Published on: Friday, March 05, 2010 |
Kota Kinabalu: A small National Key Result Area (NKRA) laboratory needs to be set up to find apt solutions to the issue of homeless young Sabahans in Kuala Lumpur, said Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Joseph Pairin Kitingan.
"We hope to create a small lab to find a solution to this issueÉit is a problem which make us not happy, whoever it is," he said when asked to comment on the plight faced by hundreds of young Sabahans mainly from the Kadazandusun Murut (KDM) community in their search for fortune in Kuala Lumpur.
Pairin, who is State Infrastructure Development Minister and Huguan Siou (paramount leader of the Kadazandusun), also said efforts are being made by the relevant Ministries to find an apt solution to this problem since it was exposed by the Daily Express.
This includes the Kadazandusun Cultural Association (KDCA), of which he is President through its Klang Valley committee which had been monitoring and helping Sabahans with such problems there to return home all this while, without getting publicity for it.
"Through our Klang Valley committee, we have been monitoring and helping Sabahans with such problems, assisting them to go back to SabahÉbut now since it is becoming a bigger problem it would require a bigger authority."
Pairin said a comprehensive investigation needs to be carried out by the relevant Ministries concerned "because information played up by the media is sometimes inaccurate and so we have to get to the bottom of this."
Citing one report which stated that one of the homeless Sabahans still wants to stay in Kuala Lumpur even though he has to get meals from one of the charitable organisations there, he said this person may have some kind of psychological problem.
Also another report about the family of one of the homeless who said they had lost contact with him for so many years, he said there must be some form of communication among family members particularly if they have a sibling abroad.
"So we will have to find out what is going on actually. It is not that there are no job opportunities in Sabah, but if our youngsters are too choosy definitely there will be a solutionÉall these we need to find out, so we need to get hold of them, listen to them," he said.
Pairin also hoped the other young people in Sabah will not easily get attracted by the bright lights in Kuala Lumpur and give in to their adventurous spirit.
"You must be practical and take into account your parents and available opportunities here," he said.
Based on info from charitable organisations, there are up to 400 Sabahans currently sleeping by roadsides, parks and buildings and depending on organisations like Kechara Soup Kitchen, Street Fellowship and Archidiocesan Office for Human Development (AOHD) for free food.
