Malaysian authorities urged to curb new wave of ‘upgraded’ beggars

KUALA LUMPUR – They are dressed up in costumes of game and cartoon characters like those from the Mario and Doraemon franchises, as well as animals and dinosaurs.

But these costumed characters, now a regular sight at public ­spaces in Malaysia, are not there to entertain. They are asking for donations.

Or, to put it bluntly, they are begging.

At a bazaar in Kuala Lumpur, the crowd shuffled along in the stifling late-afternoon heat, flanked by rows of stalls selling food and drinks.

Among the hordes of people, barely tall enough to be seen from afar was a person in a bright green frog costume, holding a small black box.

The costumed person stood still as ­people walked by. Occasionally, the frog waved at small children, prompting their parents to stop and take a group selfie.

As they walked away, the children sometimes looked back and waved at the frog. What they did not know was that the person ­waving back was himself a child.

When asked how old he was, the boy in the costume answered: “Nine.”

He kept one hand on the black box, filled with RM1 (about 30 Singapore cents) notes, hung around his neck.

“Who are you collecting money for?” he was asked, and the boy pointed to himself.

He was not alone. Nearby, ­another child, dressed as a grey Labubu doll, was doing the same, also with a black box hanging from her neck.

About 100m away, a 14-year-old dressed as a pink bunny was taking selfies with a little girl and her parents.

This bunny’s tip box even had a QR code, allowing people to donate directly into his bank account.

This seems to be the latest trend – beggars dressed up in cute attire.

The costumes are of good quality, with built-in fans to keep the wearers cool. A similar-looking Labubu costume online costs around RM600 to RM1,000.

The beggars, usually minors, wander among the crowd, waving and interacting with other children to get money from their parents.

A few even receive free food and drinks from stall owners.

Another boy, also dressed in a frog outfit, went around trying to sell frog-shaped balloons to parents with small children.

The begging troupe stays until sunset, when the crowd begins to thin, and the stalls ­start to pack up.

In Johor Bahru, costumed ­beggars are becoming increasingly visible at petrol stations, night markets and Ramadan bazaars.

They have even been spotted weaving between vehicles or standing in the middle of busy traffic light junctions.

Despite concerns about road safety, a 61-year-old man who gave his name as Kamal said he took the risks as he could earn up to RM100 within three hours.

“I have financial commitments after my retirement last year as some of my children are still studying,” said the father of 10, who was previously a cleaner.

So he resorted to wearing a brightly coloured frog costume to ask for money.

“I have no choice as I am not as physically strong as before. I chose to do this after seeing many others doing the same,” he said.

He said people usually give him between RM1 and RM2, and ­occasionally RM10.

Mr Kamal said he has not faced any action from the authorities so far.

“Policemen who pass by only advise me not to cause problems. So I will continue doing this as it helps me and my family earn an income,” he said.

A 60-year-old Rohingya woman, known as Sonny, said she opted to don a costume to support her 12 children.

“There are not many jobs I can do due to my status. Previously, I sold women’s accessories but sales dropped over the last few years.

“I started putting on a red tiger costume to ask for handouts last year. I can receive between RM70 and RM100 in a few hours,” she said, adding that she prefers such work as it is not too tiring.

She believes what she is doing is not wrong as she is not disturbing anyone.

However, she spoke of being chased away by ­several men for having encroached on their “territory”.

When contacted, Skudai assemblywoman Marina Ibrahim said she had informed the Social Welfare Department (JKM) and other agencies about the trend, which was becoming widespread, so they could take further action.

“These mascots are not only seen in Johor Bahru but also in front of shopping centres in Kulai as well,” she said.

“The public should not give donations to these individuals as it only encourages such a practice.”

Johor JKM director Ahmad Hashim Selamat said three men seeking donations at a traffic light crossing in Jalan Padi Emas 1 were hauled up on Feb 26.

“The individuals, who were in costumes, were brought back to the Johor Bahru JKM office,” he said, adding that they were later released with a verbal and written warning.

“They also signed a pledge, agreeing that action under the Destitute Persons Act could be taken against them if they are found to repeat the act,” he said.

Mr Ahmad Hashim said such individuals fall under the category of beggars under Section 2 of the Act as they ask for donations in public without a permit.

“Most of them are not vagrants. They have families and they have a place to stay,” he said, adding that cooperation with the local authorities and the police was needed to handle such cases. THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK