Landlord Offers 6 Months Rent-Free To Kacang Puteh Seller Who Closed His Stall Due To Poor Biz

The last kacang puteh man

Amirthaalangaram Moorthy, 55, is widely considered as one of the last few kacang puteh sellers in Singapore. He took over his business from his grandfather, who started selling tidbits over 50 years ago.

Moorthy plys his trade outside Peace Centre, an old shopping mall that made headlines in Dec 2021 for being sold en bloc for S$650 million. His pushcart occupies a tiny outdoor spot just at the mall’s entrance, for which he pays a monthly rent of $600. He charges around $1.30 to $2 a scoop for nuts and murukku, most of which he fries at home with his family.

Hit by pandemic

But the past few years have been very tough for Moorthy, who had almost no business during the pandemic. He had to stop operating for two months due to the Circuit Breaker, and footfall at Peace Centre was lacklustre even till today. “Every day I open, but two years no business. Very very difficult,” the Chennai-born told 8days.sg in 2022.

To make ends meet, he had to borrow money from his father, a retired kacang puteh seller who sold off a house in India to help his son. “No business, how? Makan, rent, everything. This place is $600. I take the money, makan,” Moorthy lamented to us.

He is reopening again

But good news: Moorthy is resuming business next Monday (Feb 27) at his usual spot outside Peace Centre. “My landlord gave me six months no rent,” he explained, an offer which alleviated some of his financial burden and allowed him to continue operating his pushcart.

However, Moorthy shared that his rent after the six-month period has not been confirmed, and he was unsure if he would continue operating there after that. “See how lah,” he said.

Update [Feb 27]: CEL Development, on behalf of the consortium that bought over Peace Centre and the residential Peace Mansion, has updated that it will be redeveloping the mixed development property after Moorthy’s six-month rent-free period ends.

The consortium told 8days.sg: “We read the earlier article on him closing his stall and were aware that this was due to the sale completion which took place on Feb 17 and the previous MCST would have to end its lease with him.

We then decided, as the new owner of the entire property, to contact him to ask if he wished to carry on plying this trade at the premises at no rent for the next six months. This is because, based on our sale contract with all the ex-strata owners, there is a six-month timeframe from sale completion to vacate their strata units.”

CEL Development added that it is “keen to explore with Mr Moorthy opportunities to collaborate in future, including at our upcoming sales gallery for TMW Maxwell [a new mixed-use development in Tanjong Pagar], as well as the sales gallery for the redevelopment of Peace Centre and Peace Mansion when it is ready.”

Here is hoping that there's always a place for Singapore’s unique kacang puteh seller to continue his cherished trade.

Find Moorthy’s kacang puteh cart outside Peace Centre, 1 Sophia Rd, S228161. Tel: 9740-6070 (for advance orders and cart booking). Open daily except Sun, 10.30am-7pm.

Photos: Yip Jieying

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