Link

Visited the shopping mall near my hospital on a Saturday morning - I need some refill of milk and instant coffee.

I have not been here for quite some weeks. To my surprise, many shops were closed, "To Let", or under construction for the new tenant.

The mall is, of course, run by the Link.

This is no news. Many shopping malls under this government sponsored enterprises (GSEs) see the same fate. Small local shops are forced out of the competition because the rent rises like rocket. Chain stores and big names are introduced - that's the deliberate policy.

I have a small fortune of The Link REIT. As a stock holder I should not be too concerned with the rent, but I do. Yes, you could say even business establishments have a social responsibility, not to say a GSE. Oh, my ethics standard is very low. Nonetheless it doesn't feel good to see the mall (that I have a hand on) half empty - even though you have doubled the income from the other.