Illegal Hawkers? My Story

In the past two weeks, when my party, National Solidarity Party, went on our usual political outreach on Sundays to promote our publication North Star, we were warned for illegal hawking and our Vice President Christopher Neo was eventually summoned for this offence of "illegal hawking". I shall not deal with the details of the case here but it is pretty bizarre that political activists who make sacrifice of their time and effort to be involved in public service of politics were charged for "illegal hawking".

It is pretty insulting actually. Most probably someone in National Environment Agency doesn't really know what exactly an illegal hawker is. I will illustrate what it means to be an illegal hawker here.

I am born in a poor family of 10. My parents have to feed and send 8 children to school. I am proud to say that my parents have given all they have to provide these 8 children the best education that each could achieve and that include sending 1 to polytechnic, 2 to local universities and 1 overseas.

They could only do that by becoming illegal hawkers. There is nothing shameful to admit that I was also an illegal hawker since I was 5 years old, helping my parents to mend our temporary "stall" or going around the flats to sell their lasi lemak, ottah kwei and bee hoon. I am the youngest and thus I have to help out in the morning before I go to school. I spent most of my holidays hawking these food "illegally". If there is anything PAP or ISD want to dig, this is the ONLY DIRT they could find about me, a young illegal hawker at the age of 5 till 11.

My parents have to wake up 3am in the morning to prepare all the food for sales to the morning working crowd.They have made a name for themselves in the neighbourhood for selling the delicious nasi lemak and dumplings. Pre-orders for dumplings during the festive season were in the tens and hundreds.

Beside helping out the sales, which trained me to be very quick in mental Maths calculation (yeah, that's why I scored full marks for my Maths in Primary school!), I have to help out with the carry of bags of chili and endure the strong smell of belachan when they prepare the chili for the nasi lemak. All 10 of us have to squeeze in a small two-room rental flat with only 1 bedroom.

Life was tough but enjoyable though. I enjoyed every minute of it, especially going up that 20 storey high flats to shout out "Ottah, Ottah kwei, Nasi Lemak!" Even the avoidance of the "dee gu" (law enforce officers from NEA) was just like hide and seek or playing catching for me.

My parents have tried to apply for hawker license many times but failed. They were not granted the license or any hawker stall at the market. But for survival sake, they have no choice but to become illegal hawkers to bring 8 children up and provide them with all the education they could get. If they haven't done that, there might be another 8 delinquent youngsters on the streets and eventually add on to the social problems of Singapore!

It was all pure hard work and determination of earning enough money to raise 8 children with proper education that make them carry on with that label "illegal hawkers". To me, I am proud of my parents for their dedication to us, their children. "Illegal hawkers"? Who cares! When the system fails to provide the adequate means for the family to survive, then we will have to find our own ways to survive.

Nobody wants to break the law unnecessarily. I do not view my parents as "law breakers" but rather survivors of the system on the fringe. They did not choose to cheat, rob or become criminals but just "illegal hawkers" to earn a living for all of us. When the survival of the family is at stake, you will have to find ways to fight the lesser evil of the law.

I write this to illustrate one very important point. As far as possible, we will be law abiding citizens. But when the circumstance is such that our survival is being threaten, the only way would be playing on the fringe of the law. The situation NSP and all other opposition parties are facing due to the inappropriate enforcement of "illegal hawking" law on us is pretty similar to my story.

The survival of NSP is being threaten now due to this "illegal hawking" summon. The only difference is that WE ARE NOT HAWKERS but VOLUNTEERS in Political Public Service. The law is inappropriately applied to us and it would mean that politically, NSP will face closure if its political activity of promoting its messages and publications are being curtailed.

Just today, I have met an old gentleman who accused us of appearing just before elections. I explained to him that we have been selling our North Star all around Singapore for years! PAP has always sneered at opposition parties by saying we only work when elections come. That is totally untrue and PAP knows it. Be it walkabout on the ground or various press releases on policies and current issues, NSP has been pretty active doing all these.

