KUALA LUMPUR – A stranger approaching with his hand extended, offering a packet of food, was among the moments I experienced during an undercover observation around Chow Kit here.
The man, believed to be homeless, did so because he thought I was also waiting for food aid distributed by non-governmental organisations (NGOs).
I declined politely, telling him that I had already eaten.
The moment felt awkward yet touching — even in hardship, there remained a willingness among the homeless to share what little they had.
The incident became one of the most memorable experiences during nearly 14 hours of undercover observation to examine claims of homeless children in the area.
The observation began around 9am, when I parked my vehicle some distance from Chow Kit to avoid revealing my identity as a journalist.
The survey started at about 9.30am as I walked through several lanes and nearby streets around the area.
Several adult homeless individuals were still asleep along five-foot ways and sheltered corners around Chow Kit.
However, no children were seen at the time.
As evening approached, I attempted to gather information from residents about the presence of homeless children.
A group of taxi drivers gathered along Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman said the children were rarely seen during the daytime.
“If they are around, they usually come out at night. NGOs often arrive to distribute food,” one of them said while pointing to several spots where the homeless usually gathered.
Armed with that information, I returned to monitor the areas mentioned.
However, until about 6pm, the surroundings remained unchanged and no children appeared.
The atmosphere shifted as night approached.
At around 7pm in Lorong Haji Taib 1, near the back of Menara Raja Laut, several homeless individuals began gathering.
Soon after, one child after another appeared and began playing in the open space behind the building.
Some ran around while others laughed loudly, turning what had been a quiet area into a lively space.
For the children, the place resembled a playground where they could spend time with their friends.
The children arrived with their families.
Some mothers were seen pushing shopping trolleys filled with personal belongings alongside younger children.
There were also families arriving by car, suggesting the vehicles might serve as their temporary shelter.
At 8pm, a vehicle arrived and began distributing food.
As if part of a daily routine, the homeless individuals who had been waiting stood up and formed a queue to receive the meals.
Children queued alongside adults without much fuss.
After receiving their food packets, most of them immediately ate there and disposed of the containers in plastic rubbish bags provided nearby.
At around 9pm, another NGO arrived and the group once again lined up.
Within a single evening, I witnessed two to three NGOs arriving in turns to distribute food.
Despite the organised distribution, another side of reality was visible.
Some individuals lay down along the five-foot ways to rest, while others urinated in dark corners of nearby buildings.
By about 9.30pm, some of them began leaving the area.
The children were also seen gradually leaving with their parents.
To understand where the children lived, I attempted to follow a homeless woman believed to be the mother of three young children.
Pushing a baby stroller, the family walked towards a shop building located not far away.
The woman unlocked a gate at the staircase before heading upstairs.
From observation, the upper floor of the building appeared to be used as a temporary shelter.
The situation raised questions about whether they were truly homeless or part of the urban poor who used public spaces to obtain food aid.
The observation ended around 11pm, when most of the children had already left with their families.
Only several adult homeless individuals remained resting along the five-foot ways.
The observation suggested that children were indeed present in the Chow Kit area at night.
However, it remained difficult to confirm whether they could truly be categorised as homeless children.
Perhaps a more fitting term would be “lorong children” — referring to children from extremely poor families or asnaf groups who rely on assistance to sustain their daily lives.