"Can you give me money? I'm 80 years old, single and I live alone."

This was the response an elderly tissue paper seller outside Bedok MRT station told an 8world reporter when they approached her to ask about her familial situation on Monday (Feb 20).

The lady appeared frail, walking with a hunched back at a 90-degree angle while rubbing her knees as if they hurt.

However, a member of the public had told the Chinese news outlet that this woman actually has a son and a daughter, and allegedly even has a maid at home.

Every day, she works from 10am to 7pm and earns up to $300 daily, according to the informant.

When the reporter pushed for more details, the elderly tissue paper seller declined to comment further.

Speaking to 8world, a passer-by shared that she had given the woman $2.

"She asked me if I'm able to give her some money, and I saw that she was an elderly woman and empathised with her so I gave in," said Nguyen Thi Thu Ngan.

The passer-by said that she would have given her as much as $50, but she did not have that much cash with her.

"It doesn't matter if she's speaking the truth, I'm still going to help her," she said. "Just in case her story is real, then I might actually be able to help her."

The elderly woman was one of the tissue paper sellers that 8world spotted when they visited Bedok on Feb 20.

More tissue sellers in the area

8world was at the scene after a netizen took to social media platform Xiaohongshu to talk about a rise in tissue paper sellers around Bedok MRT station that they had observed.

The netizen claimed that they set up their "stalls" every morning and block pathways around the area, even likening the situation to that of "begging".

Several netizens commented on the post that five or six tissue paper sellers can be seen around the vicinity every morning, with one or two more coming in during the weekend.

When 8world arrived at the scene at 9am, three tissue paper sellers can already be spotted around the vicinity – a young man, a man in a wheelchair with an amputated left leg and another old lady with white hair.

The young man was sitting in the middle of the bus stop and greeted passers-by, but he did not force them to buy the tissue packets. The man in the wheelchair and the old lady sat quietly in the corner.

A few passers-by would slip money for the sellers, but did not purchase the tissue packets from them.

As many as seven sellers in one spot

When interviewed by 8world, the seller in the wheelchair, known as Lee, said that he once owned a coffee shop stall, but due to a sudden vascular blockage, he had to undergo two surgeries.

However, the situation did not improve despite it, so he had his leg amputated in 2021.

"If I was able-bodied, I wouldn't be selling tissues," he said. "$640 a month is really not enough to pay for my monthly expenditures."

Lee also said that he has been selling tissues at the entrance of the MRT station for the past year, and has indeed seen more people selling them.

During the weekends, there can be as many as seven sellers simultaneously, he said.

A passer-by also corroborated this statement when interviewed by 8world.

The 84-year-old man, only known as Su, confirmed that there has indeed been an increase in tissue sellers around the area, including in the hawker centre and the shopping mall nearby as well.

"There's really a lot of them; it could be because of the crowd," he said.

Nonetheless, he felt that they were not obstructing the pathways at all, as opposed to the Xiaohongshu post.

It is understood that none of the sellers had approached relevant authorities for assistance.

8world has contacted the National Environment Agency for comments.

According to the Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF)'s website, low-income families can apply for the Comcare Long-Term or Short-to-Medium Term Assistance for financial support.

Back in 2019, a network was formed to reach out and befriend vulnerable individuals in the community, such as tissue paper sellers and cardboard and can collectors.

The Vulnerable-in-the-Community Network comprises MSF, Central Singapore Community Development Council and volunteer organisations Mummy Yummy, Heartwarmers and The Signpost Project.

'Disabled' tissue seller

In a TikTok video posted in November, a man "exposed" a middle-aged man in a wheelchair for being able to walk.

The man, who declined to be named, saw the man on a wheelchair selling an assortment of items including packets of tissue paper near a Tampines coffee shop before he saw the exact same individual pushing around his wheelchair later on.

"Like this also can ah?" the passer-by wrote in the video's caption. The man did not seem to realise he was being filmed. 

Speaking to AsiaOne, the passer-by, who declined to be named, said he spotted the man arranging some items for sale at another location earlier.

"I didn't pay him any attention until I saw him a short while later pushing his wheelchair to the location in the video to set up shop. He walked just fine to me, and he wasn't limping." 

"He looked able-bodied to me so I thought, 'Why resort to this?'" 

While some netizens accused the man of trying to play the pity card, others called out the passer-by for taking a video and posting it on TikTok, stating that one should give the benefit of the doubt.

"Let him be la he never disturb you ma [sic]," urged one netizen. 

ALSO READ: Fraud or not? Elderly man begs for money at Ang Mo Kio, claims it's to raise money for mum's funeral

wongdaoen@asiaone.com

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