Welfare home in Malaysia, accused of locking up disabled residents in ‘cages’, denies wrongdoing

KUALA LUMPUR — The smell of urine was enough to turn off newsmen who turned up at the Perak Welfare Home for Disabled Children after pictures of its residents being caged up like animals were shared on social media.

In her posting, the Facebook user reportedly claimed that she saw enclosures with metal swing doors, each housing a child inside when she went to the home with her family to visit her aunt, who was a resident there.

She claimed some enclosures even had two children inside and each enclosure had only one shower and one toilet.

The sheltered space, which is an extension of the main building, has 10 cages where the home’s violent residents are kept from 9pm to 6am daily.

The cages were just big enough for a single-size mattress. Near the cages is the toilet and bathroom.

The home’s chairman, Mr R Sivalingam, said they had no choice but to keep the violent ones caged up as they would disturb other residents.

“We have cases of residents wanting to remove the eyeballs of other residents. Sometimes they will strip the other inmates or try to bite them,” he said.

“There are also times where they will throw faeces at other residents or eat their own excrement.”

Mr Sivalingam said the home, which began operations in 1968, housed 47 residents aged between 15 and 60 with multiple disabilities.

“Those 10 kept inside the cages are the ones with severe mental retardation,” he said.

He said previously, the home would tie the hands of the 10 with ropes, but following complaints from their parents they were kept in cages instead.

“It looks like a cage but it is actually a special cubicle,” he said, adding that since putting the violent ones in cages in 2006, there had been no complaints from parents until the pictures went viral on Sunday (Oct 23).

Mr Sivalingam said he forgave the person who took the pictures and shared it on social media.

“Some people do not understand why we have to keep them in cages. They can come and query us and we will try to explain it to them,” he said, adding the home also welcome feedback on the best way to handle residents with violent tendencies.

He noted that officers from the Welfare Department visited the home on Monday morning.

“They were fine with our way of handling the residents,” he said.

Kinta District Welfare Department officer Noor Hanizah Zulkafli said those kept in the cages were five men and five women between 20 and 49 years-old.

“The home is registered with the Welfare Department and its operating licence is valid until 2021,” she said.

Of the 47 residents, four are aged between 13 and 17. The home has 12 workers, including five men. 

On Monday (Oct 24), Bernama reported that Malaysia’s Ministry of Women, Family and Community Development (KPWKM) was awaiting a report from its officials sent to the welfare home

Minister Rohani Abdul Karim also stressed that residents of any welfare centre must be treated properly and with the standard operating procedures (SOP).

“I want to make sure whether the welfare centre concerned is complying with the SOP,” she said. THE MALAY MAIL ONLINE