Jee Kok. They are both 64.

    PECULIAR ORDERS

    The hawkers have also received some peculiar orders.

    Mr Sulaiman said: “Some customers would order mee rebus without the noodles. And there were a couple of customers who ordered only the nasi lemak’s sambal (chili paste).”

    Another hawker, who wanted to be known only as Mrs Ho, said she has had customers who woud order noodles from her Hui Wei Ban Mian stall at the Geylang Bahru Food Centre without the good stuff – meat, eggs and vegetables.

    But the 42-year-old woman, like most of the other hawkers from the three places, hopes to return after the renovation.

    Madam Siti, 59, who owns Warong Mak Esah & Pak Bakar at the Geylang Bahru Market And Food Centre, said: “I have set up my business in other centres but I still think this food centre is the best place to be.

    “I have made so many friends here, especially with my regular customers. I would like to return.”

    Mr Sulaiman added: “I would like to come back to continue serving the best food to my regular customers.”

    Patrons also hope that their favourite food stalls will return.

    Madam Candy Ong, 52, who goes to the Marine Parade Food Centre every day for lunch, said: “I will definitely miss my favourite food here, such as sliced fish noodles and yong tau foo.

    “I don’t know where I will go when the centre closes. I hope the hawkers will return and the prices stay the same.”

    A 67-year old retiree, who declined to be named, also said: “I have been visiting this centre since my younger days. I would miss coming here.”

    1-year break for 3 food centres

    Three hawker centres at these places will be closed for about a year for renovations within the next two years, once their 20-year leases under the Stall Ownership Scheme expire:

    • Block 69, 
Geylang Bahru
    • Block 163, 
Bukit Merah Central
    • Block 84, 
Marine Parade Central

    The National Environment Agency said hawkers who owned stalls will have the option of continuing their business after the revamp.

    First-generation hawkers – those were relocated off the streets in the 1970s – will pay subsidised rents while others will be charged according to prevailing rental market rates.

    24-hour hawker centre with cheap food to open in Hougang

    A 24-hour hawker centre will open at Ci Yuan Community Club in August, the National Environment Agency said in a statement yesterday.

    The new hawker centre, located within the community club at Hougang Avenue 9, will have 40 stalls and seat up to 640 people.

    “Residents can look forward to enjoying affordable food at the new centre, which will also be equipped with features such as child-friendly toilet facilities and family-friendly seating.”

    Fei Siong Food Management will manage the new hawker centre on a not-for-profit basis, by channelling surplus “to improve vibrancy and create social benefits”.

    For instance, at least 20 of the 40 stalls will be under Fei Siong Food Management’s Entrepreneurship Programme that aims to provide a head start for young or new hawkers who lack the capital and knowledge to run a stall.

    Patrons will also be assured of moderated food prices – from 80 cents for a cup of coffee to $2.80 for a bowl of fishball noodles.

     

    Source: www.tnp.sg

  • NEA: Woman Making Curry Puffs At Home Was Part Of Syndicate

    NEA: Woman Making Curry Puffs At Home Was Part Of Syndicate

    ​The woman who was charged and convicted with selling curry puffs without a licence was the operator of a foreign syndicate mass producing curry puffs from her flat, said the National Environment Agency (NEA) in a statement.

    The New Paper published Madam Robiah Lia Caniago’s story on Monday, which attracted many responses from readers wanting to help her.

    The 40-year-old’s husband was jailed for drug offences in March 2012, and Madam Robiah claims she had to make curry puffs from her two-room rental flat at Lengkok Bahru to support her son, nine, and daughter, seven.

    She was fined $3,000, but as she could not pay up, she served a five-day default jail sentence instead.

    NEA said they had found Madam Robiah operating the curry puff business with eight other people in her flat. The curry puffs were being prepared on the floor and in “very unhygienic conditions”.

    The agency also released photographs of Madam Robiah’s flat when they inspected it in June last year.

    NEA’s statement is in full below:

    In 2014, the National Environment Agency (NEA) received public complaints concerning unlicensed mass preparation of curry puffs for sale at Block 61 Lengkok Bahru.

    Acting on information received, officers from NEA conducted a joint inspection together with the Housing & Development Board (HDB) and Ministry of Manpower (MOM), on 27 June 2014 at the HDB flat and found a foreign syndicate mass producing curry puffs. During the inspection, Mdm Robiah and eight other people, all of whom are on social visit passes, were preparing curry puffs on the floor of the premises. The food preparation was done in a very unhygienic condition and caused disamenities to the neighbours such as smell nuisance.

    When questioned, Mdm Robiah claimed that they were all her relatives. NEA’s records showed that four of them had been ticketed between four to 13 times previously for illegal hawking of curry puffs at various public places, such as MRT stations.

    This was also the second time within a month that the same premises was found to be used for unlicensed mass preparation of curry puffs.

    As they had not stopped their operations but continued to flout the law after the first inspection, Mdm Robiah was prosecuted in court for an offence under the Environmental Public Health Act, Section 32 for operating a food establishment without first obtaining a licence from NEA. Under the law, any person who contravenes the provision for the first time shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $5,000. Mdm Robiah was fined $3,000 by the District Court on 27 May 2015.

    Assistance rendered to Mdm Robiah and family

    The Government is aware of Mdm Robiah’s family situation and has been rendering various financial assistance to Mdm Robiah and her family since 2012, when her husband was incarcerated. This includes help for rent and utilities, monthly financial assistance from Ministry of Social and Family Development and Ministry of Education (MOE), as well as services provided by Family Service Centres (FSCs).

