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Get to know these 12 animal species named after Charles Hose

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Charles Hose was not just a British colonial administrator, he was a prominent zoologist and ethnologist. He also contributed to the discovery of oil in Sarawak.

Hose first arrived in Sarawak in April 1884 when he was first posted in the Baram area. He was then made the Resident of Sibu on June 1, 1904.

Between April and June 1904, Hose led a force of 200 Kayans in Belaga on an expedition to attack the Dayaks on Bukit Batu.

This group of Dayak allegedly had committed murders against other tribes for three years.

During his tenure in Sarawak, he had explored most of Sarawak’s mountainous districts, especially in the far interior of Baram area.

He collected many species of flora and fauna and then presented them to the British and other museums.

Thanks to his contribution to science, he was conferred an honorary degree by the University of Cambridge.

Get to know these 12 animal species named after Charles Hose
A fort in Marudi named after Hose.
As for his work as a zoologist, several of these animals species were named after Hose:
1.Hose’s langur (Presbytis hosei)

In Sarawak, it lives in the lowlands and hill ranges, including the Dulit range and Usun Apau plateau.

According to Hans P. Hazebroek and Abang Kashim bin Abang Morshidi in National Parks of Sarawak, there were reports of sightings of Hose’s langur at Similajau National Park in Bintulu.

However, this might be an isolated population.

As for Niah’s lowland forest, Hose’s langur has no longer been seen where it was previously known to occur.

This animal is most often found in groups of six to eight animals. Additionally, each of this group comprises of one male, several females and their offspring.

They feed on seeds and leaves. It has four species namely Miller’s grizzled langur (Presbytis hosei canicrus), Everett’s grizzled langur (Presbytis hosei everetti), Hose’s grizzled langur (Presbytis hosei hosei) and Saban grizzled langur (Presbytis hose sabana).

2.Hose’s shrew or Bornean pygmy shrew (Suncus hosei)

This poor animal is often listed as the Etruscan shrew (Suncus etruscus) but they are actually a distinctly different species.

This species of shrew is endemic in Borneo particularly in northern Sarawak and northeastern Sabah.

Since there is little information about this animal, it has been listed as a Data Deficient species by IUCN in 2008.

3.Hose’s pygmy flying squirrel (Petaurillus hosei)

This nocturnal animal can be spotted in a nest hole in a dead tree of dipterocarp forest. Here in Borneo, Hose’s pygmy flying squirrel has been spotted in Sepilok in Sabah, Baram and Niah in Sarawak as well as in Brunei.

It is similar to the lesser pygmy flying squirrel but smaller in size and has totally pale checks.

4.Hose’s palm civet (Diplogale hosei)
Get to know these 12 animal species named after Charles Hose
An illustration by Joseph Smit. Credits: Public Domain.

Oildfield Thomas was a British zoologist who worked at the Natural History Museum. There he described over 2,000 new species and subspecies including Hose’s palm civet.

Thomas described it in 1892 a year after Hose collected the first specimen in Sarawak.

The interesting part is the first living specimen was only collected in 1997 and released after two months. That is almost a century after Hose collected it!

Besides Sarawak, Hose’s palm civet can also be found in Sabah, Brunei and Kalimantan.

5.Four-striped ground squirrel (Lariscus hosei)

Here is another species discovered by Hose that is completely endemic to Borneo. It is scattered around Sabah at Mount Kinabalu as well as mountains in northern Sarawak. This include Mount Dulit, Kalulung, Batu Song and the Kelabit highlands.

Just like Hose’s palm civet, it was Thomas who first described this species in 1892.

6.Fraser’s dolphin (Lagenodelphis hosei)

In 1895, Hose found a skull on a beach in Sarawak that he donated to the British Museum. Many years later in 1956, an expert in cetacean Francis Fraser examined the skull.

His discovered that it was a new genus of a dolphin. So the common name of the dolphin was named after Fraser while the specific name was given in Hose’s honour.

As it turned out, this dolphin can be found in the deep waters of the Pacific Ocean.

How about heading to the beach and collecting some bones or skulls? Who knows you could end up like Hose and have a species named after you years after your death?

7.Hose’s frog (Odorrana hosii)

While most of the animal species named after Hose were endemic to Borneo and rare, this one is more common than the rest.

It is a species that can be found in Southeast Asia including the Malay peninsular, Borneo, Tioman, Phuket, Bangka, Belitung and Java.

Perhaps the facts that it is more tolerant of pollution and more adaptable to secondary forest makes this frog plentiful in our environment.

8.Hose’s tree frog (Philautus hosii)

Also known as Hose’s bush frog, this species lives at the lowlands and hilly regions of Indonesia, Malaysia and possibly Brunei.

Get to know these 12 animal species named after Charles Hose
A portrait sketch of Charles Hose. Credit: Public Domain.
9.Hose’s toad (Pedostibes hosii)

This toad is distributed in Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia and southern Thailand. It habitats subtropical or tropical moist lowlands forests and rivers.

Its more known common names are Asian yellow spotted climbing toad and Boulenger’s Asian tree toad.

10.Hose’s broadbill (Calyptomena hosii)

Unlike other birds in the genus Calyptomena, Hose’s broadbill is known for its distinct blue belly.

It is endemic to highland forests in northern Borneo.

11.Black oriole (Oriolus hosii)

In September 2011, photographer Tony Sawbridge visited Paya Maga in Ulu Trusan, Lawas. There he was able to catch the Black oriole in a photo.

Sharing his experience of capturing the Black oriole, Sawbridge told The Guardian, “It required a 4-wheel drive trip to see it, followed by a hike into site known to some local people, then two nights camping in the rainforest. We were told that were the first Westerners to see the bird in over ten years.”

