KUCHING: A total of 24 out of 37 of residents in Desa Bina Diri (DBD) here have background of mental health problems.
Federal Women, Family and Community Development Minister Datuk Seri Nancy Shukri said that those residents with mental health problems have received treatment at Kota Sentosa Hospital.
“There are more than 11,000 homeless people throughout Malaysia, including residents in five DBDs under the supervision of the Malaysian Welfare Department (JKM), namely Mersing DBD, Jerantut DBD, Sungai Buloh Self-Build One-Stop Center in Selangor, Kota Kinabalu DBD and Kuching DBD.
“Out of that number, 37 residents are in DBD Kuching here,” she said when met by reporters after completing the Rahmah Ramadan Programme with DBD residents here, yesterday.
The Santubong MP said the challenges faced by homeless people are different in each state and are not restricted to mental issues.
“Not all are the same. I noticed that here mostly there are mental problems but like in Kuala Lumpur recently, there are among the residents looking for work. When they get a job, they are placed elsewhere such as renting a house.
“However, there are also those who earn a living who are unable to rent so they are allowed to live on the porch of the homeless…even if they do not work regularly, they need income to share with their families.
“In fact, some of them have incomes like professionals but still live there because they only need a place to sleep and shower.
“This is because in most cases their money is used to send to their families. Unlike here, the average resident suffers from mental health problems,” she said.
Meanwhile, Nancy said, her ministry is currently studying to improve the Destitute Persons Act 1977 including the cooperation aspect by the Malaysian Ministry of Health (MOH).
The revision study to improve the act in an effort to deal with the issue of homelessness is expected to be completed this September, she said.
Nancy said her ministry would announce the findings of the study as well as the next steps to be taken to amend the act.
“Now it is still in the study stage… We are also improving the Act related to the elderly because it is necessary to look at all the Acts that we want to amend,” she said.
