ABOUT 10 wooden public benches along Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman have been retrofitted with iron bars to stop people from sleeping on them.
Mayor Datuk Seri Ahmad Phesal Talib confirmed this yesterday as a measure by City Hall, after a decision was made on the matter during internal meeting by the authority recently.
When asked if City Hall was ready for whiplash from detractors for this move to deter the homeless from sleeping on public benches, Phesal was steadfast that "something had to be done".
We also pointed out brickbats an apartment management in London drew recently after installing spikes to curb the homeless from sleeping on its doorstep.
The mayor dismissed that brickbats would come, adding that turning a blind eye on the homeless meant dooming them further and giving rise to more vagrants.
"As a local authority, we cannot just let them go on living on the streets," said Phesal.
"We have a duty to take them out of that life and find a way to return them to society as productive members with shelter and jobs," he said, adding that if necessary, the authority would place the metal dividers on benches in other locations.
Dapur Jalanan, a soup kitchen operator, spotted the metal bars on Monday night and tweeted a photo posting that "Maybe this is a Hari Raya gift from the local council to the city's poor".
The mayor also reiterated that City Hall had to work effectively in carrying out its duties as a local authority and giving the homeless the attention they needed.
Phesal said the council has been facing criticism since a ban on mobile soup kitchens was announced by Federal Territories Minister Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor.
"The dynamics of creating a city is unique. While we do recognise the rights of the displaced, the city is also growing fast and we have to cater to global demands.
"In order to become a clean, organised and a reputably better city with a world-class ranking, we have to address these issues," he added.
Earlier Phesal said City Hall also found wires of street lights pulled out in areas the homeless slept such as Jalan Silang near the Masjid Jamek LRT and in Chowkit.
"We are very serious about maintenance, safety and security in KL. The areas they hang out in are also dirty," he said.
He said some 120 homeless folk were rounded up in three joint operations by City Hall this year but a majority of them had to be released immediately as they were neither committing an offence nor with criminal records to be held for investigations.
Last year a total of 965 people were rounded up by the authority in similar operations, while 700 had to be released on the spot for the same reasons.
"They have no illnesses. They just wanted to sleep by the roadside. These are recurrent homeless folk, until when do we have to deal with this issue?"
Meanwhile, on the building City Hall will acquire in Lorong Haji Taib for the homeless, he said, it would possibly be ready by early next year.
"We are looking into direct acquisition of the four-storey building but as the process involves negotiation with the owner and renovation, it is expected to take some time," he said.
He reiterated that the four-storey facility had three to four rooms and would be equipped with space for NGOs to distribute food.
The homeless would be able to stay, seek treatment and get counseling too.
"But we have to discuss the details of such a set-up with the Women, Family and Community Development Ministry.
"Such integrated facilities are already popular overseas in places like Vancouver, Canada," he said, adding that the centre in Lorong Haji Taib would be run by the Women, Family and Community Development Ministry.
He said City Hall would also be assisting Majlis Agama Islam Wilayah Persekutuan (MAIWP) which planned to open a facility in the city to get the homeless back on their feet.
Phesal admitted that the issue of homelessness needed a detailed and integrated approach by all agencies under the Women, Family and Community Development Ministry and the National Anti-Drug as well as a slew of other departments and organisations.