I'm Just Saying...

Pirates and Slave Trading - North Borneo

2012-01-26T14:20:00.002+08:00

I was reading A Decade in Borneo, written by Ada Pryer or Ada Blanche Locke. She is the wife of the first Resident of the British North Borneo Chartered Company (BNBCC) in Sandakan and in North Borneo, Mr William Burges Pryer. It was published in 1893; fourteen years after the founding of Elopura or Sandakan and about six year prior to the demise of William B. Pryer on 11 Januay 1899 at age 54 *1. Sandakan was founded by Mr Pryer on 21 June 1879 *2.


Pryer's monument in Sandakan. Souce : http://www.aboutsabah.com.my/?p=2549

It is an interesting book because it gives a glimpse to the past, North Borneo or Sabah of old. At the time of this writing, I do not know how long Mr Pryer stayed in North Borneo, perhaps 10 years as what the title of the book suggests and why he left North Borneo? Health issue? Politics? One thing is certain though, Mr Pryer brought law and order and medicine to North Borneo. In my opinion, if it were not for him, the present Sabah would be a much different place, not for the better I would imagine.

The writing by his wife intrigued me. For example, who were the Buludupies? She said they lived in Labuk, Segama and Kinabatangan and was almost extinct because of piracy and slave trading. The Buludupies she said, had round eyes, Caucasion features and loathed violence. She also mentioned that the North Borneo Armed Constabulary (NBAC) was formerly formed in May 1882. Present Darvel Bay used to be known as Looc Sabahan [sic]. I think she meant Lok Sabahan. Lok is Bajau word for Bay.

She also mentioned Dato Kurunding, the pirate chief of the Illanuns who reside in Tuncu (Tungku). I googled Dato Kurunding and stumbled upon this gem! ; a news article,

From the Daily Times, October 29^th.

Piracy In Borneo

The following communication on the prevalence of piracy along the coast of Borneo, with which we have been favoured, is deserving of a careful perusal and consideration. The writer is one who is entitled to speak with authority, and we believe he has been prompted to take up the pen by reason of remarks that lately appeared in our columns concerning the cruise of Her Majesty's ship Kestrel along the shores of Borneo :-

For many generations past the Illanuns have been known as a tribe almost entirely devoted to piracy. In the year 1845 their villages on the North West Coast of Borneo were attacked and destroyed by Sir Thomas Cockrane. On this account, which, according to M. St. John, they broke up their communities and most of them who are addicted to piracy retired to the North East Coast to Tungku and the neighbouring rivers; those that remained in Tampassak long bore an ill name but now under the able management of the Resident, they are rapidly being reformed, and show considerable promise of some day taking high rank amongst the inhabitants of this important land. Those that went to Tungku however still retained their old propensities, and have continued their raids down to the present time, their Chief Dato Kurunding, boasts that with one cruise he has murdered 120 people on piratical expeditions; for the last year or two nothing has been heard against this man and it was hoped that the Tungku people were giving up their former evil ways. The Illanun expeditions have usually been amongst the Philippine island and down the Straits of Celebes. In the year 1872, I myself was in a village, not above a hundred or fifty miles South of Manali, that had just before been burnt by them, several of the people and much more valuable property carried off, and in another village there were 2 men who had escaped from them and returned home, their tongues had been cut out so that they should not give any information as to the pirates haunts; on one occasion not so very many years ago the Spaniards were challenged to meet them at a certain place but did not go, and the seas were virtually in their possession for some time. The following extract from Professor Bickmori's travels in the East Indian Archipelago will give on account of the proceedings of the Illanuns to the South East :-

“Piracy is described in the earliest Malay romances, and spoken by these natives not as a failing of their ancestors but as an occasion for glorifying in their brave deeds. They continue to infest the Sulu sea and the Southern part of the Philippines; they came down here in the middle of the Western monsoon so as to have fair wind both ways. The Illanuns are now the most daring pirates in these seas. Last year the man-of-war on this station had the good fortune to surprise five boats, one of them carrying as many as sixty men. At first they attempted to escape by means of their oars, but her shot and shell soon began to tear them to pieces, they then pulled in towards the shore and jumped overboard, but by this time they had come near a village and the natives at once all turned out with their spears, the only weapons they had, and scoured the woods for these murderers until not one of them was left alive. They seldom attack European vessel, but when they do and succeed, they take revenge for the severe punishment their countrymen receive from the Dutch warships, and not one white men is left to tell the tale of capture and massacre. They prey chiefly on the small schooners commanded and manned by Mestizoes by which most of the trade between the Dutch ports in these parts is carried on. One of these vessels was taken last year. While I was at Kema two Malays appeared; while they were fishing they had been captured by a fleet of pirates but escaped by jumping overboard and swimming. They applied for food and as such cases are specially provided for by the Dutch Government their request was immediately granted. A few years ago these pirates sent a challenge to the Dutch fleet at Batavia to come and meet them in the Straits of Macassar and several officers assured me that five ships were sent. To the Dutch almost exclusively belong the honor of having rendered the navigation of these sea so comparatively safe as it now is.”

Large parties of Illanuns such as are spoken of here usually came from the Southern Coast of Magindanao.

The Baligninis are another tribe of freebooters. Formerly their expeditions were carried down as far as the vicinity of Singapore itself, and there is now in Campong German (Sandakan) a Singapore Lingeabo, and a man named Armie of Meimbong. Proceeding with the utmost treachery, the division under Otto made a complete haul of a lot of Bajaus collecting trepang off the Paitan river, murdering most of the adult males, and bearing the females and children into captivity. Tuan Imaum, one of the Chiefs of the Bajaus here, supplied the names of 27 people, his immediate friends and relations, who were thus dealt with. By proceeding almost alone, and pretending friendship, he being known to most of them, and then bringing the pirates up quietly at night, Otto managed to get nearly every Bajau in those parts. But the following is an illustration of the usual mode of proceeding of these pirates. 4 men, 2 Bajaus and 2 Lingeabo people were asleep in a boat, a pirate depong stole up and her men suddenly jumping on board, killed two of them before they could stir, the other two managed to escape into the mangrove, and the pirates then carried off the boat and all its contents.

Several times pirates have been reported as being off the coast and more particularly I was informed by a man named Hiranee, one of the three in company had been taken by them, (5 sail strong) under Armie, 2 men who escaped were slightly wounded by gun shots and 3 others, in the depong that was captured, were carried off. Armie called out that he was coming in another month with forty depongs to raid this Bay, and also he is the man that fired his gun which wounded one of the men.

On leaving immediately after this occurrence the “Far East” came across two depongs at the entrance of the harbour, one of which was identified as the identical boat captured by the pirates, and now turned into a cruiser by them. She was full of men, who had 7 rifles amongst them; the other a larger one, with a fort in it, made of ironwood, was said to be under charge of the Capitan Laout himself. The “Far East” retook the first with a loss to the pirates, it was said, of 2 men killed and 1 wounded, the remainder escaping into the bush in Balhalla. On the next morning one or two Balignini shields were found, and a parang besides one of the original men of the depong who had escaped from the pirates during the previous night. The sail of the depong had been changed for a Balignini one with a private signal in the centre of it.

After finishing at Paitan the pirates are said to have crossed to Pongutaran, capturing on the way a Labuan bound prahu belonging to Cagayan Shefiff, murdering him and all the Crew, and at Pongutaran they are said to have captured or murdered another lot of some people. Since then they have made their appearance in many places capturing and murdering whenever they could find an opportunity. The original lot of captures are all said to have been taken to Tungku in the early part of June and from there were sent down South for sale. I think it not unlikely some of them may be found at Seeganan but doubtless the major part were taken to Booloongan.

The last information I have about the pirates is that having disposed of their captives and bought fresh supplies of arms, ammunition with the proceeds, they are busy making preparations for operations on a larger scale and challenge any one that may come saying that, whether English of Spanish, they will not seek protection of their walls and forts, but come to sea and “mine mine” there (have a dance). This is probably merely an idle boast, as it is quite at variance with their character, as far as I have been able to learn, for from what I gather I should consider them a set of sneaking, cowardly rascals, who take the greatest care to avoid the slightest chance of endangering their own skins. It would be bad enough if the slaves sold there were acquired even in accordance with the very bad laws of these parts, by being bought amongst the islands or simply sent there for sale by their masters; but the matter is far worse, as , it present stands. Encouragement is given to piracy, murder and kidnapping, on a scale it is almost incredible should in exist the latter part of the nineteenth century in any part of the world moreover by the slave being bartered for arms and ammunition, the pirates are fitted out for the committal of further atrocities. It is also said as if all these horrors were not enough, that a good many of the slaves, sold in Booloongan, are bought by the headhunters (Sagais) for the purpose of being butchered in the most cold blooded manner that their murderers, may have possession of a head, without the possession of one of which, it is, I am informed almost impossible for any man to find favour in the eyes of the females of those parts.

I have read somewhere that oral tradition of the Rungus suggest that Dato Kurunding was actually Aki Kulindod. Kulindod was a Rungus warrior that opposed the BNBCC and to prevent his family being targeted as retribution for his aggression, he asked his people to tell the British that he was not one of them and that he passed by the village (his village) for business. It was said that Kulindod was mistaken to be an Illanun because during the time of his capture or execution (cannot be certain at this juncture), he was pictured wearing an Illanun clothing.

However, until documentary proof could be produced to back this claim, I am inclined to think that this was perhaps a case of mis-identity. Nothing in Mrs Pryer's writing suggested that Dato Kurunding was captured by the British. In page 53 of the book, she mentioned that the old Dato Kurunding had died and that his son, Dato Baginda Putih had taken up his position.

As mentioned in the above news article, Dato Kurunding had boasted that he had murdered 120 people on piratical expeditions. From what I have read about all the Rungus oral tradition, they were traditionally an enemy to all pirates. They had protected the northern part of North Borneo's coastal areas against pirates. Simpang Mengayau is said to be their "watch tower".

Photo : Sabah Tourism Board

For a community that loathed pirates, I hardly think that Kulindod would associate himself with such murderous bunch. But then again, the book was written by the wife of the Resident. Hence, she might be biased in her information.

A Decade in Borneo is available for download, legally and for free. Just google the word. Happy reading.

*1 Source : Singapore Free Press and Mercantile Advertiser
*2 Source : British North Borneo - An Account of its History, Resources and Native Tribes by Owen Rutter

Bonding With Gaya Street

2012-01-18T14:14:00.000+08:00

Phew! It's been a while since I write anything, I wonder whether this blog still have followers :P. Why the absence? If you read yesterday's Daily Express, you would have seen this :P

Yup that's me in the centre! LOL. I'm serving as the advisor of the Bonding with Gaya Street community heritage exhibition organized by our group North Borneo History Enthusiasts (NBHE).

Rather bombastic title kan? hahaha... Actually, they didn't know where to put me, so they just inserted me into that position. I'm working with a bunch of passionate Sabahans to bring Gaya Street's rich history to Sabahan! For the past few weeks, our committee members have been working tirelessly to collect old photographs and interviewing people to collect stories of Gaya Street.

We really need help! Loads of them! We need volunteers and we also need funding. So if you know someone who can help, please give us a heads up! This is a non profit community outreach by NBHE. For more information on the event, you can visit our website at http://nbhe.blogspot.com. Look at the Labels under Bonding with Gaya Street to get all the updates written.

Perang Si Gunting 1894 - 1901 (Gunting War)

2011-12-27T20:14:00.000+08:00

I think most Sabahans have not heard of this North Borneo rebel named Gunting. Gunting was a Dusun warrior who led a rebellion against the British North Borneo Chartered Company (BNBCC) in what was to be known as the Gunting War or Perang Si Gunting which lasted for seven years from 1894 to 1901.

Gunting's rebellion preceded another very much publicized rebel named Mat Salleh by about two years. The latter only started open hostility sometime in 1896 and was declared an outlaw by the BNBCC in August 1896. Whereas Mat Salleh rebelled to hold on to his rights to rule and collect tax, Si Gunting rebelled to hold on to his people's way of life.

Si Gunting was born in 1859 in Mumus which is now known as Serinsim, Kota Marudu. He died in 1905.

wanesweb.blogspot.com

The catalyst of Gunting's rebellion was a marriage proposal! A company clerk asked for the hand of a Rungus maiden but refused to pay the required dowry in accordance to Rungus tradition. Here we can deduce that Si Gunting is a Rungus. We can safely assumed that the company clerk was a westerner.

Si Gunting registered his displeasure with the breach of custom to a Dato Undok, an appointed community leader of BNBCC who conveyed Si Gunting's displeasure to the company but fell on deaf ears. Si Gunting was incensed with BNBCC indifference and reacted by attacking a police post in Mumus with his followers. Seven Sikh policemen were killed in the attack and the clerk who had wanted the maiden for free was also killed.

From then on, Si Gunting and his followers became wanted men, pursued by the BNBCC. A.R. Dunlop was tasked to capture him. Si Gunting and his followers fortified themselves atop a hill in Sayap. When their fort was attacked, they retreated into the interior and continued their guerrilla warfare. Si Gunting managed to evade capture throughout his campaign.

