KOTA KINABALU: Sepanggar Parti Warisan Division Chief, Mohd Azis Jamman, has urged the state government to prioritise humanitarian considerations in addressing the issue of demolitions in Likas Lama, Lembaga Padi, and several nearby areas.
He said the issue should not be viewed solely from the perspective of development or law enforcement, as it also involves matters of dignity and the government’s responsibility towards the people.
According to him, if there is a need to take over the area, such action must be accompanied by a fair and humane solution.
“The affected residents are not from well-off groups. They have lived in the area for decades, some for more than 40 years, building their lives and families there,” he said in a statement.
He also stressed that the residents involved are Malaysian citizens holding valid identity cards and come from various ethnic groups including Bajau, Bugis, Brunei, Suluk, and Kagayan.
He added that the situation is becoming more worrying as the children of these residents, who are still in school, now face uncertainty regarding their education if the demolitions proceed without proper solutions.
In this regard, he believes that carrying out demolitions without providing reasonable alternative housing is inappropriate and reflects a failure to understand the realities of life at the grassroots level.
Meanwhile, Mohd Azis also called on all parties not to make baseless assumptions by labelling the residents as illegal immigrants.
“Such accusations are not only unfair but also risk worsening the situation and denying the rights of legitimate local citizens,” he said.
He stated that the government, as the protector of the people, cannot merely implement policies without considering their impact on human lives.
“Development must not come at the expense of the people’s welfare, especially those who are underprivileged,” he said.
Therefore, he urged the state government to provide a clear, fair, and humane resettlement plan before any demolition actions are carried out.
In the same statement, he also questioned the government’s move to gazette and redevelop Kampung Bahagia, which is claimed to have about 30 percent non-citizen residents, while residents of Kampung Likas Lama—most of whom are local citizens—have yet to be provided with relocation before their homes are demolished.
At the same time, he emphasised that if there are occupants found to be foreign nationals who entered Sabah illegally, he fully supports the authorities in arresting, prosecuting, and deporting them to their countries of origin.
