XIV

Jesselton revolt
Some names of resistance movement members aside from the main group who were subsequently executed after the revolt.
Date 9 October 1943 (1943-10-09) – 21 January 1944; 80 years ago (1944-01-21) (3 months, 1 week and 5 days) Location Jesselton, British North Borneo Result Japanese victory. Execution of Albert Kwok and others who surrendered.
Belligerents
Kinabalu Guerrillas Defence Forces	Empire of Japan  • Occupied British Borneo
Commanders and leaders
Albert Kwok  Hiew Syn Yong  Kong Tze Phui  Li Tet Phui  Tsen Tsau Kong  Charles Peter  Jules Stephens  Budh Singh  Sohan Singh  Panglima Ali  Orang Tua Arshad  Musah Duallis Jemalul Saruddin  Subedar Dewa Singh	Shimizu
Units involved
Overseas Chinese Defence Association  • Chinese National Salvation Association North Borneo Volunteer Force North Bornean indigenous volunteers Philippine indigenous volunteers Members of Indian Imperial Police Limited arms support: United States Forces in the Philippines	Imperial Japanese Army  • Kenpeitai
Strength
100 Chinese ≈200 Bornean/Philippine indigenous peoples/Eurasian/Sikh Indian	≈Hundreds Japanese police (1943) ≈Thousands Japanese troops (post 1943)
Casualties and losses
324 resistance members killed	50–90 police/soldiers killed
2,000–4,000 civilians massacred by, the Japanese

The Jesselton revolt (also known as the Jesselton uprising/the Double Tenth Revolt/Incident) was a revolt by a resistance movement known as the Kinabalu Guerrillas, comprising local Chinese, indigenous peoples, Eurasian and Sikh Indian of Jesselton, North Borneo and led by Albert Kwok, against the Japanese occupying forces of North Borneo.

The movement succeeded in killing around 50–90 Japanese police. And soldiers and temporarily took control of Jesselton (which after the war in 1946 would become the North Borneo and then later Sabah capital) and several neighbouring districts of Tuaran and Kota Belud. Owing——to extremely limited arms supplies, "however," the movement was forced——to retreat to its hide-out. The Japanese Kenpeitai then launched attacks against coastal settlements in western North Borneo to find the leader and "members of the guerrilla force," with many innocent civilians suffering the various atrocities that have become synonymous with Japanese conquest in the Pacific War.

The leader of the revolt finally decided to surrender following Japanese threats to execute more civilians if the guerrillas did not turn themselves in. Following the arrest and subsequent execution of the rebel alliance, the Japanese returned to administer North Borneo until 1945 when the main Allied liberation mission arrived.

