Resolving the street children issue
KUALA LUMPUR: Various efforts made by the government and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) to help improve the well-being of the minority group living in the alleys near Chow Kit seem insufficient in breaking the cycle of poverty they endure.
Aside from being ensnared in numerous social challenges, the lack of identification documents among children from this community poses a significant barrier to their upward mobility, hindering their escape from the bleak circumstances of street life.
Hence, according to experts interviewed by Bernama, the government’s approach to addressing the issue of street children is still inadequate, and warrants a thorough review to put an end to this longstanding cycle.
In their perspective, resolving the issue involves more than just assisting the community in obtaining identity documents, it also entails revising the education syllabus to better equip them to confront future challenges.
“Obtaining identity documents due to parents failing to register the birth of their children is a challenging and time-consuming process. Therefore, I believe that addressing this issue involves more than just reviewing the problem (of lack of documents).
“The Ministry of Education (MoE) and relevant agencies need to collaborate on enhancing support for this community, and they also need to review the education syllabus and the aid provided to them,” Dr Abdul Rahman Ahmad Badayai told Bernama.
Explaining further, the head of the Psychology Clinic and Consultation at the Centre for Research in Psychology and Human Well-Being, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) said the existing steps in resolving the issue were not keeping pace with the changing times.
He emphasised the importance of providing residents of the dark alleys with various Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET), thus helping the community while waiting for the process of obtaining the identification documents.
The fact is being born in Malaysia does not guarantee automatic citizenship because they must meet the conditions set by the National Registration Department (JPN) as outlined in the Federal Constitution and the Citizenship Rules 1964.
“These street children are victims of circumstance due to their parents’ failure to register their births. We aim to prevent these unfortunate circumstances from persisting and we don’t want them to live like refugees.
“Apart from academic education, TVET skills training such as cooking, electrical and car repair, are very important. It is understood that the Sekolah Bimbingan Jalinan Kasih (SBJK) provides skills training but not specific and just the foundation,” he said.
Citing the Philippines as an exemplary model, Abdul Rahman said such measures can be implemented collaboratively by the government and NGOs.
The food aid that is more focused by NGOs needs to be diversified with an emphasis towards the career development of the targeted community including changing the mentality from being just a recipient of aid to an individual who is independent and committed towards economic improvement.
“It can be done in phases but needs to be continuous, which means, the skill training starts from children to adults. I also see that there is a need for the government to allocate funds for this community especially SPM leavers to establish businesses utilising these acquired skills,” he said.
People also need to learn to embrace rather than stigmatise these individuals often associated with hopelessness, social issues, crimes and dark alleys.
“I’m sure they have a future but people need to help them, not just the government. I have seen the reaction of a few people who look at this community with cynicism that makes them stay away.
“This prevailing prejudice and discrimination stem from a lack of understanding about the community,” he added.
The importance of enhancing the strategy for assisting these children was underscored by Prof Dr Haslinda Abdullah, the director of the Institute for Social Science Studies, Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM), who emphasised the necessity to better explore and refine their talents and potential.
“... not through the current syllabus, but with the different mode of operations that emphasise their talents and potential. I am optimistic about the capabilities of these street children, they are smart, but they don’t have formal avenues to harness their potential,” she said.
Beating the odds
For 21-year-old Puteri Nur Arissa Mohd Noor, a former student at Sekolah Bimbingan Jalinan Kasih (SBJK) in Chow Kit, she found herself on the brink of giving up.
Little did she anticipate that the persistent challenge plaguing the street community – lack of identification documents – would become a formidable barrier to her aspirations of becoming an educator.
Not having an identity card almost derailed Puteri Nur Arissa’s goal of pursuing higher education.
However, hope for this fourth of five siblings was revived after SBJK and the Education Ministry stepped in to assist her in pursuing a degree at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) on Sept 30 last year.
“Alhamdulillah, I am grateful for all these opportunities ... The path to (gaining knowledge) was difficult right from PT3 (Form Three Assessment, SPM) and STPM until entering UKM.
“I was driven to continue pursuing my ambitions. All these achievements are not for me but it is to thank everyone who helped me, especially SBJK whom I see as my family,” she told Bernama.
She expressed hope that her identity document would be sorted out soon and wished that her achievement would inspire other street children to persevere and nurture dreams for a better life.
Another street child who managed to transform her destiny, Puteri Umira Abdul Razak, 21, likened her life to that of a refugee, constantly living in fear of authorities due to the lack of identification documents
until 2022.
