Stop Sabah village demolition or we'll take to the streets - student group

 

A student group has vowed to march if the government does not postpone plans to destroy a village in Kota Kinabalu.

Gerakan Mahasiswa Nasional warned that if the government does not halt the demolition of Kampung Teluk Bayan Besar, along with a few other recommendations, students will take to the streets in protest.

“On Sept 18, Gerakan Mahasiswa Nasional received notice that the Kota Kinabalu City Council plans to destroy Kampung Teluk Layan Besar 30 days after the notice was sent out.

“This village has existed for more than 40 years, longer than Universiti Malaysia Sabah,” said International Islamic University Malaysia Congress vice-chairperson Danial Qayyum.

According to Gerakan Mahasiswa Nasional, there are more than 250 houses in Kampung Teluk Layan Besar, which is also the home to several communities of sea nomads.

The group recommended that the government form a special committee to handle the issue of the sea nomads’ stateless children before it considers destroying the village.

Memorandum submission

Gerakan Mahasiswa Nasional held a memorandum handover outside of Parliament this afternoon.

Although the group said several MPs had promised to receive the memorandum, none turned up and it eventually handed the document over to Muda member Wong Kueng Hui, who received it on behalf of Muar MP Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman.

Wong is notably a former stateless person from Sabah who had fought for 16 years to receive his MyKad.

Muda member and activist Wong Kueng Hui

The memorandum said that the destruction of the village ignores the important role of the residents there in developing Sabah as many of them work in sanitation, landscaping and construction.

Education opportunities will also be crushed

It pointed out that the action also violates the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC), which guarantees children the right to education and citizenship.

The village has an alternative school, Sekolah Alternatif Teluk Layan, which educates the stateless children of the sea nomads.

IIUM Congress vice-chairperson Danial Qayyum handing over the memorandum to Wong

The group urged the government to protect the school and use it as a model of education for marginalised communities, in line with its commitment to ensuring every child is able to access an education.

“If this destruction (of the village) continues, not only the homes of the village residents will be destroyed, but also the educational efforts that were built with the people’s sweat will be gone.

“We see that this action is in opposition to the government’s commitment under the Malaysia Madani concept that supposedly champions the eradication of hardcore poverty,” Danial said.

The memorandum was also supported by the following NGOs and civil society organisations:

Aliran
Borneo Komrad
Aspirasi Perintis
Liga Rakyat Demokratik
Suara Rakyat Malaysia (Suaram)
Bersih
Family Frontiers
Ajar Demokrasi
Mandiri
Koalisi Buruh Migran Berdaulat
Literasi Jalanan

- Mkini