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Coronavirus pandemic
AsiaSoutheast Asia

This Singapore hawker is offering free meals to those hard hit by coronavirus outbreak

  • Known as “Beng [hooligan] Who Cooks”, Singapore food stall owner Jason Chua is making about 50-60 free meals for those who need them
  • Singapore is facing a recession which is compounded by strict circuit breaker restrictions to curb the spread of Covid-19

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Hawker Jason Chua makes meals in his stall at Hong Lim Market & Food Centre in Singapore, one of few to remain open during the strict coronavirus circuit breaker measures. Photo: Reuters
Reuters
As food stalls around him have closed during the coronavirus outbreak in Singapore, 28-year-old cook Jason Chua has vowed to stay open for the many that now depend on him.
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The tattoo-covered, former boxer has been serving up dozens of free meals for those in need since early April, when the city state imposed restrictions aimed at curbing virus cases after a surge in infections.

Known as “Beng Who Cooks”, beng being Singaporean slang for hooligan, Chua said the pandemic has not been great for business although he is getting by.

Hawker Jason Chua cooks in his stall at Hong Lim Market & Food Centre, Singapore. Photo: Reuters
Hawker Jason Chua cooks in his stall at Hong Lim Market & Food Centre, Singapore. Photo: Reuters

“Yes, we are losing, we are not exactly taking salary for a few months already, but we still do maybe 10 to 25 orders per day for our business side, so that we can still sustain ourselves throughout this period of time,” said Chua.

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He was inspired to start giving out free meals after a close friend described his experience of buying food for a homeless man.

Now he is making about 50-60 free meals a day through a foundation, “Beng Who Cares”, co-run by his friend Sean Hung.

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