Federal, state govts seeking solutions to resolve Pala'u Community issues - Mastura

KUALA LUMPUR, July 16 -- The federal and state governments will  give more attention on the issue of Pala’u children and seek the best solutions to problems faced by the Pala’u community in Sabah.

Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Special Functions) Mastura Mohd Yazid said, among other things, the government would continue working with the United Nations International Children's Fund (UNICEF) on the children's activity centre, which should have started in April, but had to be postponed due to COVID-19 transmission.

She said the centre was specifically set up for the street and Pala'u children to learn the basics of reading, counting, writing, drawing and various other activities, where they would be provided with light meals and allowed to go home at the end of day.

“In this way, we hope to attract more Pala'u children to the centre, thus preventing them from engaging in unhealthy activities or roaming around aimlessly," she said in reply to  Chan Foong Hin (PH-Kota Kinabalu) who raised the issue of the stateless Pala'u children living and begging in the streets around Kota Kinabalu.

She said the Sabah state government,  together with several agencies from the federal and state governments, had also set up a Pala’u Community Management Committee in addressing problems faced by the group in relation to education, employment and housing.

“We will look into the community’s nomadic living at sea and try to capitalise their strengths for the good of everyone, especially the people of Sabah as well as the Pala’u community.

"However work had been held up as attention was focused on the COVID-19 pandemic and the recent flood disaster in Sabah," she said.

Mastura added that as the Pala’u community are under pressure and finding difficulties in getting jobs, most, including children, have turn to the streets to beg for food and money in Sabah.

She said most do not have documents because they are not recognised as citizens of any country while some who do have a  birth certificate, are not permitted to be in Malaysia legally or recognised as citizens.

“The government will not stop non-governmental organisations from organising activities to assist the community, especially in providing basic education to the children, as long as they comply with the existing guidelines and regulations," she said.

-- BERNAMA