'Private garden' along HDB corridor sparks neighbour dispute

An unneighbourly dispute has broke out after a resident's neatly arranged garden along a shared HDB corridor was allegedly cut and thrown away by a neighbour.

On 10 Oct, TikTok user @fairplay3515 posted a picture with the subtitle claiming that a Chinese neighbour living across from their flat had destroyed their carefully tended corridor garden.

The poster's mother was said to have been in hospital when the incident occurred.

The post had garnered over 80,900 views, 1,240 likes and 483 comments at press time.

'Plants are therapy for the aged': Poster

Many netizens agreed that the HDB corridor is a common space, and that it should "be clear of any personal stuff," in light of the hazards it may pose.

The original poster insisted that the corridor garden, with 1.2m walkway clearance, did not obstruct passage and was safely maintained. They added that the garden was a "labour of love" that had been destroyed without courtesy or consideration.

But commenters raised concerns such as the possibility of the corridor plants attracting bugs, spilling fertilizer and mud, and allowing mosquitoes to breed. "Why not bring the plants in?" asked one.

'Soulless and heartless society': Netizen

Another claimed that the incident showed many had "zero empathy," and that disposing of someone else's belongings might even spark violence.

Some felt the poster unnecessarily brought race into the post by mentioning the "Chinese neighbour," with one lamenting that "kampong spirit really diminished."

"How about we all don't touch things that are not ours," one user commented, adding that the corridor is fairly wide and that the dispute was unnecessary.