Sunday July 5, 2009
A govt-run shelter for the disabled has, instead, become their jail
By YUEN MEIKENG and ZALINAH NOORDIN
KUALA KUBU BARU: About 30 men, naked, some chained up, caged and covered in their faeces and urine – that is the scene inside locked rooms at the Taman Sinar Harapan home here.
Following a public tip-off via an email from London, The Star’s probe team went undercover to the government-run shelter that is tucked away behind the Kuala Kubu Baru Hospital and next to a golf course.
The home has about 200 residents comprising men, women and children, some of whom are mentally disabled and infirmed. What goes on within the four walls is shocking, and visits to individual rooms reveal even more horror – residents, young and old, naked and confined in cages.
Caged life: An inmate crawling on the floor, hardly aware of his naked existence at the Taman Sinar Harapan home in Kuala Kubu Baru. — SAM THAM / The Star Related Stories:
‘Ray of hope’ that turned out to be a nightmare
Experts slam caregivers for chaining mental patients to their beds
News Poll
- Court ruling takes bite out of local council summonses
- Chin Peng apologises for death of innocents
- Girl and stepmum held over bid to kill first wife
- Biggest karaoke session a blast
- New evidence on MCA snoop squad case arrives at doorstep
- Teoh’s body exhumed for second autopsy today
- Victim’s dad nabs kidnapper
- Foreigner falls to her death from condominium
- Puad faces flak over ‘use Bahasa only’ remark
- Big impact in ‘small’ man’s win
- Court ruling takes bite out of local council summonses
- Big impact in ‘small’ man’s win
- Malaysians must get regular dental checks
- No licence to try offenders
- Weapons drawn for new battle
- Johor set to be a medical hub
- Joy for 2,500 housebuyers as SPNB takes over project
- Draw valuable, life-saving lessons from tragedies
- RM849mil owed by various state agencies
- Indonesia seizes ammonium nitrate shipment from Malaysia
RSS
