By Kumis Kumis
Jalan Dominic 
Jalan Dominic, Tawau
I was having conversation with tuan Azlan Lauddin Martin, a
member of a History FB page named Discover Tawau.
We talked about the origin of a particular road signage in Tawau named "Jalan Dominic" and concluded that "Jalan Dominic" was related to a very prominent Dominic Clan of Sandakan.
During the Second World War, the Japanese, was angry at the way in which the war is going and they became increasingly short tempered. Anyone at all who incurred their wrath for the slightest rule infringement was subjected to brutal treatment. At the end of 1944, Pedro Dominic's eldest son, Cornelius, better known as Cory and brother of Double Tenth freedom fighter Ethelbert, ran afoul of the Japanese in Tawau and was beheaded. Jalan Dominic was named after Cornelius and Ethelbert Dominic.
We wish to share the stories of the Dominic Clan to all the Sabah
History enthusiasts for posterity.
Pongholo Stanislaus Dominic
A Short Story of William Pryer's Protege: Pongholo Stanislaus Dominic of Sandakan
The Dominics are a typical Sandakan family born of a very
special and unique set of events that led to the founding of Sandakan, the
former capital of British North Borneo Chartered Company, towards the end of
19th century.
These circumstances led to a little twist of fate that would
change the course of history for several generations of Dominics.
'Pongholo' or Penghulu is linked to the native title of
'Panghulu Panghalapan', meaning 'the entrusted one of the Sultan' as
'Panghalapan' is derived from the Tausug root word 'halap' or Malay word
"Harap" ('to trust').
The British were perhaps not familiar with the tongue
twisting native title and for convenience, assumed that 'Pongholo' was a name.
Pongholo Stanislaus Dominic, a high born 'Sooloo' or Tausug,
also known as Pedro, was born on the 4th August 1876. Pongholo had come to
Sandakan from the Philippines island of Palawan with his family as a young
child and he was admitted into the fledgling Roman Catholic Mission School on
St Mary's founded by Father Jackson in 1883. Father Byron arrived in Sandakan
in May 1886 for a brief visit and in July 1887 he was assigned on a permanent
basis and took over the flagging mission school.
Pongholo was adopted by William and Ada Pryer, the founder
of Sandakan and his wife between 1880 and 1888. A compelling oral history
points that the adoption was a strategic goodwill gesture between Pryers and
the Sultan of Sulu, on the occupation of a newly acquired territory.
In March 1889, aged 12 the little Pongholo, Mrs Pryer's
protege has been baptized and was named Dominic in honour of Mr Dominic Daly
(The Government Secretary and the Assistant Resident for Province Dent) and his
son with Harriet Daly nee Douglas as his godmother. It could have been
coincidence that Pangholo was also born on the feast day of St Dominic. Mr
Doiminic Daly died in August 1889, shortly after Pongholo's baptism. Mrs Daly
returned to London for good the following year.
In February 1891 the Pryers left for Europe for an extended
break, leaving Pongholo in the care of Father Byron at the Roman Catholic
mission. By this time, Pongholo at aged 14, the good Father had already
developed a fondness for the teenager, "the cleverest boy in the
school".
In 1893 Pongholo would have been 17 years old had increased
frequency and depth of communication with Mrs Pryer and Father Byron. The
presence of Pongholo in the Pryer household was also mentioned several times
from the start of Mrs Pryer's Diary.
Father Byron must have strong inkling that his years in
Borneo were numbered as on 3rd January 1896 drafted his will with Pongholo as
one of the eyewitnesses. In April 1896 Father Byron fell seriously ill.
Pongholo was particularly affected by the event. Father Byron returned to
England in July 1896 was to be the last farewell between the good father and
Pongholo. On the 30th October 1896 Father Byron breathed his last and was laid
to rest at Mill Hill in London.
The Pryers years as pioneers of British North Borneo Charted
Company were also coming to close. After establishing a new town, instituting
law and order, and managing three estates, overworked, exhausted and spent,
William Pryer's health had deteriorated drastically. When the Pryers left for
England on the 1st October 1898, a few thoughts as they bade him farewell that
they were seeing him for the last time. William Burgess Pryer, born in London
in 1843, "an ex amateur boxer, utterly fearless with man or beast; a
magician with snakes died at Port Said, Egypt on 7th or 8th of January 1899.
After many devoted years of being a pillar of strength to a typical British
pioneer Mr Pryer , now Ada Blanche Locke returned home alone. They had no
children except two proteges left behind in British North Borneo Charted
Company, Pongholo Dominic and Soo Ah Yin, whose live change irrevocably for
generations.
