Penang woman moves to KL to avoid ‘incestual’ dating, wonders how S’poreans deal with it

Woman moves from Penang to Kuala Lumpur to escape from limited dating scene

A Malaysian woman has gone viral on TikTok after sharing her dating struggles in her hometown of Penang, a place she jokingly describes as so small that everyone somehow ends up being related or connected.

In her video, Hazel said she relocated to Kuala Lumpur because dating in Penang felt “incestual”.

“I really don’t know how you Singaporeans do it,” she says at the start of the video.

“I’m from Penang, a smallish island, and I already feel dating there is so incestual.”

@yapper.kan

CNY gatherings would go crazy cause you might be dating a distant cousin ? an example, i once dated the son of my favourite tomyum store, and my mom is in the same exercise group with his mom (after we broke up) #datingpool #dating

♬ original sound – hazel kan yap anymore – hazel kan yap anymore

According to her, it’s not uncommon to meet someone on a dating app only to discover he’s a “mum’s friend’s son’s cousin”, or worse, the “neighbour from upstairs”.

Penang is too small, says content creator

Hazel also shared a real life example that happened to her back in Penang.

She once dated the son of her favourite tom yum stall owner, only to later learn that her mother and his mother ended up joining the same exercise group after the breakup.

“I don’t want so many people — my mother, my auntie, my uncle, my relative — to know my dating business,” she says.

While Penang already felt too interconnected for her, she says Singapore must be on an entirely different level, given its size.

“How do you Singaporeans do it?” she asks out of intrigue.

“Do you avoid the east? The west? God bless y’all. Stay strong. You are in my prayers.”

Netizens share creative solutions to dating pool issue

Netizens were amused by the content creator’s video, with some agreeing that dating on a small island can be tricky.

One TikTok user shared their “awkward” experience bumping into a date in the lift because she was dating another guy in their block.

Meanwhile other netizens were quick to offer suggestions to the dating problem.

One commenter joked that Singaporean guys can just date Malaysian girls to avoid the issue.

Another TikTok user suggested dating a Caucasian, as they are less likely to be related to any locals in Penang or Kuala Lumpur.

Also read: MS Polls: Difficulty in finding a partner voted the top reason why S’poreans stay single

MS Polls: Difficulty in finding a partner voted the top reason why S’poreans stay single

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Featured images adapted from @yapper.kan on TikTok.