ISU-ISU PENDIDIKAN DALAM KALANGAN MASYARAKAT PALA’U DI LAHAD DATU, SABAH

Abstract

Education is no longer a local or national issue but a universal issue affecting the world today. It has become fundamental to the development of society as well as a key element of any government agenda globally. It also began to play it significant in the community of immigrants or the stateless. The documentation and their citizenship status which are highly debated, thus, have not only sparked another issue such as politics and international relations but also social issues such as humanitarian associated with education. The Pala’u of Lahad Datu has been among the community encountering citizenship and other issues in Malaysia. This study examines the education issues affecting the Pala’u in Lahad Datu, involving 136 participants who provided their responses through a set of survey questionnaires. The study shows that their traditional way of life of being so much atteched with the sea made the viewer's education less important. Apart from that, factors such as bullying in the school, access to school, their nomadic nature of life, and low awareness among their parents also have been the reason why they did not attend school. Moreover, the documentation or the citizenship problem also made the Pala’u ineligible to access school according to Malaysia law.