Pangeran Samah & the Gomanton cave ,1883

PANGERAN SAMAH was an influential chief of the Dusun tribe known by the name of Buludupihs,
inhabiting the Kinabatangan and Sigaliud rivers principally, but with off shoots settled on the Segama and in the rivers falling into Darvel bay.  He was a man of remarkable strength of character for a native, exceedingly self willed and ever ready to resort to open violence or to secret poisoning  had he reason to fancy that his wishes were in any way thwarted by another. His father and  grandfather had both been remarkable men in their time .The.latter bad been the first to work the rich birds' nests caves of Gomanton, He was executed by bis sovereign, the then Sultan of' Sulu, whose authority he had slighted.
Pangeran Samah himself was supposed to be possessed of the powers of the "Evil Eye" and to be also invulnerable. His descent from well known chiefs and his own remarkable character combined to give him great influence, founded on fear, over the members of bis tribe. This influence the Pangeran. was keen enough to see would be much lessened by the settled form of Government introduced by the Europeans and he watched their peaceful progress with envy and discontent ,and whenever an opportunity occurred of quietly thwarting their wishes his influence was brought to bear in opposing the Government.
The collection of the birds' nests of the Gomanton caves was virtually in his hands, he regulating the
collections at the proper seasons, a matter of the greatest importance, as any delay in commencing
operations may spoil the nests not of one season only, but of several succeeding ones, and the revenues not only of the Government but of the chiefs who share in the proceeds of the nests would be seriously injured.
The Company's Government had acquired from the Sultan of Sulu his large share in the caves, so that it had a principal interest in seeing that the nests were properly collected at the due times and seasons. Knowing this full well, the Pangeran, notwithstanding numerous promises and protestation, year after year unduly delayed the collection to the injury of the interest of the Government and of all others concerned. After patiently waiting for four or five years and finding that the Pangeran steadily neglected to mend his ways , although frequently warned , the Government at last decided as the only feasible alternative ,to take over the collection of the nests into its own hands and to itself pay to the rightful owners their due shares of the amounts realized.
To this arrangement the Pangeran professed to agree and signed a paper to that effect, the Government collectors started for the caves in February last and all was apparently going on peacefully, when reports were brought into the effect that the Pangeran was calling his tribe together to forcibly resist the collection and to fire the caves by igniting the huge deposits of guano they contain and to ruin them, probably for ever.
Steps were immediately taken by the Resident, Mr. Pryer, to protect the caves, and the Governor, accompanied by Chief Inspector de Fontaine, Mr.W. R. Flint and 30 men of the Constabulary,visited the Pangeran at Melapi on 12th February. The Governor, attended by Mr. Flint, attempted to interview the Pangeran alone, but was refused permission to enter the house, the occupants of which were armed with firearms and 'sumpitans'. The Pangeran, however, came to his door, but, though the Governor pledged his word that no harm should happen to him, refused to meet him in a friendly manner or to disarm his followers. After, long colloquy , it was found impossible to bring the Pangeran to reason.
To leave the Pangeran and his armed followers master of the situation would have been interpreted by the ignorant natives as a sign of weakness and timidity of the Europeans government and might have induced a rising in which they certainly would have been easily overthrown , but which would have resulted in innocent blood being shed on both sides. Chief Inspector de Fontaine was therefore ordered to take what measures he thought necessary for arresting the Pangeran . The Constabulary were brought forward and the men informed that a reward would be given to anyone securing the Pangeran alive.
When within about twenty yards of the house the Pangeran and his few men opened fire on the Constabulary, descending from the house for that purpose. The Pangeran himself was armed with a
repeating rifle. Some top qf the Constabulary, who could be got into line (the Pangeran's house being
surrounded by those of Chinese, and Sulu traders) returned the fire and after a skirmish of fifteen minutes the Buludupihs fled, carrying with them the dead body of the Pangeran and one of his followers and leaving one dead on the ground. One of the Constabulary, a Sikh, was at an early stage shot right through both thighs, the ball passing clean through without touching the bone. Another Sikh was struck on the shoulder.
The body of the Pangeran was subsequently recovered and it was seen he had been struck by three bullets. He died fighting like a brave man.

Retirement of Pangeran Osman

The 1st July 1937 ,marked the retirement of Pangeran Osman bin Pangeran Omar, Deputy Assistant District Officer, Tenom, after having served the Government for twenty-eight and a half years. The Pangeran, who is a Brunei by birth and is connected with the Royal Family of Brunei, commenced his service as Native Clerk, Sipitang, as far back as the 1stJanuary, 1909.On the 1st January, 1912, he was appointed Native Chief, Sipitang, where his father, Pangeran Haji Omar, had settled some years previously. Pangeran Osman, as the Native Chief of the Sipitang district,proved very successful, earning the respect and goodwill both of the people and of the Administrative Officers with whom he came into contact.In 1919, the Pangeran was appointed Deputy Assistant District Officer, Labuk and Sugut district, and held that appointment till August, 1924. From the Labuk, the Pangeran was transferred to the Kinabatangan district where he served for a little over two years, " controlling," as his Resident said, " his district with great ability and tact. November of 1926 saw the Pangeran back again in Labuk and Sugut district where he was stationed until March of 1928, when he was transferred to Penampang. It was at Penampang that the Pangeran compiled(as we surmise, at Mr. G. C. Woolley's requestor suggestion ) his book on Dusun Custom in Putatan District, which was printed at the Government Printing Office in 1932. After a spell of a little over four and a half years at Penamparig, Pangeran Osman was transferred toTuaran as Deputy Assistant District Officer. At Tuaran ,the Pangeran made no bones about travelling and, in spite of his age which was then close on fifty,he made many a trip up and down the Tuaran ulu.In 1935 the Pangerah's son's (Pangeran Omar Ali Saiffuldin) nuptials were celebrated with great éclats  at Brunei —the Pangeran having been granted three months' leave to visit Brunei to arrange his marriage.One is happy to relate that Pangeran Omar Ali has now entered the Government service and one can only wish that he will emulate his worthy father.The Pangeran's last appointment was Deputy Assistant District Officer, Tenom, but recently he has been suffering from malaria and applied to be allowed to retire on the grounds of ill health. 

Opium

"Let me show you where this "golden rain" comes from. The two principal sources of revenue of the British North Borneo Company are opium and gambling. Suppose that you come with me for a stroll down the Jalan Tiga in Sandakan and see the gaming houses and the opium dens for yourself."
~ E Alexander Powell

The greatest obstacle to the successful development of Borneo's enormous natural resources is the labor problem. The truth of the matter is that life in these tropical islands is too easy for the natives' own good. In a land where a man has no need for clothing, being, indeed, more comfortable without it; where he can pick his food from the trees or catch it with small effort in the sea; and where bamboos and nipa are all the materials required for a perfectly satisfactory dwelling, there is no incentive for work. It being impossible, therefore, to depend on native labor, the company has been forced to import large numbers of coolies from China. These coolies, whom the labor agents attract with promises of high wages, a delightful climate, unlimited opium, and other things dear to the Chinese heart, are employed under an indenture system, the duration of their contracts being limited by law to three hundred days. That sounds, on the face of it, like a safeguard against peonage. The trouble is, however, that it is easily circumvented. Here is the way it works in practice. Shortly after the laborer reaches the plantation where he is to be employed he is given an advance on his pay, frequently amounting to thirty Singapore dollars, which he is [64]encouraged to dissipate in the opium dens and gambling houses maintained on the plantation. Any one who has any knowledge of the Chinese coolie will realize how temperamentally incapable he is of resistance where opium and gambling are concerned. This pernicious system of advances has the effect, as it is intended to have, of chaining the laborer to the plantation by debt. For the first advance is usually followed by a second, and sometimes by a third, and to this debit column are added the charges made for food, for medical attendance, for opium, and for purchases made at the plantation store, so that, upon the expiration of his three-hundred-day contract, the laborer almost invariably owes his employer a debt which he is quite unable to pay. As he cannot obtain employment elsewhere in the colony under these conditions, he is faced with the alternative of being shipped back to China a pauper or of signing another contract. There is no breaking of the law by the planter, you see: the laborer is perfectly free to leave when his contract has expired—as free as any man can be who is absolutely penniless.

