By Remy Majangkim, MA63, activist, tutor, and historian
SANDAKAN: Heritage status signifies outstanding universal value. Sandakan, formerly Elopura, was in North Borneo, where it all began, eventually becoming Sabah as we know it today.
Sandakan served as the administrative centre under the North Borneo Chartered Company (NBC). The bustling town was primarily inhabited by Chinese traders, British officers, their families, and various local ethnic backgrounds converging together in this small port under the cover of Sandakan Bay.
The town is located on the shore of Sandakan Bay, making it an ideal centre for trade with local communities and foreign entities. Its primary exports included timber, coffee, tobacco, cocoa, gambier, sugar cane, and fishery products. William Burgess Prye was the first British resident who, during the early pioneering days, aspired to establish Sandakan as his home. The British administration was introduced, and most of the ordinances in Sabah law were draughted in Sandakan before the capital was relocated to Jesselton (Api Api), which is now known as Kota Kinabalu.
My late grandfather, whom we fondly called “Kung Kung,” used to share stories about his youth when he worked as a labourer for a Chinese trading company. His job was to load and unload cargo as a truck driver.
At that time, workers were paid with one substantial meal and opium, if they wanted. The work was extremely strenuous, so my grandfather eventually decided to leave and walk to Penampang, a journey that took him three days.
Japanese traders also travelled to Sandakan and established shops in the town. Chinese traders from Guangzhou, China, who were familiar with the British system also opened shops in Sandakan. So Sandakan was coined as Little Hong Kong. The familiarities of food and culture converge as they did in Hong Kong.
During the timber era, from the 1970s to the late 1990s, the economy experienced a period of high growth. Barter traders from Sulu arrived in large numbers, and asylum seekers sought better opportunities in their war-torn homeland. It was a melting pot of opportunities for everyone to make money. In my youth, there were many events organised by the Chinese associations and sports activities throughout the year. We even had a circus brought into Sandakan. (How cool is that?)
In the past 30 years, Sandakan has dwindled slowly into obscurities. As youth leave Sandakan for better opportunities elsewhere. Business was slow, and most traders could not pay for their rental. This is the current reality faced by all.
However, acknowledging Sandakan as a heritage town may be the booster we all need to reignite the flames, and most importantly, the people, regardless of race or creed, make our town great.
