Hawkers have been among the hardest hit recently due to dine-in restrictions.
Yet, a pair of Chinatown hawkers continued to help customers in need by allowing them to pay on credit. However, a man allegedly betrayed their trust when he pulled a Houdini and brought home 20+ packets of chicken rice, promising to pay afterward.
Determined to help out the stallholders, a lady decided to order 105 portions of chicken rice and encouraged those in need to redeem them from the stall.
She also helped to pay the debt owed to the hawkers, which amounted to $60.
In a Facebook post on Saturday (19 Jun), a netizen named Sammi shared about the initiative in which she pre-paid for 105 portions of chicken rice at the stall.
But after deducting the disappearing customer’s debt which she offered to cover, the amount was only good for 75 packets.
Regardless, Sammi offered the 75 packets of food to members of the public who may need them. She encourages these people to head down to redeem a packet for themselves or anyone they know who needs sustenance.
However, given the limited amount, she hopes people won’t get frustrated with the stallholders if the food is fully redeemed.
She took the opportunity to offer some encouraging words during this difficult time.
Times might be difficult now, but we will overcome it if we work together.
According to Sammi, she decided to start the initiative after reading about the alleged abuse of the Chinatown hawkers’ credit payment system.
She was also touched by the hawkers’ decision to sell chicken rice at an affordable price of $2 despite the pandemic heavily affecting their business.
To help them through the dire situation, Sammi spent $210 purchasing 105 packets of chicken rice from the stall.
A portion of the sum was also used to offset the unfulfilled payment that the hawkers incurred.
Speaking to Lianhe Wanbao, the hawkers said their business was brisk pre-Covid but has taken a dip due to the pandemic.
The recent restrictions had also exacerbated their situation and they are now “struggling to hang on”.
If you’d like to redeem a free meal or patronise the stall to show support, here are the deets:
335 Hong Kong Roasted Meat
Address: 335 Smith Street, #02-181 Chinatown Complex Singapore 050335
Opening hours: 10.30am – 9pm daily
Nearest MRT: Chinatown and Outram Park Stations
Kudos to Sammi for lending a hand to the hawkers who are helping others in need despite having it tough themselves.
We hope customers do not abuse their generous gestures and will reciprocate the trust placed on them.
If you know someone who lives around the Chinatown area who might need the free meal or wouldn’t mind supporting the stall, do tag them in the comments.
Have news you must share? Get in touch with us via email at news@mustsharenews.com.
Featured image adapted from Facebook and Facebook.
The authorities have investigated and closed the incident with no follow-ups required, MFA said.
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