A patron of a Sandakan opium farm -
( Each smoker is provided with a lamp for heating his "pill" and a wooden head-rest )

British North Borneo Chartered Company

Though the first intervention of the British Government in the Borneo sphere dates from 1847, with the occupation of the Island of Labuan, it was only in 1882 that British North Borneo as it then exists became English under a royal charter—a position which was further strengthened in 1888 by the declaration of Her Majesty's Government that the territory was under British protection, and then it was that the official title of State of North Borneo was assumed. As a rule the public hears a great more of the advantages conferred by a royal charter than of the responsibilities which it imposes; but the latter are very heavy—'heavier, indeed, than the duties attached to any other form of government; for they are of a threefold nature. In the first place, the Chartered Company is answerable to the Empire by whom it is entrusted with the government of the country over which the charter is granted - a duty involving the extension to those regions of the principles of justice and equality for which the British race has become proverbial. This in itself, is a weighty task in a country such as Borneo was in 1882. The savage tribes inhabiting Borneo had to be conciliated or conquered, laws had to be promulgated, courts of justice to be provided , in fact, the whole mechanism of a modern civilized Government had to be created ab ovo .
Till the late 19th century ,they do so stand after as short a time ,shows that the State of North Borneo has fulfilled its trust towards the Empire. Not alone, however, has the trust been punctiliously fulfilled, but the State has not cost the taxpayer of the United Kingdom a single penny ,one of those happy exceptions proving the rule. On the contrary, England is deriving a yearly increasing benefit from the incorporation of British North Borneo amongst her possessions; for the trade of the protectorate is steadily growing.England has every reason to be proud of it's protectorate state, which not only has been its own bread-winner since its earliest infancy, but is already, though perhaps in only a small measure, contributing to the increase of the parent's wealth. In the second place, the Chartered Company is in no less degree responsible to the inhabitants of the country itself. These are represented in Borneo by the natives,Europeans, and Chinese.
The natives have not only acquiesced in English rule, but have proved by their peaceful intercourse with the white population that they appreciate the benefits of English civilization. The Chinese immigration is assuming greater proportions year by year; for in Borneo the China man meets with kindness, heir services are appreciated, and they finds ready and profitable employment, either in the cultivation of their own fields or in the tobacco plantations and other kindred industries, whilst practically the only tax to which they were subject to was that on their pet vice, opium smoking, from which the public Exchequer of the State derives an increasing revenue. As to the white man, they were subject to no taxation: saving the small duties on exports and imports. Indeed ,the first settlers who were mostly engage in the tobacco or the timber business, met with initial reverses. The tide has turned so far as the tobacco industry is concerned; for, .even if they leave out of their calculations the handsome dividend paid by the New London Borneo Tobacco Company, the importance of the tobacco plantations is proved by the rapid growth of the yearly exports. As for the timber business; China,has been the great market for Borneo hard woods; an unshaken confidence to a great revival and an era of prosperity in this particular branch of industry.
 In 1882 a large tract of territory in British North Borneo was vested in the Chartered Company of British.North Borneo. By the efforts of the directors the original area has since been considerably increased. In 1884 they acquired the Putatan and Padas districts, the latter of which was a most important acquisition. The following year was not less fruitful, bringing, as it did, to the Chartered Company the Kawang River and the Mantanani Islands, while in 1898 an arrangement was made with the Sultan of Brunei for the transfer to the company of all his sovereign rights over extensive districts lying north of the Padas river ; altogether then, the Charter covers an area of no less than 30,000 square miles. But to possess land was not the only aim of the Chartered Company; it had to be made productive. The coast has been studded center of population, whilst in the interior also there are trade settlements of growing importance, and in many parts the jungle has given place to the tobacco or sago field. As the development of such territories is impossible without means of communication, many miles of telegraph lines have been laid, numerous roads have been made, and a system of  miles of railway was being constructed.

Pak Musah

[ Excerpts from the British North Borneo Herald ]

2^nd June 1908

WE regret to have to report that on the 4th inst. Paitan Station near Jambongan was attacked and raided, the facts at the time of going to press are as follows:

" I t appears that on the 2nd inst. L. C. 299 Kehar Singh together with.P. O. 450 Anjun proceeded to Kampong Batangan to serve a warrant to arrest one Kalahari who had openly disobeyed the orders of the D. O.' The two police were accompanied by one Musah a close relative of Kalakau's and another native. At 4 o'clock the same afternoon Musah and his companion return to the Police Station hut neither L. C. Kehar Singh or P. (). 450 Anjun came back and Musah informed P. O. 187 Pagat Singh that they had been killed, when attempting to serve the warrant on Kalakau. Apparently when Musah returned to the Police Station at Paitan he attempted to ascend the steps of the house hut before doing so Pagat Singh told him to lay down his weapon, a parang, which he did. He, Musah, then entered the Police Station and seized Pagat Singh's rifle, clubbing him with it from behind, he theft made a slashing blow at him with his parang cutting him across the right shoulder and back. He fell down and managed to crawl into the jungle, and took protection in the house of one Urai, who managed to get him away in his prahu to Trusan Sugut where he gave information for what had occurred to the L. C. in charge. Pagat Singh was subsequently brought to Sandakan where he is now being attended by the P.M.O. Musah' and his followers numbering about forty males in all have looted all the ‘kedeis’ at Simpangan (Paitan) they also took three Government rifles and ammunition from the Police Station. Active measures are being taken and it is to be hoped that the offenders will soon be caught.

The list of casualties is as follows:

L. C.

P.O.

299 Kehar Singh killed.

450 Anjun „

„ 194 Ongkoh „

„ 187 Pagat Singh wounded.

P. C. Pagat Singh in Sandakan Hospital is, we are glad to say on the high road to recovery.

Later News:—Mr. Brackenbury the D. ()., reconnoitring with 4 Dyaks came into touch with Musah's gang who fired on him wounding one Dyak. Captain Bond and 37 police arrived at Jambongan by the s.s. Labuan on the 14th inst.

The Paitan Expedition.16^th June 1908

The Paitan Expediton has for the present " fizzled out." Musah and his few followers have evidently got no fight in them, and have managed to disappear entirely among the innumerable little mangrove backwaters in Paitan Bay. The Ag. Commandant with about 40 native Police, and the District Officer with Haji Salahudin and some, thirty or forty armed followers have "quartered" the neighbourhood for a weary fortnight with ho success, and now some of the police have been withdrawn, Capt, Bond has returned to Headquarters and a detachment of Dyaks from the West Coast is being sent to assist Mr. Brackenbury in his search. .