BNBCC offered Si Gunting amnesty in exchange for him to cease his rebellion. Some said that Si Gunting felt that he was too old to continue his warfare. Hence, he accepted the company's offer. However, I find that the age factor is an unlikely cause for Si Gunting's surrendering, after all, he was only 42 years old when he surrendered.

RCI is evil?!

2011-12-27T15:31:00.000+08:00

Dr Chong Eng Leong said it accurately when he described how a certain Datu Akjan Ali Muhammad's press statement stirred 'intense revulsion' among concerned Sabahans regarding foreigners who have obtained Mykad via dubious means; I am one of them.

www.freemalaysiatoday.com

This man and his antics really annoy me, intensely! How on earth would a Royal Commission Inquiry(RCI) "will only cause misunderstanding, ‘incite hatred’ and create disunity among the various ethnic groups in Sabah" as he said it?

He object to the calls for the establishment of the RCI to probe the extraordinary increase of Sabah’s population and the issuance of Malaysian citizenship to foreigners??

What????????

He totally distorted the truth on the matter! What is a Sabahan standing in the way of Sabahans of finally getting the truth about the alleged "Project IC"?

And what's with the veiled threat?! Excerpts from news report :-

“These groups of people have conveniently chosen to forget the historical facts of Sabah, that there are other ethnic groups who also possessed the equal rights as stipulated in the State Constitution,” he said.

Akjan warned those pushing for the establishment of the RCI to take a cue from the many cases of racial tension and unrest in other countries when certain ethnic groups try to deny the rights of the other ethnic groups.

He said that if the RCI promoters continue to push for it, it may one day backfire on them and they should instead spend some time studying the history of Sabah and the genesis of its various ethnic groups.

And why drag true blue Sabahans Suluks into the matter?

Pointing to natives in Sabah of Suluk origin, who he claimed were marginalized, Akjan said they had always remained loyal to the state despite their difficulty.

We don't need a lecture of historical facts from you, certainly not from someone who had been detained under the Internal Security Act (ISA) related to issuance of documents to illegal immigrants. Has he tried to clear his name regarding this? If there were no Project IC, why didn't he sue the federal government for tarnishing his good name by associating him with the whole fiasco? A businessman would certainly want to keep his name clean. He might be innocent but his action or rather inaction, certainly drew loads of questions. And now, here he is, objecting to the RCI?

I hope the local Suluk in Sabah do not get hoodwinked by this man. Historically, as far back as the golden era of the Bruneian Sultanate, there were migrations of Suluks from the Philippine islands to Sabah or North Borneo as it was known then. These early migrants settled here. In fact, the Suluks weren't the only fellow natives of the Philippines islands that had made Sabah their home prior to Malaysia day. During the colonial era, there were a Tagalog (some mixed Spaniards) community in North Borneo. They have all assimilated into the larger community. When Malaysia was formed on 16 September 1963, they effectively became Sabahans and Malaysians respectively.

The RCI is not about a group wanting to diminish the right of another group. How did that come about? It's about probing recent migrants, post Malaysia day, that had acquired citizenship via dubious means! And it's not about us not wanting to grant citizenship to foreigners! Of course we would welcome any foreigners who wish to become Sabahan Malaysian. If you are industrious and/or of good standing and will contribute to Sabah's development, of course you are welcome. Remember, North Borneo's development was facilitated by migrants. One example, the British North Borneo Charted Company (BNBCC) sponsored the migration of the industrious Hakka Chinese to North Borneo. The best example of how a nation benefited from immigrants is the United States.

Why would you think that an RCI will diminish a certain group's rights? Exactly what rights are we talking about? Special position accorded to natives as enshrined in the constitution? I got news for you, RCI is looking into citizenship gained via dubious means, its not about whether your ethnicity has more or less privileges than the other natives of Sabah.

The only people who should worry about an RCI, are those who gained their citizenship outside of proper channels i.e. forged documents etc and those in the inside, who betrayed Sabah's sovereignty.

And what is this Sandakan-based Rantau Putra Association asserting that the RCI is unconstitutional and unfair. Since when forging documents is constitutional and fair? Please pray tell, I really like to know why you are against the RCI? If one's citizenship was properly obtained, why would anyone be afraid of the RCI? We are looking for forged documents, not genuine ones!

This is just a desperate attempt by some quarters in delaying or even rail roading the RCI by trying to pit another native group against another one; Sleight of hand to divert attention. Who would stoop so low as to use and mislead a community for their gain. I hope true Sabahans will not buy this crap.

No such thing as Project IC?

There's a report in Daily Express today which I find interesting. It was reporting on the recently launched mobile courts in Sabah. I'm reproducing it here:

Illegals keep trying luck at Sabah mobile courts

Kota Kinabalu: There are still attempts by illegal immigrants to take the opportunity of the recently launched mobile courts to get citizenship in Sabah.

These include requests for endorsements of late birth registration, the fact that many of these applications are made in large towns and the relative ease in which some foreigners are able to obtain a MyKad.

From 2009 until Nov 21, there have been 24,479 application for endorsements of late birth registration. Statistics show that magistrates have disposed of 7,638 cases. The remaining 16,841 are part heard or pending.

Of the 7,638 cleared cases, however, only about 10pc of the applications referred by the National Registration Department (NRD) were endorsed, meaning the magistrates were unable to confirm the truth of the birth particulars in close to 7,000 cases.

Next, most of the applications are in Kota Kinabalu (3,004) and big towns like Tawau (2,805), Sandakan (6,674), Semporna (2,868) and Lahad Datu (3,493) in the east coast.

This is despite the existence of big hospitals and NRD offices to facilitate early registration of births.

Under Section 22 of Sabah's Registration of Births and Deaths Ordinance 1953, which was declared a Federal law in 1965, every entry of birth made after 42 days of the birth is to be marked "Late Registration". An extract from the late registration registry must be certified by the magistrate's court before it is deemed legally binding and can be used in applying for a MyKad.

Many foreigners are also trying to obtain a MyKad via questionable means. "We take judicial notice that there are many cases of fake MyKads circulating in Sabah," said mobile court coordinator Duncan Sikodol.

"As such we cross-check with NRD and Immigration before endorsing the information in the late birth registration of the applicant's child as genuine. There is little doubt about the birth date itself but we need to be satisfied they are indeed Malaysians," he said after a mobile court trip to the interior mukims of Pagalungangand and Pensiangan.

Sikodol said the fathers often told the inquiry "they come from some kampung or the other but when we ask for details, they either can't tell us anything else or they say they are citizens by way of 'Project IC'. When we ask for supporting letters, they say they have none. We need to be careful because endorsing the extract of a late birth registration is in effect conferring citizenship," he said.

......."While the inquiries have made it more difficult to obtain an endorsement of the birth particulars, consequently making it impossible to get a MyKad," Pitrus disclosed : "Once, when we contacted an applicant to tell him the inquiry date, he said, tak payah, dah dapat IC'. (no need, I got the IC)"

That's part of the report. For further read, The Star also carried similar report on the matter here.

This issue has been plaguing us for more than two decades! The RCI may prove that Project IC is non-existence but what's wrong with getting a confirmation on it? Get this proverbial monkey off our back once and for all, so we can move on. It will benefit all parties and finally put a closure and start healing this open wound of ours.

This issue has nothing to do with being humane. I pity those illegal immigrants too, especially their often stateless children roaming the streets in their ragged clothes, living worse than animals. However, I for one would like to get an answer to this longstanding rumour about Project IC. Is it true that there are certain party out there that is 'giving out' citizenship to these migrants for their votes?

It's When You're Down that you need Him most in your Corner

2011-10-20T12:23:00.001+08:00

Before you proceed, I'm doing the courtesy of telling you in advance that I'm going to talk about my faith. I'm a Catholic, so if you have any aversion to me talking about my faith, well you can skip this post.

God forbid, I don't want to be accused of proselytizing in the internet. Psst! Don't tell anyone but I'm not even interested in converting anyone to my religion. You know why? Because I think my position in the big BOSS' book up there, is kinda iffy as it is. I heard newly converts are more faithful than the born Catholics like me, in general lah. So that's why I don't talk or spread my religion to non-Catholics. I sure the hell don't want to introduce the religion to some Non-Catholics, who would turn out to be better than me thus diminishing further my position in the BOSS' book just because he/she is a better Catholic than I am. I'm not saying that only through Catholism can one enter paradize. :P No! No! I haven't died yet, so I wouldn't know. Like the bigger than life late Datuk Peter J. Mojuntin once said(someone quoted this to me), there is more than one way to 'syurga'.

Oooh! You're still reading. I warned you, now you have to forever hold your peace.

Ok, I'm going to get serious now. Only God knows how stressed and depressed I was for the past few days, not even my own mother or my wife. It doesn't help that I'm usually a silent person, I don't talk much. So my being quiet was normal to them. Running this upstart business of mine which encountered some set backs couple of days ago and being away from my son had taken its toll on me. I don't whine, at least not openly, I think that could be why I was so penned up. Maybe I should learn how to whine but I think whining is an unproductive and wasteful exercise. That is what I came to conclude having lived in a foreign country by myself for the better part of my adult life. I learned to suck it up and dealt with my problems because there was no one I could turn to. It's not like if I whine, my problems will say, "Owh! Poor Justin. I'm going to leave him alone now".

Someone close to me lamented to me that she had abandon God because things were not going well with her. That got me thinking, why do people always do that? Why blame God for your troubles? I don't see you thanking Him when you are doing well, so why blame Him for your troubles? I remember reading somewhere, in my more active Catholic days, it said some of us are arrogant basically. We think we are in control of our lives but we're not. When we have problems, we are too arrogant to surrender our problems to God and trust that He will not forsake us. Our problems are the Crosses that we carry and God offered to carry them for us or help us carry them at least but most of the time, we snubbed Him. It is in time of great needs that He is even more present in our lives but we don't see it. He's just waiting at the door waiting to be let in and listen to our problems but we are too arrogant to think that only we could resolve our problems.

So I decided to go to a quiet corner and prayed for the first time since like forever. I don't have anyone to share my burden with, how is praying going to hurt? So I talked to God that day.

These are the following prayers that I read.

Act of Fatih

O my God, I firmly believe that You are one God in three divine Persons, Father , Son and Holy Spirit.

I believe that Your divine Son became man, died for our sins, and that He will come to judge the living and the dead. I believe these and all the truths which the holy Catholic Church teaches, because You have revealed them Who can neither deceive nor be deceived.

Prayer to Christ The King

Christ Jesus, I acknowledge. You King of the universe. All that has been created has been made for You. Make full use of Your rights over me.

I renew the promises I made in Baptism, when I renounced Satan and all his pomps and works, and I promise to live a good Christian life and not to do all in my power to procure the triumph of the rights of God and Your Church.

Divine Heart of Jesus, I offer You my efforts in order to obtain that all hearts may acknowledge Your Sacred Royalty, and that thus the Kingdom of Your peace may be established throughout the universe. Amen

Prayer for the sick (for a friend)

Dear Jesus, Divine Physician and Healer of the Sick, we turn to You in this time of illness. O dearest Comforter of the Troubled, alleviate our worry and sorrow with Your gentle love, and grant us the grace and strength to accept this burden. Dear God, we place our worries in Your hands. We place our sick under Your care and humbly ask that You restore Your servant to health again. Above all, grant us the grace to acknowledge Your holy will and know that whatsoever You do, You do for the love of us. Amen.

Prayer in time of suffering (for myself)

Behold me, my beloved Jesus, weighed down under the burden of my trials and sufferings, I cast myself at Your feet, that You may renew my strength and my courage, while I rest here in Your presence. Permit me to lay down my cross in Your Sacred Heart, for only Your infinite goodness can sustain me; only Your love can help me bear my cross; only Your powerful hand can lighten its weight. O Divine King, Jesus, whose heart is so compassionate to the afflicted, I wish to live in You; suffer and die in You. During my life be to me my model and my support; At the hour of my death, be my hope and my refuge. Amen

Prayer for the souls in Purgatory (for my deceased relatives and the forgotten souls)

O gentle Heart of Jesus, ever present in the Blessed Sacrament, every consumed with burning love for the poor captive souls in Purgatory, have mercy on them.

Be not severe in Your judgments, but let some of Your Precious Blood fall upon the devouring flames. And, Merciful Savior, send Your angels to conduct them to a place of refreshment, light and peace. Amen

St Anthony. Souce : Wikipedia

Prayers to St. Anthony of Padua (for intercession)

Glorious St. Anthony, my friend and special Protection, I come to you with full confidence in my present necessity. In your overflowing generosity you hear all those who turn to you. Your influence before the throne of God is so effective that the Lord readily grants great favors at your request.

Please listen to my humble petition in spite of my unworthiness and sinfulness. Consider only your great and constant love for Jesus and Mary, and my desire for their glory and mercy. I beg you to obtain for the grace I so greatly need (mention your petition), if it be God's will and for the good of my soul.

I place this earnest petition in the care of the little mission children so that they may present it to you along with their innocent prayers.

