I WRITE this letter on behalf of all the poor, landless people of Sabah.

In Sabah, many people live in slums in coastal areas and islands.

You can find these slums even in Kota Kinabalu, Sandakan, Tawau and Lahad Datu.

These people do not have any land to build their houses on, therefore, they build them in the sea and mangrove areas, supposedly no man’s land.

These houses are built with no safety features. Often, too, these houses have no water or electricity supply.

The people throw waste into the sea or fling it out of their windows.

Some houses are occupied by several families.

There is no regulation regarding the number of houses built at each location, so the number can increase.

As these people live in a crowded environment with no water supply, tuberculosis and water-borne diseases can occur.

The continual pollution of the sea with rubbish and human waste will affect the tourism and seafood industries in Sabah.

Recently, the government launched the Sabah Development Corridor and provided a massive allocation for it.

Some of the funds should be used to relocate these squatters and provide houses for those without land and homes.

Basic infrastructure, like housing, piped water and electricity should be in place before we decide on mega projects that increase the gap between the rich and the poor.

The issues I have highlighted will hinder progress as they will lead to an increase in social and health problems.

I plead with our leaders to help the poor so that they can share and appreciate the progress that Malaysia has.

The houses rented to the poor under “Projek Perumahan Rakyat” (public housing projects) should be sold to them after the five-year period, instead of the poor having to vacate the house and look for another place.

That house will be given to another poor family. We do not expect the poor to save enough to own a house after five years, especially with more mouths to feed.

The vicious cycle of squatters will never end.

Therefore, until 2020, there will still be many slums and squatter areas in the Land Below the Wind.

DR ZORINA KHALID, Sandakan

Source: NST – March 24, 2008