I was having lunch at a coffeeshop at Air Putih and this rather pretty young girl came and approach us while I was concentrating on picking my fish head. She started rattling off in Mandarin and opened a clear folder with photos of her with various handicapped persons. She flipped through them like those are some catalogues. I always dislike people using other people pitiful condition for their own gains. Whether it is for political mileage like how our BN politicians posing with orang cacat to show us how prihatin they are, whether it is this girl using the retarded children photo for her own commission.
Then, in the late afternoon, after I have digested my lunch, I went to Batu Lancang wet market for some marketing. Since I am there, I mah eat char koay teow and cendol lor. Hungry ledi mah…
And this time, a young man, able bodied, with two legs, two arms and two eyes also did the same tactic of ‘collecting donation for charity, show kesian-kesian old folks photos’ modus operandi. Niamah.
Of course, both times, my hubby and I ignored them. If I want to do charity, I can go there myself, no need go through middle man who collects commission. Moreover, I don’t think I have heard of those charitable organisations before.
After the young man moved to another table, an old man came. This time, he rattled off in Hokkien. He stood next to my loukong and told him that he used to work in construction site. But now, he has asthma and his eyes don’t see so well. To make it more dramatic, he was holding a bottle of inhaler. Chey…..want to bluff Ah Cheh meh? My sons all small small also used that before lah.
If that’s not enough, after my loukong ignored him, waved him off and continue eating char koay teow, he came and stood by my side pulak. Tiu. Now, he started the same story but he used Cantonese pulak. Ish…You know lah, my heart very soft wan, I see people like that, I got kesian a bit also lah. But hor, when the old man made it so dramatic, covering all bases like how he worked hard in construction (this is to stop people from accusing of being lazy, never work), his eyes getting blinded and he has difficulties breathing, need the inhaler which is expensive…..I also can get tulan lah. I want to eat and enjoy my char koay teow, Ah Pek. The most I would do is to offer him a plate of char koay teow and kopi-o. I am not going to give money, ok? If I got so much money to give to every beggar who passes by, I would be eating high tea with scones and English tea at Rasa Sayang Hotel lah….tiu. Not eating at some wet markets lah.
But hor, these blardy beggars all don’t really need our compassion one. If you offer them foods, they will reject it. They only want money. Not just a few cents but dollar notes. Some even got the nerve to fix a price, “Ah Ee, hor wa nor koh.” KNN, call me Ah Ee, somemore want me to give $2. Want gor tiau or not ah? (fivers = slap)
You would think that it is the end of beggars encounter. No…..after I finished the char koay teow, I went to the market building. There is a beggar at every junction. Those faking a bloodied, bandaged leg. Those with crutches. Those with bandaged arm and if you are new to my island, you would think that they get stigmata (those people who can bleed on their own like Jesus’s scars) because they ‘bleed’ from the same wound from January to December.
You see, my point is, it is not that I do not care about those poor folks. But when the State Government doesn’t take some proactive steps to curb these people from begging every where, then, it will make us, the public more jaded towards helping people. We will end up having the idea that all those asking for donations are fake. So, what the State Government can do is to improve the welfare department and get more people to go down to the streets and help the really hard core poor. Make it a community project, working closely with churches, mosques, Buddhist, Taoist, Sikh, Hindu etc temples committees. Centralised things and I am sure there are lots of kind folks out there willing to help the poor and needy.
And for those fake beggars, skali take a stick and break their legs if they keep faking it to cheat people. For those pretty girls who are going around from table to table at coffeeshops, go work in some place where there are rich men, and become yee-lai, more profitable and comfortable ler. It uses the same principle, cheat our money or cheat one sui yee. Bwahahaha…
Strange.. I encountered that exactly today, same experience as you during my lunch.
I was gonna blog about it and flame these lunch interrupters but I think i’ve got enough of controversial posts for these few days already.
SF – LOL, you are lucky there are only so few of them who flamed you. I thought the whole Hindraf are going to kacau you. Hahaha. Re the beggars, the one asking for donation to charity, I mean….there must be some syndicate working lah, all appear at the same time and they seem to be everywhere. Don’t know from which Jinjang new village, all speaking Mandarin one.
Dear Lilian,
Klang also got plenty of these kind of ‘beggars’. I was told by the stall owner that there is a syndicate going around getting these people to ‘beg’ for money. I was also told that the Klang ones come from China!!!!!
The worst that I seen was some Indian youngsters (5 of ’em) draging along a retarded and disfigured sister to beg! I lost mood for lunch that day! Sometimes I wonder, it is not all these beggars that bugs me. It is those ‘shit heads’ that actually give money thinking that they are doing it for a good cause.
In Klang, the mandarin speaking girl blah, blah about charity in Johore. While in Johore, they say something about a place in KL!!!!
I have made a rule and I hope everyone joins me. I do charity once a year and I Choose where and who gets my charity donations. Not some China dolls, Fortune telling Ah Pek, or a Monk with a begging bowl at 3 in the afternoon!!!
Also do what I did the last time. I took out my camera and take a picture of them quick, quick!
They also run off fast, fast! Ha!Ha!
Cheers and Regards
Birds Talking too
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BTT – I also suspect they are not locals lor cos they only speak Mandarin. We told them, ‘bo beng pek’, they also ternganga and keep rattling Mandarin.
All ‘manage’ by a syndicate. Syndicate provides lodging and food. Every morning fetch them to ‘high density’ areas to beg, evening come and fetch them home. How I know? Got ppl ask me to joint venture. LOL
I always offer them food but not money. All wont take food. all will ask for money. Normally I tell them I am POLIS, terus they will go away. Those with crutches will run, those whom don’t have limbs will crawl very fast. It works, try it.
