Kota Kinabalu , formerly
Jesselton, is the capital of
SabahSabah is a Malaysian state located on the northern portion of the island of Borneo . It is the second largest state in Malaysia after Sarawak, which it borders on its south-west. It also shares a border with the province of East Kalimantan of Indonesia in the south...
state in
MalaysiaMalaysia is a country in Southeast Asia that consists of thirteen states and three Federal Territories, with a total landmass of . The capital city is Kuala Lumpur, while Putrajaya is the seat of the federal government. The population stands at over 28 million inhabitants...
. It is also the capital of the
West Coast DivisionWest Coast Division is an administrative division of Sabah, east Malaysia, on the island of Borneo. It occupies the northwest portion of Sabah. With an area of 7,588 square kilometres, it occupies 10.3% of Sabah's territory...
of Sabah. The city is located on the northwest coast of
BorneoBorneo is the third largest island in the world and is located at the centre of Maritime Southeast Asia. Administratively, this island is divided among Indonesia , Malaysia and Brunei . Indonesians refer to the island as Kalimantan...
facing the
South China SeaThe South China Sea is a marginal sea*south of mainland China and Taiwan,*west of the Philippines,*north west of Sabah , Sarawak and Brunei,*north of Indonesia,*north east of the Malay peninsula and Singapore, and...
. The
Tunku Abdul Rahman National ParkTunku Abdul Rahman National Park was established in 1974, just offshore Kota Kinabalu, in Sabah, east Malaysia on the island of Borneo. It comprises 49 square kilometers of which two-thirds are sea, and the rest is coral reefs and five islands. It is named after the first Prime Minister of...
lies on one side and
Mount KinabaluMount Kinabalu is a prominent mountain in Southeast Asia. It is located in Kinabalu National Park in the east Malaysian state of Sabah, which is on the island of Borneo in the tropics...
, which gave the city its name, is nearby. Kota Kinabalu proper has a population of 579,304, while the larger urban area has an estimated population of 700,000. It is the largest urban centre in Sabah and the sixth largest in Malaysia.
Kota Kinabalu is often known as
K.K. within Malaysia and internationally. It is a major tourist destination and a popular gateway for travellers visiting Sabah and Borneo.
Kinabalu National ParkKinabalu National Park or Taman Negara Kinabalu in Malay, established as one of the first national parks of Malaysia in 1964, is Malaysia's first World Heritage Site designated by UNESCO in December 2000 for its "outstanding universal values" and the role as one of the most important biological...
is located about 90 kilometres from the city and there are many tourist attractions in and around the city. Kota Kinabalu is also one of the major industrial and commercial centres of
East MalaysiaEast Malaysia consists of the Malaysian states of Sabah and Sarawak, located on the island of Borneo, as well as the Federal Territory of Labuan, which lies off coast of Sabah. East Malaysia lies to the east, across the South China Sea from Peninsular Malaysia which is located on the Malay Peninsula...
. These two factors combine to make Kota Kinabalu one of the fastest growing cities in Malaysia.
History
In the late 1800s, the
British North Borneo CompanyThe North Borneo Chartered Company or British North Borneo Company was a chartered company assigned to administer North Borneo in August 1881. North Borneo became a protectorate of the British Empire with internal affairs administered by the company until 1946 when it became the colony of British...
(BNBC) began to establish colonies throughout
North BorneoNorth Borneo was a British protectorate under the sovereign North Borneo Chartered Company from 1882-1946. After the war it became a crown colony of the United Kingdom from 1946-1963, known in this time as British North Borneo. It is located on the northeastern end of the island of Borneo. It is...
(now Sabah). In 1882, the Company founded a small settlement in the area known as
Gaya Bay which was already inhabited by the
BajauThe Bajau, are an indigenous ethnic group of Malaysia and the southern Philippines...
people. The first settlement was on
Gaya IslandPulau Gaya is a sizeable Malaysian island of 1,465 ha, just 10 minutes off Kota Kinabalu, Sabah. The large and mainly uninhabited portion of island is protected as part of Tunku Abdul Rahman Park, and the surface is undeveloped, although the eastern shore supports a well-known illegal Filipino...
(Pulau Gaya). In 1897, this first settlement was burned and destroyed by Bajau rebels led by Mat Salleh.
After the rebellion, the Company decided to relocate the settlement to the more easily defended mainland opposite Pulau Gaya. A nearby fishing village named
Api-Api (see
Original names below), was the next settlement of the Company. This new location was then designated as the main harbour and port, as well as the terminus for the North Borneo Railway. It was expanded and renamed
Jesselton, named after Sir Charles Jessel, the then Vice Chairman of the Company.
Eventually, Jesselton became a major trading post of North Borneo, dealing in
rubberNatural rubber is an elastomer that was originally derived from a milky colloidal suspension, or latex, found in the sap of some plants. The purified form of natural rubber is the chemical polyisoprene, which can also be produced synthetically...
,
rattanRattan , is the name for the roughly 600 species of palms in the tribe Calameae, native to tropical regions of Africa, Asia and Australasia. Most rattans differ from other palms in having slender stems, 2–5 cm diameter, with long internodes between the leaves; also, they are not trees but are...
,
honeyHoney is a sweet food made by some insects using nectar from flowers. The variety produced by honey bees is the one most commonly referred to and is the type of honey collected by beekeepers and consumed by humans...
, and
waxWax refers to beeswax or another substance with similar properties. The traditional meaning, beeswax, refers to a substance secreted by bees and used by them in constructing their honeycombs...
. The new railway was used to transport goods to Jesselton harbour. Bajau uprisings during these times were not uncommon, and the Company worked to quell the long-standing threat of piracy in the region.
Jesselton was razed by the retreating British early in
World War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including all great powers, organized into two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
to prevent it from falling into the hands of the
JapaneseThe Empire of Japan was a Japanese political entity that existed during the period from the...
. After the
Japanese takeover of BorneoThroughout much of World War II, British Malaya, North Borneo and Sarawak were under Japanese occupation. The Japanese first invaded the island of Borneo in mid December 1941, landing on the west coast near Miri in Sarawak; invasion was completed by 23 January 1942 when they landed at Balikpapan in...
, it was again renamed Api. Rebellions against the
Japanese militaryThe Imperial Japanese Army , or literally Army of the Empire of Greater Japan was the official ground based armed force of Imperial Japan from 1867 to 1945...
administration have taken place in Api. One major rebellion occurred in 1943 by the group called Kinabalu Guerrillas, consisting of local inhabitants. Japanese forces quelled the rebellion after its leader, Albert Kwok, was arrested and executed in 1944. At the later stages of the war, what remained of the town was destroyed again by
AlliedThe Allies of World War II were the countries that opposed the Axis powers during the Second World War . The involvement of the Allies in World War II was either natural and inevitable they were invaded or under the direct threat of invasion by the Axis or compelled by concerns that the Axis powers...
bombings as part of the
Borneo CampaignThe Borneo Campaign of 1945 was the last major Allied campaign in the South West Pacific Area, during World War II. In a series of amphibious assaults between 1 May and 21 July, the Australian I Corps, under General Leslie Morshead, attacked Japanese forces occupying the island. Allied naval and...
in 1945, leaving only three buildings standing. The war in North Borneo ended with the official surrender of the Japanese 37th Army by Lieutenant General Baba Masao in
LabuanLabuan is the main island of the Malaysian Federal Territory of Labuan. Labuan is best known as an offshore financial centre offering international financial and business services via Labuan IBFC since 1990 as well as a tourist destination for nearby Bruneians and scuba divers...
on September 10, 1945.
After the war, the British North Borneo Company returned to administer Jesselton but was unable to finance the huge costs of reconstruction. They gave control of North Borneo to the British Crown in 1946. The new colonial government elected to rebuild Jesselton as the capital of North Borneo instead of
SandakanSandakan is the second-largest city in Sabah, East Malaysia, on the north-eastern coast of Borneo. It is located on the east coast of the island and it is the administrative centre of Sandakan Division and was the former capital of British North Borneo...
, which had also been destroyed by the war.
