Man in monk robes asks tourists for S$20 at Bras Basah, passer-by tells them not to pay

Alleged foreign man in monk robes spotted asking tourists for S$20 at Bras Basah

A man in monk robes was recently spotted attempting to get money from tourists outside Bras Basah MRT station.

According to Shin Min Daily News, 72-year-old Mr Long (transliterated) witnessed the incident on 5 Jan at around 4pm.

The elderly man saw the man in the monk robes talking to a foreign couple and their two children.

Mr Long had previously heard of foreigners dressed as monks illegally asking for money in Singapore and so became focused on the interaction.

He claimed that there appeared to be a language barrier between the two parties.

The monk repeatedly handed his phone to them, which Mr Long assumed to be translated text.

Worried that the tourists would be tricked, Mr Long gestured to them from behind the alleged monk, telling them not to pay.

The woman in the couple noticed this and chose not to give the man any money. Afterwards, the man hurried into the MRT station.

Mr Long then approached the four foreigners. They told him that the robed man initially presented them with Buddhist prayer beads, saying it would bless them.

However, he then asked for a donation of S$20, which Mr Long found inappropriate.

Man in monk robes previously asked for cash

An employee at a nearby food court told Shin Min that she had seen the same man before.

He had approached her and asked for cash to take a car, claiming to have forgotten his EZ-Link card.

The employee alleged that his accent did not sound local.

She also reported having seen at least three people dressed as monks outside the food court. They targeted people on the roadside, avoiding entering nearby shops.

According to Mr Long, he had sent the photo of the man to a group chat and a friend in the chat claimed to have seen the same man at Orchard Road.

Due to previous sightings of men in monk robes at Chinatown and Clarke Quay, Mr Long suspected them of lurking in areas with many tourists.

Singapore Buddhist Federation disapproves of such acts

The President of the Singapore Buddhist Federation stated that these people were likely not local monks.

He disapproved of them selling prayer beads or begging for money, saying they should seek help from the relevant organisations if they really struggled with daily needs.

Additionally, he urged the public not to give any money and encourage their behaviour, which he said hurt Buddhism’s reputation.

Also read: Beggar near Waterloo Street presumably earns S$10 in 5 minutes, sparks debate

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Featured image adapted from Shin Min Daily News and Xin Hao on Google Maps.