[UPDATED] If not there, then where? NGOs condemn destruction of Bajau Laut homes

KUALA LUMPUR – The Bajau Laut has no choice but to build settlements along the shores of Semporna to survive as the government has failed to address the issue of their statelessness, said Lawyers for Liberty (LFL).

LFL director Zaid Malek added that the community has been living off the shores of Sabah for generations and should not be denied Malaysian citizenship.

“If you look through history, they have been living along the shores for generations and have long-standing problems with statelessness.

“You want to get mad at the Bajau Laut for not having documents, but why haven’t there been steps to solve that problem?

“What has happened is that the government – current and previous – failed to deal with the issue of intergenerational statelessness.

“So the Bajau Laut community had to do something (build settlements) to survive,” he said to reporters at a press conference addressing the plight of the Bajau Laut community at the Kuala Lumpur and Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall today.

The press conference and their demands were endorsed by over 100 non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and collectives in Malaysia.

“They had to build settlements, they need a place to live, they need to eat and work. So why are you blaming them?” 

Zaid also condemned the demolition and burning of the Bajau Laut settlements.

“It is a cruel act, and the reasons given to justify the actions are unreasonable. Why is it necessary to demolish and burn their belongings? They really don’t have anything left.

“This is illegal and also a criminal act – harassing them, burning their items. 

“If you say you want to evict them, why do you have to burn their houses? Why do you have to physically abuse them or scare them?

“If not there, then where (would they live)?”

LFL also called on the government to resolve the Bajau Laut’s statelessness as it is the root of the current problems.

Authorities carried out eviction operations last week targeting the Bajau Laut community residing on seven islands in Semporna, including Pulau Bohey Dulang, Pulau Maiga, Pulau Bodgaya, Pulau Sebangkat, and Pulau Sibuan.

The majority of the Bajau Laut are stateless sea nomads, living offshore in wooden houseboats or huts built on stilts in Semporna and lack proper identification documents, which prevents them from accessing essential services like education, financial assistance, and healthcare.

Meanwhile, activist Wong Kueng Hui, 29, who was stateless for 16 years until he received his MyKad last year, said he and other NGOs will hold a protest if the authorities do not stop forced evictions of the Bajau Laut people and destruction of their homes.

Wong, who is the director of Mandiri Borneo, said that while Malaysians are quick to talk about injustices overseas, they are more oblivious to the issues in their own country. 

“Malaysians always talk about the injustice that occurs in other countries, but they turn a blind eye when it happens in our own country. 

“Ask Malaysians to look to the Bajau Laut community and see how they have been oppressed in their own homeland. 

“We will monitor the issue and if the houses continue to be demolished then we will organise a protest,” he said. 

At the press conference, two other NGOs, Liga Demokratik Rakyat and Borneo Komrad, listed several demands. This includes an immediate halt to evictions, provision of shelter and alternative housing to those who have lost homes, compensation for destroyed homes, a thorough investigation, and a special committee to divide long-term solutions. – June 14, 2024