Ganesh is a homeless man who has been out on the streets for the past eight months. Most of his days are spent sitting on the pavement outside the Urban Transformation Centre or Pudu Sentral.

His daily view is the LRT carriages passing through the Plaza Rakyat LRT. Since last month, there is also the new Sungai Buloh-Kajang MRT line, adding to the stream of commuters passing by.

However, Ganesh's own routine, underneath shadows from the structure costing millions of ringgit in renovation works, has remained unchanged.

On some days he would be in time to collect free food packets distributed by officers from the Federal Territory Islamic Council (MAIWP). That could be his one and only meal for the day.

Most nights are spent hiding from enforcement officers or risk being “swept off” the streets.

It was barely 1pm on the day Malaysiakini encountered Ganesh at his usual spot. The 100 packets of food being distributed were finished and the MAIWP officers were already preparing to leave...