Datuk Wee Hong Seng
KUCHING (May 12): South Kuching Mayor Datuk Wee Hong Seng has suggested that a temporary shelter be set up for homeless people to rest, clean and sleep at night.
He explained that it is not easy to remove vagrants from the streets as they often leave the houses they have been brought to as they love their freedom and enjoy walking around.
“That’s one of the issues that came up. We have joint inspections (with the social service) and we bring them to their homes, the next day they’ll escape.
“So we will look into it and see the reason why they want to come out,” he said while meeting yesterday at the Kuching Clean Toilet Campaign Certificate Ceremony at the Kuching South City Council headquarters. (MBKS).
The mayor suggested that the authorities do not control all the movements of these vagrants.
“Put them in a house to stay and they want out, let them out as long as they go back to sleep at night,” he said.
When asked if the council could accommodate them by giving them jobs, Wee said MBKS, like utilities, cannot hire people directly, only on a temporary basis.
On another topic, Wee said that MBKS encourages and creates an environment for people to start businesses which will also create more job opportunities.
With the new minimum wage of RM1,500 in place, he sees no reason why employers cannot hire locals.
This can help more people find jobs and stay with their families and help the country at the same time, he added.
