Anjung Singgah (or the Reach Out Centre as was its original name)- The Real Story.

In April, 2010, Reach Out was promised a building in which to establish a 'one stop solution' facility for the eradication of poverty in Kuala Lumpur.
This was promised by Dato Seri Sharizat during her street food run organised by Reach Out for her to see the reality of life on the streets. It was also on film as TV3 (who came with Dato Seri) caught the promise.
This was as the reuslt of Reach Out submitting a Strategy Paper on Eradication of Poverty to Dato Seri's ministry some time earlier.
Yayasan Kebajikan Negara (YKN), were directed by Dato Seri Sharizat, the Minister for Women, Children and Community Development to find a suitable building.
Reach Out worked with YKN, located an agreeable facility situated at No. 28-32 Jalan Hang Leku, Kuala Lumpur, and proceeded with the design of the facility.
In addition Reach Out submitted a full revised strategy paper to the Ministry in support of the establishment of the building which was accepted in totality.
Regrettably, at a Ministry meeting some months later it was announced by YKN that they would operate the building themselves calling it their One Stop Intervention Centre.
Reach Out's strategy and design, floor plans, asset lists and SOP's were presented by YKN as their own at this meeting. No mention of Reach Out.
Reach Out then withdrew from all further communication with Government on the issue of urban and rural poverty.
The building was opened officially in early December 2010 and to date has not operated fully.
On the 25th January, 2011, I and other Reach Committee members, accompanied by Ms. Patricia Lum of the MCLA, were invited to an urgent meeting of the YKN Board at the building in Jln Hang Leku. We attended and met with the committee and Board of YKN, with the meeting being chaired by the Head of the Board Toh Puan Sri Wan Hibatul Hidayah binti Wan Ismail who we last met in April 2010 when Toh Puan and Dato Seri Sharizat came on the streets with us for a food run.
The meeting was very cordial and it was announced that YKN wished to appoint Reach Out as their partner in the operation of this building.
Reach Out would be given complete management discretion and control over the running of the building with YKN paying for the rental, utilities, upkeep and maintenance of the facility.
Reach Out will be able to implement its agreed strategy for the eradication of poverty which includes not only food provision at the facility, but the deployment of DBKL, Labour, Welfare, a Doctors clinic, counselling facilities and also temporary accommodation for both male and female persons in need.
The strategy outlined by Reach Out is to have a three day turnround of those given accommodation with the emphasis on the Government agencies to provide housing/work/welfare within that period to ensure we reintegrate those in need within that three day period.
It was clear that YKN had no idea how to implement the strategy they had stolen from us.
Upon agreement of all of Reach Out's issues raised at the meeting and after inspection of the premises where we found the renovation to be in line with Reach Out's earlier plans, I agreed, subject to ratification by the Board of Reach Out, to accept the independent management of this facility with YKN being the landlord.
I did this despite the earlier betrayal, as I believed in our Reach Out strategy to eradicate poverty with this facility being crucial at the time to this.
This would have been a first for Malaysia and provide the model for centres such as this to be developed in other states which will lead to a strong and effective safety net for the eradication of poverty.
In March 2011 we met to discuss the MOU. Present were Kementrian Pembangunan Wanita, Keluarga Dan Masyarakat officials and also YKN officials.
After this meeting and the presentation of our MOU, YKN then presented their own MOU which included none of the items from Reach Out's document. No mention of any facilities to eradicate poverty only that the facility would house a few folks, feed them, and then they could go back onto the street.
I rejected their MOU as it was told to me that it was not negotiable, and we withdrew from this project permanently.
So they betrayed us by taking out ideas and presenting them as their own, and then realising they couldn't in fact run it, they came back.
We stepped up again for the interest of our street friends and again we were betrayed.
That's what happened. I have all of the documents, minutes, designs, letters, SOP's, email correspondence to prove what happened.
So has the Kementrain/YKN Anjung Singgah facility worked?
How many have been taken off the streets and reintegrated?
Why are there still so many on the streets?
Why are we receiving continual reports of abuses in the facility?
You kind folks decide.