KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 7 — Findings from integrated operations addressing vagrancy and issues involving children in the capital will be presented to the Cabinet to seek more comprehensive solutions, said Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Federal Territories) Hannah Yeoh.
She said the KL Strike Force operation, conducted early this morning, aimed to identify current trends, including persistent cases involving individuals repeatedly encountered during previous operations.
“We will present the findings to the Cabinet later to find a solution. We will have a team study the data first to determine how many people have been detained repeatedly,” she told reporters after participating in the operation around the capital.
Also present were Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Federal Territories) Datuk Lo Su Fui, Kuala Lumpur mayor Datuk Seri Fadlun Mak Ujud and Federal Territories Department (JWP) director-general Datuk Muhammad Azmi Mohd Zain.
The integrated operation involved the Ministry of Health (MOH), National Registration Department (NRD), Immigration Department, Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL), Social Welfare Department (JKM), National Anti-Drug Agency (AADK) and National Security Council (MKN).
Hannah said it was the third such operation conducted in Kuala Lumpur this year, with the data collected to be compared with statistics from the past two years to formulate a more effective action plan.
She said the government would also hold further discussions with non-governmental organisations (NGOs) actively involved in fieldwork to gather their feedback and views.
According to Hannah, following the screening process, non-citizens or undocumented individuals would be handled by the Immigration Department, while those with mental health issues would be referred to MOH.
Individuals who tested positive for drugs would be referred to AADK, while Malaysians without a place to stay would receive assistance from JKM and DBKL.
Touching on mental health cases, she acknowledged that the lack of dedicated facilities had resulted in some individuals returning to the streets after receiving treatment, creating a seemingly endless cycle.
Hannah said the operation was also important to safeguard the country's image in conjunction with Visit Malaysia 2026, particularly in tourist hotspots such as Bukit Bintang.
She added that her ministry supported efforts by the Ministry of Women, Family and Community Development to formulate a new law to strengthen JKM's legal authority in handling cases involving individuals from various backgrounds.
