In Dec 1942 in North Borneo, Albert Kwok set up a militant resistance organisation with the aim of overthrowing Japanese rule. This organisation was called the Kinabalu Guerrillas. Albert Kwok Yuk Nam (Chinese name: Guo Yi Nan) was a Chinese business man from Kuching, Sarawak. He studied Chinese medicine in China and he moved to Jesselton (now known as Kota Kinabalu) in May 1941 to start a Chinese medical business. In China, he was also involved in anti-Japanese activities and continued with these activities when he returned to Borneo. In July 1943, Albert was appointed as a Lieutenant in the United States Army Forces in the Philippines (USAFP) and returned to Sabah as a Military Intelligence Officer for the USAFP.
Albert enlisted the help of many like-minded people to resist the Japanese. One of them was Jules Stephens (Jules was a native Kadazan and also the father of Donald Stephens, later became Tun Fuad Stephens, and the first Chief Minister of Sabah) was a sergeant in the North Borneo Volunteer Force (NBVF)). Another was Li Tet Phui, a lieutenant in the NBVF. Stephens and Li (and many others too many to be listed here) helped to organise military training for the guerrillas. Other members of the NBVF were also involved in the resistance movement.
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| Albert Kwok |
The Kinabalu Guerillas consisting of 300 Chinese, island peoples like Suluks[3][4] and Bajau,[5] Dusuns and Sikhs started an uprising against the Japanese on 10 September 1943 since it was the eve of 10 October 1943, the National Day of the Republic of China and Albert Kwok was a supporter of the Kuomintang government of the Republic of China. The uprising was known as the "Jesselton Revolt" or "Double Tenth" incident. A Muslim cleric from the Sulu in the Philippines, Imam Marajukim, who was involved in the resistance against Japan in the Philippines, helped supply Kwok and the Kinabalu guerillas. Suluks were described as "strong disposed to be anti-Japanese". Imam Marajukim helped the Chinese secure the indigenous participation in the uprising by Panglima Ali's Suluks, Mantanni and Danawan (Dinawan) islands Binadan inhabitants and Oudar Islanders under Orang Tuah Arshad.
In October 1943, the Kinabalu Guerrillas learnt that the Japanese Army planned to conscript some 2000 or so young people for military service. On the other hand, Maxwell Hall said that 3000 youths were needed, including Chinese girls to be deployed as comfort women. The Kinabalu Guerrillas decided to attack the Japanese before they could put their own plans into effect.
On 9 October 1943, the Kinabalu Guerrillas launched surprise attacks on the towns of Tuaran and Menggatal, killing 47 Japanese soldiers and civilians. This event was also known variously as the Double-Tenth (symbolising 10 October 1911 uprising against the Qing Dynasty government in China) Rebellion and the Jesselton Uprising. The Chinese and Suluks started the insurrection by attacking the Japanese in Jesselton, with the Suluks from the coastal islands assaulting a warehouse from the sea and burning it down. Mantanani and other islands contributed ships to the Suluk flotilla of Suluk (Sulug) Island leader Orang Tuah Panglima Ali and Oudar (Udar) Island leader Orang Tuah Arshad. Panglima Ali was the primary leader of the naval part of the uprising.The 100 strong Chinese guerrilla force was led by Alberk Kwok (I. N. Kwok)(Guo Yi Nan)(Guo Hengnan) and first took control of the Menggatal and Tuaran police stations, and then used parangs to attack the Japanese on land in Jesselton, while the 200 strong guerrilla force of Suluks and Bajau from the coastal islands led by Sulug Island leader Orang Tuah Panglima Ali, Udar Island leader Orang Tuah Arshad, Mantanani Island leader Jemalul and Dinawan Island leader Saruddin led the naval part of the uprising from the sea, assaulting the city and burning down warehouses. Dusun-Murut and Sikh Indians joined the guerillas in the attack on the Japanese. The Japanese suffered 60-90 deaths at the hands of the guerrilla forces armed with parang and spears, but as they did not have sufficient weapons, the guerillas were forced to withdraw.This led to the defeat of the uprising. Another figure for the Japanese death toll is 40, or 50.The guerrillas withdrew to the Mengattal area to await reinforcements from the American-Filipino guerrilla unit on Tawi-tawi island which failed to arrive till 29 Dec By then the Kinabalu Guerrillas were forced to withdraw when Japanese reinforcements arrived from Kuching. The guerrillas then dispersed into smaller groups and managed to hold out in the hills near Menggatal for two whole months. However, acombination of the guerrillas' inadequate military training, the lack of food, the relentless Japanese pursuits and reprisals against the guerrillas' relatives and other civilians, the rebellion was brought to an end on 19 December 1943.
After the revolt, Japan punished civilian populations, especially the Suluks of the coastal islands for siding with the rebels. The Suluks were selected for eradication by the Japanese. Hundreds of civilians were tortured after being arrested by the Japanese. Most Suluk men were slaughtered by the Japanese since the Suluks were deliberately targeted by the Japanese for annihilation. It was described as a "systematic massacre" against the Suluks. "The Tokyo war crimes trial" index described Japanese atrocities as "an apparently systematic attempt to exterminate the Suluk race between February & June 1944".
The Japanese suspected the Suluks and Binadins participation in the uprising since the Suluks and Binadins were the only ones with seafearing capability and the Japanese correctly deduced that it was a naval attack which led to the buildings the guerillas had burned down. The Suluks on Mantanani Islands were subjected to multiple massacres and atrocities by the Japanese Kempeitai. After the Japanese searched the islands in February 1944, looking for a Chinese resistance member, they obtained information regarding Suluks who participated in the uprising through torture from Dr. Lou Lai. The Japanese in Jesselton then tortured to death 58 Suluk men from Mantani whom they arrested, two days after that, the Japanese then massacred two groups of Suluks, one consisting of women and men who were shot by machine gun, and another group of 4 children and 25 women who were ordered to be machine gunned by Lieutenant Shimizu, the Suluk children and women were rounded up and lashed together with rope to a Mosque, and then shot to death with the machine guns. Only 125 out of the 430 strong Suluk population of Mantani survived. Only 54 out of the 120 strong Suluk population of Dinawan survived with all the men dead after being massacred by the Japanese. Mangolun (Mengalum), Sulug and Udar islands were also targeted by the Japanese for massacres. The Japanese slaughtered 54 people out of the 114 strong Suluk population on Sulug Island as punishment for aiding the resistance. The Suluk houses were also burned down after they were machine gunned. The Mantanani and Suluk islands suffered immensely from the Japanese reprisals.
The Suluks were described as "virtually wiped out". Around 3,000-4,000 indigenes on the western coastal islands were slaughtered by the Japanese.
On 21 January 1944, some 176 guerrillas were executed at Petagas, amongst them were Albert Kwok, Li Tet Phui, Jules Stephens, Charles Peter and Panglima Ali. The remaining 131 were sent to labour camps in Labuan. An indication of the conditions at Labuan can be gleaned from the fact that there were only 14 survivors. In 1949, the remains of the Kinabalu Guerrillas who perished in Labuan were brought back in jars and buried next to their heroic comrades at Petagas. Their return remained a well-kept secret until 1979 when the jars were discovered during the reconstruction of the Petagas Memorial. The Jessleton uprising resulted in the shifting of the headquarters of the 37th Japanese Imperial Army from Kuching to Jesselton and the stepping up of local resistance against the Japanese till their eventual surrender on 9 September 1945.
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