Monday, September 22, 2008

Tanjung Simpang Mengayau, Kudat Sabah.












Tanjung Simpang Mengayau, also known as the Northernmost tip of Borneo, is located in the district of Kudat, in the state of Sabah, Malaysia. The tip is the meeting point of Sulu and South China Sea.
A bronze globe marks the location of Tanjung Simpang Mengayau on the globe at latitude 7 degrees north and longitude 116 degrees east. A map featuring the island of Borneo is embossed in bronze and laid on a flat surface at an angle with inscriptions to mark the Tip of Borneo.
The history of the name of this place originally known as SAMPANG MANGAYAU. The area was known for sea traders from all places to Moore their ship for a rest or take refuge during the rough sea season.
But the sea area of the Simpang Mengayau was also well known for its sea pirets. And that is how its got its name in the first place. 'Sampang' means in a local dialect (Bajau Laut) a place of meeting or a place of gathering and 'Mangayau' is attacking or hijacking.
On the early mapping of year 60's and 70's, it still retain its original name 'Sampang Mangayau' and if you fortunate to have an old map you can see it stated as 'Sampang Mangayau'.
Only in the later year somewhere in the year 80's that they change the name to 'SIMPANG MENGAYAU'. Maybe there are thinking the name was miss pelt.
When Sampang Mangayau was rediscovered in the 2000's as the tip of North Borneo. It really put Sampang Mangayau and Kudat town on the world maps and it becomes another tourist destination.
Certain groups from a different ethnic, namely the Rungus see the potential and influence the public and tourists claiming that the name Simpang Mengayau was founded and named by the ethnic Rungus (Kadazan/Dusun)and there are creating 'Legenda Simpang Mengayau'. Which infect it was named by the ethnic Bajau Laut (Ubian, Banadan and Suluk) give its original name as 'SAMPANG MANGAYAU' simply because its sea area was infested by pirates.
I know its pirate history is hard to swallow, but please DO NOT CHANGE the course of its history for the sake of lifting up certain ethnic group and commercializing it.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Wah enjoy kamurang di Simpang Mengayau ..bah sia add ko in my link kio ..

Anonymous said...

Ok...