This bird is one of the least known of the orioles and can only be found in Sarawak.

Hose was the one who collected the first specimen of this bird on Mount Dulit, at the head of Baram river.

Get to know these 12 animal species named after Charles Hose
Joseph Gerrald Keulemans illustrated this image of Black Oriole in 1893. Credits: Public Domain.
12.Hose’s Mongoose (Herpestes hosei)

Hose’s Mongoose is a subspecies of the short-tailed mongoose (Herpestes brachyurus) but it is sometimes considered a separate species instead.

This mongoose is similar to the short-tailed mongoose but with more reddish-brown and short hair.

Furthermore, the claws are straighter and more slender compared to Herpestes brachyurus.

The only known specimen of this species was collected in Baram way back in 1893.

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How the Serian community reclaimed their paddy spirit from the Japanese post-WWII

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How the Serian community reclaimed their paddy spirit from the Japanese post-WWII

After the Japanese surrendered on Aug 15, 1945, most of the occupied countries took a long time to repair the damage brought about by the war.

According to reports by British Military Administration (BMA), almost all of the coastal townships in North Borneo and Labuan were destroyed.

Meanwhile, Bintulu was deserted and the airstrip had been entirely destroyed. Other towns such as Jesselton (now Kota Kinabalu), Sandakan and Sibu were severely damaged.

Kuching, apart from minor damage in the bazaar area, was practically untouched.

On top of the destruction of infrastructures and buildings, the population in Borneo also suffered from widespread malnutrition and disease caused by acute food shortages.

Besides the loss of loved ones, their freedom, and sources of livelihood, the Japanese forces were also accused of taking a community’s paddy spirit.

Taking back the paddy spirit

A story published in The Sarawak Gazette Apr 1, 1947 was cited from an annual report of Serian District.

The district office reported it as “an interesting little bit of folklore” while the then Serian district officer described it as “obviously a new practice.”

The Dayak community in Serian back then claimed that during the Japanese occupation the Japanese government stole the paddy spirit.

The Japanese then kept the spirit in the district office, thus causing poor harvests and pest ridden crops in the area.

“In order to induce the paddy spirit to return to the Dayaks, after seeking permission from the District Office, they held a procession with gongs and drums and bearing food and drink around the inside of the office,” the report stated.

It continued, “The procession was led by the Dayong Narumboi (Priestesses) of the kampong chanting prayers and incantations.”

After the procession, a parcel of paddy was left overnight in the office.

Thankfully, the paddy spirit was reportedly pleased with the music and prayers. It entered into the parcel of paddy which was then brought back to the kampung the following day.

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Sarawakians were once encouraged to catch sharks commercially

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In the 21st century, the idea and thought of encouraging a shark industry here in Sarawak would anger the public, especially environmentalists and conservationists.

However 80 years ago, Sarawakians were welcome to catch sharks for commercial purposes.

Looking at how the shark industry was thriving in British Ceylon (present day Sri Lanka), Sarawak was seen to have the same potential.

In British Ceylon, shark meat was consumed locally and fresh while the fins were dried and exported to the Strait Settlements.

In a Sarawak Gazette publication dated Jan 4, 1937, an article that first appeared in the Ceylon Trade Journal two months before about the shark industry there caught the attention of one of their readers who later sent a copy to the Sarawak Museum Curator.

It stated, “The Curator, Sarawak Museum, to whom the article has been submitted, states that all the variety of sharks mentioned (in the journal) are found in Sarawak waters, but that since the larger specimens inhabit depths of from twenty to forty fathoms, they would only be taken off Kidurong and Tanjung Datu.”

“He adds that there is no reason why the exploitation of the smaller sharks should not also be paying proposition, and there is no doubt about the abundance of these off the Sarawak coast; six footers are sometimes taken by natives when pukat fishing along shallow beaches, and large catches of small sharks are often made when line fishing in ten or twelve fathom of water.”

The demands for shark skin

While these days sharks are hunted mainly for their fins to make shark fin soup, in the 1930s Sarawakians were encouraged to catch them for their skin and oils.

Back then, there was a strong demand for shark skins, not in Asia, but in Europe, especially England.

According to the Ceylon Trade journal article, the skins of tiger sharks, blue sharks and sand sharks were suitable for the leather industry.

They preferred sharks measuring at least six feet long for skinning because smaller sharks did not have enough cutting surface for commercial value.

Once caught, the shark had to be skinned as soon as possible because it would spoil in less than 24 hours.

The article also went into great detail in how to remove the skin and even what kind of salt should be used in the preservation process as well as the type of barrels to be used for transportation.

The fins and tail were cut off first before skinning the sharks. Then the carcass needed to be washed thoroughly in seawater making sure there was no blood or slime.

To cure it, the skin was covered in salt for up to six days. “Whilst curing they should, of course, not be exposed to the rays of the sun, or come in contact rain or other fresh water.”

Sarawakians were once encouraged to catch sharks commercially
Were there a lot of sharks in Sarawak 80 years ago? Credits: Pixabay.
The demand for shark oil

In England shark oil was in demand, pricing from £23 to £24 ( £1,535.28 to £1,602.03 in 2019) per tonne. Compare that to today’s prices of USD2,000 per metric tonne for fish oil ( £1,588.60) and you can see how significant shark oil was as a commodity.

Shark oil was prepared from the liver and it was important that the liver was fresh.

If it was not fresh, the oil made from it would be rancid and have a foul smell.

