When I Was Young

Letter from Paul Antony Fernandez

I REFER to the recent debate about hygiene standards at hawker stalls.

It is indeed good to note that the National Environment Agency (NEA) will intensify its efforts in educating hawkers on the importance of safe hygiene practices.

May I also seek the assistance of NEA in ensuring that safe hygiene habits are also practised by another group of people handling food in public places: cleaning contractors.

Often, cleaning contracts are awarded to contractors with the lowest bids and there is a monopoly of such services regardless of their track record in adopting cleanliness. When you visit a hawker centre or an established food outlet, you often notice that the leftover food is not cleared immediately. The most common reason cited is a lack of manpower.

This problem can be overcome by paying the cleaners sustainable salaries, which in turn will entice others to join the workforce.

Another unsightly practice is that cleaners often use the same old dirty cloth to wipe tables, dipping them into the same bucket of dirty water over and over.

It doesn't stop there: These cleaners also have the habit of wiping food off the tables and on to the floor.

Perhaps NEA officers, during their enforcement rounds, should also observe the assigned cleaners and when a violation is detected, not just reprimand the cleaners but take action against their employers for failing to inculcate safe hygiene practices among their cleaners.

From TODAY, Voices – Friday, 24-April-2009