KOTA KINABALU: Hundreds of displaced nomadic Palau people have moved to other islands and coastal villages to start anew, says non-governmental organisation (NGO) Borneo Komrad.
Its founder Mukmin Nantang said these villagers had no choice but to find shelter elsewhere following the demolition of their community houses in Semporna last week.
Some had gone to live with relatives or friends temporarily while others just moved to other islands, he said.
“But of course, we cannot say which islands they have gone to, or which towns and villages they are currently at, owing to privacy and security concerns,” he said when contacted on Wednesday (June 12).
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Some also chose to live on their boats or even stay put in their partially destroyed houses, as they did not know where else to go, he added.
Mukmim said those whose houses were demolished had been left with almost nothing.
He said it was heartbreaking to see basic humanity ignored in dealing with this community.
“I have seen for myself the suffering they go through. They are insulted by local communities because they are considered dirty, poor and uneducated.
“Many look down on these people but how are they supposed to learn values such as cleanliness and morals if they are deprived of the right to education, among other things?” Mukmin asked.
On claims that some villagers torched their own homes during the demolition as a form of protest and to garner public sympathy, he said no one in their right mind would do such a thing.
Recently, the authorities – including Sabah Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Christina Liew – had said that the demolition exercise on June 4 and 5 was for security reasons and that the villagers had resorted to burning their damaged houses during the operation.
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She also said eviction notices had been issued to a total of 273 houses in early May and 138 of these illegal structures were demolished.
Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor said on Tuesday (June 11) that the state had plans to address the matter and would not treat the Palau community with cruelty.
