Thanks to police intervention, food kitchens can help the hungry

CORONAVIRUS | The fate of Malaysia's homeless population has been in danger of neglect during these unprecedented times when the government and its people have been engaged in containing the spread of the Covid-19 outbreak.

Still, Malaysiakini understands that a number of committed non-governmental organisations have maintained activities to help the urban poor and homeless, even while taking precautions to reduce the number of volunteers involved.

Food and beverages are provided only in packages and distributed under the supervision of the authorities in order to prevent the public from assembling in large groups.

Pertiwi Soup Kitchen founder Munirah Abdul Hamid said food is still available to the homeless every day following coordination between different charities around Kuala Lumpur.

Munirah said police helped enforce social distancing among individuals who came for the food in order to prevent the spread of the virus.

“The police and the military enforce social distancing.

“We will work together. We are also at home (most of the time under the movement control order) but we will make sure the poor still get their food " she added.

According to Munirah, the poor lined up too close to each other as they gathered for food in Medan Tuanku last Friday evening.

"This is because many were already hungry and worried about running out of food, so it's difficult for volunteers to advise them," she said.

However, she believes the situation can be improved through the help and supervision of the police.

Dapur Jalanan founder Mohd Ezzuandi Ngadi, better known as Pak Wan, also confirmed that weekly free food distribution will be carried out as usual at Jalan Panggung following the approval of the National Security Council.

“We will follow the instructions and work closely with the authorities, especially to prevent the community from gathering closely during the meal.

“For the current situation, all operators will pack food and drinks. The station is set up early and the community will come and go. If they come in groups, we will establish distance control," he said.

Ezzuandi added that Dapur Jalanan would operate with a minimum of just seven members distributing food, compared to 20 people under regular circumstances.

Volunteers are not allowed and all members must adhere to the authority's strict rules, he added.

Meanwhile, Yayasan Kebajikan Negara chief executive officer Che Asmah Ibrahim said Anjung Singgah and Pusat Transit Gelandangan (PTG) Kuala Lumpur were still operating as usual and homeless people are welcome and register if they needed a place to stay.

According to Che Asmah, the two shelters are still about 50 percent vacant, with PTG having 100 beds and Anjung Singgah having 40 vacancies.

Under the movement control order, the centres stopped all day-to-day activities and only allowed residents to rest and take food, she said.

“For residents, we will check their body temperature more often. Face masks and sanitisers are also provided.

“If anyone is not feeling well, we will refer them to the hospital. The Red Crescent Society (PBSM) will also be here to inspect and prepare food if none is sent by NGOs,” she added.

However, only food packages are allowed. Anjung Singgah and PTG will control the distribution to the residents to avoid close contact, Che Asmah said.

Among the charity organisations that will provide food for the urban poor around Kuala Lumpur are Pertiwi Soup Kitchen, Kechara Soup Kitchen (KSK), KASEH4U Project, Pit Stop Community Cafe, KLSCS Street Feeding, SEED, Street Feeders of KL (SFOKL) and Dapur Jalanan.

Communities in need can find food at several locations, such as Anjung Singgah, PTG, Medan Tuanku, Pit Stop at Jalan Tun HS Lee, KSK at Kota Raya and Jalan Panggung.

Two days ago, Federal Territories Minister Annuar Musa said a special meeting would be held to discuss issues of homelessness in Kuala Lumpur during the duration of the movement control order. 

He said this was to ensure that those homeless are not exposed to Covid-19 outbreak.

Annuar said he also took note of the efforts of members of the public and NGOs that reached out to help the group, but said he was concerned about the enforcement of social distancing during such engagements. - Mkini

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