Teh Tarik Shop Boss Behind Viral Kampong Glam Bazaar Sign Addresses ‘Religious Gaslighting’ Claims

The banner also references Islamic teachings, reminding bazaar-goers that public criticism can hurt small businesses and encouraging them to speak privately to vendors so they can “fix the mistake”.

The man behind the now-viral sign

Unbeknownst to most — the person behind the sign is Ali Redha, 43, the affable owner of popular tea shop Tarik at Arab Street and a long-time bazaar participant.

The former Cathay Pacific Airways flight attendant also runs a stall called Gohed Gostan by Tarik at this year’s Kampong Gelam Ramadan Bazaar, where he sells teh tarik (from $2) and cheese wheel pasta ($15, or $17 with a drink). The name Gohed Gostan, which means “move forward and reverse”, reflects his long-delayed plans to launch a Western food concept.

Not personally affected by bad reviews

Ali told 8days.sg the sign was not prompted by any personal experience with bad reviews. Instead, he put it up after observing what he describes as “wars” between reviewers and bazaar vendors in recent years, with disputes playing out publicly online during Ramadan.

He pointed to the 2024 dispute in which Kampong Glam bazaar vendor Frank On Wheels threatened legal action after an influencer gave its smokey fries a 1/10 rating, as an example of how tensions can escalate.

“It’s getting more common recently. I feel uneasy about this kind of thing,” he said, adding that he’s been wanting to put up such a sign for years.  

He maintained the message was meant to “spread positivity in this beautiful month of Ramadan”, not to silence criticism.

“These are my views and I decided to put it outside my shop, which happens to be at the entrance of the bazaar,” he said.

Folks divided over his message

Several stallholders previously told 8days.sg they welcomed the sign, noting that taste is subjective and that online criticism can hit small businesses hard.

“You may like this and may not like other stalls, so don’t compare. Each stall has their own strong points in their cooking,” said Zabidi Abdul Samando, who works at the Kampong Glam bazaar stall Golden Bao.

However, not everyone agrees.

Food influencer Zahir Latif, who goes by @popculturebf on Instagram, criticised the sign in a series of videos, calling it “religious gaslighting” and “performative”.

Zahir said he reviews what he eats as a customer and “customers have the right to voice their opinions about what they paid for.”

While acknowledging that some reviews can be overly harsh, he argued that even negative feedback contains “data to collect”, and that businesses should learn how to respond rather than avoid it.

“Here’s the issue with a place only getting good reviews,” he said. “When you're leaving customers to experience the shortcomings in real life, your demographic will eventually just be first-time patrons who will never return.”

Why put up the sign during Ramadan?

Zahir also questioned why the reminder surfaced only during Ramadan.

“Food reviewers don’t just review bazaars, we review restaurants too. So where was the sign for them?” he asked, suggesting the timing made the gesture feel “performative”.

Ali said he respects differing views.

“This is a free world, free speech. People have the right to say what they want to say,” he said.

On why he chose Ramadan as the starting point for his message, Ali said the fasting month sees a surge in bazaar activity — and friction.

“Ramadan is a time where a lot more people display their [culinary] skill sets in bazaars. It’s only recently during Ramadan that you see all these things [like negative online reviews coupled with aggrieved stall vendors] happening,” he said.

“We have to start somewhere. If I start during Hari Raya, people will ask why Hari Raya? If I start during Christmas, people will ask why Christmas? I chose to start during Ramadan where [food reviews are] at its peak.”

As for bringing religion into the message, Ali said: “If humanity fails, I feel religion has to come in.”

“Being an influencer is not the number one priority in life, it’s to be nice to people, to be kind, to spread goodness. That’s what I feel, and I always live by that motto.”

He added that he was not trying to police anyone’s views.

Has it worked?

Whether the sign has had its intended effect remains unclear.

Asked if he has noticed fewer negative reviews, Ali said he wasn’t sure.

“I haven’t been checking with the other stall vendors and I’m not really active on social media, so I really don’t know,” he said.

For his own businesses, there has been no noticeable change: “no hike or dip in sales”.

He has also not approached other stallholders to ask if the message has made an impact on their business. 

“If it has impacted people, then I would be very proud. If not, then okay,” he said. “When I put up the sign, I didn’t have any intention to hurt people or to educate people. It’s just to create awareness.”

Gemilang Kampong Gelam Ramadan Bazaar is along Kandahar St, Muscat St (in front of Sultan Mosque) and Sultan Gate Park, Singapore. Open daily 2pm to 11pm till Mar 15. More info via Instagram.

Photos: 8 Days Eat TikTok, Kelvin Chia, Khalil Samsuri, Gohed Gostan, @popculturebf/Instagram