Bless me, powerful St. Anthony, in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

St Jude. Source http://www.st-jude-medal.com/

Daily prayer to St Jude (I know. Seems like an overkill right but what's another prayer going to harm. He's the Patron Saint of Lost Causes, I certainly fit the bill)

O glorious Apostle St. Jue, the true relative of Jesus and Mary, I salute you through the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus.

Through his Heart, I praise and thank God for all the graces He has bestowed upon you. Humbly prostrate before you, I implore you through this heart to look down upon me with compassion. Despite not my poor prayer and let not my trust be in vain. To you has been assigned the privilege of aiding mankind in the most desperate cases. Oh, come to my aid that I may praise the mercies of God.

All my life I will be grateful to you and will be your faithful client until I can thank you in heaven. Amen.

END

So were my prayer answered? :D. I'm not saying but think about it, why am I sharing it here... I really should start going back to Church after this.

Kadazan Kuizou

2011-10-19T21:01:00.001+08:00

Someone from the North Borneo History Enthusiasts group once asked me how Dusun people ended living in Kampung Takuli, Beaufort, which to his knowledge is a Bisaya kampung. I was stumped because I never thought of asking that question. I've taken for granted that the Dusun had always been there. I told myself that I would get to the bottom of this. Today finally I had the opportunity to do so.

A childhood kampung friend (distant relative in fact) came to visit my farm this afternoon, his name is Ilon or Lon. His baptism name is Godfrey in fact but I'm more comfortable calling him Lon.

First of all, he corrected my misinformation. He isn't a Dusun Tatana as I had mistakenly assumed nor is he a Dusun, he said this with affirmation. He said he is a Kadazan, Kadazan Kuizou to be exact. He said his ancestors had been in the area for a very long time. In fact, they have their own myth/legend in the area. Suggesting their presence in that area is indeed ancient.

Kadazan Kuizou community there used to be in great number. Their old settlement used to be in Kampung Landayan, nearby Kampung Takuli. They lived in a longhouse in Kampung Landayan.

Source : http://www.aquaticquotient.com/forum/showthread.php/24308-Journey-to-northern-Borneo

One day, the Kuizou was celebrating. Everyone was happy, they drank their tapai, doing their dance and beating their gongs and kulintangan. Unfortunately, I do not know why were they so happy, I will ask the old folks when I have the chance. Anyway, the merriment went out of hand. The Kuizou has a taboo that they called Masab. It basically prohibits anyone from ill-treating animals which include making fun of it. On this day, perhaps of the abundance of alcohol, the Kuizou became uninhibited. They caught a frog and tied an anklet with little bell on it. They let go of the frog and the bells jingled as the frog tried to hop away. The Kuizou laughed at the sight of this.

Suddenly, the earth shook or perhaps opened up and the whole longhouse sunk into the earth, killing every Kuizou in it. It just so happened that one Kuizou family were not amongst the Kuizou in the longhouse when they had their merriment because this family had to attend to some business which led them away from home. Hence, they said, the present Kuizou in Kampung Takuli are descendants of this one family. To this day, among the kampung folks in Kampung Takuli, they still fear and will scold their children if they make fun of animals. "Masab nanti", they would say.

Source :

http://stan-teten.blogspot.com/2010/07/koleksi-pakaian-suku-kaum-di-sabah.html

The above is the traditional costumer of the Kadazan Kuizou in Beaufort. Another story that was to explain why the Kuizou's number had diminished in that area was that they were attacked by giant mosquitoes, as big as a chicken but I've yet to uncover the full version of this story.

I've checked KDCA's website, there is no Kuizou among the many natives listed but there is a Kuijau. I've checked with Lon, he said it is possible that Kuizou is a corruption of Kuijiau. Till next time.

Datuk Peter J. Mojuntin

2011-10-18T18:23:00.002+08:00

I blog the following on North Borneo History Enthusiasts blog. Thought I share it here with you guys.

Who was Datuk Peter J. Mojuntin? Why does this man has a statue of himself right in the middle of Donggongon Township, Penampang. If you guessed that he was a Sabahan politician, well, you're right but beyond that, what else?

Source : Mr Frank Faurillo, NBHE member

Invariably, people have described him as caring, was fiercely loyal to his friends and comrades, was not afraid to fight for what he believed in and he loved his people, the Kadazans. It's a shame if our future generation of Sabahans and the rest of the Malaysians even, if his deeds and achievements disappear from the annals of Sabah's and to some degree Malaysia's, history. The following are compiled from written accounts of him and also from the recollection of people who had the pleasure of knowing him personally, one way or another.

While every endeavor has been made to be factual and neutral in our presentation, we must qualify that we are, in no way. attesting that what we present here is the absolute truth. In some instance, we relied on news clipping, information in public spaces and testimonies of people who had the pleasure to know him, cross path with him. directly or indirectly, even if it was just briefly, to come up with a "composite" of this man.

Early Life

Born Joinob Mojuntin on 10 October 1939 in Kampung Hungab, Penampang, to a poor family. His father was Mojuntin Matanul, a farmer who tilt his own land and mother, Minjaim Lim, a Sino-Kadazan. Some would argue that our reference of his mother's race is incorrect because the term Kadazan, had not been widely used then yet. Granted, but this post is not about how the term Kadazan or Dusun came about, so to make it simple and not confusing, we will just refer to any subject's race in this post as what they are known now.

Joinob was the third child among the Mojuntin brood. By the age of 8, Joinob already understood the value of education. He was wise beyond his age and this characteristic would serve him well in the future. His father was not receptive of the idea of sending Joinob to school when he needed extra hands at the Padi field. Unperturbed, little Joinob seeked his mother's intervention. His mother relentlessly pursued the matter with his father until he finally gave in.

So little Joinob enrolled to the only school in that area then, Saint Michael, Penampang. The school was about 2 miles from his home. So Joinob would walk to school daily, barefoot because his parents couldn't afford to buy him a pair of slippers, let alone a pair of shoes. He was this shabbily dressed pupil, son of a poor farmer, among mostly better clothed and shoed pupils but if he was conscious of his condition or felt less confidence because of it, he did not show it obviously because he excelled in his studies.

The tenacity and bright mind of this grubby looking kid caught the attention of the school principal's attention, Father Preyde, who took him under his wing and personally mentored him. And no doubt through Father Preyde, little Joinob discovered Christianity. He embraced Catholicism when he was 15 and had been a devout Christian since then. He chose the name Peter, the first Pope of the Catholic church, as his Catholic name. Hence, he was known as Peter Joinob Mojuntin. Peter formed a lifelong friendship with his teacher/mentor Father Preyde. When Father Preyde heard of Peter's tragic death, it was said that Father Preyde wept openly.

When Peter finished schooling at St Michael, he decided to sit for the Overseas School Certificate Examination. The only school he could go and get this certificate was the Sacred Heart Secondary School at Tanjung Aru, which was about 16 miles away. For the next one year, he cycled to the school daily on a bicycle that his older brother George bought for him. Fortunately, on the second year, there was an opening in the school's hostel and he became a boarder from there on.

Peter sat and passed the exam in 1957 and became one of a handful of Kadazans in possession of the certificate in those days. With education, came enlightenment and Peter became acutely aware of the problems of his community, his people.

Upon leaving school, Peter worked briefly as a teacher at St Michael's primary school and then later with the Commonwealth Development Corporation(CDC). Peter remained active and vocal in his community and this young upstart would again caught the attention of someone who would become his mentor and close friend, Donald Stephen. Donald Stephen poached Peter from his then employer, CDC. Peter went and worked for him as his Personal Assistant at the Kinabalu Sabah Times. Donald Stephen needed an able lieutenant in his political career and he knew he found him in Peter J. Mojuntin.

North Borneo's Independence

The British was leaving and the Federation of Malaya which had gained independence on 31 August 1957, had courted North Borneo, Sarawak and Brunei to come together with them to form Malaysia with Singapore in 1961. The people of North Borneo were split about this. The natives in the interior, led by G.S. Sundang, were wary of the proposal as did Donald Stephen initially but the latter was subsequently convinced that it was a viable merger.

The natives were split on the matter. Hence, a few political parties emerged to represent the opposing camps. G.S Sundang formed his National Pasok Momogun Organisation (NPMO), Donald Stephens with his United National Kadazan Organisation (UNKO), Datu Mustapha with his United Sabah National Organisation (USNO) and others. A 22 year old Peter Mojuntin became UNKO's Secretary General.

Upon hearing of the setting up of the Cobbold Commission which was tasked to collect the views of the natives of North Borneo concerning the Malaysia idea, Peter was among the various leaders that traveled throughout North Borneo to consult and collect the views of the natives.

Some sources claimed that UNKO came out with the Twenty Points then and presented it to the Cobbold Commission which incorporated most of the recommendations into the Malaysian Federal Constitution.

On 16 September 1963, Malaysia was borned. UNKO and NPMO would later merged and became United Pasok-Momogun Kadazan Organisation (UPKO) for the sake of unity and Peter Mojuntin was again elected as Secretary General of the new political entity.

Kadazan Unity

The Kadazan or Dusun community in pre Malaysia days were scattered mainly in towns like Penampang, Ranau, Tambunan, Tuaran, Keningau, Kudat and Kuala Penyu. We know from old folks that these communities were not united then. They viewed each other with suspicion. For example, the Dusun of Tambunan and Kadazan of Penampang had a less than frinedly, if not an acrimonious relationship and the Rungus viewed the Kadazan as their enemy who would usurp their rights(Source : George Apwell interview).

The Kadazan Youth in which Peter was the leader, was credited by some with the union of UNKO and NPMO. They helped in establishing dialogues between the leaders of these communities. With the union of these two political parties, the natives which for expediency we will collectively referred to as Kadazan, had been united.

It established the foundation towards a grouping of these various natives into one "Homogenous" KadazanDusunMurut bumiputra group in the years to come (visit KDCA Sabah for more information on the grouping).

Assemblyman

Prior to Sabah's first election in 1967, the Member of Parliament(MP) in Sabah was by nomination and Peter was nominated as an MP to replace the late Mr Ngui Ah Kui, whom had passed away, making Peter the youngest MP in whole Malaysia at the age of 24 on 25 September 1963(Source).

In October 1963, Peter represented Malaysia in the United Nations General Assembly. His task was to counter the Indonesian government which was leveling accusations against the newly formed Malaysia.

In 1967, Sabah had its first State Legislative Assembly election in 1967 and Peter ran under the UPKO ticket at Moyog constituency. Peter could only campaign in Moyog for only a few days, most of the time he was out of the district, traveling into the deep interior like Kinabatangan to meet up with the native chiefs to tell them of what UPKO was championing for. Despite his short campaigning in Moyog, when the result came, Peter had the distinction of being the only candidate in that election to win a major landslide, his rival was an USNO candidate. He remained Moyog's Assemblyman until his death in 1976. A testament to the trust that the Moyog constituency placed upon him.

Unfortunately, UPKO failed to win enough seats to form the government. Trailing 2 seats behind that of USNO. Hence, Peter and his fellow UPKO Assemblymen found themselves in the Opposition.

Socio-Economy

Peter was very active in his community. He wanted to uplift the socio-economy of the Kadazan people and he knew that education was the key. Hence, when St Michael school, the very school that gave him his early education, offered him a teaching post, he accepted it enthusiastically. He became a teacher at the school in 1958, he was 19 years old. Naturally, Peter became the ground mover at the school. He and other like minded teachers, introduced additional extra-curriculum to enrich the minds of their charges. He was a charismatic leader, his energy and his drive naturally drove people to gravitate around him.

In 1959, he was selected to represent the Kadazan community, North Borneo, in the Scouts movement's World Jamboree at Manila. The community was proud and elated that such an honour was conferred to one of them. Peter proved to them that if they worked hard for it, it was possible to rise above one's station. By and large, the Kadazans of the old days were apathetic and did not believe in offering one's service for others. Basically they were a selfish lot and contented to be complacent and Peter was determined to change this mindset.

Even when Datuk Peter was active in politics, he set aside his time towards his pet cause; education. He was the Chairman of the Penampang-Teacher Association. Datuk Peter also donated his land for the building of a school building.

Double 6 Tragedy

On 6 June 1976, barely 53 days after Sabah ushered in a new era, after the fruition of Datuk Peter J. Mojuntin's and others' efforts in restoring democracy in Sabah, Datuk Peter J.Mojuntin perished in an aircrash dubbed the Double 6 tragedy near Kampung Sembulan Baru. He was 37. Whole of Malaysia and the world were shocked with this tragedy.

Double 6 Monument. Source : www.sabahtourism.com

NBHE member's recollection of him:

Admirable man of his time. Such character only comes once in a while in a century. Peter loved to be among his folks. His house too subjected to floods. He could have built his mansion up a high ground, but, he seemed not to prefer that. Bravo to him. Peace unto his brave soul..

I heard his voice in the debating chamber of the old colonial assembly house in the vicinity of the present museum ground. Quite forested during that time. Peter was in the opposition camp. He had the articulation of a statesman. His voice was rather thunderous but courteous. His English was superb. He interjected phrases in Malay too. I could see certain tremors instilled among the government bench. After all, Peter was the star. He spoke teacher-like. There should be an archived recordings of his speeches. Very pleasant and intelligent indeed.

