BEGGING – AN EASY WAY TO MAKE A QUICK BUCK

By Sakini Mohd Said

This second of two articles on the issue of beggars roaming freely in Kuala Lumpur and the Klang Valley is based on the experiences of Bernama journalist Sakini Mohd Said who disguised herself as a beggar to get a better picture of their “occupation”.

KUALA LUMPUR (Bernama) – RM147 in just two hours. That was the total “takings” of this writer who posed as a beggar in the bustling Bukit Bintang area here last Saturday.    

With a “capital investment” of only RM9, which she spent on some packets of tissue, not once did she think that she could rake in a lucrative income in such a short time – 11.30 am to 1.30 pm.

Just imagine how much a beggar would take home if he or she begged on the streets for 12 hours – it could probably reach RM700 a day or RM15,000 a month. It is certainly far more than what any blue-collar worker slogging away in a factory or restaurant can dream of earning. Why, it is even impossible for office workers to earn that much.  

UNDERCOVER MISSION

Bernama journalist who disguised herself as a beggar to get a better picture of their “occupation”.

The writer chose to go undercover in Bukit Bintang on a Saturday because, during weekends, that area is usually chock-a-block with people who come there to shop or enjoy a meal at one of the many restaurants and cafes.

To look like a bona fide beggar, this writer wore a tattered T-shirt and pants smeared with shoe polish as well as a headscarf that has seen better days. To complete her disguise, she had with her an improvised walking stick and a basket filled with tissue packets that she slung over her shoulders with the help of a raffia string.

The holder stand of a cordless vacuum cleaner served as her walking stick and on that particular day, it had two functions – to tug at the heartstrings of the public (her improvisation implied that she was too poor to buy a real walking stick) and to act as a weapon in case she found herself in an undesirable situation.  

The writer’s undercover mission was approved by Bukit Aman’s Anti-Human Trafficking and Anti-Smuggling of Migrants Division (D3).

Bernama journalist who disguised herself as a beggar to get a better picture of their “occupation”.

During her two-hour begging spree in the Bukit Bintang area, this writer – who for the purpose of this mission used an assumed name, Siti, a supposedly poor woman from the northern part of the peninsula – was not harassed by other vagrants. Neither was she confronted by any syndicate member.  

In a special report by Bernama on Wednesday, it was revealed that beggars operating in the Klang Valley are not under the control of syndicates; instead, they are on the streets of their own volition to earn some money quickly and easily.

SYMPATHETIC

The writer’s mission started in front of a well-known coffee shop. However, she found it challenging to attract the attention of passers-by to the packets of tissue that she was trying to sell. “Siti”, meanwhile, firmly resolved to be thick-skinned even though people looked at her from head to toe and she was chased away by business operators who did not want her to beg near their premises.

Some 15 minutes went by before “Siti” succeeded in netting alms. Her first benefactor was a foreigner who handed her a RM10 note. Then, one by one, others contributed to her collection. In less than 30 minutes, she had several RM10 and RM5 notes in her tissue basket with many of the almsgivers refusing to take the tissue packets.

Her dishevelled appearance must have evoked public sympathy because even a worker from a nearby convenience store came out to give her some money. She did not give her one or two ringgit but RM10.

“Siti” later decided to shift to another location. As she was crossing the road, a foreigner approached her. She thought he might be a syndicate member but no, he merely wanted to give her some money.

The generosity of the people, both locals and foreigners, seem to know no bounds. The problem is, this generosity can be abused by some people who take to begging to earn a quick buck.

TACTICS

After an hour or so of begging in the same spot, no one came forward to give her alms. The writer realised that to gain sympathy, she had to use certain tactics such as faking a leg injury. Having eyed a favourable location in front of a busy fast-food eatery, she slowly made her way there, dragging her left leg as she walked and holding on to her “walking stick” tightly. That strategy appeared to work as her collection swelled.

She also pretended to be exhausted and hungry and signalled to passers-by that she wanted to eat. This tactic worked too. “Siti” also lowered her head in dejection each time people passed by without giving her alms and, taken in by her pitiful face, some people turned back to give her some money.

Based on the writer’s observations, most of the almsgivers were foreigners, not the expatriates but blue-collar workers who are in this country to earn a living.

Notwithstanding the challenges, the writer found it somewhat thrilling to be able to earn so much money so easily within two hours.

Indeed, begging can be addictive, as an expert pointed out in a report carried by Bernama recently. Universiti Malaya senior consultant psychiatrist Associate Prof Dr Muhammad Muhsin Ahmad Zahari said for some people, begging starts as a fun and profitable activity and then they are “hooked”.

He said this addictive behaviour among beggars often made it difficult for them to quit even after undergoing the rehabilitation process several times.

As for the alms collected by “Siti”, the money will be donated to a mosque or surau in line with the almsgivers’ charitable intentions.

Translated by Rema Nambiar

-- BERNAMA