Ever since Dr. Leslie Tay warned Singaporeans about the “ End of Char Kway Teow ”, there has been much debate on how to keep hawker food sustainable.

From government subsidies to social enterprises to price hikes, commentators have proposed systemic changes in a bid to preserve our hawker heritage. But despite what has been said, the issue is really not one of economics or government policy.

At its core, it’s about perception.

As Singaporeans, our perception of hawker value is tied to the things that we are used to. Things that are immediately apparent such as ingredients and market rate.

For example, when we look at a bowl of big prawn noodles, we feel that it’s okay to pay between S$6 to S$10 for it because big tiger prawns are expensive. Similarly, Western Food Stalls can charge above S$6 for Chicken Chop because Western Food is “more expensive”. The same goes for Japanese food at hawker centres.

We don’t ask questions as long as its priced within the “market rate”, and this is problematic because it ignores one important factor: professional expertise.

Unlike the cost of ingredients, professional hawker ability is difficult to quantify. This is especially so in the case of Char Kway Teow.