Shame that Senior Citizens are on the Streets

A Growing Problem

I was watching the Hindi movie “Vanvas” recently and it reminded me of a story in FMT about old people being abandoned by their families. The movie tells the story of a widower who suffers from memory loss and is abandoned by his sons, who leave him on the streets of Varanasi.

A Reality in Malaysia

However, I’m not here to talk about the movie but about parents, senior citizens, being abandoned by their own children. It does not happen only in the movies. It happens everywhere in real life, even in Malaysia, as a story about homeless senior citizens converging on Jalan Sayur in Kuala Lumpur every Thursday to receive food from a kind-hearted pensioner in FMT on Nov 17 revealed.

The Problem is Widespread

The problem of homelessness is not confined to Kuala Lumpur and Selangor alone; Some other urbanised states too are home to the homeless. For instance, a March 25 Bernama report in FMT highlighted the efforts of 53-year-old Zeti Shuhaila Mustafa Kamal to feed the homeless in a Ramadan initiative called “Sahur with Homeless” which she began 16 years ago in Ipoh.

Lack of Data

I could not help wondering if the government is aware of the seriousness of the growing problem of homelessness in the country. According to the website of Kechara Soup Kitchen, a not-for-profit NGO which provides food, basic medical services and welfare aid to the homeless and urban poor, a total of 10,303 homeless people have been registered by it, and it has served 18,000 homeless people. However, I was unable to find any new homeless figures, even after googling the welfare department and also searching the department of statistics’ portal for “homeless people”. Does that mean the government has no recent figures on the number of homeless in Malaysia?

Government Efforts

Now and then, we hear of the welfare department planning to do this or that to tackle the homeless or Kuala Lumpur City Hall rounding up some homeless people, but we really don’t know if such plans were actually implemented or if anything concrete was achieved. For instance, Bernama reported on May 25, 2020 that about 360 homeless people in Kuala Lumpur had been “rescued” and would be sent for training and motivation courses. I could not find any report on whether this training actually took place and whether the 360 are now living better lives.

A Comprehensive Plan is Needed

It’s really a shame that the government has not come up with a comprehensive plan or programme to tackle the growing problem of the homeless. Keeping in mind the saying “prevention is better than cure”, the government should look at why the number of homeless is increasing and come up with innovative means to reduce, if not prevent, it from happening. Perhaps the government could offer incentives, such as tax exemptions, to children whose parents stay with them, just as rebates are given for a non-working spouse. Perhaps, a module could be introduced in the classroom on respecting elders and taking care of aged parents.

Conclusion

It’s better to nip the problem in the bud, as another saying has it. Malaysia is set to become an aged nation by 2040, sooner than previously expected. The department of statistics said last September that 17.3% (6.4 million) of the nation’s projected 37.1 million population would be aged 60 and above by then. It’s crucial that the government takes concrete steps to address the growing problem of homelessness and ensure that senior citizens are not left on the streets.

FAQs

Q: What is the current number of homeless people in Malaysia?
A: According to the website of Kechara Soup Kitchen, a total of 10,303 homeless people have been registered by it, and it has served 18,000 homeless people. However, I was unable to find any new homeless figures, even after googling the welfare department and also searching the department of statistics’ portal for “homeless people”.

Q: What are the government’s plans to tackle homelessness?
A: The welfare department has planned to do this or that to tackle the homeless, but we really don’t know if such plans were actually implemented or if anything concrete was achieved. For instance, Bernama reported on May 25, 2020 that about 360 homeless people in Kuala Lumpur had been “rescued” and would be sent for training and motivation courses. I could not find any report on whether this training actually took place and whether the 360 are now living better lives.

Q: Why do children abandon their aged parents?
A: This is a complex issue and there could be many reasons why children abandon their aged parents. Perhaps the government could offer incentives, such as tax exemptions, to children whose parents stay with them, just as rebates are given for a non-working spouse. Perhaps, a module could be introduced in the classroom on respecting elders and taking care of aged parents.