The Appeal of the Old

67 year-old retiree, Madam Yeo, has this appeal for the public: Keep wet markets alive.

From as far back as she can remember, Madam Yeo has been a faithful patron of wet markets. Ever since she started cooking for her family at the tender age of 15, she has never bought fresh produce from anywhere else except wet markets.

“I cannot imagine buying these food items from supermarkets – they cost more and are not as fresh. This will affect the quality of the dishes I cook,” she said firmly in a mixture of Chinese and dialect.

Wet markets are exactly as they sound - open-air markets with floors that are perpetually wet for a variety of reasons like the cleaning of fish, melting of ice and washing of vegetables. These stalls are usually open from the wee hours of the day to noon.

Generally, prices are much lower in wet markets than at supermarkets. This is made possible by the lower rental fees. While customers can barter, it may not be well received by some stallholders as goods are already priced close to cost price.

For many, the perks of shopping in wet markets go beyond cheaper prices. 4 out of 5 people interviewed said that trips to the wet market are fun as they learn invaluable lessons such as choosing the freshest produce.

However, wet markets are fast becoming a dying breed, and this is a cause of concern for individuals like Mdm Yeo. In a bid to improve hygiene standards and the aesthetic appearance of neighbourhoods, wet markets are being wiped out one by one, only to be replaced by sprawling, pristine supermarkets.

“Wet markets are disappearing too quickly. It’s such a waste, really. I feel that they are truly a part of Singapore’s heritage. Plus, it is true that wet markets offer fresher produce than supermarkets,” Sean Lim, 46, said.

However, not all residents feel the same way about these wet markets. Annie Lim, for instance, is in favour of gradually phasing out wet markets.

“I really feel that wet markets are not necessary in this time and age. They smell bad and are such eyesores. Besides, only the elderly patronize wet markets,” exclaimed the 35 year-old.

However, patrons of wet markets are not only limited to the elderly, says stallowners. Mr Tan, who owns a vegetable stall at the Marine Parade market, claims that the bulk of his customers are middle aged women.

Interestingly, though, Mr Tan believes that wet markets will soon become a thing of the past regardless of whether they are eliminated by supermarkets. This is due to a variety of other contributing factors.

“Most of these stores are run by families, but most stallholders’ kids are not intending to inherit these businesses. I don’t blame them, though. This job is very labour-intensive, and all these young people’s paper qualifications will go to waste,” explains the father of two.