TWENTY-EIGHT homeless individuals from City Hall Kuala Lumpur’s temporary shelters have been reunited with their families.

At present, there are 633 individuals at its 10 temporary shelters, said DBKL community development and urban wellbeing department director Anwar Mohd Zain.

The council is trying to reunite those able to provide details about their families, he said. 

“So far, 28 people have returned home with their families. Their families came to claim them back.

“We’re also trying to reach the families of others here, so that we can reunite them as well,” he told The Malaysian Insight.

Anwar said in recent weeks, the numbers of families coming forward are encouraging and hopes more individuals can return home.

If efforts to reunite them with their families are futile, then senior citizens and minors from the temporary shelters will be handed to the social welfare department (JKM), he said.  

“We are trying our best to find their families but if it’s not successful, then those over 60 years old and below 18-years-old would be handed to JKM.

“Probably, the senior citizens would be sent to old folk’s homes and the minors to children shelters.”

Last month, Federal Territories Minister Annuar Musa said the homeless housed in City Hall shelters will be given job opportunities when the movement-control order (MCO) is lifted.

They will be screened and enrolled into a specialised training course, Annuar said.

When asked about it, Anwar said the labour department started interviewing the homeless yesterday for jobs in several private companies, while DBKL would start its own programme soon. 

Those who land a job will be provided accommodation by the employer as mentioned by the minister. 

Anwar said the National Anti-Drug Agency has also taken nine addicts from the shelters for treatment and rehabilitation. 

The homeless will be under the care of DBKL until the MCO ends on May 12.  The crisis management centre (CMC) and minister will decide later on what to do with them. 

The MCO is aimed at breaking the chain of Covid-19 infections. On Monday, some restrictions were lifted to allow most sectors to resume operations on condition that health and safety rules are followed.

Malaysia has so far recorded 6,386 coronavirus cases and 106 deaths. – May 6, 2020.