Sarawakians were once encouraged to catch sharks commercially
Sharks as long as six feet had been recorded caught in Sarawak waters.
These were the steps to process shark oil:

“As soon as the livers are cut out of the carcass, they should be washed thoroughly in sea water and the galls cut off. The oil can be economically rendered for industrial purposes in a steam jacketed copper kettle. If steam is not available, a plain iron kettle can be used with a fire underneath, in which case, the kettle should contain about one-third sea water.

“The kettle should not come into direct contact with the fire and a high temperature should not be used to render the oil as it will burn very quickly and become discoloured. The fresh livers after being put into the kettle should be boiled for three or four hours and stirred frequently to render the oil from livers. As soon as the oil is rendered and cooled, and the gutty settled, the oil can be dipped off and strained with several layers of fine cloth into a 50-gallon wooden barrel or iron drum.”

Besides the oil and skin, there was a demand for dried and salted shark meat as well. In England, the price for dried and salted shark meat ranged from £20 to £28 per tonne.

With high demand for these commodities back then and seeing how the shark industry was making money in other countries, it was not a surprise that Sarawakians were encouraged to catch these predators.

As it was stated in the gazette, “We understand that shark-fishing is carried on with considerable success in British North Borneo, and there seems to be no reason why it should not be equally successful in Sarawak. We commend the idea to anyone with enterprise and capital.”

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A headhunting story told through ngajat in 1871

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The ngajat is a traditional Iban dance in Borneo. It is traditionally performed as a welcoming dance, before and after a war or headhunting trip and to celebrate a bountiful harvest.

Just like the Kayan kajer, a ngajat performance usually tells a story or a theme. The common story for men’s ngajat or kajer is a man showing his story of the hunt through dance, all while displaying his gracefulness and agility. Finally, the performance ends with the dancer successful in his ‘hunting trip’.

Another common story told through ngajat is performed by two male dancers. These two dancers battle each other in a ‘dance’ combat with one of them emerging victorious.

Unfortunately, most ngajat or kajer these days by young dancers center around elegant hand movements and smooth hopping without telling any specific story or theme.

Here at KajoMag, we look back at an example of how Iban male dancers in 1871 performed their ngajat and the story they told:

The Sarawak Gazette dated Dec 15, 1871 reported a performance in Kuching led by 15 Iban fortmen.

“First came a solemn dance by two men in native costume, that is to say with a long chawat or waist cloth wrapped around them and hanging down to their feet and a tight jacket, who gyrated round at opposite corners of a square formed by laying down four long planks on the ground, in a shuffling step, keeping time to a monotonous beating of gongs; this was succeeded by a spirited combat with drawn parangs and shields,” the report stated.

“Whenever they thought they were coming to too close quarters, both combatants rapidly retreated.

“It was grotesque enough when matters came to such a pass that the dancers, crouched or lying on the ground, took furtive stabs at each other round the edges of their shields.”

A headhunting story told through ngajat in 1871
The ngajat for men usually have the dancer holds a wooden shield in his left hand and a sword in his right hand and dances facing the enemy with his body swinging to the left and to the right. Credits: Pixabay.
The ‘cutting of head’ during ngajat

According to this Sarawak Gazette report, the ngajat performed for Singaporean guests featured a headhunting scene.

The choreography started like this, “One warrior is engaged in picking a thorn out of his foot, but is ever on the alert for the lurking enemy with his arms ready at hand. This enemy is at length suddenly discovered, and after some rapid attack and defence, a sudden plunge is made at him and he is dead upon the ground.”

Then the dancer performed the taking of his head in pantomime, which the writer reported, “The last agonies of the dying man were too painfully and probably too truthfully depicted to be altogether a pleasant sight.”

This happened in 1871 when headhunting was still rampant, so perhaps the depiction was too close to home. (There was a report of a Kayan man who danced too excitedly that he cut off the head of one of his audience members).

The story of the ngajat didn’t stop there, as the dramatic part of the ngajat that could inspire a plot in Korean drama or Spanish telenovela came next: The Iban warrior discovered that the man he was just slain was not his enemy but his own brother. (Cue dramatic sound effect).

In the end, the story told in this ngajat concluded with what the writer stated as “the least pleasing part of the performance – a man in a fit, writhing in frightful convulsions, being charmed into life and sanity by necromantic physicians.”

Perhaps the writer wouldn’t enjoy how Marvel characters are brought back to life.

Ngajat, a characteristic dance
A headhunting story told through ngajat in 1871
Sarawak: Sea Dayaks with weapons and head-dresses. Credits: Creative commons.

The unnamed writer (who is most likely a European) praised the ngajat as authentic to its roots and in its depictions.

He wrote, “Dyak dancing being really savage, is more characteristic than the mock savagery exhibited at the Northern Meetings in Scotland, and to our ears the musical accompaniment is rather less disagreeable than the nasal drone of the bagpipes.”

We can’t say which one is better; bagpipes or the tabuh. But we have to say it would be interesting to see a ngajat performance at the Sarawak Cultural Village or cultural function depict a gruesome headhunting scene followed by a victim writhing around on stage in pain.

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Looking back at Simanggang peace making ceremony in 1920

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After decades of tribal wars between the Ibans in Ulu Ai and the Skrang, Layar and Lemanak, they finally made peace in 1920.

To mark the peaceful agreement between these parties, a peace making ceremony was held at Simanggang (now Sri Aman) on Aug 4 that year.

Although the Iban from Ulu Ai had long declared their loyalty to the Brooke government in 1909 after a series of punitive expeditions, they had yet made peace with other Iban communities.