When North Borneo together with Sarawak, Singapore & Federation of Malaya formed the Federation of Malaysia in 1963, the state became known as Sabah and Jesselton remained its capital. Jesselton was renamed Kota Kinabalu on September 30, 1968 and received official city status from the Malaysian government on February 2, 2000.
Etymology
Kota Kinabalu is named after
Mount KinabaluMount Kinabalu is a prominent mountain in Southeast Asia. It is located in Kinabalu National Park in the east Malaysian state of Sabah, which is on the island of Borneo in the tropics...
, situated about 90 kilometres east-northeast of the city. The meaning and origin of the name
Kinabalu is uncertain. One theory suggests it means "Chinese widow", where
Kina meaning "Chinese" (person) in Kadazandusun language, and
balu meaning "widow" in
Malay languageMalay is a group of languages closely related to each other to the point of mutual intelligibility but that linguists consider to be separate languages. They are grouped into a group called "Local Malay", part of a larger group called "Malayan" within the Malayo-Polynesian branch of the...
. This theory derives from a folk tale about a Chinese prince who came to the mountain in search of a giant pearl which was guarded by a dragon at the top of the mountain. While he was here, he married a local woman but later returned to China and left the woman heartbroken. Alternatively, it is also argued that
Kinabalu or
Akinabalu is the name of the dragon which guards the giant pearl itself. Another theory suggests that the term is derived from the name
Aki Nabalu meaning the "revered place of the dead", in which,
Aki means "ancestors" or "grandfather", and
Nabalu being a name for the mountain in the
DusunDusun is the collective name of a tribe or ethnic and linguistic group in the Malaysian state of Sabah. Due to similarities in culture and language with the Kadazan ethnic group, and also because of other political initiatives, a new unified term called "Kadazan-Dusun" was created. Collectively,...
language. There is also a source claiming that the term originated from
Ki Nabalu, where
Ki meaning "have" or "exist", and
Nabalu meaning "spirit of the dead".
Kota is a Malay word for a "fort", "town", or a "city". It is also used formally in a few other Malaysian towns and cities, for example, Kota Bahru,
Kota TinggiKota Tinggi is a small town in the state of Johor of Malaysia, located around 42 kilometers north-east of Johor Bahru, on the road to Mersing. Kota Tinggi can also be reached by ferry from Changi terminal in Singapore where tourists need to pass through the immigration check point at Tanjung...
, and
Kota KemuningKota Kemuning is a township located in the city of Shah Alam, Selangor, Malaysia along KESAS Highway between Subang Jaya and Bukit Tinggi townships. It is developed by Hicom-Gamuda Development Sdn Bhd, a joint-venture company between DRB-HICOM and Gamuda Berhad...
. It could also be used informally to refer to any towns or cities. Henceforth, a direct translation of the name
Kota Kinabalu into English would be "City of Kinabalu" or "Kinabalu City".
Original names
Besides Jesselton, there has been a number of other claims as to the original name for Kota Kinabalu. The most popular, as mentioned above, is
Api-Api, or sometimes simply
Api, which is a Malay word meaning 'Fire'. It was apparently named as such by the mainly Bajau locals to denote the blazing of the British administrative office in Pulau Gaya instigated by Mat Salleh, as well as other blazing incidents normally perpetrated by pirates. There were claims however that it was actually named after a nearby river called
Sungai Api-Api. Another theory states that "Api-Api" is the local name of the common
AvicenniaBlack Mangrove is a species of flowering plant in the Acanthus family, Acanthaceae.A. germinans grows in tropical and sub-tropical regions of the Americas, on both Atlantic and Pacific coasts, and on the Atlantic coast of tropical Africa, where it thrives on the sandy and muddy shores that...
tree found in abundance around the area. Transliterated into the formal Chinese name of
Ya Bi (亚庇 yà bì), the Hakkas here too adopted this name (亚庇,"ah-bi" which pronounced in Hakka, Chinese dialects) and some still use this name to this day. Besides Api-Api, another suggested historical name was
Deasoka, which roughly means "below the coconut tree" in the Bajau language. The Bajau locals purportedly used this name to refer to a village on the southern part of the city which was filled with coconut trees. Another name was
Singgah Mata which literally mean "transit eye", but can be loosely translated as meaning "pleasing to the eye". It is a name purportedly given by fishermen from Pulau Gaya referring to the strip of land of what is today Kota Kinabalu city center. Today, all these names have been immortalised into names of streets or buildings around the city. Some examples are:
Lintasan Deasoka,
Api-Api Centre,
Jalan Singgah Mata, and
Jesselton Point.
Capital city
Being the capital city of Sabah, Kota Kinabalu plays an important role in the political and economic welfare of the population in the entire state. It is the seat of the state government where almost all of their
ministriesA ministry is a specialised organisation responsible for a sector of government public administration, sometimes led by a minister, but usually a senior public servant, that can have responsibility for one or more departments, agencies, bureaus, commissions or other smaller executive, advisory,...
and
agenciesA government agency is a permanent or semi-permanent organization in the machinery of government that is responsible for the oversight and administration of specific functions, such as an intelligence agency. There is a notable variety of types of agency...
are based. Most of the
Malaysian federal governmentThe politics of Malaysia takes place in the framework of a constitutional monarchy, in which the Monarch is head of state and the Prime Minister of Malaysia is the head of government. Executive power is exercised by the Malaysian government and the devolved governments of the 11 states in...
agencies and departments are also located in Kota Kinabalu. The Sabah State Legislative Assembly is located at nearby Likas Bay. There are four Members of Parliament (MPs) representing four
parliamentary constituencies in the city: Sepanggar (
P.171), Kota Kinabalu (
P.172), Putatan (
P.173), and Penampang (
P.174). The city also elects 9 representatives to the state legislature from the state assembly districts of Karambunai, Inanam, Likas, Api-Api, Luyang, Tanjung Aru, Petagas, Kepayan, and Moyog.
Local authority and city definition
The city is administered by
Dewan Bandaraya Kota KinabaluDewan Bandaraya Kota Kinabalu or Kota Kinabalu City Hall is the city council which administers the city and district of Kota Kinabalu in the state of Sabah, Malaysia. This council was established after the city was officially granted city status on February 2, 2000...
(Kota Kinabalu City Hall). The current mayor of Kota Kinabalu is Datuk Illiyas Ibrahim. He became the second
mayor"Mayor" is a modern title used in many countries for the highest ranking officer in a municipal government....
of the city after taking over the post from Datuk Abdul Ghani Rashid in 2006. The city obtained
city statusThis is a list of cities of Malaysia, in order by the date they were granted the city status.-Cities of Malaysia:* George Town * Kuala Lumpur * Ipoh * Kuching...
on February 2, 2000, and prior to this it was administered by Majlis Perbandaran Kota Kinabalu (Kota Kinabalu Municipal Council).
The city is defined within the borders of what is the
districtDistricts in Malaysia are known as Daerah or Jajahan . A district governed directly by the federal government is known as a Federal Territory, and they are Kuala Lumpur, Putrajaya, and Labuan....
, formerly the
municipalityA municipality is an administrative entity composed of a clearly defined territory and its population and commonly denotes a city, town, or village, or a small grouping of them. A municipality is typically governed by a mayor and a city council or municipal council.The notion of municipality...
