PUBLISHED ONSeptember 15, 2024 6:40 AMByCandice CaiSome Yishun residents have expressed worry that a "foreign beggar syndicate" may have infiltrated the country.
Shin Min Daily News reported on Saturday (Sept 14) that a group of police officers had arrested a disabled man who sold tissue paper around an HDB estate in Yishun, while other residents reported seeing at least two other tissue-sellers with disabilities in the vicinity.
The incident occurred on Friday at about 8am around Block 846 Yishun Ring Road, an onlooker told the Chinese evening daily.
According to the eye-witness surnamed Deng, he'd seen a group of police officers speaking to the disabled man.
"The man was missing his left arm, and also the lower half of his right arm. A woman had called the police after seeing him selling tissue paper under the HDB blocks," said Deng.
The woman told Deng that she'd felt sorry for the disabled man and called the police in hopes that they'd be able to help him.
However, the man ended up being led away by police.
A nearby shopkeeper told Shin Min that when police arrived, they'd retrieved the man's passport from his bag. That was when the shopkeeper realised that the man was not local.
"He'd been here for about two weeks and quietly began selling tissue packets. He didn't speak to any of us," said the shopkeeper.
He added that some "kind-hearted passers-by" will give him money, with one observed to have passed the man a $50 note.
The shopkeeper told Shin Min that the man appeared calm and collected while speaking to police before leaving with them.
Another stallholder, surnamed Zeng, told Shin Min that he'd given the man some money as well as a drink. The latter had sold tissue paper next to his stall last Wednesday.
"I gave him $10, and he had a Chinese accent when he said thank you. Other people would also give him money without taking the tissue paper," said Zeng.
In response to AsiaOne's queries, the Immigration & Checkpoints Authority stated that the man was deported on Sept 14 and has been barred from re-entering Singapore.
According to other residents whom Shin Min spoke to, there have been sightings of three disabled tissue vendors in the area.
They expressed worry over the influx of these foreigners and its impact on the neighbourhood.
One resident who did not wish to be named told Shin Min: "Besides the one who was taken away by the police, I saw another disabled man selling tissue paper nearby several weeks ago. In total I've seen three this month and they're all foreigners," said the resident, adding that they would usually appear on weekends at around "six or seven in the morning".
The resident also wondered if the disabled tissue-sellers could be part of a larger syndicate.
"It's wrong if they're operating as a syndicate and taking advantage of people's kindness," said the resident.
Malaysian publication The Star reported last Sunday (Sept 8) that the Malaysian Immigration Department had busted a street begging syndicate in Johor involving persons with disabilities.
It had detained six Chinese nationals, three men and three women aged between 51 and 63 years old in the operation, The Star reported.
Preliminary investigations had also revealed that each beggar was found to have earned between RM2,400 (S$723.40) and RM12,000 per month, and they also reportedly received additional incentives of up to RM1,200 monthly.
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candicecai@asiaone.com
