https://www.theborneopost.com/2023/03/14/sabahs-pioneer-bb-member-shares-fond-memories/

Sabah’s pioneer BB member shares fond memories

Donald posing with his plaque and certificate of appreciation.

KOTA KINABALU (Mar 14): Donald Soh Sun Kheng was part of the first batch of Boys Brigade (BB) established in Sabah around 50 years ago.

Now 72 years old, he was also the first Sabah BB president (1982-1985) to serve under the uniformed Christian youth organisation, which was founded in Glasgow, Scotland, by Sir William Alexander Smith in 1883.

Prior to becoming a BB member, he was a Boy Scout for six years. When the organisation stepped foot in Sabah in 1967, Donald and a friend decided to join BB, attracted by its two main pillars of religion and discipline.

“There were ten of us in the first batch. At the time, Jesselton had just been renamed to Kota Kinabalu. We did not have much resources, not even proper uniforms. Everything had to be ordered from Singapore as it was BB’s main headquarters for the Asia region at the time before Malaysia took over.

“We had a lot of outdoor campings, drills, learned to cook and tie knots, plus various other useful skills. Things they do not teach you in classrooms. The most important thing that I have gained from BB, however, was a strong sense of discipline,” he said during Sabah BB’s 50th Anniversary Dinner at Hakka Hall, here, recently.

Donald started out as a staff sergeant and completed his first training course in Johor Bahru before moving up to the rank of an officer in 1973, which was when he took part in the BB International 90th Anniversary in Singapore.

The Brunei-born explained that they would often have their activities and programs on the weekends, and how he had to sacrifice time away from his family to focus on BB while also working on the weekdays.

“I had a brief stint as a shipping clerk at a harbour. That was before my first BB captain, the late Seah Yun Khong, encouraged me to go into the technical field. He had told me, ‘Donald, you better do something else. Do not stay as a clerk your whole life. Pursue something technical’.

“He told me this on a Saturday. Two days later, he passed away from a heart attack. After his death, his words had been imprinted at the back of my mind. So I went to Kepayan and knocked on the Public Works Department’s (JKR) door. I joined them in 1971 and worked there for 36 years as an engineering assistant,” he said.

In 1974, Donald started his own company (troop) and steered its wheel for 38 years as the captain before retiring at the age of 60, handing over the baton to the young bloods. Six years prior to his retirement, he went on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem, Israel, after he retired from JKR in 2006.

“It has been one of my life dreams to go back to my faith and see for myself what I believe in. I got to walk the same steps Jesus Christ did 2000 years ago. I also got to carry the cross and received a certificate from my pilgrimage,” he said.

He recalled fond memories during his time at the organisation, travelling to many countries such as Scotland, Ireland, Australia, and even to New Zealand to meet members of Steadfast – an alumni group consisting of former members of BB.

Despite his retirement, he is still quite active within the organisation and often holds educational classes and courses for BB members during his free time. Aside from BB-related matters, he is also pursuing other hobbies such as photography and videography.

During the anniversary dinner at Hakka Hall, he had brought along a camera and a bodycam to document the momentous event, where he was conferred a plaque and certificate of appreciation from BB Sabah state commissioner Foo Ming Chung.

Aside from the aforementioned hobbies, he also likes to work on other technical endeavours such as solar panels and constructing emergency lights. Recently he has been learning how to use the bodycam he bought a while ago to take videos alongside his camera for pictures.

On an unrelated note, he had noticed that the interest of the youth in uniformed bodies has waned since the advent of modern technology such as smartphones, with most of them only joining due to being forced by their parents.

In this regard, Donald, equipped with the experience and wisdom gained from his 56 years at BB, would like to dispense advice to the youth.

“Join a uniformed body. It does not matter whether it is BB, Girls Brigade (GB), Red Crescent, or Boy Scouts. It is a different atmosphere compared to learning in schools. They will teach you how to be disciplined and, in my case, also become a more outgoing person. Even at my age, I still go out and play badminton once in a while,” he concluded.

As of 2022, BB has 17 companies throughout Sabah, eight in Kota Kinabalu, Kudat (3), Sandakan (3), Tawau (2) and Keningau (1), with a total of 1,498 members made up of 107 officers, 30 instructors, 692 seniors, 623 juniors and 46 pre-juniors.

The movement was first brought to Sabah and Sarawak by Anthony Fong Cheng who initiated Jesselton’s first BB company with Charles Chu and David Lee on 8 April 1967, comprising 20 members. The company was sponsored by the Young Men Christian Association (YMCA).

Seah, who was a former lieutenant of the second Singapore BB company, then took up the seat as captain of the first Jesselton company alongside Father Peter Dodd as the chaplain, officers Charles, David, and Jimmy Ng, sergeant Peter Chau, corporals Wong Won Chong and Donald, lance corporals Yee Ting Kong, David Tham and Joseph Tham, warrant officer Anthony Ching, staff sergeant Henry Shang, and music teacher Albert Yong.

In June 1967, Fong was appointed as Seah’s second in command and they had their first meeting at the Y tuition centre at Nosmail Court, Beach Street. In August 1967, the meeting venue was moved to All Saints Cathedral after permission was granted for their use of the parish court.

Almost immediately, Seah appointed the first batch of non-commissioned officers (NCOs). He trained them in drill, Christian faith as well as social and physical principles. He further trained Fong in economic, social, youth work and other aspects of BB.

The first BB camp was held in 1968 at Kionsom, Putatan, with 20 boys and one officer.

After Seah’s sudden passing on 13 December 1971, Fong assumed his position as the head of the company. Soon after, the company formed a musical band and made its first appearance at the former Head of State Tun Mohammad Fuad Stephen’s birthday parade in 1973.

Under the helm of former state presidents Donald (1982 – 1985) and David Liew Chew Kong (1986 – 1995), former state commissioners Stephen Liew Nyuk Kiong (1996 – 2008), Henry Liew Yun Ye (2009 – 2013) and Ho Hee Mang (2014 – 2018) as well as current state commissioner Foo, they soared to great heights and achieved many milestones.

BB Sabah is currently paving its way to develop a more vibrant and spiritual growth as well as provide a more holistic training and development for all its members by forming more companies in partnership with churches, Christian organisations and schools at all towns in Sabah.