, of Kota Kinabalu. With an area of 351 square kilometres, it is the smallest but the most populous district in Sabah. It encompasses
Tanjung AruTanjung Aru is a sub-district of Kota Kinabalu of Sabah, in Malaysia. Its main feature is its beach called Tanjung Aru Beach which stretches to over 2 kilometres long. It also has its own township called Pekan Tanjung Aru...
and
KepayanKepayan is a sub-district, or a neighbourhood, within the city of Kota Kinabalu in Malaysia. It is located within Kota Kinabalu city district, and borders on with the district of Penampang. The Sabah Contingent Police Headquarters, as well as Kota Kinabalu Central Prison, are located in Kepayan....
in the south, up to
TelipokTelipok is a town located about 15 kilometres north of Kota Kinabalu, in Sabah, Malaysia. The town is within the administration of Dewan Bandaraya Kota Kinabalu and is a sub-district of the city. It is also part of the urban expanse of Kota Kinabalu or part of its metropolitan area...
and
SepanggarSepanggar is a sub-district of Kota Kinabalu in Malaysia. It is located around Sepanggar Bay which houses the Sepanggar Bay Container Terminal, a major naval base for the Royal Malaysian Navy as well as the Sepanggar Bay Oil Terminal. The main campus for Universiti Malaysia Sabah , and Kota...
in the north. The urban expanse of the city however extends into the district of
PenampangPenampang is a district as well as a small town within the West Coast Division of Sabah, Malaysia. It has virtually become a suburb of Kota Kinabalu which is Sabah's capital. Its population was estimated to be around 132,002 in 2000, with ethnic Kadazan-Dusun as the majority.The name penampang...
on the south of the city border, which includes the towns of
DonggongonDonggongon is a town in the West Coast Division of Sabah, Malaysia. The town is located within the district of Penampang, but today it can be considered as part of the greater metropolitan area of Sabah's capital city, Kota Kinabalu. As of 2007, it has a population of 78,086...
and
PutatanPutatan is a town and a suburb of Kota Kinabalu in the state of Sabah, east Malaysia. The town was located within the district of Penampang on the coast of the West Coast Division but from March 1, 2007, Putatan became a district on its own. As of 2007, it has an estimated population of 85,454....
. The combined area of Kota Kinabalu (district) and the built up areas in Penampang can also be described as Kota Kinabalu (urban area). The district of Penampang has an area of 466 square kilometres, and is administered by Majlis Daerah Penampang (Penampang District Council).
On one end of the scale, Kota Kinabalu may sometimes only refer to, especially by local inhabitants, the city centre or
central business districtA central business district is the commercial and often geographic heart of a city...
, area near the sea facing Pulau Gaya. On the other end of the scale, it may also refer to the
metropolitan areaA metropolitan area is a large population center consisting of a large metropolis and its adjacent zone of influence, or of more than one closely adjoining neighboring central cities and their zone of influence...
which includes urban Kota Kinabalu, and the surrounding towns of
PaparPapar is a town as well as a district located in West Coast Division of Sabah, east Malaysia. Its population in the district was estimated to be around 105,200 in 2006, almost evenly divided between ethnic Kadazan , Dusun and Malay...
and
KinarutKinarut is a town just outside Kota Kinabalu in Sabah, Malaysia. Located about 20 kilometres south of Kota Kinabalu, it is one of the stops for the North Borneo Railway. One of the popular tourist destinations in Kinarut is the Kindawan Horse Riding Centre....
, in the south, and
TuaranTuaran is a town as well as a district located in West Coast Division, in the northwest of Sabah, East Malaysia on the island of Borneo. Tuaran district has an area of 1,166 square kilometres and an estimated population of 94,100 in 2006. About half the population consists of ethnic Dusun, a third...
and
TamparuliTamparuli is a small town and a sub-district of Tuaran in the west coast of Sabah, Malaysia. It is populated mainly by the native Dusun, while a sizeable Chinese community runs most of the shops in the trading area called Pekan Tamparuli....
, in the north, being within its zone of influence.
Sister cities
Kota Kinabalu currently has seven sister cities.
-
Wuhan' is the capital of Hubei province, People's Republic of China, and is the most populous city in central China. It lies at the east of Jianghan Plain, and the intersection of the middle reaches of the Yangtze and Han River...
,
ChinaChina is a cultural region, an ancient civilization, and, depending on perspective, a national or multinational entity extending over a large area in East Asia....
-
TarakanTarakan volcano is located in Indonesia's Halmahera islands, near the shore of Galela Bay north east of Dukono volcano. Tarakan consists of two large cinder cones, namely Tarakan Lamo and Tarakan Itji ....
,
IndonesiaThe Republic of Indonesia is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia comprises 17,508 islands. With an estimated population of around 237 million people, it is the world's fourth most populous country, with the world's largest population of Muslims.Indonesia is a republic, with an...
-
ChangshaChangsha is the capital city of Hunan, a province of south-central China, located on the lower reaches of Xiang river, a branch of the Yangtze River. It covers an area of 11,819 sq. kilometers and has a population of 6,017,600 ....
,
ChinaChina is a cultural region, an ancient civilization, and, depending on perspective, a national or multinational entity extending over a large area in East Asia....
-
GuangzhouGuangzhou , in English formerly known as Canton and also known as Kwangchow, is a sub-provincial city and the capital of Guangdong Province in the southern part of the People's Republic of China.It is a port on the Pearl River,...
,
ChinaChina is a cultural region, an ancient civilization, and, depending on perspective, a national or multinational entity extending over a large area in East Asia....
-
ShenzhenShenzhen is a city of sub-provincial administrative status in southern China's Guangdong province, situated immediately north of Hong Kong...
,
ChinaChina is a cultural region, an ancient civilization, and, depending on perspective, a national or multinational entity extending over a large area in East Asia....
-
YonginYongin is a city in the south of Gyeonggi Province, South Korea, approximately 40 km south of Seoul. It has developed very abruptly since the late 1990s. Home to Everland, South Korea's most popular amusement park, it is a large city by area, though the city centre itself is rather compact...
,
South KoreaSouth Korea, officially the Republic of Korea and often simply referred to as Korea, is a country in East Asia, located on the southern half of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by China to the west, Japan to the east, and North Korea to the north. Its capital is Seoul, the second largest...
-
City of RockinghamThe City of Rockingham is a Local Government Area in the far southern suburbs of the Western Australian capital city of Perth, located about south of Perth's central business district. The City covers an area of and has a population of 84,307 ....
,
AustraliaAustralia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the continental mainland , the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans...
Geography
Kota Kinabalu is located on the west coast of Sabah. The city lies on a narrow flatland between the
Crocker RangeCrocker Range , is a mountain range on the island of Borneo. Politically, it is within the boundary of the Malaysian state of Sabah, located in the northern half of Borneo. The mountain range separates the east coast and west coast of Sabah. At an average height of 1800m, it is the highest mountain...
to the east and the
South China SeaThe South China Sea is a marginal sea*south of mainland China and Taiwan,*west of the Philippines,*north west of Sabah , Sarawak and Brunei,*north of Indonesia,*north east of the Malay peninsula and Singapore, and...
to the west. There are six islands off the coast of the city. The largest is
Pulau GayaPulau Gaya is a sizeable Malaysian island of 1,465 ha, just 10 minutes off Kota Kinabalu, Sabah. The large and mainly uninhabited portion of island is protected as part of Tunku Abdul Rahman Park, and the surface is undeveloped, although the eastern shore supports a well-known illegal Filipino...
, the site of the first British settlement. Approximately 8,000 people live there. The smaller islands, mainly uninhabited, are named Pulau Sapi, Pulau Manukan, Pulau Sulug, Pulau Mamutik and Pulau Sepanggar to the north. Sepanggar island is located north of the National Park opposite Sepanggar Bay.
Flat land is at a premium in the city centre, and there is a strict limit to the height of buildings: the airport is 7 km away, and the city is directly in the flight path. Most of the Central Business District (CBD) today is built on
land reclaimedLand reclamation is either of two distinct practices. One involves creating new land from sea or riverbeds, the other refers to restoring an area to a more natural state have made it unusable, though its the former definition for which the phrase is most widely used.-Creating new land:-For...
from the sea. The original local plant life has largely disappeared, but several hills within the city (too steep for building) are still clothed with
tropical rainforestA tropical rainforest is an ecosystem usually found around the equator. They are common in Asia, Australia, Africa, South America, Central America, Mexico and on many of the Pacific Islands...
. One of these is Signal Hill, which confines the CBD to the shore. In the area of Likas Bay the remnants of an extensive mangrove forest was nearly lost. In 1996, a perceptive state government stepped in and declared 24 acres of the forest as a protected area. This forest is now known as the Kota Kinabalu City Bird Sanctuary. The sanctuary was given additional protection as a State Cultural Heritage Site in 1998.
