Madam Cheong says she has come across her "fair share of insults".

"Those who don't believe in us say we are conmen. They say that we have no sense of shame or guilt and that we cheat people."

She says: "Well, in every trade, there are black sheep. I just have to make sure I'm above board."

But she admits too that there have been instances when she has "no choice but to tell a white lie".

Says Madam Cheong: "This is especially when things are getting very rough for some customers, and if you can read that it's only going to get worse, it's not going to help the person if you tell the truth.

"Everyone's fate is predestined. You cannot really change it dramatically. It's more a case of accepting the bad and trying to live life easier under the circumstances."

Business is usually brisk during Chinese New Year and "whenever there is a downturn in the economy".

Most fortune-tellers don't read their own lot, but Madam Cheong says she couldn't resist the urge.

"Like when I was 25 and my parents kept bugging me to settle down.

"I checked and found out that I was destined to lead a lonely life," she says.