Sunday, 27 January 2013

Welcome to Flash Gordon, a village in Malaysia



Flash Gordon is not just a heroic character in comic books and movies, but also the name of a small village in Penampang, Sabah, where a large family resides.
Was the village named after the sci-fi hero or is there a more interesting tale to the origins of its unique name? Avila Geraldine finds out AT a junction just a 10-minute drive from Donggongon town in Penampang, Sabah, there's a signboard, almost unnoticeable, that leads to a quiet residential area.
It's like many other residential areas populated by large families in Sabah, but this one stands out because of its unique, some may say bizarre name.
After all, how many residential areas do you know carry the name of the well-known science-fiction hero, Flash Gordon?
But that's exactly what this small village in Kampung Kivatu is called -- Taman Flash Gordon. For anyone who is familiar with American comics, Flash Gordon was the hero in an adventure comic strip published in 1934 in the United States. In later years, the adventures of the space hero were adapted into films and a TV series.
Well known among the Penampang folk, the area has been in existence since the 1950s.
Its name never fails to arouse the curiosity of outsiders who come into the district and stumble upon the broken signboard beside an old Shell station along Jalan Penampang-Tambunan with the curious name of "Flash Gordon" on it.
"Oh, it's named after the comic book hero Flash Gordon," is the first thing that crosses people's minds when they see the signboard, and the second inevitable question will be: "How in the world did that name come about?"
It all started 50 years ago with a young Kadazan lad named Linus Tokuyuk, the village athlete and strongman.
He can be solely credited for lending "his" name to the residential area.
His son Lucian, who is in his 60s, sits down patiently to tell a story he has repeated many times.
"The first Flash Gordon movie hit the district in the 1950s. At that time, my father was already married to my mum (Josephine Poon Kandavu) and the movie was screened at an open space near Sekolah Menengah St Michael.
"I think almost everyone went to watch it. The movie was so popular that all the men who watched it wanted to be like Flash Gordon."
One day, the men held a competition among themselves. Whoever could jump from one betel nut tree to another would be crowned the district's "Flash Gordon". The race was apparently inspired by one of the movie's scenes.
Tokuyuk, who was in his 30s then, was literally bursting with enthusiasm and eager to show off his prowess. He tied a piece of cloth around his head and psyched himself up. Becoming "Flash Gordon" would definitely be a proud achievement for him.
"My father was certain he could do it and even said 'I am the real Flash Gordon'.
"He got ready and made the leap. He must have jumped six feet or more. He did it and we were all elated.
"Since then, everyone nicknamed him Flash Gordon and the name was emblazoned everywhere. No one called him by his real name any more after that."
Not only that, his sons later inherited the name. Their friends called them Flash Gordon, too.
Lucian, who is the third child among seven siblings, said his father was like Flash Gordon in character, too -- he was tough but jovial, friendly and loveable. He was a good father to his children, and a good husband to his wife.
Tokuyuk, a carpenter who built his own house and was also a farmer, never heard the end of his amazing feat.
When Tokuyuk was in the company of friends, they would talk and banter about the day he leapt from one tree to another, and also his nickname.
Lucian, a retiree, said the family managed a small resort which carried his mother's family name, Tamanza, about 10km away.
"Sometime before his death, my father asked us why there's a place named after his wife and not after him. So, we decided and told him okay, we will name the area where we lived, Taman Flash Gordon, as a tribute to him."
Tokuyuk died on Sept 24, 1999, and his wife on Dec 13, 2008.
Taman Flash Gordon is now occupied by Tokuyuk's children.
There are five family homes in the area, including Tokuyuk's old wooden house, with a kindergarten close to the junction and main road.
A new signboard will soon be set up to replace the broken one. When it is completed, the name will once again attract passers-by and the story of Penampang's own Flash Gordon will continue to be told.

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