brIEf hIstOry Of sEmpOrnA, sAbAh.

Assalamualaikum,
I come from Semporna, Sabah..

Semporna was founded soon after the British North Borneo Company established Sandakan, and initially settled by Chinese traders. The name Semporna, means place of rest, and was given after the British quelled resistance from the local Bajaus in the mid-1880s.

'Tong Talun' was the original name of Semporna. The disrict of Semporna was initially part of the Sulu Sultanate, a ruling power that had its grasp on parts of Philippines and North Borneo. In 1876 and for nearly a century, the area known as North Borneo came under the governance of the British North Borneo Chartered Company.

The Dutch came by Semporna in June 1876 but never actually defeated the British to attain the island. Then in 1963 after a referundum, the state of Sabah joined the independent Fedetarion of Malaya, what is now Malaysia. Chinese traders played an important role in building up the economy of this coastal town. Marine products from back then were the main sources of livehood for the local inhabitants. A wide range of pearls are still now produced for the local and international market. Seaweed farming and clam cultivation are some of the other ventures.

Pulau Umaral (Omadal), a small island south east of Semporna is home to the first established settlement. Umaral, also known to some as Omadal is where the original Bajau tribe existed. These expert seafarers eventually established themselves in neighboring islands and on the mainland. Inscriptions of Quadratic verses on old gravestones and traditional culture steeped with the teachings of Islam point to the muslim religion amongst the Bajau.

Living here also are the sea gypsies known as the 'Palauh' who have retained their drifting seafaring lifestyle. The traditional nomads of this kind still skim the waters in their boathouses, using the reef in their forage for food. It is not an unusual sights to see the caravans of the sea gypsies in transit from reef to fishing ground.

Today, the local population include a colourful mix of local Bajau, Chinese, Philippino and Indonesian all who bring with them their individual culture, language and dialects. These people who do not often meet foreigners make some of the friendliest, unassuming people ever.

..I hOpE yOU EnjOy..