T. Lammert - October 2011

Of course, this short post couldn't possibly cover all that he had contributed and achieved but it serves to put a human face to that bronze statue of him in Penampang.

FacePalm Moment :P

2011-10-03T08:17:00.003+08:00

Google Image

So I've not been blogging actively recently. So soli! I still have yet to finish my short story A Father's Heart. It has been nagging me.

Anyway. this is going to be a short post. This incident is too priceless not to be recorded for posterity.

Yesterday, my mom said she wanted to follow us (me and my Indon help) to the farm today because she feels bored staying at home and having to listen to someone's nagging. Who is someone? Let's just call her Motormouth ok.

So this morning (about half an hour ago), I woke up, brushed my teeth, pulled some white hair and brushed my bushy eyebrows. Then I proceeded to my mom's bedroom and there she was still sleeping. I tapped her shoulder and she opened her eyes.

Me : Mom, time to wake up.. You said you wanted to tag along to the farm today?

My mom looked bewildered but managed a reply.

Mom : I don't think I'll be joining you today, maybe tomorrow because I'm not awake yet...

Around this time, if I were Old Master Q, my expression would probably be something like this.

Google Image

Notwithstanding, I managed to recover from being blindsided by my mom's reply and I too managed a reply to her reply.

Me : I know you are not awake yet, that is why I'm waking you now.

Mom's expression changed from bewildered to that of realization and understanding :P. I think she thought that she was dreaming just now. Make sense?

The Story Behind Tambunan's name

2011-09-21T13:02:00.002+08:00

http://lostborneo.wordpress.com/tag/gombunan/

For the uninitiated, Tambunan is a town in the interior of Sabah, about 80 km away from Kota Kinabalu. Its populace are mostly Dusun. According to Low Kok On of Universiti Malaysia Sabah, in the early 20th century, the social structure of the Tambunan Dusuns consisted of seven sub-tribes namely Tuwawon, Tagahas, Tibabar, Bundu, Gunah, Palupuh and Kohub. Today, the Tuwawon, Tagahas and Tibabar sub-tribes are still concentrated in Tambunan.

So what's the story behind the name Tambunan? Long long long time ago..... The area that is called Tambunan in present day was only but a thick jungle with abundance of wild animals and jungle produce. Over time, the people from Nunuk Ragang explored the area and decided to open a settlement there. One of the first group of people that ventured to this area was led by a man named Gombunan. Among the party were Gombunan's wife and child.

Gombunan, besides being a warrior amongst the people of Nunuk Ragang, was said to be a wise and kindhearted leader who always looked after the welfare of his charge. The women folks planted corn, tapioca, rice, while the men hunted for wild games like deers and wild boars. The area that they settled in proved to be fertile. Everyone was happy. Eventually, more people trickled in to the area and more areas were opened for agriculture activities.

One day, the people's tranquil was shattered when a group of warriors from a tribe called the Tonsudung from a nearby village to the east of Gombunan's settlement came and raided their settlement. These fierce warriors destroyed whatever and whoever in sight! A number of Gombunan's people perished. However, Gombunan and his warriors managed to repel the attack and chased the Tonsudung out of their settlement.

Enraged by their defeat, the Tonsudung plotted their revenge on Gombunan. One day, Gombunan was out and about his orchard alone, when a group of thirty Tonsudung warriors captured him. They murdered Gombunan and took his head back to their village. There, they put Gombunan's severed head on a long pole so that all the villages could see it and made fun of Gombunan's people at the loss of their leader.

Gombunan's people were saddened at the death of their leader and mourned for many days. They named their settlement Gombunan thereafter in honour of its namesake. The people Gombunan swore that they would avenge their leader's death.

Around this time, a tribe located at the west of Gombunan, migrated to the nearby area of Gombunan. This tribe was called the Tamadon. The people of Gombunan and the Tamadon were on friendly terms. The Tamadon realized that eventually, the Tonsudung would attack them. Therefore, they offered their alliance which I'm sure the people of Gombunan gladly accepted.

So it came to pass that the Tonsudung decided to conduct another raid against the people of Gombunan. Thinking that they had weakened the people of Gombunan, they were rudely surprised tto find hat their opponents were way larger in number than they had anticipated. Half of the Tonsudung raiders perished in the raid while the remaining scattered into the jungles.

The people of Gombunan and the Tamadons celebrated their victory by having a large feast. Plenty of food, plenty of dancing no doubt and definitely plenty of Tapai (rice wine). At the end of the revelry, with the approval of the elders from both sides, they renamed their settlement to Tambunan. You guess it, Tamadon Gombunan. There these two tribes lived united and happily ever after.

Email Interview with Lynette Ramsay Silver

2011-09-12T14:17:00.002+08:00

I did an email interview with Australian author and honorary Sabahan, Lynette Ramsay Silver on behalf of North Borneo History Enthusiasts. The interview is published on NBHE's blog but I thought I should share it here too.

For NBHE - Justin Wong

Lynette Ramsay Silver, the Australian writer who wrote Blood Brothers : Sabah & Australia 1942 - 1945, recently agreed to entertain our email interview despite her busy schedule. This Australian writer had immersed herself for the past 20 years, towards championing Sabahan World War II heroes and also the natives who helped the British and Australian POWs. Hence, I thought she is a personality...... her work, her efforts should be appreciated. One wonders why our State Government has yet to honour her with a Datukship, not that she would be bothered about it, I think.

NBHE : Give an introduction of yourself e.g. which part of Australia you live in, your career,

LRS : I live in Sydney and have been investigating little known aspects of Australian history since 1982. Previously I was a school teacher. I really developed a passion for research in 1983, when I located vital documents relating to gold discovery in Australia that had been 'lost' for 134 years. Many eminent people had searched for them, without success.

My next book, which documented a convict unprising in Australia against the British in 1804, was also ground-breaking research and, even now, well over 20 years later, remains the only book on the subject.

I then moved into world war 2 - to the intriguing world of Australian 'Special Operations'. As these missions took place in the far east, I became well acquainted with the fall of Singapore and the occupation by Japan of the entire area, including Sabah.

Special Operations research soon expanded to incorporate Australian POWs. With so many held at Sandakan and the discovery that the reason they were not rescued was due to faulty intelligence collected by a Special Operations team working behind the lines, the two research areas merged and my focus turned to Sabah, where it has been for the past 20 years.

NBHE : What motivated you to write Blood Brothers - Sabah & Australia 1942 - 1945? You must have known that it would be a huge undertaking given that Sabah do not have proper records of that era and yet you forged on. Most young Sabahans haven't even heard of of the many local heroes that you mentioned in your book and yet you managed to unearth them.

LRS : I first came to Sabah in 1999, the year after my book 'Sandakan: A Conspiracy of Silence' was published in Australia. I was very embarrassed, at the ceremony to open the Memorial Park at Sandakan, to which I had been an honorary consultant, that two of WW2's great local heroes, Mr Chin Chee Kong and Mr Joseph Wong (both of whom were present and proudly wearing their medals), were not acknowledged. I vowed that if I were ever in a position to do something, I would make sure that the locals received the acknowledgement they deserved.

That chance came in 2005, with the unveiling of the Windows of Remembrance at St Michael's chucrh, Sandakan, where many POWs had spent the night before being marched to Sandakan camp. When commissioning the windows in 2003, my brief to the artist stipulated that the windows were to remember the POWs who had died and the many Sabahans who had risked, and given, their lives to help them. I asked that the story of the good samaritan - a man who extended the hand of friendship to a total stranger in time of need - be incorporated into the great west window.

Many of the people in Australia and UK who contributed to the fund, set up by my husband and myself, asked that their donations be recorded as a tribute to these brave Sabahans. This was done, and the sentiments are recorded in the Book of Remembrance, on display at the church.

At the unveiling, the guest list was restricted to donors, family members of the local people who had helped the POWs and those who had assisted with the actual project. At my insistence, the family members of the POWs and local people were the 'VIPs'. They, not those usually considered to be VIPs, held centre stage. It was not until I was presented with a beautiful painting of Mt Kinabalu by an elderly chinese lady, to thank me for acknowledging the Sabahans in the Windows of Remembrance that I realised how much this belated acknowledgement meant to the local people. I was very moved. She cried and so did I.

When we proceeded to stage 2 of the project, I moved the focus from one of reflection to hope for the future. The new windows, unveiled in 2008, would be celebration of 'Friendship' - the legacy left to us by Sabahans and Australians, united in common bond in those terrible days of 1942-45.

The particular assistance given by Kadazans and Dusuns to prisoners on the death marches, and those who escaped, is also the reason for the establishment in 2005 of the Sandakan Memorial Scholarship scheme. This initiative, our way of saying 'Thank You', now helps educate talented students from remote villages whose schooling would otherwise ceast at primary level. Run in honorary capacity by my husband and myself, the scheme obtains its funds from donations I solicit when I give talks on my books. The generosity of donors is such that the trust fund is now sufficiently large to ensure that our annual contribution to the scheme will continue in perpetuity. We have three students at university now, and several moving along to attain the required level for entry.

By 2009 I was very aware of the suffering of the people of Sabah at the hands of the Japanese. In August that year, the Australian High Commisioner to Malaysia, Penny Williams, and Kathy Upton-Mitchell, Deputy Director of the Officer of Australian War Graves (which, since 2007 took over the running of the Anzac Day services that I had begun in Sandakan in 1999), asked me to consider writing a 'booklet' for Sandakan Day 2010, to draw attention to the local story.

I was only too pleased to be asked. Having attended many memorial services at which the entire focus was on the POWs, my discomfit at the lack of acknowledgement had grown, not lessened, since that first service in 1999.

However, I told my two friends that the people of Sabah deserved far more than a booklet. I would write a book.

And so Blood Brothers was 'conceived'. But its birth was only made possible by Datuk C L Chan, who had published the Sabah edition of my first book in 2007, and who now agreed to publish Blood Brothers.

Because I consider Blood Brothers to be my gift to Sabah, I received no financial benefit from its publication. Indeed all my activities in Sabah, from the books I write to the treks I undertake along the Death March track, and Anzac Day Commomerative tours I accompany, are conducted on a purely non-profit basis.

As I have no agenda, this allows me to do what I think is best, without my work being compromised by commercial or business considerations.

Fortunately, I have have the overwhelming support of my husband, Neil. The deadline to publish Blood Brothers on August 15 2010 - 'Sandakan Day' in Sabah and the launch date - was very tight. To enable me to submit the completed manuscript by 1 April 2010, Neil took over the entire household - All cleaning, shopping, cooking, washing and ironing. My focus was entirely on the book, from 8 am until often 2 am the next day.

I always find that the writing is easy enough. The research in this case was difficult.

Although Mary Chin, of the Daily Express, had written an article published in 2009, asking for local people who had family members connected to the POW story to contact me, most of the emails I received were from Sabahans asking me what I knew about a relative - not providing me with any information.

However, I did have a very good response from some, which was vital, along with some useful material collected by Sabah Tourism a few years ago. This, coupled with wonderful interviews I had conducted with Mr Chin Chee Kong, whom I knew from the late 1990s due to his family connections in Australia; From Sabahans I had met and talked to over the years; And from material available in Australian archives - gave me enough to put a story together.

The first two chapters of the book, which deal with Sandakan's history from 1873 to 1942, when the Japanese arrived, were the hardest part to research. I wanted readers to understand the phenomenal development of Sandakan from a small bamboo and attap kampong to the beautiful town it became, pre-war. Life for the expatriates and hard working locals who had prospered to make this British-controlled outpost a jewel in the Crown of the Empire, was exceedingly pleasant until January of 1942, when the Imperial Japanese army arrived. It was all downhill, from then on.

I was fortunate to locate the family of an Australian Army officer who had been involved in the post-war reconstruction of Sandakan, reduced to a mass of ruins and charred timber at war's end by allied attacks and a Japanese scorched earth policy. Families of local people living outside Sabah also sent me some great material, so that bit by bit I was able to build a picture of the years of occupation as well as the days immediately following the liberation.

Having accessed hundreds of WW2 files in order to write my first book, I now re-combed these documents to extract the names of local person mentioned, so that I could create an honor roll. This list is by no means complete, but its compilation was dependent entirely on what was available here, and from Sabah.

NBHE : Are you satisfied with your finished product? Do you think it could have been better? Are you satisfied with the impact of your work to Sabahans and Australians. You said that other respondents had emerged belatedly with more information after your book was published. Do you plan on making a second edition on Blood Brothers with the new information?

LRS : I am happy with the finished product, based on the material I was able to source. I really enjoyed writing this book, which gave me a great deal of satisfaction. Had more material been available, I could have definitely improved upon it. For example, it was not until launch day that a local veteran, who had an interesting story to tell, actually told it. I was disappointed that, despite the appeal in the Daily Express that neither this man, nor members of his family, had come forward.

If the current print run sells out, I will definitely ask Datuk C L Chan to consider publishing a revised edition to include any new material that has come to light.

NBHE : What is/are the most memorable moments you had while collecting/researching for Blood Brothers? And was/were there any major obstacle/s to your efforts?

