Tan Kin Lian is Confused Over Whether He Could Sell His Used Posters in Public

By
Valerie Chua
-

Many people love adorning their walls with posters of their favourite celebrities, from Hollywood stars to K-pop idols. Well, what if you want to have an autographed poster of a certain (past) presidential candidate on your wall for a change? Tan Kin Lian may have just the answer.

Tan Kin Lian Announces Sale of Campaign Posters Near Bedok MRT and Bedok Hawker Centre

This year’s presidential race, for all of its twists and turns, has come to a close. However, Tan Kin Lian seems to still have some unfinished business he wants to resolve. (Namely, the matter of removing his used campaign posters)

On 5 September, Tan posted on his Facebook announcing the sale of his used posters at the concourse between Bedok MRT and Bedok Hawker Centre.

According to the post, each of his used posters would sell for $10. A used poster with an autograph from Tan Kin Lian is much pricier, standing at $20.

Loyal fans who volunteered in his campaign as polling agents would get some perks and receive his campaign poster for free.

But like any Tan Kin Lian Facebook posts…there would be problems.

Tan Faces Difficulties Securing a “Temporary Permit” For His Sale

Despite Tan’s entrepreneurial endeavour, he quickly hit a roadblock regarding selling his posters.

The day after his initial announcement, Tan released a new Facebook post on 6 September expressing his confusion about securing the relevant documents to run his “pop-up store”.

In the post, Tan Kin Lian’s campaign manager advised him to apply for a “temporary permit”. However, Tan’s search for a permit on the Singapore Police Force’s website came up short. He was also advised to apply for a permit at the National Environmental Agency (NEA) but felt that it was unnecessary as he was not selling any food or beverages.

Tan allegedly wrote a letter of enquiry to the Election Department but claimed he did not receive any reply.

To make his wild goose chase even more confusing, a “friend” allegedly told Tan that political parties could sell their party newspapers without needing to apply for a permit.

However, this advice is not the most reliable, as an opposition party member from NSP was fined for selling political publications in the past.

According to Tan, a “malicious person” had asked the public to call NEA and report Tan for “illegal hawking”.

Tan responded, “I looked at the definition of hawking. It included the sale of goods, but the peddler had to move from place to place or door to door. I would be staying at a fixed place.”

A quick Google search, however, shows that a temporary permit from the Singapore Food Authority (SFA) is indeed required for the sale of goods in a public area. This rule does not apply to just food but goods of any nature. Those who do not apply for a permit may face fines not exceeding $10,000.

Despite Confusion, Tan Promises to Proceed With Selling His Posters

While Tan Kin Lian may not exactly be following the law, he assures supporters that he will continue to proceed with the sale held on 9 September. The proceeds of the sale will not go to Tan but will be donated to an unspecified Muslim charity.

He also expects the possibility of “facing harassment” by the police, showing that he might not have moved on from his smear campaign paranoia just yet.

Will Tan be victorious in his quest to sell his posters? Only time will tell.

At least, until 9 September 2023.

Watch this for a complete summary of what REALLY happened to Qoo10, and why it's like a K-drama:

Read Also:

Advertisements
 
Valerie Chua
Email: [email protected]