KOTA KINABALU – The welfare of the Bajau Laut community, who hold a special stateless status, remains a priority for both the federal and the Sabah state governments, said Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Mohd Noor.
He urged locals not to confuse the Bajau Laut, also known as the Sea Gypsies, with migrants who enter the country illegally, emphasising their right to protection.
“We must recognise that (some of) the Bajau Laut people are stateless. Under international law and the United Nations, wherever the people are, the host country is obliged to care for them,” Hajiji said.
“We cannot equate the stateles Bajau Laut people with undocumented migrants in the country.”
Hajiji made these remarks during an interview with reporters following the 2024 East Malaysia Maahad Tahfiz Sulaimaniyyah graduation ceremony at the Sabah National Department for Culture and Arts complex.
He further explained that if the stateless Bajau Laut people move into Indonesian waters, the Indonesian government is responsible for them, and the same applies to the Philippines.
“This is the fundamental principle in our treatment of the community,” he said.
Hajiji also mentioned that the Sabah government is actively collecting data on the Palauh population, estimating that approximately 27,000 individuals are scattered across Sabah.
In early June, Sabah authorities evicted the Bajau Laut community and demolished their homes, which were allegedly built illegally within the Tun Sakaran Marine Park in Semporna.
This incident sparked widespread criticism from locals and civil organisations, who condemned the actions as cruel. – July 6, 2024