Singapore, Nov. 22 -- Walking through the upper floors of shopping complex Liang Court, one might think that the building has been abandoned.

Boarded-up stores and bare units make up most of the top three levels of the mall.

The first level, which accounts for most of the foot traffic, is occupied mainly by restaurants and large chains such as Starbucks and Uniqlo. But even here, there are at least three empty units.

The mixed-use complex, which was opened more than three decades ago, has seen better days.

When The Straits Times visited the mall yesterday afternoon, most of the customers seemed to be there only for lunch at one of the few Japanese eateries.

Japanese supermarket Meidi-Ya, which occupies a large area in the mall's b...