PULAU Berhala, a 5ha forested island off Sandakan bay, was meant to be developed as a tourist hot spot.
It has come a long way from a leper colony and quarantine station for prisoners of war during the Japanese occupation in the 1940s.
But when the civil unrest broke in the Southern Philippines in the 1970s, the island was turned into a settlement for Filipino refugees given the IMM13 papers, allowing them to continue with their trade in Sabah.
The settlers are mostly fishermen.
About 20 years after these refugees settled there, many of them became Malaysians, allegedly from the citizenship-for-vote programme called ‘Projek IC’.
The illegal migrants, dubious citizens and the stateless have long been an emotional problem for Sabahans, and the federal government is now looking at ways to solve it, one including giving them proper documentation.
Sabah Chief Minister Mohd Shafie Apdal has continuously expressed concern that these migrants might no longer be accepted by their home country as they had been in the state for too long.
Today, 60% of the 3,400 of the island’s population are Malaysians, while the remaining 40% are IMM13 holders and the stateless.
The children of Malaysians are allowed to enrol in government schools located in the mainland. There are no schools on the island.
The schoolchildren wake up as early as 4.30am to get to school on a boat which lands at the jetty near the Sandakan central market.
It is a costly affair for those who miss the early morning boat ride.
Parents have to fork out a bottle of petrol and motor oil to pay fishermen to send their children to school whenever they are late.
Some children also resort to bringing along an extra change of clothes so they could sleep in town to save on boat rides.
Meanwhile, the children of migrants who are not allowed into government schools get their basic education from soldiers.
They are taught basic writing, reading and arithmetic.
The residents have no basic water and electricity supplies and rely on well water, while a few houses are equipped with generators, which owners run as long as there is fuel available. – May 17, 2019.
The jetty is among the plight faced by islanders, who are mostly Bajau and Suluk. With a population of 3,400, Pulau Berhala, in the Sandakan parliamentary constituency, also lacks electricity and clean water supply. – The Malaysian Insight pic by Irwan Majid, May 17, 2019.Primary and secondary schoolchildren rely on boats to get to school in Sandakan mainland. The fishermen are the main transport providers on Pulau Berhala. – The Malaysian Insight pic by Irwan Majid, May 17, 2019.A composite of night activities on Pulau Berhala, Sandakan. Villagers have no major complaints about their way of life but they are still without basic amenities, such as electricity, clean water supply and schools on the island. – The Malaysian Insight pic by Irwan Majid, May 17, 2019.Generators provide the sole electricity supply on Pulau Berhala, Sandakan. – The Malaysian Insight pic by Irwan Majid, May 17, 2019.Kg Pulau Berhala has been in existence since 1972, populated by mostly refugees who fled the Philippines. – The Malaysian Insight pic by Irwan Majid, May 17, 2019.Children on the island have to travel to the Sandakan mainland to attend primary and secondary school. – The Malaysian Insight pic by Irwan Majid, May 17, 2019.Schoolchildren heading back from Sandakan mainland. The fishermen are the main transport providers on Pulau Berhala. – The Malaysian Insight pic by Irwan Majid, May 17, 2019.Children enjoying the last of the daylight on Pulau Berhala, Sandakan. – The Malaysian Insight pic by Irwan Majid, May 17, 2019.A fisherman preparing his boat on Pulau Berhala, Sandakan. – The Malaysian Insight pic by Irwan Majid, May 17, 2019.Villagers rely on well water on Pulau Berhala, Sandakan. – The Malaysian Insight pic by Irwan Majid, May 17, 2019.Teenagers playing volleyball on Pulau Berhala, Sandakan. – The Malaysian Insight pic by Irwan Majid, May 17, 2019.After prayers, villagers congregate at the mosque on Pulau Berhala, Sandakan, for some gossip and to catch up on the news. – The Malaysian Insight pic by Irwan Majid, May 17, 2019.Passengers from the island checking their smartphones while travelling to Sandakan mainland from Pulau Berhala. – The Malaysian Insight pic by Irwan Majid, May 17, 2019.Most of the villagers on Pulau Berhala are Bajau and Suluk. – The Malaysian Insight pic by Irwan Majid, May 17, 2019.Among the problems faced by the villagers is a lack of water supply on Pulau Berhala, Sandakan. – The Malaysian Insight pic by Irwan Majid, May 17, 2019.A composite portrait of stateless children and IMM13 card holders on Pulau Berhala, Sandakan. – The Malaysian Insight pic by Irwan Majid, May 17, 2019.Once a leper colony during the colonial period, Pulau Berhala is now a thriving community of more than 3,000 villagers who depend on the sea for their source of income. There are generations of fishermen and boatmen on the island. – The Malaysian Insight pic by Irwan Majid, May 17, 2019.
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