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SINGAPORE \u2013 A Mee Toh School canteen stall owner whose interaction with a pupil posted on TikTok recently went viral will shutter the stall.<\/p>\n
Mr Rayner Tan, 27, who goes by @veg.eng on TikTok, said in a video posted on the platform on Nov 18 that the stall will not be renewing its lease with the school in 2026.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt has been a difficult time dealing with (the) school, MOE (Ministry of Education), parents, and also figuring out… our next steps,\u201d said Mr Tan in the video.<\/p>\n
The post was later edited to omit Mr Tan saying this, but the original version had already made its rounds on other online platforms such as Reddit.<\/p>\n
Mr Tan explained that a complaint was made to Mee Toh School regarding the viral video \u2013 in which he chided a pupil who threw a $2 note at him \u2013 with the complainant asking for the video to be taken down.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe were obligated to take it down along with other videos,\u201d said Mr Tan in the original Nov 18 video.<\/p>\n
He also cited the \u201cunsustainable income\u201d as another challenge faced in running the stall.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are saddened that we couldn\u2019t take this venture further,\u201d he said, adding that he would update his followers on his next steps.<\/p>\n
In the video\u2019s caption, Mr Tan wrote: \u201cEnd of journey on Nov 18.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mr Tan opened the Hearty Green (Vegetarian) stall on Aug 19 and had been documenting his journey running the stall on TikTok. This includes some interactions with pupils, whose faces do not appear in his videos.<\/p>\n
In early November, a video of him telling a pupil not to throw his $2 note at him while paying for food went viral, racking up more than 2.5 million views and attracting thousands of comments as at Nov 7.<\/p>\n
In the video, after the boy throws the money onto the counter, Mr Tan passes the money back to him, telling him: \u201cPass me properly.\u201d<\/p>\n
The boy complies.<\/p>\n
The pair then talk briefly about the food the boy ordered, before exchanging thank-yous.<\/p>\n
\u201cRespect is mutual, no hard feelings,\u201d Mr Tan wrote in a caption.<\/p>\n
In the comment section of the video, many users praised Mr Tan for firmly reminding the student of good etiquette, although others criticised what they felt was a harsh tone he took. <\/p>\n
The video is no longer available on Mr Tan\u2019s TikTok page.<\/p>\n
Principal of Mee Toh School, Mr Kelvin Tay, said on Nov 18, in a reply to The Straits Times\u2019 queries, that the school had received feedback from parents and members of the public about a video showing Mr Tan managing his stall and interacting with pupils.<\/p>\n
Mr Tay added that Mr Tan had taken down the video, as he had not sought parental consent before filming or recording the pupils.<\/p>\n
The principal added that Mr Tan had made the decision not to renew the lease of his own accord. \u201cThe school did not ask him to discontinue his lease,\u201d said Mr Tay.<\/p>\n
The Straits Times has contacted Mr Tan for more details. <\/p>\n