JOHOR BARU: The influx of vagabonds and suspected drug addicts sleeping on public facilities in Jalan Sengget and Jalan Wong Ah Fook in the wee hours of the night is concerning.
State Health and Environment Committee chairman Ling Tian Soon said he had inspected several areas in the city centre late last night, and witnessed a number of people misusing the benches and facilities by setting up tents and bags to sleep, while drunk, urinating indiscriminately, littering and also vandalising public amentities.
He said while those who are suspected to be homeless should be helped by the Welfare Department and other relevant agencies, frequent raids should be conducted to flush out drug addicts and apprehend those found trafficking narcotics.
He said the suspected addicts should be sent for rehabilitation.
Ling said, after attending the Chinggay Festival opening ceremony last night, he took the opportunity to inspect the area following public complaints he received on the presence of vagrants and suspected addicts.
He went there together with National Anti-Drug Agency officers and enforcement officers from the Johor Baru City Council.
"A significant number of homeless people in the area were found using the recreational facilities in parks for drinking and sleeping," he said.
They were found vandalising public facilities, littering, drunk and urinating indiscriminately, which caused inconvenience to locals and tourists.
Ling said a number of them worked in Singapore but had houses in other districts in the state.
Instead of traveling back home, they slept in the streets, to save cost, and would travel to the republic for work in the wee hours of the morning.
He said frequent raids will be conducted in the future to eradicate the issue of abuse of public facilities.
"This area serves as a central hub and popular destination for both local and foreign tourists, so the Johor Baru City Council must ensure that its always clean and free from illicit activities," he said, adding that such an effort aligns with the "Greater Johor Baru" initiatives.
