Borneo Komrad activist dedicates life to being voice of the unheard

MALAYSIANSKINI | When he was young, Mukmin Nantang noticed his undocumented friends were treated differently.

While he could attend school to learn and go to a clinic if he was ill, his friends couldn’t access these essential services when they needed them.

Witnessing this injustice sparked his interest in advocating for the undocumented and inspired him to become a voice for the unheard and overlooked.

Growing up in a large family, the Sabah native was the first and only one in his family to choose activism as a way of life.

“I am the sixth of 10 siblings. My father was a lorry driver, while my mom earned a living as a tailor. We were just a middle-income family in Tawau, and none were involved in politics or activism,” he told Malaysiakini.

He started talking about injustice in secondary school at SMK Kuhara in Tawau, where he debated injustice and politics with his classmates while participating in school clubs.

This led to him eventually setting up his organisation with his friends.

Mukmin initially planned to pursue his studies in sports science, but he eventually chose creative arts at Universiti Malaysia Sabah.

That was when he learned about the injustices the marginalised communities faced worldwide.

Instead of reading political articles, he said the books he read made him braver to speak about injustice.

“I learned about what happened in Europe and spent much time reading Indonesian and Tanah Melayu literature articles from journalists, poets, and artists. Among the figures who helped shape my mind are WS Rendra, Soe Hok Gie and Usman Awang,” he shared.

Setting up Borneo Komrad

While attending university, Mukmin was disappointed with the lack of debate and idea exchange, prompting him to set up a student club in 2014.

“It was quiet. There was no debate, no exchange of ideas. That prompted me to set up a student club in 2014. But to set it up, it took a lot of bureaucracy to register it.”

After bureaucratic hurdles in starting a new organsiation, he took over a dormant club and revamped it in 2015.

Under his leadership, the Student Literature Club (Karma) expanded its focus beyond literature to community engagement.

Mukmin was also active in theatre and initiated movements and events such as Student Voice (Suara Mahasiswa), Student Solidarity (Solidariti Mahasiswa), a student community library, and poetry festivals.

Eventually, he felt the need for a new force for political advocacy leading to the creation of Borneo Komrad.

“I felt the need to have a third force, and that is how Borneo Komrad started,” he said.

With Borneo Komrad, the group began visiting marginalised villages to provide free education.

They concluded that the stateless, especially the Bajau Laut, were the most marginalised in Sabah. Many lived in dire conditions, earning only RM300 a month, and their children couldn’t attend school due to their status.

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

“Some can attend school but cannot pursue further education because they only have a birth certificate. But they cannot continue to university because they do not have an identification card (IC),” he said.

Opening alternative schools

Mukmin linked education hurdles and injustice among the stateless Bajau Laut to broader social issues.

“Entering a university is not just about being smart but also about privilege. These innocent children are intelligent, some smarter than me, but they cannot enter university because of their status,” he said.

This prompted Borneo Komrad to establish Sekolah Alternatif for Bajau Laut children.

Initially, Mukmin and his friends funded the school themselves, covering expenses like fuel, stationery, and food for teachers and students.

“There were 10 of us, and each chipped in RM5. The total RM50 would run the school for a few days. Now, we receive grants and donations, allowing us to hire full-time teachers and hold activities for students,” he added.

READ MORE: Sekolah Alternatif: A school for Semporna's invisible children

Borneo Komrad now runs three alternative schools in Kota Kinabalu, Tawau, and Semporna, providing free education and occasionally assisting the stateless with healthcare services.

Going beyond education

Despite low costs for locals, stateless individuals face high hospital fees, leading Borneo Komrad to fight for their treatment and handle admissions documentation.

Mukmin explained that the stateless community would have to pay between RM3,000 and RM4,000 for hospital admission to deliver their babies, and the costs could be higher if there were complications.

“Due to their stateless status, hospitals tend to reject them. So we are among those who fight to get them treated, and sometimes, we handle the documentation for their admissions.

“There are cases where we assist to the extent that the newborns have birth certificates, parents receive supporting documents, and children will soon receive their IC,” he shared.

Looking ahead

While he constantly received criticism from others, Mukmin remains focused on educating stateless children until the community can care for itself. With the success of Sekolah Alternatif, Borneo Komrad set up Universiti Alternatif on July 8.

“The idea to set up the university came from our Sekolah Alternatif student, which I think is great as this shows how impactful education can be.

“Those entering the university are between 18 and 20 years old and keen on learning more. I hope these students will be the ones who speak up for the Bajau Laut community,” he said.

Following the recent controversial eviction of Bajau Laut villagers from their homes in Semporna, the police summoned Mukmin last month to question him under the Sedition Act.

Additionally, eight students and a teacher from Sekolah Alternative were arrested during the #KamiMahuAirSabah rally just a week before Mukmin was summoned.

While the teacher was released on police bail after being remanded for four days, the eight students were released after four more days.

To date, Mukmin said there has not been any update from the police regarding the two cases.

With Borneo Komrad’s 10th anniversary next year, Mukmin called for a special government committee to address statelessness in Sabah.

“The committee should develop plans for the next 30 years, including research and campaigning, ensuring children born in Sabah have birth certificates and compulsory school attendance.

“We aim to resolve statelessness, maritime disputes, identity confusion, and other issues by Malaysia’s 100th year,” he added.

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