Metro

Thursday June 4, 2009

Swindlers in saffron robes cashing in on people’s generosity

Stories by TAN KARR WEI


BOGUS monks are roaming the streets of the Klang Valley, cashing in on the generosity of the people to make money.

These imposters can be seen going from table to table in restaurants in the commercial areas, and even approaching people at the public car parks.

According to Buddhist Chief High Priest of Malaysia, Venerable K. Sri Shammaratana, monks who begged for money are violating the Buddhist code of ethics. The alms bowl is strictly meant for food.

According to the owner of a coffee shop in Damansara Utama, who asked not to be identified, the imposters would make their rounds at the various eating places in the commercial area at various time.

“You won’t see them at a specific time. Sometimes they come at about 10am, sometimes they target the lunch crowd,” she said.

Charming: A man clad in a monk’s attire selling amulets to a tourist in Bukit Bintang.

There were also reports of such monks stationing themselves at the morning and night markets.

StarMetro also observed the movements of these spurious monks at the busy Bukit Bintang area on a Saturday afternoon.

A man wearing an ankle-length saffron robe with a cloth bag on one shoulder was seen taking a breather outside the Lot 10 shopping centre when a security guard motioned him to move away.

He then walked across Jalan Bukit Bintang and stopped at the junction just in front of the Pavilion Kuala Lumpur.

The man, in his mid-30s, targeted only foreign tourists and would not even bother to stop locals who walked past him.

He seemed to be holding a small amulet in one hand and trying to sell it to the foreigners.

After about 20 minutes, he then walked back to the area in front of Lot 10 to sit down for a short rest.

Two other men dressed in saffron robes and blown pants were also seen walking along Jalan Bukit Bintang and turned left onto Jalan Sultan Ismail, between Lot 10 and Sungei Wang.

They then turned into Jalan Bulan 2 and headed down a staircase meant for a basement parking floor.

After about five minutes, they emerged from the stairwell, dressed in casual clothing - both were wearing caps and T-shirts.

Making rounds: A man dressed in a blue robe with long beaded necklace asking for donations from table to table along the busy Jalan Alor.

One was still wearing the light brown pants while the other was in shorts but still wearing the shoes and socks that went with the monk outfit.

They were seen going into a supermarket to purchase some groceries.

According to Sungei Wang Plaza security manager Azahari Abdul Hamid, whose team has conducted investigations of their own, there are also women who dressed up as Buddhist nuns.

“We do not allow them into our mall to ask for donations,” he said.

Azahari believed that most of these people were foreigners who entered the country with tourist visas and had used various tricks in operating their racket.

“We have seen them in the Bukit Bintang area, trying to sell charms and amulets to the tourists, at RM5 a piece. When the tourists agree to buy it from them, the monk would bring out a book from his bag and the victims end up paying a higher price for the charm,” Azahari said.

He said that on one occasion, his security personnel confronted two fictitious monks inside the mall after receiving some complaints.

“We checked their bags and they had about RM1,000 inside. They also had valid passports as well,” he said.

Azahari said that besides buying groceries, his guards had also seen these counterfeit monks changing into casual clothes and heading into the mall to buy expensive items like mobile phones.

Damansara Utama police station deputy head Sjn Mejar Jipa Langob advised the public to contact the police if they felt that the monks were not genuine or if they were being harassed.

“We can then check to see if these people are locals or if they had the proper documents. They are not supposed to solicit money from people in public areas,” Jipa said.

Related Story:
Imposters using religion to cheat

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