Eight measures to reduce homelessness in Malaysia

By Raveen Jeyakumar

Official figures reveal that the number of homeless people in Malaysia has climbed in recent years.

Between 2000 and 2009, social welfare officers rounded up or ‘detained’ 1,300 homeless people. However, from 2015 to 2019, the number of beggars ‘rescued’ during operations shot up to 14,863!

Since the Covid pandemic, homelessness has grown into a nationwide problem affecting some 20-30% of city inhabitants. Alarmingly, the actual number of homeless people may even be higher than official figures suggest.

What are the root causes of homelessness in Malaysia? The poor socioeconomic situation faced by a segment of the population, coupled with a weak national welfare system, contributes to the problem. People end up homeless when they do not have reliable financial support to sustain their lifestyles.

Only systemic reform can tackle these root causes effectively. Through the relevant ministries and departments, the government must take a holistic approach to tackle the root causes of homelessness.

The government should take the following steps:

1. Provide low-cost housing for the poorest 20% of households

2. Immediately stop evicting people from their homes without offering them alternative housing

3. Strengthen the country’s social safety net and establish a pension scheme so that those without enough financial resources and family support do not become homeless

4. Prioritise those below retirement age when jobs become available instead of suppressing wages by allowing even more low-wage migrant workers to be recruited. This way, the lower-income group in the country can at least earn a living wage during these difficult times

5. Implement an adequate pension scheme for the elderly to support themselves and their families

6. Employ homeless people who are able to work so that they can earn an income and become self-sufficient

7. Establish more homeless care centres that can provide treatment and conduct rehabilitation programmes, especially for drug users, such as the Desa Bina Diri institutes. We have too few of these institutes now

8. Develop a community health worker system so that health workers can provide emotional support and guidance to the homeless in care centres. They provide healthcare and transport services and nutritious food to these homeless people. This will help to improve their wellbeing and make them more independent and self-sufficient so that they can contribute to the nation    

No one in Malaysia deserves to live as a homeless person. As human beings, we all have fundamental rights and ought to have enough financial support to be self-sufficient.

However, only a holistic approach which tackles the root causes of homelessness will provide an effective solution.

As a responsible and caring government, the Malaysian government should take the above holistic steps to resolve the homelessness problem in our country effectively.

Raveen Jeyakumar, a 29-year-old in Ipoh with an interest in environmental issues, is an Aliran volunteer

The views expressed in Aliran's media statements and the NGO statements we have endorsed reflect Aliran's official stand. Views and opinions expressed in other pieces published here do not necessarily reflect Aliran's official position.

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