AN HOUR WITH MR. NASIR ABDULLAH, A Chairperson of Skim Penempatan Kampung Bahagia

This conversation was undertaken in Skim Penempatan Kampung Bahagia on March 16, 2009 at the house of Mr. Nasir Abdullah.

Yaz: Assalamu Alaikum Warahmatullah. Since when you start involving in community leadership?

Nasir: Waalaikum salam warahmatullah, Actually, I start my involvement in community leadership way back 1992 at the time when Sharif Jul bin Titing served as chairperson (JKKP) of Skim Penempatan Kampung Bahagia. By that time, I already have experience in leadership only not yet fully matured compare to this time. Then I tasked as an adviser of the chairperson. With this little task, I tried my best to give what I can. At the time when Sharif Jul bin Titing retired from his post as chairperson, his brother Sharif Hashim replaced him. It was 1994 the leadership transition took place. As new chairperson, Sharif Hashim appointed me as his adviser until 1995. After that, he assigned me to hold security task in the community. After two years, I assigned to chair the religious affair in the community. It was that time people started calling me Imam. I spent 7 years as a caretaker of religious affair in this community. After that position the people of the community entrusted me to serve as their chairperson. It was in 2004 where my career as chairperson Skim Penempatan Kampung Bahagia started. With this position, I found many challenges, which I did not meet when I was an adviser. However, it did not stop me to serve my people.

Yaz: as a chairperson what are the approaches you adopt to maintain peace and harmony in this community.

Nasir: Based on my experience mingling with the people is the best approach I have shown to them. Through this approach, the bond of love between leader and its subject will loom. If this chemistry realize burden in handling community will lessen. The biggest problem will arise once a leader like me tolerates tribalism. I believed a community should stand as one body and soul. The latter should advise the erstwhile in any transaction. So do with community. His populace in all the ways should not forsake the leader. The people should give comment, suggestion, and recommendation, which can bring goodness to the community as a whole.

Yaz: For almost 5 years as a chairperson, what do you prospect for the future of your community and its people?

Nasir: Well, all of us have respective vision. As a leader, I wish, as I retire from this post, I can see my community improving in all aspect. Thanks to Allah by now, our community is religiously active. I am sure Allah will not take this from us once the people will not swerve from his path. I hope in the future, with the help of Allah, we can build madrasah for our people even though we already given school KAFA. I saw that once our children finish grade 6 from said school they have no other option than to stop studying. Therefore, if there is madrasah in this community, those pupils from KAFA who want to pursue their studies they can have it here. As of now, this is my concern most. I hope before I step down I can find ways to realize my vision for my community and my people.

Yaz: Lastly, What is your stand towards pollution emitted from Palm oil factories, IOI and IJM?

Nasir: Honestly, this problem is detrimental to our health particularly to our children. In past few years there have been many complains I received from my people especially the owners of fish cages regarding hundreds of their fishes died caused by the toxic from IOI factory poured to the seawater. As I knew that, I automatically brought that complaint to the management of said factory, however, the case unfairly settled. I hope the pollution problem in our community will solve fairly.

Additionally, why I mention pollution problem as detrimental, lately I observed there has been many changes I see in my people regarding health crisis. Maybe if you want to conduct research inside the community you will find many people suffering from cold and other sickness. What amazes me why our children always having this illness? Before, we don’t experience it. I’m afraid; this problem would affect our health seriously should this problem remain unsolved.

Yaz: I thank you for your time. I wish you all the best.

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Living with Pollution

Our world today is getting closer to doom if humankind don’t take responsibility on their daily transaction in this world. Many people exuberate to have oil companies capable to produce million of dollars per day. But they failed to make people and environment happy. They only know the value of dollars but do not care about people health and environment. How many billion of dollars do the companies benefited out of palm oil? Are the profit benefited from this business is enough to pay for a live of innocent child contaminated by the diseases brought by substance emitted from factories? How about our environment? Can billion of dollars capable to save them too?

Let us ponder for a while why there have been lot of people in the world went out to the street and shout “SAVE OUR PLANET EARTH”. Isn’t this message enough to tell that our world is already suffering? Where is our environmentalist and leaders? What is the use of environmental laws should it only put in the pages of books? Sometimes our leaders just pretend as saviour of humanity and environment. But until what extend they exert efforts to quell the pollution currently destroying our surroundings. To question the sincerity of our leaders is another story. However, let us be pragmatic. Our environment threatened by pollution coming from various sources. The life of humanity is at risk. Where are the leaders of this time to address these problems?

In Sandakan we are not free of pollution too. Some communities particularly slums open to this sort of problem. One of the places I would like to share is the plight of the Skim Penempatan Kampung Bahagia and its people. For past few years before the two giant companies of Palm oil in Malaysia (IOI and IJM) build in this neighbourhood Skim Penampatan Kampung Bahagia had clean air and water. By that time the children not only enjoying the clean air but also took their time swam in the clear sea water just beneath the bridge of this place without any fear of toxic. While entering the community fresh air from the mountain can be sense by our olfaction. Fishes, crabs and prawns are visible swam just beneath our homes. The mud during low tides had variety of shells crawled searching for their foods. The people in this neighbourhood by that time really basked the gift of God put in the clean environment. Sad to say, nowadays that natural endowment can not anymore found here. All those gifts are gone. Only remain is the good memory. Factories toxic have taken it all away from us. The aroma from these oil factories has become the aroma of our community. The dirt discharge from these companies became the colour of our sea water and the atmosphere filled with heavy black smoke.

The question now is the substance and the black smoke emitted from these factories not dangerous to our health? Why the management of these companies don’t tell the people in this community if the substance and smoke discharge not risk to their lives and to environment. What is really behind?


It is known Skim Penempatan Kampung Bahagia is refugees’ community. All we need from the management and owner of these companies is to give attention to this matter sincerely. Don’t let the people in this community incognizant of the fact. If this place is not anymore safe to us then tell our people, particularly the leaders about this problem. We are appealing to all please look at us with mercy. We are already suffering for past ten years. There have been lots of damages caused by this man-made catastrophe in our community. Let us join hand to save the lives of people living in this community and our environment.

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