Street Kids!

Pic courtesy of The Star

Street kids - this is a common sight in East Malaysia! This is the fact-of-life for those children living from day-to-day there. Coming from impoverished families, whether they be Malaysian or immigrants, they while their time away in the streets, walkways, shophouses and shopping centres while their parents try to make a living. They do not go to school; instead they hang around with their own kind.

Well, it is small wonder they often fall prey to the dregs of society which abuse them into working for beggar, pickpocket and other gangs, and inevitably drug use. Glue sniffing is the cheapest of the various alternatives - I'm sure they will move on to more expensive options in due time.

These scenes are certainly not shocking to us who've been around them. While it certainly is for certain politicians, it is still left to be seen what could, and would, be done for them apart from highlighting their plight in national newspapers.