Ex-teacher observes changes in his down memory lane trip

Kudat: Physical changes in Sabah in terms of socio-economic development have been taking place gradually, and the biggest change is improvement in infrastructure.This is one of the observations made by Bruce Williamson from Canada, who was deployed to Kudat to teach History in the Kudat Government Secondary School in the late sixties until the early seventies.

Then a volunteer professional in his early 20s, he served for three years from August 1968 to September 1971 under the Canadian University Service Overseas (CUSO), a non-profit development organisation whose goal is to work alongside local people in other countries to create positive change and improve the lives of the community.

In his down memory lane trip this time around, the first change 69-year-old Williamson noticed is the shortened overland journey from Kota Kinabalu to Kudat.

"It used to take six to seven hours because of the long, winding road and we had mabuk kereta (car sickness) coined by the local people. Neither was it easy to get to Sepulot (in the interior) in bygone days. But today, we can do it all in one day which was unheard of in the 1960s," he told Daily Express.

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The school where he served as a CUSO teacher has since been renamed SMK Abdul Rahim.

"Not only that, more secondary schools have emerged in the district. Previously, we had only Kudat Secondary School, Lok Yuk and St Peter's," Williamson observed, adding that hospitals and health clinics are found everywhere in Sabah.

In his reminiscences, he said he fell ill with dengue fever in 1970 and was taken to the old Kudat District Hospital for penicillin shots. A new hospital has since been built along Upper Road (that leads to Matunggong).

A striking change in Matunggong is the gradual disappearance of traditional longhouses, according to Williamson.

"Very few traditional longhouses are left. Over the last 10 years, those built by the Government were made of concrete," he noted.

He was impressed with the new hospital in Keningau, saying "Oh, if I were ill, I would feel very comfortable in this hospital." He re-visited Sepulot not once but twice, staying with six families in a longhouse which accommodates tourists heading to the famous Batu Punggul Caves, towering above Sungai Sepulot.

Williamson, who lives near Toronto, is an avid reader of the Daily Express online, and has kept up with the news in Sabah for the last 10 years. "Occasionally, I read of friends in the papers and this makes me feel greatly excited."

While in Kudat, he met up with former student Lee Tet Fon (who rose to become Kota Kinabalu City Hall (DBKK) Director of the Engineering Department), on Easter Sunday at the St James' Church, prompting the latter to organise a reunion dinner in honour of their visiting ex-teacher at a leading restaurant in the State capital.

Lee, Anthony Wong and Robert Lim, among others, are civil engineers with their own consultant firms while Pang Fook Yun, a qualified accountant, owns Body Shop outlets in KK.

Another successful student is ex-Senator Datuk Agnes Shim, who ventured into politics and is currently Sabah MCA Wanita Chief.

Two Kudat boys, who stamped their mark in the civil service, were Ariff Hj Abdullah who served as Development Officer in the Kudat District Office prior to his appointment as Kudat Town Board Executive Officer, and Mohd Salleh Hj Aliakbar who was appointed as Banggi Assistant District Officer.

Williamson even recalled witnessing the akad nikah (solemnisation of marriage) of Abdul Latiff Kandok (now a Datuk) whose career culminated in his appointment as District Officer of Kinabatangan on the East Coast.

"I am very proud of their personal or professional accomplishments," said Williamson who is conversant in Malay. "From a student, Abdul Latiff and I are now friends for 40 years. In fact, I lived with the family at Sepanggar for some time while visiting other places in Sabah."

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Ex-students described Williamson as a good teacher who was patient and approachable. He first taught them History in Form 3 in 1969 and later in Form 4 and 5 as they moved up.

"History is a dry subject which can make students fall asleep if the teaching methodology is not interesting. But it was different with our Canadian teacher who was able to capture our attention in class. So much so that some of us who previously did not quite like the subject began to enjoy History lessons under his tutelage," said Lee, adding that they also scored well in the public examination.

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