3rd Trip to the Tip of Borneo

On 25.09.2024, we visited the Tip of Borneo for the third time. The first was on 30.05.2006 (Read here) and the second on 05.06.2015 (Read here). Coincidentally, the second trip happened to be the very day Sabah suffered the worst earthquake she had ever experienced. On that fateful day, sixteen people were confirmed dead (Read here).

Since that disaster, we did have plans to re-visit the Tip of Borneo again but somehow the plan has not been activated. The plan to re-visit was finally activated when my SIL (my wife's oldest sister, Yong Kiow) came with a group of friends to tour the surrounding of KK. When the tour ended and she and another of her friend decided to spend another three extra days in KK. With them as company, we decided to take them to the Tip of Borneo - one of the places she has yet to visit.

Yong Kiow (Right) and her friend, Teresa.

Since our last trip in 2015, significant improvement has been made at the site. This includes providing more directional signs and information at the Tip of Borneo. 

But sadly, the final stretch of the sealed road leading to the Tip of Borneo is in very deplorable condition as we have experienced first-hand in this trip. If a concert is to be held this year, the top priority will be a major road repair exercise before the event!

Quite a number of visitors came hoping to see the sunset view. Unfortunately, it was a cloudy day and the western shoreline was only splattered with patches of mild orange!

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On the way back to the car park, we detoured to the site where the annual sunset concerts are held. Quite to my surprise, other than the mildly overgrown grass, the stage and the terraced seats are still intact and reasonably well maintained. Trees behind the stage have grown much taller blocking off significant sunset views!

The Sunset Music Festival also known as the Sunset Concert, has been held annually at Tanjung Simpang Mengayau or the Tip of Borneo. It was first held in 2006. The one we attended in 2015 is the 10th. 

However, there was no music festival or concert from 2017 to 2022. This was only revived in 2023 after a gap due to the pandemic and other interruptions. The festival offers a unique open-air experience featuring local, regional, and international performances with breathtaking views of the sunset over the South China Sea and Sulu Sea. 

The concert is normally held in June. So far with three months left in 2024, there is still no sign or news to confirm whether it will be held this year.

A beautiful bay next to the open concert site.

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A piece of new information in the form of a signboard about the highest point of the Tip of Borneo has been added after our last trip in 2015.

The highest point, called Tomanggong Kurantud is named after a renowned warrior and chief of the Rungus people. Rungus is the dominant indigenous people residing in the northern region of Sabah. 

Story has it that Tomanggong Kurantud led a fight in a battle against invading pirates in the area around Tanjung Simpang Mengayau. In 1881, he signed an agreement of cooperation with the British representative of North Borneo Chartered Company to maintain peace in return for the promise of development and prosperity in this region.

A Short Visit of Ex-MU Fifian from Melaka

Ever since my graduation in early 1978, our family and Jenny's families met up whenever opportunity arose. Our most recent gathering was in September 2023 when we flew to Seremban to join the health retreat in Aenon (Read here).

My wife, Jenny and I got to know each other when we entered MU in 1973 for our tertiary education. We all stayed in the 5th Residential college. Later on during their post-graduate study for the Diploma in Education in MU, they were roommates staying in a house in Section 17, PJ.

This is the earlier photo taken in 1981 when my wife was holding our first child Serene and Jenny her first child Timothy. Both were pregnant then with their second child. Unfortunately, Jenny's second child, Nicholas died of sickness when he was just seven years old. Jenny has three more sons after Nicholas' death - Isaac, Daniel and Mathew. 

Another more recent old photo of the our three children taken together with Jenny's three sons. Jenny's three sons are Timothy (left), Isaac (standing at right) and Daniel (seated at right). Our three children: Serene (3rd from left), Samuel (2nd from left) and Paul (4th from left).

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Lunch at Akiborneo
Jenny and her husband, Patrick at right.

In our latest meet-up, I had wanted to take a group photo in our sofa which we did in 2005 and again in 2018 (Read here). Unfortunately, we were in a hurry to leave for the airport that we forgot about it!

Breakfast at the patio in our home.

Still, this is the next best shot which we took at our patio during our breakfast on 21.09.2024.

