Tales of the homeless in the city centre

He looked like any other other regular Joe in a polo-t and jeans.

However, Lan - as he wished to be known - is a homeless man. He only has sheets of newspapers to cushion the otherwise hard and cold stairway leading up to the Masjid Jamek LRT station, anticipating sweet dreams to drown his misery.

“I have been sleeping here for more than a year,” said Lan, 33.

Lan was chased out of his parents’ house by his sister days after the Hari Raya celebrations – for reasons best known to him.

“I have changed. I promise I have. I don’t understand why she’s doing this to me. I have nobody but my family,” Lan said, with regret written all over his face.

“I worked as a technician once, but I was fired. I went on to work as a lorry driver and the same thing happened again.”

Lan claimed he was treated unfairly.

“It is so hard for me to find a job. How can I start my life if nobody wants to give me a chance to prove myself?” he asked.

Lan joins many others who have made Jalan Tun Perak "home" as each and every of them offering different tales to tell.

Eng Tek Shoi, 60, sleeps at the stairs of Kota Raya every night.

Born and raised in Sungai Petani, Kedah, Eng claimed he came to Kuala Lumpur a week ago in search of a better job. He was working in an orchard prior to his trip to the city.

Unfortunately, he spent all of his money while finding a job and is now left broke and homeless.

“I just want to go back to Sungai Petani but I can’t afford the bus fare,” Eng said.

“I ask around for food and sometimes my other homeless friends give me some. It’s not much, but it keeps me from starving,” he added.

With no family or kids, Eng has no one to turn too.

“I’m not married and don’t have any children. So, if I return to Sungai Petani, I still don’t have anyone to return to but least it is home,” he added.