As far as is known, Musah, Kalakau, with some 20 followers, and a number of women-and children are hiding in boats, subsisting on the' spoil from the looted shops. This state of affairs caunot last indefinitely, and it is a little difficult to see what Musah's next move will be. He is ah " Orang Sungei," or river man, and even were he not hampered; with his women folk he would hardly face the sea voyage to the nearest islands, where from all accounts he would not receive a friendly reception, even if he dodged the boats which are watching the Bay. The District will be kept well covered by patrols, which will serve the double purpose of harassing Musah, and putting a little courage into the native chiefs, who at present seem to he quite ready to fall on their knees at the sight of a weapon and cry" Take my money but spare, my life." Rewards of §200 for Musah, 8100 for Kalakau and some minor sums for small fry, have been widely advertised, and the capture of the gang ought to be an easy matter as soon as they are compelled by hunger to disclose their whereabouts. Mr. Hard wick has been sent to Klagan to carry on routine work, and so leave Mr. Brackenbury quite free to continue his search. H. E. the Governor visited Jambongan on 26th and 27th to discuss the situation with Capt Bond, who returned with His Excellency to Sandakan, arriving just in time to catch the mailboat for Jesselton.

PAITAN EXPEDITION. 17thAug 1908

We are in possession of the particulars of the attack on Musah's camp, which were not received when we published the telegraphic report of Kalakau's death in our last issue. It appears that after some days of hard tracking, the punitive force, under Wing Officer Mr. Prevost accompanied by Messrs. Brackenbury and Hardwick, found themselves on Sunday 26th  ult., in the near vicinity of the rebels. An advance was made as quietly as possible through the dense jungle, the police opening fire as soon as the rough camp could be sighted through the trees. The rebels returned the fire for a short time, wounding two police, and then took to the jungle in all directions, rendering pursuit for the moment useless. In the camp were found 2 rifles, 16 parangs, 7 spears, 5 blow-pipes and some ammunition for the rifles, besides a quantity of cooking pots and other impedimenta. The bodies of Kalakau and others were found on the spot, and evidence showed that several rebels had been wounded, one of whom, shot through the lungs, was picked up shortly afterwards. The officer in command reports with regret that a woman and three children were amongst the killed, having been shot in the first volleys before the camp could be clearly seen. The escape of the bulk of the rebels was largely due to the fact that it was impossible to fire volleys into them when they retreated, as a number of them were carrying or leading women and children. The camp was in the heart of the jungle, far away from any village or other habitation.

Some days after the attack a Chinese woman, one of those taken captive by the rebels at Paitan, found her way to the police camp, and reported that Musah himself was among those wounded in the fight of 26th, having received three bullet wounds. It has not yet been ascertained whether be has succumbed to his injuries. Wing Officer Mr. Prevost has returned to Headquarters and Messrs. Brackenbury and Hardwick, with police, are following up the small parties of rebels, whom it is anticipated will all be brought to book within the next few weeks.

On Aug 19^th 1908, in Telaga ,there were rumors current that Musah had been seen or heard of in that locality and that he was being assisted by the local natives, one Kadanding of Neruntong being strongly suspected. Musah is a native of this part of the country having only migrated to Paitan comparatively lately. He appears to be related to everyone. Kadanding ,also a Dusun named Tangkub of Radup was arrested , both strenuously denied knowing anything of the rebels.

Kadanding however thought better of the matter and confessed to knowing where a party of them under Dieun, Musah's younger brother were. He further acknowledged having supplied them with food saying that one Siku had acted as go-between. Siku was also arrested and offered to lead us to the place where he had last seen the rebels. This he did with the result that we surprised them, shot one, took two prisoners, and wounded a fourth who however escaped. The party consisted of about nine men with some women and children. Two women and three children were found in the jungle and were sent back to Paitan later. This took place at Lagatan about two hours walk from Neruntong or Inaruntong as it is marked on the map. Regarding Tangkub I was informed by one of his people that he and Digadong-Bakar had harboured Musah at Radup for several days and had threatened to kill anyone who informed Government of the fact. Digadong-Bakar has been sent into Kudat Gaol bv Mr. Brackenbury.

Till Sept 1^st 1908 ,MESSRS. BRACKENBURY AND KOUGH are still " bushwhacking " in the Paitan District after Musah and his merry men, but up to the present without any success.

Oct 1^st1908

Two of Musah's lieutenants and two other rebels have surrendered to Mr. Brackenbury. This leaves Musah with a very small following, probably numbering not more than a dozen men all told. Mr, Brackenbury is now operating in a district said to be famous for leeches and thorn' bushes. His transfer to Lahad Datu will no doubt come as a welcome change to him after nearly three months of ' bush whacking' in most difficult country. Mr. Kough, who relieves him, will continue the chase after Musah, and, it is hoped, will soon bring him to book.

From June18th to practically the end of July ,time was taken up in going from village to village with Police in search of Musah's party without success. All the villages between Bengkoka and Jambongan Bay were visited including Talun, the place where Mr. Braekenbury was fired at. The s.s. Chantek arrived at Kuala Talun on June 22nd, Captain Bond and Mr. Braekenbury being on board. I found, their knowledge of Musah's whereabouts was on a par with my own, amounting to nothing. Awal the head man of Talun is by no means above suspicion of cornplicity. The natives in this part of the country are a wretched lot, they appear to shift their villages about every second year and make very large clearings from which the very poorest results are obtained. A large proportion of them don't even make the pretence of planting padi being contented with " mealies" and sugar cane, the amount of timber destroyed by them is enormous. Mr. Braekenbury ,for a second time on July 2nd was near Kuala Paitan, he being in the Chantek and was for several days chiefly in the vicinity of the Kaindangan river near where Musah's boats and "sulaps" were discovered. After first leaving Kusilat the native tracks were very much overgrown and hard to find, they soon improved however owing to the constant passing to and fro of police and coolies. The country is nearly all under big jungle and- swarms with leeches. A trained 'tight-rope walker would find great scope for his abilities in getting along the logs which constitute the paths in many places, a most pleasant form of travelling especially in the early morning while the dew is still on them. In Paitan on July 23rd having passed through Apad' and Tangkarasan. Apad consists of one house the inhabitants of which were all sick. They asked me for medicine and they got it, the  "kampong " is deserted. At Paitan there are several Indian police under Sergt. Alia Singh. It appears that in the second attack there, only a few shots were fired by Musah's people, probably a small party " spying out the land." At the time the, Chantek was at Batangan , able to get back to Talun in her next day. News was received on July 2 th of the death of Kalakau and others they having been successfully rushed by the police under Mr. Brackenbury, Prevost, and Hardwick.