It is now NEA trying to curtail our political activism on the ground by issuing such silly summon of "illegal hawking". Choosing between becoming a totally law abiding of silly law which make us politically inactive and being an effective political party actively engaging the ground but risks being summoned as "illegal hawkers" by NEA, I would choose the later. I am not here to make NSP just a flower vase of PAP's farce pseudo Democracy. I am here to make NSP an effective party that would actively challenge and put proper checks and balances on PAP's dominance of power.

This is not only about the survival of NSP or any other opposition parties alone. It is about the sustainability of the healthy political development for Singapore. If there is a small price to be paid as being insulted as "illegal hawkers" by the unreasonable PAP's rule, so be it.

Goh Meng Seng

The issue is not about illegal hawking, GMS.
I like to mooch around the heartlands, unlike those supertalented indispensable overpaid superstars, and there are lots of illegal hawkers around, with little or no encumbrance from the friendly authorities. In fact, it's usually the same faces day after day, proving that they can actually sustain a business.
The issue is that they perceive you and your party as a threat to them.
Keep up the good work.

GMS this is one very minor issue that you have to deal with, as an opposition in Sinkieland

No one will sympathize with you so be strong

Hi Mr. Sec Gen,

:p

When you get into the parliament, I suggest you propose a proper bill to regulate regular activities of political parties and NGO what not political groups, and appoint a proper statutory body to be in charge.

The act should specify and make providence for legitimate political groups' parties' activity to interact with people with political interest. Specify what are the limitations and responsibilities. Specify the governing body, specify what are the offenses and penalties also. Call this the political activities act or something.

Specify:

Rallies; procession; demonstration; what requirement necessary, time of day, location, size of crowd, security marshals, traffic & road management, min numbers of days in advance for application, Merit / Demerit Points System, suspension / revocation of permit, responsibility and liabilities etc.

Also define classification:
Walk about; small meetings; meet the people; in-door meetings; large rallies; specified by numbers of participants, giving a range (max -min)

Provide:
Regulatory controls, police power, organizers' marshaling powers', who may order trouble makers to leave, how should police help, what should organizer be held responsible for, etc.

Provide also:
How places of public / road may or may not, be used, obligation and authorities of each dept. Fees, costs, and how state resources may be provided or rendered useful.



As long as there is a reasonable law, I believe that all citizens / activists are happy to comply with.



As it is it became very obvious that corrupted and incompetent famiLEE LEEgime is very coward selfish and hypocritical about this. They misuse / abuse National Environmental, Misc Offenses, Public Entertainment & Meetings, Public Order... acts to any how hum-tum against parties other than their how PAp.

There is no transparency nor accountability nor fairness at all. No reasonable at all. There is bad faith, selectivity, biasness, abuse of power and negligence in countless places. We only managed to expose tip of the iceberg online.

Ass Loong Son still want to tell people that he is doing Political Reform :oIo::oIo:

Do you believe that he is sincere? Who will believe he is?

If our country will get a real political reform, show us a reasonable legislation to properly regulate political activities, that will be a good place to start. This is my suggestion.

Dear GMS, one can play the game...remember Mani the parrot, who became a celebrity during the WC2010, all the 'suppressed' presses & media carried that news....isn't that thamby on the sidewalk telling fortune...an illegal hawker...

uncleyap said:

Hi Mr. Sec Gen,

:p

When you get into the parliament, I suggest you propose a proper bill to regulate regular activities of political parties and NGO what not political groups, and appoint a proper statutory body to be in charge.

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Why wait for GMS to get into Parliament ? Why don't you ask the two opposition MPs who are already in Parliament ?

Queen Seok Duk said:

Why wait for GMS to get into Parliament ? Why don't you ask the two opposition MPs who are already in Parliament ?

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I surely not exclude any opposition party in terms of my suggestion.

At this time, only 2/ (84 - 1) seats are non-PAP, is that sufficient to even propose a bill?

Why (84 -1)??

