CORONAVIRUS | The homeless in Terengganu will be housed at several locations during the enforcement of the movement control order (MCO), said State Welfare, Women Development, Family and National Unity Committee chairperson Hanafiah Mat today.

Hanafiah (above) said the move was taken to curb the spread of Covid-19 and enable the Social Welfare Department to manage them better.

He said the operation to move the homeless to the respective locations would be conducted in stages with the cooperation of the police, the Defence Force (APM), Health Department and the Kuala Terengganu City Council (MBKT).

“For the first stage, 20 homeless people have been identified in the Kuala Terengganu area. They will be sent for health screening and other screenings first to determine their category, whether they are normal, with mental illness or are involved in drug abuse," he said when contacted by Bernama today.

Hanafiah said the homeless who are found to be normal and involved in drug abuse would be taken to Marang and placed in two separate buildings which will be monitored by the police and Rela.

As for those who are found with mental illness, he said, they would either be sent to Hulu Terengganu Hospital or allowed to remain where they are, where they will be monitored by the Welfare Department.

“The ones who are not aggressive will be sent to the hospital, but for the aggressive ones, the Welfare Department will send them food three times a day to their area,” he added.

Meanwhile, in the operation to locate the homeless at the Kuala Terengganu Bus Terminal yesterday, 11 people were detained, including a woman.

Terengganu Social Welfare director Zuhami Omar said most of them were between their 30s and 70s, with one of them positive of drug abuse and two were mentally unstable.

“The mentally ill were taken to Hulu Terengganu Hospital,” he said.

A check by Bernama at the location found that some of the homeless attempted to flee and refused to follow instructions by the authorities.

- Bernama 

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