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10 unexploded bombs found in Sabah and Sarawak over the past 10 years

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What would you do if you stumbled upon unexploded bomb in your backyard? Well, the best and only thing to do is to call the police.

Here in East Malaysia, discoveries of unexploded bombs have been reported from time to time. In most cases, these unexploded bombs were discovered by construction workers.

Additionally, a number of them were from the World War II (WWII) era. Beyond this, there are little details on whose bombs they were. Did most of them belong to Japanese or Allied forces?

Nonetheless, here 10 reports of unexploded bombs found in Sabah and Sarawak over the past 10 years:

1.Sandakan (Mar 31, 2010)

A WWII bomb was found in the compound of a driving school in Sandakan, Sabah. An excavator operator found it accidentally when digging a drain.

The authority immediately cordoned off and a bomb disposal unit from Kota Kinabalu flew in to defuse it.

2.Kuching (Apr 26, 2018)

We bet that when this grass cutter showed up for work on the morning of Apr 26 this year, the last thing he thought he would find was an unexploded bomb.

He found it in a drain near Kampung Sungai Bedil Besar, Kuching. After examination, the bomb was reported to be an unexploded ordnance (UXO) which is used for training.

3.Lahad Datu (Aug 20, 2018)

Unlike most unexploded bombs on this list, this one was launched quite recently. It was used during Ops Daulat when the 2013 Lahad Datu military standoff occurred.

The bomb belonged to the Malaysian Armed Forces and was believed to have not exploded during the battle against the Royal Sulu Army.

A plantation worker found it in the early morn of Aug 20 at Ladang Sahabat 17 Plantation.

4. Tawau (June 23, 2014)

While carrying excavation work to build a specialist medical centre, a group of construction workers found a remnant of World War II at the site.

The police bomb unit then immediately detonated the bomb. Reportedly, it was the first time such unexploded bomb was found in Tawau. The authority believed there could still be many bombs that have yet to be found.

5.Sandakan (July 28, 2017)

Can you imagine stumbling upon a 250kg bomb in your daily work? That happened when a construction worker carrying out excavation work at the Road Transport Department building, Sandakan.

And the scariest part? The 130cm long bomb, a remnant from World War II, was still active.

Authorities believed that it was possible for bombs to be found in Sandakan as the area was attacked during WWII.

6.Sarikei (Apr 24, 2018)

There can be a lot of things you can find if you start to dig the earth for something. The most common thing you would find are earthworms.

Meanwhile in Sarikei a man dug up an exploded WWII bomb near Tanjung Manis Fisheries port when digging the ground for scrap metal.

7.Sibu (Dec 28, 2013)

How many bags of sand are used to detonate a bomb? In this case, it took 50 bags of sand piled over the bomb before it was detonated an hour later.

Oil palm plantation workers found the unexploded bomb in Sungai Assan on an afternoon while working at the site.

8.Miri (Dec 7, 2014)

Watch out when trying to dig a hole to plant something, you might find a bomb instead.

A man in Miri was digging a hole near his house to grow coconut trees. Instead, he found a 5kg bomb measuring 38cm long and 11cm in diameter from WWII.

9.Bau (Mar 9, 2013)

Here is a bomb used during the Indonesian-Malaysian Confrontation. A villager in Bau came across it near his farm.

According to authorities, the 65-mm gauge mortar remained active all this time.

And this was not the first time a bomb has been found in the district.

10.Sarikei (Dec 16, 2018)

This is the latest bomb finding incident in Sarawak. A WWII bomb which was still active was found in Ulu Kedup, Sarikei.

A man found it while cleaning up the river afterbridge repair work.

Do you have any old stories about finding relics from WWII? Let us know in the comment box. 

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What you should know about Operation Hammer 1965

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Despite reports that Sarawakians and Sabahans were generally agreeable to becoming part of the Malaysian federation, then Indonesian president Sukarno was not happy.

He accused the federation of being a neo-colonial attempt by the British to maintain control over the area, a threat to Indonesia’s security and a block to the vision of a confederation of Malaysia, Indonesia and Philippines called Maphilindo.

The Indonesian government declared a policy of Konfrontasi in January 1963, and thus began the violent conflict from 1963-1966 called the Indonesian-Malaysian confrontation. Besides small trans-border raids, they attempted to exploit the ethnic and religious diversity in Sarawak and Sabah to unravel the foundations of the Malaysian federation.

