Noted local activist Gilbert Goh has been handing out ang baos to the poor and needy in Singapore in the prelude to Chinese New Year. While his kindness has largely been praised, with some even being inspired by Goh to give from their own pockets, one photo of an elderly beneficiary that Goh helped has irked some netizens.

The photo in question features an elderly cleaner who works at West Mall in Bukit Batok. Goh shared her picture on his Facebook page yesterday and wrote: “She looks sad sweeping the floor so I thought an angpow will cheer her up but still her face looks sombre. Of course she was almost in tears…”

While many netizens thanked Goh for his generosity, some flamed the activist for exposing the woman’s photo online, sparking heated debate between themselves and other netizens who came to Goh’s defense:

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