The five islands (of Gaya, Sapi, Manukan, Sulug, Mamutik) opposite the city, and their surrounding waters, are also preserved as the
Tunku Abdul Rahman National ParkTunku Abdul Rahman National Park was established in 1974, just offshore Kota Kinabalu, in Sabah, east Malaysia on the island of Borneo. It comprises 49 square kilometers of which two-thirds are sea, and the rest is coral reefs and five islands. It is named after the first Prime Minister of...
. The park was named in honour the first Prime Minister of Malaysia,
Tunku Abdul RahmanTunku Abdul Rahman Putra Al-Haj ibni Almarhum Sultan Abdul Hamid Halim Shah, AC, CH was known as "Tunku" , and also called Bapa Kemerdekaan or Bapa Malaysia , was Chief Minister of the Federation of Malaya from 1955, and the country's first Prime Minister from...
. This is a popular recreational spot for tourists and local people. The Kota Kinabalu city centre, mostly business and government, includes Karamunsing, the port area (Tanjung Lipat), Signal Hill, Kampung Air, Sinsuran, Segama, Asia City, Gaya Street (Old Town), Bandaran Berjaya, Api-Api, Sutera Harbour and Sembulan. Outlying neighbourhoods and residential suburbs include Kepayan Ridge, Tanjung Aru, Petagas, Kepayan, Lido, Lintas, Nosoob, Bukit Padang, Luyang, Damai, Likas and Kolombong. The city is growing steadily and the
urban sprawlUrban sprawl, also known as suburban sprawl, is the spreading outwards of a city and its suburbs over rural land and to its outskirts. The problem of urban sprawl is that it is costly to initiate the development of new infrastructure adequate enough to support its residents...
extends to the towns of
InanamInanam is a town and sub-district of Kota Kinabalu in Sabah, Malaysia. It is situated 10km from Kota Kinabalu city centre.The town population consists of mainly the Dusun, and the Chinese who operate the shops. Of late however there is a large influx of immigrants both from the southern Philippines...
,
MenggatalMenggatal is a Malaysian town and sub-district on the west coast of Sabah, on the outskirts of the capital, Kota Kinabalu.The name 'Menggatal' is largely believed to refer to the name of a tree that cause skin itchiness, hence the name which means 'causing itchiness' in Malay.The sub-district was...
,
SepanggarSepanggar is a sub-district of Kota Kinabalu in Malaysia. It is located around Sepanggar Bay which houses the Sepanggar Bay Container Terminal, a major naval base for the Royal Malaysian Navy as well as the Sepanggar Bay Oil Terminal. The main campus for Universiti Malaysia Sabah , and Kota...
,
TelipokTelipok is a town located about 15 kilometres north of Kota Kinabalu, in Sabah, Malaysia. The town is within the administration of Dewan Bandaraya Kota Kinabalu and is a sub-district of the city. It is also part of the urban expanse of Kota Kinabalu or part of its metropolitan area...
and south of the district border to
DonggongonPenampang is a district as well as a small town within the West Coast Division of Sabah, Malaysia. It has virtually become a suburb of Kota Kinabalu which is Sabah's capital. Its population was estimated to be around 132,002 in 2000, with ethnic Kadazan-Dusun as the majority.The name penampang...
,
PutatanPutatan is a town and a suburb of Kota Kinabalu in the state of Sabah, east Malaysia. The town was located within the district of Penampang on the coast of the West Coast Division but from March 1, 2007, Putatan became a district on its own. As of 2007, it has an estimated population of 85,454....
, and
Lok KawiLok Kawi is a township in the West Coast Division of Sabah, Malaysia.Located around the border of the districts of Penampang and Papar, and about 15 kilometres south of the state capital Kota Kinabalu, it has become part of the urban expanse of Kota Kinabalu. It also features one of the few Hindu...
.
Kota Kinabalu is generally isolated from the rest of the country; it is located about 1,624 kilometres (1,009 miles) from
Kuala LumpurKuala Lumpur , is the capital and largest city of Malaysia. The city proper, making up an area of , has an estimated population of 1.6 million in 2006. Greater Kuala Lumpur, also known as the Klang Valley, is an urban agglomeration of 7.2 million...
in
Peninsular MalaysiaPeninsular Malaysia , also known as Malaya or West Malaysia, is the part of Malaysia which lies on the Malay Peninsula, and shares a land border with Thailand in the north. To the south is the island of Singapore. Its area is 50,810 square miles . It accounts for the majority of Malaysia's...
and 804 kilometres (499 miles) from
KuchingKuching is the capital of the East Malaysian state of Sarawak. Being the most populous city in the state of Sarawak, Kuching emerged as one of the most vibrant cities in the region and it is the largest city on the island of Borneo and the fourth largest city in Malaysia...
in the neighbouring state of
SarawakSarawak is one of two Malaysian states on the island of Borneo. Known as Bumi Kenyalang , it is situated on the north-west of the island...
.
Climate
Kota Kinabalu experiences a typical
equatorial climateAn equatorial climate, also known as a tropical rainforest climate, is a type of tropical climate in which there is no dry season – all months have mean precipitation values of at least 60 mm . Equatorial climates have no pronounced summer or winter; it is hot and wet throughout the year and...
, with constant temperature, considerable rain and high
humidityHumidity is the amount of water vapour in the air. In daily language the term "humidity" is normally taken to mean relative humidity. Relative humidity is defined as the ratio of the partial pressure of water vapour in a parcel of air to the saturated vapour pressure of water vapour at a prescribed...
. Two prevailing monsoons characterise the climate of this part of Sabah, the Northeast
MonsoonA pennis is traditionally defined as a seasonal reversing wind accompanied by seasonal changes in precipitation, but now is used to describe seasonal changes atmospheric circulation and precipitation The major monsoon systems of the world consist of the African and Asia-Australian monsoons...
and the Southwest Monsoon. The Northeast Monsoon occurs between November and March, while the Southwest Monsoon occurs between May and September. There are also two successive inter-monsoons from April to May and from September to October.
Temperature variation throughout the year is small. However, April and May are generally the hottest months, while December and January are often the coolest. However, rainfall varies markedly through the year. February and March are typically the driest months while rainfall peaks in the inter-monsoon period around October. Relatively humidity is high, typically over 80% throughout the year.
Demography
There have not been any official or popular adjectives, or demonyms, to describe the people of Kota Kinabalu. A simple way to describe the people of the city can be "
orang K.K.", where
orang means "person" or "people" in Malay. The terms "K.K-ites" and "K.K-ians" have also been used to a limited extent. People from Sabah are called Sabahan.
Ethnicity and religion
The city's population today is a mixture of many different races and
ethnicitiesAn ethnic group is a group of humans whose members identify with each other, through a common heritage that is real or presumed.Ethnic identity is further marked by the researcher Seng Yang in the recognition from others of a group's distinctiveness and the recognition of common cultural,...
. The city consists of mainly Kadazans,
ChineseHan Chinese are an ethnic group native to China and, by most modern definitions, the largest single ethnic group in the world.Han Chinese constitute about 92 percent of the population of the People's Republic of China , 98 percent of the population of the Republic of China , 75 percent of the...
, Bajaus and Malays. Most of the Chinese people in the city are Hakkas and can be found mainly in the Luyang area. The area of Penampang is populated mainly by Kadazans, while the Bajaus mainly reside in Likas, Sembulan and Karambunai. This does not suggest that the people are socially segregated. In fact, the people of the city have lived peacefully side by side for many years, not being affected by larger racial conflicts, such as the
May 13 IncidentThe May 13 Incident is a term for the Sino-Malay race riots in Kuala Lumpur , Malaysia, which began on May 13, 1969...
in
Peninsular MalaysiaPeninsular Malaysia , also known as Malaya or West Malaysia, is the part of Malaysia which lies on the Malay Peninsula, and shares a land border with Thailand in the north. To the south is the island of Singapore. Its area is 50,810 square miles . It accounts for the majority of Malaysia's...
. The Kadazans here mainly practice
ChristianityChristianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as presented by the revelations in the New Testament....
