SOME 200 km from Kota Kinabalu, a tourism outfit run by the Murut Tagol folks of Kampung Rundum – a tiny village tucked deep in the interior district of Tenom – is poised to leave its mark in Sabah’s tourism industry.
There are many compelling reasons to visit the Rundum Highlands – the site which is linked to the historic Rundum Rebellion – such as the cold weather that could drop to 16-degree Celsius and several trekking sites, including a heritage trail which leads to a so-called old fort built by the British North Borneo Chartered Company (BNBC) in old Rundum, where the famed rebellion believed to have taken place in 1915.
The Rundum Rebellion was the uprising of Ontoros Antanum, a Murut chieftain, who fought against BNBC colonial rule which had refused to recognise local chieftains, other than the ones they had appointed.
Besides, a new trail – other than the fort and the scenic waterfall trails located in the highland getaway spot – is coming up, according to Rundum Highlands manager, Rusli Tampisan.
The Rundum Station, the first BNBC district office in the interior division, was recently discovered and would be part of the highland’s new heritage trail. Built in 1910, it was found by a group of trekkers in 2019.
Most of these sites are in old Rundum, some 8 km from the present Kampung Rundum. Most of the residents of the old village had relocated to the new village in the 1970s.
As the story goes, the establishment of Rundum Highlands in 2018 came about as part of an election manifesto mooted by the former Kemabong assemblyman, Jamawi Jaafar, who had been instrumental on the project.
The move was also to counter logging activities which had intensified in the area some time in 2019, to make way for an access road to build a hydro dam.
Although the highland has received some attention, especially among adventure seekers, it has yet to strike the interest of mass leisure seekers.
The absence of electricity and treated water supply have been challenges on the path of bringing Rundum Highlands up in the tourism map in Sabah. It is also a problem faced by the Kampung Rundum for decades. Even internet access is a teetering problem.
Road woes
But the real put-off is its road.
A 31-km stretch of road from Kemabong town (a sub-district in Tenom) to Rundum Highlands, goes through treacherous and dangerous logging areas along the hilly and rugged terrain of Rundum.
The kind of road that would put anyone in survival mode at any moment.
“The fastest (way) through the road will take about one-and-a-half hours when the track is dry,” said Rusli, adding that the journey could take over three hours with rainfall.
The peat soil track gets squishy and slippery when it's wet, he said, adding that even the stone aggregates laid over the tracks for traction will not help much.
“Only four wheel drives would be able to reach here, if lucky,” he said in jest.
However, four-wheel-drive vehicles for hire are prepared to help visitors come to Rundum Highlands, despite the difficulty, said Rusli.
A return trip from Tenom town to Rundum Highlands will cost RM350 (at the point of writing) and four young men from the village have had the expertise to go through the Rundum highland track for years.
28-year-old Raji, one of the drivers, has been driving through the timber tracks since he was 13… of course with the supervision of his father.
But on a weekly rotation with the other three drivers, Rafi said he could only earn around RM700 a week, which is also roughly what he needs to survive the whole month.
Aside from a little bit of extra income from selling coffee, which he plants on his family land in Rundum, and the picking up of other villagers wanting to get supplies from Tenom town, Rafi said it is getting tougher to maintain his pick-up truck, which he relies on entirely to make a living.
“Truthfully, it's a second-hand pick up. I have not been giving it much attention and this is why the whole vehicle is making all the squeaking metal noise.
“I'm not even sure if the engine and other parts would be able to stand the beating from the tracks much longer,” he said, adding that this is already his second pick-up after giving away his first vehicle a couple of years ago.
Raji said what Rundum Highlands need badly right now is a good road. Not only to bring in visitors and drive around village folks for supplies, but also for the sickly in need of medical attention.
He said there had been several instances of when he had to drive down to Tenom to send a sick neighbour in the middle of the night and during heavy rain.
“We still have no choice but to do it. As far as life is a concern, we cannot say no. We had to drive out, even when we knew we might not get paid in return.
“But up to this point, we don't need to ask for payment. They will come around the house and pay us some token, if not money, some goods we could use,” he said.
Efforts have been made by Kampung Rundum to get the government to build a road leading to their village. But nothing had been forthcoming.
They also requested for electricity and treated water supply.
At this point of time, contractors have been seen in Rundum installing electricity poles, but the Rundum folks say it will take some time before electricity arrives in the isolated village.
Aside from a diesel genset to light up the small community hall located at night, Rundum has no other source for electricity, while depending on a gravity-feed for water from a nearby water course. – The Vibes, February 21, 2023
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