Malaysia’s east cost State of Sabah has been the paradise of indigent Filipinos in the early times even as it was still a British North Borneo in the early 50s. This timber-rich territory has already been a labor destination of most Filipinos who hardly thrived in their quest to improve their living in the country of their origin. And they found North Borneo, a timber State of Malaysia as profound haven for a trail of fortune.
Timber industry was Sabah’s center of economy then and early Filipino settlers were captivated by this flourishing opportunity. And in their quest for a better living, were blown by a wind of change to this rich east Malaysian territory in a pursuit of a perceived prosperity.
Among those enthralled by this prospect was my father who came to be one of the early settlers to work in a British North Borneo Timber Company in Silam. I was then five years old when my mother decided to follow suit a year after and joined my father in 1960. My first taste of Borneo water was the time we docked at Lahad Datu timber port for quarantine and immigration procedure. My young mind annoyed with the new surrounding, and perhaps, the long days and nights travel from Tawi-Tawi to Lahad Datu until we docked was another reason either. But my first taste of Borneo water refreshed my feeling of annoyance. I was relaxed in the procedure until I met my father.
On its water, a popular adage among Filipinos says that “one who has tasted Sabah water surely keeps coming back, again and again.” This seems to be true, because when my mother brought me home for my studies, I never thought that I could be back to Sabah anew. Yet, I surely did after my graduation from college. And I keep returning to Sabah every now and then to visit relatives and refresh my Malay language while talking to Sabahans. It was in my early age of five when I learned my second language.
In fact, I could have been a Sabahan with my supposed family if my elopement with the girl or a woman I dearly loved sometime in the early 80s was not aborted. Maybe she wasn't just brave enough to pursue our plans to elope to Sabah for some reasons that her parents did cause. Or perhaps fate just did not bless that love to become a solemn matrimony.
Nonetheless, undocumented Filipinos today, even after having been apprehended for illegal stay, served jail term and repatriated kept going back to Sabah. The reason maybe is the water, and certainly, they have proven unto themselves the better living in their own acclaimed paradise even as illegal immigrants.
In my young memory, I still recall how Silam looked like in the early 60s. How my family and other Filipino settlers lived a life in a swampy area in Silam with nothing in mind but to find fortune to improve life. Indeed, things were quite difficult at first but the urge of improving one’s living standard was so great that amidst all odds, we overwhelmed hardship and in return was paid off with little glory. Thank God and North Borneo.
The early settlers have improved their lives, of course, to include ours, until the timber company left and the batch of settlers has chosen to remain for another challenge. These settlers who were living in Semporna, Lahad Datu, Silam and Sandakan eventually became immigrant-natives who were later given red identification cards when North Borneo officially joined the Federation of Malaya in the mid 60s and later named Sabah when it was formally incorporated as the 13th Federal State of Malaysia in the later part of the 60s.
On the other hand, the State of Sabah has gone really far since then. It has giant-leaped its development. The breed of leaders has brought Sabah to what it is today, a modern State with a strong economy. Kota Kinabalu, formerly Jesselton, the capital, is now a modern city with a vast and highly industrialized economy and a booming hotel and tourism industry. And yet, more are expected to be done for Sabah from the brainchild of its brilliant leaders.
In June 2006, an entourage of Tawi-Tawi provincial officials visited Sandakan, Sabah, on invitation of its local leaders to grace Sandakan’s yearly festival. No less than Tawi-Tawi Provincial Governor, Hadji Sadikul A. Sahali headed the delegation. The event has given the Tawi-Tawi governor and Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Haji Musa Haji Aman the opportunity to meet each other, for the first time, and shared views of interest paramount to their areas. Both leaders appreciated the friendly ties of their governments and pledged to maintain the mutual understanding of the two neighbors.
Malaysia and the Philippines are members of the BIMP-EAGA polygon. Trade and Commerce between the two neighbors have flourished. Exchanged visitation among business groups of Tawi-Tawi and Sabah have been carried out and Memorandum of Understanding (MOUs) were already in place.
Sandakan’s open port has been the entry point of Tawi-Tawi visitors and the latter has also served as entry point of Sabah visitors. This is a manifestation that both neighbors have mutual understanding, although at times, these mutual ties have been troubled by illegal immigrant issues of Filipinos in Malaysia. However, this dilemma has been handled cautiously in respect to laws applicable to each country and has never damaged the common interest of both neighbors.
From the view of a foreigner, Sabah thrives and far going ahead in terms of modernization and development. Its breed of brilliant leaders has taken bold steps into making this east territory of Malaysia a State at par with other contemporary.
It is a paradise of most Filipinos.
No comments:
Post a Comment