SNBS
(Special Edition)
Educational
British
North Borneo History
Pangiran
Osman and OKK Pangiran Omar of Sipitang
Mohon
Izin : (Pangiran Mohd Yacob) ( Kok Yun Lim)
Pangiran
Osman Bin OKK Pangiran Omar was the Deputy Assistant District Officer (DADO) of
Putatan District.
Also,
the Pangiran's father, OKK Pangiran Omar, had earlier served as DADO of Putatan
District for several years. Pangiran Osman Bin OKK Pangiran Omar was a member
of a Brunei Malay family that was traditionally recognised as one of the Native
Chiefs in Sipitang and the Padas Damit area.
His
father, OKK Pangiran Omar, was first appointed by the Chartered Company as Head
Native Chief Sipitang of Province Clarke in 1911, even though he had already
been the de facto chief for the area long before that. In 1912, he was made
Head Chief of South Keppel District, which covered two sub district of Putatan
and Papar.
In
1915, after the Charted Company introduced series of reforms to the native
administration, Pangiran OKK Omar was appointed Deputy Assistant District
Officer of South Keppel District. It was the first appointment by the Charted
Company. As one of the preferred Native Chiefs trusted by the Charted Company,
OKK Pangiran Omar was also appointed to the newly established Advisory Council.
He
continued to serve as DADO until retirement on the 2nd September 1923. OKK
Pangiran Omar passed away in 1925. For most of his tenure as DADO of South
Keppel, OKK Pangiran Omar was based in Putatan.
Pangiran
Osman was born in 1884 and was 37 years old when he was first appointed AS DADO
of Labuk and Sugut. As there was only a European Assistant District Officer in
the district, Pangiran Osman had to shoulder the burden of administering the
district two river basins with the assistance of other Native Chief and clerks.
Apparently,
he was a good administrator and was duly recognised by the Charted Company; in
1925, he was appointed DADO of the larger district of Kinabatangan. As there
was no European officer stationed in the District, he was the sole
representative. In 1927, Pangiran Osman was transferred back to Labuk and
Sugut. Once again, Pangiran Osman was given responsibility to administer a
District without the presence of European officers.}
This
was surely a testimony to the ability of the man. After 10 years of service on
the east coast, Pangiran Osman was transferred to his father's old District on
the West Coast the Putatan District. In 1932, Pangiran Osman was appointed DADO
of Penampang but still looking after Putatan.
In
the late 1932, Pangiran Osman was transferred to Tuaran as DADO. In 1937,
Pangiran Osman was transferred to Tenom. In the same year Pangiran Osman
younger brother, Pangiran Ahmad Raffae was appointed Native Chief Grade 2 for
Sipitang. Thus the cycle was complete that OKK Pangiran Omar family once again
recognised as the leading family in Sipitang.
OKK
Pangiran Omar was instrumental in compiling a Code of Mohamedan Custom written
in 1912 and Pangiran Osman like his father compiled the Dusun Adat or Customs
in 1932...
GC
Woolley, probably first became acquainted with the Pangiran's family through a
meeting with Pangiran Omar in 1907. According to Whoolley, the old Pangiran was
"quite a nice old man", the meeting took place on the second day
after Whoolley was appointed District Officer for Province Clarke which cover
Pangiran's home base of Sipitang and its vicinity. Whoolley was appointed
acting commissioner of lands in 1910.
Pangiran
Omar appointed Head of Native Chief for Province of Clarke in 1911. GC Woolley
have close relationships with Pangiran Osman and Pangiran Omar. Whoolley was
present at Pangiran Omar's House during Hari Raya in 1909 when he took
photographs of the Pangiran and family.
This
photographs were mounted and given to Pangiran Omar. When Whoolley heard that
Pangiran Osman was getting married in Sipitang in July 1910, he wrote to
Pangiran Osman sending his best wishes and attaching a cigarette case to him as
a gift. In return, Pangiran Osman sent a wedding memento a Brunei cigarette
case with gilt band and butterfly.
This
was the only instance of Whoolley mentioning having sent a wedding gift to a
local. Even after Whoolley was transferred to Jesselton, Whoolley treasured his
ties with Pangiran Omar and Pangiran Osman. In March 1912, Whoolley ordered a
fountain pen from Robinson of Singapore for Pangiran Omar.
Source
: Dusun Customs Putatan District by Prof Danny Wong.
Photos
: George Whoolley Collection / Sabah State Museum
Edited
by Kumis Kumis..
(Photos
of Pangiran Mohd Yacob of Sipitang the Grand Son of Pangiran Osman and the
Great Grand Son of OKK Pangiran Omar who has requested SNBS to source George
Whoolley book special thanks to Datuk Chan of National History Publications for
his assistant to source the book.)
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