ANY news of senior citizens being forced to fend for themselves tends to go viral quickly, regardless of whether it is true or not.
Recently, a video of a homeless elderly woman wandering near a restaurant has gone viral, with claims it occurred in Kuala Lumpur.
Did such an incident happen as alleged?
VERDICT:
TRUE
The Social Welfare Department has acknowledged a viral issue on social media about an elderly woman without a home, wandering around the Al-Ibrahim Maju Restaurant area, Lorong Haji Taib, Kuala Lumpur.
“A report was received by the department's Kuala Lumpur branch on Oct 6, and the case was resolved the same day by taking in the woman, who is a Malaysian citizen of Malay descent.
“Initial investigations found that she was frail and unable to walk independently, requiring a wheelchair for movement. It is understood that she was previously cared for by a friend but was left alone since last week,” the department said in a statement on Wednesday (Oct 8).
The senior citizen was taken to the Kuala Lumpur Health Clinic for a check-up and is in stable condition.
“However, the clinic could not confirm her past tuberculosis status as she is a follow-up patient at the Institute of Respiratory Medicine.
“After the examination, she was taken to a Social Welfare Department institution, Rumah Seri Kenangan, for temporary care.
“She will be taken to court to obtain a temporary custody order under Section 3(2) of the Destitute Persons Act 1977 for placement at Rumah Seri Kenangan Seremban for one month,” it added.
The department added that it will conduct a search for relatives, further health examinations, placement, and follow-up case work to determine appropriate intervention and actions for her welfare.