They continued to raid others longhouses like those on the Layar in 1914 and Ulu Skrang in 1915.

After a meeting that took place in June 1920, they finally agreed to come to term with each other by exchanging jars as a sign of peace.

According to a report by the Sarawak Gazette on Sept 1, 1920, the ceremony of exchanging jars was crucial in keeping peace among these headhunters communities.

The article explained, “This custom amongst Dayak dates from time immemorial and is known as the palit mata sapu moa literally to ‘dry the eyes and wipe the face’, meaning that once this exchange has been effected, all grief for those killed in the feud is assuaged. No Dayak peace has ever been lasting without this ceremony, as so many ‘pig-killings’ bear testimony. The jars exchanged are kept in the houses of the headmen of the respective tribes as tangible tokens of the settlement of the feud. At the time of the ceremony of exchanging these jars, terrible curses are uttered by the chief headman of either side whose should at any future reopen the feud by taking the head of an aforetime enemy.”

Days before the event, the Ibans from nearby areas flocked to Simanggang just to attend the peace making ceremony.

There was a pavilion decorated in the Sarawak colours erected just for the ceremony.

As what had been agreed in June, the Ibans Ulu Ai should hand over 20 jars and the Ibans from Engkari another 10 jars to the Skrang, Layar and Lemanak during the peace making ceremony.

In return, the Ibans from Skrang, Layar and Lemanak prepared 10 jars each.

So before the event, 30 jars from Ulu Ai and Engkari were displayed on the upriver side of the pavilion while another 30 jars from Skrang, Layar and Lemanak were displayed on the downriver side.

The third White Rajah of Sarawak, Vyner Brooke who attended the historical ceremony also delivered a speech in Iban.

Looking back at Simanggang peace making ceremony in 1920
An example of jar used during a peace making ceremony.
Here is a transcript of Vyner’s speech in Iban during the peace making ceremony:

“Nyadi baka aku datai ditu ka meda kita menoa Ulu Batang Ai enggai Skrang serta Layar enggau Lemanak bebunoh babi lalu besileh tajau ka pali mata ka sapu moa. Nyadi ari kalia, apai aku, Rajah Tuai, udah ga ngemata ka Balan serta Undup palit mata enggau Skrang. Nadai kala sida bunoh sama diri udah nya. Sida pen datai ka maiatu bisi ga tanda ti di bri apai aku, Rajah tuai, leboh nya. Baka nya pen bisi ga genap menoa tanda ari prentah.

Nyadi baka kita menoa Ulu udah baik enggau Skrang, enggau Layer, enggau Lemanak. Semua hukom semua pati nyawa ari spiak ari spiak pen udah tembu. Jako kita udah betemu udah sabaka, nadai tegal laya agi, babi pun udah mati. Alam asal kita nadai nyelai, kitai pen lebih nemu baka kita semua runding sama diri meyadi sama aki sama ini.

Nyadi tu aku ngamat ka aum kita di Krangan Telaus, laban aku baka apai enggau anak diri empu. Aku sayau meda kita sama belaya. Ti di rindu aku ngasoh semua kita sama lantang pendiau, ngasoh semua menoa tau endor nemuai, tau endor bepangan. Ngasoh kita semua berkabun, ulih ka wang, ulih ka mudal.

Nya alai aku ka bri kita jako, semua kita tuai ti bisi gempuru ditu ari ili ari ulu. Ingat, ingat peasn aku.

Sahari tu aku bri jako amat enggau kita nambah sumpah kita empu.

Enti dudi taun dudi hari bisi orang mungkal kerja kitai ditu, iya nya nyadi munsoh aku nambah kaban sida ti parai. Parai siku, ganti siku. Parai tiga, ganti tiga. Nadai tau pulai ka timbang nadai tau pulai ka hukom, maia ari ili, maia ari ulu, laban semua laya ari menya udah padam di moa aku sahari tu enggau tanda nya.

Nyadi tu, kita tuai menoa Ulu Batang Ai, aku mri tanda ngamat ka jako aku, nambah tajau palit mata, awak ka kita tau nampong semaia aku sampai ka tuboh anak kita, turun menurun.

Nyadi baka tajau ti enggi Penghulu Apai Laja, Penghulu Kana, serta Penghulu Jamit, aku tudong enggau bendai tu.

Nyadi baka kita tuai menoa ili, ingat kita jako nya. Nyadi aku bri kita tanda ka semaia aku enggau kita semua sahari tu. Baka Penghulu Labang alam Skrang, Penghulu Unji alam Layer, Penghulu Suel alam Lemanak, aku tudong tajau ti enggi kita enggau bendai tu.

Nyadi aku mri ka Penghulu Tarang enggau Chendan, sangkoh kena kring semengat, kuia kena kurang semengat, pua kumbu kena ngebap semengat.

Ingat, ingat kita semua pesan jako aku. Tu ikas jako aku.

The peace making ceremony
Looking back at Simanggang peace making ceremony in 1920
Exhibition of ceremonial and ancient jars at Fort Sylvia, Kapit today.

After Vyner delivered his speech, Penghulu Unji from Ulu Layar and Penghulu from Delok proceeded with the ‘sampi’ or oath to declare their settlement of all their feuds.

Then Penghulu Labang from Ulu Skrang and Penghulu Apai Laja from Engkari continued the ceremony by killing two pigs.

The Ibans from Ulu Skrang and Engkari proceeded to stand at downriver side of the pavilion where the jars from Skrang, Layar and Lemanak were displayed and vice versa.

Once the district officers called upon of every chief, they went on to carry off the jars given to them by their former enemies.

Vyner also gave out chanang to every Iban chief as a token of the ratification of their peace making.

