Solutions.

How to solve the problem of homelessness?

There are many ways or ideas that could be put upfront in order to
solve the issue of homelessness.
The government, who has the power to control the nation and its
responsibility is to safeguard the nation should have the biggest role to play
in order to solve problems such as homelessness. The government could
help solve the issue of homelessness by providing housing programs which
are efficient enough, by making a special program by hiring these homeless
people who does not have a job to provide them training and work,
implementing a law which protects their rights and repeal all the laws which
is biased and not fair for them, by making sure that employee obeys the
policy of minimum wage and create awareness among the society.
One of the ways that the government could do in order to tackle the
problem of homelessness is by creating an effective housing program. An
example on this that are being worked on by the government is the program
created by the state government in Kedah. State Women Development,
Community Welfare, Agricultural and Agro-based and Entrepreneur
Development committee chairman Datuk Suraya Yaacob said the state
government is currently working on the transit house program that would
cater for the homeless.1 She said that the state government would be
working with city councils and other government agencies to get them off
the streets. The transit house will be located in the main towns in the state
such as Alor Star, Sungai Petani, Kulim and Langkawi. To help the homeless
in Kuala Lumpur, the mayor of the city could plan to do such a program on a
government land or building so that the homeless could have a shelter.
The federal government has indeed made an effort by creating an
affordable housing program which is now known as Perbadanan Rumah 1
Malaysia, PR1MA. Perbadanan PR1MA Malaysia was established under the
PR1MA Act 2012 to plan, develop, construct and maintain high-quality
housing with lifestyle concepts for middle-income households in key urban
centres.2 However, it does not seemed to be playing a part in helping the
1 Arif, Z.M., (2014, July 6). Transit house for homeless in Kedah. Retrieved
December 3, 2014, from https://my.news.yahoo.com/transit-house-homeless-kedah041156243.html
2 About PR1MA. (n.d.). Retrieved December 3, 2014, from
http://www.pr1ma.my/about.php?lang=en

homeless to own a house because the price ranges from RM 100,000 to RM

400,000 which is considered to be a lot for the homeless to own the houses.
Secondly, the government should make a special program by hiring
these homeless people who does not have a job to provide them with
training and work. For instance, the government should work on a program
to provide a job for the homeless in return for them to own pocket money
and get a shelter in return. The training or work should consists of basic
working skills such as knitting, or working in small manufacturing factories
that does not require complex skills or knowledge. This would also at the
same time equipped them with basic working skills so that they could survive
and learn how to adapt better in the real world.
Next, the government should implement a law which protects their
rights and repeal all the laws which is biased and not fair for them. In
Malaysia, the law which governs homelessness is Destitute Person Act 1977
Act 1833. There are few sections in this Act that actually should be amended
in order to protect and safeguard the homeless. For instance, setion 3 which
is about the government has the power to require a destitute person to
reside in a welfare home and supported by (1) Any officer duly authorized in
writing by a local authority and acting under the direction of the Director
General or any social welfare officer may take into his charge any destitute
person and produce such person before a Magistrate within twenty-four
hours:
Provided that if the destitute person refuses to be taken or offers any
resistance to the officers mentioned in this subsection, such officer may call
upon any police officer for assistance in the exercise of his powers, and it
shall be the duty of every police officer to comply with such request.
This section has clearly given an absolute and autonomy power to the
government. They can act freely on any of the homeless and can force an
arrest by a police officer upon them if they do not want to go to the welfare
home. Such an infringement of rights and denial of liberty, contravene
section 5 liberty of person under the supreme law of the land, the Federal
Constitution4 which mentioned that no person can be deprived from his
liberty by any person unless authorised by the law. Although, it said unless
authorised by the law, but the s3(1) itself, its substance and content is
excessive and even overboard. It should not have been passed by the
parliament and even be enforced, and implemented which then will amount
to injustice and unfairness to the homeless.
3 Destitute Person Act 1977 Act 183
4 Section 5, Federal Constitution 1957

It should be noted here that, even though they are homeless; not
possessing any physical or legal ownership of any space called shelter, they
at the very least should be respected. They are also a human, a person. They
have rights same with other human beings and their rights are protected
under the fundamental liberties ranging from s.5 until s.13 of the Federal
Constitution. It does not means that, as a homeless thus they are not entitled
for any rights or their rights are pulled off right away from them as when
they become homeless.
The same applies with the rest of other s3(2) if the Magistrate has
reasonable cause to believe that any person so brought before him is a
destitute person, he may order such person to be admitted temporarily to a
welfare home pending a report by a social welfare officer and further
continued in s3(3) that the report shall be completed within a period of one
month from the date of such persons admission into a welfare home.
s3(4) when a Magistrate in Chambers if satisfied from a report
furnished by a social welfare officer that the person is a destitute person,
may by warrant under his hand order that person to reside in a welfare home
for a period which shall not exceed three years.
Section 3 is another example of a clear cut section which denied the
liberty of a homeless. They have a rights to make a choice of their life
however when they were sent to welfare house unwillingly, It is the same as
sending the homeless to prison when magistrate give the verdict of putting
the homeless at the welfare house for not exceeding three years.
Meanwhile, it is no different from s11 of the Destitute Person Act 1977
Act 183, it has expressly lays out punishment if convicted, will be sent to
welfare house or imprisonment not exceeding three years and may be
arrested without warrants if they seems to have committed any of the
offences which are lay out in s11.
These sections in the Act obviously shows that it contravenes with the
fundamental liberties specifically Article 5 of the Federal Constitution which
is, no person may be deprived of life or personal liberty except in accordance
with law. Thus, these laws which is not fair and shows discrimination towards
the homeless should be amended or repealed.
The next step that the government can take is by making sure that
employee obeys the policy of minimum wage. Minimum wages is basic
wages, excluding any allowances or other payments.5 The minimum wage in
Peninsular Malaysia is RM900 while in Sabah and Sarawak, it is RM800. It
5 Background to Minimum Wages In Malaysia. (n.d.). Retrieved December 4, 2014,
from http://minimumwages.mohr.gov.my/employees/about-minimum-wages-policy/

