The Malaysian Insight

JALAN Tunku Abdul Rahman in the heart of Kuala Lumpur was last night lined with prams and tarpaulin bundles containing clothing and daily necessities.

A group of about 600 street people had gathered in hopes of getting the choice picks on second-hand clothing that were being distributed by the welfare bureau of Armada, Bersatu’s youth wing Armada.

“Sometimes it gets pretty cold, I like that they are giving us clothes,” said Siti, who has lived on the  streets with her child for more than two years.

Last night was the sixth time this year the programme “Jalinan Kasih Wilayah” was giving out free clothes to the homeless, and organiser Mohd Nur Halis Safiq Shamsuri said they hope to work with City Hall to hold many more of such programmes.

“We also had a buka puasa earlier where we gave out briyani rice to the homeless,” he said.

Nur Halis said the homeless should not be forgotten, and hoped to work with City Hall to find ways to help the community.

Some of the street folk said they hoped to have less trouble with the authorities with a new government in place.

Shaliza Ahmad, who lives on the streets with her autistic husband and three kids, said the homeless had to learn to fend for themselves.

“Usually the police or DBKL officers are not around and sometimes the volunteers who come to give us food or clothing get scared and fling the boxesh of contributions on the ground and run. It is every man for himself then,” she said.

Another homeless person Chong Win Kook asked for understanding from the authorities, saying many of the homeless people in Kuala Lumpur were living that way because they had either lost their families or did not wish to be a burden to others.

“Most of us here have relatives who are ashamed of us, or we are ashamed of ourselves and leave them; some of us don’t care what happens, we just want to get through the day,” she said.

“That is why I left my son in the first place, I don’t want to burden him and his family, especially when the economy is not good,” said Chong.

Some 1,000 pieces of clothing were distributed last night. – June 10, 2018.