August 16 deadline for soup kitchens scrapped

FT Minister says soup kitchens in the city will be allowed to operate but cleanliness will be monitored.

KUALA LUMPUR: Soup kitchen activities will be permitted to continue as usual without any timeframe but the cleanliness aspect will be stringently monitored by Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL).

Federal Territories Minister Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor said previously the ministry had set August 16 as the last date for soup kitchens to operate.

“There is now no problem for any non-governmental organisations (NGOs) to carry out their activities as usual. We have discussed it with them and have identified temporary shelters for them to operate.

“My secretary-general and city mayor will issue a full statement on Wednesday regarding the matter. The public also needs to know we sit down with the NGOs from time to time,” Tengku Adnan told reporters after officiating the Ex-Army Association annual general meeting here today.

It was earlier reported that all NGOs conducting soup kitchen activites were only permitted to continue giving out food to the homeless until August 16, after the Aidilfitri celebrations.

The date was agreed as the new enforcement date to disallow food or drinks from being distributed to the homeless if it was within a two-km radius of the Federal Capital.

Tengku Adnan also said the ministry was in the process of giving urban allowance to DBKL personnel with low income, in hopes to ease their burden due to the high cost of living in the city.

He said about 60 percent of DBKL’s staff earned less than RM2,000 per month.

“We will try to discuss and resolve this with the Congress of Unions of Employees in the Public and Civil Services (Cuepacs), Public Service Department and Chief Secretary to allow DBKL to pay the allowance,” he added.

- Bernama