- Title: Malaysia's eviction of sea nomads casts light on precarious lives
- Date: 14th October 2024
- Summary: TUN SAKARAN MARINE PARK, SEMPORNA, SABAH, MALAYSIA (AUGUST 20, 2024) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF DEMOLISHED STILT HOUSES EVICTED BAJAU LAUT COMMUNITY MEMBER, ROBIN (SEATED, RED SHIRT), WITH FAMILY ON BOATHOUSE CLOTH CRADLE IN BOATHOUSE (SOUNDBITE) (Bahasa Bajau) EVICTED BAJAU LAUT COMMUNITY MEMBER, ROBIN (LEFT), AND HIS COUSIN, INDASAINI (RIGHT), SAYING: ROBIN: "The authorities d
- Embargoed: 28th October 2024 01:09
- Keywords: Bajau Laut Eviction Iskul Omadal Malaysia Sea Nomads
- Location: SEMPORNA, KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA
- City: SEMPORNA, KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA
- Country: Malaysia
- Topics: Asia / Pacific,Society/Social Issues
- Reuters ID: LVA001885502102024RP1
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Patches of palm thatch entwined with a few forlorn stilts sticking out of the emerald waters in a Malaysian marine park off the island of Borneo are the only traces remaining of the homes of hundreds of sea nomads.
Gathering his children, Bajau Laut man Robin fled on a boat as enforcement officials in August tore down his wooden home built on stilts in marine park waters off Malaysia's Sabah state on Borneo island.
The Bajau Laut, an indigenous seaborne community famed for their ability to dive underwater for long periods of time, have lived off eastern Sabah for centuries with many settling around islands in the Tun Sakaran Marine Park, a government-protected sanctuary known for its pristine blue waters and diving spots.
But a security crackdown on cross-border crime since June this year has left hundreds of undocumented Bajau Laut homeless and rekindled concerns over statelessness and security in Sabah, after authorities burned down and demolished what they described as illegal structures in the park in Semporna district.
"We can't buy food because our gold pawn tickets were damaged during the demolition," said Robin's cousin, Indasaini. "We have no money... the children are sick and we don't have money to buy medicine."
Like many undocumented Bajau Laut, Robin goes by one name and does not know his exact age. He used to fish and gather wood from the islands to sell on the mainland, but has been unable to do so since being evicted, he said.
Reuters was unable to verify Robin's account, but state officials confirmed enforcement agencies were asked to remove settlers, including some Bajau Laut, that they said were intruding into protected park areas.
Sabah Chief Minister Hajiji Noor told Reuters the government would take all necessary actions to help the Bajau Laut, adding that authorities have identified another coastal area in Semporna to resettle the community.
Bajau Laut, sometimes known as sea nomads or Sama Bajau in other parts of Southeast Asia, are subjects of fascination for researchers and tourists alike, even inspiring the fictional 'Metkayina' tribe seen in the 2022 film Avatar: The Way of Water.
But regarded by authorities as migrants, many live an impoverished and precarious existence with no access to health, education or financial services.
The government has identified around 28,000 Bajau Laut in Sabah, 20% of whom are Malaysian citizens, though analysts believe the figure could be much higher. The state has an estimated 1 million undocumented residents, including stateless indigenous communities and economic migrants from neighbouring Philippines and Indonesia.
The evictions of the Bajau Laut come amid increasing scrutiny of Malaysia’s treatment of migrants. Since May 2020, authorities have detained around 45,000 undocumented people, Human Rights Watch said in March.
The move has sparked outrage and debate in Malaysia, with some activists calling for the Bajau Laut to be granted citizenship to allow them better protections, while others voiced concerns over national security.
Bilkuin Jimi Salih, 20, a Bajau Laut youth born in Sabah, said having a Malaysian identity document would allow him and others to seek better education and job opportunities.
"I actually have many big dreams in my mind... to be a policeman, a soldier. But none of that would come true because I don't have documents. I don't have a birth certificate or an identity card," said Bilkuin, a former student and now teacher at Iskul Sama DiLaut, a non-government body which provides education to stateless children.
Vilashini Somiah, an anthropologist at the University of Malaya, said granting citizenship may be complicated due to the disputed origins of the Bajau Laut as well as long-standing struggles over shared resources between locals and undocumented populations in Sabah, one of Malaysia's poorest states.
Authorities should instead adopt more compassionate methods and consult the Bajau Laut community before carrying out evictions and resettlements, she said, adding that similar programmes had not worked in the past.
"These (relocation) programmes do not work because, as you've said, there's no consultation with them... it has to be consensual. It has to be respectable," she said.
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