KUALA LUMPUR: A distinction between genuine poverty, public nuisance and organised exploitation is vital if Malaysia is to effectively address the evolving nature of street begging, say social welfare experts.
With calls mounting for a total overhaul of the nearly 50-year-old Destitute Persons Act 1977 (Act 183), they warned vague legal definitions are preventing effective enforcement and leaving vulnerable groups open to syndicate control.
Suriana Welfare Society consultant Dr James Nayagam said the current law is far too broad and treats different groups under the same label.
“We need clear legal lines between those who need help and those who are exploiting the system; otherwise, enforcement will always be blunt,” he said.
He said stronger legal clarity would define who qualifies as destitute, when intervention is warranted and where welfare ends and criminal liability begins.
“You can’t enforce what you haven’t clearly defined and, right now, the law doesn’t draw clear enough lines,” he said.
Nayagam said enforcement alone has proven insufficient.
“Crackdowns don’t solve begging. Without systemic change, the streets reset within weeks,” he said.
He noted the issue has evolved beyond visible poverty.
“Malaysia isn’t dealing with just poverty on the streets; it’s also facing organised exploitation hiding in plain sight,” he added.
Nayagam said indiscriminate giving by the public continues to fuel the problem.
“As long as the public keeps giving indiscriminately, the street economy of begging will continue to thrive, whether driven by need or by syndicates,” he said.
He stressed that the law itself has not kept pace.
“The law is stuck in 1977, but the problem has evolved. Act 183 is simply no longer fit for purpose,” he said.
Calling for a balanced approach, he said reforms must go beyond enforcement.
“If reforms focus only on punishment, they will fail. If they ignore enforcement, they will also fail. The solution sits in the uncomfortable middle.
“We must be careful not to criminalise poverty. Many on the streets are there because systems have already failed them,” he said.
Instead, he urged policymakers to address root causes.
“The real issue is not begging; it’s a lack of access to housing, mental health care and stable incomes,” he said.
Former Social Welfare Department assistant director Vijayakumari Pillai said social support remains critical in addressing the issue.
“Families need counselling and, where necessary, financial assistance. These measures can help reduce the number of beggars or vagrants on the streets,” she said.
She said not all cases are driven purely by poverty.
“Some of their situations are not necessarily financial, but rather an inability to cope with living within the family environment,” she said.
She added the issue extends beyond locals, with foreign nationals also among those on the streets, requiring a different approach.
“Foreign beggars should be repatriated or temporarily placed in shelters. Some of them are young children.
“United Nations (UN) agencies must assist in facilitating their return to countries willing to receive them. The UN must take responsibility in addressing this humanitarian issue,” she said.
Police and relevant authorities have taken continuous action against foreign beggars, including those that were found abusing their entry passes.
The Malaysian Border Control and Protection Agency (AKPS) previously revealed that three individuals, two Algerians and one Iraqi, were reportedly detained after they were caught begging outside the departure hall of Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) Terminal 1, last year.