LRS : The realisation of just how sophisticated Sandakan was before 1900 (for example, a telegraph line linked Sandakan to Labuan - throug the uninhabited jungle and then underwater!) and the discovery that a friend I have known for years had a fabulous diary, written by her father. She was born in Sandakan, and her dad, a local planter, had detailed exactly what happened in Sandakan from November 1941, when war clouds were gathering, until the end of the war. I only found out that she had this when I asked her if she had any photos of Sandakan pre-war.

Material supplied by the Funk family was also very helpful, as was the generosity of the family who posted me an entire photo album of the re-building of Sandakan, immediately post-war. I scanned the photos at a high resolution and, with the family's permission, have been able to make them available to the Sabah government.

There were no major obstacles to overcome that I can remember, apart from finding the source material the deadline. It took me from August to Chrismas 2009, working 24/7, to collect the material, so I had just four months to collate it, find out if there were any 'holes', collect more information if necessary, write the manuscript, knock it into shape for publication and source additional illustrative material and maps. The publisher did a brilliant job with the layout, and everyone worked very hard to ensure that copies were at hand for the launch at Sandakan on 15 August by the Governor General of Australia and Datuk Peter Pang, representing Sabah's Chief Minister, who was overseas at the time.

NBHE : What development do you wish to see or hope for in the future where the 'kinship' of Sabahans and Australians is concerned?

LRS : I hope that strong bonds between Sabah and Australia will continue. It is wonderful that, wherever I go, in large towns and in the smallest, most humble villages, friendship and hospitality is always extended to Australians.

The bonds forged originally during the war, and with the liberation of Sabah in 1945, were strengthened with the Colombo Plan, an educational initiative by our government that saw many young Sabahans studying in Australia, and the assistance given by our Defence Forces during the Indonesian Confrontation in the 1960s. This was followed by the building of a number of major roads in Sabah's interior in the 1970s, with Australian assistance. And now, especially since 1999, we see an increasing number of Australisn travelling to Sabah to pay homage to our shared war experience.

I am hopeful, with many younger Australians coming to Sabah to walk along the Death March track, opened up by my friend Tham Yau Kong and myself in 2006, that the 'Ties that Bind' Australians and Sabahans together will not only continue, but strengthen.

Because of my close connections to your country, I am often called 'An Honorary Sabahan'. I consider it a great privilege and honour to be considered to be one of you.

End

Mrs Silver will be at Western Australia on 12 September 2011 in yet again another self-funded mission to promote Sabah and its history. She will be in Sabah again to attend the Remembrance Sunday service in Labuan on 13 November 2011.

It all started with a can of Stewed Pork..

2011-09-06T20:31:00.000+08:00

Puzzled with my choice of a title for my post? What I meant is the subject I'm going to blog about was inspired by what transpired when I went to the local hypermart to buy a can of stewed pork hehehe.

So there I was, looking for a cashier that I could go to pay for my stuff. Alamak! All wearing tudung (headscarf) ler... Then my eyes scanned for a non-Muslim cashier, ah!... I saw an Indian girl cashier sticking out like a sore thumb because she was rather on the plus size. What the hell?! How come everyone's making a beeline to her counter!? Her queue was long!!! "No choice", I thought. Then I spied a Muslim cashier who was serving the last customer at her counter. So I went to her counter hesitantly and put my stuff on the counter. Without even batting an eyelid, she promptly picked up the can of stewed pork, scanned it and put it in the plastic bag. I gave her my RM50/- note and looked at her face to see any expression of disgust, zilch! Rather amused by her non-chalantness, I engaged her in small talk,

"You know, my brother in-law was in a big supermarket in KL (Kuala Lumpur) and he bought a can of pork luncheon meat. The cashier absolutely refused to handle the can of luncheon meat and told my brother in-law to scan the item himself", I said.

When she heard this, she chuckled! She gave me my change and thanked me in the most cheerful manner. I think she was happy that I noticed and appreciated her, for lack of better choice of word, I'd say her gesture.

I'm not an expert in Islam, I think some might argue that the can was "contaminated" (I'm one of them :P. When it comes to halal matter with my Muslim friends, I'm extremely careful about it. Respect mah and this respect is not demanded by my Sabahan Muslim friends, they never did but rather, I accord it to them) and she shouldn't touch it but the whole episode just demonstrates the attitude of Muslims in Sabah or to be precise, Sabahan Muslims. They are tolerant to a fault!

About a week ago, or more, someone from the Kampung where my farm is, passed away. My mom went to the funeral mass at the Kampung's small church, I think it is more a chapel than it is a church but they call it a church. Semantic. My mom went before me, by the time I got there, the mass had started. So not wanting to disrupt the service, I didn't enter the church but waited outside but I still could follow the mass from outside. I was not the only one there. There were other people also. Faces not familiar to me, apparently some of them came from KK (Kota Kinabalu, about 100km away from the Kampung).

Guess who was among them. There he was, this old man, in a Haji skull cap! This was the month of Ramadhan by the way. He sat there and respectfully observed the service (of course he didn't participate). The kampung folks where my farm is, consisted of Muslim and Christian Dusuns and some Muslim Bisayas. It is a close and tightly knit community but I must say, I didn't expect to see how tight they were this way. The Dusun muslims referred themselves as Dusuns here and not Malays and they speak the Dusun language. They didn't abandon their Dusun culture.

After the mass ended, I was busy chaperoning my mom so I fogot about the Haji and I didn't see him later also. After the mass, they brought the coffin to the kampung's Christian burial ground. Sacred ground for the Christians and to be specific again, Catholics. My mom wanted to participate against my advice. I told her it was bloody HOT, she shouldn't be there but I think she wanted to take revenge on me for the years that I had defied her, so go she did.

So there we were at the cemetary, I told my mom to just wait at the small shelter erected for people to escape from the torturous sun. Of course there were others there, old folks like my mom. Amongst them was an old Muslim man and a middle aged lady in Tudung! I didn't know who they were but they were chit chatting away happily with the Christian Dusuns. The old man seemed to be in his late 70s. As with the tradition of the Dusuns, they prepared food for the people who came to pay respect. Among the fares they had was PORK!

I thought to myself, "OMG! This is akward! During fasting month, no less!".

One of the ladies that was in charge of preparing the meals, went to the old man and apologized to him for having to serve meals to the other guests, to which the old man waved his hand, a gesture meant to dismiss her sense of guilt and said, "Makan sajah bah!" or if it were in english, it would have sounded like, "Hosh posh! Go ahead! What's the big deal!".

I myself, have loads of muslim relatives on my mom's side. Cousins, uncles, aunties, nephews, nieces... Every year our clan would have a gathering where the descendants of my maternal great great grandfather gather to rekindle our kinship.

The following are some of the pictures taken in our annual gathering held at my farm in 2008. These photos only showed some of the relatives. We wore different colour of shirts to identify to which clan we belonged to. There were red, yellow, purple, green, blue... These photos showed mainly the yellow clan.

The woman in red blouse in the centre is my mom and behind her, the man next to the woman wearing the brown Tudung is her nephew Datuk Bishop Cornelius Piong, Bishop of Keningau Diocese, Sabah.

Christian relatives preparing for mass which was presided by Datuk Bishop. Muslim relatives entertained themselves just outside of the living room.

In Sabah, muslim parents send their children to Chinese schools. It's not a big deal to us because it has been going on for years! My cousin's boyfriend is a teacher in a Chinese school in a little town called Bongawan, he said 98% of their students are non-chinese, including Muslims.

The following are scenes from a recent sports day and merdeka celebration at my alma mater (primary school) recently.

SRJK (C) Kung Ming

Sports day. Parents participated.

Other parents looking on as the kids were having fun. See who are amongs the crowd.

That's the building where I attended my kindergarten years

Kids performing on the 48th Independence Day celebration. Those were really muslim kids in baju melayu in the performance.

Chinese, Kadazandusun and Malay but where's the Indians? :D. Oversight maybe but then again, we don't have a big community of Indians in our town. Most left for KK.

On a seperate note, this coming 16 September 2011, we are going to celebrate 48 years of of being Malaysians, being a nation. As I have implored in my earlier posts. Fly the Jalur Gemilang on 16 September 2011! Why should you? Because our forefathers (Sabahan) were among the leaders that founded the nation of Malaysia. By not celebrating this day, we are dishonoring their memories.

The Malaysia Agreement was signed by the following:

For the United Kingdom: Harold MacMillan, Duncan Sandys and Lansdowne

For the Federation of Malaya : Tunku Abdul Rahman, Abdul Razak, Tan Siew Sin, V.T Sambanthan, Ong Yohe Lin and S.A Lim

For North Borneo : Datu Mustapha Bin Datu Harun, Donald A. Stephens, W.KH Jones, Khoo Siak Chiew, W.S. Holley and G.S Sundang

For Sarawak : P.E.H Pike, T. Jugah, Abang Haji Mustapha, Ling Beng Siew and Abang Haji Openg

For Singapore : Lee Kuan Yew and Goh Keng Swee

Source

Secondly, by showing that we remember this day, we are sending a message to whoever that is trying to distort history that we don't buy their whitewash anymore. Ignorant people are easier to manipulate and be misled, by keeping this memory alive, we keep the knowledge for our future generation of Sabahans so that they won't be fooled.

If you have a Facebook or Twitter account, put the Jalur Gemilang as your profile picture. If people ask you why, explain to them. I made my own profile picture as above. If you are wondering what is the meaning of the symbol, they represent 169 i.e. 16 Sep. A little bit of "play of word" here or rather numbers, 1 meaning one people, 69 come in the form of the yin and yang symbol because we (Sabahans) as a society is the perfect example for harmony, moderation and balance. Feel free to use my design if you want to.

Township of Sarawak, Ontario, Canada

2011-09-04T22:18:00.000+08:00

Did you know that there is a town called Sarawak in Canada? I didn't but there really is and if you think that is intriguing, the history behind its founding will knock you off your chair!

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In 1857, the Indians of Newash in Canada gave up their lands which was an Indian reservation known as the Newash Reserve, named after their great Chieftain Newash, to the English. Some said they were hoodwinked by the English, the area was apparently an abundant land. The Governor-General of Canada then, a Lord Bury, promptly renamed the area to Sarawak, in honour of his secretary, Sir James Brooke. Supposedly Sarawak was a battlefield in India in which Sir James Brooke had distinguished himself in battle.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Brooke

According to Wikipedia, James Brooke was an ensign in the Bengal Army of the British East India Company in India and saw action in Assam during the First Anglo-Burmese war until seriously wounded in 1825; He was 22 then (born 29 April 1803).

Of the naming of the town after a battlefield in India, I think it was a mistake made by the writer of the day who chronicled the town history, out of ignorance.

The James Brooke of Sarawak was made a Rajah(of Sarawak) on 24 September 1841 (official declaration on 18 August 1842). He was made a Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath in 1847.

I think therefore, Lord Bury renamed that area in Canada in 1857 to Sarawak in honour of his friend who was the (white) Rajah of Sarawak by then, not because of a battlefield in India.

There is a town in Canada that is called Kepple also I read. There's a road in Singapore that is called Kepple Road and a giant company called Kepple in Singapore, involved in shipping and shipbuilding I think. And what about Cape Croker in Canada! We have Crocker Range in Sabah, formerly known as North Borneo in the Island of Borneo, the third largest island in the world. And Indians and natives of Sarawak; So much similarities. So dear Canadian towsfolk of Sarawak, visit Sarawak and find out your town's namesake.

Source : http://www.ourroots.ca/e/page.aspx?id=2529538 and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Brooke

Mount Kinabalu : Piece of Cake?

2011-09-04T14:56:00.004+08:00

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2001/aug/22/malaysia

Last month, 23 August marked the 10th anniversary of the tragic death of British student, Ellie James, who perished on Mount Kinabalu on 23 August 2001.

Ellie was described by family members as an adventurous and tough as nail young lady.

In a tribute to her daughter, Bruce James had this to say about Ellie,

"From the age of five she raised money to help human and wildlife charities.

"She became a vegetarian at seven and never wavered in her commitment to shake people from complacency.

"If her death inspires other people to stand up and be counted, her life will not have been in vain."
Before climbing the mountain, Ellie had spent time with villagers of Kampung Kiau Nulu in Borneo.*

*Excerpt from http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/1504524.stm

Ellie survived at least for six days before succumbing to prolonged exposure. That is remarkable and is a testament to her strong will. She must had been a remarkable human being and her death was not only a loss to her family but also to Borneo. According to her family, she had wanted to work in the Borneo rainforest, to preserve it, what a wonderful friend she would have made for Borneo.

Source : New Straits Time

From her caring nature, I would like to think that her spirit is now watching over travellers/climbers on Mount Kinabalu.

Mount Kinabalu is sacred to the Dusun, they believed that the spirits of the departed amongst them, reside on the mountain. In the old days, the mountain was also the source of their livelihood.

They venerated and accorded respect to the mountain and its surrounding jungles. Certain taboos were observed when venturing into the mountain's vicinity. This was of course when they were still practising their old religion.

