The Association for the Recycling of Second Hand Goods has tasked TOC to help out with the online petition to save the second-hand market.

We will send the petition signatures to the relevant authorities and the MPs at end of every month till the closure of the market on 11 July 2017.

A PLEA from the bottom of our broken heart

The decision to consign the Sungei Road Second Hand Goods Market into history cannot be overturned. While we respect and accept the decision, our hearts are bleeding and necessarily broken.

We understand the need for development. We too, played a part in the development process over the years. Now, as we are mostly in our advanced age and would face an uphill task to take on a regular job, why is it so difficult to carry on and live a life with pride?

We want to plead with the authorities for relocation so that we can continue to make a decent living with dignity. We are aware that times may have changed. At our age, we have been through different life phases and have seen enough upheaval and changes. With our age and education level, we are unsuited for re-training for a regular job. Why take away our only hope to stand on our own feet?

We plea for a place, and are willing to pay a little rent, to continue our trade to make an honest, dignified living. We acknowledged that the internet has an impact and altered the nature of businesses. But we believe that people still love treasure hunting and get the thrills of simple joy in getting a good bargain. As we move into the twilight years, our only wish is to make use of our skills and knowledge to put our last lap of life into good use, offering pre-owned and repaired goods. Is this request too much to ask to deny us a means to prove our worth? We plea for a re-organisation of this historical market; so that those of us who can only depend on this way out do not lose hope in life.

To put things into perspective, sellers participating in the Sungei Road Market are of age 60 and above, most belonging to the revered pioneer generation. For one reason or another, they preferred an honest living by selling used goods to being employed. It offers them greater flexibility, a sense of dignity and self-worth. The institution has done a lot to give recognition to the seniors, taking care of them, and we urged that the authority could accord the same to us. We are not a shame to the country nor are we history. Rather, our entrepreneurial spirit and presence provides the vibrancy and colour to the cultural landscape. The market is also a multi-racial community where sellers of various races work together in cohesion. It is a showcase of our One Nation, Can Do spirit that our younger generation can learn.

Please consider our plea for a place not yet earmarked for development in the master plan, so as to give us a chance to take care of ourselves the way we chose. It is, not as many realised, an alternate cultural center, something we hope the authority could, in their creativity and with their expertise, help us to re-position and re-organise the market place. It could continue to attract and attract even more tourists. We could always do things differently from before. Do give us a chance. Don’t consign us to history. We plea for a chance. For human dignity. For an honest living.

逆 境 求 存：请 愿 书

双溪路二手市场即将成为历史，这个铁一般的决定，我们这群老人家唯有尊重与接受，而心自然是沉重 地在淌血。

在这个市场谋生的老人家，最年轻的为 60 岁，大部分都 70-80 岁了，属于建国一代。我们走过了不少岁 月，见证了许许多多的发展和变化，如今风烛残年，无法承担正规的雇佣工作，亦无能接受再培训，可是我们不想依赖任何人，还可以凭一点技术和知识，从事二手货的买卖，老老实实地自力更生，活出尊严。如果这唯一的谋生出路被剥夺了，我们不知道如何生活下去。

我们相信政府照顾建国一代，承认他们过去的付出。如今，请聆听我们的诉求，给我们一条生路。我们请求当局给我们一个继续谋生的地点，发展蓝图如此之大，竟然没有我们容身之处吗？我们愿意支付一点租金，以维持目前的生计。我们觉得这个集合了华巫印族的多元种族的市场独特的体现了新加坡

全国一体，永不言败的精神，也给年轻人树立起自强不息的好榜样。而许多人也不了解，这个市场真正是个另类的文化市场，我们请当局从这个角度帮助本市场联合会重新组织和定位，让那些有需要以此谋生的人有多一线维护尊严、自食其力的希望。

我们的存在并不丢人现眼，反而体现了我国的丰富层次和色彩，重新组织和定位也能塑造出独特的风景线，继续吸引，并且吸引更多的外国游客。发展和变化无非是从不同的角度做事。我们希望当局给我们一个机会，不要抛弃我们， 求你们了。