In this Malay name, there is no surname or family name. The name Abang Sapiee is a patronymic, and the person should be referred to by their given name, Abang Openg. The word "bin" or "binti"/"binte" means 'son of' or 'daughter of', respectively.
Abang Openg was born on 7 October 1905 during the White Rajahs of Brooke dynasty's rule.[2] Abang Openg's first great-grandfather was Datu Patinggi Haji Abdul Gapor, the former governor of Sarawak preceding James Brooke's era. Moreover, Abang Openg was the third-generation descendant of Datu Patinggi Ali and a direct descendant of Raja Jarum.[3]
Abang Openg had his early education in Kuching before moving to Sarikei with his father.[4] He attended St. Anthony School in Sarikei before returning to Kuching to continue his education at St. Thomas School.[4]
As a 19-year-old man of the descendants of the elite with title Abang, Abang Openg chose to enter the Brooke administration as a clerk in 1924.[4] He was elevated to senior officer of native affairs in Sarikei after serving for eight years.[4] He was appointed third-class magistrate in 1937.[4]
White Rajah Charles Vyner Brooke gave Abang Openg a special appointment, and he was afterwards appointed to a member of the state council.[4] He was elevated to second-class magistrate and Kuching Division native affairs first officer in early 1941, just before World War II.[4]
Abang Openg held the principle of choosing to be loyal to the Brooke rule until the Japanese surrender in September 1945.[4] When Vyner decided to cede Sarawak to Britain,[5] Abang Openg and several other Brooke officials opposed the decision.[4]
Several places were named after Abang Openg, including:
Tun Abang Haji Openg Digital Centre (TAHODC) in UNIMAS Samarahan, the main centre for information and communication technology (ICT) in the university [7]
SMK Tun Abang Haji Openg, a secondary school in Kuching
Jalan Tun Abang Haji Openg in Kuching
Jalan Tun Abang Haji Openg in Sibu
Jalan Tun Openg in Tanjung Kidurong, Bintulu
Jalan Abang Haji Openg in Taman Tun Dr Ismail, Kuala Lumpur
^Alan Teh Leam Seng (30 October 2021). "Fascinating Sarawak tales from long ago". New Straits Times. Retrieved 29 December 2021. ... Rajah Vyner Brooke, faced with a series of family disputes concerning succession, made the difficult decision to cede sovereignty of Sarawak to the British Crown.