Labuk and Sugut

Having handed over the station business to Mr. Woods I left Bandau on October 8th in the

s.s Cliantel; arriving at Kudat-about noon.— I met Mr Brackenbury in Kudat and loft with him for Talun at 3 p.m. the same day. After steaming for about an hour the " serang" decided to return to Kudat the weather proving too bad. We left at 3 next morning and after a rough trip reached Talun at 1 p.m.. The launch left again about an hour afterwards for Klagan with Mr. Brackenbury. The police stationed at Talun had no news of Musah or of any of his following. I left Talun for Paitan on October 13^th1908, this journey as a rule takes about 20 hours. At the time of my arrival I found about one hundred males at Paitan all engaged in rebuilding their village on the site chosen for them. No news of Musah's whereabouts was forthcoming but as Hadji Ali, who is acting as Chief there, seemed to think it likely that he might be in the vicinity of Kupi (Ulu Paitan) I sent a police patrol there, They were able to find out no news of any value. Taking Hadji Ali with me , I started for the Sugut on October 20th 1908,arriving at Sungei-Sungei the "same day, the distance being less than I expected to find it (roughly about six hours), The Chinese traders there seem to be doing a fair business in rattans and other jungle produce but they complain, as usual, that prices are down. The corporal in charge of the station, who also acts as Clerk, appears to be rather incompetent. One of the police was sick so I gave orders for him to be sent to the coast by the first opportunity. While I was at Sungei- Sungei news was received of the Tangkulap " Amok." , Messages were sent to the various stations warning them to be on the lookout for the murderer. After returning to Paitan from Sugut I visited several villages and made a. trip to Talun and Jambongan Lama. While at Talun Hadji wrote informing me that two people, arrested by Sergt. Niun in the " Ulu " Kunanan, had given"information regarding Musah and his following. I returned to Paitan at once. The prisoners proved to Irigan and a youth named Andu both of whom have been with Musah from the start though not in an active capacity. They stated that Musah's party consisted of four as follows:—Musah, Pasekun ,Tunggal and Mundut with four rifles (one damaged) and very little ammunition. They further, stated that these rebels had made a prolonged stay in the vicinity of Kati's village and were probably still there. This information was confirmed by Pangkain the headman of an upcountry village who happened to be at Paitan at the time. Ausa and Yetam who took part in the raid were also said to be somewhere in the locality. I started with police and coolies up the Kuanan river on November 2^nd1908 , Kati's village being reached on the 4th about mid-day, Kati being arrested at once. He proved to be the toughest thing in the way of Dusuns that I have as yet had experience of and his lying was a work of art. He was quite horrified to hear that a raid had been made on the Paitan station (five months before) and was loud in his denunciations of these so lacking in respect to the Government as to take part in such an act of defiance. He is a particularly powerful man and speaks Malay quite well. Musah he had never heard of and as to his being in that locality the supposition was more than ridiculous. A night spent in handcuffs brought him to his bearings somewhat and he acknowledged having met Musah on several occasions with three followers (armed) and two women, an interesting item of news being that Mrs, Musah had presented her husband—with twins! Four runaways from Paitan were found in this village and sent back. Several days hunting round the neighborhood revealed nothing but some old camping places. One Epil was arrested near one of them.  This man escaped from custody during the attack at Leasin. As a liar he is not far behind Kati. On November 10^th1908, 'news was received that Aura had been captured by Dusuns and had been handed over to the police at Sungei-Sungei. It was Aura who wounded P. C. Pagat Singh during the attack on the station. I left Segt. Niun with a party of police at Telusus (" Ulu " Sungei-Sungei) with orders that if he could do no good there to proceed to Lingkabau as rumour had it that Musah would probably make in that direction .and myself went down river to the station. Having taken over Corporal Anais accounts and cash I proceeded to Paitan arriving there about 2 p.m., November 17^th1908. At Paitan I met Mr. Hardwick who had arrived the same morning. I was able to get through some business with Mr: Hardwick uext day and sent - theTudian police under Sergt. Alia Singh into Kudat with ammunition and money as their services are no longer required at Paitun. Leaving there at 9 p.m.

November 18^th1908  I got to Trusan next night having called in at Tanjong Semangat on the way. The Trusan accounts, took me two days to collect. Some minor repairs are required to the Trusan buildings. At Tetebuan I found some trouble existing between the Chinese shopkeepers and the Indian Clerk there, Mal Singh, which later formed the subject of a Court case at Klagan. This Clerk Mal Singh, does not appear- to me to be at all suitable, one reason being that his knowledge of writing is practically nil. I met Penglima Ijul for the first time. At Klagan I found the station neat and clean which reflects credit on Sergt. Bhatter Singh who has looked after it well during the D. O.'s lengthy absence. Joseph, the Clerk, had his office in good order also. Up to the end of November and during December, my time was taken up at Court work and general office routine. A good many large dollars have been brought in, also Hong kong and other copper all of which have been forwarded to Sandakan. There have been a fair number of Civil cases to deal with. The natives have followed the good old established custom of getting as large an advance as possible out of the Chinese traders on the understanding that they will repay in jungle produce. If they do take, the trouble to go into the jungle, which appears to he rare, whatever produce they bring out is sold to the first buyer they meet and the Chinaman left lamenting. The Tidong dictum that it is infra dig to work for pay is evidently extended to embrace the repayment of debts. Mr. Hardwick came across from the Sugut on December

13^th1908, he reports the country through which he has been looking for a trace for a ‘rentis’ as very difficult; he has however been able to cut through as far as the Bongaya river. H. E. the Governor paid a flying visit in the Petrel on December loth only staying at Klagan for two hours ; Mr. and Mrs. McEnroe accompanied H.E. despite the setback given to the district by the Paitan disturbances it appears that the 1908 revenue will be little, if at all, behind that estimated for the year. I expect the estimate for Foil-Tax to be exceeded by some eight hundred dollars. During October 1908 the weather was passable but in November and December hopeless. In December rain fell every, day. On December 30th and 31^st1908 the station was under water. The services of a launch not being available, during January 1909 ,I could not visit the outlying islands, the N.E. monsoon being too strong to allow of boat work. Sugut and Paitan were visited by me in February. I went overland from Klagan as a report on the nature of the country between the Labuk and Sugut rivers was required with a view to connecting them by bridle-path. By " overland " I do not wish to convoy the idea that one can walk from Klagan to the Sugut , it is only after proceeding up the Labuk and Sugut rivers for a whole day that walking (or rather climbing) can be commenced. The going is very rough and hilly and, as I have already reported, the construction of a bridle path would be a matter of great difficulty and expense. All was well at both Sungei-Sungei and Paitan. At Paitan there is now quite a large village. Hadji Ali has been appointed chief of same , he also acts as cleric, There were several rumours of Musah and some of his followers having been seen at various points. Unless these people are being assisted by trio villagers they must be reduced to the lowest ebb. The rifle formerly in the possession of Diun has been recovered ,it was found hidden in a hollow log. Two men, Subad and Yawi surrendered themselves to the police during January1909 ,  they both took a minor part in the raid on the station. The extra police under Sergt. Niun have been relieved by a similar number under Corp. Jemang. They are on the hunt continually. Quite a comfortable rest house has been put up at Paitan which has been frequently visited-by Mr, Hardwick during the 1^st quarter. While I was at Sungei-Sungei some women and children comprising the family of one Gatam (a raider) were brought in in a most emaciated and dirty condition. They had been hiding in the jungle for months and stated that they had had great difficulty in procuring food. The choice was their own. From facts that are coming to light it appears likely that the raid will he traced to a conspiracy having Urai, the Government paid chief, as its head, Musah being merely Urai's " cat's paw." The collection of evidence will however be a long and difficult undertaking. At Sungei Sungei every thing was as it should he ,the frequent visits of Mr. Hardwick to the "Ulu" Sugut are having a good effect. At Trusan there have been complaints by the Chinese as to the conduct of the Indian police there. Lance Corp. Kehar Singh, who also acted as clerk, has been dismissed the police force with ignominy Being guilty of gross impertinence to Mr. Hardwick the Assistant D. 0. Nakodah Anggau has been suspended for dishonest practices, one Juan taking his place pro : tem: (N. Anggau was,Govt. Chief at Paranchangan). I paid a visit to the "Ulu" Labuk in March1909 . Beyond the beauty of its scenery the river has little to commend it, the population being thin and widely scattered. Nakodah Sibat ,Govt. Chief at Telupid, seems to be an intelligent man. In this district however a higher value is set on activity than on intelligence.

