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SANDAKAN – It is a common sight to watch children steering wheelbarrows and wheeling groceries to the vehicles of shoppers at the Sandakan central market.
They are the children of the stateless community and illegal immigrants who work hard to earn a decent living of less than RM10 to RM20 a day at the market.
Indie Andang, 19, said that he grew up doing the same job since he was about 10 years old – he offers the “carry-and-send-items-to-the-car” service using a wheelbarrow for customers at the market.
Back when I was about 10 years old, there were about 20 of us doing the same thing in the market. We have a wheelbarrow and each of us would offer our service to shoppers who would want us to send their groceries to their cars. Now, there are about 70 of us here.
“We don’t charge a specific fee. We would receive any payment given by the customers as they see fit. I had received as low as RM0.50 for my service, and as high as RM15 during Ramadan month when people were more generous,” he told The Vibes.
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Indie, who was born in Sandakan, is undocumented as his mother does not have a MyKad.
“My father has a document (MyKad), but they (the authorities) said my mother has to be a local in order for me to have a MyKad. My father said it is very difficult to process a self-identification document for me,” he said.
Ten years ago, the “wheelbarrow service” was a common sight at the market and they were generally run by children aged below 12.
However, today, the wheelbarrow service providers are generally teenagers if not older.
When questioned: “Where did all the children go?” Indie answered, “I was one of the children; we have all grown up.”
Indie said when he was younger, he would envy other local children his age whom he saw at the market, especially those who were wearing school uniforms.
I would envy them so much because they could go to school, and I know that they will end up with a good job and comfortable life like their parents.
“However, now that I am grown up, I have learned to accept my fate. I just want to continue earning money so that I can eat every day.
“I am hoping for a miraculous day when I would receive generous tips from people and have extra money to give my mother,” he said.
Indie’s mother is not working, while his father is selling vegetables near the market.
Indie, who is a soft-spoken and polite lad, proudly shared that he has never done anything illegal like stealing or doing drugs, and that being busy at the market is the best job that he could do at the moment.
“The only thing illegal I have done is by being here (undocumented),” he said.
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Meanwhile, Indie’s best friend, Simon Inggati, 22, who does the same job, said he loves his job but he hopes to learn farming so that he can sell vegetables at the market.
“I could earn up to RM30 per day if I come for another shift at night (3am night market outside of Sandakan central market).
“However, on some days, we have to stay at home if we hear rumours that there will be an operation by the authorities.
On certain days, when we spot police personnel nearby, we would quickly run and hide nearby. It has become a norm for us. I have witnessed my friends being arrested, locked up in a temporary detention centre, and then sent to a foreign place (the Philippines) where they don’t know anyone. I just pray that it will never happen to me.”
Simon started doing the job a couple of years back after he quit helping a fishmonger at the market.
“I saved enough money to buy myself a brand new wheelbarrow. It was RM120 and I find it more relaxing than helping the boss (fishmonger) to sell fish,” he added. – The Vibes, December 13, 2021
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