A mysterious green hut in Mandai Forest, believed to be an abandoned kampung hut, has reportedly been demolished two days after a news report by Mothership on the hut was published.
Netizen Abdullah Khairun Saggi in a Facebook group called “Singapore Hikers” wrote that “Mandai Green Hut had been confirmed demolished” after he and his daughter went to the place and discovered that the hut was longer there.
The daughter, named Nisa told Mothership that she and her father wanted to visit the green hut for themselves after they learnt about the hut online.
Mothership reported Nisa as saying that they had a hard time looking for the hut as there was no longer a fallen trunk, a yellow plastic bag tied to a tree, or a marking that read “kampung”, which previously served as landmarks for the hut.
As they reached the area, they can only be hinted at “what was previously standing there” through the debris and some green planks left there, which indicated that the hut had been knocked down.
However, Nisa said that “there were no signs or any indication as to who had demolished the hut.”
The mysterious green hut, in fact, has been found by a few individuals and shared on the social media platform before it was widely discussed among the members of public.
Previously, YouTuber Sheryl Biangco uploaded a 16-minute video on her Facebook page, showing how she was going to search for the abandoned kampung hut in Mandai Forest on her own.
In her post, she wrote, “I leave a mark on each trail to guide the future explorer. Just thank me later.”
In the video, she was seen standing inside the hut and mentioned that the whole hut was shaky when she stepped on it, adding that she was afraid that the hut would collapse.
On 23 December, Mothership also reported that a Facebook user had provided some directions on how to go to the hut as well as some photos showing internal and external of the hut.
As stated in the article published by Remember Singapore on 11 November titled “Singapore Trivia – A Lone Kampong House at Mandai”, the green hut was located about 100m off Gangsa Track – formerly known as Mandai Track 15.
Describing the hut, it said, “The small kampong house measures roughly 7m by 5m. Standing on stilts, it is made of wood and has a zinc roof. At the back of the house is a small pond, possibly used for fish or prawn farming in the past. Nearby are also former water wells and remnants of brick and wooden structures which could be used to keep poultry.”
It also suggested that “the house might be a temporary home or a storage place” by judging by its relatively small size and location.
The article also mentioned that the green paint on the walls has worn off and its wooden stairs broken off, “indicating that the house should be abandoned for a long time”.
However, it speculated that there were some repairs in recent years as some of its connecting bolts are found relatively new.
Following the news about the hut being knocked down, many netizens were quick to pen their comments on Mothership’s Facebook page, lamenting that the demolishment of the historical green hut was a waste as it was part of Singapore’s history and heritage.
A netizen also opined that the green hut could have been a good resting place for hikers and bikers if “everyone does their part in not creating mess in the hut and around the area”.
Some netizens also suggested that the over-exposure of this green hut to the public has resulted in the demolition.
On the other hand, there were some netizens who said that it might be a good thing to demolish the hut in case the dilapidated building will cause injuries to the visitors or invite people to use it as an illegal dwelling.
