Where It All Began. (Part 1)

Once upon a time in Bayag, Kiulu.

In the after math Second World War, Sui, a young Dusun rice farmer was toiling blood and sweat under the blissful heat of the Sun to make ends meet for himself and his pregnant, young wife Kisoi. It was 1952, when a son, firstborn, was born to the couple. Over the next few years, they had 4 more sons and 3 daughters, bringing the total number of their children to 8 (1 didn't make it out of infanthood).

With the increasing need of a now enlarged family, young Sui was in deep dilemma. The district of Kiulu in 1960s were still largely undeveloped, and lack of development means lesser economic activities. With the exception of the traditional paddy fields and the recently planted rubber trees in some villages, the rest of Kiulu then were still part of the pristine, Borneo rainforests.

Then came 1969. Eager to mirror the success of FELDA programme of his Malayan counterpart Tunku Abdul Rahman, the then Chief Minister of Sabah, Tun Mustapha Harun announced an ambitious resettlement scheme called "Rancangan Sungai Manila". The project would take place on a designated area located 19KM from Sandakan Town, formerly the State capital in the East Coast. The scheme offers a better livelihood for the participants, most of which came from the rural, landless poor in the West Coast. The settlers were awarded each with 15-acres of land to cultivate oil palms, where proceeds of the crop sold were directly paid to the settlers. What's more intriguing was the fact that the settlement was quite near to the Town center, providing the participants with access to most of the modern amenities Sandakan could offer at the time. In no time of course, a number of families from Kiulu and the surrounding rural districts such as Tenghilan, Kota Belud, and even Kota Marudu were flocking to answer the call, including Sui's own close friend, Hasin, who was slightly older than him. Although Hasin is of Bajau descent, he has spent years befriending the Dusun folks back in his hometown, Kota Belud, eventually mastering the language. Their friendship found its way back in 1940s, and like many others, they survived the Japanese Occupation. Knowing that he will not be a total stranger at the new settlement, Sui wasted no time and hurriedly went home to break the news to his wife. Kisoi, like any typical, traditional Dusun wife in those days, obediently agreed. 

After consulting his parents and elders to get their blessings, Sui in his mind realized that this just might be the one shot he needed to start a new, better life. The solution to his predicaments. One where he could provide more food on the table for the children, and perhaps possibly giving them the one thing he and his fathers before him never had: Education. With the promise of a better future, Sui, Kisoi and their 6 children packed their belongings, left their ancestral home, and set out to Sandakan (The eldest son stayed behind to complete his schooling at St John Government Secondary School, Tuaran). As the roads from Kota Kinabalu to Sandakan has not been completed in those days, the only cheaper means to travel and reach Sandakan was by sea. So, the family boarded a ship which took them from KK Harbour to Kudat, and from there to Sandakan Wharf Harbour. 

I will post the next part soon.