SINGAPORE: A total of 22 unlicensed food handlers were arrested at Geylang Serai Bazaar on Tuesday (May 30), the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) said.
Responding to a media query from Channel NewsAsia, MOM said the food handlers were working illegally and were detained during a joint operation conducted by the police, MOM and the National Environment Agency (NEA).
The illegal workers were arrested by MOM.
Photos of bazaar workers being handcuffed made the rounds on social media on Tuesday afternoon, as netizens speculated on why the stall was raided.
Responding to a post on the Halal Cafe and Restaurants’ Facebook page that sought clarification on the raid, Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC MP Zainal Sapari posted a comment to explain that the crackdown had been on unlicensed food handlers.
“When I heard that there were rumours that there was a stall at the Ramadan bazaar not selling halal food, I checked through my internal sources and found out that there was a joint operation conducted today,” he told Channel NewsAsia, adding that the unlicensed food handlers did not have a work permit.
