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10 things you should know about the Bryde’s whale skeleton at Sabah Museum

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When you step into the Sabah Museum, the first thing that greets you is a gigantic whale skeleton.

What type of whale is it? Where did they get it from? Are there alot of whale sightings off the coast of Sabah? Perhaps these are the questions that come to your mind as you look at this enormous skeleton.

Whale skeleton at Sabah Museum 2
A closer look at the whale’s jaw bone.    

Here at KajoMag, we summarised 10 things you should know about the Bryde’s whale skeleton at Sabah Museum:

1. This whale was first found stranded on Dec 14, 2006.

On that day, a group of fishermen found this cetacean stranded near Kampung (village) Lok Urai, Gaya island around 11pm.

Within 12 hours after it was first spotted, a rescue mission was launched by teams from the Fisheries Department, Wildlife Department, Sabah Parks, Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS), NGOs and members of the public.

However, the tide was too low for the rescue team to pull the poor creature back to the ocean. Rescuers had to constantly pour seawater on its body to keep it hydrated.

2. The whale was back to the sea the next day.

By Dec 15 at 7.30pm, the team had succeeded in pulling the whale back into the sea. Nonetheless, the then Sabah Fishery Department director, Rayner Stuel Galid raised concerns that the whale might return to its stranding spot.

Whale skeleton at Sabah Museum 3
A father pointing at the skeleton while his son looks on.
3. The marine mammal was found dead on Dec 17, 2006.

True enough, the animal was found dead near its stranding spot at Gaya Island. The initial plan was to bury it but there was no suitable location.

Whale skeleton at Sabah Museum 6
A closer look at the whale’s backbone.
4. Its supposedly final resting place was decided.

The carcass was towed to Stomai Rock, somewhere between Pulau Tiga and Gaya Island. Then, it was anchored about 60 to 70m deep into the sea to allow it to decompose naturally.

5. The then Sabah chief minister wanted the whale to be preserved.

Later on Dec 19, then chief minister of Sabah, Musa Aman instructed the Fisheries Department to work together with Sabah Museum Department, Sabah Parks and UMS to conserve the whale’s bones.

6. The whale was back on land on Dec 20.

A team was deployed to bring back the carcass from where it was anchored. They put a giant fishing net to wrap the carcass so that the skeleton remained intact during the process.

Whale skeleton at Sabah Museum 4
The 20m long skeleton attracts visitors the moment they stepped into the museum.
7. The ‘deboning’ process begins on Dec 21.

The tedious process of separating the bones from the carcass lasted a few days.

It took about 35 people to work round the clock on the carcass starting from its tail. They also dug three enormous holes at Fishery Station Menggatal to bury the whale’s flesh and organs.

8. The whale skeleton was handed to Sabah Museum on Christmas eve 2006.

The team officially handed the whale skeleton to Sabah Museum on Dec 24, just 10 days after it first found stranded.

Whale skeleton at Sabah Museum 5
The whale skeleton takes up a huge space of Sabah Museum.
9. The identity of the whale is Bryde’s whale.

The whale was identified as Bryde’s whale (Balaenoptera edeni). It was 20.6m long and weighed around 22 to 26 tonnes.

The Kadazandusun people of Sabah call it luulumbo.

According to UMS researchers, approximately 20 species of marine mammals have been recorded in Sabah waters.

The state’s various ecosystems like its coral reefs, mangrove, estuaries and sea grass provides habitats and food resources for these animals, leading to a high number of species found in Sabah.

10. Sabah has the highest  number of whale stranding cases in Malaysia.

The Bryde’s whale at Sabah Museum was not the only stranded cetacean in the state.

In 2012, it was reported Sabah recorded the highest number of whale stranding cases as well as whale sightings compared to other states since the 1970s.

Additionally, Sabah also has the longest coastline in Malaysia. It is surrounded by the South China Sea on the west, Sulu Sea on the northeast and Celebes Sea on the southeast regions.

There are many factors that could contribute to whale stranding such as natural causes due to sickness or old age or military sonar.

However, the reason for this statistic in Sabah is still not scientifically known.

