Rosmah: Look at bigger picture to tackle homelessness

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KUALA  LUMPUR: Prime minister’s wife wants scholars and professionals to collaborate with the government and relevant non-govermental organisations (NGOs) to ‘look at the bigger picture’ to overcome homelessness.

That way, Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor said, the issue could be addressed to derive at a proactive strategic approach, rather than providing short-term solutions that would be costly in the long run.

“Homelessness can be the result of either a personal failing or situations beyond control of a person, for instance poverty, lack of affordable housing, domestic abuse, mental illness and others.

“Hence, I believe we need to look at the bigger picture to understand the issue…what causes them to remain in the streets?,” she said when launching the Kechara Soup Kitchen building here today.

Also present were Women, Family and Community Development Minister Datuk Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil and Kechara Soup Kitchen president Datuk Ruby Khong.

Rosmah said, although the number of homeless people in the country was not alarming as compared to other countries, the goverment nevertheless, needed various strategic plans and programmes to reduce and eliminate the homeless population.

She said the government, via the women, family and community development ministry, had come up with a public shelter home, ‘Anjung Singgah’, which would open its doors in April to those seeking temporary refuge and warm meals.

“This is part of the Government’s Transformation Programmes to provide a holistic approach in managing and resolving issues concerning homeless people in urban areas,” she said.

She added that ‘Anjung Singgah’, situated within the city, would help provide a much needed shelter and counseling, while assisting the homeless to find appropriate jobs to enable them to be independent and self-sufficient.

Meanwhile, Kechara Soup Kitchen, a registered NGO established in 2006, offers food, drinks and basic first-aid to those in need, especially the homeless, regardless of race or religion.

They take inspiration from their spiritual guide, Tsem Tulku Rinpoche, who experienced homelessness and hunger as a teenager. — Bernama