Get a Clock

Get yourself a pretty looking clock by clicking on the clock leading to the site to download the codes. Many faces to choose from..

Test your speed

If you are using Streamyx services (Broadband in Malaysia) and wanted to know the speed of your DSL line, try this

http://202.188.95.52:8080/speedometer/

The Lechler-Medhurst Accord

The Lechler-Medhurst Accord
Notes on the migration of Hakka Christians to North Borneo (compiled by Calvin Lo)

When Hudson Taylor (the famed Christian missionary and founder of China Inland Mission) first arrived China in March 1854, he sorjourned at the residence of Dr Walter Medhurst. In fact, Taylor walked his way to
the 'ma-ka-kiuen (official residence of Medhurst)' immediately upon disembarkation from the ship, notwithstanding that at the time fierce street battles between the soldiers of the Qing emperor and rebels
were raging on. It was also unheard of for a 'white man' to wander the streets of Shanghai in those days.

Medhurst had been Taylor's inspiration to come to China. Dr Walter H. Medhurst (1796-1857), born in London, was one of numerous translators of the early Chinese bible. He had been at work with the translation since 1840. He also wrote several books.
"China and its Prospects' is oft cited as having inspired the young Hudson. Dr Medhurst himself was a missionary, having sailed into Malacca in 1816. Later on he became proficient in the Malay language but toward the 1830s he turned his attention to China.

Meanwhile in March 1847, the Basel Mission society of Switzerland dispatched two of its missionaries to China Rev Rudolph Lechler and Rev. Theodore Hamberg.
Lechler and Hamburg are considered today as pioneers of the Hakka Christians, having concentrated their evangelization works in Quangzhou. Rev. Hamberg is noted especially for being sympathetic to refugees of the Taiping rebellion (1851-1866).

One of the converts under Hamburg's ministry is Hung Sen, who was an acquaintance of Hung Jen Kan, a high ranking official of the Taiping administrative structure. Jen Kan is also a cousin of Hung Hsiu Chuen the leader of the Taiping rebels. Hung Sen introduced Jen Kan to Hamburg and the missionary at once set out to teach his chargees more correctly the way of the bible. Later on Jen Kan became the prime minister of the Taiping government.

In the midst of fightings between Qing and Taiping soldiers, the missionaries were most active and sympathetic to refugees, mainly Hakkas, fleeing government troops. Later on Hamberg also wrote a book
about the Taiping movement. Dr Walter Medhurst and Hamberg today are credited for contemporary accounts of what went on in southern China at the time, especially regarding the rebellion.

In Sept 1868 Hudson Taylor himself was prevented from leaving Chenqiang because of riotings in the city. It was at this time when Henry Medhurst (later Sir), British Consul at Hankow, and son of Dr Walter, made arrangements to dispatch a gunboat upriver to rescue Taylor. By then the Taiping rebellion had fizzled out and the Hakkas came under severe persecution by the Qing government.

Also by then, the burden of the Basel mission had pass on to Rev. Rudolph Lechler. Theodore Hamberg himself died in 1854 from heart failure. In the back drop of a looming famine, government persecutions, highway robberies and other criminal elements, there was much
pressure for the mission to provide an Exodus from the land.

The ascendancy of Sir W. Henry Medhurst to prominent positions in British and international diplomatic circles was God sent. In 1881 Rev. Rudolph Legler of the Basel mission contacted Medhurst, then Shanghai
British Consul General, and arrangements were made to ship Hakka migrants to North Borneo. Just prior to that Baron Von Overback and the Dent brothers acquired rights to North Borneo and the incorporation of the Chartered company spelt an urgent need for migrant farmers who were hardy and knowledgeable.

Under the Lechler-Medhurst arrangement, the first batch of Hakka Christians arrived Kudat, North Borneo, in 1882. A certain Lo Tai Hong from Long Chuan county, Guangzhou, was the acknowledged leader. They first settled in Laoshan, Kudat. The second batch of Hakka immigrants came in 1886, led by Lee Siong Kong (later a prominent businessman and church leader) and a certain Wong Shuk Min. The third batch of Hakkas came in 1913. They were allocated to lands in Pinangsoo, Kudat, and Inanam and Menggattal of the West Coast of Sabah.

