Experience The Beauty Of Sabah Borneo, Malaysia

Sabah’s Historical Or Memorial Site

I have pointed out the categories of tourist and local popular destinations in my previous post. Now, let’s see what are the Historical or Memorial Site that you could visit and might as well include them in your Sabah’s destinations list.

These are some of the Historical or Memorial Sites in Sabah:
1.   Petagas Memorial Garden (located at Penampang District)
2.   Kundasang War Memorial (Ranau District)
3.   Kinarut Panoramic Mansion Ruins Meseum (Papar District)
4.   Stracevich Memorial Monument (Beaufort District)
5.   Mat Salleh Memorial Monument (Tambunan District)
6.   Ontoros Antenom Memorial (Tenom District)
7.   Agnes Keith House (Sandakan District)
8.   William Pryer Monument (Sandakan District)
9.   Stairs With 100 Steps (Sandakan District)
10. Sandakan War Memorial Park (Sandakan District)
11. St. Michael Church (Sandakan District)
12. Death March Route (Sandakan – Ranau District)
13. Sandakan Heritage Museum (Sandakan District)
14. The English Tea House And Restaurant (Sandakan District)
15. Batu Tulug Archaelogical Museum (Kinabatangan area)
16. Bukit Tengkorak Archaeological (Semporna District)
17. Atkinson Clock Tower, North Borneo War Memorial (Kota Kinabalu City)
18. Gaya Street, Jesselton Hotel
19. Sabah Tourism Building (Kota Kinabalu City)
20. Australia Place, Museum Kopitiam (Kota Kinabalu City)
21. Double Six Monument (Kota Kinabalu City)
22. Sabah Islamic Civilization Museum (Kota Kinabalu City)
23. Tun Mustapha Gallery (Kota Kinabalu City)

In my upcoming post, I will show you the related and fascinating photographs of the said places for your visual and perhaps it might assist you to make your destinations list.

Kundasang War Memorial, Ranau

I believe each and every country has their own unforgettable history. Even we ourselves have our own story, our background and personal or family history. “Death march” or else “Prisoner Of War” (P.O.W.) are no longer a strange phrase for most of us. Our world has suffered numerous forms of alteration, starting from the major natural disasters to the biggest and dreadful occurrences of man made war.

Today’s topic would be one of the most tragic World War II untold story however important history for the nations of Sabah, Australia and British. During the year 1942–1945, there were some POW Camps in Sandakan (in the East Coast of Sabah) approx. 260 km away from Kundasang, Ranau. To cut the story short, the Japanese has conducted 3 forced marches for the purpose of repositions and as coolie laborers to Jesselton (now is Kota Kinabalu). They didn’t reach Jesselton but only halt at Kundasang, Ranau and most of the Australian and British servicemen died due to illness, starvation, malnutrition, torment and extermination by the Japanese soldiers.

A memorial structure was built at Kundasang Ranau in order to commemorate the significant history. At the memorial entrance, there are some photographs and names of the victims who perished during the death marches.

Let them not depart from Thine eyes, keep them in the midst of Thine heart. (Prov IV. 21)