Beggars and Panhandlers

I would like to put an end to begging. I always wonder who these people are and how my money is going to be spent: Will it be used to pay for administration or directly in the helping of the needy? How will I know that this person is legitimate? As I ponder these questions, I feel pressured to give and when you give in doubt, you are insincere. Thus making the donation less altruistic than it should be.

I hate stealing of any kind, it robs you not only of material possessions but casts a shadowy cloud over humanity. It taketh away the sense of justice and mercy that the virtuous act of giving is supposed to uphold.

I have heard rumours of syndicates who use the disabled to arouse sympathy, of miscreants who feign incapacity to collect donations and of organisations who are fronts of criminal activity under the guise of religiousity and charity that fool the public. I have personally experienced individuals seeking donations who have been ‘endorsed’ by a letter from some authority. I often wondered why the government issue out such letters claiming the authenticity of these fund raisers, when tax payers have already contributed precisely to manage their welfare.

Therefore, I would like to put forward a programme to eliminate this potential menace by requesting:

1. The government to publicise its welfare programmes and encourage those who wish to help the needy nominate the candidate through proper channels.

2. The establishment of a Charities Commission to oversee the management of charity organisation and those seeking to solicit funds from the public. The proposed terms of reference of the Charities Commission may be viewed here.

3. To make public the names of all tax-exempt charity organisations and their Board of Directors. This task should be handled by a separate organisation (I dub it Charities Exchange) under the purview of the Home Ministry. Its function is to mirror Bursa Malaysia of maintaining adequate disclosure and accountability of the highest order. In conjunction the Society’s Act should perhaps be amended. Please post any proposed amendments below. The Standard Operating Procedure is also enclosed for public discussion here.

4. To cease and desist of issuing of letters on government stationery purporting to allow and support individuals to collect funds from the public.

5. The establishment of policies and rules for soliciting donations. Please refer here for the proposed policies and rules.

6. To criminalise panhandling and begging. The Commission should establish guidelines for handling such cases. For example:

· All donations must be issued with receipts.

· Fundraiser must introduce and identify himself before seeking donation.

· All donations must be accounted for and in a archival form.

· Only telephone, mail and email fundraising are allowed.

· Charity organisations must have Data Protection policies and standards to secure the privacy of its donors.

I believe this is an issue of great concern to our national security. If you support the same, please sign the attached petition. I would also be most appreciative if you participate in the discussion by providing your opinions and comments on the draft documents that will form part of this petition.

Proposed Terms of Reference for Charities Commission

OBJECTIVES:

1. Ensure that charity organisations are properly registered and managed professionally.

2. Create public awareness to give responsibly.

3. Handle complaints from the public on charity organisations and assist the commonwealth and collect evidence of mismanagement of donation funds.

4. Provide advice on best practices for charities.

5. Educate public on the importance of charitable donations to nation-building.

POWERS OF THE CHARITIES COMMISSION:

1. Make public its recommendation and reasons to deregister charity organisations.

2. Make public its recommendation and reasons to remove any director or employee of a charity organisation under the

3. Prepare and make public through an annual report of its activities

4. Conduct inquiries into public perception and opinions on charity organisations and volunteer activities to achieve its objectives.

5. Conduct training and forums to enhance the effectiveness and professionalism of charity organisations.

MEMBERS OF THE CHARITIES COMMISSION:

1. The Charities Commission will comprise:

a. The Chairman appointed by the Prime Minister/Home Minister.

b. The Chief Executive elected by the members;

c. The Treasurer assigned by Governor of Bank Negara

d. The Trustee(s) appointed by the Chairman.

2. The Chairman’s duties will be to act as figurehead and moderator for the decisions made by the Commission.

3. The Chief Executive provides the day-to-day policy and operational decisions.

4. The Treasurer reports to the Charities Commission on the collections and disbursement of Commission’s income and expenses;

5. The Trustee(s) are responsible for the various aspects of the running of the Commission and assisting the members to achieve the objectives of the Commission.

Proposed Operations of the Charities Exchange

VISION: Transparent giving by open standards.

MISSION: Provide the framework for general public to assess and evaluate charitable organisations and projects.

OBJECTIVES:

1. Register all charity organisations.

2. Act as depository of financial and other accounting records of charities.

3. Provide assistance in establishing charities to ensure compliance with international standards of financial and other reporting.

4. Publicise and champion the achievements of its member organisations.

MEMBERS OF THE CHARITIES EXCHANGE:

1. All charity bodies must register with the Exchange. This includes details of its management, affiliations, projects on hand, future plans and general mission and objective and modus operandi.

2. Members must submit quarterly or yearly reports on its activities to the Exchange.

3. The Board must approve register the organisation and publicise the main functions and purpose of the organisations within 3 days of submission.

4. Only charity bodies which have registered with the Exchange may collect funds from the public. Prior to collection, it must provide its fundraising targets for its project(s).

5. It may only disburse its funds in the manner set out in its charter or fundraising plan.

6. Charity bodies must submit electronically to the Exchange of its fundraising activities beforehand.

7. Re-direct all complaints it receives from donors on errant or misconduct by charitable organisations and their management to the Charities Commission.