The concept of Konfrontasi was introduced to Sukarno by the Communist Party of Indonesia (PKI), a party which was later banned by the Indonesian government in 1966.

The events leading up to Operation Hammer

The Indonesians also used the Sarawak Communist Organisation (SCO) for their operations in the confrontation.

They launched their first attack on Apr 12, 1963 at 2am on a police station in Tebedu which resulted in the death of one police corporal and two injured constables.

Tebedu
Tebedu

There were more than 150 attacks by Indonesian forces throughout Sarawak. The turning point came when they attacked the police station at 18th mile Kuching/Serian road on the night of June 26, 1965 which cost the lives of nine people.

That was when the new Malaysia had had enough. Three days later on June 29, key personnel in the defence and internal security departments met at Kuching.

According to author Vernon L. Porritt, the meeting was to discuss the communist conflict. The inspector general of the Royal Malaysian Police Force, Sir Claude Fenner at some point during the meeting pounded the table with his fist and reportedly said, “We’ll hammer them, let the operation be called Operation Hammer.”

The Goodsir Resettlement Plan

A day after the meeting on June 30, the Sarawak’s government’s Operations Sub-Committee of the State Security Executive Council (Ops SSEC) implemented the Goodsir Plan.

Named after David Goodsir the British acting commissioner of police in Sarawak, the plan was to resettle 7,500 people.

Historian Kee Howe Yong wrote that under Operation Hammer, the security forces would seal off an eighty-square-mile area, extending from the 15th to the 24th mile along the Kuching-Serian road.

Kee stated in his book The Hakkas of Sarawak: Sacrificial Gifts in Cold War Era Malaysia,

“Within a three-day period, some 1200 families, amounting to close to 8000 rural Hakkas living in the area, were forcibly relocated into three newly constructed barbed-wire-fenced new villages equipped with floodlit security fences and a twenty-four-hour curfew, with the explanation that this was the government’s gift to protect them from the communists.”

These were required to separate them from the communist influence and at the same time, protect them from communist threats.

In a story published in The Straits Times on July 8, 1965, Chew Loy Khoon wrote about his experience visiting this area or what he stated as the strongly guarded area on the Kuching-Serian road.

Chew followed the State Security Executive Secretary, D. Wilson where they visited 14th mile. There, they saw a group of children and adults bathing in a river under the watchful eyes of Police Field Force guards.

The entourage visited the 18th mile police station, the headquarters for Operation Hammer.

Chew also managed to interview some of the Goodsir Resettlement Plan resettlers. One of them – Chong Jan Moi – told Chew that like the rest, she accepted the stern resettlement measures stoically.

Chew stated, “Understandably, she was not enthusiastic about being uprooted from her rubber smallholding, ‘but I suppose it cannot be helped’ she said.”

Operation Harapan (which means ‘hope’), Operation Petek and the end of Operation Hammer

Regardless, Operation Hammer and Goodsir Plan succeeded in denying SCO access to food supplies, basic necessities and intelligence from their Chinese supporters.

By the end of 1965, the federal government built three permanent settlements at Siburan, Beratok and Tapah.

The 600 acres settlements were to replace the five temporary settlements.

By July 22, 1966, it was estimated that there were about 700 Communists in Indonesian Kalimantan and about 2,000 sympathisers.

So the Malaysian Prime Minister Tunku Abdul Rahman offered amnesty and safe-conduct passes to SCO guerrillas under Operation Harapan. However, only 41 guerrillas accepted the offer.

Subsequently in 1972 and 1973, Operation Petek was implemented to eradicate all the communists movement.

Sri Aman where peace was finally restored

Sri Aman
Sri Aman.

On Oct 13, 1973, the top leader of the North Kalimantan People’s Guerrilla Forces Bong Kee Chok personally wrote to the Sarawak Chief Minister Abdul Rahman Yaakub expressing his desire to surrender.

Five days later, 585 communists fighters (about 85% of SCO members) emerged from the jungle and laid down their arms.

Then on Oct 21, Bong and Abdul Rahman signed a memorandum of understanding at Rumah Sri Aman in Simanggang (now Sri Aman).

The signing meant the voluntary surrender of SCO, signifying the end of communist conflict in Sarawak.

Nonetheless, the Malaysian government only approved the lifting of security restrictions in Operation Hammer areas along Kuching-Serian road on Mar 5, 1980.

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Guide to forts in Sarawak built during the Brooke Era

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The Kingdom of Sarawak was established from a series of land concessions by the Brooke family famously known as the White Rajahs.

