Some Chinatown Hawkers Serve Frozen Chicken In Light Of Malaysia’s Export Ban
Malaysia’s ban on chicken exports caught many Singaporeans off guard. Chicken rice hawkers are one of the most affected groups, as the ban is bound to affect their businesses severely.
Speaking to chicken rice hawkers at Chinatown Complex on Thursday (2 Jun), MS News found that they have different responses to the ban.
While some are considering suspending businesses temporarily, others have decided to switch to frozen chicken and are confident in preparing them well.
Chinatown chicken rice hawker taking break in light of export ban
For 30-year-old Jersey Ng and 26-year-old Ng Li Peng, who recently took over operations of Heng Ji Chicken Rice, the export ban came as a shock.
The pair took over the business just four months ago from their predecessors, who ran the stall for about six decades.
When interviewed, the hawkers shared that their stockpile of fresh chicken can only last them for the next two to three days, and is expected to run out by the weekend.
After their supply of fresh chicken runs out, the pair said they have no plans to switch to frozen chicken, citing quality concerns.
We have many old customers who can taste the difference between fresh and frozen chicken.
As such, they plan on taking a break once the fresh chickens run out. However, they shared that they will consider using frozen chicken if the export ban continues for too long.
Other Chinatown hawkers switched, if not, are switching to frozen chicken
However, other stallholders at the hawker centre are reacting differently to the ban.
62-year-old Lee Leong Chee, who runs Tai Weng Hainanese Chicken Rice, said he would be switching to frozen poultry starting Friday (3 Jun).
Mr Lee shared that his customers are aware of the situation and are generally understanding.
He added that he had used frozen chicken during the Bird Flu outbreak back in the 2000s.
While he concedes that there’s a difference in taste between fresh and frozen chicken, Mr Lee is confident that he can prepare the frozen version well, given his previous experience of doing so during the Bird Flu outbreak.
Kum Kah Keng, another hawker at Chinatown Complex, echoed similar sentiments, saying there’s hardly any difference between fresh and frozen chicken if the chef knows how to prepare them well.
A chef with over 40 years of experience, Mr Kum is certain that he can prepare frozen chicken well.
Over at the popular Liao Fan Hawker Chan, business was busy as usual, with a long line of customers queuing for their famous dishes.
Speaking to MS News, Chef Chan Hon Ming said his supplier has been providing his stall and other Hawker Chan outlets with a mixture of fresh and frozen chicken since Wednesday (1 Jun), when the export ban kicked in.
When asked, Mr Chan said he didn’t feel there was much difference between the two variants. “It could be because we drizzle our dishes with herbal gravy and soy sauce.”
Jalan Besar MP Josephine Teo says authorities will stay engaged & provide support
Speaking at the launch of the Hawker Day Out 2022 programme, Minister for Communication and Information Josephine Teo, who is also Jalan Besar GRC MP, said affected stallholders at the hawker centres have approached the situation differently.
While some sought alternative sources, others have revised their menus to adapt to using frozen chicken.
Regardless of what they choose, Mrs Teo said the authorities would stay engaged with them and provide the necessary assistance.
Over the next two weekends (3 to 5 Jun, 10 to 12 Jun), various programmes will be held at Chinatown Complex, including hawker feasts as well as a market-to-table tour, where participants can purchase ingredients from the wet market and use them to prepare a breakfast dish themselves.
There will also be free cups of kopi and teh up for grabs every day on the following dates:
- 4 Jun
- 5 Jun
- 11 Jun
- 12 Jun
After two years of the pandemic, the initiative aims to revitalise Singapore’s hawker food scene during the school holidays, encouraging families and tourists to explore local hawker centres as well as wet markets that are commonly housed under the same roof.
For more information on the programme, check out the website here.
Hope Malaysia will resume supply of fresh chicken soon
No matter what the affected hawkers choose to do, we hope the chicken ban will end soon so Singaporeans can stop fretting over the scarcity of fresh chicken.
While quality concerns have forced some to suspend operations temporarily, we’re heartened that others are adapting well to the situation.
We hope the hawkers will continue to thrive despite the current circumstances.
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Featured image by MS News.
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