Why Thursday Is Special For Abandoned Senior Citizens On Kl S Jalan Sayur

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A long queue forms on Jalan Sayur every Thursday with hundreds of elderly citizens waiting to receive food handouts.
KUALA LUMPUR: Every Thursday, hundreds of elderly citizens queue patiently on Jalan Sayur here for a meal that will keep their bellies full for the day.

Among them is a woman known only as Helen, 68, who has come to get food from Food4U, an NGO that has fed the homeless and poor every week for the last two years.
“My elder brother passed away three years ago and I haven’t gone home since then.
“We get to spend time and meet friends here. Some of my friends don’t have family and children,” said Helen, who sells items such as cardboard and metal products to survive.

A man, who identified himself as James, 56, said he would rather be independent than trouble his children.
“My children are grown up, but they don’t care about their father. They’re busy with their jobs. I can’t be begging them.
Lacking the means to buy food on their own, most survive on the meals, fruits and snacks given out for free.“I’d rather take food from the streets than beg from my children,” he told FMT.
These are not isolated cases. Others lining up for a plastic bag of food, snacks and fruits include Lee, 73, who lost his wife several years ago and says his children do not want to look after him, and Chong, 80, who claims her children do not give her enough food.
Overwhelming need
Tony Lian, the founder of Food4U, started feeding abandoned senior citizens in 2015.
He began by distributing bottles of water to the homeless, but the overwhelming need soon led him to increase the contribution from 20 cartons to 100 in just a matter of weeks.
In 2016, Lian started distributing 300 meal packets a week, but that number has now risen to 3,000.
“It’s heartbreaking to see them on the streets, searching for food. This is a sign of total neglect. It reflects a generational shift where money is prioritised over family.
“I was raised to respect my elders and I teach my children the same. That is why I continue feeding the poor,” he said.
Food4U has been feeding the homeless and the poor on Jalan Sayur every week for the past two years.Abandoned in hospitals
Beyond distributing food to the elderly, Lian assists abandoned senior citizens in hospitals.
“Hospitals call us when elderly patients recover but no one comes to pick them up. I have lost count of the number of seniors we’ve placed in shelter homes,” he said.
Lian recounted the recent case of a 75-year-old man who died in hospital on the night of Chinese New Year.
His 70-year-old wife was left with nowhere to go and had to be placed in a shelter, he said.
The elderly folk wait in line patiently, yet eagerly, with plastic bags in hand, come rain or shine.The former businessman said the rise in the number of abandoned elderly folk is in stark contrast to the past.
“When I was young, I rarely saw old people sleeping on the streets. Now, their numbers have multiplied. What has happened to our values?” he said.
The statistics department previously said Malaysia is expected to reach aged nation status sooner than expected, with over 17% of the population expected to be aged 60 or older in 2040.
As of last year, this group made up 11.6%, or 3.9 million, of the total population of 34.1 million.
“By 2057, Malaysia will reach the super-aged society category, with 20.5% projected to be over the age of 60,” it had said. - FMT

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