A view from Bat Hill

September 18, 2016 Sunday

By Olivia Miwil

olivia@nst.com.my
Scenic: Kampung Kopungit, Sabah's Hill of Bats, is becoming popular haunt for joggers, hikers and families, writes Olivia Miwil

HEALTH buffs, selfie junkies and wannabe trail blazers have found a new route at the edge of the city in Kota Kinabalu – Kampung Kopungit - and they are loving it.

The well trodden path up the steep steps and dirt track to the hills in the village is now a popular haunt for joggers and hikers every morning and evening, providing them the thrill, drill or even grill, for some.

Apart from the health benefits, friendly interactions and family bonding outing, the trip up the hills rewards them with a breath taking site of the City and nearby Penampang as well as a killer sunset view.

The area was once a dense forest surrounded by a rubber estate and its name was derived from the Dusun word of “Kipungit” which means a place where there are bats.

Village chief Kiun Geoffrey Solidau, 64, said many people would go to the area and hunt for bats or “pungit” during the night especially those who work in the surrounding area from the late 19th century.

Over the years despite the opening of the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Land and Survey department, Sabah College, the Gurdwara Sikh Temple, utility company Sabah Electricity Sdn Bhd (previously Sabah Electricity Board) and the State Police Headquarters in its surrounding, little development came to Kopungit.

“In the 1970s, a handful of people started building their homes there and eventually, with better road connections as well as other infrastructure, more followed their footsteps,” Kiun said.

Now there are 325 families here with 1,945 people at the 26ha village which is divided into four blocks when it was gazetted as a native commune by the government 20 years ago.

Most of the residents are civil servants who work in the surrounding government offices including the hospital but many were originally from districts in the interior.

A large number of the residents are also second or third generation family members who were born and bred in the village.

“There used to be several blocks of living quarters for hospital workers before it was demolished to make way for the road about 30 years ago.

“Many were given the option to shift to the hospital quarters at the Bukit Padang in Luyang but some preferred to stay on and build their homes on the hill here,” he said.

Village life in Kopungit was almost similar to how they used to live in the interior unlike apartment buildings where they were shifted to, Kiun explained the reason why many stayed on and retreated to the hill.

“Things took a turn for the better when we were given government recognition as a proper village in 1996 and since then our lives improved,” he said.

They now enjoy basic amenities from electricity, water, road and sewage system.

Progress however was no excuse for the villagers to be complacent  Kiun said and pointed out last year  18 people were infected with dengue and this year five.

“We built this community from nothing and we need to be more proactive in maintaining its cleanliness,” he said and noted the footpath that leads to the highest point was also becoming more popular among visitors.