Here's an excerpt from the book Tourism and NatureConservation in Malaysia National Parks by Norman Backhaus:

“Mount Kinabalu hasplayed an important role to many ethnic groups living in itsvicinity. The Lotud, a Dusun/Kadazan tribe, describe how the mountainwas created by their supreme deities Kinohoringan and Umunsumundu:“Umunsumundu created the earth while Kinohoringan created the sky,cloud and all above the earth. The eagle, Kondiu, was sent to inspectall that they had created. Alas, the report was that the cloud wastoo small in relation to the earth. Kinohoringan (…) was ashamed(…). This was a blow to his pride. Umunsumundu understood hisfeelings and decided to reshape the earth instead, to make it equalin breadth to the cloud. She decided to create a mountain which shecalled Kinabalu or Kinorungoi. This mountain was to be the heart ofthe world. Rituals involving the sacrifice of cocks and eggs areperformed on the mountain in order to honour the spirits of the dead”

Source : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Kinabalu

Picture published by Smith, Elder and Co in 1862

Mount Kinabalu is about 4095 metre tall and according to experts, it is still growing at the rate of 5mm every year. It is touted as South East Asia's tallest mountain. However, there are disputes to the accuracy of this. Read here. Notwithstanding, Mount Kinabalu or Kinabalu National Park is one the few places that I never grew tired of visiting; It is truly a beautiful place. Imagine that about twenty years before North Borneo was colonized by the North Borneo Chartered Company, a westerner named Sir Hugh Low, had climbed the mountain in 1851. I wonder whether he had seeked permission from the Bobolian (Dusun Priestess) before he made the climb. I'm certain the Dusun must had been protective of their sacred mount. In those days, headhunting was still in practice, I'm impressed that he even made it that far in land without being harrassed.

People who had climbed the mountain had varying experience to tell, some said it was difficult and yet some said it was easy. I suppose it depends on your fitness level and I think you also must have respect for the mountain. Otherwise, it could turn on you. This mountain afterall, is called the Abode of the Dead.

Source : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Kinabalu

Climbing trail at lower elevation

Source : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Kinabalu

Trail near summit

My advice to you if you're planning to climb the mountain, have a healthy respect for the mountain and mother nature. People get into accident because generally they let their guards down, make sure you have proper gear like footwear, clothing etc. Ellie is not the first casualty of the mountain. The Dusun of old believed that there are spirits on the mountain that can spirit people away and never to be found again. I think this belief could be explained to some Dusun folks who went to the mountain in the old days, perhaps fell off some ledge/ravines or like Ellie, got lost because of poor weather and they attributed the disappearence of these people to spirits.

I recalled when visiting the beginning of the trail to the mountain some years back, I saw a memorial dedicated to someone who had died of malaria while climbing the mountain.

Source : http://www.trekearth.com/gallery/Asia/Malaysia/photo97117.htm

This was the condition that participants of Mount Kinabalu Climbathon (held annually) found themselves in on 2 October 2004.

Source : http://www.trekearth.com/members/rabani/

Above, the body of Sudin Yusin, a participant of the event on that day being carried down from the mountain by Park Rangers. Read what happened here.

So don't find yourself ill-prepared, inadequately equipped and make sure you do not have any health issue that might be aggravated by the climb. Stay close to your guide and follow their instruction, these guys know what they are talking about because they spend day in and day out in the mountain. That's their office.

We welcome your tourist money but we also want you to leave Sabah, healthy and alive. Here are some sites that I think you might want to check out:

Mountain Torq - If you are an adrenalin junky

Climb Mount Kinabalu - An American who climbed the mountain and decided to put up this site for people seeking information about climbing the mountain.

Be safe and welcome to Sabah, Land Below the Wind! Oh yes, if you meet a Dusun or Kadazan, say Kopivosian! That's hello in their language.

Pot calling the Kettle black

2011-09-03T13:21:00.001+08:00

I don't know whether you guys have heard the news about PAS Deputy President, Mat Sabu, who got himself into hot soup for his comments about the contribution of our security forces in pre-independence day. He was reported to have said that the real freedom fighters were the communists because they were fighting the British and the security forces were working for the British.

Google Image

That's like telling me that Korom was not a patriot because he was with the North Borneo Armed Constabulary which was under the payroll of the British North Borneo Chartered Company. In my humble opinion, I consider Korom as a patriot regardless to whom his allegiance was. He was fighting for the freedom of North Borneo from an oppressive invading force i.e. the Japanese Imperial Army. It's just a matter of semantics.

To be fair to Mat Sabu and the Communists, people seemed to have forgotten that the Communists did participated in guerilla warfare against the Japanese during World War II.

An excerpt from Times,

A Communist long before World War II, Chin Peng earned his O.B.E. honestly. British Intelligence Officer Lieut. Colonel F. Spencer Chapman, who spent 3½ years dodging the Japanese in Malayan jungles, called him "Britain's most trusted guerrilla representative."

Read more: http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,806357,00.html#ixzz1WrT9LkLF

Yes, I know later the Communists would be responsible for thousands of deaths in Malaya, I know about the atrocities they committed in their attempt to liberate Malaya from the British and set up a Communist Malaya.

But I think in the context of history, we should look at it as a whole and not cherry pick the good or the bad details for your targetted audience. So I'm sorry if you are offended that I mentioned their "good deeds" here. Am I a communist sympathizer? Oh puhleezz lah! Your mind still stuck in the pre-independence day kah? The Communist are more hardcore capitalist than the real capitalist these days, just look at China! I think eventually, communism will become a relic of the past, in my opinion at least.

Like our sage Tun Mahathir said, we shouldn't rewrite history. Anyway, I'm not blogging this to support Mat Sabu or oppose him, like I mentioned earlier, it's all semantics to me. Facts are facts, politicians are the worst historians and they rewrite history for their own purpose. The point of this post is to highlight the hypocrisy of our West Malaysian politicians on both sides of the spectrum.

So there I was, driving happily to my farm and listening to TraxFM when the news came on. It was reported that Malacca's Chief Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Ali Rustam cautioned people against group that was out to distort/rewrite history and these people were out to discredit the contribution of past leaders like Tunku Abdul Rahman who negotiated for the nation's independence.

"The pot calling the kettle black, kekekeke.." I thought, amused. Bunch of hypocrit buffoons.

I respect Tunku Abdul Rahman as being one of the leaders, together with our Sabahan leaders like Tun Fuad Stephens and other Sarawakian leaders who founded the nation called, Malaysia. But hey, don't distort historical facts lah.

That's Tunku declaring Malaya's indepence on 31 August 1957

These were some of the Sabahan leaders taking a picture together on 31 August 1963. Look at the wordings at the background

Tun Fuad Stephen formerly Donald Stephen

Who is distorting facts? LOL. Malaysia was never colonized lah. So how could you say that Tunku (God bless his soul) negotiated the independence of Malaysia? You mean Malaya kah? If you mean Malaya, then you are right but why use ambiguous language?

I'll end this post by imploring Sabahans and all Malaysians to fly the Jalur Gemilang on 16 September. Long live Malaysia! To all politicians, stick to politics lah.. You guys are bad historians. Selective memories. Pot calling the kettle black.

Of Control Freaks and Confused People

2011-09-02T12:18:00.000+08:00

Credit : sophia_soshow - Photobucket

My friend was complaining to me about certain people in her live recently. That person has an opinion on everything and just about anything and stubborn to a fault.

She was beginning to suspect that he was just a sad, confused and lonely small man. She said many times he caught him contradicting himself and that whenever she said something, she was certain that he would have a different opinion about it. Poor woman, she said she's developing teeth deterioration from grinding her teeth too much in an effort to prevent herself from stranggling the snob LOL.

She said the snob disagrees on everything just for the sake of disagreeing. I asked her why she continues to torture herself by hanging out with the snob? She said she wished that life is like Facebook where she could just unfriend him and blocked him permanently :D.

My friend is one of the most good natured and patient people I know. Hence, for her to get so riled up like that, this snob must be one insufferable prick. I can relate to her problem, heck I think everyone of us, met people like that at least once in our lives. The colleague who always disagrees with you in meetings just to discredit you but not offering any solution himself, a brother in-law who always want to sound "good" in conversations during family gathering (bragging about his imaginary friendship with some celebrities).......The list goes on.....

Personally, I learned to just "switch off" when I encounter people like this and I keep my distance from them like a plague. Earlier in life, I've learned that engaging with these people is just a wasteful activity. They don't want to talk with you, they want to talk at you. They just want an audience, not a conversation partner. Its their way or the highway.

I've found some interesting articles about these people and ways to manage them. So if you such "infestation" yourself, you might want to check these out. But if you ask me, I think you will be better off "unfriending" these nimcompoops.

Dealing With Control Freaks - Thomas J. Schumacher, Psy.D., R-CSW

How to Cope with a Controlling Person - wikihow

I like this excerpt from Dealing With Control Freaks:

Certainly, it’s natural to want to be in control of your life. But when you have to be in control of the people around you as well, when you literally can’t rest until you get your way … you have a personality disorder

Spot on hahahaha...

Congratulation to Sabah Publishing House

2011-09-02T12:01:00.001+08:00

Sabah Publishing House Sdn Bhd (SPH) is the owner of Daily Express and Overseas Chinese Daily. The former, a bilingual daily (English and Malay) and the latter, yes you guessed it, a Chinese daily.

I grew up reading the Daily Express, my mom subscribed to it since heaven knows when, like forever.

The Daily Express was founded by the late Tan Sri Yeh Pao Tzu in 1963. Its first issue was on 1 March 1963. Yes, that means the paper was pre-independence. Before someone points out to me that I'm mistaken about it, I'm talking about North Borneo's (Sabah) independence day lah. Please refer to my earlier post.

The Daily Express touts itself as the Independent National Newspaper of East Malaysia. However, as far as I know, they are only circulating in Sabah. So that part at least, I think, is a misnomer. Anyhoo, it pride itself as being unbiased in its reporting and so far, I have to agree. Their reporting has been impartial to any parties. And they highlight the events of Christian community just as much as they highlight the events of the Muslim community. What are the chances of you finding a national newspaper in West Malaysia that carries news about the social and charitable work of the Franciscan Sisters of the Immaculate Conception or the celebration of its 75th founding anniversary? So yes, I can read this paper "tanpa was-was". It does not sell "haram" news.

Today SPH reported about its new milestone. Towards being environmental friendly, they have become the first media in Malaysia, yes the first in the nation, to switch to shorter 54.6 cm cut-off broad sheet. That means, the paper will be smaller and shorter. Hence, requiring less paper to print.

Therefore, congratulation to you SPH for being a trendsetter in Malaysia.

Hall & Oates - That 70's band

2011-09-02T10:09:00.001+08:00

Google Image

Ok, I seldom write anything about artists or make movie reviews but today, I'm going to make an exception. I suppose not many of you know or have heard of Hall & Oates.

They are an American musical duo famous in the late 70's and 80's. Their music is unique and distinct to them, no one could sound like them better than them. Their music is a fusion of rock & roll and rhythm & blues many said. I'm no music expert and know next to nothing about genre or lables but I love their music.

The band is made up of Daryl Hall who sings most of their songs and John Oates, who co-wrote most of their songs and played the guitar. The latter is a singer too but he lets Daryl sing most of the time.

Some said that they were childhood friends and then some said that they went to the same university and met later, don't know who's right but heck, who cares. These guys are the longest surviving musical partners I know.

Google Image

How did I get to know about them(not know them personally lah)? I think it was in the mid 80's. I was still a kid then. One fine afternoon, having nothing better to do, I started rummaging through the collection of cassettes we had. I bet most of you had not even operated a cassette player in your life LOL. Your uncle here even operated that vinyl record player before. Our house was a wooden house with wooden flooring, so whenever my late uncle John played his record, we have to walk lightly lest the record player's needle "jump" and replay the last few seconds of song over again. That's where the saying "sound like a broken record" came from.

Ehh.. Off topic pulak. Oh yes, I was rummaging and saw this white coloured cassette. I'm not sure why that particular nondescript cassette got my attention, there were no pretty and colourful design on it but I chose it. Perhaps the universe and the stars all came together on that day and plotted for me to encounter Hall & Oates. But there was no stopping it, I played the cassette and Hall & Oates became one of the many experience in my life that molded and influenced my character and the way I think. You know how they say that music feeds the soul? Ok, I just came up with that line a second ago but I think someone could have said that before me hehehe..

The song that got me hooked on Hall & Oates was Kiss On My List. Here's a copy of the original version.

Here's another intepretation of the song by Matchbox 20's Rob Thomas at Daryl's house,

Over the years, Hall & Oates have many hit singles and albums. Kiss on List is definitely not the only song by them that I like. There are many like Sara Smile, Rich Girl, I Can't Go for that, One on One....... On any lazy sunday afternoon or when I'm cruising in my car, I always like to play Hall & Oates. Their songs are always upbeat eventhough the subject of the songs are not.

Hall & Oates is still together and active although these days, each of them do their own stuff. I think they are just enjoying their semi-retire(I don't know whether they have retired, this is just my assumption) life. These are really down to earth and likeable people.

