PETALING JAYA: Foreign tourists should not be begging on the streets to fund their travels, say Malaysians, who have called on the authorities to act against them.
A Kuala Lumpur City Hall spokesman said foreign tourists who beg for funds from the public or sell trinkets without a licence to fund their travel expenses are committing an offence since such acts are defined as an immoral activity.
She said City Hall can only take action against local beggars, foreign ones come under the purview of the Immigration Department.
Immigration Department director-general Datuk Khairul Dzaimee Daud said foreign tourists caught begging on the streets could be deported and blacklisted for life.
Known as “begpackers”, the issue of these foreigners begging on the streets in Kuala Lumpur in Bukit Bintang, Jalan Sultan Ismail and around Central Market has drawn the ire of some who question why they are allowed to beg for funds from the public just so that they can continue their travels.
In a recent incident, an irate Malaysian, u/hangtua, posted a picture of a begpacker on Reddit, who allegedly claimed he was “entitled to block the pathway at Pavilion in Kuala Lumpur to get money for his travels in Southeast Asia”.
Commenting on this, Mohammad Khairul Jamain, who has backpacked to Japan, India, South Korea and Vietnam over the past three years, said begpacking is a global problem, but it is more common in Southeast Asian countries, especially Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Laos and Vietnam.
“Backpackers come from various backgrounds and have the same passion to travel. But when it comes to funding their trips through begging, that is unacceptable, which is why they are called begpackers.
“There are other ways to earn money as a backpacker. If you are physically healthy to travel, you can earn money with dignity by working for it. Foreigners who earn money through begging are taking advantage of the public.”
Kuala Lumpur resident Megat Harris Iskandar said begpackers were ruining the city’s scenery.
“Before the movement control order (MCO) was implemented, there used to be a lot of them here, especially in the Bukit Bintang area. Now that restrictions have been lifted, they are back. I saw one in front of the Hang Tuah monorail station. I’m so sick of it. Everyone must report them to the authorities.”
Another city resident, Nia Amira Najwa, said she despises begpackers because they often harass pedestrians for money.
“Before the MCO, I was once harassed to give them money as if I must do so,” she said, calling on the authorities to act against them.