    Guidelines on food hygiene and hawking

    NEA takes a tough stance towards errant food operators who flout hygiene regulations, especially those who run unlicensed operations, as they could pose serious threats to public health. Members of the public are advised not to buy food from illegal hawkers. In particular, illegally sold food items such as curry puffs may not have been prepared in accordance with proper hygiene procedures or undergone quality control checks.

    Any Singaporean who wishes to embark on hawking may rent a hawker stall from NEA. Local illegal hawkers in genuine financial difficulties are referred to social service agencies, Voluntary Welfare Organisations (VWOs) and self-help groups. They can approach the Workforce Development Agency (WDA) Career Centres located island wide for career and training advice and services to enhance their job search skills and employability. They can also register with Jobs Bank to search for jobs.

     

    Source: www.tnp.sg

  • Beer Promoters And Stall Holders Seen Trying To Work Around Recent NEA Ban

    Beer Promoters And Stall Holders Seen Trying To Work Around Recent NEA Ban

    Beer promoters can no longer work at hawker centres here, but it seems they have found a way around restrictions by the National Environment Agency (NEA).

    Dressed in plainclothes, they now do not pick up bottles, open them or pour drinks for patrons. Instead, like waitresses, they only order from drinks stalls on behalf of customers, Chinese evening newspaper Shin Min Daily News reported on Friday after doing its own investigation on the ground.

    Apart from that, Shin Min reported that they sit with customers and talk to them. The stall owners now serve the customers.

    The paper also reported that at some hawker centres, stall owners are doubling up as beer promoters, serving the drinks, and sitting down and talking to customers as well.

    Breweries were asked to withdraw their beer promoters from the 107 markets and hawker centres managed by the NEA earlier in May.

    Letters were sent to drink stall operators, and promoters have stopped working at hawker centres for about two weeks.

    In a letter seen by The Straits Times earlier this week, Ms Yew Meng Yet, assistant director (tenancy management) of NEA’s hawker centres division, said NEA does not allow beer promoters at hawker centres as this could lead to touting among the various drink stalls.

    The NEA also said in response to queries that it does not allow any beer promotion in hawker centres as beer promoters are not stallholders or registered stall assistants.

    While some stalls have changed their tactics in a bid to follow the rules, others have been less abiding.

    A check by Shin Min at a hawker centre in Chinatown showed that on Thursday afternoon (May 21), there were at least two beer promoters working while plainclothed, and one of them was seen pouring drinks for customers.

    A check by The Straits Times showed that many of the 600-odd beer promoters here come from China, Malaysia and Vietnam.

    In the same letter seen by ST, Ms Yew reiterated that non-Singaporeans are also not allowed to operate or assist at hawker stalls.

     

    Source: www.straitstimes.com

     

  • Hotter And Wetter Singapore Expected In The Future

    Hotter And Wetter Singapore Expected In The Future

    In the latter part of the 21st century, Singapore could face hotter and wetter days, if no global action is taken to curb greenhouse gas emissions. In a worst-case scenario, daily temperatures could spike to 32°C, while sea levels could rise by more than a metre.

    This is according to findings from the first phase of the Second National Climate Change Study, which was released by the Meteorological Service Singapore’s (MSS) Centre for Climate Research Singapore on Wednesday (Apr 15).

    The study made use of models from the Inter-governmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) 5th Assessment Report and scaled it down for it to be relevant to Singapore. It used a baseline period of 1980 to 2009 and projected it on the period between 2070 and 2099.

    Daily temperatures, for example, could increase from the baseline average of 27.4°C to as much as 32°C – or a 4.6°C rise – should there be no concerted effort to tackle the greenhouse gas emission issue, according to the report.

    The study also showed that the hot weather commonly experienced here between February and May could be exacerbated.

    In the historical baseline period, there were about 25 days when temperatures hit or exceeded 34.1°C. In a less aggressive projection, Singapore could see between 74 and 108 days with such temperatures, but the worst-case scenario would see such temperatures become the norm here, the study found. Higher temperatures, coupled with the humidity, could result in more heat stress incidents for those working outdoors.

    Singapore could also see more rainfall during the wet months of November to January. The percentage of contribution to annual rainfall from very wet days for the less aggressive projection is between 21 per cent and 35.3 per cent, while the other scenario would see a contribution of between 21.5 per cent to 44.1 per cent, the study found.

    Meanwhile, the dry Southwest monsoon season could see between 12 and 30 per cent decrease in rainfall under the two scenarios.

    February 2014 was the driest month for Singapore in 145 years, with little rain and parched weather conditions. Going forward, while experts said Singapore will not experience this on a yearly basis, such conditions may become more frequent.

    Experts point out that rainfall patterns can also be affected by naturally occurring weather cycles.

    “Not many people would doubt that some part of the temperature change we have seen for Singapore is due to climate change. But for rainfall, it is a tricky question to say how much of this can be attributed to climate change. It wouldn’t ever be saying it is due to climate change. It would be more of a question of a certain amount of that trend could be due to climate change.”

    The findings will go towards the study’s second phase, which will examine the impact of climate change on infrastructure and water resources.

    The study was commissioned by the National Environment Agency (NEA) together with the Met Office Hadley Centre in the UK. MSS said the second phase of the study is expected to be ready by the end of the year.

     

    Source: www.channelnewsasia.com