The North Borneo Kinabalu Guerrillas (Chinese Edition)

During World War II, the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor on 7 December 1941, and on the same day initiated a “Southward March”, invading Thailand, Hong Kong, Malaya, Singapore and the Philippines. Within 70 days the Japanese had defeated the British colony of Malaya-Singapore, and the British authorities surrendered to the Japanese. The Japanese then advanced into the British colony of Sarawak, and also North Borneo (now Sabah) they reached Labuan Island on 1 January 1942, and Beaufort on 3 January 1942. The Japanese occupied Jesselton (now Kota Kinabalu) and the west coast of North Borneo on 9 January 1942 and, later, Sandakan and Tawau on the east coast. The British officials were interned in an internment camp at Batu Lintang in Kuching. The British colonies of Sarawak and North Borneo came under the iron-fisted rule of the Japanese, which the local people could not endure. A group of patriotic youths on the west coast of Sabah, led by Lieutenant Albert Kwok Yek Nam, raised a guerrilla force to resist the iron rules of the Japanese.

A revolt was launched on 9 October 1943 (the eve of the Chinese Double Ten Revolt in China), killing 50 Japanese. The revolt was a success. However, due to a shortage of weapons and the non-arrival of the promised military help from the Philippines U.S. Army, the group dispersed into the jungle. The Japanese took their revenge by rounding up all those involved in the revolution and executing many of them at Petagas.

After that time spirit of resistance flared up from time to time until October 1945, after the Japanese had surrendered and the last Japanese was rounded up and put in the detention camp at Tanjong Aru to be sent back to Japan.

The struggle of Lieutenant Kwok and his men was short, but not forgotten. Each year, the Sabah Government and the descendants of the guerrillas hold a memorial ceremony to commemorate the heroic incident.

The book covers the Japanese invasion, Japanese rule and the atrocities committed by the Japanese Military Police. The author interviewed a few remaining guerrillas and their descendants to uncover the events that took place during the guerrilla warfare. The book will remind the public to remember those who died for them.

Author(s): Daniel Chin

The author lived through the 3-years-8-months Japanese Occupation of North Borneo in WWII and was lucky to survive. He wanted to expose the hardship of the people brought about by the War. He met the last few remaining guerrillas of the “Double 10 Revolt” and their descendants and recorded the tragic involvement of the Guerrillas. He discovered the diary of the then senior British government official Mr George Woolley, which revealed many details about life during the War. The genuine records of Mr Wong Yun Ching, a founder of the Kinabalu Guerrilla movement, on the Incident of the “Double 10 Revolt” record the actual happenings during the War.

His vivid memories of the Invasion and many remnants of the tragic events help him to paint a vivid picture of the Incident which otherwise would have been lost.

Publisher: Opus Publications

First Published: 2009

No. of Pages: xxxiv +223 pp.

Size: 19 x 25.5 cm (Softcover)

ISBN: 978-983-3987-34-4

Cover: SB

Price: US $14.00

Weight: 800g

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