Whale skeleton at Sabah Museum
The gigantic skeleton of Bryde’s whale.

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From Yang di-Pertua Negara to Yang di-Pertua Negeri of Sabah: How did that happen?

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When Sabah, or back then known as North Borneo, agreed to join the Malaysian federation, they came up with a list of 20 points.

The terms in what was called the 20-point agreement were drawn to safeguard the rights and autonomy of Sabah upon joining the federation.

Point number 18 stated that the head of state was to be called ‘Yang di-Pertua Negara’.

Yang di Pertua Negara 2
The 20-point agreement drawn by Sabahans.

Who is the ‘Yang di-Pertua Negara’ and what does it mean?

Yang di-Pertua Negara was the official title of ceremonial governor in Sabah. It means ‘head of state’ in Malay.

Apart from Sabah, Malaysian states without hereditary monarchs include Penang, Malacca and Sarawak which also have governors instead.

The office of the head of state is a renewable four-year term position in Malaysia’s parliamentary democracy system.

They are also the members of the Conference of Rulers, a council made of nine rulers of the Malay states and the governors.

Unlike the Malay rulers or Sultans, however, governors cannot vote for the Yang di-Pertuan Agong (king), the ruler who will also function as the Head of Islam in their respective states.

How the title of Yang di-Pertua Negara in Sabah was abolished

Under Article 160 of the Constitution of Malaysia, the term governor was abolished and replaced with Yang di-Pertua Negeri on Aug 27, 1976.

Prior to 1976, Penang, Malacca and Sarawak had been using the title ‘Governor’ in English and ‘Yang di-Pertua Negeri’ in Malay. Meanwhile, Sabah’s head of state was called Yang di-Pertua Negara in both languages.

With the implementation of Article 160, Sabah could no longer use the title of Yang di-Pertua Negara.

So, Yang di-Pertua Negara or Yang di-Pertua Negeri? What’s the difference?

Yang di Pertua Negara
Report about Yang di-Pertua Negara’s Malaysia Day message published by daily express found at Sabah Museum.

‘Negara’ means country or nation in Malay while ‘negeri’ means state.

Some argued the change of title demoted Sabah from a country to a state. They also saw it as a breach of the 20-point agreement.

It was clearly stated in Malaysian Agreement 1963, “There shall be a Head of State for Sabah, to be called the Yang di-Pertua Negara, who shall be appointed by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong acting in his discretion but after consultation with the chief minister.”

Additionally, Sabah’s first Yang di-Pertua Negara Datu Mustapha Datu Harun referred to Sabah as a country during his message on Malaysia Day, Sept 16, 1963.

He was quoted saying, “Let us pray for God’s blessing in our beloved country, Sabah Maju Jaya!”

The battle between the Constitution of Malaysia and the Malaysia Agreement

The Constitution of Malaysia was previously known as the Constitution of Malaya. Back then, it was brought into force over the Federation of Malaya (then made up of 11 states) when it achieved independence from the British colony on Aug 31, 1957.

When the Malaysian federation was formed on Sept 16, 1963, the constitution name was changed from Constitution of Malaya to the Constitution of Malaysia.

It was then implemented in Sabah, Sarawak and Singapore before the last went separate ways and became the independent island nation it is today.

With this, combined with the simple name change in the title of the constitution from Malaya to Malaysia, some argued the establishment of Malaysia was not a creation of a new nation but simply the addition of new ‘states’.

Meanwhile, the Malaysia Agreement was signed by the United Kingdom, Malaya, North Borneo, Sarawak and Singapore. This made it an international agreement that could not and cannot be amended by Malaysian parliament.

The result of that agreement was Malaysia Act 1963, an Act of Parliament in the United Kingdom.

The Act made provisions for a union named Malaysia which consisted of North Borneo, Sarawak and Singapore with the existing states of the Federation of Malaya.

Many parties argued that Sabah, along with Sarawak should be called ‘negara’ making their heads of state Yang di-Pertua Negara.

