Gunsanad Kina
Datuk Seri Panglima O.K.K Gunsanad Kina (1840-1 January 1930), in association with Sampuun of Tambunan, was one of the key figures involved in getting the British North Borneo Company to actively govern the interior region of the then North Borneo (later Sabah).
Datuk Seri Panglima O.K.K Gunsanad Kina S.P.D.K
1. Born in 1840 in Bandukan, Keningau
2. Eldest son in his family and also known as Botut among relatives. He grew up doing farming and small businesses
3. His life changed when he obtained a shiny stone known as the Kumala. The event occurred when he followed his dad to Kimanis and Bongawan to sell their farm goods which was mainly cotton
4. In order to get to the towns which happened to be the main trading center at that time, people would have to walk on foot across the Crocker range for days through hills and mountains
5. After a day/s journey, they rested on an area close to the river. They eventually camp for the night
6. During the night, Agiu, one of the group members and Gunsanad went to fish at the river
7. It was suprising to his friends how well Gunsanad can stay long underwater and was even able to catch a fish as big as him
8. The big fish became a nice dinner for all and all slept soundly through the night. That night, Gunsanad had a dream about obtaining the Kumala at the same spot where he caught the fish
9. The dream woke him up, only to find himself staring blankly on his friends who are still sleeping soundly. Following his gut instinct, he went to the river to look for the mystic stone
10. Even with the icy cold water that flows at the dead of night, Gunsanad dive in to the river but was unable to locate the stone even after a few attempts
11. Crestfallen, he was about to walk away when suddenly from the corner of his eyes, he saw something shimmering in the water
12. He immediately dive into the glowing water and this time, after diving deeper than he did before, there it was at the bottom of the river, the shiny stone, Kumala.
13. Filled with rejoice, he slipped the stone into his pouch and head back to the camp and only to find everyone else looking for him. He decided to keep the secret to himself, he told them he just felt like taking a cold swim at that time and everyone believed him
14. The journey continued the next day and fortunate enough, they were able to sell most of their goods at the towns
15. When Gunsanad grew up, he became more involve in the cotton business and end up selling at the same place where he used to trade with his dad and friends. His business soon expand and involved more goods such as rubber and clothes until he eventually was able to open a shop in Papar
16. Having limited knowledge in business, he first attempt failed but it doesn't stop him from trying again. He opened 2 more shops in Keningau and Sapulut but for the second time, he went bankrupt.
17. He finally decided to return to his former business and spend most of his time with his family in Bandukan, Keningau
18. In 1915, Gunsanad was given the title OKK (Orang Kaya-Kaya) for his leadership in doing his job with the BCC (British Chartered Company)
19. He was appointed to lead a negotiation in Rundum to promote peace among the locals and the company. Tribe clashes were common in Rundum were common those days and many people were killed in the war
20. The war started when the BBC began imposing high and unnecessary taxes to the people especially the poor ones
21. Gunsanad and his nephew Musad tried their best to reach an agreement with the locals but only half of the people are willing to pay the taxes
22. During the visit, one of the villagers befriended Musad and offered to bring him and his group to a good hunting ground in the area. Musad accepted the offer
23. Unfortunately, the whole thing was a setup. They were ambushed in the jungle by a group called Alison and Musad was badly injured while the others have either fled or died. Musad was able to escape with his life but died before reaching Gunsanad
24. The story finally reached the BCC and they decided to take stern action against the people
25. Gunsanad and his troops were given guns and ammunitions and this lead to the Rundum war. Many were killed in action but few survived by hiding in caves. This doesn't stop the troops from hunting them down. Knowing that the villagers use the river as food and water source, they poisoned the river and so more of the people were killed even when they're hiding
26. Those that do survived, were also killed and even got their heads chopped off as proof of their victory to the British
27. The skulls were said to be kept by one of Gunsanad's children and were also said to be used in certain ceremony
28. He played a role in the war against Mat Salleh in Tambunan in 1874 to 1900 but the whole story was never documented