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A Malaysian monk's life changed overnight with one lucky draw win
A Malaysian monk became a millionaire after winning a lucky draw. (PHOTO: Getty Images)
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A Buddhist monk in Malaysia has become an overnight millionaire after winning a RM1 million (S$314,000) lucky draw organised by his bank. Chan Chai Siang, 73, won the top prize in Bank Simpanan Nasional’s Millionaire Draw after depositing his savings with the bank, according to local media.
The former factory worker, who has lived as a monk for about 30 years, said he initially thought the calls informing him of the win were part of a scam.
“At first I thought it was a scam. They called me about three times, but I only answered once,” he said.
It was only after meeting bank officials in person that he accepted the prize was genuine.
Chan said he was especially surprised because he had accumulated only modest savings over the years. Most of the RM2,000 to RM2,500 he had managed to save came from donations he received while living in a hermitage, The Straits Times reported.
“I just save little by little. Sometimes RM10, sometimes more,” he said.
The monk attributed his windfall not to divine intervention, but to karma.
“It is not a blessing. It is karma from previous lives,” he said, adding that he had never prayed or made vows for financial gain.
