Colour of Time: Chapter 10: Rampas Gumpai - A Man Dedicated to Public Service

Rampas Gumpai was another brother of my grandmother, Lotimboi. Although his life was relatively short, it was undeniably a colourful and eventful one.

1907 - 1966

In contrast, his older brother Dungko - whom I regard as a private, family-oriented man who devoted a significant part of his life to serving the community as a pastor and faithful servant of God - Rampas had a very different personality and path in life.

In contrast, Rampas lived a rather “wild” and unconventional life, choosing a path unbounded by Christian values or expectations. He had five wives and was married a total of six times. Following the divorce of his fifth wife, he remarried his fourth wife, whom he had previously divorced. His wives, in chronological order, were Lomidai, Linting, Normin, Limpoton, and Bongnyok. Limpoton remained with him until his passing. Through these marriages, Rampas fathered 13 children.

Rampas was a prominent local community leader and played a pivotal role in the founding and development of Kiulu. He served the people of Kiulu with dedication, leaving a lasting impact on the community. His life and contributions are fairly well documented in a commemorative booklet titled Hari Kenangan, Jadau Kahandaman - OKK Rampas Gumpai, published on 25 May 1997.

EARLY LIFE

Rampas Gumpai, originally named Gampas, was born in 1907 in Kg. Lumpoho. He later moved and spent his formative years in Kg. Tiung. In 1938, he and his elder brother, Dungko, relocated to Menggatal, where Rampas worked as a labourer on a Chinese-owned rubber estate.

However, with the guidance and encouragement of his brother, Rampas was steered away from a life of manual labour toward a more meaningful role in public service. This pivotal change began when he was advised to study the traditional laws and customs of the Dusun people under the mentorship of Orang Tua Majangkat, an English interpreter at the Menggatal court.

Life in the villages during the 1930s and 1940s was fraught with hardship. In addition to frequent crop destruction by wild animals, villagers also faced deadly outbreaks of disease, such as cholera, which could decimate entire communities. In 1941, Rampas left Menggatal and returned to Kg. Ranap - one of the few villages still inhabited. This move came in the wake of a tragic cholera outbreak that, in 1939, had led OKK Impas to instruct residents of several nearby villages to evacuate after the epidemic claimed nearly all their lives.

JAPANESE OCCUPATION

During the Japanese occupation of North Borneo, life in the kampung became even more difficult. With access to supplies from the local tamu (market) cut off, villagers were forced into hard labour, including road construction, and compelled to surrender their farm produce to the Japanese forces stationed in Tuaran. The Japanese Kempetai appointed local inhabitants to act as their agents and representatives, instructing them to collect food and other necessities from the villagers. Disobedience was met with brutal consequences - those who failed to comply risked being shot or executed.

In 1945, Orang Tua (OT) Lingguman, the village head of Kg. Ranap, was executed by the Japanese under suspicion of collaborating with the Chinese resistance. Following his death, the Kempetai appointed Rampas as his replacement - both as their agent and as a clerk responsible for continuing the collection of produce from the area. Rampas carried out his duties diligently, earning the trust of the Japanese authorities.

During this period, movement was heavily restricted, and survival was harsh. Many villagers fled to remote areas to hide. Almost all Dusun labourers, who had been working in rubber estates owned by Chinese and European planters, abandoned their jobs and returned to their home villages for safety. Tragically, many conscripted workers tasked with building roads died from cholera, malnutrition, and the absence of medical care.

BRITISH ADMINISTRATION 1947 – 1963

The defeat of the Japanese by the Allied forces in the Pacific brought peace and a renewed sense of hope to North Borneo. With the British assuming control from the harsh Japanese regime, the people looked forward to a more stable and just administration.

In 1947, Rampas was appointed as the Orang Tua (OT) of Kg. Kiulu by the Tuaran District Office. The following year, in 1948, he was promoted to Orang Kaya-Kaya (OKK) of the Kiulu area, a position he held until the late 1950s.

During his tenure, OKK Rampas demonstrated outstanding leadership and foresight. One of his most notable initiatives was the distribution and clearing of land for rubber plantations, aimed at boosting the local economy. He also encouraged rural villagers to move from remote, isolated areas to settlements closer to more developed urban centers, improving access to services and infrastructure.

At the time, the British colonial government had prohibited private individuals from planting rubber. Those who disobeyed faced punitive action. However, OKK Rampas showed both courage and defiance by personally instructing the villagers to proceed with rubber planting. To reassure those who were uncertain or fearful, he boldly told them:

“If anyone asks you who gave you permission to plant rubber, just say it’s from Rampas.”

Empowered by his words, many villagers began clearing the forest and planting rubber trees. Some also started ploughing and cultivating their land for other crops.

In distributing land, OKK Rampas was notably fair and inclusive. Land was allocated to anyone willing to work it - regardless of gender. Initially, each person received five acres, but this was later increased to fifteen. He appointed village heads to oversee the land distribution process and personally visited various kampungs to ensure the land was being properly utilized.

In 1951, OKK Rampas applied for a government grant to build a road linking Tamparuli to Kiulu. The application was approved, with the condition that construction would be carried out by local villagers. While the exact amount of funding remains unknown, he introduced a fair payment system: RM60 was paid for each chain of road built, RM80 for steeper terrain, and RM40 for flat sections. The road was completed by 1953, but due to its narrow and hazardous sections, it wasn’t until 1955 that the first vehicle - a Land Rover - successfully made the journey to Kiulu.

Recognizing the importance of education, OKK Rampas spearheaded the construction of a school to serve the children of Kiulu. In 1952, Sekolah Rendah Kebangsaan (SRK) Pekan Kiulu was established. Due to the region’s difficult terrain and lack of roads, construction materials such as cement and nails had to be airlifted by helicopter. Roofing zinc sheets were transported via rafts along the Tuaran River, a treacherous journey made difficult by numerous rapids. Timber for the school and teacher quarters was sourced from nearby forests. OKK Rampas even taught locals how to plank timber boards from logs. The old shop houses in the town were constructed by local craftsmen using these locally sourced materials.

By 1950, OT Saguman was the only trader in Kiulu with a license to operate a shop, making him one of the earliest shopkeepers in the area. OKK Rampas also owned several shop houses, although he later sold three of them to other individuals. He played a pivotal role in bringing a Chinese trader to Kiulu - an individual who went on to become very successful, with his descendants continuing the family business and maintaining their legacy in Kiulu to this day.