KUALA LUMPUR, July 4 — KL City Hall (DBKL) is fair in wanting to rid the city’s streets of beggars and soup kitchens as their presence reflects poorly on the country’s image, Welfare Department director-general Datuk Norani Mohd Hashim said.
According to Berita Harian, Norani said the act of handing out food encourages homelessness.
“Therefore, the Welfare Department is supportive of the order to prohibit soup kitchens from distributing meals in the capital city,” she was quoted saying in the Malay daily.
Yesterday, Federal Territories Minister Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor said soup kitchens will be fined if they do not shift out of the capital city by Monday.
A man eating the food given out by the Pertiwi soup kitchen at Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman, July 4, 2014. ― Picture by Choo Choy May
An elderly woman receives food given out by the Pertiwi soup kitchen at Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman, July 4, 2014. ― Picture by Choo Choy May
Lembah Pantai MP Nurul Izzah giving out food during her visit to the Pertiwi soup kitchen at Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman, July 4, 2014. ― Picture by Choo Choy May
Volunteers from Need to Feed the Need soup kitchen handing out food to the homeless and urban poor at Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman.— Picture by Choo Choy May
Volunteers from Need to Feed the Need soup kitchen handing out food to the homeless and urban poor at Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman.— Picture by Choo Choy May
The homeless along Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman. — Picture by Choo Choy May
Volunteers from Need to Feed the Need soup kitchen handing out food to the homeless and urban poor at Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman.— Picture by Choo Choy May
A homeless couple is seen by the roadside along Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman. — Picture by Choo Choy May
A woman leaves after collecting her meal of rice, vegetable curry, cake and mineral water from the Kechara soup kitchen. — Picture by Choo Choy May
A man digs into his meal of rice and vegetable curry at the Kechara soup kitchen. — Picture by Choo Choy May
Street people in the Kechara soup kitchen. — Picture by Choo Choy May
People queuing up for food at the Pertiwi soup kitchen. — Picture by Choo Choy May
Homeless people in Chow Kit. — Picture by Choo Choy May
People get free haircuts at the Pertiwi soup kitchen. — Picture by Choo Choy May
A homeless man at the Pertiwi soup kitchen. — Picture by Choo Choy May
A man getting a free haircut at the Pertiwi soup kitchen. — Picture by Choo Choy May
People queuing up for food at the Pertiwi soup kitchen. — Picture by Choo Choy May
People queuing up for food at the Pertiwi soup kitchen. — Picture by Choo Choy May
People queuing up for food at the Pertiwi soup kitchen. — Picture by Choo Choy May
Street people at the Pertiwi soup kitchen behind Tune Hotel near Chow Kit. — Picture by Choo Choy May
He added that non-governmental organisations (NGOs) are prohibited from feeding the homeless within a 2km-radius around shopping mall Lot 10 in the Kuala Lumpur’s Golden Triangle business hub.
Tengku Adnan labelled the homeless a “lazy” lot who have become complacent, adding that soup kitchens were dirty, drawing rodents that spread diseases like Leptospirosis, and dengue.
He further added that fines would be imposed on those who give aid to beggars.
The government will launch a campaign code-named “Ops Qaseh” by the Women, Family and Community Development Ministry on Monday to get the homeless off the streets.
Following the announcement by Tengku Adnan, its minister Datuk Sri Rohani Abdul Karim said the ministry is in talks with the City Hall on curbing the social problem.
“The ministry is committed to assisting the unfortunate and we intend to free the nation of beggars and the homeless,” said Rohani.
“We are taking steps to reduce the number of homeless people and beggars, especially children, by placing them in welfare homes,” she said to Berita Harian.