KOTA KINABALU: The Minister of Community Development and People’s Well-being of Sabah, Datuk James Ratib headed an integrated operation to resolve the issue of Pelauhs and beggars in Kota Kinabalu City on Wednesday.
The operation was participated by officers and enforcers from the National Security Council (MKN), Royal Malaysian Police (PDRM), Kota Kinabalu City Council (DBKK), Welfare Department and also several other agencies involved.
“Today we have carried out an operation to rescue Pelauhs and beggars in the city center of Kota Kinabalu.
“Our purpose is to clean this DBKK area from the Pelauhs and beggars on the streets,” he said.
James, who is also Sugut Assemblyman, said, in the operation, a total of 31 people, of which 10 women, three adult men and 18 children were rescued.
He said, those involved will be sent to a Temporary Protection Center (PPS).
He added that efforts like this will not stop here and will be intensified in the future.
“We will continue this operation every day, until the city area of Kota Kinabalu is clean of Pelauhs and beggars.
“We have already discussed with MKN about how we can further strengthen our operations.
“We estimate that the number of those involved may reach up to 300 people and this is the number we are targeting in the near future,” he said.
James stressed that such effort will not be limited only to Kota Kinabalu, but it will be extended to the whole of Sabah, including the areas of Lahad Datu, Tawau and Sandakan.
“We will fight and save these people all over Sabah until they are no longer on the side of the road,” he said.
Meanwhile, explaining the fate of those rescued, he said that they will be taught skills and so on, and then the authority will determine which agency can accept them and where they will be placed later.
“For the time being, we place them in a shelter first and teach them.
“The capacity of the PPS for this purpose is so far able to cover the estimated number of Pelauhs and charity-seekers. If there is a need, we will add more room to accommodate the actual numbers.
“The PPS capacity issue is not a problem for us because the real problem is the presence of this group on our streets, and it is the State government’s agenda to combat it because for so long, this matter has never been resolved,” he said.
According to James, when the Chief Minister, Datuk Hajiji Hj Noor gave him the authority to resolve this matter, he directly went to the field and personally led the operation in Kota Kinabalu City.
In the meantime, James also asked the public and netizens to calm down because his side is solving the matter and to the leaders in the concerned areas, “Please note that we have started work from today.
“Hopefully after this there will be no more finger-pointing and say that no action has been taken because we are working hard and earnestly to deal with this matter seriously,” he explained.
