The children, me and more children...

This trip is very meaningful and it changes my life. Not the beautiful island but the Bajau People.

At the very west edge of Malaysia, lay many amazing island which is rich in marine life. The nearest coastal town to access these islands were a place call Semporna.  In Malays, Sempurna means perfect. 

I had learned to love the Sea throughout my childhood. My papa likes to bring me to fish at the seaside but I never dare to tell him that I wanted to be a fisherman when I grew up.

The Bajau people are the bumiputera of many island scattered of the west coast of Sabah. Many islands are without names. I was told that for many years these people have lived in the ocean on their make-shift house boats. Probably only in recent years that they have made settlements into the coastal area, with their houses built on stilts. The ocean is still their main source of living - fishing, collecting clams and mussels

The above image is a family of a average Bajau sea gypsies family and their boathouse. They have nothing more, nothing less from what have I frame in this image.

What inspired me is …..

Imagine you were born in a paradise far-far away from pollution.
on an island with crystal clear water surrounded by coral reef chock full of Giant Clams, Soft Coral, colourful Parrotfishes, Clown fishes , Giant Starfishes, exotic Groupers and white sandy beaches.

Imagine you can do whatever you wanted to on the island and go wherever you want.

Imagine a day with shimmering sunshine, soft sea breeze, shaded by coconut tress with the sound of waves hitting the shore.

Wade up, ok now…..

Now, imagine if the island has no source of freshwater...
no toilet and no form of any basic sanitation or sewerage...
nor is there any power or electricity...

Now Imagine if you and your family are citizen of nowhere
no access to Education and are thus unable to read, write or count.
Your knowledge is base on common sense

Now imagine there is no doctors, you do not have access to even the most Basic Healthcare
...none of you have been vaccinated 
mothers with no prenatal checkups or nutrition.
Babies grow up into children with only mothers milk

now imagine you eat what you found around you. You do not keep food because you have no refrigerator.

You fast when the weather is unforgiving.

You stay on a no man’s land and constantly face the danger of uncertainties. Because you are Stateless, you are very much at the mercy of Mother Nature, all of it well beyond your influence & control.

Imagine if your family keeps expanding with no birth control.

Now stop imagine because it is all but true.....because it is.

And yet, I have seen more raw Happiness in the expressions of the young. It is a place where the value of money & material possessions is all but bullshit. It is a place where companionship and determination are deemed more important than wealth because it truly takes Teamwork to survive in such an environment. There is no place for politics, stereotype societies, crime never mind the value of money and most importantly the effects of reality.

When it comes to make decision, I would prefer to use my heart instead of my head.

A peaceful scene after heavy rains

The ever energetic youngs of Bom-bom island.

Just about anybody like to fish.