Tony Lian, founder of Food4U, recounted many instances where he was referred from one officer to another in the welfare department when he tried to seek help on behalf of the homeless.
“I literally go around in circles, chasing them to find an officer who can help me. By the time I get to the right officer, I’m already exhausted,” Lian told FMT. “If you have a one-stop centre, this help can be rendered within a day or a couple of hours.”
Lian, also known as Uncle Tony, said a one-stop centre would be of benefit particularly to those suffering from mental health problems.
“We can put the homeless in shelters; we can put addicts in counselling or rehab centres; we can send those who are disabled to homes for the disabled, but it’s the mentally troubled people we have difficulty in helping,” he said.
Lian said he would try to have a homeless and mentally ill person admitted to a hospital as a patient in need of medical attention. However, they would inevitably be discharged by the end of the day, leading them to end up on the streets again.
He said doctors told him that the psychiatric wards in hospitals had limited facilities to accommodate people with mental health problems, so if it was not a “serious” case, they would eventually be discharged.
Lian said sending the homeless who were mentally ill to dedicated psychiatric facilities was not an option as the admission process would take too much time.
“Not many NGOs want to handle them, simply because it is too taxing and the procedures involved take far too long,” he said.
Temporary shelter
Lian, 73, is currently working with the Mental Illness Awareness and Support Association (Miasa) to open a crisis centre in Petaling Jaya to provide temporary shelter and medical treatment “while we find them jobs, (permanent) accommodation and get them the support that they need,” said Miasa president Anita Abu Bakar.
Anita said most shelters refuse to take in people with mental health conditions due to a lack of resources and the fear that they might harm themselves or others. She urged the government to give priority to mental health programmes aimed at helping the homeless.
Lian’s charity organisation, Food4U, provides cooked food and groceries to the poor and the needy on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays. For more information, contact Lian at 017-8812666.
Meanwhile, Miasa’s 24/7 crisis helpline can be reached at 1800-1800-66.