Fatimah talks to a vagrant found at Kuching Waterfront. — Photo by Rais Sanusi
KUCHING: Minister of Welfare, Women and Community Wellbeing Datuk Fatimah Abdullah took to the streets again on Saturday to clean the city of vagrants, which is still a problem. The last time she did it was on the eve of Gawai Dayak, and she rounded up three homeless individuals.
On Saturday, she led more than 50 personnel from the Welfare Department, police, Kuching North City Commission (DBKU), National Anti Drug Agency (AADK) and Kuching City South Commission (MBKS) as well as volunteers, and they netted four vagrants.
Also present were Welfare and Community Wellbeing Assistant Minister Dr Abdul Rahman Ismail.
Fatimah (second from right) leading the operation to clean the city of vagrants.
Those involved were divided into five groups, and they were assigned several locations, such as abandoned shoplots in Jalan P Ramlee, India
Street, Electra House, Kuching Waterfront, Masjid India, Gambier Street, Saujana Food Court, Bukit Mata and Petanak.
Of the four rounded up, two were aged 14 and 26 years, and they were from Kampung Sinar Budi and Kampung Sungai Midin respectively. The other two had no valid identification documents, but one was from Saribas.
In the 9.30pm-10.45pm operation, two of them were picked up from the walkway bridges near Masjid Bahagian Kuching and one each at Kuching Waterfront and Padungan.
All four were brought to Anjung Singgah at Jalan Rubber, where they were given food, clothes and a place to stay for the night.
Fatimah told reporters that her focus was not only here but in other urban places as well, such as Miri, Bintulu and Sibu.
“We will see whether there are similar problems in places such as Miri, Bintulu and Sibu,” she said, adding that the number of vagrants here was minimal.
She added that the state government was working towards vagrant-free cities, and ‘Anjung Singgah’ was a platform where these people could seek shelter, rather than being on the streets.
“However, Anjung Singgah is not the solution to the vagrant issue as it is just a temporary shelter for the homeless. The important thing is for us to tackle this issue at its roots.”
Indicating problems such as financial and family matters as among the reasons for the problem, Fatimah said those rounded up in the operation would be given counselling.
Those found to be under the influence of illegal substance would be handed over to the National Anti-Drug Agency (AADK).