Cambodian Lady Disguised As Beggar In Malaysia, Gets RM2300 A Day
A Malaysian Facebook user, Muhamad Reza Khalili Khalil, exposed how much a beggar can make per day in a post that went viral with over 500 shares online.
The beggar who is allegedly a Myanmar citizen disguised as a Malaysian Muslim made an average of RM2300( approx SGD741) weekly from begging. She shared with Reza her daily income recorded in a logbook.
According to Reza, he tried to ask if the woman was Muslim and asked her to recite the Shahadah to which she refused. She also told him that she’s willing to take a Grab car from Sungai Buloh to Seremban because it’s lucrative for her to beg there.
Netizens shared their views on the issue in the comments section. Some mentioned that Malaysians are generally generous when it comes to donating money and they don’t really care if the beggars are actually scamming them.
At the end of the day, it doesn’t matter how the recipient uses the money. It is their right.
Some were of the opinion that these beggars should not be encouraged as they are earning more than what others think they get per day.
There are those who mentioned that they rather buy from small time businesses instead as these people are the ones who are truly in need and they are trying to earn an honest living.
Some were more concerned over the child she was holding, wondering if it was even her real child.
At the end of the day, no one knows what compelled the woman to be begging on the streets. It is possible that she is trapped in a syndicate, where such begging rings are unfortunately quite common in the region.
Begging is a lucrative industry in countries like India and now, Malaysia. There are professional beggars that earn more than university graduates and are able to own houses in prime locations.
In an Astro Awani report from 2015, Israr Khalid, a journalist, hit the streets in Kuala Lumpur to find out how much a beggar could make in one day. He was surprised when he earned RM78 in 45 minutes.
A simple calculation shows how much a beggar can earn. Judging by the woman’s weekly income, she makes a comfortable income of approximately RM9000(SGD3000) monthly. Assuming she isn’t part of a syndicate, the money she earns can help her buy a house and send her children to good schools eventually without having to struggle in the traditional sense.
It can become a social problem if not monitored, especially in the current endemic situation where it is taking some time for people to get proper jobs.
It can cause resentment in those who are trying their best to earn an honest living as highlighted by some of the comments.
Reporter’s Opinions: Begging has been a lucrative job option for certain countries like India and USA.
It is a social problem as it encourages able bodied people to be lazy and live on the handouts of others. In Asia however, begging syndicates are rather common unfortunately. Some of these people are forced to beg but they don’t get to keep most of the money they earn from a day of begging.
At the end of the day, when we do encounter beggars, it is up to you if you want to give them the money. I personally will from time to time because I believe that a little kindness can go a long way. What they do with the money is not my concern.
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