Passing of A Sabah Cultural Icon - Tina Rimmer

The New Straits Times on 10.06.2017 reported that the late Tina Rimmer was posthumously awarded the Sabah Cultural Icon Certificate by the Sabah Minister of Tourism, Culture and Environment, Datuk Masidi Manjun. Tina Rimmer passed away on 31.05.2017, just two months short of her 100th birthday (Read here).

In the 1990s, Tina lived in a corner house at Taman Orchid, beside the BCCM Kota Kinabalu church compound at Dah Yeh Villa. During this period, she attended the Sunday English Worship Service at BCCM KK and was a regular participant in our weekly home fellowship group.

The fellowship group celebrated her birthday after a usual gathering on 9 August 1997.

Born Mary Christina Lewin, Tina Rimmer was an English-born teacher and artist who became one of Sabah’s most beloved cultural figures. She arrived in British North Borneo (Sabah) in 1949 as an education officer, training teachers and later teaching in both rural and urban schools across the state, including Tuaran and Lahad Datu.

Although she was born in England, Sabah quickly became her true home. She married a Lahad Datu planter, Bert Rimmer in 1959 and spent the rest of her life living and working across Sabah - teaching, painting and engaging deeply with local communities. After her husband’s death in 1984, Tina eventually moved to Taman Orchid in 1990, where she continued her artistic pursuits.

Tina is best remembered for her art, which captured the everyday life of Sabah with warmth, empathy and a documentarian eye. She produced more than a thousand works: sketches, watercolou rs, oils, and ink drawings, depicting village scenes, tamu (markets), indigenous communities, rural life, animals and landscapes. Her paintings form an invaluable visual archive of Sabah’s cultural heritage. A number of her paintings are on display at the Sabah Art Gallery (Read here).

She was always ready to support young talents and emerging artists. On one occasion, she even gifted us a painting created in 2000 by a young artist, which she had purchased in 2001.

In her later years, she continued drawing portraits, including meaningful and compassionate portrait work for palliative care patients. As she became physically less mobile, Tina moved to the Holy Family Residence for Senior Citizens in Papar, run by the Roman Catholic Church. Even there, she continued painting well into old age.

Before her funeral on 10.06.2017, I paid my last respects at Fook Lu Siew Funeral Parlour. Interestingly, although she chose a Christian funeral service, she also requested a Sikh cremation rite, which was carried out according to her wishes. Her ashes were then scattered at sea.

It was also Tina’s will that her former home in Taman Orchid be converted into a small gallery to preserve and display her life’s work.

Kinabalu's Fallen Heroes: Remembered, Two Years Later

On 5 June 2017, exactly two years after the devastating 2015 earthquake in Ranau (Read here), I came across an Instagram post by Jenefer Raymond that read:

"It's been 2 years since the day we wish never came... but it did, and all we can do is to accept what God has planned for us. He separated our loved one from us, but for sure will bring us all back together someday... Our tears still flow as we feel the emptiness you left that can never be filled... Till we meet again dear brother... May your soul rest in peace in the Kingdom of God."

Her words were addressed to her late brother, Tom Ricky Raymond, one of the victims of that tragic disaster. He was only 28 years old when he died.

Although I do not know Jenefer personally, she once revealed in a comment on my blog post “The Gomoron Connection” that we are distantly related through family roots (Read here). Reading her heartfelt tribute, I was reminded of the profound grief carried by her family - grief shared by all who lost loved ones in the tragedy.

On that fateful day, 5 June 2015, a magnitude 6.0 earthquake struck Ranau, Sabah, near Mount Kinabalu, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It was one of the strongest quakes ever recorded in Malaysia, unleashing landslides and massive rockfalls. Eighteen precious lives were lost - including climbers from Singapore, Malaysia, Japan, and China - while many others were injured or stranded high on the mountain.

Amid the chaos, the Kinabalu mountain guides, mostly locals from the Dusun community, emerged as true heroes. With trails obliterated and rocks still crashing down, they risked everything to rescue others: carrying the injured on their backs, guiding terrified climbers down treacherous slopes, and braving repeated aftershocks.

Tragically, four mountain guides themselves made the ultimate sacrifice while protecting and aiding climbers. They were Robbie Sapinggi, Valerian Joannes, Joseph Solungin, and Ricky Masirin (Tom Ricky Raymond) - the brother Jenefer so lovingly remembered.

In the aftermath of the disaster, Pos Malaysia issued a 60 sen commemorative stamp titled “National Heroes – Kinabalu Guides.” The design portrays a mountain guide carrying a climber over jagged rocks - a simple yet powerful image that captures their courage and selflessness.

This stamp is more than just a piece of postal history. It stands as a symbol of resilience, sacrifice, and humanity - a lasting tribute to the bravery of the Kinabalu guides and a reminder of the lives forever changed on that dark day in June 2015.

BB Connection

Friendships come in all forms. In the case of the good friends made in the university, it's quite natural and easy to discuss and talk about serious matters. In the case of casual friends, it's difficult to talk about serious matters. One would be considered blessed if you have friends whom you can talk about both personal as well as seemingly trivial matters without being laughed at or ridiculed.

I got to know K. Ravi in the early 1980's when we both served as Warrant Officers of the Second Kota Kinabalu Boys Brigade Company under the jurisdiction of Basel Christian Church KK. K. Ravi who came from West Malaysia decided in late 1970's to look for opportunity in KK, Sabah. He started off as an announcer in RTM. Being an ex-BB boy, he was keen to join a church which has a BB company. By divine intervention, he was led to Basel Christian Church KK. Beside BB connection in KK, he found his wife in KK as well. After the birth of his first child, his family decided to move back to West Malaysia or rather Johor Bahru.

After leaving Sabah some 35 years ago, he recently came back to attend the celebration of the 50th anniversary of the founding of BB First Company in Sabah. This celebration was more for boys who are now in their sixties and officers of the First KK Company. The 1st Company was officially launched in year 1967. Both K Ravi and I are not part of that legacy but were invited to join in the celebration.

K. Ravi has been working in the the media and the newspapers all his life. He is currently the Press Secretary of the Johor Royalty reporting to the Sultanah.

Reminiscing and sharing old time in KK during
the early 80's in the dinner at Dreamtel..

At the Dinner at Dreamtel.

Group photo after dinner in Dreamtel.

Dinner at New Gaya Seafood Restaurant.

After Sunday Church Service at BCCM KK. 

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A group photo taken in early 1980's when 

we were  Warrant Officers of the 

2nd KK BB Company.

Group Photo of Chaplain, Captain and Officers of the
2nd KK BB Company.

L - R: Blogger, Pastor Yong Tin Jin,
Chaplin Rev. Pang Ken Phin,
Captain Donald Soh,
W/O K. Ravi, Ms. Ho, 
W/O Liew Yun Fung.