SINGAPORE: A netizen who posted a photo of several rows of shoes lined up outside the doors of flats appeared to connect this with the issue of overcrowding in Singapore. Netizens who commented on the post, however, pushed back, saying they did not see the same problem as he did.
The photo was posted by Prabu Ramachandran on a Facebook page called SG Opposition on June 8. Mr Prabu was introduced to Singaporeans as a candidate under the People’s Alliance for Reform in last year’s General Election.
Writing that there have already been reports in the news of overcrowding in HDB units, he claimed that this is now happening in private residences.
“Multiple rows of footwear are seen along a residential corridor, suggesting heavy occupancy or frequent movement in and out of the units,” he wrote, adding that he saw around 25 to 35 pairs of footwear.
Aside from overcrowding, the post author added that it “raises questions about corridor obstruction, fire safety, and whether the premises are being used beyond normal residential capacity.”
He further claimed that immigration is spurring rental demand, and added that when rental rates get too high, renters look for different ways to save money.
“If we do not manage this issue here and now, we might end up similar to Hong Kong,” he warned.
What Singaporeans are saying
While some tended to agree with him, many others commenting on Mr Prabu’s post appeared to find his post to be unnecessarily alarmist, with some saying that the problem may not be with the number of shoes, but with how small the hallway is.
“I don’t see any fire hazards or safety issues here, where the shoes are nicely arranged to minimise obstruction to the walkway. You should blame the developer for building such a narrow walkway and not how many people are staying in the unit,” one observed.
“From now on, everyone should just own 1 pair of shoes so that when people count shoes, they know how many people live there,” quipped another, adding three rolling-eyes emojis.
“People put a few pairs of shoes outside their own place, also wanna KPO. Really so free? Go and do some volunteering work for the community,” wrote a third.
Another had a milder take, writing, “It could also mean it’s the family’s shoes….who live there.”
When Mr Prabu posted the same photo on his own account, many had similar responses.
“I don’t think so. I personally know my neighbour that lives next to me, and they have hundreds of shoes outside because of Shopee…
It is normal for one person to have many shoes, isn’t?? One for running, one for walking, one for racquet sports, one for hiking. For going to work, at least 5 to match different styles of clothes. It is not indicative of how many people live there,” a woman pointed out.
“One person can own up to at least 5 pairs, so having many pairs doesn’t equal to many occupants, it’s just not having proper shelves to keep them off the ground,” wrote another. /TISG
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