Adding on to that, Sarawak and Sabah received their independence from the British on July 22, 1963 and Aug 31, 1963 respectively. Hence, they were technically a self-governing nations before forming the Malaysian federation on Sept 16, 1963.

Furthermore, the head of state of Sabah was called “Yang di-Pertua Negara” from 1963 to 1976.

If Sarawak and Sabah were meant to be just mere states, not equal partners with Malayan federation to form Malaysia, one might ask why did it take 13 years to realise that ‘negara’ actually meant country in Malay?

How did Sabah and Sarawak get downgraded from their sovereign status to a state?

It all comes down to an act passed in parliament on Aug 27, 1976 which saw an amendment to Article 1 of the Federal Constitution. Through Act A354 Section 2, Sarawak and Sabah became downgraded from regions that had equal rights with Peninsular Malaysia to being just one of 13 states in Malaysia.

A revealing press release by Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP) in 2016 states how the parliamentarians of the time were mistaken in voting for the status downgrade, and how being designated as a state instead of one of the three founding partners has short-changed Sabah and Sarawak in terms of oil royalty and federal financial allocations.

It has long been a source of discontent for East Malaysians, so much so in its mission to create equity across Malaysia, it was included in Pakatan Harapan’s manifesto under Pillar 4: Return Sabah and Sarawak to the status accorded by the Malaysia Agreement 1963.

PH Manifesto
Pillar 4 of Pakatan Harapan’s manifesto includes returning Sabah and Sarawak’s status as it was defined in the spirit of MA63.

In July 2018, it was revealed that the Minister’s Cabinet had agreed to the formation of a special cabinet committee on the enforcement of the Malaysian Agreement 1963. The special committee will comprise representatives from the Peninsula, Sabah and Sarawak who have expertise in the matter.

A media statement from Bandar Kuching MP Dr. Kelvin Yii Lee Wuen on 20 July 2018 outlines how this special committee will be working on restoring these rights:

The committee will study and propose corrective measures in relation to the following matters:

  • The status of the Malaysian Agreement 1963 in the context of current legislation;
  • Efforts to improve the people’s understanding towards the Malaysia Agreement 1963 through the education system;
  • Implementation of the concept of federalism across the three territories – Peninsula, Sabah and Sarawak;
  • The rights of Sabah and Sarawak to natural resources as well as oil and gas;
  • Administrative matters that can be delegated to the states;
  • The amount of allocation that is within the rights of Sabah and Sarawak; and
  • Amendment to Article 1 of the Federal Constitution.

With efforts going in the direction of Sabah and Sarawak’s rights being restored, some people conjecture it’s still a long road ahead before both former territories see their pre-1976 status restored.

Read about Malaysia Act 1963 here.

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It’s all about classic coffees and cute chalets at Yit Foh Factory, Tenom

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The moment you step onto the grounds of Yit Foh Coffee Factory in Tenom, the smell of freshly roasted coffee immediately greets you.

Located about 170km from the Sabah capital of Kota Kinabalu, the town of Tenom is synonymous with coffee.

Yit Foh Tenom
The town of Tenom is synonymous with coffee.

About Yit Foh Coffee Factory

Yit Foh Coffee Factory, also known as Yit Foh Tenom Coffee, is the oldest coffee manufacturer in Sabah.

Founded in 1960 by Yong Loong Vun, the factory still produces coffee grounds the traditional way by roasting the beans over a wood fire.

Visitors can visit the factory shop where you can look for various Yit Foh coffee products.

If you are a purist, you can purchase packages of coffee powder and make your own drinks.

But they also sell coffee sachets such as kopi O (black coffee with without sugar), kopi O 2 in 1 (black coffee with sugar), cafe latte 3 in 1 (coffee with sugar and creamer) and cafe latte 2 in 1 (coffee with creamer).

Other products are white coffee, cafe au lait, oat cereal, teh tarik kaw and three types of drip coffee; Americano coffee, Italiano and Java Mandheling.

Yit Foh Tenom 7
Pick your choice of java.

When it comes to staying in Tenom town, however, there’s not much choice when it comes to accommodation.