. The Bajaus and Malays follow
IslamIslam Islam Islam ( al-’islām,
[There are ten pronunciations of Islam in English, differing in whether the first or second syllable has the stress, whether the s is or , and whether the a is pronounced as in father, as in cat, or (when the stress is on the i) as in the a of sofa...]
. The Chinese are mainly
BuddhistsBuddhism, as traditionally conceived, is a path of salvation attained through insight into the ultimate nature of reality. It encompasses a variety of traditions, beliefs and practices, largely based on teachings attributed to Siddhartha Gautama, commonly known as the Buddha...
or Christians. There are a small number of Hindus, Sikhs, Animists, and a small number of secularists also exist.
There is also a sizeable
FilipinoThe Filipino people are the nationals of the Republic of the Philippines and to persons having Filipino ancestry. There are about 92 million Filipinos in the Philippines and about 11 million outside the Philippines....
population in the city. The first wave of migrants arrived in the late 15th century during the Spanish colonization, while some are refugees arriving in the early 1970s because of the troubles in southern Philippines. A significant number of them today, however, consists of migrant workers arriving from the late 1970s onwards. Most of the earlier migrants have been
naturalizedNaturalization is the acquisition of citizenship or nationality by somebody who was not a citizen or national of that country when he or she was born....
as Malaysian citizens, however there still remains some living without proper documentation around the city as illegal immigrants. Most of the Filipino migrants are Suluks coming from the southern parts of
PhilippinesThe Philippines officially known as the Republic of the Philippines, is a country in Southeast Asia with Manila as its capital city. It comprises 7,107 islands in the western Pacific Ocean....
. There are also a number of
IndonesiaThe Republic of Indonesia is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia comprises 17,508 islands. With an estimated population of around 237 million people, it is the world's fourth most populous country, with the world's largest population of Muslims.Indonesia is a republic, with an...
n migrants living around the city, mostly coming from
FloresFlores is one of the Lesser Sunda Islands, an island arc with an estimated area of 14,300 km² extending east from the Java island of Indonesia. The population is estimated to be around 1.5 million , and the largest town is Maumere....
of the
Lesser Sunda IslandsThe Nusa Tenggara , or Lesser Sunda Islands, are a group of islands in the middle-south part of Maritime Southeast Asia. Together with the Greater Sunda Islands to the west they make up the Sunda Islands...
.
There is a small population of Indians,
PakistanisAbout 99% of languages spoken in Pakistan are Indo-Iranian , a branch of Indo-European family of languages. Most languages of Pakistan are written in the Perso-Arabic script, with significant vocabulary derived from Arabic and Persian. Punjabi , Seraiki, Sindhi, Pashto, Urdu, Balochi, Kashmiri , etc...
and
EurasiansThe word Eurasian refers to people of mixed Asian and European ancestry. It was originally coined in 19th century British India to refer to Anglo-Indians of mixed British and Indian descent....
scattered around the city. More recently the number of expatriates living in the city, either temporarily or permanently, have also increased. Most have come from
South KoreaSouth Korea, officially the Republic of Korea and often simply referred to as Korea, is a country in East Asia, located on the southern half of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by China to the west, Japan to the east, and North Korea to the north. Its capital is Seoul, the second largest...
,
Japanis an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, People's Republic of China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
,
AustraliaAustralia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the continental mainland , the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans...
, and Europe.
Intermarriage is not an uncommon practice here. The most common of which are intermarriages between Kadazans and Chinese and they are known as Sino-Kadazans or simply "Sinos".
Languages
The people mainly speak
Bahasa MalaysiaMalay is a group of languages closely related to each other to the point of mutual intelligibility but that linguists consider to be separate languages. They are grouped into a group called "Local Malay", part of a larger group called "Malayan" within the Malayo-Polynesian branch of the...
, with a distinct Sabahan accent. However, many still speak the language or dialect of their mother tongue when speaking with person of the same race or ethnicity. Mandarin and
HuìyángHuizhou is a prefecture-level city in Guangdong province, People's Republic of China. Part of the Pearl River Delta, Huizhou borders the provincial capital of Guangzhou to the west, Shaoguan to the north, Heyuan to the northeast, Shanwei to the east, Shenzhen and Dongguan to the southwest, and...
Hakka (惠阳客家话) are still widely spoken by the Chinese.
The number of
Bahasa KadazandusunThe Coastal Kadazan language is a Austronesian language primarily spoken in Sabah, Malaysia. It is the primary language spoken by the Kadazan ethnic group....
speakers is thought to have dropped significantly throughout Sabah especially in larger towns or cities like Kota Kinabalu. However, some efforts can be seen to have been taken by some to revive the usage of the language. Kadazan has been considered an
endangered languageAn endangered language is a language that is at risk of falling out of use. If it loses all its native speakers, it becomes an extinct language.The total number of contemporary languages in the world is not known...
, along with the culture of ethnic Kadazans. Today most of the people are also able to converse in basic English, and quite a number of families have even adopted it as their first language. The national education system provides compulsory English language instruction.
Economy
Besides being the capital city, Kota Kinabalu is also the main industrial and commercial centre for Sabah. The economy is dominated by the
primary sector of industryThe primary sector of the economy involves changing natural resources into primary products. Most products from this sector are considered raw materials for other industries...
. Historically, the
secondary sectorThe secondary sector of the economy includes those economic sectors that create a finished, usable product: manufacturing and construction....
dominated the economy, but due to rapid urbanisation and economic development, this sector of economy is slowly diminishing. More recently, a move towards a more
tertiary based industryThe tertiary sector of economy is one of the three economic sectors, the others being the secondary sector and the primary sector...
has become more apparent, especially with regards to the boom in the tourism industry. Many state-level, national-level and international commercial
bankA bank is a financial institution licensed by a government. Its primary activities include borrowing and lending money.Many other financial activities were allowed over time. For example banks are important players in financial markets and offer financial services such as investment funds...
s, as well as some
insuranceInsurance, in law and economics, is a form of risk management primarily used to hedge against the risk of a contingent loss. Insurance is defined as the equitable transfer of the risk of a loss, from one entity to another, in exchange for a premium, and can be thought of as a guaranteed and known...
companies have their headquarters or branches here.
A number of industrial and
manufacturingManufacturing is the use of machines, tools and labor to make things for use or sale. The term may refer to a range of human activity, from handicraft to high tech, but is most commonly applied to industrial production, in which raw materials are transformed into finished goods on a large scale...
companies also have
plantsA factory or manufacturing plant is an industrial building where workers manufacture goods or supervise machines processing one product into another. Most modern factories have large warehouses or warehouse-like facilities that contain heavy equipment used for assembly line production...
here especially in the
industrial districtIndustrial district was initially introduced as a term to describe an area where workers of a monolithic heavy industry live within walking-distance of their places of work....
s of Likas, Kolombong, and Inanam. The ongoing construction of the 8,320-acre Kota Kinabalu Industrial Park (KKIP) in Sepanggar is intended to boost the city's industrial and commercial activity making it a major growth centre in East Malaysia, as well for the BIMP-EAGA (Brunei-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines East ASEAN Growth Area) region. Kota Kinabalu also hosts numerous national, regional, and international
conferencesBusiness conferences are events organized by an association, individual, publication or private company for the purpose of networking, education or to discuss a business topic with a range of speakers....
or
trade fairA trade fair is an exhibition organized so that companies in a specific industry can showcase and demonstrate their latest products, service, study activities of rivals and examine recent trends and opportunities...
s every year including the biennial Sabah International Expo, the Asia Pacific eTourism Conference by the
United Nations Conference on Trade and DevelopmentThe United Nations Conference on Trade and Development was established in 1964 as a permanent intergovernmental body. It is the principal organ of the United Nations General Assembly dealing with trade, investment, and development issues....
(UNCTAD), the ASEAN Australian Engineering Congress, and many others. These events are normally held at the Sutera Harbour resort.
