A photograph of the Kinabatangan river taken by Osa Johnson in 1935.
Osa and Martin Johnson during the BorneoSafari in the Kinabatangan river in 1935.
By Ismail Hj Mansor
Maybe no one from the younger generation could imagine how the rivers in Sabah looked like in the past because most of these rivers today have been destroyed by human activities and natural disasters and lost their beauties.
Unlike before when the rivers were clean, they are polluted now.
Some of the rivers could no longer be found as they had vanished due to the rapid social and economic developments which took place in almost every part of the country.
The rivers are not spared from being destroyed or reclaimed in order to make way for other developments.
In this respect, Sabah Museum is holding an exhibition entitled 'Tales of Sabah's Great Rivers' with the aim of instilling greater public awareness on the important role played by river in our daily lives.
The showcase also hopes to bring back sweet memories of the rivers in the past, and to compare the condition of these rivers in the good old days with their present state.
Most of the rivers today are not as useful as before to the communities living along them. Due to pollution, the river water are only good for bathing but not for drinking and cooking. Sadly to say, some of the rivers are merely a dumping ground to litterbugs.
The Kinabatangan river, one of the most important rivers in Sabah, is considered a haven for wildlife enthusiasts and nature lovers. However, the exhibition will feature the unique and colourful culture of the many ethnic groups living along the river and the interesting history of the river.
For decades, the Kinabatangan has been as the main gateway through which outsiders could come in contact with the local people. In the 14th century, an expedition led by Ong Sum Ping set sail for North Borneo (Sabah) through the Sulu Sea and entered the Kinabatangan river.
The name of the river is believed to have derived from the word 'Kina' which refers to the Chinese and 'batangan' which means river.
In 1935, Osa and Martin Johnson made the first international eco-adventure-tourism called 'Osa and Johnson's Borneo Safari' in the Kinabatangan river. During their stay, they recorded the local wildlife and the indigenous people on still and movie films, and they also brought back orangutans, gibbons and other wildlife to a zoo in New York.
The Kinabatangan river is the longest river in Sabah and the second longest in Malaysia, stretching some 276 kilometres. It has five ox-bow lakes, namely Danau Pitas at Kampung Abai, Danau Kenannap at Kampung Sukau, Danau Bilit at Kampung Bilit, Danau Girang at Kampung Batu Putih and Danau Kalabon at Kampung Bukit Garam.
'Sungei' is a local word which means river and the ethnic peoples staying along the river are known as 'orang sungei'.
Interesting enough, the lifestyle and culture of the multi-ethnic river community or 'sungei' peoples are still untouched by the modernisation process taking place around the river.
The 'sungei' community comprises various ethnic groups such as Kimaragang, Tambanoa, Makiang, Pingas, Minokok, Paitan, Buludupih and Sukang, living peacefully together despite of their differences.
The riverine eco-system had nurtured the unique culture and traditions of the riverine peoples, and the interactions took place among the different groups in turn created the legends of the Kinabatangan river .
More than 200 photographs on rivers, animals and plants found along the rivers in Sabah including 34 photographs taken by Osa and Martin Johnson during their expedition along the Kinabatangan river are on display at the exhibition.
Visitors to the exhibition can take a glimpse of the nostalgic tales of Sabah's rivers.
Content & Pics Courtesy of Borneo Bulletin
Maybe no one from the younger generation could imagine how the rivers in Sabah looked like in the past because most of these rivers today have been destroyed by human activities and natural disasters and lost their beauties.
Unlike before when the rivers were clean, they are polluted now.
Some of the rivers could no longer be found as they had vanished due to the rapid social and economic developments which took place in almost every part of the country.
The rivers are not spared from being destroyed or reclaimed in order to make way for other developments.
In this respect, Sabah Museum is holding an exhibition entitled 'Tales of Sabah's Great Rivers' with the aim of instilling greater public awareness on the important role played by river in our daily lives.
The showcase also hopes to bring back sweet memories of the rivers in the past, and to compare the condition of these rivers in the good old days with their present state.
Most of the rivers today are not as useful as before to the communities living along them. Due to pollution, the river water are only good for bathing but not for drinking and cooking. Sadly to say, some of the rivers are merely a dumping ground to litterbugs.
The Kinabatangan river, one of the most important rivers in Sabah, is considered a haven for wildlife enthusiasts and nature lovers. However, the exhibition will feature the unique and colourful culture of the many ethnic groups living along the river and the interesting history of the river.
For decades, the Kinabatangan has been as the main gateway through which outsiders could come in contact with the local people. In the 14th century, an expedition led by Ong Sum Ping set sail for North Borneo (Sabah) through the Sulu Sea and entered the Kinabatangan river.
The name of the river is believed to have derived from the word 'Kina' which refers to the Chinese and 'batangan' which means river.
In 1935, Osa and Martin Johnson made the first international eco-adventure-tourism called 'Osa and Johnson's Borneo Safari' in the Kinabatangan river. During their stay, they recorded the local wildlife and the indigenous people on still and movie films, and they also brought back orangutans, gibbons and other wildlife to a zoo in New York.
The Kinabatangan river is the longest river in Sabah and the second longest in Malaysia, stretching some 276 kilometres. It has five ox-bow lakes, namely Danau Pitas at Kampung Abai, Danau Kenannap at Kampung Sukau, Danau Bilit at Kampung Bilit, Danau Girang at Kampung Batu Putih and Danau Kalabon at Kampung Bukit Garam.
'Sungei' is a local word which means river and the ethnic peoples staying along the river are known as 'orang sungei'.
Interesting enough, the lifestyle and culture of the multi-ethnic river community or 'sungei' peoples are still untouched by the modernisation process taking place around the river.
The 'sungei' community comprises various ethnic groups such as Kimaragang, Tambanoa, Makiang, Pingas, Minokok, Paitan, Buludupih and Sukang, living peacefully together despite of their differences.
The riverine eco-system had nurtured the unique culture and traditions of the riverine peoples, and the interactions took place among the different groups in turn created the legends of the Kinabatangan river .
More than 200 photographs on rivers, animals and plants found along the rivers in Sabah including 34 photographs taken by Osa and Martin Johnson during their expedition along the Kinabatangan river are on display at the exhibition.
Visitors to the exhibition can take a glimpse of the nostalgic tales of Sabah's rivers.
Content & Pics Courtesy of Borneo Bulletin
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