Back when weekly Johor Bahru (JB) visits were common in pre-Covid days, KSL City Mall was one of the popular destinations for Singaporeans seeking food and other necessities.
However, with travel restrictions in place, such malls have seemingly seen lower footfall.
Recently, pictures showing a deserted and desolate KSL City Mall, with many stores closed, went viral on Facebook.
Many netizens were quick to speculate that the phenomenon could be due to the lack of shoppers from Singapore.
On 30 Sep, Facebook page Johor 柔佛, which posts about updates in JB, shared pictures of an eerily empty KSL City Mall.
Gone were the hoards of shoppers who once patronised the malls, which made the reflective glares from the overhead lights even more pronounced.
Another picture showed the familiar Popular bookstore with its shutters closed.
According to Google Maps, the outlet has closed for good.
Once the location of pop-up sale events, an empty space in the mall now has a red carpet laid over, with no products on display.
Perhaps expected of such a deserted mall, there was but 1 customer even at Starbucks.
The same situation was also seen at the hotel resort which accompanied the shopping mall.
This hotel entrance was barricaded, likely to facilitate the entry requirements that visitors have to comply with.
At one of the counters, one of the staff was seen to be on duty, but with no customers in sight.
Though it’s unclear when the pictures were taken, the OP said this was apparently due to the lack of customers from Singapore.
Be it in Singapore or across the Causeway, it’s always saddening to see one of our frequently visited malls devoid of visitors.
Hopefully, the situations in both countries improve soon, and our weekly JB visits can become a reality in the near future.
Have news you must share? Get in touch with us via email at news@mustsharenews.com.
Featured image adapted from Johor 柔佛 on Facebook.
Her hand couldn’t be reattached due to severe tissue damage from the incident.
The hospitals cited reasons including a lack of available beds and difficulties in handling first-time…
Wildlife lovers online gave recommendations and tips to her.
Must have been a busy night out.
Singpass verification will now be required for sellers and users chatting about Lady Gaga concert…
The decision comes amid growing concerns over visa overstaying and illegal work activities.