The peace making ceremony ended with a toast of tuak.

The Sarawak Gazette also published a translation of Vyner’s speech in English:

“Thus have I come here to witness all you people of the upper river Skrang, Layar and Lemanak make peace by the killing of pigs and the exchange of jars as a sign of having buried all your past enmities. And so, in days gone by, did my father witness the peace making between the Balau, Undup and Skrang tribes, since when they have ever lived in peace and goodwill one with another. And, to this day, every race under my rule has such signs of good faith from their aforetime enemies.

Now that all of you upper river have settled the blood feud with the tribes of the Skrang, Layar and Lemanak, you recognise how all are of the same stock, and have no further cause for dispute, honour having been satisfied on both sides by the settlements at the Telaas meeting place and the blood of a pig having been spilled to testify to this.

But I have come here to ratify that compact, as I am like a father with his children, my sole desire being that all should live in peace and friendliness one with another, and all countries be open, that you may all gain in prosperity by the cultivation of the soil, and trading one with another in the produce of your forests.

Therefore I desire to speak to you all this day, all you chiefs gathered together here from the upper and lower rivers. Make sure to remember my words.

The oaths which you will utter according to your own custom this day, I confirm with my word that, should anyone reopen this feud at any future day, that man shall become my sworn enemy, and I shall demand the life of anyone who so takes the life of another.

In the past your blood feud has been recognised, but from now henceforth this no longer exist having been finally settled this day before me by the blood of these pigs and the exchanged of those jars.

Therefore I now give, as a token of my word, to you of the upper river three chanang to cover those jars which are to be held by Penghulu Apai Laja, Penghulu Kana and Penghulu Jamit, so that these may be kept by you as a sign of my ratification of this settlement evident to your children, and all future generations.

Likewise you men of the lower rivers, remember my words, and, as a pledge of these, I cover those jars to be held Penghulu Labang in the Skrang, Penghulu Unji in the Layar and Penghulu Suel in the Lemanak each with a chanang.

And you Penghulu Tarang and Chendan I present with a spear, kuna and pua to hand you from generation to generation as a seal from myself that the spirit of strife between these tribes, of which, though you have lived amidst, neither has been a party, has now been finally laid at rest.

Remember my words, all you chiefs. I have spoken.”

Looking back at Simanggang peace making ceremony in 1920
Simanggang today

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What you need to know about the Battle of Tarakan during World War II

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The Battle of Tarakan refers to different actions which happened during World War II on Tarakan island, off the northeast coast of Borneo.

The first battle of Tarakan happened on Jan 11-12, 1942 when Japanese attacked the island, defeating Allied forces. Meanwhile the second battle of Tarakan took place on May 1-25, 1945 as the first phase of the Allied campaign to retake Borneo from the Japanese.

Battle of Tarakan (1942)
What you need to know about the Battle of Tarakan during World War II
A view of Amal Beach, east coast of Tarakan.

The Battle of Tarakan in 1942 began a day after the Empire of Japan declared war on the Netherlands.

Despite the fact that it is only a small island, Tarakan’s 700 oil wells, oil refinery and airfield put the island onto the Japanese forces must-conquer-list during the Pacific War.

Before the war, Tarakan was producing about 80,000 barrels of oil per month.

On Jan 10, 1942, a Dutch flying boat spotted an approaching Japanese invasion fleet. Knowing the Japanese army was coming, the commander of Tarakan’s garrison ordered the destruction of all oil installations on the island.

Today, one can only imagine the sounds and smells of these explosions as well as the anxiety waiting for your enemies to land.

By midnight of Jan 11, the Japanese forces landed on the east coast of Tarakan which today has become a tourist attraction called Amal Beach.

The troop was met with short but fierce resistance from the Royal Netherlands East Indies Army. The Dutch surrendered in the morning of Jan 12.

Instead of accepting their surrender, the Japanese executed the entire crew of coastal battery together with some 219 prisoners of wars (POWs) via drowning.

The island then remained under Japanese occupation until May 1945 when the Battle of Tarakan 1945 happened.

What you need to know about the Battle of Tarakan during World War II
Amal Beach, where the Japanese landed in 1942.
Tarakan under Japanese occupation

The Dutch thought they did a thorough job in destroying Tarakan’s oil fields. But the Japanese were able to recommission the first oil wells by August 1942. By early 1944, Tarakan was producing 350,000 barrels a month.

During the Japanese occupation, the locals of Tarakan suffered from malnutrition. The large number of Japanese troops on the island together with 600 Javanese labourers caused food shortage on the island.

Imagine that the oilfield in Tarakan alone was operated by 250 men from the Imperial Japanese Navy.

By late 1944, the Allied forces started to strike back, launchinf air raids destroying oil production and storage facilities on the island.

Unfortunately, hundreds of civilians were also killed during these air raids.

Comfort women in Tarakan during Japanese occupation

If you are not familiar with the term ‘comfort women’, they were women and girls forced into sexual slavery by the Imperial Japanese Army.

The Dutch government did a study in 1994 about comfort women during the time of the Dutch East Indies.

It concluded that about 200 to 300 European women had been taken to become comfort women.

Besides Dutch women, many Javanese and east Timorese women were also forced into prostitution.

They were usually sent to Burma, Thailand and eastern Indonesia, including Tarakan.

According to records, it is estimated about 300 women from Java were brought into Tarakan. A number of them were of other origins including Eurasians and Chinese.

Similar to many human trafficking cases today, they had been lured with the promise of jobs in clerical work and clothes making.

