THE street raids by Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) are part of a long-term effort to round up the homeless as the council hopes to clean up the city ahead of the 2017 Sea Games, the Federal Territories Ministry said.

“As Kuala Lumpur prepares itself for the Sea Games, some unorganised areas have to be spruced up,” Deputy Federal Territories Minister Loga Balamohan told The Malaysian Insight.

However, he said DBKL officers have been conducting raids and operations on a regular basis to try and provide temporary shelter for the homeless.

Loga downplayed allegations by charitable organisations that the increased raids against the homeless in recent weeks were purely to clean up the city for the sporting event, adding that DBKL has been working with the Welfare Department to provide help for the homeless.

“It is the concern of the public that these areas are deteriorating, rather than a directive from the cabinet that these steps be taken,” he said.

The 29th Southeast Asian Games will take place from August 19 to 30 where about 4,900 athletes from around the region will be competing in Kuala Lumpur.

“This is not a cleaning-up process, rather it’s finding some temporary shelter for them.

“We have been helping the homeless for the last three years. This is not something new that we are doing.

“This exercise has been ongoing since the problem existed.”

Helping the homeless

According to DBKL’s survey carried out in May, there are 1,037 homeless in the city.

Loga said DBKL works with related agencies in rounding up the homeless, who will undergo urine tests and have their identification documents examined.

The joint operations are carried out with the Federal Territory Islamic Religious Department (Jawi), police, National Anti-Drug Agency and Immigration Department.

“The agencies will then screen the homeless. If they fail their urine test, they will be taken by the National Anti-Drug Agency and if they don’t have valid travel documents, they will be taken by the Immigration Department.”

DBKL has set up transit centres at Jalan Pahang, Medan Tuanku and Anjung Singgah at Jalan Hang Lekiu to house the homeless.

The homeless can stay at the transit centres for a month, after which they will have to find their own accommodation, said Loga.

The transit centres provide lodging, meals and shower facilities.

Urban poverty  

Loga said Kuala Lumpur has seen an increase in the number of homeless over the past three years, adding that the areas where they converge and sleep are at Masjid Negara, Bangkok Bank, Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman and Jalan Hang Lekiu.

“Premises owners around the city have also raised concerns that their areas have been badly affected by the homeless,” he said, adding that the rise in the number of street dwellers has created security concerns.

“Pedestrians in the city won’t find it safe to walk on the streets, and the cleanliness of those areas is also degrading, and the property value has dropped.

“This can be clearly seen at Bangkok Bank where business has shrunk, the working hours have shortened and many businesses have shifted to other areas.”

Loga said the large number of rural folk seeking employment in the city has resulted in an increase in the homeless population.

“The migration of people to the urban areas is one of the reasons.”

Loga also blamed soup kitchens for the rising number of homeless, saying that “sympathisers” were inadvertently encouraging more people to take the easy way out, as they can now get free meals easily.

“Another issue is that there are also too many sympathisers around… feeding the homeless.

“A permanent solution is that if the public stop feeding them,” he said. – July 29, 2017.