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SINGAPORE: A Malaysian woman says she likes living on the streets of Singapore and claims that it is a personal choice.
“I have a house, but I like it that way. It’s my own choice, ”he said when he met Bernama here last night.
The national news agency, through a three-hour observation that began at 10 p.m. and took place in various parts of Kallang, was verifying claims that Malaysian workers were among the homeless groups in Singapore.
Kallang, which is located in the central region of the island, was selected after it was found to be one of the five areas with the highest number of homeless people, according to the republic’s first national study on homelessness published in November last year.
Wanting to be known simply as “Chris,” the 48-year-old said she was from Miri, Sarawak and works as a cleaner at Changi International Airport.
Chris was found sitting alone in a street vendor center while watching her favorite show on her mobile phone when Bernama approached her.
When asked why she chose to sleep on the street, she said, “I like being alone.”
However, she indicated that she would be willing to stay inside if she had the option of having an entire room to herself.
Chris was the only Malaysian of some 30 homeless people that Bernama spoke to last night. He said that he had been living on the streets for the past two months.
The Republic’s Ministry of Social and Family Development defines a homeless person as someone “who feels they have no home to return to, whether they own a house or are renting a place.”
When contacted by Bernama, Gilbert Goh, a Singaporean activist who helps the homeless and underprivileged, said: “I think most (Malays) have found their own accommodation.”
Goh, who is the founder and president of Transitioning.org, has been actively sharing his efforts to help the homeless on social media. On a few occasions, he mentioned that Malaysians were among those who slept out in the open in Singapore.
