KUALA LUMPUR, July 22 — The Sabah government’s recent deconstruction of the makeshift huts built by the seafaring Bajau Laut community on Malaysia’s easternmost shores drew global attention to what has been viewed as a long-standing local problem.

Criticisms were immediate from many human rights advocates both international and domestic. But what is a government to do about an indigenous people whose nomadic ways pose a security risk to a sovereign nation’s borders?

To social workers like Jerald Joseph, the solution is straightforward — grant them Malaysian citizenship.

"Granting them citizenship would formalise them into the mainstream of Malaysian society, thus providing them with the normal rights and welfare that are provided to Malaysians, such as health and education. This will in turn reduce crime, communicable diseases, and so on,” the Pusat Komas director told Malay Mail when contacted.

"If an estimated 25,000 individuals (although this number is uncertain) are granted citizenship, they will be integrated into the system, allowing security forces to identify them. This integration also facilitates cross-border recognition by neighbouring governments, simplifying border security management,” he added.

To Jerald, the risks and drawbacks to the Malaysian government are minimal.

"I can't think of any as all human beings must be documented to live a life in dignity,” he said.

Datuk Sri M. Ramachelvam, National Human Rights Society of Malaysia president, is another staunch advocate of citizenship for the stateless Bajau Laut.

"The main reason the Bajau Laut don’t have documentation is because of the lack of political will.

"The failure to grant citizenship to the Bajau Laut people amounts to a collective failure of the government and the various organs of government,” he said.

Project IC, an old spectre

But the idea of providing the Bajau Laut with citizenship remains controversial in Sabah to this day due to the mass naturalisation of immigrants dating back to the 1970s, purportedly to increase the voter population to favour the government of the day.

Ramachelvam said society should learn to differentiate between the old Project IC and granting citizenship to the stateless today.

"Project IC has been criticised for granting citizenship and consequently voting rights to persons not entitled to citizenship.

"Whereas the granting of citizenship to Bajau Laut people is the conferment of citizenship on people who are entitled to citizenship but were not granted citizenship,” he said.

Jerald dismissed the use of Project IC as an excuse not to document the Bajau Laut, calling it "baseless now”.

"Project IC allegations had a political agenda to increase a so-called Muslim base to support a particular political party (logic at that time which doesn’t hold water now).

"This is a long overdue legitimate demand now for the Bajau Laut to have a citizenship and not be treated differently and not be able to access services properly,” he said.

Reconciliation first, then dialogue and assimilation

Sabah NGO Iskul Sama diLaut Omadal (Iskul), a long-time advocate for the indigenous community, agrees with the need to provide the Bajau Laut documentations, but stressed the importance of education and acceptance.

"The issue is complex. There probably needs to be a reconciliation process first from Project IC while the government initiates dialogue with the Philippines and Indonesia governments on how to protect the Bajau Laut as the indigenous people of the Sulu and Sulawesi seas.

"It is imperative also for the government to set up a special task force consist of policy makers, relevant agencies, academics, NGOs and others to study the historical context of the Bajau Laut seafarers and how statelessness have impacted their life as well as how they also contribute to the economic of the state in their own ways,” said a spokesman for the organisation, declining to be named.

"Granting them citizenship is important but it isn't as straightforward because of the Project IC trauma and systematic discrimination faced by the community,” the Iskul representative added.

Mukmin Nantang from Borneo Komrad, another Sabah-based NGO, pitched the need for a long-term and comprehensive assimilation plan to resolve the Bajau Laut’s statelessness.

"Simply giving them documentation now doesn’t work, we need a 30-year plan,” he said.

Mukmin told Malay Mail that pilot projects and studies for integration should be prioritised above ICs for the Bajau Laut to prevent the issue from becoming political fodder, particularly when elections roll around.

"Borneo Komrad have repeatedly asked for the ministries in question to get together and call academics and NGOs, schools administrators and the community representatives to work on acknowledging the Bajau Laut community as Malaysians.

"Only once we do this properly without some knee-jerk reaction can we see long lasting impact and provide some comfort and ease to the Bajau Laut community who are struggling to make ends meet,” he said.

Singapore Institute of International Affairs senior fellow Oh Ei Sun echoed the need for political will.

"Granting citizenship to this group would integrate them into Malaysian society, providing access to healthcare and education, and potentially reducing crime and diseases,” he said.

However, he warned of potential social burdens if migrants from neighbouring countries falsely claimed Bajau Laut identity to gain Malaysian citizenship.