Inadequate welfare allowance forces less fortunate to beg, sell tissues

The monthly allowance given by the Social Welfare Department is insufficient causing many unfortunate people like the handicapped to 'beg' and sell tissue on the streets.

A Bernama survey along the Masjid India and Chow Kit areas found that generally the beggars or tissue sellers were the handicapped who could not work and depended on sales of tissues and donations from the public.

Fatimah, 50, who is handicapped, said she and her husband, Ahmad, 53, had to sell tissues to support their daily needs and pay for the utilities in their home as the monthly allowance of RM300 from the Social Welfare Department was not enough.

"Even though the monthly house rental is half paid by the Kuala Lumpur City Hall, we still have other costs to bear such as electricity, water and food bills which are high," she told Bernama here Sunday.

Fatimah did not agree with the Department's withdrawal of the allowance on unreasonable grounds such as the children being old enough to work.

Meanwhile, another handicapped person, Choo (not his real name), 61, said he could only get about RM20 a day from selling tissues.

He added that the monthly allowance from the Social Welfare Department could only pay for his rented room.

Both Fatimah and Choo said they bought the tissues with their own money.

Meanwhile Mohamad, 68, who had been suffering from elephantiasis for almost two years, had to beg on the streets to pay for his daily needs and treatment as he still had not received aid from any party.

Another beggar, Mohamed Shakir, 40, said he did not get any aid from the Social Welfare Department as he was not handicapped.

"I may not be handicapped but I have a health problem and cannot get a job, Employers do not want to take me because of my history of psychiatric problem a few years ago," he said.

He said the Social Welfare Department should not focus just on the handicapped but should include other unfortunate people such as the homeless who had health problems and were discarded by their families and society.

Meanwhile, a handicapped Myanmar national, Abedah, 58, said she did not get any assistance from any government or non-government bodies.

"I've been in Malaysia for almost 20 years and have not been working for 12 years because I have diabetes and had one of my hands amputated.

"So, to support myself and my child who is also handicapped, I have to beg on the streets, hoping for sympathy from the public," she said.