Award Banner
Award Banner

Woman running 7 hawker stalls unable to work after cancer diagnosis, granted rental waiver of over $10k

Woman running 7 hawker stalls unable to work after cancer diagnosis, granted rental waiver of over $10k
Yan Mengjing (in black) resumed selling fresh seafood at her market stall in Toa Payoh in November.
PHOTO: Shin Min Daily News

After being diagnosed with cancer in February, hawker Yan Mengjing (transliteration) had to temporarily close her seven cooked food and market stalls to focus on recovery.

The 48-year-old single mum subsequently received rental waivers totalling over $10,000 from the National Environment Agency (NEA), reported Shin Min Daily News on Wednesday (Dec 18).

Yan, who hails from Myanmar, obtained Singapore citizenship in 2003. To raise her daughter after her divorce more than 10 years ago, she set up a yong tau foo stall before starting to sell seafood in 2019.

"At first, I had two stalls. Then, I noticed many vacant stalls and decided to rent them too. In addition to the six market stalls, I also run a cooked food stall selling Burmese curry," she told Shin Min.

Yan was busy running the stalls — until she was diagnosed with stage three breast cancer in February.

Amid multiple surgeries, chemotherapy and radiotherapy treatments that lasted over six months, Yan would periodically return to work.

"Due to my weakened immune system, the doctor advised me to avoid crowds, so I wasn't able to work as usual," she said.

Yan's cooked food stall has been closed since February, while an assistant helmed operation of her market stalls. In July, she decided to suspend business there too, and applied to NEA to waive her rent payments.

The hawker told the Chinese evening daily that she waited over two months for the application outcome and had felt anxious when rent continued to be deducted from her bank account.

"I'm grateful for NEA's help, which reduced some pressure," she said. "I understand that there are regulations to abide by, but I hope that in the future, the application process can be expedited based on applicants' individual circumstances."

Application granted a month after complete submission: NEA

Yan re-opened her seafood stall at Toa Payoh Palm Spring Market in November, and has given up her cooked food stall.

In a statement to AsiaOne on Monday (Dec 23), NEA said the initial medical leave submitted by the hawker only partially covered the waiver period. After receiving the required supporting documents in mid-August, the agency approved the waivers by mid-September.

A rental waiver of 11 months (February to December) for her cooked food stall and six months (July to December) for all six market stalls, amounting to over $11,000 was granted.

NEA also referred her case to the town council and Hawkers' Association to consider waiving off the Service & Conservancy Charges and table cleaning charges respectively.

The authority said it had also exercised flexibility by allowing Yan's assistants to operate the stalls on her behalf while she was ill.

NEA added that their officers had visited the hawker twice - once to guide her through the appeal process and once to inform her of the approval - and had suggested she consider returning some stalls to focus on recovering, as well as to ensure the market has sufficient stalls in operation to meet residents' needs.

Recently, NEA's place manager observed that Yan was selling other goods such as canned food and frozen goods.

"To ensure that our wet markets have a good mix of offerings and to be fair to other stallholders selling such goods, we advised her to only sell what was permitted for her stalls," said NEA.

"As a gesture of goodwill, we agreed that she could continue to sell off her current stock of canned and frozen goods."

The hawker was also found to have operated the stalls with an unregistered stall assistant, and the place manager has offered to help register her assistant.

"While we endeavour to support all our stallholders in times of need, we also have to ensure that stalls in our market and hawker centres operate fairly and continue to be opened regularly to serve the needs of the public."

Read Also
singapore
This hawker stall pays only $1 in rent and opens just on weekends for 2 hours

lim.kewei@asiaone.com

For more original AsiaOne articles, visit here.

homepage

trending

trending
    Hong Kong actor Lee Lung Kei still plans to marry fiancee 37 years younger after her release from prison
    2 Taiwanese men allegedly part of a crime syndicate charged with cheating
    AI and art: Studio Ghibli-inspired trend sparks debate on ethics and consent
    Edwin Goh proposes to Rachel Wan, both returning to Singapore after 2 years in Australia
    'My brain got so fried up': Gurmit Singh hit by anxiety attack while acting in his 1st Chinese drama
    How do Trump's tariffs affect you? Here is an explainer
    2 GRCs and 1 SMC: This Woodlands junction separates 3 electoral divisions
    The iconic Milo Van beverage is now available in supermarkets
    21 men in Singapore among 435 arrested in cross-border operation targeting online child sex abuse
    Disney's Beauty and the Beast musical to make Asia premiere in Singapore this December
    What happens next after South Korea's removal of President Yoon?
    Singapore and Malaysia police's video collaboration for Hari Raya goes viral

Singapore

Singapore
    • Singapore deploys 34-member emergency medical team to aid Myanmar quake relief efforts
    • PPP's Goh Meng Seng says MPs work 'extra hard' only before elections for votes, Baey Yam Keng hits back
    • 'She should be with her family': Employer gives maid plane ticket, $800 to return to Myanmar and search for missing mum
    • 'Don't cheat, don't be greedy': Elderly couple in their 90s share secret to longevity with DPM Heng in viral clip
    • Clean-up underway for oil leak from Johor; public advised to avoid water activities at Changi and Pasir Ris beaches
    • Online voting not feasible due to 'voter impersonation' risks: ELD
    • Singapore disappointed with tariffs, will engage US to clarify calculations: DPM Gan
    • 'He needed something to help him fight,' says man who bought Hokkien mee for dying patient
    • MaNaDr admits to lapses, introduces 1-minute minimum teleconsultation rule
    • New bus interchanges in Woodleigh and Pasir Ris to open in late April