On the 17thFeb1909, I arrived back at Sungei-Sungei and learnt that Mr. Kough arrived here on- the 11^th and on the loth left for Paitan and so I awaited his return here. He arrived on the 19th. From then to the 24th we were busy at various work and on the 25^th left for Klagan via the new ‘rentis’ which goes as far as the river Bongaya. We reached Klagan-oh the 27th, the coolies being quite knocked up. I remained at Klagan until the 4th March as I was desirous of getting my mails and on the 5th left for Sungei-Sungei via the Basai-Pamatadan track and arrived at my headquarters on the 7th at 9 p.m. Here I received various reports that the Linkabau Dusuns, especially Diminsa the headman of village Penampong, are constantly helping " Musah and Co."' and as they have of old a most indifferent reputation I intend to proceed thither on the 12th. I shall also look into the case of Urai who is supposed to have gone there in 1907 for the purpose of inciting the Dusuns to attack the Government ,the signal for action being the attack first on Paitan Police Station. I also received news here that a dead man, who is supposed to be Faring, one of Musah's followers, had been found near Tangkerasan near Paitan Station. I omitted to mention that during my absence on the Ulu Sugut; Gitam (who is one of the worst characters with Musah and who cut the throat of Lance Corporal Kahar Singh) was on the Ulu Talidusan. Mr. Kough sent men to look but Gitam was away from the camp at the time and so only his wife and children and various relations were there, all of whom were brought in. I am very confident of coming across Gitam's whereabouts somewhere-on the Ulu Linkabau as be has consistently kept there, numerous friends helping him.

May 1909

The District Officer , Mr N .Kough Labuk reports that he visited Sugut and Paitim in company with Mr. C.Skinner, who is learning district work under his supervision. The district was quiet and nothing of importance transpired. The usualrumours as to Musah's whereabouts were received but did not lead to any results. The Police patrol follow up all these reports, and though in every case, up to the present, the bird has flown, they are enabled to bring in to justice the headmen of the villages which have given him shelter. The preliminary trace for the bridle path between Paitan and Sungei-Sungei was about two-thirds finished. The District Officer walked over it aud states that it will greatly facilitate communication. It passes through broken country, but with a few deviations to avoid difficult places, the walk between the two stations will be reduced to one of only four hours.

With Mr. Skinner, I started for. the Sugut on the morning of the 1st, getting as far as Basai that day. We found the Tungud river very low and wore lucky in getting so far in one day. The dry state of the path made walking quite pleasant and leeches scarce. We got to Pomutudun (Sugut) about 1 p.m. on the 2nd and to Sungei-Sungei the same night. I learnt from letters received from Paitan that a body found in the jungle (which some time ago I reported to Resident as most probably being Aring's) was not his, but that of Pasekun. Both Aring and Pasekun took part in the Paitan raid but Pasekun was the more important of the two us he took part in the murders and afterwards carried a rifle. A reward of $100 had been offered for Pasekun. On May 8th we went on to Paitan using the old route ; I hope in my ease for the last time. This journey which usually occupies six hours took us eleven. The streams on the Paitan side were almost stagnant. I have it to say for Hadji Ali, the headman there, that he always has the place looking tidy. The rest house is quite a comfortable place with a neat landing-stage and flagstaff and has a smart appearance to which a lot of cuttings of flowers and shrubs supplied from Klagan should add. 1 heard at Paitan that Musah and Mualas had been heard of near kampong Liku, the people of which were assisting him with food. I at once sent Corp, Gimang with police and a local Sajan named Dali, who has throughout been of assistance, to Liku, from, which place they had but lately returned, with orders to arrest Tinimbang, said to-be the chief of those giving assistance. He was found in a shop at Kusilat and did point out to the police where Musah had been (needless to remark some little time previously). I was unable to go upcountry myself owing to a bad font. I have had no further news from Liku but understand that Mr. Woods, D.O., Marudu has visited the place. There were a few trivial cases at Paitan and I tried to get together some evidence in Government vs. Urai. It appears that in 1907 he went up the Lingkabau R. (a tributary'of the Sugut) and put tentative questions to the Dusuns as to what attitude they would take in the event of there being a rising against the Government by the people of other rivers. They had the good sense to tell him they would take no part as they remembered the trouble, they had got themselves into during the Md. Salleh disturbances. In my opinion this man Urai engineered the whole affair. It appears that bo was at loggerheads with the Sikh clerk. When the first two police were murdered he, although armed with a double-barrelled rifle, looked calmly on, making no effort to assist them. Nor did he warn the two police remaining at the police station as he could have done, While at Paitan; Hadji Ali showed me a letter from the clerk Kehar Singh dated May 4th 1908. This was written to Hadji Ali who was then on the Sugut and in it the clerk stated that Musah had made known his intention of making trouble so, if this letter is a true one, the police have only themselves to blame for their unpreparedness, I paid my first visit to Dalamas village on the 14th and 15th of May1909. It is a neat little place. The Sajans have a few houses near the landing place and further inland there are about fifteen " Orang-Sungei "houses laid out in a proper line. The traces of old timber workings are still to be seen. A ‘rentis’, fourteen feet wide, has been cut during May between Paitan and Sungei-Sungei, I walked over it on May 17^th  it being then about two-thirds finisher! and,/although going slowly with frequent stops, the journey took only six hours. It passes through fairly broken country but I am sure can he shortened and improved upon enough to render the journey a four hours matter. Leaving Sungei-Sungei on the 22^nd we arrived at Trusan next forenoon. The trip took about 21 hours and is most uninteresting. There is not a single house between the two! places and the monotony is only broken by an occasional glimpse of wild pig or " Orang-Sungei" rotan-hunter. There wus little to do at Trusan beyond paying the. police and,, looking in to the accounts. The place wears its everyday dead and alive look of inactivity. One thing-to be said for Trusan is that abundance of sea fish of the best quality can usually be obtained thore. I parted from Mr. Skinner at Trusan, he returning to Sungei-Sungei, I proceeding to Tanjong-Semangat at which place I received the news of the sentences passed on the Paitan raiders in Sandakan. They seem to he very fitting. Leaving Tanjong-Semangat at day-break on the 27th in the Government "sapit" with a fair wind I was able to stop at Tetabuan, take over the accounts there and still get well up the Labuk river before dark. This may be considered a good trip. I arrived back at Klagan earlv on the morning of May. 28th. Mr. RW. Clarke came up river in the s.s Cavarron during the month and proceeded to Telupid and thence to where his Company is working on the Kurumuak. I was absent when Mr Clarke passed through but understand that he finds it more convenient to reach Kurumuak via the Labuk then via the Ktnabatangan.

