PUTRAJAYA has never stopped civil organisations or individuals from feeding the homeless in Kuala Lumpur, provided that it is carried out via proper distribution channels.

Women, Family and Community Development Minister Rohani Abdul Karim said all groups must contact the ministry to ensure systematic and proper food distribution.

“This is to avoid excessive distribution from happening,” she said during a question-and-answer session in the Dewan Rakyat today.

Rohani was asked by Setiawangsa MP Ahmad Fauzi Zahari about the steps taken by the government to ensure coordination between groups to avoid food wastage.

She said food distribution activities were limited to three locations in Kuala Lumpur, namely Anjung Singgah Kuala Lumpur, Pusat Transit Gelandangan Kuala Lumpur and Pusat Khidmat Gelandangan.

Kuala Lumpur City Hall has set up transit centres in Jalan Pahang, Medan Tuanku and Anjung Singgah at Jalan Hang Lekiu to house the homeless.

Rohani said the ministry welcomed efforts by the Federal Territories Ministry and City Hall to erect signage informing groups about the locations where food distribution was allowed.

Deputy Federal Territories Minister Loga Balamohan had said the capital had seen an increase in the number of homeless folk over the past three years, adding that the areas where they converged on were Masjid Negara, Bangkok Bank, Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman and Jalan Hang Lekiu.

He blamed soup kitchens for the rising number, saying “sympathisers” were inadvertently encouraging more people to take the easy way out as they could now get free meals easily. – August 1, 2017.