Those teenager whom collects for ‘dont know which orphanage or old folks home’ also fake. They print those ‘Kementerian letterheads’ themselves. These people will collect the monies and end up buying stuffs in shopping malls.
If you want to give to charity, go direct to the charity body or organization. Or alternatively, you can bank it into my Credit Suisse account. Thank you.
Niamah!!! Masuk spam again!!! Tiu!!!
Actually, I pity those who really need the help from the public. So, instead of donating to these random beggars, my family would prefer to go straight to those charitable organization. At least they are more trustworthy and you can even get tax exemption. Tax exemption reduces the amount of money our gov can waste.
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The new business strategy is to make use of young innocent school leavers esp girls to hop around tables at hawker centres on the pretext of charity.
Also there were young innocent girls selling charity toys around Supertanker and the Hawker Centre opposite Lam Wah Ee, purportedly for a rehabilitation centre. True?
These innocent girls may truely believe they are working for charity.
A young man came around my house, showed me pictures of a handicapped child and asked for donation to help her out. I knew he was a cheat but just to avoid having troubles, I gave in. A few weeks later he came again forgetting that he had taken from me before.
At Kuan Nan Coffee Shop in Chai Leng Park, there was this young man with one hand. This man was too young and able-bodied to be an invalid. He came to me for alms, knowing I was a regular customer at the shop and that I had given him twice within a week.
In KL I do encounter these ‘fundraisers’. I give them face by giving one buck or two, but after reading this post, I no longer think so.
On the other hand, I have done funds collecting for St. John Ambulance during my high school days. I give my two cents worth here, when you’re approached by one of these people, ask them to produce a police permit for collection. If not, you can say no.
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boon kheng – Those people do carry all sort of permit wan, but whether real or not, who dare to verify?
P T – Yalor, so many of them are rather dubious.
aD – Giving when they genuinely look needy, ok ler. But some got attitude one, give too little, they scold. And then, there is the jaga kereta.
tan silly – Your comment really kena spam liao wor.
I was at the new food court at Weld Quay when this woman came along to beg. I had some shillings on the table and I was willing to give it to her. She turned up her nose and walked away. Later I found out from the coffee server that she takes notes only.Niamah, so tiau keh one!
And recently in the newspapers there were those who were caught by the polis and they had lots of money on them and even have bank accounts with many ringgits in them! I think some even richer than me!
I had one funny story to share, my friend’s dad is chairman of the charity body… one day when having lunch, he meet someone.. holding the same file like what normal ppl did….. show to him and ask for $$$……
he saw his “signature” on the assign letter…. then he asked the girl, you know who is the one signing this letter.. the girl say … sure la…. he is our org chair ma.. sure i know him….
then he asked again, you know me a?….. the girl say I dun know…
he asked her to guess…… she can’t figuring out…. and ask who are you….
he answered I am the one u signing the letter for u one lor.. the org chairman ma…. you forget liao meh?
the girl face change green and cabut ……..lolx
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Jaga keretas, they would collect the toll even if you are sitting and waiting in your car.
Freelance or vagabond jaga keretas would demand a fixed toll. These are found at Jelutong Maybank, Jelutong Nite Market, etc.
On one occasion my brother-in-law gave the man 50 sen, the latter threw the coin into the drain and said, “You think I am a beggar?”
These buggers should really get chased by the authority but I’m wondering who is actually in charge of catching them? Police or someone else?
Anyway, when I see them near I’ll say nothing and waive my hand to show I’m not interested at all. The important part is to have no eye contact at all. Quite effective.
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I never give to these people that shows catalog of the homeless or charity homes. If I really want to give, I go to the charity homes directly, never give thru this people who comes along when you are having your char koay teow.
The worst experienced I had was this once at a coffee shop, having breakfast and this old nun lady came along. She wanted to give those hand bracelet(colorful ones) and in return you drop some money into her bowl. This nun came and I told her I will take one of the small one(for my daughter loh) and she insist I take the big one, after much persuasion, ok lah I gave in and took the big one and guess how much she wanted….RM10! Wah lan eh! I have already put RM5 at her bowl at that time so I am caught with my pants down. I want to take back the RM5 and return her the bracelet but she is already harping away and making so much noise, what to do, put another RM5 into her bowl loh. After this experience, no more entertaining this kind of so call charity work people.
I give because I think I can contribute back as according to my ability but these people come and expect everyone else to own them a living like that. These days, I just wave them off and don’t even bother to talk or look anymore.
wah lilian….
i read until my eye bengkak liao! warghkahkahakah!
y unever come visit my blog again?
can link me in your blog list ah please???
http://www.cabai-kering.blogspot.com
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If you don’t pay the jaga kereta, you could find four tyres cut (not punctured) or windscreen broken.
If you don’t donate when they called at your home, you could find the window glasses broken and the car damaged.
Report? = How? When? Who???
You stayed at the station a few hours answering queries…
You don’t even know the answers to the queries…
All these were more expensive than paying.
Aiya and aiyoooo…
one ah ee knock on my glass door while I was waiting for my mum near komtar, said she need some money to take a bus ride home and haven’t eat. so… think no khor should be enough. as i was about to give no khor to her, i remember i also have some bananas with me. so… i gave her the banana first. and she said, “i don’t want the banana, just give me the money”. so.. i take back my banana, close my window and give her nothing. so very tulan with the attitude.
If me approached by ‘china doll’, fake-nun, wanted to be cacat person or even smart dressing people claiming they are from charity organization, i don’t even bother to look or to talk to them. Because this people can talk non-stop one until you give them some money..Here in klang valley, sooo many la this fake beggers..the worst i’ve seen was this cambodian carrying a baby which i think less than 1 month old during rainy day and let the baby kena hujan too…i think she earned 2 days of my salary within few hours that time..
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