Committee of Supply 2025 debate, Day 3: Eric Chua on rejuvenating Singapore's hawker culture and automation

Hawker centres play a crucial role in Singapore's culinary and cultural landscape. They also provide affordable, good quality meals and serve as communal spaces where people from all walks of life gather. However, a significant challenge faced by hawkers today is their physical selves, as many are getting on in age and are not as physically able as before. As a result, many stalls in some hawker centres close by the late afternoon and this translates to reduced food options and overall foot traffic to these hawker centres. Senior Parliamentary Secretary Eric Chua shared these observations in parliament on Tuesday (Mar 4), where he proposed the implementation of a new policy which will allow two different sets of stallholders to operate the same stall, in accordance with a two-shift system. He also highlighted how technology could help Singapore sustain its hawker culture by reducing the strain on senior hawkers, allowing them to focus on quality control.