More than 62,000 people have signed an online petition as of today calling for the government to allow home-based food businesses to operate.

Since word came down Saturday, tens of thousands have demanded the government reverse an order that effectively stripped people of much-needed income during the economic crisis.

“We shouldn’t always look to prohibitions and bans as the immediate and best way to handle the spread of the pandemic, especially when it involves the livelihood of small-income families,” reads the Change.org petition. “With the circuit breaker measures already in place for 3 weeks now, it is high time to allow home-based business to adapt their operations around the measures rather than prohibiting them from operating altogether.”

At the heart of the order is a prohibition on home businesses that require delivery or pickup. The petition proposes that home kitchens be allowed to engage third-party delivery services, much as the major food delivery platforms have.

The latest restriction was confirmed Sunday by agencies including the Trade and Industry Ministry and Housing and Development Board in response to media queries. Violators face S$1,000 (US$700) for the first offense.

Many have blasted the restriction for disrupting the income of those who make a living out by selling foods from their homes, a portion of which are low-income families.

Others have stepped up to say that the rule came at the wrong time. The Muslim community just entered the first week of Ramadan, when orders for Eid goodies and iftar dishes are aplenty, and many home cooks have already bought ingredients for their orders.

‘We’re really small’

In a video appeal to the government, Jumaiyah, the cofounder of an online Halal food directory made the case Saturday that home-based businesses do not pose a big risk to spreading COVID-19 as most are operated on a small scale and “do not attract crowd[s].”

“Home-based businesses are small. We’re really small. But collectively, we help meet the demand for food in our entire community. Now that it is Ramadan time, there is a crunch time between 5pm to 7pm for food to be delivered. We need as many people as possible to help for food during this short time frame,” she said.

Jumaiyah added that several people who lost jobs due to the pandemic have turned to selling from their homes for an income. Separately, more than 250 families have written to the HalalFoodHunt team requesting assistance with food.

“There wouldn’t be as many home-based sellers today if people didn’t lose their jobs,” she added.

How the actress got in hot water

After Singapore closed businesses cake, dessert, and bubble tea shops to curb COVID-19, several home bakers said they were assured that they could still operate.

But that didn’t last long, especially after the issue was raised by an Instagram personality who raised the question in a video addressing the authorities.

Two days after the new orders came down, Ateeqah Mazlan, who identifies as an actress, enquired with the authorities about it in a video. Before the weekend was out, the home bakers said the government had referred them to the new, added restriction preventing them from operating.

Update: Canceled on social media, insta actress says wrong to blame her for home business ban

Ateeqah, who was subsequently accused of spoiling things by pressing the matter, has denied that she was ratting out the sellers to the authorities.

Though her video posted to Facebook and Instagram was removed, copies have been circulating online.

In a tweet Saturday, she asked netizens in a mix of English and Malay to point out where she had incriminated anyone in the video.

Yet in her original video, the 30-year-old said she went public only after learning from a home seller that such businesses would still be allowed to go on.

“If you guys feel not convinced by the video of my conversation with HDB, you can actually call them yourself … I just want to say that for those who do home-based business, I do feel sorry for you guys and I know that it is a tough time for everybody not just home-based business and I know that you have a lot of kuehs, a lot of food wastage,” she said in the video, using a term for cakes.

She also suggested shelving any cake orders and ingredients until June, when the “circuit breaker” lockdown is expected to expire. She also urged customers to “hold their orders” instead of asking for refunds.

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