Foreign beggars still flock to Geylang Serai during Ramadan
She came to Singapore from Batam by ferry with her nine-year-old daughter in tow with one goal in mind: to raise at least $400 for Eidulfitri by begging in the streets of Geylang Serai.
Since arriving on Monday (12 June), the mother of four children, who only wanted to be identified as Noor, has been spending her nights at the void decks of HDB flats in Eunos and breaking fast at the mosques in the area.
The 43-year-old Indonesian is among the foreign beggars who have been flocking to Joo Chiat Complex and the Geylang bazaar area during Ramadan in the past few years.
Noor said she is staying in Singapore for five days to raise the money so that her family is able to spend Eidulfitri with basic items for the festive season.
“I don’t have a choice. My husband is jobless. Although this is embarrassing, it is the best way for me to raise cash.
“Singaporeans are generous. They give willingly and on a good day I am able to get $100,” said Noor.
This reporter spotted Noor at the overhead bridge connecting Joo Chiat Complex and the Geylang Serai wet market on Thursday (15 June). When approached, she was apprehensive and begged not to be reported to the authorities.
Another woman was also spotted on the bridge begging with her five-year-old daughter. She whisked her daughter away when approached, and they went hurriedly towards the wet market.
When this reporter caught up with her, the woman refused to reveal her name and denied that she was begging.
“I was sitting there and people gave me money,” the woman said. She claimed to be from Karachi, Pakistan.
The woman also said her husband was working at the Geylang Bazaar. Looking fearful, she cut short the conversation and walked away quickly.
A recurring problem in Geylang Serai
Foreign beggars are a common sight in the area, especially during Ramadan, according to Khalid Mohamed Shariff, a Singaporean shopowner at Joo Chiat Complex. He said that he spotted the Pakistani woman a few weeks ago and that a man was seen standing nearby to collect cash from her.
“Once, she even approached a shop owner to change a wad of $2 notes for $50 notes,” he said.
Other Singaporeans who were approached said they were not bothered by the presence of the foreign beggars.
Farid Ahmad, a 30-year-old driver, said that he would usually donate $2 each time when approached by the beggars, adding that he did so out of pity and because it was in the spirit of charity-giving during Ramadan.
Zubaidah Abdullah, a 23-year-old telephone operator, said, “Usually I would ignore the beggars but once in a while, I do pity them and give them some money.”
Abdul Hamid Mohd Yusoff, a security officer at Joo Chiat Complex, said he is resigned to the surge in the number of foreign beggars in the area every Ramadan. He said that he would usually chase them away whenever he receives complaints from tenants.
“It is hard because they keep coming back despite us telling them to go away. I pity them and sometimes I leave them be as long as they do not disturb the peace.”
