LETTERS: There are many beggars and homeless people who roam the streets.
Recently, on my way to a store, I passed by a large waste bin. There was a man in rags standing on a stool and leaning over the bin. He was scavenging for food and drinks.
I took out a RM10 note, gave it to him and told him to go and buy some food. He took the note and put it in his pocket. Then he went back to scavenging the bin.
I went to do my shopping. On my return to my car, I bumped into the man again. He was coming out of a four-digit shop with a ticket in his hand and a smile on his face.
He didn't recognise me. I wondered if he had used the money I had given him to boost his luck.
Then there was a middle-aged beggar sitting for hours at the five-foot way of a shophouse. He laid before him a tattered rug to collect coins.
I dropped him a RM10 note and went on my way. When I came by again later, the beggar was folding his rug to leave. Perhaps he had collected enough for the day.
At the other end of town was a man who chose not to work but to laze around. He made the five-foot way of an abandoned shophouse his home. Nearby, owners of other shops had put framed prayer altars on pillars, and placed food and drink offerings on them. The beggar probably got his food from here.
These experiences dampen my desire to help street people. I tell myself not to be judgmental. They may have their reasons for their condition.
The authorities can offer them help. Some, however, prefer to be on their own.
LIONG KAM CHONG
Seremban, Negri Sembilan
The views expressed in this article are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect those of the New Straits Times
