Society should progress, but things like hawker centres should be retained

I refer to the letter “Build modern cafeterias, not hawker centres, in Singapore” (April 8). There have been hawker centres in Singapore, offering a wide variety of local food, since we were young. They are part of our multiracial culture.

We have also seen a rise in the number of modern cafeterias in housing estates and shopping centres, offering an air-conditioned environment for customers’ comfort. However, these outlets do not offer the variety of meal choices that hawker centres do.

The writer states that a hard-working labour force in a vibrant metropolitan society deserves decent meals in air-conditioned, brightly lit and clean surroundings. I feel our food courts fit the description.

Many people in Singapore still prefer to sweat it out while enjoying a meal. Furthermore, some senior citizens and low-income families who eat out occasionally may not be receptive to modern, air-conditioned cafeterias.

Hawker centres such as Old Airport Road Food Centre and Chomp Chomp Food Centre have a desirable, non-air-conditioned dining environment. Such hawker centres offer good ventilation and great food at relatively cheap prices.

Many of these are located in older housing estates with competition from modern cafeterias and restaurants. At times, dining in these hawker centres can be nostalgic, and fond memories make our dining experience sweeter.

Besides that sense of gratitude, hawker centres offer a topic of discussion and an introduction to our nation’s history when we take our foreign friends to dine with us.

Society, as a whole, should progress. There are, however, things and habits that ought to be retained, just as there are those who are happy to live in public flats, even with the surge in modern condominiums around us.

As the saying goes: “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”