But in the end, they were actually forced into prostitution at Tarakan’s garrison and sometimes on visiting warships.

Battle of Tarakan (1945) was just a political act?

Many historians believed the decision by the Allies to retake Borneo from the Japanese in 1945 was mostly based on political reasons.

According to an article by Department of Veterans’ Affairs in Australia, the plan to invade Borneo had only marginal strategic value.

It stated, “General Douglas MacArthur, Commander-in-Chief of Allied forces in the Southwest Pacific Area, planned the operation to alleviate concerns of the Australian government that its forces were being relegated to operational backwaters as New Guinea had become.”

During the war, MacArthur left Australian forces out of most significant operations.

So, the idea of invading Borneo was intended to make Australian forces more visible again during the war against Japan.

General MacArthur chose to capture Tarakan in order for the island to be used to support an invasion of Java. It was crucial to recapture Java so that the Dutch could formally restore its power on the Netherlands East Indies.

Another reason was to capture the oilfields in Borneo. But this did little effect on the Japanese operation. Taking Tarakan, for example, the last Japanese oil tanker left the island in July 1944.

Meanwhile, the American air and naval troops had blockades around Japan. So there was no oil being shipped into Japan from Borneo.

What went down during the Battle of Tarakan 1945

Regardless of the reasons, the Battle of Tarakan was the first stage in the Borneo campaign of 1945.

In an operation code-named Operation Oboe One, the Australian forces landed on Tarakan on May 1.

The engineers went in first and cleared gaps through the beach defences with explosives before the main assault.

Then, naval and air bombardments also destroyed or damaged many Japanese positions.

Over the next seven weeks, there was fierce fighting as the Australians pushed inland to take the whole island.

One of the primary objectives to retake Tarakan island was to build airfields.

The airfield did open for fighter aircraft to land in late June 1945 but it was not used as much as it was intended for.

The Australians underestimated the work as they found the existing airfields were badly damaged. Meanwhile the site selected to build new airfields had excessive boggy ground.

The Aftermath of Battle of Tarakan

In the end, more than 200 Australians were killed before the last Japanese positions fell on June 20, 1945.

Although the Battle of Tarakan in 1945 was a success for Australia, Australian historian Gavin Long pointed out that the results achieved did not justify the entire cost of the Tarakan operation.

So was the battle for a sideshow? Or was it to make Australia look like they contributed something during the end of WWII? The Battle of Tarakan 1945 remains debatable among historians.

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The betrayal of Pengiran Muda Hashim and his family

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Pengiran Muda Hashim (also known as Raja Muda Hashim) has famously gone down in history as the man who sought the backing of James Brooke and his schooner, the Royalist, to fight against rebels and pirates in Sarawak.

Responding to the request, Brooke succeeded in controlling the uprising in Sarawak.

Subsequently, Brooke was appointed Governor of Sarawak and he became a close friend with the pengiran.

The friendship between James Brooke and Pengiran Muda Hashim

The close relationship between Brooke and the pengiran was in fact not favourable to his nephew Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddien II and some of the royal family members of the Brunei Sultanate.

Just like Brooke, Pengiran Muda Hashim was against piracy and the slave-selling business. However, it was believed that part of the sultan’s income derived from the profits of selling slaves. The sultan accused his uncle and his family of being pro-English.

So in 1844, the Sultan summoned Pengiran Muda Hashim and his whole family to return to Brunei.

The pengiran returned home accompanied by his friend Brooke on board HMS Samarang.

Upon arriving in Brunei, the pengiran discovered that the role of Bendahara (similar to Prime Minister) originally meant for him, had been taken by Pengiran Yusuf.

Despite this, the pengiran still decided to stay on in Brunei as it was his home.

After a while, however, tensions started to rise between Pengiran Muda Hashim and Pengiran Yusuf.

The peak of the tension

The tension between Pengiran Yusuf and Pengiran Muda Hashim reached its peak on June 3, 1845 when civil war broke out between them.

Pengiran Muda Hashim was assisted by one of his brothers Pengiran Badruddin.

The battle took place in an area called Barakas, Brunei. The brothers brought along 1,000 soldiers from the Kedayan tribe while the Bendahara had about 300 loyal followers.

By sheer numbers alone, Pengiran Yusuf was defeated in the battle and he fled to Kimanis in current-day Sabah.

After the battle, the Sultan reluctantly appointed Pengiran Muda Hashim as the Bendahara and named him as his heir to the throne.

This event caused the previous heir to the Sultan’s adopted son, Pengiran Temenggung Pengiran Anak Hashim, to feel threatened, enough to finally make a plan for the murder of the pengiran.

The murder plot against Pengiran Muda Hashim

Owen Rutter in The Pirate Wind detailed the murder plot against Pengiran Muda Hashim and his family.

According to Rutter, the man assigned to execute the coup against the newly appointed Bendahara was a commoner named Haji Saman.

Rutter wrote,“Without warning, and in the dead of night, forty or fifty armed men surrounded the house of Pengiran Muda Hashim, set fire to it in several places then began a general attack.”

At first, the pengiran managed to escape with his wife and children while some of his brothers were killed.

When Haji Saman and his followers caught him, he persuaded them to allow him to send a message to the Sultan begging for his life.

But the Sultan refused to spare his life. Together with his surviving family and followers, Pengiran Muda Hashim retreated to a vessel. An explosion happened on the vessel killing almost everyone except for the pengiran. Determined not to be taken alive by his enemies, Pengiran Muda Hashim ended his life by shooting himself in the head with a pistol.

