Malaysia’s Sea Nomads: Trapped Between Southeast Asia’s High and Low Politics
Sea nomads have faced decades of discrimination in postcolonial Southeast Asia. Malaysia’s recent mass evictions of the Bajau Laut are just the latest example.
Mustika Indah Khairina and Wengki Ariando, The Diplomat
Earlier this month, Reuters reported the forced eviction of hundreds of “sea nomads” in the Malaysian state of Sabah. The news was based on reports by local activists who received videos directly from the communities affected. They stated that authorities have set fire to and torn down houses belonging to the stateless Bajau Laut, an ethnolinguistic group in Southeast Asia with a historical presence around the Sulu and Timor Seas.
The videos went viral on social media, garnering national attention in Malaysia of the Bajau Laut’s plight. Since then, they have sparked a “high politics” debate on Indigenous maritime communities’ rights, citizenship, and national security, as the government considers the area a “hotspot” for cross-border crime and criminal hideouts.
However, the nomadic history and culture of the Bajau Laut, which are deeply rooted in and oriented toward the sea, distinguish them from other undocumented communities that traditionally pose a threat to Malaysia’s national sovereignty.
Widely known for their unrivaled navigation and sailing skills since as far back as the 13th century, the Bajau Laut (or Sama Bajau, as they are known in Indonesia) are dispersed across the Philippines, Malaysia, and 14 provinces in Indonesia, with a population of around 500,000 (reliable data is unavailable). The other two linguistic sub-groups of sea nomads are the Moken or Moklen in Thailand and Myanmar and the Orang Laut in Thailand, Malaysia, and Indonesia.
In the past, these sea-faring skills allowed these groups to play an important role in protecting maritime routes, transporting goods, and communicating across international waters, making them indispensable as a source of power and prestige for their land-based allies.
Today, however, most have settled on the coast and small islands, and their way of life has also adapted to align with the mainland-dominant society. Despite this, a few still practice nomadic or semi-nomadic traditions, such as those living in the Riau Islands and the borders between Sabah and Indonesia’s East Kalimantan Province.
A Regional Issue
The recent eviction was not an isolated event. It is part of a larger systematic displacement of Malaysia’s Indigenous seafaring community, carried out under the guise of security and development.
In the wake of the evictions, Malaysia’s Housing and Urban Development Board announced the development of a new township in Sabah’s Kampung Air. This again puts the local Bajau Laut, who are already regarded as non-citizens, at risk of displacement. The government plans to resettle them and the other locals to make way for facilities such as hotels and offices to boost Semporna’s tourism industry.
