Sarawak’s only living child prisoner of war

Jeli Abdullah’s mother died from labour complications after giving birth to him and his twin brother. To his Bisaya tribe, this was seen as a bad omen, and his father did not know what to do with the twins.

Fortunately, an Australian missionary couple decided to adopt the newborns. But misfortunate fell upon the new family when the Japanese Imperial army invaded Borneo in 1941.