Charity or stunt? Video of children giving out ang baos to the needy at Rochor sparks debate

Is it an act of charity or a stunt?

A video of two girls giving out red packets to the needy sparked an online debate after it was circulated on social media last Sunday (Feb 6).

In the clip, the children were seen walking along Waterloo Street with their mum, who asked them to approach several people sitting outside Kwan Im Thong Hood Cho Temple.

The woman said in Mandarin: "Don't need to give [a red packet] to this couple. Give it to her (an elderly woman in a wheelchair) and wish her a happy new year.

The girls handed red packets to the elderly selling tissue paper as well as those using personal mobility aids.

[embed]https://www.facebook.com/singaporeIncidents/videos/981413412730095/[/embed]

While some netizens praised the family for their generosity during Chinese New Year, others criticised the mother for filming the video and said it made the charitable act seem like a stunt.

"Why need to record and publish?" a Facebook user asked.

Another netizen said: "Regardless whether they are 'showing off' or not, if there's money given to the needy, at least some good is done. They may just hope to film it down and spread good hoping others might do the same."

chingshijie@asiaone.com