KUALA LUMPUR – The Bajau Laut community in Sabah are known for their peace-loving nature which makes any accusations that they pose a security threat to Malaysia laughable, said a Filipino-based NGO.
Illiterate due to the lack of access to basic education and speaking a dialect not comprehensible by many Filipinos, United Sama Badjao Association (USBA) secretary Zharquia Atti-Hassan told Scoop that the Bajau Laut community in Sabah would make poor spies for militants in southern Philippines.
Given that the stateless Bajau Laut in Sabah comprises a small population, Zharquia – who is Bajau Laut herself – is perplexed as to how Malaysia’s national security could be at risk.
“How can the Bajau threaten Malaysia’s security when many of us are illiterate and cannot communicate efficiently? There are many in the Philippines who are unable to understand our dialect. How can Malaysia feel threatened by a small illiterate community?” she said.
On the Sabah government’s recent decision to evict hundreds of Bajau Laut from their makeshift wooden homes in Semporna, Zharquia is of the view that such activities are akin to sweeping away problems instead of addressing issues faced by the community.
The main issues faced by the Bajau Laut in Sabah stem from their statelessness and a lack of recognition that they are indigenous to Sabah, she said.
Meanwhile, the Bajau Laut in the Philippines are also considered stateless given their lack of documentation but are recognised as an indigenous group, she added.
“This allows the Bajau Laut and other indigenous groups in the Philippines to assert their native rights.
“Malaysia’s recent actions could be viewed as attempting to drive the community away to the Philippines which they may not want.”
She said Malaysia should look at recognising the Bajau as an indigenous group.
“We acknowledge that the community has problems, but they bring benefits too and can be used to enhance the tourism and marine agriculture industry.
“The eviction feels like they were pushing the problem to a neighbour and in the end it just creates a regional problem,” Zharquia said.
According to USBA’s regional manager Hassanal H. Hassan, the group aims to advance institutional development for the Bajau Laut community in the Philippines. USBA also works with the Philippines government to provide assistance for the stateless Bajau Laut.
The Bajau Laut is an ethnic group scattered across the Philippines, Brunei, Indonesia and Malaysia who live a nomadic seaborne lifestyle. They live offshore in wooden houseboats or huts built on stilts and have travelled freely in the borderless Sulu areas comprising north Borneo and southern Philippines.
On June 7, authorities conducted eviction operations against the Bajau Laut community living on seven islands in Semporna, including Pulau Bohey Dulang, Pulau Maiga, Pulau Bodgaya, Pulau Sebangkat, and Pulau Sibuan.
Sabah Tourism, Culture, and Environment Minister Datuk Christina Liew confirmed that 138 illegal houses were demolished between June 4 and 6, drawing significant public backlash.
In response to the criticism, Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor promised that the state government would assist the Bajau Laut community members who had their homes destroyed. – June 18, 2024