Sandakan Heritage Trail – rekindling Sandakan’s history with a walk  

SANDAKAN – Lai King Hang, a tourism player in Sandakan was 40 years old when he founded the Sandakan Heritage Trail in 2003. 

“At the time, I knew very little about history in Sandakan, despite being born and raised here,” he told The Vibes. 

Lai said his interest in history started when he attended the Sandakan Historical Tourism Workshop organised by the Sandakan Municipal Council (SMC) in 2003. 

He was then appointed to start a heritage trail in Sandakan. 

“With several friends, I then took a tour around Sandakan to visit and understand our historical sites. We were all amazed by what we have learned. 

“We put together the historical facts and information about these places, identified a walkable trail, and came up with a map which is the now the Sandakan Heritage Trail,” he said. 

It took the team about six months to propose a complete trail, which was officially launched on June 21, 2003. 

It then started becoming an attraction to tourists. Sandakan would have visitors from the United Kingdom and Australia every year who would come for the Sandakan Memorial Day to commemorate Australian and British’s Prisoners of War who perished here during World War II. 

But when Lai started the trail, the aim was not for tourism. 

“The initial purpose to set up the trail consisting of historical sites in Sandakan was not for the tourists, but the locals. There is a need for the young people in Sandakan to know and understand these historical sites in their hometown. 

“Without knowing our roots, the young people today are unable to comprehend the sacrifices of our forefathers who worked tirelessly in a multicultural and multi-religion environment to make this land a better place and for it to prosper,” he said. 

Because they are a full-fledged volunteer team, they work closely with Sandakan Municipal Council to carry out projects together with Sabah Tourism and Tourism Malaysia.

The Sandakan Heritage Trail 

The trail, which would take about two hours of leisure walk to complete, has 10 stops. They include seven historical structures that were built in the 18th century that had survived the bombings during World War II (1942-1945). 

The first stop is the oldest mosque in Sandakan, Masjid Jamik which was built in 1887 and is still serving the community. 

When Sandakan was heavily bombed in 1942, many of the bombs were dropped nearby the mosque, but the mosque survived. Some bullet marks are still found on some pillars of the mosque. 

The second stop is at the William Pryer Monument in MPS (short for Majlis Perbandaran Sandakan) Square. The monument was built to remember the man who founded Sandakan in 1879, William B. Pryer, who was the first Resident of the East Coast under the British North Borneo Chartered Company. 

After the village Pryer founded, Kampung German burned down in a fire in 1879, he moved the settlement to Buli Sim-Sim and named it Elopura, which meant Beautiful City. But locals preferred the name Sandakan, so the name Sandakan was maintained. 

The third stop is the Stairs with a Hundred Steps, a staircase believed to be built before or during the British rule, and was utilised by the thriving Chinese community who were residing up the hill to carry their farm produce and vegetables to the town centre to sell. 

The fourth stop is the former British colonial residence, the Agnes Keith House. 

Agnes Keith, the renowned author of several books including 'Land Below the Wind' and 'Three Came Home', the latter of which went on to become a Hollywood movie released in 1950. 

Agnes, an American, along with her husband, Harry Keith, a British official assigned for forest conservation here first built the house between 1946 and 1947 on the site of a destroyed home following the Japanese invasion several years earlier. 

The couple had been living at another house since 1934 when it was destroyed during the war. In the aftermath, Harry chose not to rebuild the new house at its former location, but at the present location atop a hill as part of British colonial government quarters. 

The fifth stop of the Sandakan Heritage Trail would take you to the Remains of the Old Stairs. Like its name, it is the remaining staircase structure believed to be the old site of the pre-war Chinese Government Consulate building, and the Consulate was in Sandakan from 1933 to 1946. 

Next, the sixth stop is the Goddess of Mercy Chinese Temple, one of the oldest temples in Sandakan. There was not much information recorded about the temple, but the temple’s sign stated that it was built in 1868. 

The seventh stop is a favourite among locals and visitors –  St Micheal’s and All Angels Church. 

The church was the first stone building erected on Sabah soil when its construction started in 1890. It was designed by a New Zealander, B. W. Mountfort. It avoided major damages during World War II and remained standing until today. 

The eighth stop is believed to be the oldest standing building in Sabah – Sam Sim Kung Temple. 

First constructed in 1885, the temple was completed and dedicated in 1887. It is also a repository of historical artefacts and plaques which contain a wealth of information on the early history of Sandakan. 

The last two stops are the Malaysia Fountain and Sandakan Heritage Museum. 

The Malaysia Fountain was named to commemorate the independence of Sabah through Malaysia on September 16, 1963. 

Children must know 

“'No town in the world wears the wounds of the war more terribly and more honourably than Sandakan. Wherever we look, there is destruction far beyond mere repairs (1946).” 

These words were read by the British when the Sandakan War Memorial’s monument was erected in the town. 

Lai, now 58 years old, said looking at these words, he saw how Sandakan had managed to rebuild the town and progressed to be known as Little Hong Kong. It showed a spirit of “can-do” in the past that the future generation must emulate. 

“Over 76 years ago, World War II had devastated a thriving Sandakan town. The postwar generation, by sheer hard work and determination, ensured the next generation are provided for and educated. 

“We must rekindle this kind of 'can-do' spirit of the past as we celebrate Sabah Day this coming August 31,” he said. 

Lai proposed for the government to reintroduce local history in the children’s education, which was discontinued in the mid-’60s. 

“Encourage students to form history clubs in school so that they can appreciate our heritage and learn from our past experiences which are unique to Sabah,” he said. 

Left almost completely destroyed after World War II, Sandakan's skyline is dotted with these buildings. Although no longer the capital, Sandakan remains an important city in Sabah. – The Vibes, August 29, 2021