In fact, it was even recognised as an independent state by the United States in 1850 and the United Kingdom in 1864.

The founder James Brooke and his successors Charles as well as Vyner built forts every time they acquired a territory from the Sultanate of Brunei.

As a result, forts mostly made of belian or ironwood can be found in almost every town in Sarawak.

Some of the forts in Sarawak were well-kept and turned into museums.

Another handful were abandoned, losing all trace of their former glory.

The rest were either destroyed, burnt down or bombed, leaving no physical evidence of their very existence.

Nonetheless, here is a brief guide on forts in Sarawak built during the reign of the White Rajahs:

1. Fort Emma in Kanowit (1859)

When it was first built in 1859, they only used timber and bamboo. It was named in honour of Emma Brooke, Charles’ sister.

2. Fort Brooke in Sibu (1862)

There was a fort built by the Brookes in 1862, believed to be located at present day Channel Road. However, the building was demolished in 1936.

3. Fort Alice in Sri Aman (1864)

Here is another fort named after the first Ranee whose full name was Margaret Alice Lili de Windt. The fort was built in 1864 with belian wood.

The oldest heritage building in Sri Aman, now it is also known as Heritage Sri Aman Museum.

4. Fort Keppel in Bintulu (1868)

The White Rajah started to build this wooden fort in Bintulu in 1862. They named it after Sir Henry Keppel who was a close friend of James and Charles.

Keppel was responsible for ending Dayak piracy in the Saribas between 1840 and 1850. The building was made of belian wood and had a cement floor.

Unfortunately, it was completely destroyed when it was hit by a bomb in 1942 during the Japanese occupation.

5. Fort Charles in Kabong (1878)

Fort Charles was first built by a Brooke officer named Maxwell in 1878.

Like most of the forts in Sarawak, it was used as an administration office and also to collect taxes.
In 1893, the fort collapsed due to soil erosion and was rebuilt further inland in 1895.

6. Fort Margherita in Kuching (1879)

Back in the olden days, a cannon shot was fired from this fort every evening to mark the end of the government work day.

Now, Fort Margherita plays home to the Brooke Gallery displaying historical documents and artifacts.  The fort was named in honour of Charles’s wife Ranee Margaret.

A night view of Fort Margherita.
A night view of Fort Margherita.

7. Fort Sylvia in Kapit (1880)

This historical fort was built in 1880 and named after Ranee Sylvia, Vyner’s wife.

From May 1997 till now, the Sarawak state government authorised the Tun Jugah Foundation to set up a museum in this building.

Fort Sylvia Kapit (10)
The front door of Fort Sylvia.

8. Fort Vyner in Belaga (1884)

It was named after the third White Rajah Charles Vyner Brooke.

The fort was officially declared complete on Jan 13, 1884. Belaga’s oldest government building was burnt to ashes in May 2015.

9. Fort Lily in Betong (1885)

Fort Lily was built in 1885 right after the Saribas area was ceded to the Brookes.

It played a significant role as defence centre during the war against Iban warrior Rentap.

As of 2017, the fort has been locked up from public access and its grounds appear untended.

DSC_0039
A view of Fort Lily through its locked gates.

DSC_0041
Signage pointing to Fort Lily.

10.Fort Florence in Trusan (1887)

On Jan 3, 1885, Trusan river and its area were ceded to Kingdom of Sarawak.  A fort was quickly built in 1887.

According to reports, it was named Fort Florence after Mrs Maxwell, whose husband was one of Brooke’s officers then.

11. Fort Ranee in Saratok (1888)

Ten years after Fort Charles in Kabong was built, Fort Ranee was built in Saratok on top of Satagok hill.

Initially, it was built as an temporary building with attap roofing and timber. During its glory days, it was used as a district office.

12. Fort Limbang (1897)

This two-storey fort was built in 1897. The first storey was made of belian timber while the ground floor was concrete. Sadly in 1989, the original building was burnt to the ground.

But it was then rebuilt on the original site with the exact design. It was turned into Limbang Regional Museum on Aug 27, 1994.

13.Fort Hose in Marudi (1901)

The construction on this fort began in 1889 and were completed in 1901. It was named after Charles Hose, the then resident of the Fourth Division.

Currently, it is also  known as Baram Regional Museum.

Fort Hose

14. Fort Burdett in Mukah (1911)

Fort Burdett was named after 19th century philanthropist Angela Burdett-Coutts. She was a good friend of the first Rajah.

