My Experience in Rough South China Sea

In the monsoon period of November in 1980 when I was working at the Institute for Medical Research, I was sent by the Malaysian Government, the Ministry of Health and the International Red Cross to probe into complaints by the UNHCR and International Red Cross about the health, nutrition, and social conditions of the Vietnamese refugees in camps in Pulau Bidong off Kuala Terengganu.

Held Up, Rough Seas:

I was held-up in Kuala Terengganu for 3 days because of the rough sea conditions in the South China Sea, and our huge boat – literally a ship was not allowed to venture  out.  We were not allowed to go to Pulau Bidong because of the monsoon.

On the 4^th day, we were allowed to set sail when the weather was ‘claimer’ It was relatively ‘claimer’ according to the authorities, but not to all the passengers  -  UNHCR ,  International Red Cross  officials,  Australian, New Zealand and other  international Immigration officials, sick Vietnamese, doctors , health workers, and myself  on that ship.

Calm Sea ?

On the 4^th ‘calm’ day we set sail.  I could see huge, huge waves pounding the rocks and spraying waters 10-20 metres high into the air on K Terengganu beach I boarded the ship. It was no joke seeing such angry waves and was asked to board that ship.

I remember the 1-2 hours journey to Pulau Bidong was a nightmare for me.  The inky blue waters below just lifted the entire ship up and down at least 4 storeys high. When we were at the crest of the waves, I could see the tough of the waves far – some 30 to 40 metres below me. The ship was rolling from side-to-side, and we were tossed about on the deck

Everyone, including the Vietnamese captain of those boat s who brought the refugees here, and those very tough and tall Australian immigration officers and all the international workers were all down with motion sickness. 

Kinetosis and Vertigo:

By the time we arrived at Pulau Bidong the sea was much, much calmer probably the island buffeted and sheltered the surrounding costal waters against the rough open seas outside.  When I arrived at the island, I was so sick that everything around me was as if in motion, and even the solid ground I was on, was ‘bouncing’ up and down like the waves.  I could hardly walk.


 It was real bad vertigo for me and most of us.  It affected my entire vestibular system and sense of motion. Had I known I would have eaten ginger, or take a dose of dimenhydrinate, cinnarizine or meclozine.

Some of the refugees who were sent back to the island after treatment at K. Trengganu Hospital had to be carried on stretchers from the jetty back to their camps.  

My Compassion:

I really pitied them. How they must have suffered in their treacherous journey from Vietnam to Malaysia in their small rickety boats over the rough South China Sea  exposed to the sun, rain, thirst, hunger and the merciless pirates who robbed, raped, murdered and threw most of them overboard.



Many, many of them, especially women and children could not make it.  Most  died on the way.  As a Christian, I remember constantly praying for them almost night  for their safe journey  as I read  about their ordeal  daily in the newspaper. My heart reached for them as  I earnestly prayed.

I thought about this how rough the sea was even in a very big boat – a ship in fact.  It  was  just a short journey from K. Trengganu to Pulau Bidong.  But I was sick all over by the time I reached the island. What about those Vietnamese refugees  who journeyed over the stretch of waters from Vietnam to Malaysia in the open South China Sea during the monsoons? How they must have suffered. I feel so sad for them even as I pen this recall.

Thank God many of them arrived in Bidong Island safely even though they were staying in deplorable and very congested camps with scant fresh water supply and very poor food.  Water had to be shipped from the mainland to the island once every two days.

I was not alone:

I did not go to Pulau Bidong alone. Although the island belongs to Malaysia, no Malaysian was allowed to go there at that time due to the refugee problem except officials such as security personnel, doctors, health and social workers and others assigned by the Government for official duties. It was a highly restricted area. Of course Pulau Bidong is no longer a refugee island, and anyone can go there now.

At that time I was not alone. I was accompanied and assisted by two medical assistants and a lab attendant. We were then joined on arrival by other doctors and nurses from Vietnam, the International Red Cross Society, Malaysian Red Crescent, and United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) officials who helped us with my study and interpretation.

Thinking back now, I was very fortunate to be asked to go there  at the request of the International Red Cross to  the Government to study the nutrition, health and social  problems there. It was quite an experience for me.

Two weeks:

I cannot recall exactly how long I was in Pulau Bidong, but I think I spent about two weeks there working among the refugees. There must be about 4000 to 5000 Vietnamese refugees scattered among the many crowded camps. Fresh water was a big problem. Even though several very deep wells were dug, either no water came forth, or the water was salty. Fresh water had to be brought in by ship once every two days.

I was very guilty:

I was given a very clean and neat quarter away from the camps to stay all by myself. It was supplied with clean, fresh and abundance of tap water in my bathroom. I felt very guilty over this since except for selected Malaysians and international staff working there, the rest of the refugees were all crowded together in so many camps with hardly any clean water. They were not allowed to go anywhere near where we stayed, although I would not mind if they do.   I felt so sorry for them,  and  how lucky we were as Malaysians.  

Clinic and small shops:

The International Red Cross and UNHCR set up a clinic and a Christian mission for the refugees, and there were Vietnamese doctors, nurses, and social workers managing them. Their health, social, psychological and spiritual problems were far too many. I really took compassion on them as I went around their camps to meet and tried to console them. They were extremely happy to see me.

The refugees even have a small primary school for their young children and even sewing classes for their women folks. They even set up small shops to sell small food and other necessary items. They even have a small post office to receive letters and money, or to send letters back to Vietnam or to their relatives already settled in other countries.

A Boat Ride to Sumatra is nothing:

Now recalling those years in just a short trip from K Trengganu to Pulau Bidong over South China Sea during a monsoon period in November in 1980, the proposed boat ride from Minyak Beku to Selat Panjang over completely sheltered Straits of Malacca between Malaysia and  Sumatra is nothing I believe.

So why do you e-mail buddies keep writing about choppy seas to Selat Panjang in your mails?

jb lim  


Memoirs of the 1970s and 80s