Pongholo corresponded with Mrs Pryer until her death in
London in 1916, though they were never to meet again. Throughout these
formative years Pongholo's musical talents emerged a credible performance in a
concert organised by Father Byron and Father Driessen.
In 1896, aged 20, Pongholo became a staff member of the
Custom Department which was founded by William Pryer in February 1878 as the
first giant stride towards establishing law and order in one of the last
untamed frontiers of the British Empire. Pongholo had risen steadily through
the ranks of the civil service to become Assistant Deputy Commissioner for
Customs, a most prestigious and well-paid post. Pongholo retired on the 30th
June 1928.
Rose Mary Kong
In 1899 Pongholo Dominic became betrothed to Rose Mary Kong
from Hong Kong, a former boarder from St Mary's Girls' Convent. Dominic will
only be married to Rose the following year as she was only 15 and considered
still too young. They finally celebrated their nuptials at the Roman Catholic
Church on St Mary's Mount in 1900. He was 24 and she just turned 16.
1. May Winifred Ursula (1902)
2. Martha Patricia (1903)
3. Adelaide Rosemary (1904)
4. Teresa Claire Pauline (1905)
5. Cornelius John Wilfred @ Cory (1908)
6. Cecil Dominic (1910)
7. Beatrice Ursula Blance (1912)
8. Angeline Juliana (1914)
9. Ethelbert Richard Thomas (1916)
10. Michael Nick Cyril Alfred (1919)
11. Rosalind Violet Regina (1921)
12. Florence Henrietta Margarita (1923)
Dominic Family Photo 
Dominic Family Photo
Dominic Family Photo
He and his wife with their eight girls and four boys lived
very comfortably in a substantial two storey timber home, situated in Happy
Valley, near the civil hospital. With four bedrooms, two bathrooms and interior
furnishings which include Persians carpets, cabinets full of curios, two
pianos, two harps, a radio (always tuned to the BBC). and two brass cannons
positioned decoratively in the lush, spacious garden, the Dominic family's
"Rose Cottage" rivalled many of the European- owned houses.
Rose Cottage
The family also owned rubber estates and orchards along the
Labuk Road. As well as being well educated and musically gifted, Pedro was a
voracious reader, a good footballer and a fine cricket player. Describe as a
natty dresser, he always wore a jacket, crisp white pants, starched shirt a bow
tie and hat, and was never seen without a pipe or walking stick, of which he
had quite an array. In many ways, probably due to the influence of William
Pryer, Pedro Dominic was more British than the British.
A leading light in the social and recreational scene, he was
well known for his outgoing personality, his collection of rare orchids (for
which he won prizes at the Flower Show) and his English-style hospitality and
cuisine, which featured traditional breakfast and dainty afternoon teas served
on fine English china, roast dinners, crusty pies, hams, and, at Christmas, a rich
plum pudding.
 |
| The British North Borneo Herald |
During second World War, Pro British - Pedro Dominic
generously supported the raising of money to pay for a Spitfire in England to
fight against Germany. Alex Funk married Maggie (Magdelene) Neubronner a
granddaughter of Pedro Dominic, the Funks were also connected to the large
Dominic Clan and to Ernesto Lagan, who had married Maggie's sister, Katherine.
Maggie Funk was involved in the Sandakan underground movement as a money
changer of which the commission earned for the transaction was used to buy food
for the camp hospital.
Pedro Dominic's son in law, Andrew Pereira a government
printer who had been allowed to keep his job, was among those fortunate enough
not to have attracted the attention of the Japanese. The family had moved from
their large bungalow on the reclamation ground to another property, further
along the bay near Tanah Merah, which had more land on which to grow food. One
day, while Andrew was cycling to work at the printing office, situated near the
town mosque, a POW cutting grass along the Leila Road tossed him a watch,
indicating that he wanted to trade it for cigarettes. Pereira not only returned
the watch, with the requested cigarettes, but also, from that day on, always
made sure he carried a packet to give to any prisoners he saw.
Because of the increased brutality and the bombing, many of the locals in Sandakan quit town to find refuge on farms and rubber estates owned by relatives or friends. Dominic abandoned Rose Cottage and moved his family to an orchard at Mile 13 owned by his son-in-law Andrew Pereira, the government printer who had gone out of his way to give cigarettes to POWs working round the town. With no work at the government printer, the Pereiras had left their Leila Road house in May that year.
Shortly after Andrew Pereira arrived at the orchard, the
Japanese had issued orders that every family member who was old enough must
plant 2000 tapioca bushes. Inspection was carried out regularly but to the
surprise of his son Alfred, no one ever bothered to actually count them. Once
the crop was harvested, the Japanese confiscated the lot, so in order to get
enough to eat, the family removed the roots and replaced the leafy stalks in
the soil, giving the impression that the plants were still growing. When the
leaves withered and died, it was put down to a fungal disease. The Australian,
who crept under the wire at night in search of food, had been employing a
version of this ruse for some time, by digging up the roots from below soil
level. They referred to the practice as 'bandicooting' named for a small furry
marsupial which burrowed around in gardens at night for food.
