By Olivia Miwil
KOTA KINABALU: Last year, a video of migrant children grabbing leftovers from a table at a restaurant went viral, shocking netizens.
But for many in Sabah, these "street kids" are a common sight.
These undocumented children roam the streets here, some begging or waiting outside banks in the hope of handouts, while others earn meagre incomes collecting cans and bottles for recycling.
Some sniff glue to stave off hunger.
These street kids, who speak a dialect similar to Bajau Ubian, have been around for decades, even if social media makes their presence appear new.
Sabah Welfare Department director Jais Asri said these children, most of whom are of Bajau Laut descent, will continue to roam Sabah's streets unless practical, long-term measures are put in place.
"These people can be been found in waters off Sabah, Kudat, Kunak, Lahad Datu and Semporna.
"They have long relied on the sea for their livelihood. But with their space shrinking due to curfews in the Eastern Sabah Security Zone (ESSZone) and the expansion of marine parks, where else can they go?" he told the New Straits Times.
ESSZone, which covers 10 coastal districts, was established in March 2013 following the Lahad Datu intrusion by armed militants from the southern Philippines.
It was established to prevent future threats, such as cross-border incursions, piracy and kidnappings.
While ESSZone has exacerbated the issue, the street kids are symptomatic of Sabah's wider undocumented migrant problem.
The decades-old issue stems from the displacement of many Bajau Laut, or sea gypsies, due to post-colonial borders, conflict and dwindling resources and opportunities.
They are a maritime ethnic group known for their traditional, nomadic, boat-dwelling lifestyle. These expert free-divers and fishermen have lived on the waters off Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines for centuries but are largely stateless.
Members of this community in Sabah mainly originate from waters off Semporna, with some holding identification documents marked "Palauh", issued by the Semporna district chief in the 1990s.
Having been displaced onto land, many turn to illegal work to survive. For the children, this often means begging.
"Alternatively, some men work on large fishing vessels, which means being away from their families for months. In their absence, the children are left to help support their mothers and siblings," he said.
SEARCH FOR SOLUTION
The state government has set up temporary protection centres for non-citizen beggars in Kota Kinabalu, Tawau, Sandakan and Lahad Datu.
For example, the centre here took in 298 children from 2023 to June last year, with periods of one week to three months each.
"There are structured programmes in place, including self-care, community living and informal spiritual education. After this period, they are returned to their parents or guardians under specific conditions," said Jais.
However, the department faces constraints in facilities, trained personnel and expertise in providing social and psychological support.
As a result, a six-agency task force was formed, involving the welfare department, the Sabah Affairs and Research Office, local governments, police, Immigration, and the Security and Emergency Assistance Agency.
Jais said the department was also running the "Bijak Membantu, Elak Tertipu" (Help Wisely, Don't Be Deceived) awareness campaign to discourage donating to child beggars.
"Giving money to these children only perpetuates the begging culture and increases the risk of exploitation. Instead, the public should channel donations to legitimate protection centres or non-governmental organisations.
"They should also report cases of child exploitation or begging syndicates to the police, our department or local authorities."
However, Jais acknowledged these were only temporary measures.
"Without proper documentation, sea gypsies and their descendants risk remaining trapped in a cycle of deprivation on land."
He proposed a more sustainable solution: allocating marine zones where these communities can return to their traditional way of life.
"There should be no prejudice in dealing with sea gypsies. They deserve to be treated as human beings, just like everyone else.
"Their nomadic existence in Sabah's waters is part of our cultural richness and should be acknowledged, not erased."
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