SABAH Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor has assured protection will be accorded to the Bajau Laut communities as mandated under international laws.
He said protection to the sea nomadic community, commonly known locally as the Palauh, wherever they currently reside.
“We cannot equate the Palauh, who are not citizens of any country, with illegal immigrants. Illegal immigrants must be repatriated to their countries,” Hajiji told reporters in Kota Kinabalu today.
“If they are in Malaysia, particularly in Sabah, we must take care of their interests.
“This is the basis of how we should treat the Palauh. If they are in Indonesia, the Indonesian government will take care of them. We cannot confuse them with illegal immigrants,” he added.
The Bajau Laut communities in Sabah are nomadic maritime people who traditionally live on boats and in coastal areas of the Philippines and Malaysia. They move along coastal waters in search of seafood, their primary food source. Approximately 27,000 Palauh reside in Sabah, Hajiji said.
The eviction of a Bajau Laut community in the east coast district of Semporna early last month drew international backlash after a video allegedly showed their homes being set on fire.
Sabah authorities denied burning their homes, stating that the eviction was carried out because they were residing illegally within a state park. - The Vibes, July 6, 2024
