When charity gives way to image in Kuala Lumpur

Putrajaya has said that the ban on soup kitchens is to ensure that the homeless would not be in the city centre as they would tarnish the image of Kuala Lumpur. – The Malaysian Insider pic, July 8, 2014.

So this is how charity and solutions work in Kuala Lumpur. Soup kitchens and the homeless in the capital city have until Hari Raya before they have to move out of the tourist and shopping district.

They then have to relocate, because public spaces must be shared with all – not just the homeless and the poor. Our image is more important than our empty hearts.

"We do not want to enforce it for the sake of enforcing the law. So we would like the non-governmental organisations to do this with us to keep the cleanliness in the city.

"If the homeless keep on occupying the public places all the time, how about the others who want to enjoy the same public area," Federal Territories Ministry secretary-general Datuk Seri Adnan Md Ikshan said today after a dialogue with charities operating the soup kitchens.

Good point on sharing the little public space that Kuala Lumpur has. You must be talking about the city's fantastic pedestrian walks that are packed with tables and chairs for the al-fresco or street dining that the city is famous for.

But must it be two kilometres away from Lot 10 and other upmarket shopping malls in the Bukit Bintang area? Because we don't want tourists to have a bad image of Kuala Lumpur?

Here's a tip, get the taxi drivers to behave and not cheat. That will definitely help our image among well-heeled tourists.

Or is it because one minister says that tourists are also apparently taking the free meals, to the detriment of traders and restauranteurs around the Bukit Bintang area?

Soup kitchens aren't complaining about tourists. They just want to help the poor and homeless, the ones who have no money but will now have to walk some two kilometres away for a decent and free meal.

Perhaps, the reality is that Kuala Lumpur just wants to get rid of the homeless and poor permanently from the city centre. Nothing has worked. Strong-arm tactics, offers of jobs and ironically named Ops Qaseh.

So let's treat them like rats. Put the free meals elsewhere and they will leave Lot 10 and the shopping district. Let's keep that for the tourists who want their time savouring Kuala Lumpur's public spaces for selfies and snapshots.

That's the solution, isn't it. Public spaces for everyone else but the poor.

Because charity does not begin at home. It's only an image exercise for the world to see.

And since this is Ramadan, let's pretend that we are kind Malaysians and allow the homeless and the tourists to enjoy KL's shopping district with a free meal during the fasting month.

- TMI