The betrayal of Pengiran Muda Hashim and his family
Sketch of Pengiran Raja Muda Hashim who became the close friend of Brooke, c. 1846
James Brooke mourns his friend Pengiran Muda Hashim

Meanwhile, in Sarawak, Brooke was not informed about the death of his friend.

Japar, one of Pengiran Badruddin’s slave boys had survived the attack. He tried to relay his master’s last message to Brooke but was unable to escape from Brunei.

Japar eventually made his way to board a British warship HMS Hazard that took him to Sarawak to meet with Brooke.

After much difficulties, Japar reached Kuching on Mar 30, 1846. It was from Japar that the White Rajah finally found out about the bloody coup.

The betrayal of Pengiran Muda Hashim and his family
The pengiran and his friend James Brooke.
Regarding the death of Pengiran, the first White Rajah’s feelings are best described in his own words. Here is an excerpt from his journal dated Apr 1, 1846:

“It is impossible for me to describe the indignation which I feel at this almost unheard of butchery of every member of the royal family known to be well-inclined to the British policy.

This infamous act has sealed the most flagrant breach of treaty entered into with Her Majesty’s government with the blood of the Sultan’s nearest relatives, and His Highness has now openly declared that he is prepared to fire upon the British flag whenever it shall appear near the defences which he is erecting.

Had this dreadful event arisen out of any source of internal struggle for sovereignty or power, however much to be regretted, it would not have rendered me so miserable as this fearful intelligence has now done.

Sure Her Majesty’s Government will well consider the case. It is beyond a doubt that the treachery and bad faith of the Sultan has resulted entirely from the fidelity of the Pengiran Muda Hashim, and of Pengiran Badruddin, to their engagements and the treaty entered into with the British authorities in these seas.

What other object can the Sultan have in placing himself in a position of such decided hostility to the British Government than a determination to have again recourse to the former atrocious system of a piracy and murder?

No less than thirteen of the members of the royal family have been massacred; and that the vicious sovereign gave his consent, if he did not directly order these murders, is clear on the face of the evidence before me.

Had I the power I would destroy both the city and Sultan, or at least would depose him; then if possible I would rescue the son of Muda Hashim and his surviving brothers, and place them in a fresh locality, and commence de novo with a better government under my own supervision.

I can write no more, my poor, poor friends, how sad and melancholy has been your fate! Never, never can I forget it. The regret, the indignation which I feel overpowers me.”

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What you should know about the Ligitan and Sipidan dispute

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The Ligitan and Sipadan dispute was all over media headlines during the late 90s and early 00s in Malaysia.

It was a territorial dispute between Indonesia and Malaysia over islands in the Celebes Sea, namely Ligitan and Sipadan.

The location of Ligitan and Sipadan islands

Sipidan lies to the south of Mabul island and southeast of Kapalai island. While the distance from the Malaysian mainland at Tanjung Tutop on the southeastern coast of Sabah is 14 nautical miles, the nearest distance to Indonesian territory is 40 nautical miles.

The island overall is uninhabited, but it has a small reservoir of fresh water. Fishermen and turtle eggs collectors from nearby Dinawan island have visited this island on a regular basis.

Conservation-wise, Sipadan was declared a bird sanctuary by the colonial government of North Borneo in 1933. Then it was re-gazetted in 1963 by the Malaysian government after the formation of the Malaysian federation.

Since 1988, the Sabah Department for Tourism and Environment built a wildlife preservation office on the island and issued licenses to erect small chalets and beach huts for a scuba-diving resort.

Meanwhile, Ligitan island lies east of Sipadan island. To the west of Ligitan is the Indonesian part of Sebatik island at a distance of 55 nautical miles. Meanwhile, the nearest Malaysian territory is Pulau Dinawan at the northern tip of Ligitan reef with the distance of 8 1/2 nautical miles.

Just like Sipadan, Ligitan is also uninhabited with only a few low bushes growing on it.

The origin of the Ligitan and Sipadan dispute

The first publicly known Ligitan and Sipadan dispute happened in 1982 when an Indonesian naval patrol appeared near Sipadan island to investigate foreign troops. Both the Malaysian and Indonesian governments reportedly tried to play down the incident, discouraging press coverage.

Then in 1991, Indonesia discovered Malaysia had built some tourist facilities on Sipadan island. The Indonesian government claimed that it had made a verbal agreement with Malaysia in 1969 to discuss the sovereignty of the islands.

Indonesia argued based on the 1891 Convention Between Great Britain and the Netherlands Defining Their Boundaries in Borneo. This was when Sabah (then North Borneo) was under Great Britain while Kalimantan was part of Netherlands’ territory.

Based on this convention, both Ligitan and Sipidan islands would be considered within Indonesian waters.

Furthermore according to the Indonesian government, after the Indonesian-Malaysian Confrontation (1963-1966), both countries established their continental shelf boundaries in the Straits of Malacca and the South China Sea by treaty.

More evidence to support Indonesia’s case was a map in 1967 by the Indonesian Armed Forces showing both islands lying within the Indonesian claim.

Malaysia on the other hand denied the allegation of an agreement between the two countries, maintaining Ligitan and Sipidan had always been part of Sabah.

Finally on Nov 2, 1998, Indonesia and Malaysia agreed to bring the matter to the International Court of Justice (ICJ).

The court decision on the Ligitan and Sipidan dispute

What you should know about the Ligitan and Sipidan dispute
A map of British North Borneo in 1888 where Ligitan and Sipidan fell under Province Elphinstone. Credit: The British Empire

In the Ligitan and Sipidan dispute, ICJ ruled in Malaysia’s favour due to the country’s effective occupation over the islands.

