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The Big Read: Moving on from a fire that changed a neighbourhood

SINGAPORE — More than a year after the Jurong West market fire destroyed the livelihoods of dozens of stallholders, they are slowly getting back to their feet with the help of residents who have rallied around them.

While earnings have dropped for Madam Norsiah Abdullah, who runs the Zul and Nor Meat Store at the Jurong West temporary market, she is grateful many customers continue to support her business. Photo: Raj Nadarajan/TODAY

While earnings have dropped for Madam Norsiah Abdullah, who runs the Zul and Nor Meat Store at the Jurong West temporary market, she is grateful many customers continue to support her business. Photo: Raj Nadarajan/TODAY

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SINGAPORE — More than a year after the Jurong West market fire destroyed the livelihoods of dozens of stallholders, they are slowly getting back to their feet with the help of residents who have rallied around them.

However, there remains a strong sense of attachment towards the old market — which had been around for about three decades — among current and former residents, as well as stallholders whom TODAY interviewed. Despite the fact that the temporary market is within walking distance away, things just are not the same, they say.

About 20 out of the 51 vendors whose stalls went up in smoke after the Oct 11 blaze have, since January, resumed business at a makeshift temporary market in front of Block 495 on Jurong West Street 41, which is about 150m away from the old market at Block 493 and 494. The remaining stallholders were given the option to relocate their business to nearby areas. Apart from the market, two coffee shops were also affected by the fire.

(Above) The makeshift temporary market is in front of Block 495 on Jurong West Street 41, which is about 150m away from the old market at Block 493 and 494. Photo: Raj Nadarajan/TODAY

The temporary market was built with almost S$280,000 — about half the total cost of S$600,000 — contributed by a group of businessmen, temples and clan associations.

For the past few months, Jurong resident and cleaner Chang Fong Yin, 64, along with a few of her friends, has been helping out at a vegetarian stall which had moved to the temporary market. Dropping by the stall most afternoons, the group would sit down and help prepare, slice and chop up the vegetables — all out of neighbourly goodwill. “We just help, pass the time, everyone is happy,” said Mdm Chang in Mandarin.

Others in the community, as well as former residents, are also doing their bit one way or another.

A 50-year-old retiree, who gave his name as just Mr Chua, would take a short walk over from where he lives to Block 492, take a lift up, and take pictures of the site of the old market. Construction is underway to build a new S$6.2 million two-storey complex — housing a market and an elder care centre, among other amenities — at the location by the end of next year. He would send the pictures to some of the stallholders to keep them abreast of the work.

For Madam Mydinbee Kassim, 66, who moved from the vicinity to Punggol in September, the bonds which she developed after living in Jurong for 16 years see her returning to her favourite stall once every fortnight.

She was initially dismayed when she was unable to find the Zul and Nor Meat Store following the fire, but she found out that it had moved to the temporary market after asking her friends.

“It’s the best chicken, you can’t find it this kind of quality anywhere else,” she said.

The experiences of the Jurong West residents and the stallholders throw light on the central place which a wet market occupies in a neighbourhood — not just for mercantile reasons, but as a glue for the community, especially among older folk, where bonds are formed and the roots of neighbourliness take hold.

A SENSE OF LOSS

Without their old hang-out spot, many older residents such as Mr Seow Chong Sin, 59, have found their routines thrown off-kilter.

In the past, he would go to the market in the morning to drink kopi, lingering there for several hours. These days, he would drop by the temporary market to visit his stallholder friends, before going around on his motorised scooter from coffee shop to coffee shop, looking for a friend or two to chit-chat over food and while away time.

Above, the temporary market at Jurong West St 41. Photo: Raj Nadarajan/TODAY

Mr Seow, who suffered a stroke in 2013, said he is unable to travel too far out of the neighbourhood. He misses the “atmosphere” of the old market, he said.

Another resident, 76, who declined to be named, reminisced about the time the old market was around and “life was good”. There was a wide selection of food to choose from at the old market, she said. Now, she shops at the nearby supermarkets for groceries. “We’re just waiting for the new market to be built… It’s a long way away,” she said in Mandarin.

Retiree Siti Kamari, 73, said she used to stock up on fish, vegetables and fruits at the old market, which would still be bustling with activity till 7pm.

She shuns the temporary market, as it has a smaller selection of goods and is too quiet for her liking. “It’s different, now so sayang (“what a pity” in Malay)... I don’t know where to go and sit around now,” said Mdm Siti, who has been living in the area for 15 years.