During WWII, the original building was burnt to the ground.

15. Fort Arundell in Lubok Antu (1912)

Fort Arundell was constructed in 1912. It was named after the then resident of Simanggang division, Gilbert Roger Harris Arundell.

Unfortunately, he was killed in 1942 when the Japanese attacked Sarawak during WWII.

16. Fort Leonora in Engkilili (1924)

This fort was built in 1924.

Unlike the rest of forts in Sarawak, this fort was not built to defend the kingdom from any attack.

It was built purposefully as an administration centre in Engkilili.  The fort was named after Vyner’s eldest daughter Dayang Leonara Margaret.

The original building was taken down to build the current district office.

17. Fort Long Akah (1929) and Fort Lio Mato in Baram

Fort Long Akah is located about 10-minute boat ride from Long San. The two-storey building was built as an administrative centre in 1929 using belian wood.

During WWII, it acted as a temporary headquarters for the British and Australian forces.

As of 2016, the building was reportedly still in a depleted state and overrun by jungle.

Apart from fort Long Akah, fort Lio Mato is another fort located along the Baram river.

Also neglected, this fort is located only 50km from the border with Kalimantan.

Historically, it was used during Sarawak-Indonesia confrontation in the 1960s.

18. Fort Brooke in Nanga Meluan, Julau (1935)

Asun Paing was a former penghulu born in the late 19th century in Julau.  He led a rebellion against the Brooke government over taxation.

To halt his revolt, the Brooke built a fort in Julau in 1935.

Over the years, it was used as a district council office and police station.

After years of neglect, it was repaired under a project funded by the Ministry of Tourism in 2012.

Do you know any forts in Sarawak which are not listed here?

Let us know in the comment box.

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Top 18 Hollywood movies to watch in 2018

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It’s only the beginning of the year but 2018 looks ready to show us bigger and better movies than 2017.

Here are 18 movies (and its Malaysian release dates) which will have us lining up in the cinemas in 2018:

1.Maze Runner: The Death Cure (Jan 25)

Dylan O’Brien reprises his role as Thomas in this third and final installment in the Maze Runner film series.

In his final journey, Thomas is on a mission to find a cure to a deadly disease known as “the Flare”.

This time, Thomas and his friends must break into the legendary Last City, a labyrinth controlled by the World In Catastrophe: Killzone Experiment Department (WKCD).

2.Black Panther (Feb 25)

This is another exciting movie to anticipate from the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU).

For those following MCU movies, you might notice that all but one of the Infinity Stones has shown up.

The question now is: Will we get to see the final stone in Black Panther?

The plot is set after the events of Captain America: Civil War.

3.A Wrinkle in Time (Mar 8)

Oprah Winfrey, Reese Witherspoon, Chris Pine, Mindy Kaling star in this star-studded movie.

It is an adaptation of Madeleine L’Engle’s book from 1963 of the same name which follows a young girl on the hunt for her missing scientist father.

4.Tomb Raider (Mar 15)

Here comes another reboot: This time instead of Angelina Jolie, Swedish actress Alicia Vikander is expected to bring Lara Croft’s character to life.

This edition sees Croft uncovering clues left behind by her father in England in the ancient lost Japanese kingdom of Yamatai which hides many secrets and tomb-raiding adventures.

5.Pacific Rim: Uprising (Mar 22)

It has been 10 years since the Battle of the Breach in 2013’s Pacific Rim.

The movie will continue the story of mankind’s battle against invading kaiju from where it left off in the first movie.

6. Avengers: Infinity War (Apr 26)

The third movie in the MCU Avengers series will gather the Avengers, this time to fight against Thanos.

The film is set four years after the events of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 when the Avengers have been broken apart following Captain America: Civil War.

7. Slender Man (May 17)

Slender Man is the horror story of our generation originally created as a creepypasta Internet meme.

Eric Knudsen, posting as “Victor Surge” joined a Photoshop Challenge where he posted photos of a tall, suited figure with elongated limbs.

Soon enough, people started claiming to see the figure whom they called ‘Slender Man’ stalking and abducting people.

A few violent acts related to Slender Man were reported including a near-fatal stabbing of a 12-year-old.

In the movie, Slender Man will continue to scare people trading computer screens with the big screen.

8. Solo: A Star Wars Story (May 24)

Do we need another Star Wars movie this year? Apparently we do.

