Ahead of reopening, nightlife players fret over lease renewals, uncertainty of operations

DESPITE nightlife businesses finally being given the greenlight to reopen, it may be a case of "too little, too late" for existing and former operators, some of whom have given up their spaces and remain cautious about future Covid-19 waves that could shut out the embattled industry here once again.

After defaulting on payments since last November, Frank Per, the owner of Sing My Song Family Karaoke, had the lease of his Paya Lebar Quarter outlet involuntarily terminated on Mar 28.

This was just a week before the government announced that all nightlife businesses - including bars, pubs, karaoke establishments, discotheques and nightclubs - could fully reopen from April 19.