Land
The internal roads linking different parts of the city are generally
state roadsMalaysian state roads are the secondary roads in Malaysia. The construction of state roads in Malaysia are funded by Malaysian Public Works Department of each states...
constructed and maintained by the state
Public Works DepartmentMalaysian Public Works Department or Jabatan Kerja Raya Malaysia is a government department in Malaysia which constructs and maintain public infrastructure in Malaysia such as federal and state roads, government buildings, electricity, water and many more...
. Most major internal roads are dual-carriageways. One of the major road here is Jalan Lintas-Jalan Tuaran Bypass, which together serves almost as a
ring roadRing road is another term for beltway. It may also refer to:* Ring Road * Ring Road * Ring Road * Ring road of Iceland* Ring Road * "Ring Road", a song by the electronic band, Underworld....
, circling the city and connecting the districts and suburbs surrounding the city, namely, Putatan, Penampang, Luyang, Likas, Inanam, Menggatal, Sepanggar, and Tuaran. There is currently no
freewayA freeway is a type of road designed for safer high-speed operation of motor vehicles through the elimination of at-grade intersections. This is accomplished by preventing access to and from adjacent properties and eliminating all cross traffic through the use of grade separations and...
in the city nor in any part of Sabah. The city is linked by
highwayA highway is a main road for travel by the public between important destinations, such as cities and states. Highway designs vary widely and can range from a two-lane road without margins to a multi-lane, grade separated motorway. In English and U.S...
s to distant towns around Sabah and these are mainly
federal roadsMalaysian Federal Roads System , is the main national road network in Malaysia. All Federal Roads in Malaysia are under the purview of Ministry of Works . According to Minister's Function Act 1969, MOW responsible to plan, build and maintain all Federal Roads gazetted under the Federal Road Act 1959...
maintained by the national Public Works Department. Highway routes from Kota Kinabalu include:
- Kota Kinabalu - Tamparuli - Kudat
- Kota Kinabalu - Tamparuli - Ranau - Sandakan - Tawau - Serudong (part of the Pan Borneo Highway
Pan Borneo Highway , also known as Trans Borneo Highway, , ' is a network of federal roads connecting Sarawak, Brunei and Sabah...
)
- Kota Kinabalu - Keningau - Lawas - Brunei - Miri - Kuching - Sematan (part of the Pan Borneo Highway)
- Kota Kinabalu - Keningau - Kalabakan - Tawau
Public transportation:
Regular bus services operate around the city. Minibuses or vans are also used besides buses as an alternative
public transportPublic transport comprises passenger transportation services which are available for use by the general public, as opposed to modes for private use such as automobiles or vehicles for hire.Public transport services are usually funded by fares charged to each passenger, with varying levels of subsidy...
ation. There are two main bus terminals in the central business area. The terminal along Jalan Tun Razak provides internal bus services towards different part of the city and its outskirts. Another terminal near Bandaran Berjaya provides intercity services towards destinations south of the city (
PaparPapar is a town as well as a district located in West Coast Division of Sabah, east Malaysia. Its population in the district was estimated to be around 105,200 in 2006, almost evenly divided between ethnic Kadazan , Dusun and Malay...
,
TenomTenom is a town located in Interior Division of Sabah, east Malaysia on the island of Borneo. The town was called Fort Birch in the early colonial period. Its population was estimated to be around 46,200 in the year 2000....
,
BeaufortBeaufort meaning "The Beautiful Fort" in old French, it is a town and a district located in Interior Division of Sabah in east Malaysia on the island of Borneo. Its population was estimated to be around 61,698 in 2000...
, and others). The Kota Kinabalu (North) Bus Terminal in
InanamInanam is a town and sub-district of Kota Kinabalu in Sabah, Malaysia. It is situated 10km from Kota Kinabalu city centre.The town population consists of mainly the Dusun, and the Chinese who operate the shops. Of late however there is a large influx of immigrants both from the southern Philippines...
provides intercity buses heading towards destinations north and north-east of the city (
TuaranTuaran is a town as well as a district located in West Coast Division, in the northwest of Sabah, East Malaysia on the island of Borneo. Tuaran district has an area of 1,166 square kilometres and an estimated population of 94,100 in 2006. About half the population consists of ethnic Dusun, a third...
,
KudatKudat is a town in Sabah, a state in the eastern part of Malaysia, on the northern tip of Borneo island. It serves as the administrative center for the Kudat Division, which includes the towns of Kudat, Pitas, Kota Marudu, and some offshore islands....
,
RanauRanau is a town as well as a district in the West Coast Division of Sabah, east Malaysia on the island of Borneo. It is located at an altitude of 1176m above sea level. Its population was estimated to be around 70,649 in 2000, almost entirely ethnic Dusun. It is on the highway connecting Kota...
,
SandakanSandakan is the second-largest city in Sabah, East Malaysia, on the north-eastern coast of Borneo. It is located on the east coast of the island and it is the administrative centre of Sandakan Division and was the former capital of British North Borneo...
,
TawauTawau is the administrative center of Tawau Division and the third largest town of Sabah after Kota Kinabalu and Sandakan.- Geography :Tawau is located at the south-east coast of Sabah which faces the Celebes Sea to the east and the interior mountain ranges to the west...
,
SempornaSemporna is a town located in Tawau Division, in the east coast of Sabah, Malaysia on the island of Borneo. Its population was estimated to be around 133,000 in 2006.-History:...
, and others). Taxicabs too can be found around the city.
A railway system formerly known as the North Borneo Railway was established in 1896 by the
British North Borneo CompanyThe North Borneo Chartered Company or British North Borneo Company was a chartered company assigned to administer North Borneo in August 1881. North Borneo became a protectorate of the British Empire with internal affairs administered by the company until 1946 when it became the colony of British...
. It was built for the main purpose of transporting commodities from the interior to the port in Kota Kinabalu during the British occupation. The railway line connects Kota Kinabalu with
TenomTenom is a town located in Interior Division of Sabah, east Malaysia on the island of Borneo. The town was called Fort Birch in the early colonial period. Its population was estimated to be around 46,200 in the year 2000....
and several other towns in between, and it is the only railway system operating in
East MalaysiaEast Malaysia consists of the Malaysian states of Sabah and Sarawak, located on the island of Borneo, as well as the Federal Territory of Labuan, which lies off coast of Sabah. East Malaysia lies to the east, across the South China Sea from Peninsular Malaysia which is located on the Malay Peninsula...
. Today the railway is known as
Sabah State RailwaySabah State Railway is a railway system and operator in the state of Sabah in Malaysia. It is the currently the only rail transport system operating on the island of Borneo. The railway consists of a single 134km line from Tanjung Aru, near Kota Kinabalu, to the town of Tenom, in the Interior...
, and it provides daily services for commuters, travellers, as well as for cargo transportation. A separate company operates the leisure tour also called the
North Borneo Railway, which caters mainly for tourists. The train station and terminus is located in
Tanjung AruTanjung Aru is a sub-district of Kota Kinabalu of Sabah, in Malaysia. Its main feature is its beach called Tanjung Aru Beach which stretches to over 2 kilometres long. It also has its own township called Pekan Tanjung Aru...
.
Air
Kota Kinabalu International AirportKota Kinabalu International Airport serves the city of Kota Kinabalu, the state capital of Sabah, Malaysia. It is located about 8 km southwest of the city centre. It is the second busiest airport in Malaysia after Kuala Lumpur International Airport passing 4 million passenger movements in...
(KKIA) provides flights linking the city with other domestic and international destinations. It is a secondary hub for
Malaysia AirlinesMalaysia Airlines is the government-owned flag carrier airline of Malaysia. Malaysia Airlines operates flights from its home base, Kuala Lumpur International Airport, and its secondary hub in Kota Kinabalu...
and
AirAsiaAirAsia Berhad is a Malaysian low-cost airline. It operates scheduled domestic and international flights and is Asia's largest low fare, no frills airline. AirAsia pioneered low cost travelling in Asia. It is also the first airline in the region to implement fully ticketless travel and unassigned...
and it consists of two terminals. It is the second busiest airport in Malaysia after
Kuala Lumpur International AirportKuala Lumpur International Airport commonly known as KLIA is one of Southeast Asia's major aviation hubs. It is also Malaysia's main international airport. It is situated in the Sepang district, in the south of the state of Selangor, about from the capital city, Kuala Lumpur...
and it is a major gateway into Sabah and East Malaysia. It serves international flights to
Bandar Seri BegawanBandar Seri Begawan, estimated population 27,285 , is the capital and largest city of the Sultanate of Brunei.-History:...
