My Recent Takes

Introduction

At the invitation of a fellow photographing enthusiast, I made a short, 6-hour journey to Kg. Melangkap, Kota Belud with him on Wednesday, 6 March 2019.

The name of Melangkap rings a bell. It was way back in the early 1970s, as the officer in charge of the JKR (West Coast North) Division that I expended a lot of my energy on the construction and maintenance of the then small, rural gravel road between Kota Belud and Ranau, which served as the main arterial to Kg. Melangkap amongst other kampongs. The chance to revisit old sites was a very thrilling prospect for me.

As can be expected, after a lapse of more than four and half decades, the standard of the present KB-Ranau Road was very superior to that of the miserable little road that I was involved in building way back then.


Fixing a slipped-shaft problem along the graveled KB-Ranau Road in 1971.

The current premix-surfaced KB-Ranau Road

In those days, the JKR was constructing the road mainly using antiquated departmental machinery, working under very tight budgets and facing a lot of other physical and political constraints. In the 70s, it was not an all-weather road. It was ideal only for 4WD vehicles.

On this trip, my business was far from road construction. It was just a leisure ride (as a passenger) to Melangkap. I would steep in the sights, sounds and smells of the countryside en route, and indulge in some photographic activities at our final destination. Our target: the home-stay establishment called Nahandang Home-stay and Camp. My companion photographer hoped to check on some details for his star-gazing friends who would be staying there some time in April.

We are nearing our destination.

Soon after we got out of car and started roaming the area, another vehicle arrived and a man got out. He introduced himself as the land owner. We had a short chat during which he narrated on the history of the construction of the home stay and camp. (He is a pastor by profession and is attached to a SIB mission in West Malaysia. The place is managed by her sister.) We happened to meet him on one of his home trips.

A group photo with the land owner (right)

According to the owner, the flat ground behind us (in the above photo) would be the ideal location for star-gazers to set up their equipment to view or take photos of the Milky-way. In the early morning Mt. Kinabalu would be visible.

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It was a very hot and shiny day, and chatting outdoor under the burning sun was not recommended. So, we adjourned to the cooler atmosphere of the cafeteria.

The manageress served us coffee and we munched on the snacks that we brought along. The establishment had not printed any business card yet. So the manageress did the next best thing and wrote down the contact details for us in a small piece of paper. This (below) should be useful for future reference.

About 12:28 noon, we started our walk-about and photo-shooting session. Our subjects were mainly rocks, boulders and cool, clear water from mountain streams for which the area is renowned. Walking about on those giant boulders could be very tricky for us. On several instances, I nearly slipped on the glassy sandy particles atop the boulders. At our age, maintaining proper balance and coordination could be very daunting.

The river (S. Panataran) is strewn with pebbles and boulders, a heaven for rock collectors to explore.

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Views of some of the many boulders in the river bed. →

One of accommodation blocks of the Nahandang Home Stay

One of the B-B-Q sheds of the Home Stay

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The rural access to the Nahandang Home Stay and Camp is dotted with many other home-stay facilities on both sides of the road →

This suspension bridge looks well built and maintained. But, for senior citizens from the city, walking along this long and swaying bridge can be an intimidating experience. To try to take photos from it is even more difficult, especially when other users are walking briskly at other points.

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Another home-stay establishment downstream, as viewed from the suspension bridge. Its rooftops and tent-tops are painted a prominent green.


A family having a picnic there?

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Some shots of the many mini rapids along the shallow river bed. ↓

This dead tree trunk is slowly being bleached white.
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More shot of giant boulders in the river.

Trying to maintain a still posture to take a shot on the swaying bridge

Wish I could still walk surefooted like this little kid in the background.

This pic is not 'flipped". Viewed from the other end, the banner across the river reads "Melangkap"

This is another Home Stay in Melangkap.


This must be a special-function hut.

💧💧💧💧💧💧💧

At about 1:00 pm, we left the Nahandang Home Stay and Camp to return to KK. After driving for about 10 minutes, we stopped over briefly at the Bailey bridge crossing near the Borneo Bayau Flying Fox. The BBFF is an establishment running various 'adventure-based' activities. The ultimate thrill is for visitors to experience "flying" across the river on zip-lines. (Probably not for the faint-hearted ones.)

The Borneo Bayau Flying Fox set-up.

Single-lane Bailey bridges are becoming a rare commodity these days.

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More pebbles and boulder shots ↓
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Your ultimate thrill starts here. From this tower (circled) you can gear up for your flight across the river on zip-lines. (Click on the pix to get a better view of the high cables strung across the river.)

Փ Փ Փ Փ Փ Փ

[A random shot of vegetation at the road side]

(End of Post)

1. Background

Patriarch Koh Kim Hin (KKH) left Tong'an, Fujian, China around 1867 and landed in Labuan. He was 19. A few years later he relocated to Sandakan where in 1872 he established his firm of Kim Eng Watt, a few years ahead of the arrival of William Pryer, the founder of Sandakan, who set up the British North Borneo administration in 1878.

An ads of Kim Eng Fatt Bros. in the June 1 1927 issue of the British North Borneo Herald

In 1894, he was appointed the 2nd Kapitan China of Sandakan, an honour and responsibility which he held until his death on 8th April, 1910.

KKH's three wives bore him 6 sons and 6 daughters. In addition, he adopted 2 sons, during the early years after marrying his first wife Lim Sui. His second wife Sun, was the mother of 5 of his biological sons and all the biological daughters. His third wife Ann Tan gave him his last biological son. Ann Tan also adopted 2 daughters. (See the KKH Family Chart below.)

(Click to enlarge chart)

Highlighted in yellow - Koh Peck Tat and Wife Khoo Nyuk Ying

The descendants of KKH in this clan-gathering post are from the lines of his third son (or his first biological son) Koh Peck Tat, and his eldest grandson Koh Soon Watt. (See Family Chart of KPT below.)

(Click to enlarge Chart)

Members of Koh Soon Watt Family are highlighted in yellow

2. Pictures of Clan Gathering

1927

Matriarch Lim Sui passed away on 11 June that year. KKH's children and grandchildren and their spouses gathered to mark the occasion. The 3rd wife of KKH, May Tan is seen in this picture seated 5th from left. The photo was taken outside the premises of Kim Eng Watt & Brothers at 8-9, The Praya, Sandakan.

1932

It was the Diamond Jubilee year for the firm of Kim Eng Watt (later Kim Eng Watt Brothers). The firm put up a grand show to jointly celebrate its Diamond Jubilee and Chinese New Year at the Hokkien Club on 10th February.

The event was discribed in the March Issue of the BNBH, part of which shown below.

It was a time for merry making and photograph taking. Alas, no family group photo was passed down. Perhaps one day, one will turn up in the family albums of a distant Koh relative.

2011

Skip a few decades, and we were in the 21st Century as we gathered for the Chinese New Year for 2011. These are the great grand, great-great grand, and great-great great grandchildren of KKH, with the then matriarch Ho Siew Kin.

2018

Sadly Matriarch Ho passed away on 20th November 2018. It was time for family gathering and activities again. And of course, some group photos.