Scores of Sabah youths living like beggars in KL after losing jobs
Bleak future: Some of the Sabahans seen loitering nearby Dayabumi Complex. Picture courtesy of Kechara Soup Kitchen Society.
KOTA KINABALU: They sleep along roadsides, parks or buildings and have to forage for leftover food.
About 400 homeless Sabah youths are loitering around Jalan Masjid India, the Dayabumi Complex, Klang bus station and Bukit Nanas in Kuala Lumpur.
Most of them come from the interiors of Sabah. One of the youths, Apai John from Tenom, said he had been without a job for four years.
Their plight has been highlighted by the Catholic church and NGOs like the Kechara Soup Kitchen Society (KSK) and Street Fellowship.
The NGOs claimed that the Sabahans roamed the streets and relied on free meals after they lost their jobs or were cheated by bogus employment agents.
“Most of them are young – 16 to 25 years old – and are hoping to seek employment in the Klang Valley,” said KSK treasurer Julia Tan who leads her group of volunteers to distribute food to the homeless every Saturday and Sunday.
“Those who are still unemployed mingle with the homeless in the city,” she added.
“When I ask them why they choose to stay on, they said there are more opportunities here for them to earn a living,” she added.
Yang di-Pertua Negri Tun Ahmadshah Abdullah recently said the Sabah government should assist homeless Sabahans to return home if the cases were genuine.
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