Anohak
Our film sought to evoke how the Bajau Laut’s prevalent fishing practices mediate political relationships with the state. By situating personal narratives within a broader socio-political context, the film intended to foreground the contradictions of a system that depends on Bajau Laut labour while denying them legal recognition and citizenship.
Indeed, the Bajau Laut are treated as illegal immigrants, rendered “invisible” and unrecognised in official government databases, even as they play a critical role in the Sabahian economy. Sabah fisheries contribute up to RM900 million per year, and while the Bajau comprise less than 20 percent of the population, they make up over two-thirds of the state’s fishermen. Near Kampung Bangau-Bangau alone, which is mainly populated by the Bajau Laut, there are multiple seafood markets, suggesting that this group of Bajau Laut play an integral role in the micro-economy of the area.
Anohak seeks to provoke dialogue and raise awareness of the structural challenges faced by the heterogenous Bajau Laut community in Semporna, highlighting the community’s internal diversity and the unequal socioeconomic conditions shaped by differing levels of state recognition. The film ultimately aims to affirm their indispensable contribution to Sabah’s fisheries while addressing their lack of recognition.