But if you are willing to stay about five minutes outside the town, how about staying near a coffee factory at Yit Foh Coffee Cottage.

It has a longhouse style cabin, deluxe chalet and family hut and each room is named after a type of coffee beverage. How cute is that?

Yit Foh Tenom 14
Do you want to stay in Kopi Susu or Mocha?
Yit Foh Tenom 15
Imagine waking up in the morning from one of these cabins and immediately smelling the roasted fragrance of coffee.

Having a meal at Kafe Robusta

Yit Foh Tenom 2
The outdoor sitting area of Kafe Robusta.

Even if you are not staying overnight, drop in on Kafe Robusta and have a meal.

They serve soto (chicken or beef soup), bakso (meatball served in soup with noodle), rojak (beef noodle in peanut gravy), laksa (spicy noodle soup) and other rice dishes at affordable prices.

Plus, you can order one of Yit Foh product to complement your meal.

If you are visiting Tenom for the first time, your visit to Sabah’s coffee capital is incomplete without a visit to the oldest coffee producer.

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Take a ride to the past at Sabah Museum’s Railway Gallery

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Before cars were the thing, transportation in Sabah – formerly known as North Borneo – relied heavily on trains.

In recognition of the historical significance of the railway system in Sabah, the Sabah State Museum opened up a gallery in 2017 dedicated to its locomotive industry.

Located in Sabah’s capital of Kota Kinabalu, the Railway Gallery offers a glimpse of the past through photographs and machines.

Railway Gallery Kota Kinabalu 15
Welcome to the Railway Gallery!

The history of Sabah Railways

In 1896, the British North Borneo Chartered Company introduced the first railway service in Sabah.

The first part of the construction was to the north heading to Beaufort at the bank of Padas river. Then, the track was extended to the south to Weston, about 100km from Kota Kinabalu.

After the Beaufort-Weston railway was completed in 1900, the construction continued from Beaufort to Jesselton (now Kota Kinabalu).

Railway Gallery Kota Kinabalu
How the train tickets looked like.

Around the same time, the construction of 48km Beaufort-Tenom railways started in 1903 and completed in 1905.

A year later, the Tenom-Melalap railway was completed.

Starting 1912, the railways worked as the main transportation for the country’s most important crop, rubber.

Due to high maintenance cost, the existence of road transportation and the failure of Weston town becoming a harbour, the Beaufort-Weston and Tenom-Melalap railways were forced to close in 1963 and 1970.

A few years later, the Tanjung Aru-Jesselton railway was also closed down.

Locomotive Gallery Kota Kinabalu 13
There were plenty of old photographs to browse through.

A walk through Sabah Railway Gallery

Visitors who make their way to Sabah State Museum must drop by its Railway Gallery located right behind the museum.

The gallery gives not only the historical timeline of the locomotive industry but also technical information of the old railway technology.

Locomotive Gallery Kota Kinabalu 9
You can sit at the passenger car and imagine it is early 1900s.

Putting aside the tonnes of typos, it was still fascinating to read through the descriptions on each panel.

The display of black and white photographs of now long gone railway stations and tracks give visitors a glimpse of how important this mode of transportation was back then.

There are plenty of things to see as well such as the tickets they used at the time, a weighing scale they used for parcels and telephones for station to station communication.

Plus, visitors can also sit and pose inside the passenger car imagining it’s the 1920s all over again.

If history or locomotives is your thing, the Sabah Railway Gallery is definitely a must-visit place in Kota Kinabalu.

For a real-life adventure, you can also take the North Borneo Railway which takes you from Tanjung Aru to Papar. Meanwhile, the Sabah State Railway – formerly the North Borneo Railway – still operates from Tanjung Aru to Tenom.

 

 

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Top 3 Sabah fermented foods you must try before you die

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Located in the northern part of Borneo island, the Malaysian state of Sabah has its own distinct cuisine different from other states in the country.

Thanks to its multiracial population just like its neighbouring state of Sarawak, Sabah offers various ingredients and style of food preparation.

One of the famous ways they have of preparing food is by fermenting with salt, a similar method to making pekasam (Malaysian fermented food).