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Taking advantage of their latest trip to KK, Jenny was keen to meet up with another ex uni-mate, Lam Kee Hing whom we got to know in 1973 when we entered MU for tertiary education. We managed to find just over an hour to have yamcha on 20.09.2024 with Kee Hing just before he went for his pre-booked birthday celebration dinner with his wife. Coincidentally, 20 September happened to be Kee Hing's birthday!

Yamcha at Phoenix Star Cafe.

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There is another coincidence - Jenny and my SIL flew in the same flight to KK on 20.09.2024. My SIL came to KK for a short tour with her friends. We picked all of them from KK Airport and brought them back to our home for a short break before we sent my SIL and her friend to their hotel in KK.

With Jenny in the company, there would not be a dull moment. She would churn out story after story or more precisely miracle after miracle which happened in her life!

All ears listening to Jenny telling her stories!

We all agreed that at this stage of our lives, meeting old friends is a key activity that brings joy and happy moment!

RIP MU Ex-Fifian, Rev. Wong Kim Kong

A member of the MU Ex-Fifians Christian Fellowship whatsApp at 10.35am on 04.09.2024 that Rev. Wong Kim Kong's health was deteriorating rapidly. Shortly after at 1.45pm, another message came to inform that he has passed away at 12.52pm.

His passing was sudden and unexpected. Information provided by his family later on revealed that he was fine and normal on 01.09.2024. He started vomiting in the morning of 02.09.2024 and had difficulty with bowel movement. Tests on 03.09.2024 confirmed blockage of small intestine. His condition deteriorated quickly thereafter and he passed away the next day on 04.09.2024.

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I got to know Wong Kim Kong practically the day I entered University Malaya and checked into the 5th Residential College in April 1973. Being physically challenged, Kim Kong was allocated to stay at a room in Block C just next to the staircase leading to the Dining Hall. He was then a third year student of the Economics Faculty. Everyone in the college knew Kim Kong. We knew each other even more after we became members of the 5th Residential College Christian Fellowship. That friendship never ceases and we have since become life-long good friends. 

After graduation, we continued to communicate through our MU Fifians Chat Group. His last communication to me personally was on 27.05.2021 inviting me to join a talk given by him via Zoom entitled "Global Difficulty, Personal Opportunity - Unveiling the Anointing of Queen Esther in Adversity" scheduled on that evening.

That talk never materialized. At 8.49pm that evening, he whatsApp me to inform that "At 5.30pm, I had what the doctor said lucky stroke". Since the stroke he suffered, he had adopted a quiet and a low profile life.

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Since graduation from MU, he had been active in numerous national and international Christian and charitable ministries and organizations. He was the Founding Chairman and Executive Director of Malaysian CARE, a Christian NGO set up in 1979 committed to serving the poor and needy irrespective of religion and ethnicity (Read here). He was also the Secretary General of NECF for 15 years. He had also served as the CEO of Haggai International Alumni Association of Malaysia.

On 02.06.2001, he was conferred JMN during the 75th birthday of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Shah.

He came to KK a few times to give lectures and talks in Churches and STS. He was also invited to speak in one of our Sunday Church Worship Services of BCCM KK (E). We never failed to meet up whenever he came to KK.

The last photo I received about Kim Kong was shared by my brother after the latter preached in Diakonia Christian Church in Rawang on 24.09.2023. Rawang is the home town of Kim Kong.

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Understandably, a high profile figure liked Kim Kong was unlikely to be free from controversy. A Christian NGO called "Christians for Peace and Harmony Movement (CPHM)" under the chairmanship of Rev. Wong Kim Kong launched in 02.06.2015 did attract some negative responses. The launching which was attended by 1,200 guests and the then PM of Malaysia, Datuk Sri Najib (Read here). 

While the idea of promoting peace and harmony is noble and commendable, its association with a tainted PM has not been well received by many circles (Read here). Then on 15.12.2017, he personally whatsApp to inform me that he had relinquished the post of chairmanship of CPHM effective from 15.09.2017. The chairmanship was passed onto Elder Lee Min Choon. The following year in May 2018, Najib was ousted as the PM of Malaysia in the 14th general election of Malaysia. 

CPHM appears to have been inactive since the end of 2022 (Read here).

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Group photo of Fifians taken in late 1973
at the residence of David Tow.

