The Social Welfare Department has promised to produce the homeless in court within 24 hours of them being detained, so as to obtain temporary detention order against these people.

This will be for those rounded up under Ops Qaseh, the biggest sting operation against the homeless that has been launched by the department.

The Star reported today that even before Ops Qaseh, the department has been rounding up at least 10 homeless people in each of its operations so far in the last few years.

Under its standard operating procedure, those detained are then assessed and placed in either halfway homes or in suitable institutions.

"We do not have the expertise to care for illegal immigrants or those with substance abuse issues, so those who fall under this category are handed over to either of the two departments (the Immigration Department or the National Anti Drug Agency)," a Social Welfare Department officer is quoted as saying.

The officer said his department could not estimate how many homeless there were in Kuala Lumpur at the moment.

Move to ban soup kitchens in city centre

Ops Qaseh was initiated by the Women, Family and Community Development Ministry, aided by the police, Immigration Department, Kuala Lumpur City Hall and the National Anti Drug Agency.

The move comes amid other attempts by the government to relocate or impose fines on soup kitchens feeding the homeless within the heart of Kuala Lumpur city.

The MCA-owned newspaper also reported that the homeless people who are detained are then assessed for a month and categorised.

Those with families to care for them will be sent back home, those without a family and above 60 years old would be placed in welfare homes.

Beggars and vagrants aged 18 to 29 years will be sent to Desa Bina Diri, a shelter-cum rehabilitation centre, where they can be detained for three years under the Destitute Persons Act 1977.

They will be trained in a skill, while those who are skilled and healthy will be assisted in finding  jobs.