Timbre Group responds to KF Seetoh's claims of unfair clauses & double standards in Yishun Park Hawker Centre

Timbre Group clarified some points regarding their management of Yishun Park Hawker Centre on August 26, after food critic and Makansutra founder KF Seetoh took to Facebook on August 23 to criticise the company's management of the area.

Seetoh claims unfair clauses and double standards

In his post, Seetoh claimed that Timbre Group, which manages Yishun Park Hawker Centre, takes 15 per cent of total sales from successful hawkers.

"Hawker Centres serve the community and provides entry level business opportunities for hawkers. The govt built it, paid Timbre to manage it, they collect rent and conveniently take 15% from the successful hawkers. Not right." Seetoh wrote.

The food critic also claimed there was a double standard in terms of contracts between SEHCs and NEA's own-managed Centres, with the latter having fewer rules and regulations hawker owners had to abide by.

On the contrary, Seetoh said Timbre Group has a 25-page contract for hawkers.

In a screenshot attached to the post, there were 18 charges hawkers had to abide by, where non-compliance would result in a S$100 fine per incident.

These fines included refusing to accept tuckshop loyalty apps as a mode of payment for purchases, producing music or noise from vocal appliances, and failing to provide customers with trays.

Seetoh also raised Timbre Group's "forced loyalty app discount by the hawkers", asking why it was "their responsibility to feed the poor?"

The food critic also claimed that surveillance cameras with microphones were installed in every stall to monitor sales and "ensure no one cheats", and that Timbre Group refused to use a cheaper gas provider despite hawkers' suggestions to do so.

Timbre Group's response

Timbre Group said the hawker centre operates under a gross turnover rental model where the rental payable varies according to the hawker's earnings.

The company said this better balances the risks and rewards between the operator and the hawker.

"When earnings are low, a hawker pays lower rent. When earnings are good, the rent payable is higher," they said, adding that there is a maximum rent payable at S$2,550 per month.

"The rent goes towards the operating revenue of the centre, and 50 per cent of the operating surplus of the centre is ploughed back towards the betterment of the centre and stallholders, and support such as regular weekend and festive programming for the community, marketing campaigns to drive footfall," Timbre Group said.

The company clarified that the CCTV cameras were installed in August 2024 following repeated feedback from residents on noise late at night.

"While we had reminded all hawkers to minimise noise during these hours, the feedback had continued," they said.

Timbre Group said:

"The CCTVs enable us to identify the potential sources of noise, so that we can better address residents’ feedback. Additionally, the CCTVs are useful for safety and security, resolving the occasional customer dispute, and verifying situations where a few hawkers were observed not to conduct their transactions using the point-of-sales which made it much harder to accurately determine the rent payable."

Regarding contract details for hawkers, the company said they have clauses in their tenancy agreements "to provide a clean and conducive environment for all hawkers to operate in as well as to ensure compliance with other areas, such as the personal operations of the stall and the proper hiring of additional manpower."

"Non-compliance charges have been part of our tenancy agreements since inception to ensure fairness to all stallholders," Timbre Group remarked, and noted the charges are applied as "a last resort to deter repeated non-compliances, after multiple verbal reminders and written notices are provided".

"Thus far, our regular patrons at YPHC have acknowledged the consistently clean and comfortable dining environment they continue to enjoy."

The company also said that Yishun Park Hawker Centre's gas supply is provided centrally and secured through competitive procurement.

"Nevertheless, to ease the overall burden of rising costs, Timbre had extended some discounts to all hawkers earlier this year," they said.

Timbre Group also clarified that the 10 per cent loyalty discount for payments made by diners via the Timbre app has been in place since 2017, which encourages repeat customers to the hawker centre.

The company noted the cost of the app was fully borne by Timbre.

"It is important to set out the facts accurately. Timbre Group acknowledges the challenges faced by the hawker community and remains committed to supporting hawkers, addressing community concerns, and fostering open dialogue based on facts," Timbre Group stated.

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Top image via Mothership and Seetoh's Facebook