Tag: Borneo

Beriberi, the deadly disease among Allied POWs during WWII

by Patricia Hului -

Do you know that a severe chronic form of thiamine (vitamin B1) is known as beriberi? The term ‘beriberi’ is believed to come from a Sinhalese phrase for ‘weak, weak’ or ‘I cannot, I cannot’. There are two main types in adults; wet beriberi and dry beriberi. Wet beriberi affects the cardiovascular

Ellena, the forgotten American colony in Sabah

by Patricia Hului -

Did you know that there was an American colony in Sabah? And at one point in time, James Brooke and successors were not the only white 'Rajahs' on Borneo island. The establishment of Consulate in Brunei In 1850, the United States signed a bilateral treaty of Peace, Friendship, Commerce, and Navigation with

What was it like living in Sarawak in 1912?

by Patricia Hului -

Have you every wondered what life was like in Sarawak over a hundred years ago? Thanks to a contributing writer of The Sarawak Gazette in 1948 who wrote under the initials ‘O.F’, we had a glimpse of old Sarawak through his writing. So here is the author’s account of what it was

5 interesting Sarawak stories as recorded by Harrison W. Smith

by Patricia Hului -

About 100 years ago, an article was published in The National Geographic Magazine about Sarawak. The article ‘Sarawak: Land of the White Rajahs’ was written by Harrison W. Smith and published in February 1919. Smith basically described his experience in Sarawak mingling with the Iban, Bidayuh and Kayan peoples in the 58-page

5 interesting Sarawak stories as recorded by H. Wilfrid Walker

by Patricia Hului -

During the 19th and early 20th century, many European explorers made their way to what they deemed as the "exotic" island of Borneo. Some were looking for wealth while others were seeking knowledge, to be the first one to discover something new. British novelist William Somerset Maugham for instance came to Sarawak

What you should know about the Battle of Beaufort

by Patricia Hului -

The Borneo campaign of 1945 was the last major Allied campaign in the South West Pacific Area during World War II (WWII) to liberate Japanese-held Borneo. One of the combats that took place during the campaign was Battle of Beaufort in 1945.   Located about 90 kilometers south of Kota Kinabalu, the