Eight foreigners were among 14 beggars, aged between three and 70, detained by the authorities in a MPKB Op Tangkap Pengemis today.
Kota Bharu Municipal Council (MPKB) chairman Rosnazli Amin said all of them were detained after they were found sleeping everywhere, including on the sidewalks and bank premises.
He said the authorities, especially the MPKB, does not want locations in Kota Bharu to become sleepovers for beggars, thus causing uneasiness among residents.
In addition, the “seasonal” presence of homeless beggars is an eyesore which affects the image of MPKB, which is seen as an Islamic city.
“We know their presence (foreign beggars) is simply to live off the sympathy of the local people here who are known for their generosity.
“Several areas in the city of Kota Bharu have also been identified as staging posts where these foreigners “operate”, including around Padang Merdeka which is adjacent to the Muhammadi Mosque. This location is said to be one of the areas where many people give alms, including paying zakat fitrah,” he told reporters at the MPKB enforcement office, here today.
Rosnazli said the beggars who were detained had been handed over to the Social Welfare Department (JKM) while the foreigners were handed over to the Immigration Department for further action.
In the same development, he explained that so far his party has not succeeded in detaining foreigners from Thailand, who pose as Muslims to collect zakat fitrah here.
“Previously we detained non-Muslim foreigners who disguised themselves as Muslims to take advantage of people’s generosity during the month of Ramadan.
“Perhaps it is still early days in Ramadan and when we are approaching Syawal, this group will gather here to get alms from residents here. From the information obtained, some of them are able to earn thousands of ringgit a day living on sympathy,” he said.
Source: BERNAMA News Agency
