15 agencies including Welfare Dept, Resident’s Office, SMC, police and Health Dept join operation
Fatimah talks to a homeless man.
SIBU: Minister of Welfare, Community Well-Being, Women, Family and Childhood Development Datuk Fatimah Abdullah personally led an integrated operation on Monday night here to rescue 15 vagrants, three with undocumented mental problems.
Two of the 15 vagrants are Thai and Indonesian nationals.
The operation involved 164 people from 15 agencies, including Welfare Department, Resident’s Office, Sibu Municipal Council, Police, and Health Department.
Sibu Municipal Council (SMC) deputy chairperson Rogayah Jamain and Deputy Resident Wong Hee Seng were present.
Speaking to reporters before the start of the operation, Fatimah said there were two types of vagrants in Sibu – genuine vagrants and temporary vagrants.
“Sibu is a unique place; it is a place where people from outstations congregate. Many of the vagrants we are going to see tonight (Monday night) are not from Sibu, but from elsewhere.
“When we meet them later, we need to get to know them, and check whether they are really homeless or just missed the express boats (to go home). Is it that they don’t have enough money to go home or is it that they are really homeless due to family problems.
“Once found, the options are whether to send them to institutions to be given training or send them back to their families,” she said.
However, for the homeless who have families, she said the first option would be to send them back to their families.
“Institution is the last resort. We want them to be united with their families first,” she added.
She also said there were cases where the vagrants went back to their old ways after being given training for they were probably very comfortable with where they were.
“This is the challenge we have to face in rescuing them. We are not just rescuing them, we are helping them rebuild their lives,” she said.
Fatimah said the rescuing effort was also aimed at creating a safer city and environment.
She also expressed her worries that many homeless people, especially young people and children, might be involved in drugs.
“There have been cases where the children are involved in drugs and are drug addicts themselves.
“These children are in a situation where they are very vulnerable. They want people to care for them. In the streets, there are people who would pay attention to them and care for them, and sometimes for the wrong reason.
“For the homeless children whose families could not be traced, we’ll place them at children’s home,” she said.
The minister said six integrated operations were conducted last year.
“ For this year’s key performance index (KPI), my ministry has targeted to have more than six such operations. We have done seven and six ad-hoc operations so far this year,” she said.