Activists have piled on the pressure for the government to halt further attempts to oppress the Bajau Laut community in Sabah, warning that they’ll take to the streets if it continues.

In a joint press conference representing 126 NGOs, Mandiri Borneo director Wong Kueng Hui said that the group will continue to monitor the situation in Sabah before taking action.

"We will monitor what’s happening in Sabah, if they continue we will strategise, but we already have a plan (for the demonstration),” he added.

The push came as Borneo Komrad founder Mukmin Nantang alleged an eviction operation was carried out against the Bajau Laut community living on seven islands in Semporna - Pulau Bohey Dulang, Pulau Maiga, Pulau Bodgaya, Pulau Sebangkat, and Pulau Sibuan.

When asked if there is a specific timeframe given to the government, Wong said the date and venue for the rally will be decided later.

Leading the NGO pact, Liga Rakyat Demokratik chairperson Abdul Muqit Muhammad stated five demands for the government to act swiftly on the Bajau Laut community’s predicament.

Five demands

Among the five demands is for the government to immediately halt the eviction operation that involves the destruction and burning of stilt houses owned by the Bajau Laut community in Sabah.

Secondly, Muqit urged the government to provide shelter and alternative housing for the affected families who have lost their homes.

"Disburse commensurate compensation for the demolished homes of the Bajau Laut communities who have been affected.

"Investigate and take decisive action on the enforcement officers involved in the burning and destruction of homes and damage to village plantations.

"And finally, establish a special committee across various government agencies, ministries, civil societies and representatives from the affected communities to devise a viable and humane long-term solution and prevent the recurrence of these incidents in the future," he said.

On June 7, the government was urged to establish a task force to tackle the issue at hand involving the community.

Community-run school Iskul Sama DiLaut Omadal in a statement posted on Instagram, proposed that the task force initiate discussions with the Philippines and Indonesia to develop a collaborative approach to safeguard and protect the Bajau Laut as the indigenous people of the Sulu and Sulawesi Seas.

‘Where’s the intensity?’

Human rights group Suaram documentation and monitoring coordinator Jernell Tan questioned the local intensity of activism in the Bajau Laut community, saying the energy should be on the same level as how the public has been supporting the plight of Palestinians in the Middle East.

She said the issue faced by the Bajau Laut community should be highlighted as they are facing a similar fate, following the eviction and house burning allegedly undertaken by the Sabah government.

"How can we call ourselves compassionate beings on the international stage, if we're doing something that the Israelis do towards potential Malaysians?" she asked in the same press conference.

The Bajau Laut community’s situation can be likened to that of the Palestinians, who have been forcefully removed from their homes by Israel.

On June 10, it was reported that fire destroyed 15 squatter houses during the demolition in Kampung Kalansanan, near Inanam.

While the authorities denied setting the blaze, the NGO disputed it, adding that 40 houses were destroyed instead of the 15 reported.

Touching on the community’s plight, former law minister Zaid Ibrahim recently said they have lived in that part of Sabah for centuries, even before Malaysia came about.

While acknowledging that many of them are undocumented, he said a responsible government would recognise their hardships, history, and traditions.