Understanding the problem of homelessness

Homeless people sleeping rough along the walkways of Jalan Raja Laut in Chow Kit, Kuala Lumpur - CHAN TAK KONG/The Star

AFTER midnight, the scene on the ground in Kuala Lumpur tells a different story from the one on its skyline. Under the flyovers of Chow Kit and along the five-foot ways of Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman (pic), men and women sleep on cardboard while the towers above them glow with the promise of a high-income nation.

Homelessness in Malaysia is often filed away as a welfare matter, a problem for the Social Welfare Department, city councils and charitable soup kitchens to quietly manage – out of sight of policymakers focused on GDP growth and investment figures.