When you take a walk through any of their local markets you will find fermented food sold in all sorts of different sizes.

Besides the local market, you can also find them at the roadside stalls along the road from Kota Kinabalu to Ranau or Keningau.

Preserved Sabahan Food 2
Local sellers selling different kinds of Sabah preserved foods. The ones in red are pickled ‘tuhau’ while the ones in yellow are pickled ‘bambangan’.

If you are up for it, here are top 3 Sabah fermented foods you must try before you die. We warn you; they are not for the faint-hearted because of their strong smell and flavours.

1. Pickled Tuhau

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VmsM-7FEmp4

The least threatening of all three Sabah fermented foods is pickled tuhau. Tuhau is a type of wild ginger scientifically known as Etlingera coccinea.

The edible part of this ginger is the inner sheath of the shoot. Chop it up and mix it with chives, chilli peppers, salt, sugar and vinegar.

It is usually served as a side dish with hot rice. You can also whisk in some tuhau with eggs to make an omelette.

2. Pickeled bambangan

https://www.instagram.com/p/BlnEZz9nLyO/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

Bambangan (Mangnifera pajang) is an endemic fruit only found in Borneo. The fruit is considered a type of wild mango but unlike the common mango, it has thick brown skin.

It is usually harvested raw and cured with salt and chilies to make pickled bambangan. The locals enjoy it with plain white rice and fried fish.

3.Bosou

https://www.instagram.com/p/BSxdzk9j0SQ/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

Bosou is also called nonsom, sambaat, kinaraatan, gagau and tinamba in different Kadazandusun dialects. It is a preserved fish or meat made with biji kepayang in Malay (Pangium edule) or pangi in Dusun language. The most common main ingredient for bosou is river fish. Mix the fish together with rice, salt and pangi.

To spice it up a little bit, you can also add in pineapple or tuhau. It takes up five to seven days for it to be fully fermented. There are two ways to take bosou; you can have it as a condiment or cook it with onions and chilies.

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Adidas kampung, the almost perfect hiking shoes

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Almost every Malaysian has heard of ‘adidas kampungs’ – the generic name for probably the most handy yet cheap rubber shoes made in Malaysia.

They usually come in black, but sometimes you can find them in white too.

Besides adidas kampung, these rubber shoes are also known as adidas paya, kasut kebun and kasut motong. All of these unique and hyperlocalised names have to do with going out to the jungle, farming or trekking. Why?

Adidas Kampung 2
Adidas kampung, a preferred footwear for Malaysian jungle.

The soles have strong grip on slippery rocks and muddy flats making them famous among farmers and rubber tappers.

They are perhaps the most preferred footwear when it comes to trekking in the Malaysian tropical rainforest.

This is because they are waterproof, easy to dry… and most of all cheap.

Sold mostly in sundry shops throughout Malaysia, they cost under RM10 a pair.

Adidas Kampung 3
They are recognised for their strong grip on slippery rocks and muddy trails.

 

Adidas Kampung in the news

Adidas kampung have made headlines in the news several times over the years all thanks to their usefulness.

During the 21st Mount Kinabalu Climbathon in 2017, for instance, Safrey Sumping won fourth place in the men’s open event was wearing a pair of adidas kampung.

In 2011, it helped another Malaysian win a place in the Mount Kinabalu Climbathon.

Danny Kuilin Gongot wore them when she beat New Zealander Anna Frost and American Brandy Erhortz, clinching the women’s title in the climbathon.

Besides assisting Malaysians to win international athletic events, they have also been great help during hard times.

When flood hit Penang back in 2017, volunteers turned to these shoes to help with the cleanup as they were perfect for wading through floods.

In some local universities, lecturers for nature-oriented courses such as Environmental Science and Marine Science made adidas kampung must-have footwear for field-trips.

The flaws of Adidas Kampung

Although adidas kampung might sound like the perfect shoes, they do have their own flaws.

First of all, they are not the most comfortable pair of footwear out there.

You need to wear adidas kampung with a pair of thick socks as they are also known for leaving its wearers with blisters.

