Baby rescued in operation to weed out beggars

JITRA: A three-month-old baby girl was among those rescued by the Social Welfare Department (SWD) in an integrated operation to weed out beggars and vagrants around Kubang Pasu and Kota Setar on Tuesday night.

State Women, Family and Community Development, Poverty Eradication and Welfare Committee chairman Halimaton Shaadiah Saad said the baby was found with her mother, in her 30s, at the five-foot way in front of a bank in Alor Setar, soliciting donations from the public.

“The baby is now placed in the Sultanah Bahiyah Hospital (HSB) pediatric ward after the mother tested positive for drugs and referred to the National Anti-Drug Agency (NADA) for further action.

“SWD officers then went to the woman's home in Alor Setar and took her two other children, aged three and four, believed to have been neglected, to the same hospital for medical examination and the three siblings are now uder the care of the department,” she told reporters after participating in the operation that was also attended by state SWD director Azmi Abd Karim.

During the operation from 6 pm to 12.30 pm yesterday night, the department detained 12 others, including disabled Thai and Cambodian, who were soliciting donations at the Kepala Batas night market, near here.

Halimaton Shaadiah said the both men were handed over to the Immigration Department for further action.

She said as for local beggars, they were taken to the state SWD office in Anak Bukit, Alor Setar for documentation process before being housed at a temporary shelter.

“I advise the public to pay attention first because there are some beggars who are outsiders and try to cheat and make this activity as major source of income because on the average they will earn around RM100 to RM300 a day.

She added that the public should shift the donation to the right channels such as orphanages, zakat collection centres, nongovernmental organisations (NGOs) and places of worship. Bernama