KUALA LUMPUR: The Social Welfare Department is launching “Ops Qaseh” next month in an effort to address problems of the homeless people in the city.
Women, Family and Community Development Minister Datuk Seri Rohani Abdul Karim said the homeless that were rounded up during the operation would be placed at the Desa Bina Diri (DBD) centres.
“These homeless people should not be on the streets. So, through this operation, they will be given protection at the DBD centres, as well as counselling, religious guidance and skills,” she said after visiting Pusat Sehenti Bina Diri in Sungai Buloh near here today.
She said there were five categories of homeless people, comprising drug addicts, mental patients, homeless with jobs, homeless without a job and those who had no place to stay.
“They will be placed at the centre for at least a month and will go through the screening process, before they are sent to the relevant quarters, like the old folks home, National Drug Prevention Agency, Health Ministry, etc,” she added.
Each DBD centre can accommodate 200 people and so far, there are four DBD centres nationwide, namely in Mersing, Jerantut, Kota Kinabalu and Sungai Buloh.
On the “Henti Memberi, Kami Prihatin” (Stop Giving, We care) campaign, she said for this year, it would begin on June 26.
“Quarters who want to contribute to the homeless and encouraged to do so by channeling their donations to DBD, instead of directly giving to them (homeless people) on the streets,” she added.
The campaign has proven successful with statistics showing a drop in the number of beggars in the city, from 1,446 people in 2011 to 1,223 people in 2012. Last year, there were 356 people.
–BERNAMA