KUCHING: A transit place for the homeless in this division will be established under the Borneo Best Support Centre (BBSC) located at Wisma Ho Ho Lim in Jalan Abell, Padungan here.
Welfare, Community Wellbeing, Women, Family and Childhood Development Minister Datuk Seri Fatimah Abdullah said the BBSC centre is currently in the planning stage under the 12th Malaysia Plan.
“It is a collaboration between the state government and private sector in Sarawak to strengthen an integrated social support system for the homeless,” she told a virtual press conference after chairing the first series of ‘Coordination Meeting on Sarawak’s Homeless’ on Monday (Mar 1).
She also mentioned that the public-private initiative had been proposed to the Sarawak Economic Action Council (SEAC) for approval.
“The BBSC Advisory Board will include myself as the minister-in-charge, permanent secretary Dr Rashidah Bolhassan, Social Development Council executive secretary Dr Zufar Yadi Brendan Abdullah, and owners of the building Datuk Bobby Ting and wife Datin Shen-Tel.
“The centre will have its own technical working group (TWG) consisting of public and private agencies, non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and volunteers appointed by the Advisory Board to manage and operate social support and intervention services,” she said.
Apart from providing a transit shelter for the homeless, the centre also features social enterprise outlet, youth cafe, training centre for women affected by social issues and problems, community food bank and soup kitchen.
It will also include one-stop integrated social intervention referral services and showcase of government social and welfare assistance and services through the ministry’s mini Urban Transformation Centre (UTC), which will be established there.
