A report on how easy it is to earn a living by begging for money has angered an association for visually disabled people, who claimed the article had vilified them.

Persatuan Kebajikan OKU Penglihatan Bekerja Sendiri (PKB) spokesperson Mohamad Alib Ahmad told Malaysiakini, the report by Harian Metro, which claimed that beggars can earn up to RM500 a day, is unrealistic.

"I want the reporters who disguised themselves as blind beggars, to come with us, the real blind people, and see if they can get RM500 a day.

"They have vilified us, as though we have so much money," Alib said when contacted.

On Friday, Harian Metro published a report in which two of its journalists went undercover as blind beggars.

The reporters, who went to Bukit Bintang, said due to public generosity, they managed to collect RM183 in less than three hours.

"In almost three hours we collected RM183; if we beg for six hours a day, we might get more than RM500, and in a month the total would be RM15,000.

"We imagine that if a full-time beggar got the same amount we did while undercover, then for sure their lives would be more luxurious than those with careers and steady income," the Malay daily wrote.

Mohamad Alib also took issue with how the reporters asked for alms.

According to him, the visually impaired people engaging in such activities are not simply begging for donations.

"We don't ask for donations. We sell things. We buy tissues, chocolates, and other things and then we sell them to the people."

He also denied popular belief that such beggars belonged to syndicates, saying there was no such thing.

Malaysiakini has contacted Harian Metro to get a response to PKB's complaints.