- Joined
- Jul 24, 2008
- Messages
- 33,627
- Points
- 0
<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR>Singaporean kindness draws beggars from afar
</TR><!-- headline one : end --><!-- show image if available --></TBODY></TABLE>
<!-- START OF : div id="storytext"--><!-- more than 4 paragraphs -->I REFER to "Foreigners adding to rise in number of beggars" on Sept 30.
The article is timely and I have had a relevant personal experience. I went to a restaurant to have lunch. Seated there was an Indian gentleman, fully bearded, wearing a turban. He had a holy look.
I took pity on him, approached him and got into a fruitful conversation. He studied me, told me that he was from Punjab, India, and said he was collecting donations for a orphanage. I gave him $10. He told me it was not sufficient. I gave him another $10. He asked me where I was staying. I told him that I was staying nearby. I became suspicious. I knew he would follow me home and probably say that he would like to put up a night with me. I asked him where he was staying. He told me that he was staying at Serangoon Road. I quickly left the restaurant. I knew he was a fraud.
I asked the restaurant owner if he had served the gentleman. He said he gave him $10 and served him free chapatis, vegetables, meat, tea and milk. I told the restaurant owner that both of us had been taken for a ride. He agreed with me. Both of us on humanitarian grounds entertained the man.
Many foreigners come to Singapore because they know we Singaporeans have a soft heart. We contribute generously. So foreigners take advantage of us. When I narrated this incident to my friends and relatives, they told me that today it is common to find frauds who take us for a ride.
The only way we can stop beggars coming to Singapore is to impose stringent measures like repatriating them and getting them blacklisted by the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority.
Jasbir Singh <!-- end of for each --><!-- Current Ratings : start --><!-- Current Ratings : end --><!-- vbbintegration : start -->
</TR><!-- headline one : end --><!-- show image if available --></TBODY></TABLE>
<!-- START OF : div id="storytext"--><!-- more than 4 paragraphs -->I REFER to "Foreigners adding to rise in number of beggars" on Sept 30.
The article is timely and I have had a relevant personal experience. I went to a restaurant to have lunch. Seated there was an Indian gentleman, fully bearded, wearing a turban. He had a holy look.
I took pity on him, approached him and got into a fruitful conversation. He studied me, told me that he was from Punjab, India, and said he was collecting donations for a orphanage. I gave him $10. He told me it was not sufficient. I gave him another $10. He asked me where I was staying. I told him that I was staying nearby. I became suspicious. I knew he would follow me home and probably say that he would like to put up a night with me. I asked him where he was staying. He told me that he was staying at Serangoon Road. I quickly left the restaurant. I knew he was a fraud.
I asked the restaurant owner if he had served the gentleman. He said he gave him $10 and served him free chapatis, vegetables, meat, tea and milk. I told the restaurant owner that both of us had been taken for a ride. He agreed with me. Both of us on humanitarian grounds entertained the man.
Many foreigners come to Singapore because they know we Singaporeans have a soft heart. We contribute generously. So foreigners take advantage of us. When I narrated this incident to my friends and relatives, they told me that today it is common to find frauds who take us for a ride.
The only way we can stop beggars coming to Singapore is to impose stringent measures like repatriating them and getting them blacklisted by the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority.
Jasbir Singh <!-- end of for each --><!-- Current Ratings : start --><!-- Current Ratings : end --><!-- vbbintegration : start -->