“Alhamdulillah everything is now complete ... with my birth certificate and MyKad, I can move about freely.
“I truly appreciate everyone’s help, especially SBJK who allowed me to study even without documents at the time,” said Puteri Umira, who obtained her identification documents while studying at Kolej Tingkatan Enam Pudu Jaya, Cheras in 2022.
The fourth of five siblings, she is now pursuing a degree in Malay Language Studies at the Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities, UKM, and wants to become an educator to help alleviate the plight of street children, just like Puteri Nur Arissa.
The Ministry of Education (MoE) and relevant agencies need to collaborate on enhancing support for this community, and they also need to review the education syllabus and the aid provided to them.
Dr Abdul Rahman Ahmad Badayai
Access to healthcare
A group of dentists providing free treatments for the homeless and urban poor were taken aback when a four-year-old boy appeared to seek dental services at the back alley of Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman in Kuala Lumpur.
The sight of the four-year-old’s dental condition was distressing, as the majority of his baby teeth had been reduced to stumps, and more than 10 teeth faced irreversible cavity problems, leaving no viable option for saving them.
As a final intervention, the dentist had to extract all of the boy’s milk teeth to prevent severe inflammation of the gums or tooth roots, averting potential complications such as swelling, suppuration, and susceptibility to various diseases.
“This boy is suffering from severe early childhood caries which requires all his teeth to be extracted earlier than they should be. Each baby tooth will fall in its own time before permanent tooth growth. For example, front teeth fall between the ages of six and seven, depending on the tooth structure.
“When they have to be extracted as early as two or three years before the growth of permanent teeth, these children will find it difficult to eat, resulting in disrupted growth due to lack of proper nutrition,” explained Dr Muhammad Nazmi Abdul Majid.
The sad reality is that the boy’s plight is shared by most of the street children around Chow Kit, Lorong Haji Taib, and Kampung Baru who turned up for free dental treatment.
Dr Muhammad Nazmi, the secretary of the Dentistry For The Needy (DFTN @ Chow Kit) programme and Hospital USM Dental Public Health Specialist trainee lecturer, expressed deep concern over the alarming situation.
He emphasised that such critical dental issues should not be occurring in a central city location equipped with dental treatment service facilities.
“DFTN provides free dental treatment to this community on the last Thursday of every month. We find that between five and eight of these street children need to have all their teeth extracted much earlier, and the numbers are shocking.
“This situation is not happening in rural areas with limited access to free dental treatment. We discovered that one of the contributing factors preventing parents from seeking free dental treatment for street children at government clinics is the absence of identity documents.
It is also compounded by a lack of awareness regarding oral health care “he said.
The DFTN programme has been spearheaded by the Islamic Dental Association of Malaysia for the past six years.
Dr Muhammad Nazmi said the lack of identification documents denies these street children the right to access dental treatment at government health facilities at subsidised prices.
“This situation causes the urban poor and homeless communities to prioritise food over health and dental care. We found that the street children’s poor dental health stems from the type of food they eat.
“Their parents are unable to provide nutritious food and most of them just eat what gives them some energy, such as unhealthy snacks and sweet stuff, which increases the risk of tooth decay,” said DFTN vice chairman Dr Bryan Sasikaran.
He said while some may perceive it as just a dental issue that does not require serious attention, tooth decay should not be underestimated.
It not only hampers a person’s productivity but also presents a potentially life-threatening risk when swelling and pus affect the respiratory tract. Unfortunately, incidents of such severity have been reported among street children in impoverished countries.
“There are many nerves, blood vessels, and cavities near vital body parts, such as the respiratory tract, so it is crucial to address dental problems seriously. We hope the government will take proactive measures to help street children access necessary health services.
“We have also heard about these children excelling in their studies. It is such a waste when the nation’s successors are denied various rights just because they do not have citizenship documents,” he said.
Due to challenges faced by the homeless and urban poor without identification documents, DFTN has taken proactive steps to provide dental care directly in the community while also increasing awareness about oral health.
Among the treatments offered are extractions, fillings, and preventive treatment by applying fluoride gel to prevent cavities.
“We also distribute toothbrushes and toothpaste and instruct them on oral hygiene procedures such as brushing their teeth in the right way, as well as offer free blood pressure and blood sugar tests,” Dr Bryan added. — Bernama