A dispute broke out on Monday (17 Nov) between two noodle hawkers at Chang Cheng Mee Wah coffee shop in Bugis after a rat reportedly ran into one of the stalls.
The incident happened around 10am at Block 269B Queen Street. The male stallholder of the Bukit Purmei Lor Mee stall, who declined to be named, said he spotted a rat entering his stall while opening up. He added that the rodent even scurried past his wife’s feet.
He suspected the rat came from the adjacent Shan Yuan Teochew Kway Teow Noodle stall and claimed to have seen rats and cockroaches there before.
Male Hawker Claims Only ‘Lightly Patted’
The Lor Mee vendor urged the other stallholder to be more careful, but she denied that the rat came from her stall, he said. He added that she kept muttering, which annoyed him. He claimed he “lightly patted” her on the shoulder.
He said: “I didn’t use force to hit her. If I did, would she still be standing there?”
Female Hawker Says She Was Hit Hard
Shan Yuan’s stallholder, 52-year-old Ms Zhao, said he had told her about the rat earlier, so she asked him to get rat traps.
However, while she was washing dishes, she claimed he suddenly hit her hard on the back, causing her to lose balance.
She said: “Luckily, the sink stopped me from falling to the ground. We can talk things out calmly. Why resort to violence?”
When reporters arrived, Ms Zhao was seen speaking to the police while the male hawker continued cooking in his stall. The Singapore Police Force confirmed a report was lodged and investigations are ongoing.
History of Arguments Over Cleanliness
Ms Zhao said they had previously argued over the cleanliness of their stalls, which share the same unit. She claimed he would make rude remarks and accuse her of poor hygiene, adding: “When you’re in this business, it’s inevitable for rats to appear. I clean up every day before leaving.”
Another hawker selling dim sum at the coffee shop said there were reports of rats, but that she had never personally seen any. They agreed that rats are hard to avoid in the food business, but said they make efforts to keep their stalls clean.