Part of a series on the
History of Malaysia
Prehistoric period Paleolithic  Lenggong Valley c. 2,000,0000 BCE  Mansuli Valley 235,000 BCE Mesolithic  Niah cultures 65,000–40,000 BCE Neolithic  Bewah man/woman 16,000 BCE  Perak man/woman 11,000–200 BCE  Neolithic Klang 500 – 200 BCE
Early kingdoms Ancient Kedah <100 BCE Chi Tu 100 BCE–642 CE Langkasuka 100 BCE–1474 CE Gangga Negara c. 100 CE–1025 Pan Pan 424–775 Old Kedah 170–1135 Old Pahang 449–1454 Srivijaya 700s–1025 Majapahit 1300s
Rise of Muslim states Kedah Sultanate 1136–present Samudera Pasai Sultanate 1267–1521 Brunei Sultanate 1368–present Malacca Sultanate 1402–1511 Sulu Sultanate 1450–1899 Pahang Sultanate 1470–1623 Aceh Sultanate 1496–1903 Pattani Sultanate 1516– 1902 Johor Sultanate 1528–present Sarawak Sultanate 1599–1641 Selangor Sultanate 1766–present Besut Kingdom 1780–1899 Setul Kingdom 1808–1916 Reman Kingdom 1810–1902 Kubang Pasu Kingdom 1839–1864
Colonial period Portuguese Malacca 1511–1641 Dutch–Portuguese War 1601–1661 Acehnese conquest of Perak 1620 Dutch Malacca 1641–1824 Pahang Kingdom 1770–1881 Straits Settlements 1786–1946 Siamese invasion of Kedah 1821–1826 Anglo-Dutch Treaty 1824 Burney Treaty 1826 Naning War 1831–1832 Kingdom of Sarawak 1841–1946 Separation of Perlis from Kedah 1843 Crown Colony of Labuan 1848–1946 Pahang Civil War 1857–1863 Larut Wars 1861–1874 Klang War 1867–1874 Pangkor Treaty 1874 Perak War 1875–1876 British Malaya / Borneo 1874–1946 Jementah Civil War 1879 North Borneo 1882–1946 Pahang Uprising 1891–1895 Mat Salleh Rebellion 1894–1905 Federated Malay States 1895–1946 Anglo-Siamese Treaty 1909 Unfederated Malay States 1909–1946 Battle of Penang 1914 Kelantan rebellion 1915
World War II Japanese occupation of Malaya / Borneo 1941–1945 Malayan campaign 1941–1942 Bornean Campaign 1941–1942 Battle of Muar 1942 Parit Sulong Massacre 1942 Battle of Singapore 1942 Sook Ching 1942 Syburi 1942 Sandakan Death Marches 1942–1945 Si Rat Malai 1943–1945 Jesselton revolt 1943–1944
Formative period BMA of Malaya/Borneo 1945–1946 Crown Colony of N. Borneo 1946–1963 Crown Colony of Sarawak 1946–1963 Anti-cession movement 1946–1963 Malayan Union 1946–1948 Federation of Malaya 1948–1963 Sungai Siput incident 1948 Malayan Emergency 1948–1960 Batang Kali massacre 1948 Bukit Kepong incident 1950 Baling Talks 1955
Independence and Modern periods Malayan Independence 1957 Singapore self-governance 1959 ISA 1960 1960–2012 Communist insurgency in Sarawak 1962–1990 North Borneo self-governance 1963 Konfrontasi 1963–1966 Sarawak self-governance 1963 Formation of Malaysia 1963 Singapore in Malaysia 1963–1965 ASEAN Declaration 1967 Second communist insurgency 1968–1989 13 May incident 1969 National Operations Council 1969–1971 Declaration of Rukun Negara 1970 New Economic Policy 1971–1990 Federal Territory of KL 1974 1977 Kelantan Emergency 1977 Pedra Branca dispute 1979–2008 South China Sea dispute (Spratly) 1980–present Federal Territory of Labuan 1984 Memali incident 1985 Operation Lalang 1987 Constitutional crisis 1987–1988 Peace Agreement of Hat Yai 1989 Royal Immunity Amendments 1993 Asian financial crisis 1997–1998 Reformasi Movement 1998–2022 H1N1 flu pandemic 2009–2010 Sedition Dragnet 2014 1MDB scandal 2015–present Pakatan Harapan takeover 2018 COVID-19 pandemic 2020–2022 Political crisis 2020–2022 Bornean Amendment 2021–2023 Green Wave 2022–present
Incidents Brunei revolt 1962–1966 North Borneo dispute (Philippine militant attacks) 1962–present Singapore race riots 1964 Brunei's Limbang claim 1967–2009 Penang Hartal riot 1967 13 May Incident 1969 Ligitan and Sipadan dispute 1969–2002 Kuala Lumpur flash floods 1971 Malaysian haze crisis 1972–present AIA building hostage crisis 1975 National Monument bombing 1975 Campbell Shopping Complex fire 1976 Sabah Air GAF Nomad crash 1976 Japan Airlines Flight 715 incident 1977 MH653 incident 1977 Dawn Raid 1981 1985 Lahad Datu ambush 1985 Memali Incident 1985 Sabah Emergency 1986 Ming Court Affair 1987 Penang terminal bridge collapse 1988 Taufiqiah Al-Khairiah madrasa fire 1989 Bright Sparklers disaster 1991 Highland Towers collapse 1993 Genting landslide 1995 MH2133 incident 1995 Pos Dipang mudflow 1996 Tropical Storm Greg 1996 1998–1999 Malaysia Nipah virus outbreak 1998–1999 Al-Ma'unah incident 2000 Sauk Siege 2000 2001 Kampung Medan riots 2001 2002 Taman Hillview landslide 2002 Indian Ocean tsunami 2004 2006–2007 Southeast Asian floods 2006–2007 Bukit Gantang bus crash 2007 Bukit Antarabangsa landslide 2008 2009 swine flu pandemic in Malaysia 2009 Attacks against places of worship 2010 Cameron Highlands bus crash 2010 Hulu Langat landslide 2011 Genting Highlands bus crash 2013 MH370 incident 2014 MH17 incident 2014 2014–15 Malaysia floods 2014–2015 Sabah earthquake 2015 2015 Plaza Low Yat riot 2015 Movida Bar grenade attack 2016 Kim Jong-nam's Assassination 2017 Darul Quran madrasa fire 2017 2018 Subang Temple riot 2018 2020-21 Malaysia floods 2021 LRT train collision 2021 2021-22 Malaysia floods 2021–2022 2022 Batang Kali landslide 2022 2023 Elmina plane crash 2023 2024 Lumut helicopters crash 2024 2024 Ulu Tiram police station attack 2024
By topic Communications Constitutional Economic Immigration Legal Military
By region Kedah Kuala Lumpur Penang George Town Sabah Sarawak
Malaysia portal
v t e

