Tissue paper sellers enter dispute with fundraising monks outside Waterloo Street Temple, urge people not to donate

Tissue vendor allegedly threatens to throw urine at monks outside Waterloo Street Temple

Conflict broke out once again outside the temple in Waterloo Street, this time between monks and tissue paper sellers.

The popular Kwan Im Thong Hood Cho Temple in Bugis usually has numerous vendors outside selling things like tissues and flowers.

Source: Tri Anh Nguyen on Google Maps

During Chinese New Year (CNY), however, monks from the Sri Krishna Mandir temple also arrived to collect donations from the public.

The tissue paper uncles and aunties did not take kindly to their presence.

According to Shin Min Daily News, the vendors saw the monks as stealing their business and intruding on their ‘turf’.

Tissue vendors get physical outside Waterloo Street temple

The vendors allegedly frequently scolded and used vulgarities against the monks.

Whenever someone put money into the monks’ fundraising boxes, an auntie would even loudly urge the public not to donate to them.

She repeatedly told the monks, “Coming to take from us, you’ll not have a good death.”

An eyewitness alleged that the conflict began on the first day of CNY (29 Jan).

Every day since then, the dispute has escalated, even turning physical.

waterloo temple tissue

Source: Shin Min Daily News on Facebook

The witness said one vendor uncle even wanted to hit the monks with a stick.

In response to these incidents, police officers and security officers showed up daily to mediate the conflict.

Tissue paper vendor threatens to throw flour at monks

A tissue paper auntie claimed that the monks said they would only be there for two days but have continued to appear.

She accused them of showing up at 5am to take their spots and business, resulting in the dispute.

The auntie even brought a bag of flour that day with the intention of throwing it at the monks to drive them off.

An interviewed 75-year-old vendor complained that the monks would stand closer to the temple for fundraising.

He said that when people donated money to them, they would no longer buy his tissue paper.

“I can usually earn S$300 to S$400 daily during Chinese New Year, but now I’m making S$200 at most.”

Hindu temple spokesperson claims monks threatened with urine

A representative of the Sri Krishna Mandir temple said it was a legal institution and would collect donations all across Singapore over the year.

During CNY, they chose to raise funds at the Kwan Im Thong temple at Waterloo Street.

He explained that the monks intended to collect donations to do charitable deeds and give back to society, only to be attacked by the vendors. Some were allegedly even got kicked.

Furthermore, the representative claimed that a particular auntie in a wheelchair would brandish scissors at the monk.

She allegedly also took out a bottle of urine and threatened to splash it at them.

When queried, the auntie denied all the accusations levied at her.

Visitors to the temple found the dispute to be a shame, with some giving money to both sides.

One visitor also felt that a temple should not become a site for such conflicts.

Also read: Bugis tissue seller terrorises other vendors, engages in ‘bumper car’ war with another PMA user

Bugis tissue seller terrorises other vendors, engages in ‘bumper car’ war with another PMA user

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Featured image adapted from Shin Min Daily News and Shin Min Daily News on Facebook.

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