Another thing is that although these pair of shoes are known for their waterproof ability, you can also get waterlogged.

A short walk in a stream will leave you walking around in tubs for shoes instead, making it a little inconvenient during your hike as you need to stop and pour the water out of your adidas kampungs.

Nonetheless, their extreme affordability still make these adidas kampungs one of the better choices of hiking shoes in Malaysia.

Plus, they work better than your normal running shoes when hiking through our muddy, slippery Malaysian jungle.

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7 Facebook pages/groups as your ultimate East Malaysian Food Guide

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Instead of Google-searching places to eat, some of us prefer to Facebook-search them.

Facebook conveniently allows us to look at reviews, photos and the locations of the food outlets.

Not only that, Facebook has enabled hardcore foodies to form their own pages and groups, providing them an online discussion space to share their photos and critiques.

With these independent foodie pages, you can always post a question and let your fellow food enthusiasts answer. Plus, if there is a new food place to try, nobody tells you faster than people on Facebook.

Kampua
Your East Malaysian Food Guide would not be complete without kampua.

Scroll the list down below and see which of these Facebook pages/groups to follow as your ultimate East Malaysian Food Guide.

Facebook! Tell me where to eat in Sarawak!

1. Kuching Food Critics


This Facebook group is the creme de la creme of Kuching food guides.

The members are helpful and they will always have recommended places according to your preferences.

They also rate their foods so you will know what to expect from your orders.

Watch out for Ah Ong, one of the group admins: he seems to have a lot of insight on what is going on in the Kuching foodie-sphere.

The group aims to provide a healthy space for discussion on food, so play nice while you are in it.

Follow the rules on their About Page and always remember rule number 15.

If you are not much of a team player and do not want to join a Facebook group, you can like their page too.

It is equally helpful and informative.

2. Teaspoon-Food, Restaurant & Rewards


Teaspoon-Food, Restaurant & Rewards is the first mobile food app in Kuching.

Aiming to bring you the newest restaurants in town, it also covers long existing food joints.

It has information of over 600 eateries in Kuching including latest promotions and limited time deals too.

We warn you, their videos are mouthwatering to watch!

3. Miri City Sharing Channel


As for your East Malaysian Food Guide in northern Sarawak, check out Miri City Sharing Channel.

Here you can find answer on where to find Tri-colour Mee Kolok, cheesy mozzarella burger, prawn noodle or ice cream gula apong.

Facebook! Tell me where to eat in Sabah!

1. Makan-makan Kota Kinabalu

Makan-makan Kota Kinabalu aims to provide honest feedback and thoughts on the Kota Kinabalu dining experience.

Imagine a friend casually telling you what they had for dinner and that is how it is like reading the feedback here.

The admins share what they order, the overall ambience at the eateries and the conversation they have with the waiters.

2. Eat n Hop Sabah

This page shares their experiences in Mandarin and English, informing its followers on latest promotions and opening of new eateries.

You can find info such as opening hours and locations but not elaborate reviews on the food or beverages.

However, all photos of food on Eat n Hop Sabah are definitely appetising, worthy to be gawked at.

3. Sabaheats


This page is the Facebook arm of Sabaheats, a Sabah online food channel dedicated to passionate food lovers out there.

Besides guiding followers on where or what to eat in Sabah, they also provide other information too.

For instance, food delivery service in Kota Kinabalu, exotic fruits available there and even a travel eatinerary!

4. Sandakan Food Lover


This East Malaysian Food Guide will show you where to eat in Sandakan.

Some of the posts are vendors promoting their food products.

Although most of the posts are in Chinese, you can always write your questions in the comment session if you have any enquiries.

Any other suggestions? Let us know in the comment box!

Read more:

8 Korean food blogs to follow home cooked recipes

10 Facebook pages you must follow if you love food

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Memperingati mangsa tawanan perang di Kundasang War Memorial

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Dedicated to the lasting memory of the 641 British servicemen
Who died in terrible circumstances
In the Sandakan prisoner of war camp
On the death marches and at Ranau 1943-1945
They shall not weary them, nor the years condemn
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them

Demikianlah ayat yang termaktub pada batu plak hitam dengan bendera United Kingdom di English Rose Garden, salah satu taman bunga yang terdapat di Kundasang War Memorial (Tugu Peringatan Kundasang).

