Met a guy at a coffee shop recently and we chatted. He had a lot of stories to tell and one of them was the number of times he was pick pocketed and lost his identity card as well as his passport and money.
Within the last 5 years, he had his i/c either stolen or lost 3 times. It happened twice in Malaysia and once in Indonesia. Just last week he told me he had his wallet with some cash in it and his international passport stolen. This happened at Johor Bahru immigration check point.
It was late in the night and he was not allowed to enter Singapore. He spent the night sleeping in the vicinity of the Malaysian immigration area.
He couldn't check into a hotel because he did not have any money on him.
He told me a kind Malay lady (not sure whether she was a immigration officer or a worker there) handed him 10 Malaysian Ringit and asked him to buy himself a meal. He was touched by the kind gesture and assured me he would return 50 Ringit to her the next time they meet.
I do not doubt his story about being pick pocketed. But to me he looked like a bit of a zombie. I think that's why the thieves target people like him.
Come to think of it how many of us ever lose our i/c more than once and our passport.
Within the last 5 years, he had his i/c either stolen or lost 3 times. It happened twice in Malaysia and once in Indonesia. Just last week he told me he had his wallet with some cash in it and his international passport stolen. This happened at Johor Bahru immigration check point.
It was late in the night and he was not allowed to enter Singapore. He spent the night sleeping in the vicinity of the Malaysian immigration area.
He couldn't check into a hotel because he did not have any money on him.
He told me a kind Malay lady (not sure whether she was a immigration officer or a worker there) handed him 10 Malaysian Ringit and asked him to buy himself a meal. He was touched by the kind gesture and assured me he would return 50 Ringit to her the next time they meet.
I do not doubt his story about being pick pocketed. But to me he looked like a bit of a zombie. I think that's why the thieves target people like him.
Come to think of it how many of us ever lose our i/c more than once and our passport.
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