,
ShenzhenShenzhen is a city of sub-provincial administrative status in southern China's Guangdong province, situated immediately north of Hong Kong...
,
SeoulSeoul , officially the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest city of South Korea. With a population of over 10 million, it is one of the world's largest cities. The Seoul National Capital Area, which includes the major port city of Incheon and most of Gyeonggi-do, has 24.5 million...
,
ShanghaiShanghai is the largest city in China, and one of the largest metropolitan areas in the world, with over 20 million people. Located on China's central eastern coast at the mouth of the Yangtze River, the city is administered as a municipality of the People's Republic of China with province-level...
,
GuangzhouGuangzhou , in English formerly known as Canton and also known as Kwangchow, is a sub-provincial city and the capital of Guangdong Province in the southern part of the People's Republic of China.It is a port on the Pearl River,...
,
Hong KongHong Kong , officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, is a highly autonomous territory of the People's Republic of China, facing Guangdong to the north and the South China Sea to the east, west and south...
,
MacauThe Macau Special Administrative Region , commonly known as Macau or Macao , is one of the two special administrative regions of the People's Republic of China, the other being Hong Kong...
,
ManilaThe City of Manila , or simply Manila or Maynila, is the capital of the Philippines and one of the 17 cities and municipalities that make up Metro Manila. It is located on the eastern shores of Manila Bay, on the western portion of the National Capital Region, in the western side of Luzon...
,
CebuCebu is a province in the Philippines, consisting of Cebu island and 167 surrounding islands. It is located to the east of Negros, to the west of Leyte and Bohol islands...
,
SingaporeSingapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is an island city-state located at the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, lying north of the equator, south of the Malaysian state of Johor and north of Indonesia's Riau Islands. At , Singapore is a microstate and the smallest nation in Southeast...
,
TaipeiTaipei is the largest city in Taiwan and has served as the de facto capital of the Republic of China since the Chinese Civil War in 1949. It is situated on the Danshui River, almost at the northern tip of the island, about 25 km southwest of Keelung, its port on the Pacific Ocean...
,
KaohsiungKaohsiung is a city located in southwestern Taiwan. It is enclosed by Kaohsiung County, and faces the Taiwan Strait on the west. Kaohsiung, officially named Kaohsiung City, is divided into eleven districts...
, and other domestic cities. It is also a secondary hub for
MASWingsMASwings is a regional airline operating the Rural Air Services in East Malaysia. It took over the RAS previously operated by FlyAsianXpress. The first flight was on 1 October 2007....
, which serves flights to smaller towns and rural areas in East Malaysia.
Sea
Kota Kinabalu has two ports: Kota Kinabalu Port and Sepanggar Bay Container Port (SBCP). Kota Kinabalu Port mainly loose/bulk cargo, while SBCP operates as a
navalA navy is the branch of a nation's armed forces principally designated for naval warfare and amphibious warfare; namely, lake- or ocean-borne combat operations and related functions...
base for the
Royal Malaysian NavyThe Royal Malaysian Navy The Royal Malaysian Navy (RMN) The Royal Malaysian Navy (RMN) (Malay: Tentera Laut DiRaja Malaysia (TLDM) is the naval arm of Malaysia's armed forces. In terms of personnel the RMN is one of the largest fleets in South East Asia and is also considered as one of the more...
,
oil depotAn oil depot is an industrial facility for the storage of oil and/or petrochemical products and from which these products are usually transported to end users or further storage facilities...
and all containerised cargo. In 2004, Kota Kinabalu Port handled about 3.6 million tonnes of freight cargo, the third highest in the state after Sandakan Port, and Tawau Port. It however handles the most number of containers in the state, with of containers handled in 2006. Sepanggar Bay Port will have the capacity to handle annually when its container terminal is completed. All ports in Sabah are managed and operated by Sabah Ports Sdn Bhd.
Kota Kinabalu Ferry Terminal is a passenger ferry terminal located at Jesselton Point near the K.K. port. It provides ferry and motorboat services to the nearby islands for tourists as well as for commuters living on the islands. There are also regular scheduled ferry services to
LabuanLabuan is the main island of the Malaysian Federal Territory of Labuan. Labuan is best known as an offshore financial centre offering international financial and business services via Labuan IBFC since 1990 as well as a tourist destination for nearby Bruneians and scuba divers...
.
Courts of law and legal enforcement
The
courtA court is a body, often a governmental institution, with the authority to adjudicate legal disputes and dispense civil, criminal, or administrative justice in accordance with rules of law....
complex is located along Jalan Pantai in the city centre. It contains the
High CourtThe High Court in Malaysia is the third highest court in the hierarchy of courts, after the Federal Court and the Court of Appeal. These three courts are classified as the superior courts, while the Magistrates' Court and the Sessions Courts are classified as the subordinate courts. It functions...
, Sessions Court, and the Magistrate Court.
The Sabah Police Contingent Headquarters is located in Kepayan. There are two district headquarters in the city, the Kota Kinabalu District police headquarters is located in Karamunsing, and the Penampang District headquarters. Both also operate as police stations. Other police stations are found in KKIA, Tanjung Aru, Putatan, and Menggatal. Police substations (Pondok Polis) are found in Luyang, Likas, Telipok, and Babagon. The city's traffic police headquarters is located along Lorong Dewan nearby Gaya Street, and the
marine policeWater police, also called harbour patrols, port police, marine/maritime police, nautical patrols, bay constables or river police, are police officers, usually a department of a larger police organisation, who patrol in water craft...
is located nearby the city ferry terminal along Jalan Tun Razak.
Kota Kinabalu Central Prison is located in Kepayan. Temporary lock-ups or prison cells are found in most police stations around the city.
Healthcare
There are three
public hospitalA public hospital or government hospital is a hospital which is owned by a government and receives government funding. This type of hospital provides medical care free of charge, the cost of which is covered by the funding the hospital receives...
s and one public health clinic in Kota Kinabalu. Queen Elizabeth General Hospital, located along Jalan Penampang is the largest public hospital in Sabah. Built in 1957, it is the most important healthcare centre in the city and one of only three general hospital in Sabah. Another hospital is the Hospital Pakar Likas (Likas Specialist Hospital). Hospital Mesra Bukit Padang (Bukit Padang Mental Hospital) which opened in 1971, provides psychiatric services for the entire state. The health clinic, Klinik Kesihatan Luyang, is located about 6 kilometres from the city centre. There are a number of public dental clinics around the city, and also rural clinics in the outskirts.
Sabah Medical Centre in Damai is the largest
private hospitalA private hospital is a hospital owned by a for-profit company or a non-profit organisation and privately funded through payment for medical services by patients themselves, by insurers, or by foreign embassies. This practice is very common in the United States and Australia...
in Sabah. Another private centre is the Damai Specialist Centre. There are many other private clinics operating around the city.
Education
There are many government or state
schoolEducation in Malaysia may be obtained from government-sponsored schools, private schools, or through homeschooling. The education system is highly centralised, particularly for primary and secondary schools, with state and local governments having little say in the curriculum or other major aspects...
s in and around the city. Among the well-established and prestigious boarding schools in Sabah is
Sekolah Menengah Sains SabahSabah Science Secondary School also known as SMESH - , is a prominent boarding school in East Malaysia established since 1978 but fully operational on 1st January 1984. SMESH which previously known as Sekolah Berasrama Penuh Sabah , was the pioneer of boarding school project in Sabah and Sarawak...
which is located at Bukit Padang. KK's most notable secondary schools are Sekolah Menengah Taman Tun Fuad, Sekolah Menengah Likas, Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Perempuan Likas, Sekolah Menengah La Salle, Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan St. Francis Convent, Sekolah Menengah All Saints,
Sekolah Menengah Saint MichaelSt. Lionel's Secondary School, Penampang commonly known as SM St. Michael is a notable secondary school in Penampang, Sabah, Malaysia. It was named after Saint Michael the Archangel....
