KUNAK: While many Palau’s (Bajau Laut or Sea Gypsies) still live on boats a good number has been settling on land or building houses on water or near islands and coastal villages, especially on Sabah’s east coast.
After some of their dwellings were demolished in the Ops Koloni Setinggan operation for security reasons after armed shootouts with police and occupying gazetted Park areas, they didn’t know where to go.
At the same time, the government was forced to find a solution although being stateless and mainly from the Philippine islands.
Some members of this community have become literate by learning basic 3M (writing, reading, arithmetic) and following Quran lessons for Muslims.