I recently found out that Daryl has a show called Live From Daryl's House and I've been hanging out at his place quite often these days. Daryl invites other musicians, including John, to jam at his home. It's fun just watching them jam, no frill and no ego, just jamming each other's songs.

Daryl doesn't look like the pictures I posted here of course, people do get old you know but he is still as young as before where music is concerned. So please do go and check out his house, bring Hall & Oates into your lives. You won't regret it. Signing off, I leave a video clip of a funny moment between Pat Monahan of Train and Daryl.

A Father's Heart - The Accident 4

2011-09-01T11:52:00.002+08:00

“Son, wait!... Could you just give me a chance...” pleaded James to his long lost son.

“Chance for what, FATHER!” Joshua emphasized the last word sarcastically as he walked away from his papa.

“...a chance for me to explain. Please...!”

Joshua turned around to face his papa, all the years of suppressed anger, disappointment and hurt came together like a force of nature manifesting on his face, with clenched teeth and finger pointing at his papa's face, he said, “Don't! Don't! Don't even dare think that you can explain or justify what you put me through. You're a liar! You were a liar then, you are still a big liar now. You used subterfuge to lure me back to Sabah. I don't know how you talked mama into colluding with you but I won't be as gullible as her!”

“Joshua, papa was in prison for five years! That's why I couldn't see you and your mama refused to bring you along each time she visited me because she wanted you to have only good memories of me..”

“That's bullshit! Just shut up! Shup up!” Joshua shoved his papa to the ground.

In that instant, Kenny who had been a silent observer all the while rushed forward, he grabbed Joshua by his shirt and about to strike Joshua for hurting his stepfather when James called out and asked him to stop.

“Kenny, don't! Let him go.. Let him go..” pleaded James who was still on the ground, his right elbow bleedin.

Kenny released Joshua with a push on Joshua's chest.

“If you could just give him a chance to tell his side of the story! We, no, he, spent years looking for you and he even got conned off a large sum of money by some conman in the States, all for you!”. Kenny said impassionately.

Joshua ignored Kenny and got into his vehicle and sped off as Kenny went to James' side and helped him stood up.

“You're okay Dad?”

“Kenny, you must promised me that you never ever raise your hand against your elder brother again..” James told his stepson as he hang on to Kenny's shoulders for support.

“I'm sorry Dad but I couldn't just stand there and watch him do that to you...”

“Promise me Kenny...” James abruptly interrupted Kenny with a forceful voice.

“Yes..Dad. Okay.. Okay...”

“He's just confused and angry. I wronged him and his mother first. He was an innocent child that had to pay for my stupidity..”

“Dad! Stop it! Damn it! Will you just stop carrying that guilt around? For years we watch you trying to redeem yourself. He has obviously moved on! Why don't you move on!”

“Son, a father never stop being a father. When you are a father next time, you will understand...”

“Like you have been an absent father to me and Lisa Dad?”

“What do you mean? I've always been there for the both of you.....”

“No Dad! Only your body was there but your mind was not with us. Remember when I was ten, learning to ride my bicycle? I fell down and scrapped my knee, you ran to me and you called me Joshua! That's when I knew that we were just Joshua's substitutes...”

“Oh son! If I ever made both of you feel any less important to me, I didn't mean it... but I love you and Lisa like my own... I've always tried to do the right thing...I thought I was...I guess....both of you were my second chance..I didn't know I was messing my second chance also...maybe they were right..maybe I am bad...” James cried.

Kenny was taken aback, he had never seen his stepfather displayed his emotion before, at least not to him or his younger sister. To him, his stepfather was a tower of strength and what a man ought to be; Always calm and collected albeit somewhat aloof.

“Daddy..I'm sorry.. I didn't mean it..you didn't deserve that..I was just being selfish..Lisa and I couldn't have asked for a better stepfather. Let's get you home dad.”

Joshua was speeding along the Tuaran highways, heading towards Kundasang. His choice of destination was a random one but on the first week of his arrival in Sabah, he joined a tour group to Kundasang and he liked it. He thought it was a peaceful and tranquil place. That was what he wanted now, peace of mind and the first place that came in mind was Kundasang.

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Joshua pushed the Toyota Vigo four wheel drive that he was driving to its limit. The engine roared as though in protest. Perhaps he was subconsciously punishing the vehicle which was registered under the company that three days ago, he thought was his mother's enterprise. An employee's loose tongue had let loose the secret that the real owner of the company was his biological father.

He felt so much anger in him and he felt frustrated because his mind was in disarray. He tried to string together a strong argument to rebuke everyone involved in this subterfuge but to no avail. He's frustrated at the fact that he couldn't even articulate how betrayed and why he felt betrayed even in his mind. Joshua had always hated being manipulated, being a free spirited person who guard jealously his freedom to determine his own destiny, he would rebel if he sensed any presence of what he deemed as manipulation by anyone. His stepfather, John, understood his character and nurtured it instead of trying to change him. Joshua wished that his stepfather was still alive, he really needed someone to talk to, someone who understood him. His mother Anne, he felt, had always tried to stifle him, whereas his stepfather, John, had always supported and encouraged him in whatever he did.

Suddenly a dog sprang infront of him, instinctively or rather, involuntarily, Joshua swerved the vehicle to avoid hitting the animal. The last thing that Joshua saw was a lamp post and then darkness.

NEXT

Greeting

2011-08-30T20:16:00.000+08:00

I've posted my Hari Raya Aidilfitri greeting to my Muslim brethren just days ago but I'll repeat that again, SELAMAT HARI RAYA to my Muslim brethren in Sabah including those in West Malaysia and I also would like to wish all Sabahans HAPPY 48TH INDEPENDENCE DAY tomorrow and HAPPY 54TH INDEPENDENCE DAY TO MALAYANS!

If you're watching TV3 right now, it said that our country is celebrating it's 54th year of Independence, no doubt referring to Malaya but hey, tomorrow is also the anniversary of the nation of Sabah's 48th Independence Day! Don't we deserve to be congratulated on national tv also? I hope TV3 extend the same courtesy to Sabah next year in the spirit of 1Malaysia.

Don't forget to fly the Jalur Gemilang on 16 September Malaysians!

A Father's Heart - The Wayward Father 3

2011-08-29T20:21:00.005+08:00

This writing/story originated from my twisted mind. Hence, I reserve all rights to this work.

The metal door slammed shut behind him. “It has been five years, how fast time flies.” thought James. He had served his time and now freedom but he didn't feel like a free man. Yes, he was not physically caged anymore but he still felt that he was in some sort of prison. A prison of guilt, shame and regret. This prison had no walls and no door that he could exit; He was simply in it.

James had aged a lot, the five years spent inside Kepayan prison had not been easy on him. Besides the occasional beating by fellow inmates, he had to content with nights of panic attack. On such nights, his mind would wander back to the day when he committed the crime and the realization that he had screwed not only his life but also that of his wife and son, especially his son. The walls would start to close in on him and all he wanted was to get out and look for his son. It got especially harder when in the third year of his incarceration, his wife visited him and told him that she was divorcing him and that she would be moving to the States and marry an American.

“No, James! Don't try to make me feel guilty for wanting something better for me. Joshua and I have suffered a lot because of your stupidity. I didn't put you in here, you did and in a way, you brought me and Joshua along! I've told you many times before not to get involved with that friend of yours but you choose his counsel over mine. Enough is enough!”

The words of his wife became like a mantra to him, replaying itself in the dark recess of his mind over and over again in his every waking hour. Sometimes it would come to his dream too at night, that's when the panic attack would occur. Three days after his wife told him of her intention, James tried to take his own life. Fortunately, fellow inmates found him and alerted the prison authority. He was put under observation and counseled. Perhaps the counseling worked because he did not attempt to take his own life again. However, everyone noticed that he had changed. He would spent his hours seated in a corner as though deep in thoughts.

A black Toyota four wheel drive pulled up next to James, the window wound down and James recognized the driver as the prison warden.

“Come in James.” James complied.

“Where are you headed to. Let me give you a lift” said the warden. The warden was a big burly man of Dusun ethnicity. For some unknown reason, he seemed to have taken interest in James' welfare. He oversaw James' observation and counseling when he tried to take his own life albeit not personally but James knew that he was always there in the background.

“I've no idea where to go, Tuan” replied James.

“You're not in jail anymore James, so stop with the Tuan”

“Yes Tuan, erh.. Wilfred” replied James uncomfortably.

The warden's forehead creased as he deliberated and then his hand reached to his back pocket and he took out his wallet.

“James, you know you are a lucky son of a bitch. You married a beautiful, a good wife whom you obviously did not deserve but yet she chose you. You were not highly qualified but your employer decided to trust you with his money but you repaid that trust by swindling him. You are a good man James but my god you are stupid. And now, me, a stranger is about to loan you 500 ringgit. So instead of feeling sorry for yourself, I suggest you get your act together. You can't fix the past but you can make your future from this point on. How old are you? Thirty? It's not too late for you James. This is my phone number, I want you to report to me once a week to update me on what you are doing. If you don't, I'll get my friends in the police to track you down. This is a loan, I expect you to pay me back! Understand?”

“Yes Tuan! I mean Wilfred... and thank you..” James was taken aback by the warden's remark. He had thought about his stupidity many times before but no one besides him had articulated it to him.

“Now get off my vehicle and decide where you are heading to but I suggest you do not head to your old friends who got you into this mess.”

James alighted from the vehicle and thanked the warden.

“and James, if I ever see you back in this facility again, I will make your life a living hell! Especially if you have not repaid your loan. Even if you have repaid your loan and end up back in there, I will still make your life miserable. That's a promise James!” warned the warden.

“I won't...erh..I mean I will pay you back and I won't end up back here” offered James.

NEXT

A Father's Heart - Stepfather 2

2011-08-29T14:29:00.004+08:00

This writing/story originated from my twisted mind. Hence, I reserve all rights to this work.

Mary Anne and Joseph were Joshua's step-siblings. They were children of his mother's second marriage to his stepfather, John Crabtree, who had brought the two of them to the States when his mother married him. His mother Anne, was a Sino-Kadazan. Her father was a Sabahan Chinese and her mother was a Kadazan from Penampang. Joshua's stepfather, John, had always appreciated the Kadazan culture and even wrote a book about Sabah and its natives though he never got around to publishing it. His stepfather had a collection of books about Sabah and these including his unpublished manuscript were given to Joshua when he passed on.

John Crabtree was a naturalist working for the World Wildlife Fund – Sabah when he met Anne. Anne was working as a hotel receptionist in a major hotel in Kota Kinabalu. He fell in love with Anne the first time he laid his eyes on her. Whenever he had to come out from his office in the jungle and into Kota Kinabalu, he made sure that his assistant booked him into the same hotel so that he could see Anne.

Anne was not receptive to his advances at first, John found himself having difficulty in having more than five minutes conversation with Anne but he persisted. He became rather well known among the counter staff as Anne's amorous romeo and whenever he was in town and checking in to the hotel, the other counter staff took pleasure in putting Anne in an awkward position by mysteriously having sudden tasks to attend to that would require them to desert their posts. Hence, leaving Anne alone at the counter.

John was always respectful to Anne and did not aggressively pursue her. One day, in a desperate attempt to get John to be disinterested in her, Anne told him that she had a son. John took that to mean that she was married. He was crest fallen and apologized profusely to Anne for his behavior. However, the next day when Anne was not at the counter, a counter staff motioned John to approach the counter as he was walking in the hotel lobby towards the exit.

“Mr Crabtree, I overheard your conversation with Anne yesterday. You look like a good man and she is a good woman. I'm her best friend. So I tell you this, yes she has a son from her previous marriage but they are divorced now. She loves her son and very protective of him. She says she doesn't want to get hurt again but I think really, she doesn't want her son to get hurt. I hope you will know what to do from here...” said the staff in a hushed tone.

“Thank you!” John looked at the staff's name tag, “Really, thank you Jessica!” John smiled broadly and his blue eyes beaming with rekindled determination. John was almost dancing as he walked out of the hotel to attend to his business.

For the next few visits, John kept a respectful distance from Anne but both of them were always cordial to each other. John did not give any indication to Anne that he was aware of her circumstances. Slowly he got bits and pieces about Anne's background from Jessica, information like how she was renting an apartment in the city and she lived alone with her son, like how it had been difficult for Anne having to work and raise her son alone, that her ex-husband was doing time in Kepayan jail for a commercial crime and that the divorce was instigated by her parents who thought that she should severe her ties with her ex-husband.

John grew to respect and admire Anne for her resolve and strength but there were times when he tried to forget about Anne because he couldn't find a way to get through her walls. He immersed himself in his work and convinced himself that once his tenure was over and he was back in the states, he would forget about her.

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One day on a Christmas Eve, John was in town and as usual was staying in the hotel. He was waiting for a Sabahan colleague to pick him up for dinner at the colleague's home when he spied Anne talking to a boy in the hotel lounge. The boy was about five years old and was handsome to John's opinion. John was praying that the boy was Anne's son, finally he had a way to reach out to her, he thought. He also thought that he was being sneaky but he brushed aside his reservation in favour of winning Anne's heart. Jessica came over to them, said something to Anne and Anne went off while Jessica stayed with the boy. “Thank you Santa!” thought John.

