‘This is where we were born’: 9,000 Kampung Bahagia residents wait to rebuild five months after devastating fire

Rows of NGO-donated tents and plywood huts now line the roadside near the destroyed village in Sandakan. About 300 families are sheltering there while they wait for permanent housing to be built. — Bernama pic

First Published: Tuesday, 22 Sep 2026 7:00 AM MYT

SANDAKAN, Sept 22 — Where a thousand wooden stilt houses once rose above the water, only blackened ruins remain. The floating village of Kampung Bahagia here was destroyed by a massive fire on April 19, leaving nearly 9,000 residents with nothing but the clothes on their backs.

Against a backdrop of the charred remnants, rows of tents with white canopies — donated by non-governmental organisations — and huts made of plywood line the roadside.

Behind the flimsy walls of those temporary dwellings, some 300 families are struggling to rebuild their lives while awaiting the completion of new housing in the area that had been their “paradise” before the tragedy occurred.

“I now live in a small tent with my seven family members, including three grandchildren. Life without a home is miserable, especially when we have to endure the heat and rain.

“At night, I cannot sleep peacefully because I worry about rain and strong winds. Whenever it rains, we all get wet, and so do our clothes and belongings,” 53-year-old Rohaida Absara told Bernama.

Fire victim Rohaida Absara, 53, repairs her tent after it was torn by strong winds during a recent check on the temporary settlement. — Bernama pic

Glimmer of hope

Rohaida’s family is among the 100 or so families who have been living in the tents since the tragedy, without electricity or a regular supply of clean water.

Whenever dark clouds gather overhead, her anxiety intensifies as she fears the tents could be blown away by strong winds, particularly at night. The families also have to endure scorching daytime heat, as well as the threat of wildlife.

“I never imagined that the house where my family and I had lived for decades would be engulfed by flames and destroyed in the blink of an eye,” she said, her voice filled with sadness.

Simang Damli, 31, who stays in a tent with three other families, said the overcrowded and uncomfortable conditions forced her to send five of her children to stay with relatives, while she remains in the tent with her one-month-old baby.

“Whenever it rains, I take my child to the mosque for shelter as I worry that the canopy will be blown away by the strong wind,” she said.

Simang Damli, 31, shelters in an overcrowded tent with three other families in Sandakan, keeping only her one-month-old baby with her after sending five children to stay with relatives. — Bernama pic

For now, those living in the temporary dwellings depend on water from a nearby hill as well as supplies delivered by water tankers operated by the Sabah Water Department. For electricity, they rely on power sources at the nearby mosque for basic needs such as charging their phones.

Despite the hardships, there is a glimmer of hope for the Kampung Bahagia residents. Bernama was informed that efforts are underway to enable them to rebuild their homes in the village.

Through efforts initiated by the recently formed Kampung Bahagia Village Development and Security Committee (JKKK), the Sabah state government, through the Sabah Lands and Surveys Department (JTU), is actively carrying out site surveying work.

“JTU is currently in the preliminary stage of preparing the site and mapping out the new settlement to facilitate the construction of houses,” said Kampung Bahagia village head Sharif Hashim Sharif Titing.

A view of stilt houses destroyed in a fire at Kampung Bahagia in Sandakan April 19, 2026. — Bernama pic

He said the majority of victims, who are Malaysian citizens, have made their wishes clear: they want to remain in Kampung Bahagia rather than be relocated elsewhere.

For the villagers, the settlement built over the water holds deep sentimental value as their ancestral home and the birthplace of generations of the community.

“The residents very much hope that the community separated by the fire can be reunited on the same site. This is where we were born and where all our memories are kept,” Sharif Hashim said.

He said this is also why residents were willing to stay in temporary structures in nearby areas despite having to live in difficult conditions.

“So far, about 50 tents have been set up by various NGOs, while around 200 small huts have been built by the fire victims themselves on privately owned land with permission (from the owner who has allowed them to reside there temporarily), including my own hut,” he said.

Kampung Bahagia JKKK chairman Mohd Anuar Noah said the committee was formed to monitor the welfare and safety of fire victims sheltering in tents, with personnel conducting night patrols. — Bernama pic

Community spirit

Despite the many shortcomings at the temporary settlement, the spirit of solidarity among Kampung Bahagia residents has remained strong through the establishment of the JKKK.

Its chairman Mohd Anuar Noah said the committee was formed specifically to monitor the welfare and safety of victims sheltering in the tents.

“The residents are exposed to various safety risks, particularly disturbances by animals such as stray dogs that frequently roam the area at night.

“That is why we have personnel conducting night patrols to ensure the tent area remains safe. Thankfully, there have been no untoward incidents so far,” he said.

In terms of health and sanitation, close cooperation among elected representatives, government agencies and NGOs has played an important role in preventing disease outbreaks.

Member of Parliament for Batu Sapi Datuk Khairul Firdaus Akbar Khan allocated emergency funds for the construction of basic toilets at the site, while Mercy Malaysia is also planning to add two more sanitation units for bathing and washing clothes.

Kampung Bahagia village head Sharif Hashim Sharif Titing said residents want to rebuild on the same site rather than be relocated. — Bernama pic

Solid waste management is carried out regularly by the Sandakan Municipal Council to ensure rubbish is collected on schedule, complemented by residents’ own efforts to organise frequent communal clean-up activities.

Meanwhile, difficulties in obtaining clean water have been eased through water tanker deliveries by the state Water Department at least once every two days, following an official request by the Batu Sapi parliamentary constituency, while residents also share gravity-fed water from a nearby hill.

The concern shown by the country’s top leadership, through Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s visit with Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor shortly after the tragedy, also provided an early morale boost to the residents.

Financial assistance of RM1,500 for each affected family, RM300 in aid for schoolchildren, as well as free replacement of identification documents have helped ease some of the financial burden borne by the victims.

However, the swift rebuilding of their permanent homes will be the most meaningful step towards healing the wounds of Kampung Bahagia’s 9,000 residents. — Bernama