I had the opportunity to spend yesterday with my closest friend and my family, which made it yet another happy day for me. I was also too exhausted from touring with my best friend, who had to board an express bus at 8 p.m. to Kota Kinabalu.
It was only today, a Saturday, that I was able to complete my blog post while my daughter and the rest of my family were getting ready for the upcoming event. When my best friend was still in town yesterday, our initial plan called for us to check out of the hotel at 10 a.m. in order to catch the bus at 12 or 2 p.m.
However, since the bus is already full at 2 p.m. and she only has the option of taking the final bus, which departs at 8 p.m., perhaps God wants her to spend more time with me. We were running late because we were looking for "Mee Papan Sandakan," a local noodle that she wanted take back to Kota Kinabalu.
But not to worry, I have a back-up plan for her. She and my son should visit the nearby Sandakan Memorial Park, which I want to show them. In addition, I have a story to share with everyone in this community and this platform about my hometown's past and what transpired while the Japanese were still occupying my country.
SANDAKAN, THE SANDAK TOWN
Both the easternmost city in Sabah and the easternmost city in Malaysia are located in Sandakan. The town of Sandakan has been a residential area since 1948 and is situated about 28 kilometres from the Philippine border.
The name Sandakan is derived from the Sulu word "SANDAK," which means "pawn shop," according to historical records. Therefore, "pawn city" sums up the phrase. From 1879 until 1969, Sabah was a city governed by the British before it became a part of Malaysia.
There were many painful incidents that affected Sandakan residents, particularly Chinese businessmen, during the Japanese occupation from 1942 to 1945.
The history of Sandakan is rich and still largely intact. Foreign and local tourists are drawn to Sandakan by its beautiful natural surroundings.
Numerous tourists are drawn to this area because the word "SAN" also means "ocean, adventure, and nature." As a result, there are lots of interesting places to visit in the city. The Sandakan Memorial Park is one of them.
The state government designated Sandakan Memorial Park as a monument site to honour war prisoners who suffered and perished during the death marches, and it is located close to my residential area in Taman Rimba at Mile 7.
Daily hours of operation for Sandakan Memorial Park are 8:00am and 17:00pm local time. This park doesn't require an entrance fee.
There is a small museum housed inside the park that contains a variety of artefacts related to the POW camp's history. It will also feel cool to walk around this park because it is overgrown with lush, shady trees.
This park's interior scenery is also stunning, which heightens the thrill of the historical tour there.
SANDAKAN MEMORIAL PARK
This incident began in 1942, during the Second World War, when the Japanese army faced supply shortages while waging war, particularly when it came to the oil needed to fuel their warplanes.
So they realized Borneo, now called Sabah, was a key location for obtaining oil. Malaya, now known as Peninsular Malaysia, was under attack by Japan when it began to use Thailand as a base.
The British army was then only concentrated in other areas, which allowed them to conquer Borneo.
At that time, the Japanese army imprisoned the Australian and British soldiers in Sandakan, a prison camp in North Borneo.
It claimed that they were all imprisoned during the fall of Singapore and transported by sea ship to North Borneo. They had plans to develop an airfield in Sandakan.
There is poor treatment of all prisoners. They were not given enough food, water, or medicine while they laboured arduously to finish building the airfield.
The Japanese felt there was no point in building airstrips if they were going to be attacked after the Allied forces managed to blow them up later.
In order to use the 455 prisoners who were still in good health as labourers in Jesselton, now known as Kota Kinabalu, the Japanese planned to transport them there at the end of January 1945.
The first group would be the start of the death march as we currently understand it.
The remaining 536 Sandakan prisoners were scheduled to be moved to Ranau by the Japanese army a few months later.
The Japanese army purposefully withheld all food and medicine during this second death march, making it worse than the first.
POWs were instructed to walk in groups of 50 during the second death march because so many people attempted to flee during the first death march.
Japanese soldiers are the guards in the front, back, left, and right of each group. The butt of a rifle would kill anyone who stumbled, became unsteady, or attempted to flee.
Only 183 of the 536 prisoners who were on the second death march made it to Ranau. Initially, the Japanese only wanted to free them or let them starve to death of their injuries when it came to the remaining 250 prisoners in Sandakan.
The Japanese, however, were aware that the war was drawing to a close and that there must be other issues if survivors could still recall tales of torture. In the end, the Japanese army killed the remaining survivors and chose 75 of them for the last death march.
Only six of the 1900 prisoners of war in Sandakan survived and escaped. As a result, the Death March incident led to the creation of the Sandakan Memorial Park. Every year on April 25, there will be a Remembrance Day ceremony to honour and pay respect to the fallen soldiers.
It is inscribed on a sizable monument made of granite stone that is located in this historic park. The monument was erected as a memorial and tribute to the war prisoners. The official opening of this historic park took place on February 15, 1999. Excavators and chimneys are just two examples of the numerous silent witnesses that we can find in this park.
As a Sandakan resident, I believe it is appropriate for the younger generation to remember this incident because, even though foreign troops were involved, we should still honour those who perished for their willingness to put up with and survive Japanese army torture.
Additionally, I want to emphasize that we should learn from this and act more courageously in defending our country and its people and our home.
After finishing our tour of Sandakan Memorial Park, my friends and I quickly went to Sandakan Park with my son, which is also close to my house. All we want to do is feed the lake's fish.
And when different kinds of fish and other creatures like turtles and lizards were present, my friend was astounded to see them.
When we arrived home, it was almost five thirty. After cleaning up, we got ready to go out again and look for food before my friend went back to Kota Kinabalu.
We went to Chicken Bob at the Mydin Branch in Mile 7 to eat dinner. By the time we left Mydin, it was almost seven o'clock.
We just had a friendly chat because we still have an hour before her bus arrives, and when it's time for her to leave, we direct her to the closest pit stop and send her off.
Yesterday brought me yet more joy that no amount of money could ever buy, and it was well worth it to spend it with the right people. I'll put the video of our visit to the Sandakan Memorial Park here. And if any of you readers are considering visiting Sandakan, please let me know so I can show you around. Hivers, have a good day, and God bless us all.
