Malaysian police clarify woman living at main airport is homeless local with mental health issues
Videos dubbing a woman at KLIA as a real-life “The Terminal” went viral, sparking online debate and speculation. Authorities have since clarified she is a local homeless woman with mental health issues and has been taken to Kajang Hospital, shifting focus from immigration concerns to social welfare and support gaps.
- Viral videos of a woman at KLIA sparked debate after she was initially thought to be a foreigner living at the airport.
- Authorities later confirmed she is a local homeless woman with mental health issues.
- Officials said at least five homeless individuals have been staying at KLIA Terminal 1.
MALAYSIA: Videos showing a woman allegedly living at Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) for about a year went viral on social media, drawing millions of views and sparking debate over airport oversight, safety, and security.
The woman, initially believed to be a foreign national, has now been identified as a local woman with mental health issues.
Viral Videos Draw Attention & Speculation
The TikTok videos, which garnered more than 2.9 million and 2.2 million views, showed the woman sitting on airport benches surrounded by luggage trolleys carrying her belongings.
In one post, she was compared to the character Viktor Navorski from The Terminal, the 2004 film in which Tom Hanks portrayed a man living inside an airport.
The uploader alleged that the woman had been sleeping and eating at the airport for about a year and claimed she was seen shouting at children who were playing nearby.
The posts questioned how airport authorities could allow an individual to remain at KLIA for such an extended period, raising concerns about safety and oversight.
Online Reaction and Shared Accounts
The videos triggered extensive discussion across social media platforms, with users questioning how the situation could have gone unnoticed.
On Threads, several users shared personal encounters with individuals they believed were living at Malaysian airports.
One user, who claimed to be a former KLIA employee, said she repeatedly saw an allegedly Arab family staying at the airport throughout her two years of employment and continued to encounter them even after leaving her job.
Other commenters speculated that the woman’s situation could be linked to passport or immigration issues.
Authorities Clarify Situation
KLIA Deputy District Police Chief Superintendent Albany Hamzah later confirmed that the woman is a local resident who holds a mental health card.
Following complaints about disturbances at the airport, she was handed over to Kajang Hospital for treatment.
Authorities also revealed that she is one of at least five homeless individuals who have reportedly been staying at KLIA Terminal 1 for more than a year.
The group is said to use departure hall seating as makeshift beds and fourth-floor restrooms for bathing, while rotating between the airport and other locations around Kuala Lumpur to avoid detention.
Security Measures and Broader Questions
The case has raised questions about how such prolonged stays occurred despite regular security patrols.
The Malaysian Border Security Agency (AKPS) conducts routine checks at airport arrival and departure halls to identify individuals attempting to enter or leave Malaysia with improper documentation or intentions.
Authorities stressed that the case does not involve immigration violations but highlights broader social and welfare concerns.
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