NEW THEORY ON THE EVOLUTION OF THE NAME OF SABAH: Teori Baharu tentang Evolusi Nama Sabah

Jude James; Sanen Marshall

doi:10.51200/jba.v10i1.7197

Authors

Jude James Faculty of Psychology and Education, University of Malaysia Sabah, 88400 Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia
Sanen Marshall Centre for the Promotion of Knowledge and Language Learning, University of Malaysia Sabah, 88400 Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.51200/jba.v10i1.7197

Keywords:

Sabah, North Borneo, Sabahan, Log Burial

Abstract

This article investigates the origin and evolution of the name "Sabah" and its varying acceptance and use across the state's regions, with a focus on the differences between the east and west coasts. Through an analysis of historical records and recent scholarly discussions among Sabah academics, the study uncovers potential geopolitical implications arising from competing historical narratives, particularly in relation to the claims by the defunct Sulu Sultanate over eastern Sabah. The findings challenge prevailing theories and offer new insights into how the name "Sabah" has influenced regional identities and political discourse. Trouillot (1995) argues that the formation of alternative narratives often involves power dynamics and the deliberate selection of historical facts, which are frequently based on an overreliance on institutional sources from colonial and post-colonial eras. These narratives can either obscure or emphasize certain historical events to align with specific political agendas, leading to the emergence of multiple and potentially conflicting interpretations. This theoretical framework is particularly relevant to understanding the renaming of North Borneo to Sabah, a topic that has been underexplored but carries important implications for regional identity and geopolitical claims. The change from North Borneo to Sabah is a critical aspect of the region's history that has not been widely covered in historical writings, yet it is crucial in understanding Sabah's formation and identity. Therefore, this paper seeks to explore alternative perspectives, supported by historical documents, to challenge and expand upon the existing theories proposed by previous researchers.

References

List of References

Archival Record

British North Borneo Herald. 1st July 1893.

British North Borneo Herald. 1st August 1893.

British North Borneo Herald. 1st January 1894.

British North Borneo Herald. 1st August 1896.

British North Borneo Herald. 1st August 1899.

CO874/248, Magistrate-in-Charge of the Sugut-Labuk District A.R. Dunlop to L.P. Beaufort (Campong Trusan, Sugut: 12 August 1889).

Cobbold Commission. (1962). Report of the Commission of enquiry, North Borneo and Sarawak, 1962. Kuching, Government Printing Office.

Malaysia Agreement 1963, UK-Malaysia, 28th August, 1963, United Nation Treaty Collection.

Book and Journal

Appell, G.N. (1990). Guide to the Varieties of Oral Literature in Borneo. Borneo Research Bulletin 22, (2), 98-113.

Appell, G.N. 1967. Ethnography of northern Borneo: critical review of some recent publications. Oceania, 37(3), 178-185.

Black, I. D. (1970). Native Administration by the British North Borneo Chartered Company, 1878-1915.

Chia, S. (2014). Pengebumian Keranda Kayu Balak di Kinabatangan, Sabah (Penerbit USM). Penang: Penerbit USM.

Gin, O. K. (2010). The Japanese Occupation of Borneo, 1941-45. UK: Routledge.

Harrison, T. (1970). The prehistory of Borneo. Asian Perspectives, 13, 17-45.

Hatton, J. (1881). "The New Ceylon.": Being a Sketch of British North Borneo, or Sabah. From Official and Other Exclusive Sources of Information. USA: Chapman and Hall.

James, J., Talin, R., & Bikar, S. S. (2022). Etymology of the Term "Dusun" from Literature Perspectives of Old Written Records. Journal of Borneo-Kalimantan, 8(1), 1-13.

Moor, J. H. (1968). Notices of the Indian archipelago and adjacent countries. London: Frank Cass.

Okushima, M. (2003). Ethnic background of the Tidung: Investigation of the extinct rulers of coastal northeast Borneo. 上智アジア, The Journal of Sophia Asian studies, (21), 233-260.

Pryer, W. B. (1893). A decade in Borneo. London: Hutchinson & Company

Roth, H. L., & Low, H. B. (1896). The natives of Sarawak and British North Borneo: Based chiefly on the mss. of the late HB Low, Sarawak government service (Vol. 1). London: Truslove & Hanson.

Sabin, Y. S., Jusoh, A., Ali, W. N. W. M., & Ramli, Z. (2017). Motif Manusia Dalam Pola Hias Keranda Kayu Balak Di Sabah. Jurnal Arkeologi Malaysia, 30(1).

Singh, R. (2000). The Making of Sabah, 1865-1941: The Dynamics of Indigenous Society. Kuala Lumpur: University of Malaya Press.

Smith, A. D. (1979). Nationalism in the twentieth century. Australia: Australian National University Press.

Smith, A. D. 1992. National identity and the idea of European unity. International affairs, 68(1), 55-76.

Stockwell, A. J. (Ed.). (2004). Malaysia (Vol. 8). London: The Stationery Office.

Trouillot, M. R. (2015) . Silencing the past: Power and the production of history. USA: Beacon Press.

Warren, J. F. (2007). The Sulu Zone, 1768-1898: The dynamics of external trade, slavery, and ethnicity in the transformation of a Southeast Asian maritime state. Singapore: Nus Press.

Warren, J. F. (2010). The port of Jolo: International trade and slave raiding. In Kleinen and Osseweijer, 2010, pp. 178-199.

Warren, J.F. (1978). Who were the Balangingi Samal? Slave raiding and ethnogenesis in nineteenth-century Sulu. The Journal of Asian Studies, 37(3), 477-490.

Wong, D. (2015). The name of Sabah and the sustaining of a new identity in a new nation. Archipel. Études interdisciplinaires sur le monde insulindien, (89), 161-178.

Yew, C. W., Hoque, M. Z., Pugh-Kitingan, J., Voo, C. L. Y., Rangsangan, J., Lau, S. T. Y., ... & Xu, S. H. (2017). Genetic and Historical Migration Relationships of Three Northern Sabah Native Ethnic Groups with Their Southern China and Southeast Asia Neighbours. Short Communications in Biotechnology, Vol. 4 / 2017, pp. 51-61.

Paper Work

Joko, E. P. (2014). Isu pemilikan wilayah pantai timur Sabah: Satu penelusuran daripada sudut sumber sejarah. Jurnal Kinabalu, 20.

Pryer, W. B. (1883). Notes on North-eastern Borneo and the Sulu islands. In Proceedings of the Royal Geographical Society and Monthly Record of Geography, Vol. 5, No. 2, pp. 90-96. UK: Royal Geographical Society (with the Institute of British Geographers), Wiley.

Sabin, Y.S., Shuhaimi N.K & Ramli Z. (2010). Agop Sarupi Sebagai Tapak Pengebumian Keranda Kayu Balak di Sabah. Prosiding Seminar Kebangsaan Penanda Arasan Penyelidikan Arkeologi di UKM. Bangi: Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia.

Sauman Sabin, Yunus. (2015). Taburan Pengebumian Keranda Kayu Balak Di Sabah. Prosiding Seminar Antarabangsa Ke-4 Arkelogi, Sejarah dan Budaya di Alam Melayu, Malaysia: Pusat Penyelidikan Langkawi.

Websites

Shari Jeffri@Kumis-Kumis. (2022). Menjejak Sejarah Silam Borneo Utara/Sabah. Dipetik daripada https://www.facebook.com/historycontinualearningprocess/ pada Jun 2024.

Interview

Mr. Helmi@Sadik. 43 Years Old. Kg Sepagaya, Lahad Datu. Jalan Sabahan, Ancient Village Location. 04 September 2023.