Interestingly, though, there is one area where the government does intervene: eating out. In a world where most governments let the market regulate food choices, Singapore does the exact opposite.
There are 121 government-run “hawker centres” across the island, with over 6,000 small private stalls. These food courts are not a relic of the past: 14 more have been built in the past nine years, with the latest one opening recently. The government controls everything from the type of food sold (there must be a mix of different cuisines, with halal options for local Muslims), to prices (some must offer at least one dish for around S$3.50), to who can cook (Singaporeans and permanent residents only).
there are rules for customers. A law fax lists was recently introduced that requires you to clean up your tables after eating, under penalty of a fine of 300 Singapore dollars. However, despite the efforts, the return rate of trays is stuck at 90%, generating no small amount of frustration among politicians.
But why all this government effort on hawker centers? Originally, in the 1960s and 1970s, they were created to remove food vendors from the streets and improve public order and hygiene. Today, they are seen as a kind of “community kitchen,” where citizens can eat well without spending too much. The government also sees them as a symbol of ethnic harmony: cooks and customers of different races and religions share space and food peacefully. In 2020, UNESCO even added Singapore’s “hawker culture” to its world heritage list, at the government’s request. However, this social integration has its limits: seeing mixed groups at a table is rare.