The Hakka Christians in North Borneo (today renamed Sabah) are noted for a legacy of Christian ministry (eg. Basel Christian Church of Malaysia), education (eg. Lok Yuk and Tshung Tsin schools), the first
Chinese chief minister of Sabah (i.e. Peter Lo), development of numerous towns (eg. Kudat, Telipok, Mengattal, Inanam, Papar, and Tenom), development of rubber small holdings and other achievements.

soruces:
Wikipedia
A Century of Mission (Hudson's Autobiography)
BCCM centenary magazine
various atlases

Visit Malaysia Year

Tonight is final day of the lunar or Chinese New Year Celebration and fireworks display in town. Cultural shows were also performed at Chinatown which of course is 'Foh Sang'. Possible that due to the 'Visit Malaysia 2007' firework display were more frequent now compared to previous year. Oink Oink Oink.. Have a great year of the pig..

Save your Hard Drive

Discovered a great site where you can store your photos thus saving lots of Hard Drive space for other use. Yes - Flickr by Yahoo! You can share photos for everyone, groups, individual or hide it from public (private use only). This site also offer Blog features which i have not try out yet.

Happy Day
Thomas Lo

Computers at Karamunsing

The power unit of my P4 burn out today and went shopping for a replacement. To my surprise, Karamunsing is the correct place. The number of computer shops at this complex increased compared to six months back. The second and third floor of this complex is packed with storefront offering anything computer. Bargains are plenty. Most store are freshly renovated and indeed a pleasant trip.

My 'Kopi-tiam"

Breakfast today at Inanam Business point and ordered 'Tuaran mee' which is a famous hawker dish of Sabah. The noodles is specially made from batter of egg yolk and flour, which gives the aroma of egg when fried. Frying usually takes about 5-10 mins in high heat that leaves a texture of golden crust at the bottom of the noodles. Local vegetables such as sawi are added in during frying. Before serving, the dish is usually garnished with slices of 'charseow', i.e. the Chinese sweetened roast pork, fried egg rolls, steamed prawns or fish fillet. Dont miss it when you're in Sabah.

Kg. Darau in the 70's

Manage to dig out one of these old photos taken in Kampung Darau, which i think is around 1974. Me on the right with the "gang" is going fishing for prawns along the Darau River. Catch then used to be plentiful - fresh water praws weighing a kilo each is common. You can easily catch crown fish for your home aquarium and during high tide, you can see puffer fish swimming upstream with the tide. A recent check with the kampung friend revealed that the river have been dead for years since agriculture and poultry activities upstream poisoned the river in the late 70's. The catchment area for this river is also lost to development and thus it now only serve as an outlet for rainwater. Sad case.

My Roots

Visited a school mate (Lip Su) in Likas and both of us plan on having some "pau" for our afternoon tea. While waiting at Lip Su's home, i chance on some very old magazine which his father collected over the years. In one of them i noticed a very familiar photo which turn out to be of my great grandfather - Lo Tat Yen @ Miao Hin. The accompanying article written in Chinese (Translation later) which gives a fairly good description of the early years in Sabah, which of course is North Borneo then. To summarise, Mr. Lo Tat Yen born 21 November 1869, originates from "Gong Dong", China and travelled to Sandakan, North borneo in 1911. He served in the Basel Mission Church, Sandakan till 1914 when he travelled to Inanam Basel Mission Church, then just established. Within months the First World War started and European missionaries left for home leaving Mr. Lo Tat Yen to lead the Inanam congregation. He served at Inanam till 1922 and returned to China leaving a few of his children at Inanam. In 1940 he decided to return to North Borneo and travelled with one of his grandson- Mr Lo Yung Fah. Then again the World War broke out and he is forced to leave the young grandson Yung Fah in Hong Kong while travelling alone on his journey to North Borneo. The war and and occupation ended after three years and eight months. Mr Lo Tat Yen have been serving the Bassel Mission Church till his death at the age of 85 on 25 July 1955.

Note: The grandson (Yung Fah - my uncle) is well and now reside in Vancover, Canada.

The article in Chinese

Image file - 1.2MB

Thomas Lo

MCA new year party

A good friend - Yapp - invited me along to this dinner party hosted by the Sabah MCA - Papar, Putatan, Kota Kinabalu, Penampang, Sepangar and Tuaran branch. In celebration of the Chinese New Year, the atmosphere is great with Lion Dances, and live music performed by the Kian Kok School on traditional musical instruments which i thought ( to myself ) is almost extinct. In attendance is also the Malaysian Transport Minister YB. Chan K. C. and in his address to the assembly, he presented good news to tourist arriving in Sabah. More direct flights from Australian cities are in the pipeline. Well, i think this hint will be enough to nudge the local tourism industry into shifting gear and start improvement in services required.

Thomas Lo