THE public should be concerned about the difficulty in hiring and retaining hawker centre cleaners (‘Where have the cleaners gone?’; Monday).

Singapore’s food culture has always been a point of pride and we should do our part to ensure that the hawker centre experience continues to be a great one.

We can help keep hawker centres clean and tidy. That means disposing of litter in the right place, taking care not to make a mess on seats or tabletops, and where possible, return crockery and trays to collection points when we are done with our meals.

If we do not make a mess, or if we clean up after ourselves, this will help reduce the hard labour of the cleaners, many of whom are senior citizens.

It is not only hard work for them, but also a largely thankless job. Besides helping them by clearing up after ourselves, we can thank them as a matter of courtesy.

When we take the extra effort to make their lives more pleasant, they too will take pride in the important work that they do.

William Wan
General Secretary
Singapore Kindness Movement

First published in The Straits Times – March 29, 2012