Temporary shelter for vagrants, beggars
KOTA KINABALU: The state government will set up a temporary shelter as a mechanism to solve the vagrant and beggar problems in the state capital.
Community Development and Consumer Affairs Minister Datuk Jainab Ahmad Ayid said the centre, ‘Anjung Singgah’, would accommodate up to 30 vagrants and beggars at any given time.
“Efforts to set up this shelter will be carried out soon as a mechanism to address the homeless and beggar problems, which is seen as an eyesore for the image of Kota Kinabalu.
“The homeless and beggars who have been ‘saved’ from the street will be placed in the center for at least 30 days before releasing them back to their immediate families.
“The reason why we will hold them for 30 days is to give them counselling and guidance for their own benefit,” she said at a press conference during a joint operation to combat vagrants, the homeless and child beggars in the state capital, at the City Hall office here on Thursday night.
The operation, led by City Hall, saw about 100 officers and personnel from the Immigration Department, Welfare Department, National Anti Drug Agency, Hospital Mesra Bukit Padang and the police, rounding up and ‘saving’ 24 vagrants, homeless and child beggars from the street in the three-hour operation which began at 9pm on Thursday.
Among those ‘saved’ by enforcement personnel were 13 men, four women and seven children, aged 10 to 65, who were found sleeping or roaming along Gaya Street, Sinsuran, Segama, Bandaran Berjaya and Api-Api Centre.
Meanwhile, commenting on the issue of mentally ill vagrants, Jainab said the problem would be dealt with the cooperation of various agencies, including Hospital Mesra Bukit Padang.
“We are looking at this matter seriously and efforts have been taken to solve this problem with help from Hospital Mesra to treat them.
“But no matter how we tackle this problem, it will not make any difference if the immediate family members do not intervene or take responsibility.
“If the family members just neglect them, they will start to roam the streets on their own, which will not only cause harm to themselves but also to the general public.
“So I urge families who have mentally ill love ones to take extra care and protect them.
“It is not their fault that they start to roam and sleep on the street freely, but it is the family who neglected them in the first place,” she said.
Jainab reiterated once again that with the setting up of ‘Anjung Singgah’, her ministry would be able to work closely with Hospital Mesra and other welfare departments in the future.