PAM to publish book on Kudat during colonial days
Published on: Wednesday, October 08, 2014
KOTA KINABALU: Persatuan Arkitek Malaysia (PAM) Sabah Chapter is currently in the progress of researching and publishing a book titled 'Colonial Townships in Sabah: Kudat'. The book project was unveiled by PAM Sabah Chapter Chairman Victor Wong during a courtesy call to Special Tasks Minister Datuk Teo Chee Kang on Oct 3 this year. The chapter is collaborating with Sabah's own architectural author and historical researcher Richard Nelson Sokial to produce a follow-up to the book 'Colonial Townships in Sabah: West Coast' which was published in 2011.
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"Kudat was chosen as the subject of our next book in the series because it has a unique history of its own. During our initial research, we found that there are many interesting facts and untold stories that should be recorded for posterity," said Wong.Kudat was once the capital of North Borneo from 1881 to 1882 during the early colonial days of the British North Borneo Chartered Company, before its administration was relocated to Sandakan in 1883 due to several factors including lack of freshwater and the presence of a large number of pirates reportedly hiding in the Marudu Bay during that time. Kota Kinabalu became the state capital replacing Sandakan after WWII.Kudat located in the Northern Division of Sabah was also the entry point for the first landing of Chinese Hakka immigrants brought in by the British to open up the land of North Borneo in preparation for the railroad along the West Coast Division.
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Subsequent waves of Hakka immigrants were brought into Borneo through the Basel Church missionary effort and other means of passage."To the poverty-stricken mainland Hakkas, the long and arduous boat ride to Borneo via Kudat was a ticket to a new life and better economic opportunities", said author Sokial.
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"One can just imagine the stories and struggles of these early communities who have now become a pillar of our society in Sabah today. We also hope to uncover any surviving architecture as a testimony of Kudat's local history". The early British colonialists, for instance, brought their recreational pastimes to Borneo and introduced activities such as golf, to the township of Kudat. "At one point, Kudat had a three-hole golf course with ties to the world-famous golf course of St. Andrews in Scotland. I never knew that the first golf course in Sabah started in Kudat with only three holes", Wong who is a golf enthusiast, said. The book project will attempt to piece together history from the context of architectural documentation and written accounts sourced from archives, journals, old records and oral narratives from Kudat locals. Several other Northern Division settlements of historical note related to Kudat will also be included in the book.Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express’s Telegram channel.
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