NEA’s CEO reveals that Geylang Serai market is run by PAP Kampong Ubi CCC!!

NEA’s CEO reveals that Geylang Serai market is run by PAP Kampong Ubi CCC!!

After keeping the news under wraps for almost 3 weeks, NEA CEO Andrew Tan has finally let the cat out of the bag over the background of the Geylang Serai Market: it is built and managed by a PAP grassroots organization - Kampong Ubi Citizens Consultative Committee (CCC)!!

In a letter sent to the media, Mr Andrew Tan wrote:

“When markets and hawker centres are being upgraded, grassroot organisations and their advisers can choose to have a temporary market which is not provided for under the Government’s Hawker Centres Upgrading Programme.

If so, they also carry the responsibility of keeping the temporary market clean to meet NEA standards. However, NEA will intervene if it assesses the need to do so in the interest of public health.

In the case of Geylang Serai Market, the Kampong Ubi CCC decided to build and manage the temporary market. Despite the best of efforts put in by the Temporary Market Management Committee in implementing its cleaning regime and in tackling the rat infestation problem, the problem had persisted.”

I believe Mr Tan is trying to be diplomatic here so as not to offend the PAP.

The market management committee has been “managing” the market for 3 years. How can they fail to eradicate the rats which is easily accomplished by pest controllers in less than a week!

If this represents the “best” effort put in by the Kampong CCC, then I really worry about the other temporary markets which are run by these grassroots organizations.

The market management committee is guilty of negligence on at least three counts:

1. Failure to tackle the chronic rat problem.

2. Failure to call for spring-cleaning of the market when it should be done every four months.

3. Failure to maintain general cleanliness and environmental hygiene of the premises.

Why didn’t NEA take action against the management committee earlier since it claimed its officers conduct spot checks on temporary markets pretty often?

Who in the management committee should answer for the lapses of hygiene at the temporary market?

From what know, the management committee reports directly to its advisor PAP MP Dr Ong Seh Hong.

Is Dr Ong aware of the chronic hygiene problems in the Geylang Serai temporary market which is located in this ward? He should have detected the problem himself had he been conducting his walk-abouts in his constituency frequently.

It is most unfair and unjust that MOH and NEA found fit to haul the Indian Rojak stallholder to court on shaky grounds of “lapses in food and environmental hygiene” while they dare not even censure Kampong Ubi CCC and its advisor for failure to maintain the cleanliness and hygiene of the temporary market.

Each individual hawker at the Geylang Serai temporary market is in charge of only the food and environmental hygiene at their respect stalls.

Ultimately, the management committee is in charge of the overall cleanliness of the place. Cleaning of the premises as well as removing offending pests such as rats lies within the purview of the committee.

I sincerely implore NEA to prosecute the management committee of the Geylang Serai temporary market including its advisor PAP MP Dr Ong Seh Hong for dereliction of duties and gross negligence leading to castastrophic lapses in food and environmental hygiene which are of far greater proportion and significance compared to that of the Indian rojak man.

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