Abstract
The issue of homelessness is a worldwide problem that necessitates attention from all stakeholders. The major concerns are around inadequate legislation safeguarding the rights of the homeless and their financial ability to seek medical care. This study aims to assess the feasibility of establishing a healthcare framework specifically tailored for the homeless population in Malaysia. Semi-structured interviews were carried out with individuals aged 18 years and older who are currently residing in homeless-related facilities in Malaysia. A total of 57 participants from three distinct sites were questioned. Based on the input from these participants, this study discovered that homelessness can be attributed to a range of factors, such as unemployment, familial issues, criminal histories, and even personal choice. When questioned about their primary necessities when experiencing homelessness, the majority expressed apprehension regarding access to sustenance and housing, while a few also voiced concerns about receiving medical care. Although many individuals disregard the importance of seeking medical care, a portion of the homeless population experiences severe ailments. The report presents preventive and sustainable ways to address the issues of homelessness and suggests improvements to legislation.
Keywords
- Destitute Search this journal for Destitute (opens in a new tab)
- Healthcare Search this journal for Healthcare (opens in a new tab)
- Homeless Search this journal for Homeless (opens in a new tab)
- Legislation Search this journal for Legislation (opens in a new tab)
- Vagrants Search this journal for Vagrants (opens in a new tab)
References
- Carvalho, M., Sivanandam, H., Tan, T. & Zainal, F. (2018). Rural youths turn homeless in KL. The Star. Retrieved February 5, 2024, from https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2018/12/06/rural-youths-turn-homeless-in-kl/.
- Cheah, Y. K., & Meltzer, D. (2020). Ethnic differences in participation in medical check-ups among the elderly: evidence from Malaysia. Journal of General Internal Medicine, 35(9), 2680–2686. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11606-020-05766-6
- DOSM. (2024). Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM). Retrieved March 7, 2024, from https://open.dosm.gov.my/dashboard/life-expectancy
- Foong, H. F., Hamid, T. A., Ibrahim, R., & Haron, S. A. (2021). The intersectional effects of ethnicity/race and poverty on health among community-dwelling older adults within multi-ethnic Asian populace: a population-based study. BMC Geriatrics. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12877-021-02475-5
- Mohd Adib, A. N., Hussin, H. Z. & Ahmad, Y. (2016). Homeless women in Malaysia: Their choice or victims of situations. Journal of Education and Social Sciences, 5(3), 8–15.
- Ministry of Health Malaysia. Non-communicable disease, risk factors & other health problems. In: National Health & Morbidity Survey Volume II: 2015. Available from: http://iku.moh.gov.my/images/IKU/Document/REPORT/ nhmsreport2015vol2.pdf.
- Modeer. (2018). Unlocking Islamic Social Finance to Help Communities Address Vulnerability and Inequality. UNDP. Retrieved February 13, 2024, from https://www.undp.org/speeches/unlocking-islamic-social-finance-help-communities-address-vulnerability-and-inequality
- Rusenko, R. (2015). Homelessness, begging, and The Destitute Persons Act 1977 (Issue July).
- Sommerville, I. (2007) Software Engineering. 8th Edition, Addison-Wesley, Boston, MA
- Stafford, A., & Wood, L. (2017). Tackling health disparities for people who are homeless? Start with social determinants. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 14(12), 1535. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph14121535
- Statista. (2024, February 2). Life expectancy at birth in Malaysia 2010-2021. Retrieved February 5, 2024, from https://www.statista.com/statistics/318682/life-expectancy-at-birth-in-malaysia/.
- Sharifah, M. A. & Alifatul, K. M. (2012). Homelessness in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia: A case of agenda denial, International Journal OfSosial Science Tomorrow, 1(2), 1–9
- Tangcharoensathien, V., Patcharanarumol, W., Ir, P., Aljunid, S. M., Mukti, A. G., Akkhavong, K., Banzon, E., Huong, D. B., Thabrany, H., & Mills, A. (2011). Health-financing reforms in Southeast Asia: Challenges in achieving universal coverage. The Lancet, 377(9768), 863–873. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0140-6736(10)61890-9
Downloads
No downloads have been recorded for this article yet. Figures appear here once readers begin downloading the full text.
How to Cite
Share this article
License
Copyright (c) 2024 Roslina Mohamad Shafi, Sharazad Haris, Mohd Hakimi Harman, Faridah Najuna Misman, Mohamed Eskandar Shah Mohd Rasid (Author)
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Author (s) should affirm that the material has not been published previously. It has not been submitted and it is not under consideration by any other journal. At the same time author (s) need to execute a publication permission agreement to assume the responsibility of the submitted content and any omissions and errors therein. After submission of revised paper in the light of suggestions of the reviewers, the editorial team edits and formats manuscripts to bring uniformity and standardization in published material.
This work will be licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) and under condition of the license, users are free to read, copy, remix, transform, redistribute, download, print, search or link to the full texts of articles and even build upon their work as long as they credit the author for the original work. Moreover, as per journal policy author (s) hold and retain copyrights without any restrictions.
Keywords
- Destitute Search this journal for Destitute (opens in a new tab)
- Healthcare Search this journal for Healthcare (opens in a new tab)
- Homeless Search this journal for Homeless (opens in a new tab)
- Legislation Search this journal for Legislation (opens in a new tab)
- Vagrants Search this journal for Vagrants (opens in a new tab)
Section
Published in
Vol. 16 No. 1(I)S (2024)
Investment Literacy, Talent Retention & Agricultural Risk
View issue contents
Published
Submissions
Have research to publish? Information Management and Business Review welcomes submissions.
Make a Submission