After Bajau Laut eviction, group asks if Malaysians close eyes to injustices at home

Independent youth group Mandiri has strongly condemned the eviction and demotion of the homes of the Bajau Laut communities in Semporna.

According to group director Wong Kueng Hui, the act is inhumane and is a blatant violation of human rights and the rule of law.

“Malaysia often condemns atrocities that occur in other countries but closes its eyes on the injustice that happens in its own backyard.

“Mandiri calls on Malaysians to look for Borneo and see for themselves how the Bajau Laut community is oppressed in their own homeland,” said Wong in a statement today.

Sabah Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Christina Liew has defended the actions, saying that evacuation notices were issued to 273 illegal settlements in the Tun Sakaran Marine Park waters from May 2 to 4 due to safety concerns.

“The sovereignty of the country’s laws must be upheld, and this is why the demolition and evacuation of the unauthorised settlements were carried out from June 4 to 6.

“A total of 138 settlements built in the hot zone were demolished and the owners tore down the rest of the settlements.

“These measures were agreed upon in several meetings involving relevant agencies such as the Sabah Parks, district offices, and the police, including eight authorised representatives from Sabah Parks communities,” she said.

Citizenship status

The citizenship status of many members of the nomadic Bajau Laut community has often been called into question, but Wong, who himself waged a lengthy battle to secure his citizenship, said that the community must not remain marginalised.

“The Bajau Laut community has inhabited the waters of Sabah for aeons before the existence of Malaysian borders.

“However, citizenship rights and access to basic needs such as education and health have been systematically denied to them. Now, they are expelled from their own homeland.

“This action is not much different from the persecution of the Rohingya ethnic group in Myanmar, who were expelled and brutally killed. Does the Malaysian government want to repeat the same humanitarian tragedy in its own country?” Wong asked.

He pointed out that Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim had promised the eradication of extreme poverty in the near future.

However, he noted how brutal actions against the Bajau Laut community, among the poorest in Sabah, are exposing the hypocrisy of the government.

“Is this what poverty eradication means? Forced evictions?

“The government often chants the ‘Malaysia Madani’ which emphasises values of humanity and justice.

“However, this action against the Bajau Laut community shows that the slogan is just empty rhetoric,” he claimed.

Wong also claimed that Liew’s statement that the eviction notices had been circulated earlier did not tally with other statements on the matter and called for greater transparency and accountability by the authorities.

He said Mandiri called for an immediate halt to deportations and all forms of eviction and demolition of Bajau community homes.

He also called for the state and federal governments to involve the Bajau Laut community in a dialogue to find a just and humane solution, including the provision of suitable alternative housing.

He also urged that on a wider level, the citizenship of the Bajau Laut be resolved to ensure that their fundamental rights are guaranteed. - Mkini