Of the original Fifians (photo above), five had passed on. First is Yogeswaran from Sarawak (Front row second from right seated next to me at 1st right). Then Quah Mooi Eng (Seated at front row 1st right) in October 2014 (Read here). Third is David Tow (1st right second row seated) (Read here), a lecturer and a Fellow of 5th Residential College who opened his residence for us to meet weekly. Fourth is KC Ho (not in photo) who passed away just seven months ago (Read here). Kim Kong is seated at front row third from right.

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An ex-Fifian sums up Kim Kong's life as follows:

"Kim Kong has fought a good fight and overcame all the limitations in his life with boldness, courage and confidence. He was very focused and strongly dedicated to all the tasks that God has led him to do and he did them well". 

In remember Kim Kong, I recall a message he whatsApp me on 21.06.2020 and I 

Quote:

"I often ask Christians (especially Christian leaders) one question: "One day if we are called to be with the Lord in Heaven, how you want your friends to remember you? What would you like your children to write on your tombstone to remember what you have done?" My wife and my children will engrave these words: "Kim Kong has made a difference!" 

Unquote.

Notwithstanding his handicap and physical disability, he had achieved much more than many physically normal people. Indeed, he did make a difference! Rest in Peace Kim Kong!

24-Hour Outing to Kokol Haven - Part 2

Guests staying at the Sunrise Wing facing east have the advantage of enjoying the sunrise view the minute they get out from bed in the morning.

Morning walk and trekking was an optional activity. We chose to wander within the compound of Kokol Haven. Some among the group walked for quite a distance to reach the Kokol Cloudbase, a site further uphill where paragliding is available for the more adventurous.

Morning Walk.

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Complimentary breakfast provided by the Hotel.

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Our program for Day 2 was a visit to the stingless bees farm after checking out from Kokol Haven. After that, we would stop for lunch at the Nyuk Pao Ngiu  Chapin Menggatal. 

On the way downhill to the farm, we stopped by the roadside fruit store which sells durians and fruits. That stop turned out to be another great time for the group to enjoy and feast a "whopping" amount of D123 species durians. My wife, being a durian lover would without hesitation consider this unscheduled stop to savour durians to be the best part of the trip!

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Our stop at the House of Stingless Bee/Tantadan (Read here) was interesting and educational. For us who keep stingless bees at our backyard (Read here), we did learn some new information about the bees and the plants and flowers favoured by these bees. Another lesson on stingless bees: They can fly over a distance of 5Km from their bee hives to look for flowers and pollens!

Of course, the bee farm operator was extremely happy with our visit - their stocks of honey were practically all sold out!

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Our plan to have ngui chap after the bee farm visit had to be abandoned because we were just too full with durians in our tummies!

24-Hour Outing to Kokol Haven - Part 1

As I recalled, I was surprised to discover that CG's in our Church hardly organize outings for their members.

The last outing our family had with our Church group was at least 35 years ago before our Church moved to adopt CG system. Back then, it was called the fellowship group. We went to Sandakan for our first outing with Chio Cheng Leng's family and the family of Chan Kok Woh.

The latest outing organized by our CG lasted a mere 24 hours. With just 10 participants, this turned out to be both exciting and relaxing. We left for Kokol Haven at 2.00pm on 29.08.2024 and returned home at 2.00pm the next day. Surprisingly, we had achieved a lot within such short span of time. Weather had also been exceptionally kind to us. The night before until late morning, it was raining heavily. But by the time we commenced our trip, it was bright and sunny all the way until we returned the next day afternoon.

Checking in at the Reception Counter.

Upon check-in, we had afternoon tea/coffee at a platform just below our Sunrise units facing east. Its only drawback is the lack of a table or tables. Snacks and drinks brought along by different group members to share among the group truly made the tea/coffee break an unforgettable event!

Afternoon view of Mount Kinabalu after check-in.

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Many come to Kokol Haven to catch the sunset view. Because of the heavy rain the night before and the following morning, thick cloud partially blocked off an otherwise glamourous sunset view. Still, there was a tinge of orange and mild red!

Since  our last visit to Kokol Haven in September 2019 (Read here), the hotel owner has put in place more facilities for visitors specifically for photo taking!

The man group.

The lady group.

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Our first day ended with a pre-Mooncake Celebration immediately after our dinner. Our CG leader and his wife were generous to share a box of moon cake of unconventional design!