Elderly tissue seller uncle reported to SMRT by man who saw him counting money

SINGAPORE: A video of an elderly tissue seller being told to move away from Bukit Batok MRT station by SMRT staff is going viral online. The video was taken by the man who reported the tissue seller to SMRT.

The dissatisfied Singaporean who took the video identified himself as Sam to the citizen journalism portal Stomp and said that the incident took place last Thursday (9 Mar) at 4.15 pm. Spotting the elderly tissue vendor counting his earnings for the day, Sam approached the counter to check whether selling tissue by the uncle was permitted in the vicinity.

Sam’s video shows the white-haired tissue seller sitting on the ground near the Old Chang Kee outlet at the train station, counting a number of bills ranging from $10 to $2. He had a small suitcase and a larger plastic bag filled with what appeared to be tissue packets.

Sam can be heard saying, “Selling tissue paper can make $300 a day, you know. No joke”

He added: “I think I also want to be a tissue paper seller. Just sitting down, people walking past give $2, $3, $10 because a lot of people pity this old man.”

The video then shows two SMRT station staff speaking to the elderly man. Sam told Stomp: “The tissue paper seller was not handicapped. After counting the money, he was able to stand up and walk. Confronted by the SMRT officers, he apologised, quickly packed up and moved off.”

According to SMRT rules, vending items on train station premises without a valid permit is unlawful. SMRT President Lam Sheau Kai said: “Our staff were informed about a man said to be selling tissue packets near Bukit Batok MRT station and had told him to refrain from soliciting at our premises and causing inconvenience to commuters. Our staff patrols the station periodically and will look out for such activities.”