Singapore's famous Thieves market on its way out, may cost many their income

The famous Thieves' Market will soon have to make way for the construction of the Sungei Road MRT station expected to complete in 2017, The Straits Times (ST) reports.  The flea market lining the more isolated streets in Central Singapore first started in the 1930s as a places for thieves to sell their stolen goods, hence its name. As the years went by, the place became a go-to spot for both locals and tourists looking for second-hand and under-the-table goods, or just quirky sight-seeing.  There were talks of relocating the Sungei Road flea market to other four other alternatives sites but ST writes that the National Environment Agency (NEA) has rejected these suggestions, even though vendors volunteered to independently maintain the cleanliness and security of the new area.  The president of the Association for the Recycling of Second Hand Goods 73-year-old Mr. Koh Ah Koo tolds ST shutting down the market means taking away a source of income for many elderly folk in Singapore. "Most of us have little education or are illiterate," he said.  Photo: Wikimedia Commons