‘BUSINESS IS POOR’

When TODAY visited the temporary market between 10am and noon on several days earlier this week, there were few customers around and the stallholders would be passing time chatting with one another. By afternoon, there was little activity with most stalls closed for the day.

One of the stallholders, who wished to be known only as Ms You, said she has been making a loss every day, with the takings for her clothing and alteration service shop not even enough to cover the S$35 daily rental.

Holding up a notebook scribbled with the day’s takings — two pieces of clothing items earned her less than S$5 in total — she said that while her store used to stay open till the evenings, she closes it at noon now and head home to look after her children. The 45-year-old claimed that her life has been “turned upside down” since the fire. “I would cry in my younger days. Now, I’m just numb,” she said in Mandarin.

Above, stall owner Ms You said the takings for her clothing and alteration service shop are not even enough to cover the S$35 daily rental. Photo: Raj Nadarajan/TODAY

According to the stallholders, customers have told them that the temporary market was out of the way, unlike the old market which was surrounded by coffee shops and provision stores.

Vegetable seller Tay Quek Hua, 69. said that while younger residents may take just five minutes to walk from the location of the old market to the temporary market, “this is an old people’s area”.

Moreover, the younger residents are the ones who would buy groceries from the supermarkets, and are less inclined to visit the wet market. “We just have to bear with (the poor business),” he said. Mr Tay throws away the vegetables that he does not manage to sell, or drops them off at a nearby old folk’s home.

Above, roast pork stallowner Lim Cheng Hock, 54, said he used to sell S$500 to S$600 worth of goods. Now, he counts himself lucky if he can sell S$200 worth. Photo: Raj Nadarajan/TODAY

Madam Loh Ngok Lan, 63, who sells chilli, said it was not an option for the vendors to take their business elsewhere as they would lose their old customers, and need to build it up from scratch.

Roast pork stallowner Lim Cheng Hock, 54, said he used to sell S$500 to S$600 worth of goods, equating to about 15 chickens and ducks, and 15 kilograms of roast pork. Now, he counts himself lucky if he can sell S$200 worth.

“It has given us a big headache and we’ve very worried,” said Mr Lim in Mandarin.

STAYING POSITIVE

While times may be harder for these stallholders at the new location, Mr Neo Chwee Eng, 81, is not ready to give up.

Each morning, he gets ready for work before 3am, and heads down to his yong tau foo stall. Having spent two decades in the business, old habits are hard to shake off, he said.

Mr Neo said he lost almost S$10,000 when his stall was burnt down. Unfazed, he forked out about S$7,000 to restart his business. “I will do this as long as I can, as long as I feel okay… If not, staying at home can get very boring,” he said.

Madam Norsiah Abdullah, 55, who runs the Zul and Nor Meat Store, is also taking things in her stride. Her husband had been running the business for 26 years when she started helping him in 2005.

The temporary market was built three months after the fire. Madam Norsiah said she had spent the time at home or on short trips to places such as Krabi in Thailand, as well as Malacca and Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia.

When the temporary market was opened in January, she was glad to get back into business, she said.

While her earnings have gone down by about 30 per cent, she is grateful that the majority of her customers, like Madam Mydinbee, continue to support her business even though they live in areas such as Clementi, Woodlands, Punggol and Pasir Ris. “They are seasoned (customers), they like to buy our things because it’s fresh,” she said.

Above, Madam Norsiah Abdullah, who runs the Zul and Nor Meat Store, says she will continue having a positive attitude and make sure her customers keep going back to her store. Photo: Raj Nadarajan/TODAY

While she misses the old market, she will continue having a positive attitude and make sure her customers keep going back to her store, she said. “We know how to make them happy, smile and joke a little with them… so they still come and find me… They are our friends,” she said.

In about another year’s time, the new complex will cater to the needs of elders, and will also have features such as wider aisles for the stalls, better ventilation and non-slip tiles, said Jurong GRC Member of Parliament Ang Wei Neng. In the meantime, mini-fairs, variety shows and getai performances have been organised near the temporary market to draw the crowds and boost business, Mr Ang said.

The design of the complex will be unveiled on Dec 17 at a community event, he added. “With everything looking new, there will be a new energy,” said Mr Ang, who was hopeful that new customers in the vicinity and beyond will be attracted to the area when it opens.

Wishing for the complex to be “built as quickly as possible”, the stallholders also hoped that the rentals will be kept low. Mr Ang said it will be operated by a private operator which will decide on the rentals.

Mr Tay Chee Yen, 60, who owns a bicycle shop at the temporary market, was hopeful that the complex can breathe new life into the neighbourhood. “It’s a chance to improve things, bring more business in again,” he said.

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