Picking up a mango that has fallen from a public tree in Singapore can reportedly land you a fine of up to SGD5,000 (about `3.5 lakh) – a fact that has shocked Indian social media users recently. The debate started when Indian-origin Singaporean Priyanka Sinha shared on X that fruit-bearing trees in public places are considered government property, meaning residents cannot pluck or collect the fruit without permission.The Ministry of National Development (MND) states on its website: “Trees, including their fruits, which lie on State lands, belong to the State. NParks manages the majority of trees on State lands. Members of the public who wish to pick fruit from trees, or collect fruit that has fallen from trees on state land, must contact NParks for permission. Those plucking or gathering fruit without permission in a public park can be fined up to $5,000 under the Parks and Trees Act. People who do so in a nature reserve or national park can be fined up to $50,000, and/or imprisoned for up to 6 months.‘What if our pets help us collect?’Naturally, the jokes were ready on the Internet. Many online users compared the situation to India, where roadside fruit trees are often freely accessible to locals. While some joked that such a rule would be impossible to enforce here, others said it reflected Singapore’s strict civil discipline. One user cheekily asked, “What if our pets could help collect?” Another quickly replied, “In Singapore, pets are treated as extensions of the owner. If your pet plucks fruit from a public tree, you are legally considered to have committed or permitted such an act.”