Speaking to the homeless: How Danial and his ghosts changed my days
Reporter's Diary by Ushar Daniele, as published in Malay Mail today. I HAD the opportunity to meet a gentleman by the name of Danial Sum Ping Kan. My conversation in Bahasa Malaysia with the Kedah-born 55-year-old was brief, but it was enough time to get to know the man who has been living on the streets for the past 15 years. Lugging around two bags and a piece of cardboard, he sat on a bench opposite the Kechara Soup Kitchen in Bukit Bintang and enjoyed a meal that was distributed by volunteers. My conversation with Danial was eye-opening. I sat myself on the grass while he sat above me, looking at me with confusion. The way he looked and dressed in a windbreaker, t-shirt and slacks, I would not have guessed that he was homeless if I had seen him on the streets. I started asking him questions about his background. He was initially guarded with his answers, but was eventually comfortable enou...