127-year-old diaries of former British colonial in Sabah documented into book

KOTA KINABALU (July 23): The 127-year-old diaries belonging to former British colonial officer Alexander Rankin Johnstone Dunlop (A.R Dunlop) are currently stored at the Sabah State Archives building, while the contents have been documented in a book.

Director General of the Sabah State Public Service Department, Datuk Zainudin Aman when launching the book, said, ‘The Diaries of Alexander Rankin Johnstone Dunlop (1897-1901)’ will be fully utilised by the community as a reference material for researchers and future generations.

“A.R. Dunlop’s diaries are very significant because he was a British officer who was involved in several battles with Mat Salleh and held many important positions while serving in North Borneo.

“I am confident that the publication of this book will be fully utilised by the community not only within this state, but throughout the country who wish to refer to the records kept at the Sabah State Archives, especially by researchers who are mostly high school students and university students and also scholars,” he said.

Zainudin also said the book is very suitable to be read and referred to by all levels of society because the purpose of this publication is to spread and bring to public knowledge how a copy of the diaries by a former British colonial officer who had served in North Borneo can provide an overview of past events which has significance for this state.

Zainudin in his speech also called on the Sabah State Archives to continue its responsibilities as a department that not only manages and stores valuable records and archives, but acts as a storehouse of knowledge where students, researchers and future generations can refer and do research.

According to him, more collaboration needs to be implemented so that the existence of every valuable record in the archive store can be spread in social media as a promotion to enable the stored valuable records and archives to be consulted, reviewed, studied and researched as much as possible.

Also present at the book launching ceremony were director of State Archives, Shirley Sion and co-editor, Stella Moo-Tan.

The book was co-edited by Stella and a Sabahan historian, Professor Datuk Dr Danny Wong Tze Ken who is also the Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, Universiti Malaya.

-Agency