Eddy Blog

This year, I was in Kota Kinabalu for about 14 days between November 23rd and December 8th. It was certainly an enjoyable trip and certainly a much needed break from the mundane routine of work back home in Singapore. This is my 14th year which I visited this beautiful State.

I had the time to reflect on my flight back to Singapore, all the lovely time I’ve spent. This year, I visited the ICT Fiesta, went hunting for Sabah Snake Grass, had lots of yummy food, visited the Logos Hope and walked around the beautiful waterfront and more. I would certainly be doing it again.

Kota Kinabalu has certainly changed a lot since the first time I visited the State. The spot where Warisan Square was the bus terminal and it was buzzing with activities all day long. The waterfront was just a pathway walk and the waterfront in front of Wisma Merdeka were lined with many ferry boards to take us to the islands. Suria Sabah was still part of the Sabah Port before it shifted part of the operations to Sepanggar . There are just a lot of changes during the last few years.

I am glad that parts of the city still retains its rustic charm, blending both the old and the new. This is certainly true along Gaya Street and the Segama area.

In a way, I am sad to see new shopping complexes sprouting out in the city, bringing the end to some of the old charm of Kota Kinabalu. Although these brought about new shops selling new products to the people of Sabah, many of them have empty shop lots. I guess they are expecting more entrepreneurs and big names to come to town.

In any case, this does not change the spirit of Sabah. The people are as friendly as ever and I feel safe walking on the streets alone. During my walks, I have had many smiling faces which helped brightened my day. They certainly make me feel very welcome. I can see that although Sabah has been left out for many years from the major development in the 80s and 90s, it is soon catching up.

Imported items may either not be available in Sabah or if they are available, they tend to be a tad more expensive than in Peninsular Malaysia. However, despite of that, Sabahans tend to be quite contended with what they have. The “Me First” attitude is just not there and they are just happy to help. Everything is done with a human touch.

I remember the cab driver who took me back home from Changi Airport told me that Singaporeans have the “Me First” attitude and all they care about is themselves. I do agree with him. Singapore is seen as efficient and a no-nonsense city, which is true because most things are handled very clinically with military precision. Over the years, the human effect is no longer there. Things are getting a lot more costly in Singapore and thus everyone is out for themselves which is evident in their work attitude, during shopping and even when out eating. Singaporeans tend to try to spend as little to get the most benefits. The “Kiasu (literally translated as Scared Lose) and Kiasi (Scared Die)” attitude is the hallmark of a typical Singaporean probably because of the upbringing.

Any case, I shall end this with a more upbeat note. Sabah is like my second home. I certainly enjoy my stay there and enjoy the people I meet. I am missing Sabah already and I would certainly be back next year to explore more of the State.

To all Sabahans who are reading this, “Don’t Change, Be as you are and stay true to yourself.”

Like I said in one of my tweets and I mean it is “People in KK City may not have access to everything that we have in Singapore but they’re a happier and friendlier people. I miss Sabah”.

If the world adopts the lifestyle and mindset of the Sabahans, it would indeed be a better world.