Fatimah (right) speaking to a senior citizen found living on the streets during the operation last night.
KUCHING (Jan 28): Homeless folk found sleeping out in the open by the Welfare Department are given food and sleeping bags instead of transporting them to transit centres as they prefer to keep their freedom, said Dato Sri Fatimah Abdullah.
Fatimah, who is the Welfare, Community Wellbeing, Women, Family and Childhood Development Minister said that however, their presence and location will be recorded for follow-up actions at a later time.
She said that previously, the homeless would be brought to a designated place for health screenings before placing them at a halfway home called Anjung Singgah.
“This is because even if we persuade them to go with us and take them off the streets, they will still leave and end up on the streets again, so we use this new approach to ensure that they have food and can sleep more comfortably,” she told a press conference prior to a homeless survey operation last night.
During the operation titled ‘Integrated Homeless Survey’, Fatimah met and spoke with several homeless senior citizens found behind the Electra House shopping complex to learn more about their situation. She also gave them sleeping bags, food items and hygiene kits.
Among the homeless hotspots visited were Kuching Waterfront and Padungan area, Pending-Bintawa-Demak area, Tabuan-Kenyalang-Stampin area, and Mile 3 to 10 area.
It was participated by 83 representatives from relevant agencies such as the Social Welfare Department Sarawak, Kuching Resident’s Office, Kuching District Office, Police, Kuching North City Commission (DBKU), Kuching South City Council (MBKS), Padawan Municipal Council (MPP) and Kuching Division Health Department.
Prior to the operation last night, the Kuching Division Social Welfare Office Enforcement Unit had conducted a preliminary review for two nights, on Jan 21 and 25 from 7pm to 2am to identify the homeless hotspots.
“To continue tackling the homeless issue continuously in Sarawak, the ministry is developing a Social Intervention Directory for Community Involved in Social Issues or Ills in Sarawak, including the homeless, to tackle issues faced by them in an integrated manner by referring them to the relevant agencies,” she added.