SANDAKAN SABAH, MALAYSIA

SANDAKAN

SABAH, MALAYSIA

Sandakan is a town of contrasts, from fishing villages built on stilts on its waterfront to modern architecture among Chinese and Buddhist Temples and Mosques. It is a port for log and timber exports and a gateway to natural wonders and wilderness of North Borneo. Sandakan is a relatively new town. Although established in the late 1800s, it has been bombed, burned and destroyed in 1945. Sandakan has a rich and diverse history. Rulled by the Sultan of Sulu in the late 1870s became the capital of British North Borneo in 1880s, was occupied by Japanese during WWII.

Once called Elopura meaning The Beautiful City and the capital of Sabah, now it is rebuilt but holds on to the sad memories of its tragic history. Called Sandakan again, it is still a beautiful city.

Access by road can be tiresome. The traffic is slow and plentiful. Palm oil tracks dominate the scene. Overtaking becomes an art. 

The trip is worth it though. Sandakan is not only a scenic port. Its history, most of it sad has been documented by Agnes Keith, whose house is a landmark of Sandakan, in her book The Land Below the Wind.

August the 15^th marks a Memorial Day and has been celebrated for the past 10 years. It is a Remembrance Day for those who died in Sandakan prisoner of war camp and the forced marches.

The topic of The Death Marches, with only six survivors to tell the tale and thousands killed, is not a priority in history lessons. The detailed knowledge of the atrocities could effect Toyota sales. Veterans and families of the POW’s attended the Memorial Service on the 15th of August. There were no Japanese among them.

The Memorial Service, held in the Sandakan Memorial Park is a moving and somber experience. It commemorates the sacrifice and suffering of British and Australian prisoners of war in the years from 1942 to 1945. Berhala Island, which now is a holiday island and boasts its dramatic scenery, was in those years a detention center for non-military personnel. 

The survivor, Agnes Keith, best tells the Berhala Island story. Her books paint the picture of Sandakan before the destruction and tell of the years of detention.

Agnes Keith lived in Sandakan for many years, then returned to rebuild her house. Her books ‘Land Below the Wind” and “Three Came Home” tell why. Her love for Sandakan is not alienated. All visitors find a spot in their hearts to love Sandakan and its surrounds. Some return to Sandakan every year to pay tribute to the POWs and their tragedy.