The North Borneo Herald. FRIDAY, 1ST FEBRUARY 1924. RETIREMENT OF INSPECTOR SANG.

THE NORTH BORNEO HERALD AND THE OFFICIAL GAZETTE

EDUCATIONAL SERIES BY BORNEO HISTORY

No. 3 - VOL.XLII. SANDAKAN, FRIDAY, 1ST FEBRUARY 1924.

The North Borneo Herald.

FRIDAY, 1ST FEBRUARY 1924.

RETIREMENT OF INSPECTOR SANG.

The beginning of the year sees the close of another long career in the B. N. B. Company's Service, though fortunately by retirement not by death. Inspector Sang, of the B. N. B. Armed Constabulary retired on pension on 21st January, after 31 years' service. He now goes to live at Papar, where he has house and land.

A Sea Dyak by birth, he first came to B. N. B. from Saribas in Sarawak in 1892, with his cousin, to his uncle, who, after a term of service in the Constabulary had resigned and started as a Jungle Produce worker in the Kinabatangan and Labuk districts. On arrival in Sandakan the 2 boys Sang was then about 19 found that free Dyaks were not wanted in the Labuk, and they both joined the Police. His record of service shows that he enlisted on 5th of May 1896, his 3rd stripe in 1902 and became Native Officer on 1st January 1916.

In early years on the Labuk he was friend of Mat Salleh's, who then lived there with his father Haji Butu, and was a bright and pleasant companion: this fact enabled him in after years to identify Mat Saleh's body in the Tebabar fort in Tambunan and testify to the falseness of the report of his escape. A curious formation in Mat Salleh's feet helped to make the identification certain the toes of both feet were all of the same length, except that the little toe was a trifle shorter the foot therefore left a square ended impression.

Sang knew the East Coast only slightly: his service was spent in Sandakan, Labuk, Kudat, West Coast and Interior. As a Native Officer he has been in charge of the Police in the Interior since 5th January, 1917, where in all Native affairs his wide knowledge and experience has been of great value.

He went to England twice, once with the contingent for Queen Victoria's Jubilee and the second time for the King Edward VII's coronation he held the medals for those events, and also the medal for the Ranau (Mat Salleh) expedition of the 1897-1898 and the Tambunan expedition of 1899. On these two latter occasions he was in charge of coolies, stores, ammunition, etc, and as already noted, was present at the closing scenes at Tambunan. Later, he was Assistant Transport Officer to the Tenom Tawau Survey expedition.

The Inspector takes with him the respect and good wishes of all who have worked with or under him. May many years of peace and happiness be still in store for him.

-/ss