SANDAKAN HISTORY

History tells us that an Englishman named William B Prayer founded Sandakan on 21st June 1879. In Fact , the story of Sandakan started more than a century earlier. During the eighteenth Century, it has its beginning as a trading outpost of the Sulu Sultanate. It was an important source of bee wax used mainly in making candles, rattan canes and the edibles nests relished by the Chinese communities throughout Asia. The power of the Sulu Sultanate declined rapidly the second half of the nineteenth century and with it, existence of many trading posts, including.

By early 1870’s, a mixed group of German and British adventures and traders formed a small settlement on Pulau Timbang in Sandakan Bay as a base for their activities in the Sulu Sea. One of them is a Scotsman named William Clarke Cowie. After a few years, Cowie and his colleagues abandoned the settlement now known as “ Kampung German”.

In 1881, the British government permitted The British North Borneo ( Chartered ) Company to rule North Borneo while the British government had the right to opppoint a governor and other officers.Later in 1888, the state was made a British Protectorate. The British North Borneo Company rules Sabah from 1881 to 1946.

AGNES KEITH HOUSE

One of Sandakan unique attraction is a historic house which has just been conserved by the Sabah Museum. Along Jalan Istana, once Ernestina Road, at the back of Sandakan town is the house where Agnes Keith, the American author once lived. The present JKR
House No. 2005 was built after the war after the design of Agnes Keith. It was built on the destroyed foundation of a previous almost similar house which the Keith family had lived since 1934 until May 1942 when the family was interned by the Japanese at Berhala Island. It was the first permanent timber house to be built after the war.

Agnes Goodwillie Newton Keith, once a journalist married Henry George Keith ( Harry) in Los Angeles California in 1934. Both of them then set sail for Sandakan, Sabah. Then British North Borneo where Henry was Conservator of Forest, employed by the British North Borneo Chartered Company since 1925. He was also the Director of Agriculture, Game Warden and Honorary Curator of the Sandakan Museum.

In a new land where “ different feet have different ways”, Agnes Keith wrote about Sandakan and her peoples and the travels into the formidable interior with her husband and sent these articles to the Atlantic Monthly magazine in America. She was persuaded to compile all of these into a book. In 1939, the book Land Below the Wind was published. The book was unanimously judge the winner of the Atlantic Monthly prize stories to the magazine, the first story being that of Saudin the Murut in New York.

Not to rest on her laurels, Agnes Keith set about writing her next book, a novel. While in the midst of it, war descended on Sabah. In January 1942, the Japanese occupied Sandakan. All Europeans were interned on Berhala Island. Agnes, Henry and son henry “George” Keith, then years old together with other civilians, then an Batu Lintang prison Camp in Kuching. It was while in Kuching that she wrote in scraps of paper life in the camp. All of these were hidden in George’s toys, mattress and buried in tins in the ground. Upon liberation in September 1945, Agnes collected all of these and brought them back to Victoria, Canada where after recuperation she set about writing Three Came Home which was published in 1947. In 1950, the movie Three Came Home was released and Agnes Keith became famous. Claudia Corbett starred as Agnes Keith in the Movie.

Barely half a year after liberation, Henry was recalled to Sabah to assist in the rebuilding of a devastated Sandakan. Agnes and George joined him a year later. The postwar period of the Keiths in Sandakan was again captured by Agnes in third book White Returns, published in 1951. In January 1952, the Keiths left Sabah for the Philippines. Agnes’ unfinished and sole novel based in Elopura, (Sandakan) was finally published as Beloved Exiles in 1972.She passed away on 30th March 1982 in Victoria, British Columbia Canada aged 81. In 1995 Agnes Newton Keith was posthumously awarded the Alpha Gamma Delta Distinguish Citizen Award (Achievement in Letters as Distinguished Author). Alpha Gamma Delta founded in 1904 at Syracuse University is a premier women’s organization committed to academic excellence, leadership development, high ideals and sisterhood. Of all her books,Three Came Home probably sold the most copies but in Sabah, it is The Land Below the Wind which is most popular and highly demanded.

TIPS ON ECO-PARADISE

How To Get To Sabah ( East Coast Of Malaysia )

The Kota Kinabalu International Airport is serviced by most international airlines, getting direct international air links from Hong Kong,Singapore, Tokyo,Seoul, Brunei,Taipeh,Kaoshiung, Manila, Cebu, as well as Malaysia's capital city, Kuala lumpur and nearby Kuching Sarawak.

Several daily flight link Sandakan,Lahad Datu and Tawau to the state's capital ( Kota Kinabalu ).Also possible by air-conditioned coach and mini bus,lasting approximately 8 hours per way to Tawau.

Sandakan, Lahad datu, Semporna and Tawau are all linked by road.

WHERE TO STAY IN SABAH

KOTA KINABALU

3-5 star Hotel & Resort

-Beverly Hotel

Tel: 6-088-258998/255025

e-mail: bphkk@po.jaring.my

-Hyatt Regency Kinabalu

Tel: 6-088-221234

e-mail:hyatt@hyattkk.com.my

-Hotel Shangri-La

Tel: 6-088-212800

e-mail: kkshang@po.jaring.my

Nexus Resort Karambunai

Tel:6-088-411222/411030

e-mail: nexushtl@tm.net.my

Promenade Hotel

Tel: 6-088-265555

e-mail: promhtl@po.jaring.my

2 star and below

Airport View Hotel

Tel: 6-088-251919

Borneo Resthouse

Tel: 6-088-718855

City Inn

tel: 6-088-218933-6

New Sabah Hotel

Tel: 6-088-225810

Rafflesia Hotel Apartments

Tel: 6-088-260888

e-mail: promhtl@po.jaring.my

SANDAKAN

3-4 STAR HOTEL

Sabah Hotel Sandakan

Tel: 6-089-213299

e-mail: shdksm@tm.net.my

Hotel Sandakan

Tel:6-089-221122

e-mail:tengis@tm.net.my

2 star & below

Hotel City View

Tel: 6-089-271123

Sanbay Hotel

Tel: 6-089-275000

Other Informations

Climate:

Equatorial/Tropical

Average Temperatures:

Lowland: 32 degress Centigrade

Highlands: 21 degress Centigrade

Currency:

Malaysian Ringgit ( RM ).Travelleers Chegues and foreign currencies can be changed for Malaysian Ringgit at Banks and Hotels.Most major hotels charge a nominal fee for currency conversion.

Major Credit and Charge Cards:

VISA,MasterCard,American Express,Diner club

Bangking Hours:

Monday to friday-9:30 am till 3 pm

Local Time:

Standard Malaysian time is 8 hours ahead of GMT

Electricity:

240 Volts AC/50-cycle system

Language:

Bahasa Malaysia is the national language, however, English is widely spoken

Entry Requirments:

1. A valid passport ( and visa wherever applicable ) is required.

2. A social or Tourist Visit Pass does not permit the holder to take up emplyment, business or professional work in Malaysia.

3. The Professional Visit Pass allows foreign visitors to enter the country for business negotiations or inspection of business premises.These pass however cannot be used for employment purpose or for supervising the installation of new machinery of the construction of a factory.

4. A fee is charged for a Professional Visit Pass depending on purpose of visit,prefession ang country

For more information please contact:

Sabah Tourism Board

( Sabah Tourism )