By early 1945, when signs of Japanese defeat in the war were
imminent, the Japanese began to arrest local community leaders in Sandakan. The
arresting orders were issued by Colonel Machiguchi Taku, the officer in charge
of Kampetai in Borneo. A party of Japanese marines from Captain Aida Hideo's
Special Attack Unit stormed into Sandakan. On the assumption that the Chinese
community was assisting the Allies, the rampaged through the town, entering a
number of houses and bayoneting men, women and children.
Meanwhile, Colonel Otsuka, Military Commander of the
Sandakan area, issued orders to arrest any civilian who spoke English, using a
list supplied by a key collaborator. Pedro Dominic was living in a hut in a
jungle on his Sunny Rubber Estate at Mile 1.5 when soldiers came for him. Aware
that the Japanese had begun to round up prominent citizens earlier that month,
he had moved from Andrew Pereira's orchard at Mile 13, thinking that the hut,
which belong to one of his estate's overseers, would provide a safer refuge. It
didn't.
Among those also under arrest were partners of prestigious
local firm, members of the State Legislative Council, pharmacist at the
Sandakan Dispensary, a local doctor, members of the China Relief Fund, building
contractors, traders, chief clerks, merchants and senior civil servants. Except
a few, almost all were Chinese. A family member who delivered food to one of
the prisoners at the barrack was not allowed to go in and were told not to come
again as all prisoners were to be sent to Kuching. Before they left, they
spotted him inside the perimeter like other detainees, his head had been
shaved.
The only thing they had in common was an abiding hatred for
the Japanese, a great loyalty to the British and the fact that they all spoke
English. These attributes were more than enough for the Japanese. After
appearing in court, over which no judged presided, all were found guilty, and
their sentences were read to them by Captain Nakata Shiruchi and translated
into Malay by a Japanese interpreter. the 26 men and 2 women were taken back to
the military barracks at Mile 1.5, where ten graves had been prepared on the nearby
hillside. After being split into three groups, all twenty-eight prisoners were
either shot or beheaded. When families of victims, having heard no news from
the court, went to the barracks, they discovered that the building had been
damaged by fire. Sticking to the previous lie, the Japanese soldier told them
that everyone had been transferred to Jesselton.
The Japanese did not stop with slaughter at Mile 1.5. That
same day, Dominic's son in law, Andrew Pereira, who was just recovering from a
bout of malaria, was summoned at bayonet point to attend a meeting on the
Sandala Estate at mile 15. The next morning, he and his friends Richard Watson
and Foo Chi Ming, with two others were all taken to an isolated spot on the
northern side of Labuk Road, not far from Gum Gum river at mile 17. Andrew
Pereira and Richard Watson met their bloody fate with one swipe of the sword,
but the decapitation of the third Foo Chi Ming, was botched. The senior
Japanese decided to defer the two final executions and both men were subsequently
released the following day.
Pongholo Stanislaus Dominic's execution on the 27th May 1945
were only known by the family members after the war. Pangholo was 68 years old
when he died, short 3 month before his 69th birthday leaving behind his beloved
children. As he was led away to the cells in the nearby Kampeitai barracks near
the old wireless station, his last words were for his daughters: 'Be good
girls.'
Those are a story that started with a dawn of new North
Borneo civilization in 1878 that end with a tragic loss not just Pengholo
Dominic of a once celebrated and distinguished gentlemen in the civil service
but spell the end of the British North Borneo Charted Company. North Borneo
became the Crown Colony in 1946.
For a short while, for those massacres in Sandakan, we cast
aside our own feelings of despair and desperation to remember not only Pongholo
Dominic but all who gave their lives in time of war.
We will honour and keep precious memory the memory of all
those men and women who died serving their country, seeking justice and peace
for all. We recognise their courage, determination and commitment of their
cause. We hope that our lives will be worthy of our forebears.
Source:
1. Professor Danny Wong, Historical Sabah The War (2010)
2. Lynette Ramsay Silver, Blood Brothers (2010)
3. Rosalie Corpuz, The Pryers, The Priest and The Pongholo :
A Sandakan Story
Photos Source:
1. Sabah Museum Journal Vol.2 (2017)
2. Brenden M Miles
3. Azlan Laudin Martin
Colorize @ Remini
Disclaimer:
To the Dominic's Clan members please help us if you have
more information to share and accept our sincere apology if we misspelled any
names or find any irregularities in these stories ....
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