By ELAN PERUMAL
KLANG: Most of the Myanmar beggars live on the outskirts of town in houses they rent for between RM200 and RM350 a month.
A check by Starprobe revealed that the homes have amenities like water and electricity. They also have basic furniture and a television set or radio.
As with most Malaysian homes, I was surprised with the hospitality shown by one family I visited.
Meagre living: Sofinah and Salim with locals at their home in Jalan Kapar, Klang. Besides inviting me into their home, the host Sofinah, 34, even served me drinks and biscuits.
Sofinah, who has known me for some time, said that her husband Salim Mohamed was sick and had a leg infection.
She lives in a two-bedroom house with her husband and children.
Unlike most of the refugees who live in colonies, Sofinah prefers a village surrounded by locals at Batu 2 Jalan Kapar here.
“Life is not easy as we have to provide for our children especially when my husband and I have not gone out to work (beg) in recent weeks due to his health condition.”
She was aware of the reports about Myanmar beggars published in The Star since Monday.
Sofinah and Salim said they are willing to quit begging if given the chance to start a small business.
“We need money to do business and the support of the government so that we will not be arrested,” said Salim who claimed that he had been arrested on several occasions for begging and for failing to carry his United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees card.
Starprobe found that most of the Myanmar refugees, including the beggars in colonies along Jalan Kapar, Jalan Meru and Jalan Kampung Jawa, live in wooden longhouses rented from locals.
Checks also revealed one colony at Batu 4 in Kampung Jawa housed several beggars.
However, the children and their mothers quickly vacated the five-foot way and ran and hid when they saw strangers approaching.
According to a young Myanmar man, the colony was populated mostly by women and children.
“These people do odd jobs including begging to survive,” he said.
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