MIRI: The Sarawak government is determined to nip cases of homelessness in the bud to prevent them from escalating in future, said Welfare, Community Wellbeing, Women, Family and Childhood Development Minister Datuk Fatimah Abdullah.
She revealed that last year, 162 homeless people were rounded up in 54 operations statewide.
“Majority of the homeless people that we found during the operations were elderly persons. They were placed at welfare homes (Anjung Singgah),” she said.
“My ministry has proposed such centres be set up in Sibu and Miri. It has identified the locations.
“The centres will be similar to what we have in Kuching but slightly different in concept,” she added at the presentation of prizes for the 16th edition of the Dynasty Hotel charity run yesterday morning.
“We need some sort of proper centres to house them temporarily and provide them with clean clothes and places to sleep.
“Such centres will prevent the homeless people from scavenging for food or sleeping under bridges,” she said.
Fatimah added that her ministry had proposed the kitchen soup concept for the centres in Sibu and Miri.
“Though this concept, the public or non-governmental organisations or volunteers can come forward to the centres and donate,” she explained, pointing out collective efforts were needed to eradicate issue of homelessness in the state.
Also present were Women, Family and Childhood Development Assistant Minister Rosey Yunus, Tourism, Arts and Culture Assistant Minister Datuk Lee Kim Shin, Telang Usan assemblyman Dennis Ngau, Piasau assemblyman Datuk Sebastian Ting, Miri Resident Mastapha Julaihi and Dynasty Hotel general manager Tony Pui.
At the event, Fatimah pledged RM15,000 to the Dynasty charity run while other assemblymen pledged RM10,000 each.
The Dynasty charity run this year attracted 2,000 runners, including many from outside Malaysia, namely Algeria, Brunei Darussalam, United Kingdom, Germany, Indonesia, India, Japan, Kenya, Holland, the Philippines and Singapore.
All proceeds from the run will be channelled to eight charitable bodies in Miri, namely Malaysia Red Crescent Society Dialysis Centre Miri, Miri Diabetes Centre, PDK Morsjaya, Pibakis Miri, Sarawak Society for the Blind Miri, Miri Home For The Aged Miri, Persatuan Ibu Tunggal Sarawak Miri and Welfare Generation Cross Over Society.