Entertainment

Entertainment
    • 'I was right there just 3cm behind her': Exo's Kai recalls joys of simple life during military service, meeting commuter checking him out online
    • E-Junkies: The Click Five will consider making new music if upcoming tour goes well
    • Former NCT idol Lucas to make acting debut in Taiwan
    • 'Blessed beyond measure': Desmond Tan and wife expecting second child
    • Jean-Claude Van Damme accused of having sex with trafficked women
    • Jim Carrey pays tribute to Val Kilmer's 'grace and courage'
    • Val Kilmer reportedly discussed reprising his role as Batman before his death
    • Sum 41 releases final music video before splitting up
    • Probe finds former Smap idol Masahiro Nakai committed sexual assault, victim says 'What I've lost will never be recovered'
    • Gossip mill: Chantalle Ng dating longtime friend, ex-TVB actress now sells chicken feet, Leslie Cheung's partner pays tribute on his 22nd death anniversary

Lifestyle

Lifestyle
    • A first look: Blue Bottle Coffee's cafe at Raffles City, here's what to expect
    • Life-sized dinosaurs, pre-historic plants: Gardens by the Bay to transform into Jurassic World this May
    • 'The menu is a reflection of us': Singaporean woman and American husband open restaurant selling soul food
    • Life after death: Guide to be launched to help parent caregivers plan for autistic children's future
    • Hyundai Santa Fe review: Rugged-looking premium SUV levels up the luxury for Hyundai
    • What to do this weekend (April 4 to 6)
    • Long-range cruiser: GAC E9 luxury MPV with over 1,000km of range now in Singapore
    • Deepal officially arrives in Singapore with opening of new showroom
    • We ask parents how they keep their children's screen time low - here's the lowdown
    • The best new-launch condo layouts we've seen so far in 2025

Digicult

Digicult
    • A $500 wake-up call: How the Samsung Galaxy Ring made me realise my stress
    • Monster Hunter Wilds producer explains how game has remained unique and fresh over 20 years
    • Nintendo Switch 2 to launch in June with US$449.99 price tag
    • Games in April: RPGs, racing and Ronaldo in a fighting game
    • Is it time to get a MacBook at a good price? The M4 MacBook Air says yes
    • China's Baidu launches 2 new AI models as industry competition heats up
    • China's top universities expand enrolment to beef up capabilities in AI, strategic areas
    • International Women's Day: Meet the Singapore women levelling up in gaming
    • US indicts slew of alleged Chinese hackers, sanctions company over spy campaign
    • Meet the women powering innovation in tech in Singapore and beyond

Money

Money
    • Giant deal: Malaysian company to acquire Cold Storage and Giant supermarket chains in Singapore
    • Trump's tariffs provoke trade war threats, fears of pricier iPhones
    • Australia says US tariffs 'not act of a friend' but rules out reciprocal move
    • South Korea's acting president calls for talks with US over tariffs
    • Southeast Asian nations, hit particularly hard by US tariffs, prep for talks with Trump
    • China urges US to immediately lift tariffs, vows retaliation
    • Trump's tariffs stoke global trade war as China and EU vow response
    • HDB to launch 3,000 balance flats in July 2025: What homebuyers need to know
    • With 61 years left on its lease, this Bishan maisonette matches national record at $1.5m
    • Why are homebuyers choosing pricier new launch 2-bedders over resale options in 2025?

Latest

Latest
  • Daily roundup: Singapore and Malaysia police's video collaboration for Hari Raya goes viral — and other top stories today
  • Myanmar junta chief meets foreign leaders in Bangkok as earthquake toll tops 3,100
  • Russian drone barrage hits Kharkiv homes, kills 4 people
  • Trump offers support to French far-right leader Le Pen after her conviction
  • For Trump, tariff gamble brings political risk
  • South Korea's President Yoon ousted
  • Driver of car in Amsterdam explosion may have been attempting suicide, police say
  • Netanyahu may visit US next week, Trump says
  • South Korea's impeached President Yoon faces court ruling to decide his fate

In Case You Missed It

In Case You Missed It
  • Thai woman struggles to evacuate during earthquake while her dog sleeps unfazed
  • Workers painting exterior of Geylang block discover man's skeletal remains in flat
  • 'New, younger' PAP team vows to reclaim WP-controlled Sengkang GRC, says Lam Pin Min
  • New face Jackson Lam 'very good on the ground' and will be asset to Parliament, says Shanmugam
  • Woman who publicised tips on how she evaded GST for luxury purchases fined $18k
  • Powerful quake in Southeast Asia kills several, 81 trapped in Bangkok building rubble
  • Dog dies after being skinned alive in Malaysia, animal welfare group condemns 'barbaric' act
  • Blue for seafood, red for meat: Case partners Koufu to have colour-coded price labels at 'cai fan' stalls
  • WP will campaign for 'responsible and loyal opposition' in GE2025 to earn seats in Parliament, says Pritam
This website is best viewed using the latest versions of web browsers.