Xenophobia a political tool to justify Sabah evictions, activist says

Waning support for the sitting government may be a reason for the state’s strong stance against the Bajau Laut and other coastal communities, activist Wong Kueng Hui posited.

Wong, the director of Mandiri Borneo, a collective of 126 NGOs, believes the state’s “zero squatter colony” campaign is part of its move to shore up support for the Sabah election, speculated to take place at year-end.

The evictions started in March after Deputy Chief Minister II Joachim Gunsalam’s announcement to evict most of 130,397 people from 285 targeted squatter colonies by 2025.

Although the Bajau Laut community has lived on the eastern coasts of Sabah since before the formation of Malaysia, many are treated as undocumented migrants.

This, coupled with the history of mass migration from the Philippines from the 1970s, following violence in Mindanao, and politically driven demographic shifts of the 1980s, has fuelled xenophobia.

This, Wong said, is now used by the state to “throw away” the unique seafaring tribe, Wong said.

“I think (Sabah chief minister) Hajiji (Noor)’s waning support in Sabah is a factor (in the eviction drive).

“People in Sabah are very xenophobic when it comes to Indonesians and Filipinos.

“It’s easy to cast aspersions that a particular community are Filipinos or Indonesians, even if they are not, just to discredit them,” he said, referring to the Bajau Laut caught in the eviction dragnet last month.

Not the first time

This is not the first time marginalised, stateless, and migrant issues have been used for political gain in the state.

The issue stems from a citizenship manipulation drive from the mid-1980s, allegedly aimed at shifting political power - dubbed Project IC.

READ MORE: KINIGUIDE | The plight of stateless Bajau Laut in Sabah

Over a decade from the mid-1980s, there was an alleged federal government-linked move to alter the electoral demographics, including registering scores of migrants as citizens, and key political actors, the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Project IC heard, decades later.

Although he considers the Bajau Laut culture to be a “national treasure”, Wong admits that many in Sabah do not share the same view.

“Society doesn’t like the Bajau Laut. Locals say they are dirty and uneducated but demolishing their houses will not boost the economy or reduce inflation.”

Pre-dating Malaysia

Evictions have often been justified on the grounds that the Bajau Laut community, among others, are squatters.

But this has been contested by those who argue that the communities have been residing in the area for generations, even pre-dating the formation of the country.

“The demolition of Bajau Laut homes in Semporna is a severe human rights violation, exposing systemic discrimination and the plight of stateless communities in Sabah,” said Mandiri Borneo chairperson, Dina Lee.

Lee called on the government to immediately cease the demolitions, provide emergency assistance, and offer alternative housing to the affected families.

She emphasised the need for long-term solutions that respect the cultural needs and livelihoods of the Bajau Laut community.

“This includes addressing citizenship issues, safeguarding legal rights, and consulting affected communities for equitable development and social justice,” Lee added.

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