Y.E.S. 93.3 DJ Lim Peifen has asserted that she and her son received “no preferential treatment” at Jewel Changi’s new snow walk attraction, after another mother accused Jewel Changi management of allowing Lim’s child to enter the snow walk with sandals while other children who wear similar footwear are barred from entering the attraction.
Revealing that her son was not allowed to enter the snow walk, Facebook user Kailin Ng recounted last week: “Went to Jewels a couple of times by now, was attracted to the beautiful landscape and lightings within the mall and to know that they added extra features to the canopy walk was a bonus.
“Brought my excited Aden along, but was denied entry to this part of the park, “the snow walk” due to improper footwear. Aden was wearing sandals…Lucky for me, Aden was understanding. He left that part of the walk saying to me “it’s ok, I’m still happy.””
Ms Ng, however, was baffled to see that another child wearing similar sandals was allowed on to the snow walk just a few days later:
“What baffles me is not that such footwear is not allowed to the walk, but the very next couple of days this picture of Singapore celebrity DJ was posted and her son was allowed entry for the very reason why Aden was not allowed.”
The netizen, who has since removed her post from social media, asked: “Are rules not strictly followed? Or are rules only for the common folks?”
Ms Lim responded to the trending post on Monday (9 December) and shared her side of the story. Asserting that she did not receive any preferential treatment, Ms Lim noted that other children who were wearing sandals were allowed onto the snow walk on the day she visited the attraction with her son.
Revealing that she even double-checked whether her son’s footwear is appropriate with Jewel Changi staff, Ms Lim wrote: “We queued up for the Snow Walk, we wondered if we could go in with our sandals. We saw other children in the queue with their parents, and they were allowed entry to the snow walk with their open-toe sandals.
“When it was our turn to take the walk, we asked whether our shoes were okay. We were given the okay to go. There was no preferential treatment, nor did we insist on any.”
Asserting that “safety is the most important when it comes to having fun,” the DJ said: “I am happy to follow clear, well-defined safety measures for all activities, and I hope that rules are always well-enforced.”
Ms Lim said that she simply wanted to enjoy a “happy day out with my family” and that she is no different from “every parent wishes the best for their child.” She added that topics of discussion other than safety are not “relevant to this incident”.
A spokesperson from Changi Airport Group has since clarified that guests with open-toed footwear should not be permitted onto the snow walk and the fact that guests with inappropriate footwear were allowed to enter the attraction was “an oversight on the part of the ranger.”
Revealing that Changi Airport Group has contacted Ms Ng and invited her family back to visit the attraction, the spokesperson said:
“At Jewel Changi Airport, it is out topmost priority for guests to play and enjoy our facilities in optimal conditions. Therefore, we made it a requirement for visitors to be in covered footwear for the snow walk.
“The entry to Snow Walk by a guest with open-toe footwear was an oversight on the part of the ranger. We have reminded our ranger manning this activity to ensure all guests have the proper footwear before they enter the attraction.”