Di sana terdapat juga taman-taman lain termasuklah Australian Garden, Borneo Garden dan Contemplation Garden.

Terletak di Kundasang, tugu tersebut memerlukan dua jam perjalanan menggunakan kereta dari ibu negeri Sabah, Kota Kinabalu.

Ia dibina untuk memperingati tentera Britain dan Australia yang terkorban di kem tahanan Sandakan dalam perjalanan ke Ranau.

Pada tahun 1942, seramai 2,400 tawanan perang dibawa dari Singapura sebagai buruh paksa untuk membina landasan kereta api di kem tahanan Sandakan.

Dari bulan Januari ke Ogos 1945, pada pengakhiran Perang Dunia Kedua, para tawanan perang dikerah untuk berjalan sepanjang 260 kilometer dari Sandakan ke Ranau.

Kebanyakan mereka dipercayai terkorban akibat serangan penyakit, kebuluran dan penderaan tentera Jepun.

Hanya 6 orang, kesemuanya warganegara Australia terselamat setelah mereka berjaya melarikan diri.

Penduduk tempatan turut membahayakan nyawa mereka dengan memberi makan dan menyorok tawanan sehingga berakhirnya Perang Dunia Kedua.

Dibina pada 1962, tugu tersebut juga memperingati pengorbanan dan kesengsaraan penduduk Sabah.

Ide untuk membina tugu tersebut datang daripada Major G.S. Carter, seorang warganegara New Zealand pada awal 1960s.

Ia kemudiannya dibina menggunakan dana dikumpul oleh penduduk tempatan dan asing di Sabah.

Malangnya, tugu tersebut telah terabai sehinggalah seorang lelaki Thailand Sevee Charuruks berjaya memulihnya pada tahun 2004.

Tugu tersebut sangat sesuai dibina di kaki Gunung Kinabalu kerana penduduk tempatan percaya awan-awan yang menyelaputi gunung tersebut melindungi roh-roh mereka yang telah meninggal dunia.

Surat-surat khabar mengenai perjalanan maut Sandakan (death march) tersebut turut dipamerkan.

Apabila memasuki kawasan tugu, para pengunjung akan memasuki Australian Garden dimana terletaknya bendera Australia dan plak berjudul ‘Kinabalu Kundasang War Memorial and Australia’.

Terdapat juga sebuah panel ditulis dalam bahasa Inggeris dan Melayu tentang sejarah sebalik tawanan perang di Sabah.

Sementara itu, Borneo Garden pula memperingati mangsa-mangsa peperangan di Sabah yang cuba menolong pihak tawanan namun terkorban.

Di Borneo Garden juga, terdapat pokok-pokok bunga yang boleh dijumpai di Sabah.

Manakala di Contemplation Garden, berdirinya panel-panel dibina pada tahun 2011 yang mempamerkan kesemua nama-nama mangsa peperangan tersebut.

Amat menyayat hati apabila melihat lebih 2000 nama yang terpampang sepatutnya diingati bukan sahaja sebagai mangsa tawanan perang, malah sebagai seorang sahabat, anak, bapa dan abang.

Yang lebih menyedihkan, sebanyak 38 nama tidak sepatutnya termaktub pada panel tersebut kerana mereka berjaya sampai ke Ranau walaupun dalam keadaan yang lemah.

Namun demikian, mereka telah ditembak mati oleh pihak Jepun kira-kira 12 hari selepas Jepun menyerah diri pada 15 Ogos, 1945.

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Breeze Malaysia brings water relief to Sabah villages

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Breeze Malaysia collaborates with Global Peace Foundation for it’s Water Treatment Campaign to benefit 1,050 people with access to clean water

The happy faces of the Kampung Nalasaran and Kampung Padang kids after getting access to clean drinking water with the new water filters sponsored by Breeze in partnership with Global Peace Foundation (GPF).
The happy faces of the Kampung Nalasaran and Kampung Padang kids after getting access to clean drinking water with the new water filters sponsored by Breeze in partnership with Global Peace Foundation (GPF).

