How I Dealt With Beggars Effectively

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I WISH to offer my two cents after reading “When begging turns into bullying, what should we do?” (Focus Malaysia, Apr 8).
A video in the report showed a smiling young man seated while dining with friends. An elderly female foreign beggar was standing very close to him on his right, forcing him to lean towards the left.
She was pestering him for money and used her right hand to knock his right shoulder thrice. Failing to get any, she got angry and punched the young man five times before walking away. He shuddered each time the punches landed on his body.
Over the years, I have been approached by beggars hundreds of times when dining in public eateries, but none of them got any money from me.
This was because I would wave my right hand from side to side to signal a clear no while remaining silent. I would not show any anger or annoyance nor want to be seen as meek, as beggars could be emboldened if I were to say no softly.
Whenever I saw any beggar approaching, I would immediately wave my right hand. But if my hand gesture went unnoticed or the beggar was persistent and came near, waving my hand firmly again would always send him or her away. This method worked just as well for pedlars.
Giving money to beggars would encourage more people to beg, and many are controlled by syndicates. The worst are those who maimed their children or adopted disabled kids and brought them along to evoke pity when begging, which is common in some countries.
Recently in Kuala Lumpur, I was shocked to see a foreigner, likely to be from the South Asian region, begging in the street by carrying an emaciated child with a skeletal face and body more like a bag of bones. It would be extreme cruelty if the child was purposely starved.
Beggars or not, I would be very happy to buy a meal similar to what I am having for anyone who is hungry but without the cash to pay for whatever reason.
However, I do not want to be fooled into giving money and perpetuating begging activities that are more of a scam to me.
YS Chan is master trainer for Mesra Malaysia and Travel and Tours Enhancement Course and an Asean Tourism Master Trainer. He is also a tourism and transport business consultant.
The views expressed are solely of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of  MMKtT.
- Focus Malaysia.

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