Tongod – Heart of Sabah
” In 1959 I needed to go upriver Kinabatangan by boat for a week then only I reached to Tongod jetty. Coming up to the jetty there’s a sundry shop owned by a Teochew Towkay who’s my bemst friend. He always offered me a cup of coffee before I walked to my workplace; the Tongod hospital !! “. I was shocked to know from my father that he was working in Tongod in 1959 and he said those days journey to Tongod was by boat and you would see the wildlife paradise of Kinabatangan river. Today as I told him that the 55km bitumined road journey from Telupid to Tongod just needed 45min; he felt amazed to the development brought by the government to the people of Tongod.
My father had told me a lot of WW2 stories that he had heard from his Teochew friend in Tongod IN WHICH today the exact stories was told to me by MR FOSHING JULIUS (mobile number +6019 8323208);the grandson of my father’s Teochew friend.
During WW2, Japanese soldiers coming out from the interior stationed at Tongod and occupied the Teochew Towkay’s sundry shop. Today visitors coming to Tongod to visit the old ancient “Chinese Sundry Shop” will have an opportunity to meet up with MR FOSHING JULIUS and to hear his great stories especially the “BAGONG”. I had personally suggested to Mr Foshing to build the “BAGONG MEMORIAL” for the tourism potential in Tongod.
Tongod is also geographically located in the Heart of Sabah at the river mouth of Tongod River. There were several old church buildings built by the earlier missionaries like Father John Godrick; Father Lomex and others. Tongod is also where surveyor BRUCE WALTER SANDERLAND -O.B.E was buried.
MR FUSHING JULIUS offers a 2 days 1 night homestay in Tongod where he will bring you upriver Tongod to experience the river life apart from sharing to you his WW2 stories.
TYK Adventure Tours also offers a full day mountain biking tour from Telupid to Tongod to get to know more about the “BAGONG”…………
Written by Tham Yau Kong