KUALA LUMPUR, 15 May 2017: As part of its commitment to sustainable living, Breeze Malaysia is bringing access to clean water to 1,050 villagers in Sabah, in partnership with Global Peace Foundation.

Breeze Malaysia through its Water Treatment Campaign held late last year successfully raised RM50,000 in contributions. For every Breeze laundry detergent purchased, RM1 was set aside.

All funds collected has been used to install new water filtration systems for Kampung Nalasaran, Kampung Padang, Nabawan and a school in the area – Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan (SMK) Sepulut. Over 23 water filtrations systems were installed within these locations which will benefit 385 residents in the villages and more than 700 students of SMK Sepulut.

Students of SMK Sepulut in Sabah having their first drink of clean filtered water at their school.
Students of SMK Sepulut in Sabah having their first drink of clean filtered water at their school.

Vincent Chong, Marketing Director, Unilever (Malaysia) Holdings Sdn Bhd said, “Water is a fundamental need for every human being and it is devastating to see that some people still do not have access to clean drinking water. At Breeze, we want to be able to assist the communities in getting safe, treated clean water which will in turn encourage good health and hygiene practices.

Moreover, the water treatment campaign also stems from the Unilever Sustainable Living Plan, a global commitment made by the company to help 1 billion people to improve their health and well-being by 2020. On this note, we are also grateful to the customers of Breeze and the Global Peace Foundation who shares our vision in making sustainable living commonplace and work together in driving sustainable change for the community.”

Previously, the villagers relied on hilltop gravity-fed water for their daily usage. Water is collected from the hilltop using self-made pipes and on rainy days or wet season, the water quality gets worse as it gets polluted with dirt and other debris flowing through the pipes.

The Sabah villagers helping with the set-up of the water filter.
The villagers helping with the set-up of the water filter.

Meanwhile for SMK Sepulut, the school which has dormitories for its students had to source for water from a nearby river. Due to the lack of treated pipe water, the students had to purchase drinking water from a vending machine at their canteen.

In line with the installation, Breeze and Global Peace Foundation also provided training for the communities on the usage and maintenance of the water filter.

“For people in these communities, they had to make do with the water source they can access to, regardless of quality and safety of the water. Often the women had to carry heavy buckets of water for daily usage. Drinking untreated water carries a lot of health risks such as water-borne diseases like cholera or diarrhea. Thus providing the water filtration system will definitely improve their health and social well-being,” said Dr Teh Su Thye, Chief Executive Officer of Global Peace Foundation.

[Standing] Dr Teh Su Thye, Chief Executive Officer of Global Peace Foundation explaining the usage and maintenance of the water filter provided by Breeze and Global Peace Foundation to the community at the training.
[Standing] Dr Teh Su Thye, Chief Executive Officer of Global Peace Foundation explaining the usage and maintenance of the water filter provided by Breeze and Global Peace Foundation to the community at the training.
“The water filtration system is simple in design and easy to use. It requires no electricity and comes with an ultrafiltration membrane cartridge to remove 99 per cent of particles, bacteria and other microbial debris to allow clean, purified water of between 70,000 -100,000 litres to last for several years,” added Dr Teh.

“We have been struggling for years over the issue of clean water. Now that we have the new water filter, we don’t have to worry about this anymore. Thanks to Breeze Malaysia and Global Peace Foundation for their assistance,” said Sidin Andin from Kampung Padang.

For more information, log on to Breeze Malaysia’s Facebook page: www.facebook.com/breezemalaysia.

[Middle, seventh from left] Dr Teh Su Thye, Chief Executive Officer of Global Peace Foundation on behalf of Breeze, presenting the LifeStraw® water filter to the villagers in Sabah.
[Middle, seventh from left] Dr Teh Su Thye, Chief Executive Officer of Global Peace Foundation on behalf of Breeze, presenting the LifeStraw® water filter to the villagers in Sabah.

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