Solo: A Star Wars Story is based on Han Solo and Chewbacca’s adventures before joining the Rebellion, including their early encounters with Lando Calrissian.

9. Deadpool 2 (May 31)

Here is the plot summary released by Twentieth Century Fox:

After surviving a near fatal knee boarding accident , a disfigured guidance counselor (Wade Wilson) struggles to fulfill his dream of becoming Poughkeepsie’s most celebrated French Bulldog breeder while also learning to cope with an open relationship.

Searching to regain his passion for life, as well as a new stuffed unicorn, Wade must battle ninjas, tight-assed metal men, and babysit a group of stereotypical side characters as he journeys around the world to discover the importance of family, friendship, and creative outlets for his very open-minded sex life.

He manages to find a new lust for being a do-gooder, a sparkly Hello Kitty backpack, all while earning the coveted coffee mug title of World’s Best 4th Wall Breaking Superhero.

Doesn’t make sense, does it?

10. Ocean’s 8 (June 7)

Take away the male cast in the Ocean’s Trilogy and replace them with an all-female cast – then you have Ocean’s 8.

In this movie, Danny Ocean’s estranged sister, Debbie, tries to pull off the heist of the century at New York’s annual star-studded Met Gala.

The cast is star-studded as well with names like Sandra Bullock, Cate Blanchett, Anne Hathaway, Mindy Kaling and Sarah Paulson rocking the screen.

11. Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom (June 7)

Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard return to star in this sequel to 2015’s Jurassic World.

It follows four years after the closing of the Jurassic World theme park on Isla Nublar.

Interestingly, the trailer shows Howard letting go of her much-talked-about high heels and wearing boots instead.

12. Ant-Man and the Wasp (July 5)

Antman and the wasp

If you remember how Scott Lang (aka Ant-Man) took Captain America’s side in Captain America: Civil War,
Lang is now an internationally-wanted fugitive.

So we will get to see what happens to Ant-Man and what is the Wasp’s role in this Ant-Man sequel.

13. Venom (Oct 5)

When it comes to the comics universe, we know Tom Hardy as a DC villain in The Dark Knight Rises. Now he plays Eddie Brock/Venom, known in the Marvel Comics as a villain in Spider-Man.

Marvel Studio is reportedly not involved with this spin-off film and does not plan to integrate it with MCU.

But it is intended to be first film in Sony’s Marvel Universe to be set in the same world with Spider-Man: Homecoming, an MCU film.

14. Halloween (Oct 18)

Halloween

In 2017 we saw the success of IT and this year another 1980s horror movie is making a comeback.

In Halloween, Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis) comes to her final confrontation with Michael Myers.

Myers was the masked figure who has haunted her since she narrowly escaped his killing spree on Halloween night four decades ago.

15. The Girl In the Spider’s Web (Oct 18)

The Millennium book series created by Stieg Larsson revolves around computer hacker Lisbeth Salander and investigative journalist Mikael Blomkvist.

Larsson’s untimely death from a heart attack in 2004 led to David Lagercrantz continuing the series.

The Girl in the Spider’s Web will mark the first time for Lagercrantz’s work to make it to the big screen.

The story follows Salander and Blomkvist fighting against spies, cyber criminals and perhaps even the government.

16. X-Men: Dark Phoenix (Nov 1)

X men dark phoenix

Here comes another Marvel movie! X-Men: Dark Phoenix is set in the 1990s, a decade after the events of X-Men: Apocalypse.

The synopsis goes that X-Men, including Mystique, Beast, Storm, Nightcrawler and Quicksilver are now national heroes.

During a rescue mission in space, a solar flare hits the X-jets and the surge of energy ignites a new force in Jean Grey, the Phoenix.

17. Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindlewald (Nov 15)

This movie is still nearly a year away from the cinema but it has already caused some casting controversy.

Nonetheless, this Potter prequel saga will have Jude Law as the young Dumbledore- something that we all look forward to.

18. Aquaman (Dec 20)

Jason Mamoa as Aquaman.
Jason Mamoa as Aquaman.

So far, the year 2018 seems like a big year for Marvel. So how about ending the year with a DC Comics film?

Following the events of Justice League (which was disappointing), Arthur Curry (aka Aquaman) is now caught between two worlds.

On one side we have surface dwellers who are always polluting the Earth and on the other the underwater kingdom of Atlantis.

To be honest, who cares if Warner Bros Pictures delivers another DC flop through Aquaman? Just give us one shirtless scene of Jason Momoa and all will be forgiven.

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