IN his monthly report for July the D. O. Labuk and Sugut gives the following account of the hunt after the rebel Musah :—

"Under the guidance of Mualas we proceeded to the Tangkarasan river on July 7th in search of Musah. On arrival at the so called landing place a wait of some four hours was necessary, the tide being too high to allow of landing. When it did drop, some 150 yards of " n i p a h " swamp had to be negotiated, a feat monkeys might well envy, before solid ground was reached. Next day a start was made for Musah's hiding place which was reached after about four hours of most difficult walking through swamps the whole way. It is perhaps unnecessary to state that we found the place deserted; it had the appearance of having been so for some six days. The " sulaps," three in number, were built on a small hill which had been partially cleared for planting. There is a plentiful supply of fresh water and had Musah once established himself there I think it most unlikely that his hiding-place would ever have been found, we certainly would never have found it without a guide. We returned to Liku thinking it most likely that Musah would go there looking for food. The return journey from the " sulaps" to the place where we had left our boats was accomplished in torrential rain which, with the accompaniment of scores of leeches on every part of one's person, never fails to add a zest to outings of this kind. Every effort has been made to remove or destroy all the potatoes at the now deserted village of Liku as, until this is done, Musah will be able to procure food with the minimum of risk of being captured. It is a considerable undertaking as the clearing is a very large one."

On the 23rd, Mr. Lambert telephoned from Mempakad that two Bajaus had arrived overnight from Limawan with sensational' news to the effect that Hadji Salihudin, the Imaum at Kudat had received word that his brother Hadji Ali (the Paitan clerk) had been shot and the ' t u a 'wounded by Musah ! Luckily, I knew Hadji Ali happened to have only just left Kusilad, and the same day he removed all doubt by appearing in person at Limawan. The origin of the fallacious report remains a mystery, and affords a typical instance of the unreliability 6f native rumours. Curiously enough Hadji Ali managed to reverse the story of his death by catching Musah's younger brother,-Mualas and a man named Aring. This reduces the rebel party to three, namely Mandut, Ambak and Musah who has one rifle with only five rounds of ammunition left.

From the District reports for July and August1909, the district of Labuk and Sugut appears to be quiet and prosperous. The D; O. anticipates that this year's revenue will well exceed the estimated amount. The presence of the rebel Musah.in the District still provides much extra work although t h e man is a fugitive without followers. Mr. Kough sends a graphic description of one of his many fruitless journeys through almost impassable country in search of the rebel, and reports that he is still pursuing the policy of punishing every chief and other person convicted of harboring or assisting him. An indication that the end is not far off is evidenced by a whisper from Musah which reached the D. 0. through many hands to the effect that he would surrender on condition of his life being spared. No promise of clemency can, however, be made. The Paitan—Sungei-Sungei bridle path construction has commenced, the preliminary track through the jungle being finished during June. Work will be slow and tedious until the natives have become more experienced in the handling of their digging tools. The D.O. reports that the. people regard the newly cut trace with great favour, being under the impression that it has been opened for the sole object of enabling them to get their rotan out easily. Although this result will eventually be obtained, they have had to be taught that teams of heavily laden buffaloes are not exactly the traffic for a newly constructed path. Mr. G. C. Woollett was attached to the district on 8th July for instruction. During August, the D. O. accompanied by

Mr, Woollett did the round trip from Klagan to the Sugut, up river- as far as—Perancangan and across to Ulu Labuk by Tutong, returning to Klagan by boat. This trip occupied most of the month. Mr. R. W. Clarke having kindly lent s.s . Canarvon the D. O. was enabled to visit t h e Timber workings on the Sapi River. An important paragraph in Mr. Kough's report is one in which he states that the mouth of the Sugut river is rapidly silting up, and that even the small tongkangs used by the Chinese traders are now finding difficulty in entering the river. Mr Skinner in his report for Oct 1909 ,police patrol sent out under Corp.Sumping found no signs of Musah or his following in the direction of Kusilad. While at Sungei-Sungei I received a report to the effect that one of the Chinese traders there (Ah Goo) was cognizant of Musah's whereabouts.' When taxed with having this knowledge he at first flatly denied it but afterwards admitted having learnt from the son of one of Musah's followers that Musah was not far away from Paitan. He had kept this information to himself for some considerable time.

Labuk and Sugut ,December 1909

My time was occupied at Paitan from December 1st to December 9th by Court work and other matters. Investigation proved what had already been suspected, namely that the Paitan people had been systematically assisting Musah and his following with food and shelter. That such a state of affairs was existing under their very noses reflects no great credit on the police. Acting on the information received from two youths, who acted as guides, a police patrol was sent into the jungle on the 4th. They were successful in finding some " sulaps " that had the appearance of having been hut lately occupied (i.e. about four hours previously) which points to the fact that the occupants had been warned by some Paitan people. That these people hang together as they do is accounted for by the fact that they are almost all related to each other in some manner. The " sulaps " mentioned were only about five hours march, from the station. Several times during the early part of the month suspicious characters were seen hanging about the village at night and there were several eases of thefts of rice from the road coolies " sulaps." Two local Chinese traders are suspected of having screened Musah from arrest. They are both claimants for compensation from Government for losses incurred at the time of the raid.

Labuk and Sugut ,April 1910

THE D.O. Labuk and Sugut reports that on 22^nd April the wives of Musah it with two children gaye themselves up at the Paitan Office stating that Musah had teldthem to do.eo as he, was unable to feed them any longer.On the 25^th April, a  report was received to the effect that Musah .had been seen about one hour's walk from Paitan ,and on the 26^th April ,the D.O. (N.Kough) went with Police and native allies and located a party of 3 rebels with a rifle. Pasekun, one of the murderers of L.C. Kahar Singh was shot and the, rifle captured. Latawan and, a son of' Pasikun was captured but Mandut escaped. In the evening a boy named Ali, a son of Musah came to the village and gave himself up stating that he was afraid to stay in the jungle alone. Enquiries 'show the Musah' himself was not with the party.

The new office was occupied on the 19th being then practically completed. The building is a most substantial one and should last many years. A new office was badly required as the February floods had put the finishing touch on the old one. The work was done by a Sandakan contractor, Lai Fat, who commenced on March 14th. The floor is eleven feet off the ground. In company with Mr. Sommerville, who had reported his arrival at the beginning of the month as Cadet attached, I visited Monad, Tetabuan, (twice) and Samawang between the dates April 12^th-16^th 1910. A few matters had to be gone into at Tetabuan chiefly connected with breaches of the Mahommedan marriage customs. As Emams are plentiful and as each has some different "adat" it is at times difficult to arrive at the correct state of affairs. The seed-pearl fishing has been suspended for some months' owing to lack of mature oysters. A new office is being built at Tetabuan. Samawang was visited only for the purpose of speaking on the telephone in the hope of being. able to procure a launch to take me to Paitan from which place had received news that Musah and his people had been in evidence lately., No launch was available. I arrived at Sungei-Sungei on the evening of the 21^st having left Klagan on the previous day. What is known as the Basai ‘rentis’ has lately been cleaned which simplifies the journey considerably. The Sugut river was lower than I have ever seen it before. The police at Sungei appear to have suffered a good deal from dysentery in a mild form. This I attribute entirely to their carelessness with regard to their drinking water. I checked the accounts and left for Paitan on the 23rd. As I have already reported, the wives of Musah and Mandut with three children gave themselves up at the Paitan office on the 22nd; Pasikun, one of the original murderers, was shot on the 26^th and his rifle and remaining rounds retaken. A man named Latawan was captured. This leaves only one rifle and about 12 rounds to be accounted for. It is a mild satisfaction to learn from the prisoners that never from the very start of things have they relaxed their vigilance in the slightest degree. It appears that' the merest rumour that the police were on the .move-was sufficient to cause them to abandon, what to them must have been lands of plenty, and to make for the heart of the jungle. As an instance of what they have been living on, we found near the place where Pasikun was shot traces of a monkey and a small tortoise having been cooked in a piece of bamboo. This formed one days food for three men. I had a good deal of criminal work to go into at Paitan including a charge against a Chinese trader of having collected Poll-Tax from upcountry natives and appropriating the same to his own use. Eight local natives received varying terms of imprisonment for " harbouring and assisting." The young rubber plants at Paitan look healthy and ate growing fast. I was still there at the end of the month. Mr. R. W. Clarke passed through Klagan on his way back from Karang. Mr. Joseph reported his return from leave on April 23rd.

