(Sample picture of the man that people said was Antanom Ontoros)

So let me enlighten you with history. Who is Antanom Ontoros?

Antanom is the father of Ontoros and Ontoros is the son of Antanom. Make it easy it was supposed to be Ontoros Antanom but at that time the British were still ruling over Sabah and Borneo that's why. Well, Antanom Ontoros is the greatest Murut warrior of all time. He was also believe to have supernatural power by the local and the British. He was the most famous and the most influential warrior in North Borneo aka Sabah. Why I said that? 

Antanom Ontoros is from Rundum, Kemabong, Tenom, Sabah, Malaysia. At that time the British were still ruling over Borneo to be more exact it is the BCNBC or known as the British Chartered North Borneo.  The British had given many tasks, fined/taxes and punishment to the Muruts. I still remembered what I have read from a textbook when I was in highschool that they (the British) made the couple to live in different house and if they want to be together (doing husband and wife stuffs) they need to pay taxes to the British. Besides giving many taxes to the local people, the British also forced every Murut couple who had many children maybe 2 or 5 children to give up one of them and make the children as a forced labour. They even had went through the Murut sacred land and cut down the trees which the Murut believe it will interfere with their ancestor spirit at that time. But now, it did not being practice again by the Murut. Not only that, The British also stop/block the Murut to open new land to build house or even for cultivating. It had made the Murut suffered because at that time they had run out of foods.  The cruelty of the British had made Ontoros Antanom to rise and fight them along with his Murut warriors. 

Due to tired and running out of tolerance, Ontoros Antanom manage to gathered all of the Murut warriors from different ethnics that was not so head over hill for each other. Well, Murut have many sub-ethnics like Chinese that have Hakka, Hokkien and so on. They (the Murut) fight with each other at that time. In other words the ethnics of Murut were not allies at that time but thanks to Ontoros Antanom now the Murut live happily together. You can read about the Murut people from my entry here Murut.

Antanom Ontoros wanted to continue the fight of the 2 late warriors which is Linggam and Melayak that was killed by the British in 1909. He had gathered about 900 Murut warriors from all part of Sabah. From Tenom, Keningau, Pensiangan to fight the British in 1915 at Pensiangan (My granpa still live at that time but sadly I've never met him). The British officers were shocked when hundreds of Murut had attacked their administration building and them. Yeahhhhhh!

In 1915 at Selangit, the British start to counterattack Ontoros Antanom and sent 400 soldiers equipped with firearms. But the Murut had only fight them with their traditional weapons or primitive weapons such as blowpipes, swords and spears. But magically, MIRACLE! the British failed to take them down. The Murut and the British battle lasted for up to 6 weeks. Even though the British soldiers had the upper hand with the firearms but they still lost. Many Murut had been killed including women and children.

British seek peace with the Murut and the process was done in Rundum. It takes about 6 days to travel from Selangit. Ontoros Antanum and his followers who thought the British very sincere at that time also want peace, they stopped the attacks while British troops retreated. Ontoros Antanom and the team then moved back to Rundum to negotiate peace as promised by the  British.

That's when the British began to show malice and their lies. After four days Murut warriors proceeded, hundreds of British troops finally surrounded and arrested them. Ontoros Antanom and his followers then taken to Rundum and the British tried to kill the hero by shooting and burning him alive, but the effort was not successful because of its invulnerable. (I told you already he had supernatural power) T.T

British later threatened to kill all of his followers.  It had led Ontoros Antanom finally had to tell the secret of strength and immunity located on the strap his arms and legs.

The cunning British then wounded the warriors and eventually beheaded Ontoros Antanom brutally. British also had arrested several of his followers and eight of his hero's right to Kudat sentenced to banishment while other prisoners deployed into forced labor to install a telegraph wire from Kimanis to Keningau. Some of Ontoros Antanom also run to Kalimantan, Indonesia and Brunei.

(Statue of Antanom Ontoros scultured by the local artist and placed in front of Tenom muzium. But sadly this statue was taken down by the government. I don't know where it went...)                  

Move on to Antanom Ontoros life...

Throughout his life, Antanom Ontoros grew up in an area surrounded by forests full of flora and fauna in the ground state. Well, you know because the area was not developed yet.

The thick jungle has become his  'playground'. He was also said by many leaders and warriors to have amazing healing powers include the ability to communicate with wild animals and tame animal. He is also to be said to be very strong and invincible.

The Murut warrior was only a young man aged about 30 years old when he led the other Murut warriors to go against British in 1915. I admired him because he managed to gather all the Murut people and at a young age, he had been willing to take on a big tasks and risked his life for the sake of defending his nation and his homeland.

Antanom Ontoros was born in the river Salarom Masinpunon in 1885 and he descended from the Murut tribe Tagol the elite according to the customs of the Murut. Growing up, he had to suffer in an age full of conflict and challenge due to his village had been attacked by other tribe headhunter and also the British. He was also been raised as a 'kalawon' or warrior and brave. He was trained to always be ready to sacrifice to protect his family and his people.

He is also said to be one of Paduka Mat Salleh students, another great warrior of Sabah who had fight the British but fell against the British in Tambunan.

Antanom Ontoros was being described as burly, long-haired, dressed in traditional Murut clothes, 'bercawat' with spears in his hands. Firm and calm demeanor when he went to face danger. He has a strong determination that when he decides on something, it will be delivered without hesitation.

He was also being admired not only for his prowess stir rebellion against the British but his credibility as a leaderthat able to unite the cause of his people when they was hit by the conflict and discord. His strongdetermination and courage led to him willingly to die at a young age. Sadly, he was eventually killed in a fatal struggle for protecting the sacred dignity of the homeland and his people from the cunning British.

   





Short bio of Antanom Ontoros
Name : Ontoros anak lelaki Antanom
Year of Birth: 1885
Year of Death: 1915
From: Rundum, Kemabong, Tenom, Sabah.
Ethnicity: Murut Tagol
Contribution: A strong courageous Murut warrior that fight against the British in Sabah.

Reference
http://notasejarah.blogspot.my/
http://sktilis.blogspot.my/2013/11/tugu-pahlawan-antanom.html
Sejarah Malaysia, laman web Kerajaan Sabah (http://www.sabah.gov.my/pd.tnm/tnmdoc/lagenda.html), Teks Sejarah Kurikulum Bersepadu Sekolah Menengah.