KUALA LUMPUR, June 30 — The once nomadic Bajau Laut tribe should be recognised as long-term residents of Malaysia, according to Sabah Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Seri Jeffrey Kitingan.

He said the community must not be left to fend for itself as being stateless has severely restricted their access to healthcare and education, news portal Free Malaysia Today reported this morning.

"They cannot be neither here nor there. The Bajau Laut have lived, resided and worked in the region just like the other tens of dozens of ethnic groups in the state. We should not and cannot deny their existence as bona fide residents of Sabah.

"They are not citizens of Indonesia or the Philippines,” Kitingan was quoted as saying.

As the state agriculture, fisheries, and food industry minister, Kitingan suggested that the seafaring community known for their expert fishing and diving could significantly contribute to marine-farming industries such as fish breeding and seaweed cultivation.

"Additionally, they can be used to rejuvenate the thriving but threatened marine life, like corals, by removing hordes of plastic garbage dumped at sea and fish-bombing.

"A proper development plan should be devised to relocate them to proper mainland coastal-villages — complete with amenities for housing, healthcare, education and skills training — to ensure their socio-economic wellbeing.”

Semporna MP Tan Sri Shafie Apdal was also reported to express similar sentiments.

He told the news portal that the estimated 100,000 Bajau Laut in Sabah are integral to the naturalised ethnic groups in the Bornean state, despite many lacking identity documents.

He and Kitingan both urged the federal government to issue the Bajau Laut with proper identification papers as they are also unwelcomed in neighbouring countries.

"We can start by authenticating their residential status with input from the village heads, who can vouch for them, just like it is done with all other ethnic groups in peninsular Malaysia, Sarawak and Sabah.

"With proper identification, especially birth certificates for newborns, the Bajau Laut can then somewhat legally live their lives peacefully and enjoy the benefits meant for permanent residents or citizens,” Shafie was quoted as saying.

The Sabah government’s move in demolishing Bajau Laut settlements earlier this month have sparked controversy and drawn international scrutiny on human rights in Malaysia.

Some activists condemned the state for its inhumane and disrespectful actions towards the Bajau Laut while others insisted that authorities had acted within the law.