Say No to Traffic Light Beggars
Director Wan Mohammed Saupee Wan Yusoff of the Kuala Lumpur Immigration Department has advised the people not to provide money to beggars at traffic signals and other places.
“This only motivates more individuals to beg and could even draw syndicates into participating. Our enforcement activities have also become more difficult as beggars are always on the go.
“It has affected our capacity to respond to complaints since reports usually lack precise information about their location,” he added.
Local residents, stateless people, and foreigners—especially Rohingya refugees with or without United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees cards—are three groups Wan Mohammed Saupee stated beggars in Kuala Lumpur fall into.
Every group, he explained, falls under separate authority. Local beggars fall under the Social Welfare Department; stateless people may interact with the National Registration or Immigration Department; programs for international refugees are under the control of the National Security Council.
“To handle homelessness, poverty, and begging in the city, several agencies—including the Health Ministry—regularly work through collaborative projects.
Every agency plays a crucial role in maintaining public order and ensuring the safety of roadways. To address the begging issue, the Immigration Department runs patrols and tracks complaints or information from affiliated organisations.
Wan Mohammed Saupee claimed that the increasing number of beggars causes public anxiety as their presence at traffic signals disturbs people and questions societal order and safety.
Depending on the type of infringement, he added that the handling of crimes related to the matter is likewise split among numerous authorities.
For instance, the police or Road Transport Department handle issues related to road safety, such as beggars strolling among cars or creating distractions at traffic junctions.
“I strongly urge everyone to stop supporting beggars through direct donations or other means, as it risks perpetuating a difficultly breakable cycle of dependency.”
27-year-old Grab driver Muhammad Idlan Jaafarsa claimed he frequently sees beggars near Kuala Lumpur’s traffic signals.
“I am empathetic to their circumstances whenever I come across them, but I also understand the hazards their presence generates.
“So far, I haven’t heard of any major road crashes involving beggars, but their actions can still put road users and the beggars themselves in danger,” he added.
Muhammad Idlan pointed out, meanwhile, that their relocation close to busy roads raises unavoidable safety issues that cannot be disregarded.
If a road user comes across aggressive beggars or a hazard-posing object, he advised reporting events to pertinent authorities.
“Although it’s a good deed to donate alms to beggars, it could inspire them and possibly damage Malaysia’s reputation among visitors who would view the problem as evidence of the nation’s poverty.”
23-year-old telemarketer Muhammad Luqman Naim Adnan claimed their presence seemed uncontrolled. He goes every day from Semenyih to Kuala Lumpur for business.
Riding my motorbike, which occasionally requires me to pass between automobiles, can be quite unpleasant, especially when they are directly in front of me.
“There’s a real risk of slamming into them as they stand in the middle of the road and obstruct motorcyclists,” he claimed.
In the past, Muhammad Luqman Naim stated, he had given money to beggars not out of charity but rather to deter them from bothering him.
“Everyone living in our nation needs to follow our laws. The authorities should intensify efforts to properly handle the problem and raise enforcement, particularly during busy times, he advised.