Taginambur: development growth

Ewon (2nd right) during the carnival.

10 Oct 2023

By AVV

KOTA KINABALU: Kampung Taginambur in Kota Belud is a thriving and vibrant village. However, it was once identified as a distant village in Kota Belud

Alextus Sylvester Gill, 40, the United Progressive Kinabalu Organisation (UPKO) branch head shares that in the past Kg Taginambur was just a village, populated by people who eke their livelihood from the land as sustenance farmers, planting paddy and vegetables. They also picked fruits from their orchards to sell at Tamu Kota Belud.

In the olden days, the people of Kg Taginambur faced a challenging and arduous task of transporting their wares to the bustling Tamu Kota Belud. They had to walk about 20 kilometres away, give or take. It was a journey that required determination and physical endurance. Before the advent of a network of roads connecting the villages, the villagers had no choice but to carry their goods on their backs, embarking on a long and tiring trek.

Alextus Gill.

The journey to Tamu Kota Belud would begin in the early hours of the morning, where the villagers would wake up before dawn, preparing themselves for the day ahead. With their goods carefully packed and secured, they set out on foot, knowing that they had several hours of walking ahead of them. The path they followed was rugged and uneven, winding through wooded areas and crossing streams. Each step they took was a testament to their resilience and determination to make a living for themselves and their families.

For those fortunate enough to own ponies, the journey was slightly easier. They would saddle their ponies and ride atop them, their wares carefully loaded onto the animals' backs. The ponies would trot along the path, carrying the weight of the goods and lightening the burden for their owners. These individuals were considered lucky, as their mode of transportation granted them a respite from the physical strain endured by their fellow villagers.

Regardless of whether they were walking or riding, the journey to Tamu Kota Belud was a significant part of the villagers' lives. It was a testament to their resourcefulness and determination to engage in trade and commerce. The Tamu was a vibrant marketplace where goods were bought and sold, and connections were forged. It was a place where the villagers could showcase their agricultural produce hoping to secure a fair price for their hard work.

They had a smaller Tamu in Taginambur, once a week and of course, this supplemented their income tremendously.

The recent Carnival.

In the late 1970s and early 1980s, a network of roads was constructed into the villages in Kota Belud and one led to Kg Taginambur. It wasn’t asphalted in the beginning but at least it was a clear road to the Tamu and Kota Belud township for the villagers. Vehicles made it easier to access town, and they became more mobile. The roads were asphalted later and this signaled more development for Kg Taginambur which is under Kadamaian Constituency.

Alextus shares that Taginambur is now home to 1000 people in 200 homes. They enjoy electricity and water supply into their homes due to the development that comes with time.

Taginambur is now very popular, gaining popularity when a recent Hawkers and Small Traders Day Mini Carnival (MKHPPK) organised by the Ministry of Entrepreneur Development and Cooperatives (MEDAC) was held at Kadamaian Square. This carnival added to the allure of the Taginambur Friday Tamu, held every week.

In the village are shophouses with a potential for more shophouses to be built. Some of the shop lots are occupied with thriving businesses which shows that the village is flourishing, says Alextus.

Potential shophouses.

“We are lucky to have Datuk Ewon Benedick as our State Assemblyman,” he shares adding that the MADEC Minister has done a lot to help the villagers.

On a personal level, the Minister who is also Kadamaian State Assemblyman is always very helpful when it comes to helping his constituents.

“He assists the sick by according them what they need, such as a wheelchair or a bed. He also gives them food baskets and donations to buy essential goods,” he says adding that the needy always gets the Assemblyman’s attention.

Ewon who is UPKO President has always been known for his friendly demeanor and affinity with village folks.

“He has also encouraged cooperatives and we are in the process of reviving an old one and also forming a new one,” he says adding that he believes cooperative members will be more active and strive for a new height in the near future.

Taginambur shophouses.

Having road access and other amenities such as electricity and water supply have contributed to tourism.

Available in Taginambur are homestay experiences, allowing visitors to stay with local families and know more about the community there and their way of life. Of course, the tamu is an attraction in itself.

The journey through the years has been exciting for Kg Taginambur and it has shown its resilience and grew into a thriving village. Its residents are now well into the developing society with the presence of a school and easy access to education facilities outside the village.

The hours of walking to Tamu Kota Belud are almost forgotten in the sands of time as vehicles move easily in and out of the village, which may soon evolve into a township in its own right.