There is a VACANT SEAT! OCCUPIED BY GHOST WHO CAN NOT VOTE!
Because Bukit Batok's Ong Chit Chong mati and the bastard famiLEE LEEgime refused to hold by-election! That was the one late Mr. JBJ wanted to challenge. If held I think there is a good winning chance, that Mr JBJ will pass away as MP, and we then hold another by-election.

See Malaysia? See ANY other countries? When their MPs died, ALWAYS hold by-election, uniquely Singapore must be as foul as famiLEE LEEgime!

Pui! *spit*

http://uncleyap-news.blogspot.com/2010/07/suggestion-to-introduce-political.html

On blog

He is telling the story because the Govt has the habit of tarnishing well intentioned human endeavour as vice and evil once a law is built around it. Now selling political newsletter and reaching out to residents is a crime.

40 years ago, illegal hawking was rampant as survival was essential. Now politcal outreach by the opposition is survival. How else is opposition politics going to flourish.

My only concern with this article is that Chua sisters would pounce on this and give their diatribe about helping their father and mother while they were hawking in Pasir Panjang.

scroobal said:

My only concern with this article is that Chua sisters would pounce on this and give their diatribe about helping their father and mother while they were hawking in Pasir Panjang.

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That is indeed a cause for concern.

uncleyap said:

I surely not exclude any opposition party in terms of my suggestion.

At this time, only 2/ (84 - 1) seats are non-PAP, is that sufficient to even propose a bill?

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1 MP, NMP or NCMP can propose a bill.
oppositions MPs passing bills into law are big problems though.

scroobal said:

My only concern with this article is that Chua sisters would pounce on this and give their diatribe about helping their father and mother while they were hawking in Pasir Panjang.

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What did they hawk?

Goh Meng Seng

Sideswipe said:

1 MP, NMP or NCMP can propose a bill.
oppositions MPs passing bills into law are big problems though.

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Are you referring to actual house rule in SG parliament?

As far as I know in elsewhere they have a minimum number of seats needed to propose a bill even for debate. Something like a threshold in order to limit time wasted on debate that will lead only to nothing fruitful.

SG house is tiny :p(only 84 seats) elsewhere usually in hundreds. So if any one of the few hundred member (with vast interest) can throw out bills of all kinds, the house may have to talkcock until no end, and when coming to vote, most of these bills get too little support.

Why interest can be so vast is because in large houses, they come from many localities e.g. 50+ states in US; 20+ countries in EU; dozens of provinces in PRC; many islands in Indonesia & Philippines, even in Malaysia has East / West and near a dozen states. Different reps from different backgrounds interested in very different things.

Here in LEEgime's red dot, (82-1) will listen to famiLEE to vote. It is now a 81 seats GRC! :oIo:

Goh Meng Seng said:

My parents have tried to apply for hawker license many times but failed. They were not granted the license or any hawker stall at the market. But for survival sake, they have no choice but to become illegal hawkers to bring 8 children up and provide them with all the education they could get. If they haven't done that, there might be another 8 delinquent youngsters on the streets and eventually add on to the social problems of Singapore!

It was all pure hard work and determination of earning enough money to raise 8 children with proper education that make them carry on with that label "illegal hawkers". To me, I am proud of my parents for their dedication to us, their children. "Illegal hawkers"?

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How many of the current generation of sinkies are willing to wake up at 3 am to fight adversity in order to keep their families fed and educated?

Nowadays, all the men do is "jump MRT" or set fire to their MPs while the females get a job which involves climbing into bed and working in a horizontal position a few hours a day.

I'm surprised you bother fighting to represent this motley collection of losers. It's not worth it. I told CSJ the same thing many years ago. LKY is well aware that the fight has gone out of the current generation and new blood is needed.

Leongsam said:

How many of the current generation of sinkies are willing to wake up at 3 am to fight adversity in order to keep their families fed and educated?

Nowadays, all the men do is "jump MRT" or set fire to their MPs while the females get a job which involves climbing into bed and working in a horizontal position a few hours a day.

I'm surprised you bother fighting to represent this motley collection of losers. It's not worth it. I told CSJ the same thing many years ago. LKY is well aware that the fight has gone out of the current generation and new blood is needed.

