THE "LITTLE BUSINESSMAN"

Abstract

Hawking, which in the study is identified specifically as a traditional occupation, has continued to persist despite rapid economic development in Singapore. The early 1970s saw an increasing demand for industrial and construction labour resulting in the issue of more than 60,000 work permits for imported labour, largely Malaysian. The present research was prompted by the pragmatic question of why Singapore hawkers are not transplanting themselves to these two sectors. Little is known about hawkers in Singapore. Survey findings show that both socio-demographically and structurally, hawkers differ from the labour force of the modern sector. Several mechanisms also lead to their persistence. Insufficient knowledge of who hawkers are, why they hawk, of the mechanisms of hawking and of ·the consequences such an occupation has both for hawkers and. others has accentuated the ambivalence in government policy. There are many easily discernable attractions in hawking as an occupation - initial capital outlay is low, overheads are low and there is no constraint on ·the hawker's movements or. on his hours of work. He is his own boss and makes his own decisions. Work satisfaction and income satisfaction need not be too elusive. The demand for hawkers is constantly present. The services that they offer are nearly as wide-ranging as those of modern businesses and are, moreover, considerably cheaper. It is an occupation that the old as well as the young can easily embark upon and provides employment for groups often not provided for in Singapore1 s rapid industrialization process: the unskilled, the widowed and the physically handicapped. There are also social and cultural factors, such as the hawkers' festival, which contribute to the persistence of hawking. The ambivalence of government policy towards hawkers has in the past two years toned down considerably. The important role that hawkers can play in keeping the cost of living in Singapore down for instance, has been recognised. Hawkers are to stay for some considerable length of time. They will exist alongside the modern industrial labour force and provide a convenient and useful service. The dualistic nature of Singapore's economic system will persist for a long time to come.