Aminuddin (fifth from left) at the official opening of Rumah Minda Ceria for the homeless in Taman Cheong Loong, Seremban.
RUMAH Minda Ceria (RMC), an initiative by the Negri Sembilan government to provide temporary shelter and rehabilitate the homeless, has been successful in its mission.
Almost all of those rehabilitated are now either back with their families or able to earn a living on their own.
Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Aminuddin Harun said the programme which was part of his administration’s efforts to assist the homeless and mooted in 2020, was to ensure holistic development for all members of society.
“Our aim is to help the homeless to return to society.
“The homeless should not be marginalised and they must be given every opportunity to succeed and be independent again,” he said at the launch of the RMC in Taman Cheong Loong in Seremban yesterday.
Aminuddin said since its opening on Dec 23, 2020, the state government has spent RM405,000 to run the RMC.
Some of the homeless suffer from mental health-related problems and substance abuse, which include alcohol abuse and sniffing glue.
As of July 31 this year, 57 individuals have been rehabilitated at the RMC.
Of these, 41 have returned to their families, four have secured jobs and three are undergoing psychiatric treatment at the Tuanku Ja’afar Hospital (HTJ).
The home can accommodate up to 25 individuals at any one time.
He attributed the project’s success to the close cooperation between the state government, Social Welfare Department and other government agencies, HTJ and non-governmental organisations.
“We need to nurture this relationship to speed up work processes so that we can be prompt in extending assistance to the homeless.”
Aminuddin said residents at the RMC were taught basic living skills which include personal hygiene.
They are also given spiritual and emotional support, encouraged to do exercise, participate in indoor games, carry out gardening and even provided job-coaching.
Currently, eight individuals are housed at the transit home.
In her speech, Negri Sembilan women, family and welfare committee chairman Nicole Tan Lee Koon said the state government decided to set up RMC to provide temporary accommodation for the homeless.
“The RMC is a shelter and rehabilitation centre for the homeless who are unemployed and sometimes found begging in the streets.
“Our concern then was their safety and that of the public, especially during the Covid-19 pandemic as everyone was at risk of contracting the virus,” she said, adding that if the homeless issue was not resolved, it could paint a negative image of the state.
She said the RMC was run by an association whose members had the knowledge and experience to manage the homeless.
The association also works with the HTJ’s Psychiatric Department and the National Anti-Drug Agency to treat and rehabilitate the homeless.
Tan said those suffering from mental illness would be treated before being allowed to return to society and to their families.
“We will also try to secure them jobs before they leave the transit home,” she said, adding that the entire process could take up to two years.