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Dear Sam,

True. Not many Singaporeans are willing to wake up at 3 am to fight adversity and earn their living but there still are some who will do that.

I am born a street survivor and will fight on for whatever I believe in, at least for my own survival. In a sense, you are right. Many Singaporeans have lost that kind of fighting spirit even when it is about fighting for their own interests. Mental toughness has declined substantially.

That is why I really don't know whether to laugh or cry when one prominent opposition member actually cry out loud about "Don't drag us into the m&d please!" in FB. They are already in the m&d when NEA officers decided to summon political activists in NSP for "illegal hawking"! Being in the m&d and yet fear of being dragging in, that's the irony. The first thing in their mind is about running away from an imminent problem instead of facing upfront and fight it through to solve it.

Time has changed and social mindset has changed as well. I think the worse thing PAP has done to Singaporeans is the rule of fear which has destroyed the toughness of mind which has brought us through so much adversities in our founding years.

Goh Meng Seng

manokie said:

GMS this is one very minor issue that you have to deal with, as an opposition in Sinkieland

No one will sympathize with you so be strong

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I do not expect to sympathize with me but rather, it is a matter of principles and that, on the larger perspective, the needed measures to secure sustainability to our democratic development.

Goh Meng Seng

I think the ruling party will never make the "grounds" equal with the opposition. The opposition can cry all they want but unless they hold a simple majority in parliament to hold the legislative and executive power, there is nothing holding the ruling party of the day to subscribe, prescribe, ascribe, sudden "new" or "ghost" law to clam their opponents down.

I count it lucky that they - the ruling party, today, did not employ methods like "forced detention" to silence its opponents. Dr CSJ, for one were locked up many times and I am sure if the ruling party could put him away permanently for good like what they did to Barisan Socialis, they would.

The table has already in fact turn "favorable" for opposition currently. If they deny you street access, then are there are ways and means to meander around it rather than fighting head on with them regarding the letters of the law when you and I know, the letters always changes goalpost in favor of themselves.

Subok said:

I think the ruling party will never make the "grounds" equal with the opposition. The opposition can cry all they want but unless they hold a simple majority in parliament to hold the legislative and executive power, there is nothing holding the ruling party of the day to subscribe, prescribe, ascribe, sudden "new" or "ghost" law to clam their opponents down.

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can say any ruling party.

should we hope for a mature democracy where political parties wouldn't play too dirty to win or should we hope our voters mature and see the benefits of multi-party system.

regarding elections gerrymandering
everybody will do so if possible - PAP, SDP, WP or NSP

For Singapore to develop in a more balanced way, we must set fair system of ground rules.

For example, now I know even PAP didn't send all their videos they put on their website to MDA for vetting and approval as required under law. This is impractical because MDA will take a long time to give approval. How could political parties follow such silly rules? Especially so during GE. Tonight you record rally speeches but you are required to send to MDA for vetting. By the time they come back to you, the GE is over!

We have an outdated legal system with outdated mindsets. We must change it for the better.

Goh Meng Seng

my dear ah seng, from what i see u and your gang already defaulted first with not leegal document to support your hawking. when enforcement officers came and courteously requested to stop your hawking activity, you should stop. if u persist or ignore their heed, then they had to summon u.

just like illeegal parking. parking aunite comes, tells u to drive off and u still persist stalling your car, then she would have no choice but to summon you.

they are the enforcers of the laws NOT you or NSP. if u keep thinking along this line, then u are repeating what SDP are notoriously good at: WE ARE ABOVE THE LAW mentality.

what would the voters think then when a nonedescript opp party that hasn't achieve any political points behave in such a manner? it would reflect badly on your party and that might be enough to make them change their good impression and sway their votes from your party

when sdp sold their wares publicly and in booths in TOA PAYOH HUB, they were left alone. obviously, they had got all the necessary approval, license and whatever. why then couldn't your party do the same? maybe u should check with csj how he did it so that ur party would not default the law the next time u go hawking again.