JOHOR BAHRU: The Johor government will study the management model of wet markets and hawker centres at Geylang Serai Market & Food Centre managed by Singapore’s National Environment Agency (NEA) with a view to be adapted in the state.
Johor Menteri Besar Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi said the delegation’s visit to the centre provided Johor with an opportunity to closely examine the hawker centre management model that is organised, clean and inclusive.
He said the two-storey complex, which houses 302 wet market lots and 63 halal food stalls, serves as an important community centre and a symbol of the cultural heritage of the Malay community in Singapore.
“Among the interesting aspects are controlled rental rates to ensure reasonable food prices to ensure affordable food prices for consumers.
“It is also equipped with a strict hygiene grading system, mandatory training for food operators, as well as enforcement through technology such as closed-circuit television (CCTV), an e-fine system and the use of smart sensors (IoT) for sanitation and crowd monitoring.
“In addition, NEA also manages this centre through a social enterprise model, which is a non-profit operator focused on empowering small traders and maintaining social balance,“ he said in a post uploaded on his Facebook page.
In this regard, Onn Hafiz said the approach by NEA is considered highly relevant to be studied and adapted in Johor, especially in efforts to transform the management of public markets and hawker centres to be more efficient, sustainable and supportive of the people’s economy, especially micro-traders, B40 and small business owners.
He stressed that the state government would continue to be committed to studying and translating such best practices into local policies.
“Our goal is to strengthen the community’s economic sector through more organised, clean and user-friendly facilities for the well-being of the people and the inclusive development of the state,“ he said. - Bernama
