Don’t force Bajau Laut to fit our idea of progress, says NGO

Bajau Laut children paddle about in boats in the waters off Omadal island in Semporna, in April 2018. (Bernama pic)

KOTA KINABALU: An NGO has warned against forcing minority groups such as the Bajau Laut to assimilate into mainstream society, urging the government to consult with them before attempting to effect change.

Persatuan Pengurusan Madrasah Al-Hikmah, which works with stateless children, said it is not wrong of the government to try and assimilate the community in order to provide education, healthcare and other benefits.

However, its treasurer Fong Ming San said this must be done in a manner that is acceptable to these people.

“You cannot bring them in forcefully,” he told FMT. “They would become depressed and alcoholic, and what then?

“Change their mindset and their habits first, slowly. Make it easier for them.”

The problem, he said, is that the Bajau Laut, also known as sea gypsies, are expected to fully integrate into society within only a few years.

“For example, a school was built, and the parents are expected to send their children there regardless of whether they like it or not. This is too much,” he added.

Fong Ming San.

The Bajau Laut are a subgroup of the Sama-Bajau people who traditionally hail from the many islands of the Sulu Archipelago in the Philippines.

They are, for the most part, expert divers, and are known for their ability to hold their breath underwater. Fishing is their economic mainstay although some have also taken up activities such as seaweed farming.

Efforts have been made by the governments of Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines to settle them on land, but they prefer their ancient traditions, living on boats in their own small and isolated communities.

Fong said he welcomes the government’s goal of helping stateless people like the Bajau Laut. However, he warned against destroying their culture in the process.

“All I’m saying is, we should consult them and ask them what they want. The way it is now, we are determining what we think is good for them as if we know everything.

“You want to put them in a place they are not used to, change their whole lifestyle and tradition, and force them to be like you. In a way, you are killing their customs and identity.

“In the end, they will no longer be Bajau Laut, but a people like you and me, with our identities and lifestyle which were once alien to them. If that’s not ethnic cleansing, I don’t know what is.” - FMT