KUALA LUMPUR: Amid the bustle of the capital, where traffic snarls meet towering high-rises, one man has quietly dedicated his life to transforming the lives of the homeless, one meal and one act of compassion at a time.
He is Azhan Adnan, 57, better known as “Ayah Jalanan” (Father of the Streets), a former investment banker who walked away from corporate life to serve those living on the margins.
Fondly called Abbe, he built a career in finance before venturing into logging, aviation and mining.
After retiring in 2016, he said he had “enough for his own life” but realised his work was not done. What began as his wife’s Friday routine of sending food to a mosque, soon evolved into something bigger.
“After three weeks, I realised the food wasn’t reaching those who needed it most. I asked my wife to cook for 100 people. She did, and I took the meals straight to the homeless,” he said.
“I began searching for the homeless in Chow Kit. Once I saw how they lived, I couldn’t unsee it,” he told theSun during an interview under a bridge near the Pasar Seni LRT station, where a group of people sleeps rough.
That night, Abbe and his team had just finished distributing packets of nasi bungkus to about a dozen men and women.
Since then, he has made it a point to provide food to the needy every Friday without fail.
“The joy of hearing them call out ‘Ayah’s here!’ when I arrive with hot meals keeps me going,” he said.
But food was only the start. Abbe said many of the homeless came to Kuala Lumpur with hope of finding work, only to see their plans fall apart.
“Let me share a story from four years ago.
“I was driving near Masjid India during heavy rain when I saw an old man shivering by the roadside. He had only been homeless for two or three nights,” he said.
The man, from Terengganu, had travelled to the capital in search of work but failed to secure a job.
“His money ran out and he had nowhere to go. I gave him some cash for a bus ticket home.”
Abbe also recalled a guitar repairman from Baling, Kedah, who had been scammed. He lost everything and ended up on the streets.
“They don’t want to be homeless. They came with hope. But when things fall apart, some are too ashamed to go home empty-handed. So they stay here, stranded.”
Abbe recently helped a man return to Perlis after 10 months of sleeping rough.
The man had lost his factory job in Shah Alam, tried his luck in Johor and Kuala Lumpur but remained unemployed.
With Abbe’s help, he finally returned home and is now working again on his family’s rubber plantation.
“It’s not laziness. It’s lost direction. Sometimes, all they need is someone to remind them they still matter, they are still people,”
Abbe said.
The high cost of living has also forced many into homelessness. Some earn up to RM120 a day through odd jobs, but with room rentals averaging RM600 to RM700 a month, the streets become their only option.
Determined to address deeper issues, Abbe established Pertubuhan Jejak Jalanan to help families overlooked by aid agencies.
“If we don’t have an official organisation, we can’t bring their issues to the government,” he said.
Through the NGO, he has linked families with the right agencies, resulting in many securing financial assistance.
His advocacy also prompted the Federal Territories Islamic Religious Council to review its housing aid.
“Many were living in appalling rented rooms despite the council paying RM500 to 600 monthly. I raised my concerns, and now the council plans to rent whole houses at RM800, giving families safety, space and dignity.
“There are also plans to support small businesses so they can earn sustainable incomes,” he said.
His work has since expanded beyond Chow Kit to Kelantan and Sabah.
In Sandakan, he found children with no shelter, no citizenship and no access to school. Moved by their plight, he secured a building to be turned into a learning centre with a dormitory.
Classes in reading, writing, arithmetic, Quranic studies and basic living skills will begin soon, with ustaz volunteering their time.
“This isn’t just about feeding people. It’s about dignity. Let’s not just help them survive, let’s help them thrive,” he said.
For Abbe, the motivation comes from faith.
“There’s a hadith – every bite someone takes from food you give earns you 40 rewards. That’s what I hold on to,” he said.