As has been reported in the month of August 1910 ,the Paitan police failed to avail themselves of the best opportunity that has as yet been afforded them of bringing Musah to book , three of them pissed him clean at some twenty-five yards. Since then not even the merest rumor has been heard of him.

[ Pak Musah ]

The Origins and Formation of Malaysia

The formation of Malaysia may appear to have been the completion of unfinished business and the last, rather predictable, chapter in the history of colonial empire in Southeast Asian. It came at the end of a spate of decolonization by the Macmillan government and at a time when European powers were generally eager to detach themselves from overseas dependencies if, indeed, they had not already done so. In fact, the principal components of the Malaysia project had previously passed beyond colonialism: Malaya had been independent since 31 August 1957 and, although sovereignty over Singapore lay with Britain until its transfer to Malaysia, the island enjoyed internal self-government from June 1959. Brunei (which had been expected to join the federation until the Sultan pulled out on the eve of the signing ceremony) was a protected state with its own sovereign ruler and, therefore, beyond British jurisdiction. Of the participating countries, only North Borneo and Sarawak were crown colonies, and, in a manner of speaking, only North Borneo and Sarawak were being decolonized. Indeed, as the final touches were put to Malaysia, the British presented it to the United Nations, not as a new state, but as an extension of an existing member-state, that is to say an extension of the independent Federation of Malaya to which Sabah (North Borneo), Sarawak and Singapore merely acceded. In short, the creation of Malaysia appears to have been an un-dramatic piece of house-keeping, an operation to tidy up the remnants of empire. But the documents expose another, rougher side to the story: one in which policy making snagged on the contradictions of multiple objectives; one in which Britain was buffeted by the conflicting demands of local politicians and interventions from outside; one in which events frequently brought planning to a standstill and deadlock fostered despondency; one in which resistance was met by guile or coercion, and the prospect of failure provoked desperate measures; one in which not all of Britain's objectives were fulfilled while some of its fears were realized. Indeed, the Malaysia that was inaugurated on 16 September 1963 failed wholly to satisfy any of the parties to it It was neither forged through nationalist struggle, nor did it reflect a homogeneous national identity. Rather it was the product of grudging compromise and underpinned by only fragile guarantees; its formation was peppered with resistance and that it came into being at all was regarded by many at the time as a close-run thing.

~ A J Stockwell , Institute of Commonwealth Studies

'Konfrantasi'

On 20 January, 1963, Dr. Subandrio announced that his country was adopting a policy of 'confrontation' towards Malaya pertaining the 'Malaysia plan'. It became clear soon after the tripartite Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Manila in June 1963 that the Indonesians did not feel themselves committed to accept anything less than a referendum in Borneo. Dr. Subandrio was soothing, but the Defence Minister, General Nasution, made plain his disapproval. He was Quoted as saying that ..."There have been various interpretations given to the Foreign Ministers' Meeting ... , but to us this is a matter of principle. We oppose Malaysia because it is 'neo-colonialism'; that confrontation would continue; and that 'We will assist our brothers in North Borneo to attain their right to self-determination."
Meanwhile, the benefits of Malaysia to the British looked uncertain. The 'Grand Design' turned out to be trouble, almost more trouble than it was worth. Britain was encumbered with the embarrassing obligation to protect the micro-state of Brunei. Moreover,Singapore's separation in August 1965 seemed a disaster, since the British government had always regarded the merger of Malaya and Singapore as the principal advantage of Malaysia, if not its raison d'etre.
Constrained by circumstances beyond British control, plans were deflected by events and the outcome fell short of expectations in several respects. As inauguration day drew near, 'Malaysia plan' was placed in jeopardy by greater or lesser crises: unresolved disputes between Malaya and Singapore; a last-minute hitch in the relations between Malaya and Sarawak; the United Nations mission to Borneo; Indonesian 'Confrontation'; an attempt by Kelantan to win an injunction against the implementation of the Malaysia Act Indeed, a nation-state had yet to be fashioned from Britain's former dependencies and in the following years resentment of control from Kuala Lumpur would fester in Sabah and Sarawak and force Singapore to secede.

[ the first experimental hovercraft,SRN-5,tested in Tawau during the 'Konfrantasi' ,courtesy of Australian War Museum]

Sandakan , post-war

“There is still a certain enforced simplicity about life in North Borneo. There is no newspaper , the Government printing press was destroyed in the war. There are very few telephones and they are seldom in order . There is a mail once in ten days , if the aeroplane manages to call . The radio is little used , for the electricity supply is so weak and the transmitting stations so far away that few sets produce anything audible . North Borneo can , in fact , be recommended for those who wish to retire from the world . But there are drawbacks . There is a very poor water supply and medical services are primitive.”

A brief description of North Borneo by UNESCO visiting the west coast from Jesselton , both north and south , and fly across the island to Sandakan on the 11^th march 1948.

[ Sandakan airport in the 1950's ]

British North Borneo~folklore,religion & custom.

