Have you seen (or been a part of) the insane lines forming outside famous bak kwa retailers as Chinese New Year draws near? Well, it seems like several employers have been getting their foreign workers to queue in their place, and this usually goes on for hours — sometimes even overnight.
According to TODAY, migrant workers were spotted in the wee hours of the morning waiting to buy bak kwa from a popular brand — reportedly, a couple of them had joined the line since 11pm the night before. Some found stools to sit on, while others lay on cardboard makeshift beds. Apparently, they were paid about $5 per hour to stand in the queue until the shop opened at 9am.
In response to this, a Ministry of Manpower spokesperson told TODAY that migrant workers are “generally only allowed to perform jobs as stated in their work pass applications” and that employers are “advised not to ask their foreign workers to run non-work-related errands such as queueing to buy bak kwa”.
In other bak kwa news, Lim Chee Guan has launched a new app to help customers avoid waiting in line. Only available at the ION Orchard branch for now, the app allows you to place your order, and it will give you an estimated waiting time, followed by an alert when your bak kwa is ready for collection. It’s still in the testing stage, but should things go well, the brand may implement the app in all its other outlets.
You know what that means? No more ridiculous queues, thank goodness.
