Ontoros Antanom, also known as Antanum or Antanom (1885-1915) was a
Murut Murut may refer to:
* Murut people
The Murut are an indigenous ethnic group, comprising 29 sub-ethnic groups inhabiting the northern inland regions of Borneo. The Murutic languages are a family of half a dozen closely related Austronesian lan ...
warrior from
North Borneo who led a rebellion against the
North Borneo Chartered Company
The North Borneo Chartered Company (NBCC), also known as the British North Borneo Company (BNBC) was a British chartered company formed on 1 November 1881 to administer and exploit the resources of North Borneo (present-day Sabah in Malaysia). ...
(NBCC). Claiming to have
supernatural powers, he united several Murut chiefs from
Keningau
Keningau ( ms, Pekan Keningau) is the capital of the Keningau District in the Interior Division of Sabah, Malaysia. It is the fifth-largest town in Sabah, as well one of the oldest. Keningau is between Tambunan and Tenom. The town had an es ...
,
Tenom
Tenom ( ms, Pekan Tenom, ) is the capital of the Tenom District in the Interior Division of Sabah, Malaysia. Its population was estimated to be around 5,148 in 2010. It is located about 176 kilometres south of Kota Kinabalu and 128 kilometres n ...
,
Pensiangan
Pensiangan is a small town in the state of Sabah in Malaysia. It is located in the Interior Division and is the capital of the district of Pensiangan. It is one of the most rural towns in Sabah located deep in the jungles of Borneo, and about 1 ...
and
Rundum in opposing the policies of the NBCC in North Borneo and launched the Rundum Rebellion in 1915. The rebellion was immediately suppressed by the company, and the conflict led to a heavy death toll amongst the Murut.
Rundum Rebellion
Under the administration of
North Borneo Chartered Company
The North Borneo Chartered Company (NBCC), also known as the British North Borneo Company (BNBC) was a British chartered company formed on 1 November 1881 to administer and exploit the resources of North Borneo (present-day Sabah in Malaysia). ...
(NBCC), municipal administration was governed by the Village Ordinance of 1891. This ordinance fundamentally changed the status of the chiefs, the traditional indigenous tribal leaders in the region. Following its implementation, the NBCC only accepted those chiefs who had appointed them as community leaders. Other chieftains, who had played an important role for generations, were either shut down or branded as criminals or troublemakers. Disrespect for these traditional leaders contributed to the decision of Antanum to rebel against the company.
[ ]
Claiming to have
supernatural powers, he united several Murut chiefs from
Keningau
Keningau ( ms, Pekan Keningau) is the capital of the Keningau District in the Interior Division of Sabah, Malaysia. It is the fifth-largest town in Sabah, as well one of the oldest. Keningau is between Tambunan and Tenom. The town had an es ...
,
Tenom
Tenom ( ms, Pekan Tenom, ) is the capital of the Tenom District in the Interior Division of Sabah, Malaysia. Its population was estimated to be around 5,148 in 2010. It is located about 176 kilometres south of Kota Kinabalu and 128 kilometres n ...
,
Pensiangan
Pensiangan is a small town in the state of Sabah in Malaysia. It is located in the Interior Division and is the capital of the district of Pensiangan. It is one of the most rural towns in Sabah located deep in the jungles of Borneo, and about 1 ...
and
Rundum in opposing the policies of the NBCC in North Borneo and launched the Rundum Rebellion in 1915. Hundreds of Murut rebels successfully attacked the Company administration building, and Antanum ordered the construction of underground tunnels to aid his fellow rebels during the rebellion.
In response, the Company sent 400 soldiers equipped with
firearms to counterattack in April 1915. Though the Muruts were only using their primitive weapons such as
blowgun
A blowgun (also called a blowpipe or blow tube) is a simple ranged weapon consisting of a long narrow tube for shooting light projectiles such as darts. It operates by having the projectile placed inside the pipe and using the force created ...
s,
swords and
spear
A spear is a pole weapon consisting of a shaft, usually of wood, with a pointed head. The head may be simply the sharpened end of the shaft itself, as is the case with fire hardened spears, or it may be made of a more durable material fasten ...
s, the Company soldiers failed to defeat them. Subsequently, they decided to lay a trap for Antanum; inviting him to a peace conference at Rundum. When he and his followers were on their way to the conference, they were surrounded by hundred of Company soldiers and arrested. Antanum was eventually executed, bringing an end to his resistance.
References
Murut people
People from Sabah
British North Borneo
1885 births
1915 deaths
Malaysian rebels
Malaysian warriors
Grand Commanders of the Order of Kinabalu
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