KL homeless resting safe at shelters
Over 500 homeless people living in various parts of the city here were rescued from the streets and placed into shelters during the movement control order.
The process involved some 100 Kuala Lumpur City Hall staff members (DBKL) with help from members of the police, Kuala Lumpur Welfare Department and Malaysian Red Crescent, who worked round the clock to gather them and their families from the streets and bring them into the shelters.
Mayor Datuk Nor Hisham Ahmad Dahlan yesterday said the efforts to gather these people began at 11pm on March 26 until 5am the next day, and the routine continued until Tuesday.
“We identified 14 hotspots to find these people, many of whom were seen at Masjid Negara, Kotaraya and Central Market areas,’’ he said.
Other areas identified were Menara Maybank, Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman, Jalan Masjid India, Jalan Tiong Nam, Masjid Jamek, KL Sentral, Jalan Silang, Pudu Sentral, Bangkok Bank, Brickfields and several wet markets in the city.
The homeless community, which also included foreigners, were those who were abandoned by their families, people who were sick, poor, those suffering from mental illness, drug addicts, alcoholics and former prisoners.
They have been placed in shelters at Sentul Perdana community centre (181 people), Tasik Ampang Hilir community hall (62), Setiawangsa community hall (95), Alam Damai multi-purpose hall in Cheras (30), homeless transit centre in Jalan Pahang (99) and Anjung Singgah
Jalan Jang Lekiu (142).
Nor Hisham said individuals and their families were separated from the men and women, provided with essentials, mattresses and blankets.
They were also provided with three meals a day.