The collection of Dusun,Bajau and Illanun stories was made in the years 1910 and 1911,during parts of which Ivor H N Evans was stationed in two adjoining districts of Tuaran and Tempassuk ; while material contained in the paper ,that on customs and beliefs of the 'orang dusun' , was collected partly at the same time as the folk-stories ,partly on a short visit by Ivor to the Tempassuk district in 1915.
The Tempassuk is inhibited by three different peoples ,the Dusuns,the Bajaus and Illanuns , and it is chiefly from the first of these that the tales have been collected ; for , since both Bajaus and Illanuns are Mohamedans , their folklore is not nearly so extensive as that of their Dusun neighbors , who are pagans. The Mohamedans, roughly speaking , form the coastal and estuarine population, while the Dusuns, with the exception of those of a few large villages on the plains, which border on the Bajau zone, are confined to the foot hills and mountainous portion of the area. The Tuaran district is divided between Bajaus and Dusuns , but here Illanuns are wanting.
It would seem that the Dusuns are the original inhabitants of the country ,and that the Bajaus and Illanuns ,are later arrivals who have driven the first named inland. This is known to be a fact in the case of the Illanuns ,who are a tribe of Mindanao in the Philippines ; of whom small roving parties have settled in Borneo. The origin of the Bajaus ,[in Tempassuk they call themselves "Sama"], unknown , but they are widely spread along the coast of North Borneo. However , as far as the Tempassuk is concerned, tradition asserts that they first came in trading boats from the direction of Kudat , and eventually fought the Dusuns and formed settlements in the country.
It is often said by Europeans resident in North Borneo , without ,sufficient evidence ,that the Dusuns have a large admixture of Chinese blood . 'Orang Dusun' , which literally means 'people of the orchard' , is a name originally used by the Malays to denote large sections of natives population of British North Borneo, which they considered to be of similar habit and culture . The term is loose but useful and has consequently been adopted by Europeans.
Ivor H N Evans noted that in those parts of the country he had visited , the Dusuns ,cannot be said that they have any tribal organization, the village community being the unit .In the Tempassuk district,the Dusuns style themselves 'Tindal', while that the upcountry Tuaran natives do the same . Around Tuaran settlement,however, they seem to call themselves 'Suong Lotud',[people of the country; i.e. the developed country as opposed to the jungle]. These Tuaran villages differ somewhat in their customs from the Tempassuk natives.
It must be understood that in these writings , i merely deal with Ivor H N Evans notes of the Tempassuk district and with the villages immediately surrounding the Government post at Tuaran back in 1910 till 1915.

Cloth made of 'lamba' ,or bark-thread

The materials from which Dusun cloth is made are lamba , the fibre of a species of wild banana, cotton, or thread made from some kind of tree-bark. These may either be mixed — e,g, a cloth may have a warp of lamha and a woof of cotton or bark-thread — or used singly. When finished, the cloth is dyed with native indigo and is then ready for making up into the skirts, hoods or trousers or which it is chiefly intended. Cloth is not woven in the villages around Tuaran, but cloth-weaving is general in the Dusun villages of the Tempassuk, and also in the upland villages of the Tuaran district. Some very fine cloths are made by the Rungus  who live outside the Tempassuk district in the direction of Kudat; these have elaborate patterns in white on a black background and are sometimes further ornamented by the insertion of a few strands of red thread". — Ivor H. N. Evans

 When i was in Kota Belud ,an elder told me that  in the olden days they used to beat tree bark to flatten it to make clothes. Also, a manually operated weaving instrument was used ~ but alas, this art has lost and very few have practice the skills. For beauty sake, young girls had to have their teeth filed (which was not a pleasant experience) by their parents .

Nabalu ,or [peng-alu-an], the Dusun afterworld

In the past, the Dusuns, as do some of the tribes and people in North Borneo , believe that the souls of the dead ascend a mountain , and , as Kinabalu ,or better ,Nabalu, towers up the height of about 13,500ft, dominating the whole Tempassuk District and indeed ,the country many miles beyond it ,what could be more natural than for them to choose this magnificent mountain for the resort of departed souls ? They believe however ,that the ghost of the dead may linger near their former homes before undertaking their journey , for, in the lowland villages of Tempassuk [Kota Belud] ,when a death has occurred,the old women weep and cry aloud to the spirit of the deceased ,since they are afraid that if the ghost were to loiter near the village it would do the survivors some mischief. With an object of preventing the soul's return , the bamboo bier on which the corpse has been carried is sometimes cut to pieces at the grave side , while that in some lowland villages mourners on returning from a funeral slash with their chopping knives at the step of the house and the door of the room in which a death has occurred.
Since Nabalu is the home of the dead, a ceremony has to be performed ,and offerings made, before its ascent can be undertaken by human beings. In addition ,those who climb the mountain must not use its ordinary name while on it, but must refer to it as 'agayoh ngaran' ,which means 'big name'.
Whilst in the interior part of the Kinabatangan [William B Pryer ,1898] ,the most objectionable custom practiced by the dusuns was that of human sacrifice or "surmungup" as they called it ; the ostensible reason seems to have been to send messages to dead relatives , and to this end they used to get a slave ,usually one bought for the purpose , tie him up and bind him round with cloths,and then after some preliminary dance and singing , one after another they would stick a spear a little way -an inch or so- into his body , each one sending a message to his deceased relatives/friends as he did so. There was even more difficulty in getting them to abandon this custom than there was to leave head hunting. Down in the south-east of North Borneo ,the Tidong way of managing "surmungup" is for a lot of them to subscribe till the price of a slave is raised , he is then bought , tied up , and all the subscribers grasping simultaneously a long spear , it is thrust through him at once. Another custom worth mentioning were of the Tunbunwhas ,that was embalming of the dead. ; this is done with the valuable Borneo camphor ,abundant in the woods in their neighborhood ,more particularly on the Kinabatangan; the coffins are hewn out of a solid piece of 'billian'.

[ The Kwijau or Kuijau are an indigenous ethnic group residing in the Interior Division of North Borneo , to the west and north of Keningau.
- A Kwijau grave at Apin Apin , courtesy of the National Archive , U,K.]

[ Dusun grave at Kampong Keranaan, Tambunan , courtesy of the National Archive , U,K.]

Borneo political reactions to 'Greater Malaysia Plan' [July 9 ~ July 15 1961]

Political leaders in the Borneo Territories have commented on the general outline of the Greater Malaysia Plan described by Prime Minister of the Federation of Malaya ,Tunku Abdul Rahman , during his visit to Brunei and Sarawak.
The Tunku made it clear that he would like to see Sarawak,North Borneo and Brunei become States of Malaya and had the following points to make ;
~ that it would be difficult for the Borneo territories to be independent on their own without having the necessary resources to meet the cost involved and to develop their countries.
~ that in coming in as states of Malaya , they "would enjoy absolute equality" with the other autonomous states.
~ that they would also enjoy the same privileges and benefits as the other states and  that money would go towards their development.
~ that there was no need for the Borneo territories to form a federation and achieve independence before joining in with Malaya.
The first reaction in Borneo to the Plan came from the Sarawak United People's Party which , in a statement issued in Kuching on July 8th 1961, said that any question of federation with Malaya by Sarawak should be postponed until after independence had been achieved.
The Party went on to say that it would welcome any assistance from Malaya or from any other country in its fight for independence and that it would be prepared to take part in any meeting , such as that was suggested by the Socialist Front of Malaya ,to examine the implications of the Plan.
A joint statement was next issued in Jesselton [Kota Kinabalu] by Ong Kee Hui,chairman of Sarawak United People's Party ; A.M. Azahari, President of the Parti Rakyat Brunei ; and Donald Stephen, a prominent North Borneo leader, who is taking a leading part in the formation of his country's first political party.
They said ; " We met in Jesselton to discuss and consider current political developments which affect the three territories . We believe that it is vitally important that the constitutional advance in the three territories should be speed up and with this in view , elections should be held in the territories where an undertaking has been given by the Governments concerned so that the legitimate aspirations of the people for political advancement can be satisfied. We further agreed that there should be frequent exchange of views and discussions on matters of common interest by political leaders of Brunei, Sarawak and North Borneo. It was agreed that a United Front should be taken on this important matter and that the British Government should be advise that so far as the wishes of the people of the three territories can be ascertained , any plan in accordance with the pronouncements made by Tunku Abdul Rahman in Brunei and Sarawak would be totally unacceptable to the people of the three territories."