As he made his way towards the boy and Jessica, he overheard her saying in malay(John had picked up the language by now and rather proficient in it), “Don't be angry with your mama, she has to work tonight but I make her promise to buy you a big present tomorrow, ok Joshua?”

“Mama doesn't have money, she told me so. Where's papa? He promised that he will come see me this Christmas! Mommy said he will be here, that's why I followed her to work. Why is everyone lying to me?” Sobbed Joshua.

“Papa......Papa....” The little boy sobbed in a manner as though he was trying to will his father to appear. John's heart was torn at the site of this. He himself lost his father when he was young, so he knew the pain of yearning for one's loved ones. John quickly improvised a plan in his mind on how to make the little boy's Christmas better.

“Hello, Jessica. This must be Joshua?”

“John?! Oh hello. Merry Christmas! Yes, this is Joshua.” the startled Jessica replied.

Joshua ignored them and continued to sob. John knelt down on one knee and gently patted the boy's hair. He lowered his head so that Joshua's eyes were in his eye line.

“Look at me Joshua. I'm your papa's friend.” This got the boy's attention and he looked at John ready to soak in any news about his papa. Jessica looked curiously at John wondering what he was up to.

“Your papa really really wanted to come and see you but he couldn't make it because he has a lot of work to do and a lot of people are depending on him. He's a very important person and he sent me to tell you how much he misses you and he is sorry he couldn't come.” As John said this, Joshua's little face became distorted; a manifestation of how his little heart was broken inside, about to break into an inconsolable wail.

When John saw this, he instinctively drew the little boy towards him and gave the boy a hug as he said to him, “Joshua, your papa says he knows you misses him and he misses you too and it's okay to cry but he also doesn't want you to be very sad, it will break his heart. He said he will feel better if you make him buy you loads of presence to make up for his absence.”

“Papa has money already?” asked the little boy doubtfully as he pulled himself away from John's embrace.

“Yes, I happen to know that he has made a lot of money!” said John with a smile.

“Does he have enough to eat? We were always hungry previously and mama was always angry with him. Only if he's not hungry, then I would want presence from him. He told me that he was going to make a lot of money for me and mama but then he never came home after that..”

John could feel his eyes about to well up with tears and he composed himself with a deep breath. What a thoughtful and sweet child, he thought to himself.

“Your papa has plenty to eat, Joshua. Now tell me what you want for Christmas and I'll get them for you with your papa's money. He gave me loads of money to buy presence for you.”

“hmm.... I want a colouring set.” Joshua ventured with still a hint of doubt.

“and...?” asked John.

“Just a colouring set.” replied Joshua unsurely.

“That's it? Your papa will be sad if you refuses to let him buy you more things. He wants this to be the best Christmas ever! A playstation? A bicycle?”

John took out his wallet and showed the cash in it. “See Joshua! This is the money that your papa gave to me. There's plenty here!”

There was actually only 200 Ringgit, four pieces of 50 Ringgit notes in the wallet but Joshua did not know how to count yet and John's confidence and enthusiasm won the little boy over. By the time Joshua was finish giving his wish list, John had twenty items written on a piece of paper that Jessica brought over from the counter.

John's Sabahan colleague finally arrived and he bade goodbye to a happy and excited Joshua. Jessica chased after him and pulled John to a corner, “John, you know he will be disappointed tomorrow when all the things he wished for are not there!”.

“Don't worry, it will be there and don't tell Anne any of this.” John assured Jessica with a mischievous smile. “Oh yes, I'm going to need an address to send the stuff to. Just leave it in my room.”

John hurriedly walk towards his colleague who was waiting outside the hotel entrance now, smoking his cigarette.

“Hello Patrick!” greeted John, his excitement betrayed by his broad smile and his gait.

“You look excited? I'm not sure my wife's cooking is really that great.” Patrick ribbed him.

“I'll make sure to tell your wife you said that later” John replied with a hearty laugh.

“Patrick, do you mind if we make a short detour to the bank and maybe do some Christmas shopping before we head to your house?”

“Let me guess, you're trying to win that divorcee by bribing her this year? You have not given up the idea of winning her over yet, have you?” Patrick jestingly asked.

“Nope my friend. And I've just upped the ante by going to win over her son too!” John declared excitedly.

NEXT

A Father's Heart - Prelude 1

2011-08-29T14:27:00.003+08:00

This writing/story originated from my twisted mind. Hence, I reserve all rights to this work.

“Joshua!”

Mary Anne was awoken by her mother's sudden outburst. She looked across the room which she shared with her mother tonight. Earlier the day, her mother had been complaining about feeling unwell, of being restless, so Mary Anne elected to sleep in her mother's room this night to look after her.

“What is it mama? Are you feeling unwell?”

Her mother switched on the table lamp next to her bed post. As Mary Anne's eyes adjusted to the light, she saw her mother seated upright with a terrified look on her face. Mary Anne sprung from the arm chair that she was sleeping in and rushed towards her mother's bedside at the other end of the room. “What's wrong mama? What's wrong?...”, she asked urgently.

“It's your Koko Joshua! I heard him calling me..”

“Ma, Koko is still in Sabah. He's coming back next month, don't you remember? I think you just had a dream.”

“No! I know.. but I clearly heard him called me just now. It was like he was just right next to me and he sounded like he was in trouble.”

Two weeks later, thousands of miles at the other end of the world, in a city called Kota Kinabalu. Mary Anne and her younger brother, Joseph, had been taking turn keeping vigil at their big brother's bedside since they arrived in Kota Kinabalu from Seattle. Their mother, Anne, had wanted to be in the roster but they outright vetoed her. Anne, had been putting up at Joshua's apartment, holding court to the many relatives that trickled in since word of Joshua's near fatal accident got out. Kinship rekindled in the most unfortunate circumstances but Mary Anne and Joseph were at least grateful that the many visits by relatives were distracting their mother's attention from Joshua's condition.

Mary Anne had arrived at the hospital just little over at eight in the morning to relieve her younger brother who had the night roster.

“Joey! Joey! Wake up...” whispered Mary Anne to his younger brother.

“urh..! Jie..” Joseph greeted his sister while rubbing his eyes and stretching his sore body from sleeping in the only arm chair provided in the hospital room. Apparently, comfort to the patient's relatives were not a priority to the hospital's management as the cushion of the arm chair was hard as wood. “Did you bring any snack? I'm hungry!”

“Sorry, I didn't have time today because I woke up late. Another long lost relatives visited us last night and stayed for the night. They kept me up well after midnight before I could sneak into my bedroom and sleep. I think mama stayed up all night!”

“Jesus Christ! How many relatives do we have!” Joseph's comment was rewarded with a quick rap on the head by his elder sister. “Hey!” he protested.

“You know mama and koko don't like it when you cuss that way. Anyway, I think mama said the relatives are her maternal cousins. She seemed happy last night, catching up. So I guess that must be good right? All night long I was called Orang Putih, kinda annoying but you know what, I think I've a new appreciation for our Kadazan blood. You know what they said? We might be descendants of a famous Kadazan headhunter.” Mary Anne chuckled at the idea of being the progeny of a headhunter.

“Jes....” Joseph managed to kept himself in checked this time lest he got another rapping by his elder sister. “A headhunter? No kidding?”

NEXT

Selamat Hari Raya!

2011-08-26T20:15:00.000+08:00

I wish I have my fellow blogger Gunaqz's artistic talent and humour; she drew a funny Hari Raya greeting. So my Raya greeting will not be as cool as hers but still....here goes...

To all Muslims in Malaysia and yes, that include my readers some of whom are proud Dusun Muslims, Selamat Hari Raya Aidilfitri!

And please drive carefully yah..especially my friends/fellow bloggers and readers.

Happy 54th Merdeka Day?

2011-08-25T12:24:00.003+08:00

While on my way to KK yesterday, I passed by a big billboard that read "Hari Kemerdekaan Malaysia ke 54" and over the past few days, I also read about a Sabahan minister and officials lamenting that flying the Jalur Gemilang has not caught on with Sabahans.

I don't know what they grumbling about because I see loads of our national flag lining on both sides of the road while on my way to the farm everyday. Perhaps these people are referring to city folks whom are generally not gullible and know their history than kampung folks do.

Deliberate or not but don't you find it annoying that some people insist on being not corrected? What's the word to call people who doesn't want to learn from their mistake or be guided? Is it recalcitrant? For heaven's sake, didn't the Prime Minister acknowledge the importance of Malaysia Day by making it a national holiday last year? It took 47 years before they realized that they had their facts wrong about when Malaysia was formed but hey, better late than never(ehem.. even if it took 47 years..). Whoever that is perpetuating this erroneous fact is like slapping us Sabahans in the face. You know how it feels when you tell someone that he has wronged you and he goes, "uhuh..Oh ok.." and you think that he will stop doing it but then continues to do it anyway? I think that is how most Sabahans feel.

I WILL NOT FLY THE JALUR GEMILANG ON 31 AUGUST and that's not because I'm not patriotic but on the contrary, it is precisely because I'm patriotic that I will not fly it on 31 August. Try getting your wife's birthday wrong, she will send you to the dog house, so please do not insult the sanctity of Malaysia's anniversary by getting her birthday wrong. I WILL FLY IT PROUDLY ON 16 SEPTEMBER.

Malaysia was never COLONIZED! So it is erroneous to say Malaysians are celebrating 54 years of independence. Malaya gained its independence on 31 August 1957, so it is the people of the former Malaya that is celebrating 54 years of independence and I congratulate them but Sabah, the former Crown Colony of British North Borneo gained its independence on 31 August 1963. Therefore, independence for Sabahans has only been 48 years this coming 31 August.

Even if our "country" only lasted for 15 days, it was by choice and on our own terms. By forgetting our independence day, we are doing a disservice to our forefathers who had worked hard to convince the natives of North Borneo that it was to our benefit that we came together with the former Federation of Malaya, Singapore and Sarawak to form Malaysia.

If it weren't for them, there won't be a Malaysia today. Therefore, on 31 August 2011, I WILL PROUDLY FLY OUR SABAH FLAG in remembrance of our forefathers.

Happy 48th Independence Day Sabahans! P.s/- I got my Sabah flag from a local bookstore for RM1.50, it came with a holder/stand. On 16 September, I will add the Malaysian flag on the right side of my car.

Kedai Rakyat 1Malaysia

2011-08-22T12:56:00.000+08:00

www.kedairakyat1Malaysia.com.my

Yes, my choice for a subject for my post is unusual this time around but my curiosity finally got the better of me this morning. I was enjoying my breakfast at my usual haunt, Kim Wah Restaurant in Beaufort (hehehe.. Doing some free advertisement for my former classmate) this morning. Slowly sipping my Kopi-O, smoking my Gudang Garam as I read the Daily Express.

I hardly read the malay section of the paper usually but today, the headline "Kedai Rakyat 1M'sia akan diperluaskan : Najib". I've been hearing a lot about this Kedai Rakyat 1Malaysia (KR1M) but never bothered to find out more about it. Do we have KR1M in Sabah?

The report says, a kilo of garlics are sold at RM3.38 at KR1M in comparison to RM6.00 at "kedai biasa" (normal stores) and "beras super tempatan" sold at RM21.99 per 10 Kg at KR1M compare to RM25.80 at "kedai lain".

I'm impressed, especially about the garlics. I wonder how they managed to cut the price by almost half for the garlics, bulk buying? Kudos to the store's purchaser(that is the person who sources the products to be sold at KR1M)! I wonder whether they could do the same in Sabah? They should open KR1M in Sabah, we need it the most because food prices here are crazy high! Even my foreign guests remarked about the unusually expensive price for fruits and vegetables here.

I was so impress that I wanted to find out more about KR1M and its business model. So I googled it and found its website. It says KR1M was inspired by our dear PM and run by MYDIN. It says MYDIN is involved in this initiative as part of its Corporate Social Responsibility for the local neighbourhood.

So who owns KR1M? Is it MYDIN or the government? Curious....

I'm Just Saying...

Pirates and Slave Trading - North Borneo

Bonding With Gaya Street

Perang Si Gunting 1894 - 1901 (Gunting War)

RCI is evil?!

It's When You're Down that you need Him most in your Corner

Kadazan Kuizou

Datuk Peter J. Mojuntin

*FacePalm* Moment :P

The Story Behind Tambunan's name

Email Interview with Lynette Ramsay Silver

It all started with a can of Stewed Pork..

Township of Sarawak, Ontario, Canada

Mount Kinabalu : Piece of Cake?

Pot calling the Kettle black

Of Control Freaks and Confused People

Congratulation to Sabah Publishing House

Hall & Oates - That 70's band

A Father's Heart - The Accident 4

Greeting

A Father's Heart - The Wayward Father 3

A Father's Heart - Stepfather 2

A Father's Heart - Prelude 1

Selamat Hari Raya!

Happy 54th Merdeka Day?

Kedai Rakyat 1Malaysia

FacePalm Moment :P