By Dr Damian Kissey, Radiologist, Kota Kinabalu

orth Borneo or its more familiar name, Sabah, is also known as “The land below the wind” because it lies just outside of the typhoon belt of South East Asia. Kota Kinabalu, the state capital and location of Queen Elizabeth Hospital, is about 3 hours flight (or about RM700 return ticket before the 50% discount rate for domestic flight was introduced) from Kuala Lumpur. More than 20 different ethnic groups with diverse lingual and sociocultural habits live in Sabah which has a total area larger than half of Semenanjung Malaysia and a projected population of 3 million in 2003 (excluding the repatriated immigrants of course). 

Sabah boasts the highest peak, Mount Kinabalu in South East Asia; the largest flower, Rafflesia species in the world; one of the world’s unique center for orang utan and white rhinoceros rehabilitation; world famous scuba-diving atoll of Sipadan and quite some publicity in the media for a range of political news. On the other hand, we cannot say the same for Radiology because there are only 3 Radiologists (ratio of 1: 1,000,000 Sabahans) in the government hospital and one colleague in the private sector. The same situation is prevalent for the medical officer, radiographer and paramedical staff.  The doctor workforce is largely dependant on our countryman (and women) from West Malaysia. 

The oft quoted reasons for appealing against a posting to Borneo are:

• Far away from home and family

• Concern about adequacy of public utilities

• Safety and security concerns

• No social life or activity etc.

Fortunately there is a paradigm shift in the last few years with more young doctors and specialists coming over because of favourable personal testimonials from friends who came earlier to Sabah.  

As a local and medical person for more then 10 years, I can assure you that with Information and Communications Technology (e-mail, chat and teleradiology), cheaper domestic flights, family and peninsular colleagues are virtually a dial away. 

Hospital staff and the locals are friendly people. Quite a number of House Officers and Medical Officers even told me that the supervising consultants here are more approachable than and not as intimidating as the ones at the Ivory Towers “back home”. Perhaps big cities and big varsities make people more sombre and stressed. 

Utilities are adequate except for some very remote Klinik Kesihatan that may still depend on generators for power (radiologists will normally be posted to the hospitals with radiological equipment, and therefore are normally in the large hospitals in bigger towns). Special housing allowances are given to peninsular civil servants and rest assured that you do not have to live in primitive tree-top houses with proboscis monkeys as companions.  

The tribal warfare practice of headhunting is extinct and outlawed since the British was around in the late 1800s and the odds of a doctor being kidnapped by Abu Sayyaf pirates is as remote as the risk of developing breast cancer after a mammogram. So do not let your well-meaning but perhaps “less aware” friends or your timid self hold you back from a trip to Borneo because of the above reasons.  

The range of leisure activity, whether for the outgoing adventure person or family with children, is staggering. Tropical islet resorts, scuba diving or snorkelling spots, white water rafting /canoeing, agrotourism parks, Mount Kinabalu National Park, unique local cuisine, relatively cheap seafood restaurants, local clubs and golf courses, modern shopping complexes – all are within driving distance from the major towns. Otherwise settle for a quiet weekend watching Astro at home. 

So what are you waiting for… just pack those bags of yours and mosey over to Sabah – it’s worthwhile exploring even if you do not take my word for it. You may just be pleasantly surprised!

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Last Updated:
Thursday, 21 August, 2003