Sabah Folklore ~ The Origins of "Nunuk Ragang": Tambunan

As the land of Ranau was named for its "mud', the land was flattened out and the people followed the elder to open up a settlement there. They focused on activities such as planting crops and raising livestock such as chickens, ducks and pigs.

As for the underground people, the land still continues to feel very uncomfortable and doubtly lest people come back to Nunuk Ragang to revenge and attacked them. Then people from the underground to investigate and eventually they found out about the people of Nunuk Ragang in Ranau. So, they then planned to go there to destroy the people of Nunuk Ragang. Their arrival was detected by the magical rooster and even before they get to Ranau, the magical rooster flew the elder of Nunuk Ragang to another place with his followers and the place was known as "Tambunan".

In the new place as the magical male rooster then then helped with them by scraping persistently to level the land to be residential areas for the peopl of Nunuk Ragang. It is also eventually discovered by the underground people who become increasingly angry with the Nunuk Ragang people, especially towards the magical rooster, and they continue wish to get rid of it.

(The landscapes of Tambunan, Sabah. 

Some say it is the mini "Switzerland" of Sabah. Only you can judge that)

As usual the rooster will crow every morning. Its crowing sound is very strong and can be heard until Ranau and other places at any distance where the rooster crows. According to the story, the crown of the roosterenabled the underground people to track the position of the rooster and the chief elder of Nunuk Ragang. A group of the underground men moved to Tambunan. As usual, the magical rooster would know of their arrival in advance and continue to fly the chief elder to another place called Apin-Apin. There, they opened a new settlement.

Since the underground people only had revenge towards the chief elder and the magical rooster of Nunuk Ragang, only half of them continued to hunt both down. While the others stayed back at the new settlement.

(Monument contributed to Gombunan in the Tambunan district of Sabah)

Because the chief elder was not able to stay in Tambunan and had to migrate to Apin-Apin, he appointed a deputy by the name of 'Gombunan' as the head of the Nunuk Ragang people there. The name Tambunan was named after their leader appointed by the ruler above. Furthermore, the new place (Tambunan) has not got his name yet at the time.

Adapted from: Taha Abdul Kadir. Cerita Tradisi Sabah. Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia : Pelanduk Publications (M) Sdn. Bhd. 1985. m/s 1-9.
Photo courtesy: ja.wikipedia.org;lostborneo.wordpress.comhttp://www.trekearth.com/gallery/Asia/Malaysia/East/Sabah/Tambunan/photo506232.htm, http://my.opera.com/sukku/albums/showpic.dml?album=357472&picture=5148691