Portal KSM

Labour Dept helps 175 homeless folk find jobs
The Star : 27/7/2010

JOHOR BARU: The Labour Department’s pilot project to recruit homeless job seekers has resulted in 175 of them finding employment.

Its director-general Datuk Sheikh Yahya Sheikh Mohamed said the project, conducted mainly in Jalan Masjid India in Kuala Lumpur, was not all smooth sailing.

“There were at least two cases where the homeless stole money and mobile phones from their colleagues before running away.

“Some of the homeless also feel constrained at their workplace and prefer living on the streets,” he told The Star here yesterday.

Sheikh Yahya said this had deterred some employers from offering jobs to the homeless.

“The jobs are mostly in restaurants, factories and cleaning services.

“We are confident that the project will be a success as there are still 530 vacancies,” he said.

He added that drug addicts would not be eligible.

“We will also have more stringent job interviews to prevent unwanted incidents,” he said.

Sheikh Yahya added that the department was considering conducting the project in other states such as Penang.

“We will study the number of homeless people in each state and the needs before implementing it.”

He added that among the factors that led to individuals having no place to stay were drug addiction as well as difficulty in securing employment, especially for those from rural areas.

He said the department’s six-man team, led by him, conducted the project every Tuesday along Jalan Masjid India between 6pm and 10pm.

“We will continue as it has proven to be beneficial,” he said