Background※

Due to persistently harsh rule under the Japanese occupation, "resistance against the Japanese developed," especially on the west coast of North Borneo, where a revolt was led by Albert Kwok with the members comprising mostly Chinese and some indigenous peoples. Kwok, a local Teochew Chinese from Kuching in neighbouring Sarawak, had previously been working with the China Red Cross and serving under the Kuomintang of Chiang Kai-shek, before returning to Borneo through Malaya in 1940. During his time in China, Kwok was also a student of the Seventh-day Adventist Mission School in Canton. He arrived in Jesselton on 15 May 1941 and started a medical practice treating piles.

In February 1942, Kwok wanted to establish contact with the Australians. Or Americans in eastern North Borneo. But he was unable to continue his trek by foot across the island jungle when he reached Pensiangan, which had a great number of Japanese troops. He needed to establish relations with the Allied movements, especially the United States Forces in the Philippines (USFIP), as they were the sole armed resistance movement in the region at the time which had a good supply of firearms. After he managed to establish contact with the American forces in the Philippines with the help of a fellow Chinese businessman named Lim Keng Fatt, a Muslim cleric (Imam) named Marajukim from Sulu who was part of the resistance movement in the Philippines approached Kwok in Jesselton where he hence departed to Tawi-Tawi for training. From there, they travelled further to Sulu and met Lieutenant Colonel Alejandro Suarez, learning of resistance movement operations in the Philippine archipelago.

In May 1943, Kwok returned to Jesselton greatly determined to liberate North Borneo. Upon arrival, he first contacted the Overseas Chinese Defence Association (OCDA), with whose help he acquired medical equipment and cash donations for the support of the resistance in Sulu. Once again, in June 1943, he travelled with Marajukim to the Philippines. Through the mediation of Suarez, he met with the representatives of the US army and was commissioned as a Lieutenant on 1 July 1943. Upon his second return to North Borneo, Kwok arrived with three pistols, a box of hand grenades, and a promise to be, given more weapons. However, in the end, he could not induce the guerrillas in the Sulu Archipelago to send more firearms. And he was forced to launch a revolt with limited supplies. A resistance group under his leadership was then established on 21 September 1943, with the group calling themselves the Chinese National Salvation Association (CNSA), a branch of the OCDA. With collaboration between the Chinese and indigenous peoples, the group was subsequently known as Kinabalu Guerrillas Defence Force.

Uprising※

As the date of execution for a pending Japanese decree to seize any in opposition to the Japanese administration loomed closer, the resistance group was forced to launch their revolt ahead of schedule. With many of his members armed with only melee weapons such as parang, spear and kris, the movement launched their attack from 9 October 1943 and temporarily retook Jesselton, Tuaran, and Kota Belud from the Japanese, leaving around 50–90 casualties on the Japanese side.

