Butterworth‑born monk stunned as BSN savings from ang pow and donations yield RM1m jackpot

GEORGE TOWN, June 23 — A 73-year-old Buddhist monk has become the winner of the 124th Bank Simpanan Nasional (BSN) Sijil Simpanan Premium (SSP) Millionaire draw.

Chan Chai Siang, who is originally from Butterworth but now lives in Air Itam, began saving in his BSN SSP account since January last year.

Chan, who has been a monk since 1985, had previously worked in several factories, including in Singapore and Penang.

He admitted that he did not expect his savings, derived from public donations, would turn him into a millionaire.

“My savings were mostly from donations, ang pow and contributions from the public. I also used some of the money to help those in need,” he said after receiving a mock cheque of his winnings at the BSN Penang Main Branch here today.

Chan, who has never been married, said he has no specific plans for his RM1 million windfall and intends to keep it in the bank for future use and to help those in need.

BSN SSP 2026, themed “BSN SSP Jom Jadi Jutawan” (BSN SSP Let’s Become A Millionaire), offers a RM1 million Millionaire Draw prize to one winner every month from January to November, while the December draw grand prize offers BSN SSP RM1 million and a Porsche Macan X to one winner. — Bernama