Plus, it also noted that Indonesia or even the Netherlands previously, had never issued a formal protest with Malaysia (or Britain) when those activities, such as construction of the lighthouse at Ligitan or the declaration of Sipadan as a bird sanctuary – were carried out.

Additionally, the court acknowledged that both of the islands were much closer to Malaysia than Indonesia.

While the Indonesian claim was mostly based on the 1891 Boundary Treaty, there was earlier documentation which supported the Malaysian claim. It was the British 1878 Agreement with the Sultanate of Sulu during which time they acquired the Sultanate area as part of British North Borneo.

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The mysterious post-war ghost ship found in Mukah

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Also known as a phantom ship, a ghost ship is actually a vessel with no living crew aboard. It can be because of two reasons.

Firstly, it is just a haunted ship or at least rumoured to be haunted just like the Flying Dutchman in the Pirates of the Caribbean. The second reason is because it was found adrift with its crew missing or dead.

The term ‘ghost ship’ is sometimes referred to ships that have been decommissioned but not yet scrapped. It is also a term used for drifting boats that have been found after breaking loose of their ropes.

And that was the case of the ghost ship found in Mukah at the end of January 1948.

The mysterious post-war ghost ship found in Mukah
A post-WWII ghost ship in Mukah? Credits: Pixabay
The post-war ghost ship in Mukah

On Mar 1, 1948, The Sarawak Gazette reported there was “an unheralded guest” which arrived on the coast of Sarawak.

The ‘guest’ was a vessel found about 20 miles east of Mukah with no crew on board.

The report stated, “Weather conditions were unfavourable for an examination until Friday the 13th February when a launch from Kuching arrived there.”

After an initial examination, they found out the vessel was a landing craft tank (LCT).

A LCT was an amphibious assault craft for landing tanks on beachheads. These landing tanks were initially developed by the British Royal Navy and later by the United States Navy during World War II (WWII).

By the looks of it, the LCT found off Mukah had been taken out of commission after WWII.

There were no documents on board and the living quarters showed no sign of recent use.

Nonetheless, there were some clues found on the adrift LCT. “On the bow the number 930 is painted in large letters and a stencil on the aft bulkhead reads ‘This craft reconditioned by Philippine Consolidated Shipyards.'”

The markings also indicated that the probable date of the reconditioning was June, 1947.

In addition to that, they found only one of the five engines to be in working order.

The hull of the vessel had been smashed to that extent that the craft was in danger of breaking in two.

The theory behind the ghost ship found adrift

Since there was no living soul on board the ghost ship to give their testimony to how she ended up where she was found, the best that Sarawakians at that time could do was guess.

The Sarawak Gazette writer guessed that the ghost ship was actually a United States naval vessel which had been laid up probably in the Philippines and probably also alongside other vessels.

“She had broken adrift during a storm and had badly damaged the upper sections of her hull by rolling against the sides of neighbouring craft.”

One crucial clue that the ghost ship given was that her mooring ropes still dangled from her port and starboard quarters.

Plus, with side tanks undamaged she retained sufficient buoyancy to weather the storms. She eventually got stranded off the coast of Borneo ending her involuntary voyage.

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Cost of food was also an issue in Sarawak back in 1899

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No matter which country or century you are from, living expenses like the high cost of food has always been a primary concern.

But did you know this issue also affected the people of Sarawak even in 1899?

In an article published in The Sarawak Gazette on Nov 1, 1899, an unnamed author compared the increasing of cost of food in the former kingdom, highlighting how much the prices had increased over the years.

According to the author, there were no import duties on any food stuffs. Meanwhile, the market tariffs only affected vegetables, pork and fish, and these to a very small degree.

Here at KajoMag, we enjoy looking back through history, and so here is how much our food commodities cost back in 1899:

1.Fish products

Fish was sold at the market for 1/2 to 1 cent per catty (the weight equivelent of 604g). Salted terubok fish was sold at 2 or 3 cents each, which then increased to 8 to 10 cents in 1899.

The author also complained that salted tenggiri fish was selling at $5 per picul (which is old-school for a shoulder-load or 60kg), and then increased to $18.

Even dried prawns suffered the same fate whereby the price rose from 7 to 8 cents per catty to 20 cents.

Cost of food was also an issue in Sarawak back in 1899
Dried shrimp. Credits: Pixabay.

2.Vegetables

The switch from vegetables to pepper cultivation had led to an increase in vegetable prices in Sarawak in 1899.

“How prices have risen with the last few years the following figures will show: Kribang or sweet potatoes which is a staple article of food formerly cost 35 to 40 cents per picul and now cost $1 to $1.50, and all other vegetables have risen over 50%.”

3.Pigs

The author also wrote about the price of pigs in 1899, “Pigs which were formerly sold at $9 per pikul now fetch $24 per pikul, and the retail price has risen from 13 to 14 cents per catty to 30-35 cents.”

Sarawak used to import pigs from Pontianak but then the number slowly decreased due to export duty imposed on these animals.

Was price control the answer to the high cost of food?

Although the author concluded that the cost of living and the cost of production had increased in Sarawak, he pointed out that the ‘reasons and the remedy for it are beyond us’.

He stated, “The government cannot say to a man, ‘you shall produce such and such food stuff and sell at such and such a price’. That experiment was tried during the first French Revolution and failed miserably.”

So according to the author, the government’s hope that bringing Hakka immigrants to plant more rice and vegetables would be fruitful in catering to the increasing demand of food.

He continued, “Cheaper rice would doubtless make a difference but we cannot hold out hopes of any great reductions either now or in the near future.”

More than 100 years later, these prices have never been reduced!

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