Beggars really can't be choosers?

A find the old saying, "Beggars can't be choosers" not really applicable anymore these days. Why? Just take a look around our local pasar malams or a walk up some busy LRT stations. They even have seats waiting for people to 'donate' to them. Well if they are losing a limb or two i can understand but some of them are still able bodied, let's take for example in many pasar malams that i have been at, there would and old aunty carrying a small baby which needs to be fed milk. This is the same person who i saw last year carrying the baby and still suckling from breastfeeding is now feeding using a bottle. Actually if i were to 'donate' it would be for the sake and hopefully betterment of the child not the adult.

Another example would be a blind man about 40 years or so aged. He would be standing in the walkway leading to an LRT station, there he would be holding a plastic mug and waiting for 'donations'. This is fine for the normal people who will want to donate to him because of his condition. I will NEVER give him any money. Why? Because he would contribute to my death, maybe not mine but everyone who walks past him, if you haven't already guessed, he is a smoker. I mean come on you are not supposed to be able to afford smokes if you are begging and hence my argument today, they are not beggars they are lazy bums who just sticks out their hand waiting for people to hand him money for smokes that will kill his kind donors.

Another prime example would be of a lady who is thin as a stick and wheelchair bound. Seems to be a mamak because of her dark complexion. This lady usually coupled with a crippled/retard child who also needs to be seated in a wheelchair as his legs seems to be too skinny to hold his weight. The two of them would sit and wait for people to hand them money. Many crippled people don't want to be this way, they would work their way and be respected because they are still capable of living like normal people.

Some would offer music entertainment, but their performances would be much more appreciated of they get organized. The entertainers that i see everyday would be a couple that sits on their chair usually chained to the guard rails at night. One would play the ukulele and the other would sing. Their songs like i said may not earn them contracts but if they really practised with a well organized band they play at some places and earn decent amounts. Its better than sitting outside exposed to the heat of the sun, though covered but sometimes the heatwaves are unbareable.

The worse kind of all would be those blinds that are accompanied by a fully able bodied person to ask for 'donations', in return you get those calenders or some other paper shite. Why would an able bodied person want to go beg by showing the blind around food stalls etc? Those people who are poorer than them are able to survive by working their ass off to raise several children, though they may not be getting fully nutritioned food. Shame on the person who guides the way to this kind of lowness.

Some people speculate that these people are backed by some group to beg. Why? The same bunch of beggars can be seen at different locations many kilometers apart. Some even take taxis to their spot. I mean i don't even travel to work using taxi, and these supposed 'unfortunate' people can afford a taxi ride to their choiced 'working spot'. Great!

I believe there was a newspaper report that interviewed a Chinese (yes from China) beggar asking for donations so that he may return to his country because he had somehow lost his money and could not afford a plane ticket. The report continued to mention that this beggar is able to 'make' about 3k/8k (i can't remember the amount). Heck that is more than my salary goddammit!

The government is supposed to have launched a scheme/project of some sort to help out these people. Its called OKU i think, Orang Kurang Upaya. Those registered will be helped in some sort of ways. Perhaps to get a job instead of just asking for 'donations'. It would be better for them than to be arrested some day as they are considered as obstructing pathways or sometimes referred to as pollution.

The beggars that i mentioned in this post are people who choose to beg, not because they have no choice. The government do look out for them but choose to beg!