KUALA LUMPUR: Beggars around the capital city are able to earn about RM20 per hour, based on an undercover operation conducted by journalists.
This rate is at least double what many part-time workers at restaurant chains earn, with some fast-food franchises paying as little as RM8.50 per hour.
Two Harian Metro reporters recently tried to experience life as a beggar by disguising themselves and begging in three different locations around the city.
It had previously been reported that the generosity of Malaysians has turned the country into a hotspot for begging, attracting beggars from abroad.
Begging is not an ideal "career", and many look down on it; however, in some cases, it has been revealed that their income can reach thousands of ringgit per month, according to the authorities.
To prove the generosity of Malaysians, the reporters took to the streets and begged not only while dressed in shabby clothes but also in casual attire.
Even while dressed casually, the reporters were able to gain the sympathy of the public, including when selling tissues on the sidewalk, claiming they had no money.
In less than an hour of wandering around the sidewalk, the "beggars" in casual clothing managed to collect RM15, thanks to the generosity of people around Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman.
Following this, the reporters changed into shabbier clothing and moved to the next location, starting to beg by selling tissues in a crowded area around Jalan Bukit Bintang.
After more than two hours of begging, the reporter successfully collected a total of RM38, bringing the total collection to RM53 after about three hours of begging, resulting in an average collection of RM17.66 per hour.
Based on this average, if a beggar works at least eight hours a day, their monthly income could reach approximately RM4,238.
However, this amount is merely a finding based on the reporters' collection during their three-hour "begging" stint and does not reflect the actual "income" of beggars.
While it is undeniable that there are indeed underprivileged individuals who have to beg, many also take advantage of the generosity of Malaysians.
Recently, it was reported that police dismantled a begging syndicate involving eight Yemeni nationals, who were reportedly able to rake in RM2,500 to RM3,000 daily from begging in the Klang Valley.
Police also rescued seven Yemeni children who had been smuggled into the country to do the begging.
Surveys conducted around the capital revealed that some beggars claimed to collect around RM40 over four to eight hours of begging each day.
An elderly beggar who wished to be known only as Azma, 60, said she collects between RM20 and RM30 daily from begging for four to five hours, as she cannot sit too long on the sidewalk due to health issues.
"In my younger days, I worked in a hotel. I became like this (being a beggar) after my parents passed away, and my child also died.
"Many of my relatives are gone, and those who remain do not care about me, so I have to beg like this, just enough to eat and spend," she said.
For the record, the money collected from the public during the reporter's undercover operation has been donated to a fund for a mosque in the capital.