A distressing story has come to light after Malaysian social activist Abbe Hae took to Facebook to share an encounter during his recent rounds distributing food for sahur (pre-dawn meal) and toiletries to the homeless in Kuala Lumpur.
In his post, the leader of the NGO Pertubuhan Jejak Jalanan recalled meeting a teenager at around 2 AM who had been living on the streets for four days after travelling from Jasin, Melaka.
Stranded for days and without identification
According to the teenager, both of his parents have passed away, leaving him as the eldest of two children.
“Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB) Bangsar and I were distributing food for sahur and toiletries to the homeless around Kuala Lumpur when we came across a teenager from Melaka who had been living on the streets in Kuala Lumpur for the past four days,” Abbe wrote.
The teenager further claimed that his cousin is currently in possession of all his identification documents, leaving him vulnerable.
“He said his younger sibling is staying with their aunt, while he lives with his cousin. According to him, all of his identification documents are currently being kept by his cousin,” the activist added.
“I moved him to a safer spot to stay temporarily”
Recognising the risks of the teenager remaining on the streets, Abbe intervened to ensure the boy’s safety and provided him with immediate financial aid.
Abbe explained:
“I gave him RM100 so he could return to Melaka, but it seems he does not intend to go back. Instead, he wants to try to be independent in Kuala Lumpur.
“Since the place where I found him wasn’t safe for the night, I moved him to a safer spot to stay temporarily while we figure out what to do next.”
The teenager’s plight caught the attention of a Melaka Assemblyman
The post quickly gained traction, catching the attention of UMNO Youth Chief and Merlimau Assemblyman Datuk Dr Akmal Saleh, who appeared in the comments section requesting the teenager’s details to offer further assistance.
Abbe concluded his post with a plea to the public:
“Anyone from Melaka, especially from Jasin, is urged to contact Abbe immediately through Facebook Messenger (abbehae). We also ask netizens to help share this post so the teenager’s family can be found as soon as possible.”
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