SCGS Responds to Post About Elderly Drink Stall Lady Replaced by Vending Machine

And so it happens.

Again.

After a Facebook post went viral yesterday, the party that’s accused has responded, and once again, the Facebook post has been removed.

So, what talking me?

Viral Facebook Post Accused Secondary School of Replacing Elderly Drink Stall Lady with Vending Machine

So, on 20 January 2020, a lady posted a Facebook post, claiming that her grandaunt, who had been selling drinks in Singapore Chinese Girls’ School (SCGS) since 1950s, was told not to sell cold drinks last year, and to share the stall with another vendor.

She decided to call it quits and soon after she closed her stall, a wild vending machine appeared.

Here’s the post:

Reader Bao: You forgot to mention that it seems to be written to incite negative emotions against the school

Mr Bao, we have to be objective, though…it’s rather obvious from the post that something seems to be missing.

And today, that missing part of the puzzle is revealed.

Quit on Her Own

SCGS’s principal, Eugenia Lim, responded to the media’s queries and it seems like there’s a logical explanation for each accusation made by the drink stall lady’s grandniece.

The elderly has been identified to be Mdm Lim.

Firstly, it was due to the authorities’ push for healthier option that led to the ban of cold drinks. Secondly, the stall was shared with another vendor due to the same reason: the other so-called vendor was supposed to sell fruits and fruit juice with Mdm Lim.

And finally, the vending machine was brought in to dispense healthier drink as well after Mdm Lim left as a “transition measure”.

Here’s the full statement:

Running up to Mdm Lim’s decision to leave the school, SCGS was trying to provide healthier food and beverage choices to our students and staff and was in the process of combining one stall to provide fruit juice, hot drinks, fruits and healthy snacks, instead of the school having two separate fruit and drinks stalls.

Understanding that some students may need time to make the switch from sweetened drinks to water, we brought in a vending machine, which dispenses drinks bearing the Health Promotion Board’s ‘healthier choice’ symbol, as a transition measure.

We have also been encouraging our students to make water their drink of choice, and hope to gradually reduce the frequency of replenishing the machine.

In October, Mdm Lim signed a contract to run a combined fruit and drink stall, together with the previous fruit stall vendor. At no point was she ever asked by the school to leave.

Parents Also Received a Letter About Mdm Lim’s Departure

Mothership also obtained a letter sent to SCGS students’ parents.

According to the letter, they had actually invited Mdm Lim (fondly known as Auntie Lim) back to the school for Chinese New Year celebrations, but she wasn’t available.

Reader Pao: So, what’s this thingy about healthier choices that caused this misunderstanding?

Well, Mr Pao, you clearly didn’t read my previous article, so here goes.

Healthy Meals in Schools Programme

Since 2011, some canteen stall operators had to serve yucky healthier food, like brown rice and wholemeal bread. And from 2017 onwards, all mainstream schools must follow this guideline.

Of course, this is both to combat diabetes and to keep us healthy. Love it or hate it, it’s needed unless a zero-calorie burger is invented.