Bajau Laut embrace progress

 

SEMPORNA: At one time, Imai Ulaiman, 50, lived on his boat at sea. He has now resettled on terra firma along with his family in Pulau Bodgaya. 

In spite of the initial apprehensions, Imai went ahead with his decision to end his nomadic life on the boat, with his direction literally set by the winds. 

Bajau Laut houses: These are the kind of houses where the community members live near PulauBodgaya.

This is the typical life of the Bajau Laut or Pala’u community, which is known as the seafarer of Sabah.  

But what prompted Imai to take the plunge? 

He told me, through an interpreter, that it was to embrace development for the sake of his future generations. 

Imai’s family is among 30 families living in the settlement and the sea is still close to their heart. 

Their house stands on the sea and the boat serves as their main mode of transport. The Bajau Laut’s change in lifestyle has helped the state and the non-governmental organisations to channel assistance, especially employment opportunities based on marine resources. 

Imai made the right decision, as he will be among the settlers to partake in a seaweed-culture project under the Semporna Island Darwin Project to improve their socio-economic standing. 

Under the project, the participants are provided equipment and know-how on implementing seaweed culture. 

Bajau Laut family: Imai (left) and his family relaxing on their house at sea.

The project is an initiative to rope in the local community to preserve marine life, especially the corals in Tun Sakaran Marine Park. 

The project took off in 1998 and has been managed by the Marine Preservation Organisation with the cooperation of Sabah Parks to preserve biodiversity in the park by encouraging the sustainable use of marine resources. 

Imai said he was eager to get on with the project as it promised regular income for the family. 

“At present, we live on the catch and coconuts collected from nearby islands. I want to change my way of life so that my coming generations can enjoy development and go to school,” said Imai, who only speaks in his native language.  

Imai lives with his wife, children and grandchildren in two adjoining houses. The houses are cramped as 15 people live in them. 

The island dwellers don’t have a steady source of income. Valuable catches like shrimps and fishes are sold to fishermen or bartered for rice or clothes. 

Many from the Pala’u community hold strongly to traditional ways and most do not have identification documents or a formal education. They speak only in their mother tongue. 

Another member of the community who is seeking the winds of change is Injalmani Masewani, 50, who is also in the Semporna Island Darwin Project. 

“I cant wait to get on with the project as it promises a bright future for my family and will free us from the shackles of poverty,” said the father of nine.  

It is estimated that there are 150 Pala’u families in the district who still live on boats.  

The major Pala’u settlements in the district are Kampung Labuan Haji, Pulau BumBum and Kampung Bangau Bangau. Many live in homes built under the Hardcore Poor Housing Programme.  

The Bajau Laut community in Pulau Bodgaya has been offered the seaweed culture project as it has been successful in several coastal districts. 

Seaweed culture is a viable income generator for locals and is turning Semporna district into the leading seaweed producer in Sabah. The project has already been implemented in Pulau Selakan, Kerindingan, Bum Bum, Sebangkat, Sibuan, Pababag and Omadal.  

It has transformed the lives of villagers and they are no longer left out of development. – Bernama