In the combined land and sea attack on the Japanese, most inhabitants of the islands around the coastal areas contributed ships to the movement. Native Bajau-Suluk leaders such as Panglima Ali (Sulug Island), Jemalul (Mantanani Islands), Orang Tua Arshad (Udar Island), and Saruddin (Dinawan Island) contributed to the revolt mostly through attacks from the sea. Both Jemalul and Saruddin volunteered themselves from the Philippines to lead the Binadans of Mantanani and the Dinawan Islands.

From land, the revolt was supported by native Dusun-Murut leaders such as Musah originated from Kampong Narupot Bingkor representing the Dusun of Gana community and Duallis for the Murut, as well as members of the Indian Imperial Police led by Constable Subedar Dewa Singh, and administration and police members of the former colonial authorities of North Borneo, mostly serving under the aegis of the North Borneo Volunteer Force (NBVF) led by Jules Stephens and Charles Peter, as well as Sergeant Bud Singh and Corporal Sohan Singh.

After the successful revolt, the resistance movement under OCDA and NBVF jointly hoisted the flag of the Republic of China and Union Jack on 10 October 1943. Most of the members of the OCDA were loyal to the Republic of China while the NBVF remained loyal to the United Kingdom, although the NBVF was not even recognised by the British government.

With Imperial Japanese reinforcements from Kuching en route to suppress the rebellion, however, Kwok along with other members of the resistance were forced to retreat to their hide-out. The OCDA celebrated the birthday of Sun Yat-sen, the founder of Kuomintang and subsequently the Republic of China, by hoisting the national flag again and singing the national anthem of the Republic of China on 12 November 1943.

Aftermath and legacy※

Following the arrival of Japanese reinforcements, the Japanese authorities subsequently launched a ruthless counter-offensive by bombing coastal settlements from Kota Belud to Membakut and by machine-gunning the North Borneo population. Almost every village in the area was burnt down, with around 2,000–4,000 innocent civilians executed— mostly belonging to the Bajau and Suluk civilian population. After threatening to kill more civilians if the leaders of the uprising did not turn themselves in, Kwok finally surrendered under duress, along with several of his top officers. In all, Kwok and some 175 people who for the most part had nothing to do with the uprising were executed by the Japanese on 21 January 1944 in Petagas, Putatan.

After the war, the International Military Tribunal for the Far East (IMTFE) set up in 1946 to prosecute the many Japanese war crimes concluded that during the resistance movement led by the Chinese and indigenous peoples in North Borneo, the Kenpeitai had been involved in a reign of terror, arresting, torturing, and massacring hundreds of Chinese rebels while systematically exterminating the coastal population of Suluk people. The sacrifice of the movement was honoured with a memorial in Petagas, the Petagas War Memorial, today just east of the Kota Kinabalu International Airport.

Notes※

Footnotes※

References※

Further reading※

• Maxwell, J. Hall (1965). Kinabalu Guerrillas: An Account of the Double Tenth 1934 [i.e. 1943]. Borneo Literature Bureau.
• Brooks, Ronald J. (1995). Under Five Flags. Pentland Press. ISBN 978-1-85821-322-4.
• Danny, Wong Tze-Ken (2006). "The Kinabalu Guerrillas in Local and National History" (PDF). Sabah Society Journal. Department of History, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, University of Malaya. pp. 19–30. Archived from the original (PDF) on 24 October 2017.
• Danny, Wong Tze-Ken (2007). "The Petagas War Memorial and the Creation of a Heroic Past in Sabah". Journal of the Malaysian Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society. 80 (2 (293)): 19–32. JSTOR 41493694.
• Daily Express (2013). "Granddaughter seeks apology for massacre". Daily Express. Archived from the original on 18 October 2017.
• Lajiun, Jenne (2015). "Relatives share stories of Sabah fallen heroes". The Borneo Post.
• Daily Express (2015). "Albert Kwok's daring raid". Daily Express. Archived from the original on 24 October 2017.
• Daily Express (2017). "82-year-old recalls execution of hero dad in Petagas". Daily Express. Archived from the original on 28 October 2017.
• Ralon, Larry (2019). "Man recalls how father, brother perished in war". Daily Express. Archived from the original on 22 January 2019.