PANDORA’S BOX OF CHARITY IN THE CITY
THE local authorities should monitor the growing number of charity boxes placed in the city, for fear of misuse.
Najwa Razak, 30, urged the Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) to conduct background checks on the organisations behind these boxes to prevent cases of fraud.
“I support the idea of installing charity boxes to encourage people to donate and ‘recycle’ unused items to help the underprivileged.
“But there has been an increase in the number of boxes installed by some organisations lately.
“Who knows if some of them (purported organisers) plan instead to sell the items collected?”
Another KL resident, Iman Hardi, 32, said some of the items donated were left uncollected for a long time.
Iman said the situation had turned the facility into a dumping ground for unused items.
“The collection boxes are filled to the brim within a short period of time.
“Malaysians are generally generous when given the chance.
“However, the organisations that set up the boxes need to ensure that the items donated are collected and delivered to the needy on a regular basis.”
ACTIONLINE:
Kuala Lumpur mayor Tan Sri Mohd Amin Nordin Abdul Aziz said DBKL would remove all charity or recycling collection boxes in the city beginning next month.
He said City Hall had never issued permits for any organisation to install such boxes.
“The DBKL enforcement department will discuss with relevant authorities on ways to control the installation of charity boxes.
“Some of them (the organisers) have installed the boxes in unsuitable areas such as pedestrian walkways.”