DECEMBER 26 ― Surely, somebody must have received heavy loads of dark and dirty coal in their Christmas stocking this year. Many of us working in the social welfare sector with marginalised communities were shocked to hear of the withdrawal of support and financial assistance from the Ministry of Women, Family and Community Development to several organisations running shelters and drop-in centres in the Chow Kit area.
These shelters act as vital lifelines to the many communities which live amidst the shadows of the bright and tall skyscrapers of downtown Kuala Lumpur and its alleyways.
The gap between the haves and have nots is increasing by the day and there is a reason why the lines of those who access the soup kitchens, charity food distributions and drop-in centres on any given day seem to be getting longer. More and more people are falling through the ever widening gaps of the social safety net. The need is great.
I remember a meeting from 10 years ago with the then Minister of Women, Family and Community Development who had this to say, “Government cannot be everywhere. We depend on the NGOs to reach out to the different communities, fill in the gaps and go where the government cannot go.”
She was right. And these sentiments were embraced wholeheartedly by the NGOs working with these communities. With the benefit of public funds, these drop-in centres and shelters were set up by these NGOs to help the government reach out and help the rakyat.
Over the past few years, drop-in centres such as Pusat Bantuan Khidmat Sosial (PBKS) have been used by the Jabatan Pendaftaran Negara, Jabatan Kebajikan and even the religious department as convenient locations to reach out to those in need of welfare assistance and aid.
The KL Krashpad has been touted as a safe space for street children as well as those who are vulnerable and at risk. Soup kitchens have fed the needy and hungry. It has been a good and effective collaboration between the government and NGOs which has benefitted thousands of people and families in the Chow Kit area.
However, today these NGOs are suddenly blamed for attracting the homeless, vagrants and poor, as well as accused of causing these people to be lazy, choosing not to work and being displaced. Benches which were once abundant in the area have been removed.
At the same time, funding for these drop-in centres has been discontinued in an abrupt manner which shows no real consideration of the impact from such action which will only victimise those who are most vulnerable. Notice that public funding would not be given for 2015 was only given in early December of this year.
What happened and why is the government turning away from these people?
Back in July, I hinted in my column (http://www.themalaymailonline.com/opinion/azrul-mohd-khalib/article/a-silent-and-cruel-war-is-being-waged) at the possibility of a silent and cruel war being waged on the destitute, homeless and poor in Kuala Lumpur.
Maybe those in authority hate the sight of drug users shooting up in a dump somewhere, sex workers working street corners, people sleeping on benches and cardboard boxes, wearing rags, smelling like they slept in garbage (which some probably did), and entire families with young children wandering the streets in the wee hours of the morning.
There are whole communities of vulnerable people living under bridges, along the riverbank, in dark alleyways, in abandoned buildings on cardboard boxes, planks of wood and pieces of tarpaulin. For them, Chow Kit is home and try as you might they are not going away.
Believe me, speaking as someone who has worked in this field for more than a decade, I hate seeing all of that disparity and desperation of urban poverty too. But the fact remains that these people exist and assistance must be given.
Banishing them from your sight and breaking the ability of NGOs to help neither solves the problem or help them get back on their feet. It is also cruel and unjust.
It is, of course, the responsibility of the ministry to decide on when, how and to whom it decides should receive funding. However, because it is taxpayers’ money, as Malaysians, we should insist that funding be provided to help those in need.
Let us not victimise those who are unable to speak for themselves, are victims of poverty and hardship, and those wanting to help them.
After more than seven years of serving the Chow Kit community of urban poor and socially marginalised in the heart of Kuala Lumpur, the Pusat Bantuan Khidmat Sosial (PBKS) or Social Assistance and Services Centre is now facing closure due to this situation.
The homeless having a meal at the drop-in centre in Kuala Lumpur. ― Picture by Azrul Mohd Khalib
The drop-in centre has played a critical role in ensuring that the Chow Kit community has access to HIV and AIDS education, prevention, care and support, and sexuality awareness and empowerment programmes for vulnerable communities in the area.
In 2013, more than 35,000 lives came into contact with the drop-in centre and its outreach activities. There were more than 3,000 visits by persons living with HIV and their families. At PBKS, every person deserves a chance. Nobody is turned away. All are welcome.
For many, this drop-in centre is a place for solace, comfort, safety and a chance to not worry about where your next meal is going to come from. It is a place where you can believe in hope. For many others, it is home.
To bring your child away from dangerous streets even if it is just for a day. To have a chance to sleep for a few hours on a bed instead of a collapsed cardboard box in a dark smelly alley. To bathe and wash clothes. To talk to another person without fear of violence or being robbed. Basically a chance for them to feel human again.
PBKS needs your help to remain open and continue to be of service to those in need. If you are interested to assist, please go to: https://www.ind
A great society is measured not on how many billionaires it has listed on Forbes 500 but how it treats its weakest members.
*This is the personal opinion of the columnist.
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