should be a matter needed to be considered by the government that these

minimum wage is not enough for the homeless who are residing in the
capital city of Kuala Lumpur because the cost of living is high and increasing
yearly. Thus, the government should revise the minimum wage policy so that
the homeless could earn more in order to provide a shelter for themselves.
Besides that, the government could create awareness targeting the
society so that they could be instilled with the sense of responsibility in
terms of humanity in helping the homeless. The government should take an
example in a program done in America. This program is targeted at school
children where the students attending Mountain View and Thompson Valley
high schools and also people from the Youth Advisory Commission raised
pledges for each hour they spent in cardboard boxes outside of the street
during National Homeless Awareness Month in November.6 From this
program, they learned what being homeless could be like.
Apart from the government, the society, which can also be referred to
as the community, plays a big role in helping the homeless and directly,
helps in solving the problem of homelessness. The society and community
can help tackle the issue of homelessness by joining forces with the
government bodies, participate in volunteer works, donate individually or
raise funds for the homeless, and set up shelter for the homeless.
One of the ways that the society or local community could help in
solving the issue of homelessness is by joining forces with a government
body or agency. For example in Orange County, California, U.S., the Anaheim
Police Departments has a new approach to policing homeless people.7 The
local community join forces with the Anaheim Police Department (APD) to
help the homeless. The APD would call up the non-profit organizations,
churches, or mental health experts when they come across homeless. The
APD would also help by providing new clothing for the homeless in
collaboration with the non-profit organizations.
The local community in Malaysia should follow the footsteps of the
local community in Orange County by working together with the police
department in order to help and solve the issue of homelessness.

6 Widhalm, S. (2014, December 2). Local youths gain insight on homelessness.

Retrieved December 4, 2014, from http://www.reporterherald.com/news/lovelandlocal-news/ci_27056281/local-youths-gain-insight-homelessness
7 Rams, B. (2014, November 24). Police collaborate with groups to help homeless.
Retrieved December 3, 2014, from http://www.ocregister.com/articles/police643157-homeless-help.html

The next way for the society to help the homeless is by participating in
volunteer works. There are many volunteering works that are being done in
order to help the homeless. One of it is the Kechara Soup Kitchen. Kechara
Soup Kitchen (KSK) is a registered NGO with an objective of providing food
for the homeless on the streets and the urban poor.8 The society could
contribute by volunteering in becoming a helper to distribute foods to the
homeless with the Kechara Soup Kitchen. They could also donate to help the
Kechara Soup Kitchen to purchase cooked food, biscuits, fruits, bread and
raw food for cooking.
The society or the local community should also work together to set up
a shelter for the homeless. An example that our society could follow is a nonprofit organization in New Jersey, United States. The Community Access
Unlimited is an organization that provides safety nets and care for homeless
youth.9 They provide assistance to homeless youths such as safe emergency
accommodations, food, clothing and medical attention, educational
assistance, life and social skills training. The local community should take
this as an example to ensure that the homeless and in the example given,
the homeless youth, be taken care of in terms of their basic needs. Malaysia
should focus on providing shelters especially for the homeless in Kuala
Lumpur. The society should try to gather funds in order to build shelter for
the homeless.
The problem of homelessness seems to be increasing as the economic
growth increases. It may be due to the increasing cost of living especially in
the capital city such as Kuala Lumpur. The issue of homelessness should be
taken seriously by the government as well as the society at large. The
government must take actions and initiate programs that would effectively
make a positive impact towards the homeless. Thus, the solutions discussed
above may help in solving the issue of homelessness.

8 Kechara Soup Kitchen. (n.d.). Retrieved December 4, 2014, from

http://www.peoplegiving.org/kechara-soup-kitchen
9 Diminick, R. (2014, December 2). CAU provides shelter for homeless youth.
Retrieved December 3, 2014, from
http://www.mycentraljersey.com/story/news/local/2014/12/02/community-accessunlimoited-elizabeth-shelter-runaway-homeless-youth/19787535/