,
Maktab Sabah-Overview:Maktab Sabah / Sabah College is a single-session secondary school located in the city of Kota Kinabalu, in the State of Sabah, Malaysia. The school was established in the year 1957, making Sabah College a historical institution as it was formed during the pre-independence of Sabah.The...
, KK High School, Sekolah Menengah Lok Yuk and Sekolah Menengah Shan Tao. There are also a number of independent private schools in the city. Among them are
Sabah Tshung Tsin Secondary SchoolSabah Tshung Tsin Secondary School is located in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia. The principal is Hiew Hoh Shin. The school has two semesters each year. An academic year begins in January, with an approximately two weeks holiday in June, and ends in the beginning of November...
, Kian Kok Middle School, Maktab Nasional and Seri Insan Secondary School. Classes usually begin at 7am and end at 1pm except for boarding schools, in which classes begins as early as 6.30 and end at 2pm. Children aged 7 are subjected to attend primary education which consists of six years learning while those aged 13 could pursue their study in lower secondary education for three years. After completing their Lower Secondary Examination, students enter Upper Secondary education, where they will be streamed into either the Science stream or Arts stream based on their examination result. Students chosen to be enrolled at boarding schools will be placed into the science stream. Currently, there are four boarding schools in Sabah.
There is also an
international schoolAn International school is loosely defined as a school that promotes international education, either by adopting an international curriculum such as that of the International Baccalaureate, or by following a national curriculum different from that of the country the school is located in...
called Kinabalu International School (KIS) located in Bukit Padang. KIS is part of the Federation of British International Schools in South and East Asia (FOBISSEA). Another international school is the Kinabalu Japanese School, one of four Japanese schools or
Nihonjin gakko, also called Japanese School, is a full day school outside of Japan for native speakers of Japanese. It is an expatriate school, designed for children whose parents are working on diplomatic, business, or educational mission overseas and have plans to go back to Japan for good.The schools offer...
s in Malaysia. It caters to children's of Japanese expatriates working and living around the city.
Universiti Malaysia SabahUniversiti Malaysia Sabah or UMS is the ninth Malaysian public university located in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia and was established on November 24 1994...
(UMS) is the largest university in Sabah and was founded in 1994. Its main campus is located on a 999 acre piece of land, on a hill facing the South China Sea at Sepanggar Bay, about 10 kilometres north of the city centre. It also has a branch campus in
LabuanLabuan is the main island of the Malaysian Federal Territory of Labuan. Labuan is best known as an offshore financial centre offering international financial and business services via Labuan IBFC since 1990 as well as a tourist destination for nearby Bruneians and scuba divers...
. It is considered as one of the most beautiful universities in Malaysia. The oldest University in Sabah is
Universiti Teknologi MARAUniversiti Teknologi MARA is a Malaysian public university. The university motto is Usaha Taqwa Mulia .The main objective of this institution is to provide professional programmes of study in various fields including engineering, law, science, medicine, technology, business, arts and humanities as...
Sabah Campus which was co-founded by UiTM and Yayasan Sabah in 1973. The university has earned local and national reputation. There is also a number of private colleges operating in the city which are Universiti Tun Abdul Razak, AlmaCrest International College, INTI College, Kinabalu Commercial College, and Informatics College. An established Public College Kolej Tunku Abdul Rahman also available at Donggongon area. Many affluent residents send their children overseas to pursue either secondary or tertiary education.
Libraries:
The Sabah State Library Headquarters is located off Jalan Penampang and is the largest library in the state. Other public libraries include Kota Kinabalu City (Regional) Library, Penampang Branch Library, and Menggatal Village Library. These libraries are operated by the Sabah State Library department. Other libraries or private libraries can be found in schools, colleges, or university campus.
Attractions and recreation spots
Cultural
There are a number of cultural venues in Kota Kinabalu. The
Sabah MuseumThe Sabah Museum is the state Museum of Sabah, Malaysia. It is sited on 17 ha of land at Bukit Istana Lama in Kota Kinabalu, the state capital. The complex contains not only the museum proper, but also an ethnobotanic garden, a zoo and a heritage village. The main building also houses the Sabah...
, situated near the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, is the main museum of Sabah. Around the vicinity of the museum is the Science and Technology Centre, Sabah Art Gallery, and the Ethno Botanic Garden. Wisma Budaya Art Gallery in the city centre hosts some national as well as regional art exhibitions. The Hongkod Koisaan building in Penampang is home to the Kadazan-Dusun Cultural Organisation (KDCA). It hosts the annual
KaamatanThe Kaamatan Festival is an annual event in the cultural life of the Kadazandusuns of Sabah since time immemorial. In its deepest sense, Kaamatan festival is a manifestation of Creator and Creation relationship, as well as Inter-Creations relationship...
or
Harvest Festival, and the concurrently held Unduk Ngadau beauty contest in March. Monsopiad Cultural Village (Kampung Monsopiad) features cultural shows relating to the
Kadazan-DusunKadazan-Dusun is the term assigned to the unification of the classification of two indigenous tribes in Sabah, Malaysia—the ethnic groups Kadazan and Dusun.- History :...
culture. It is named after the legendary Kadazan-Dusun headhunting warrior, Monsopiad.
Historical
The
Padang Merdeka or Town Padang (field) is the site where the declaration of Sabah's independence and formation of Malaysia took place. The declaration was announced by Sabah's first
Chief MinisterA Chief Minister is the elected head of government of a sub-national state, provinces of Pakistan, notably a state of India, a territory of Australia or a British overseas territory that has attained self-government...
,
Tun Fuad StephensTun Haji Mohammad Fuad Stephens, previously known as, Donald Stephens, was the first Chief Minister of the state of Sabah in Malaysia. He played a fundamental role in bringing the state of Sabah into the Federation of Malaysia in 1963. He held the chief minister post until 1964, and again in 1976...
, on September 16, 1963, also known as
Malaysia DayMalaysia Day is held on September 16 every year to commemorate the establishment of the Malaysian federation on the same date in 1963. It marked the joining together of Malaya, North Borneo, Sarawak, and Singapore to form Malaysia...
. Today the site hosts the annual City Day celebration on February 2,
Merdeka DayHari Merdeka is a national day of Malaysia commemorating the independence of the Federation of Malaya from British colonial rule, celebrated on August 31...
celebration on August 31, and a number of other celebrations and functions.
The Atkinson Clock Tower nearby Bandaran Berjaya, was built by Mary Edith Atkinson in 1905 in memory of her son Francis George Atkinson. It was formerly used as a navigation aid for ships. It is one of only three pre-World War II buildings to survive the war. The Petagas War Memorial, located nearby KKIA, is a reminder of those who died opposing the
Japanese forcesThe Imperial Japanese Army , or literally Army of the Empire of Greater Japan was the official ground based armed force of Imperial Japan from 1867 to 1945...
during World War II. It is situated at the place where the Kinabalu Guerillas were killed by the Japanese army in 1944. The
Double Six MonumentThe Double Six Monument is a memorial located at Sembulan area in Grace Garden housing complex in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia which marks the site of the June 6, 1976 fatal plane crash known as the Double Six Tragedy bearing the first Chief Minister of Sabah, Tun Fuad Stephens, as well as other...
, located in Sembulan, a memorial which marks the site of the June 6, 1976 plane crash known as the
Double Six TragedyThe Double Six Tragedy, also known as the Double Six Crash, was a plane crash which took place on June 6, 1976 in Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia. The plane, operated by Sabah Air, coming from Labuan crashed in the sub-district of Sembulan in Kota Kinabalu upon approaching Kota Kinabalu International Airport...
most notably the first Chief Minister of Sabah,
Tun Fuad StephensTun Haji Mohammad Fuad Stephens, previously known as, Donald Stephens, was the first Chief Minister of the state of Sabah in Malaysia. He played a fundamental role in bringing the state of Sabah into the Federation of Malaysia in 1963. He held the chief minister post until 1964, and again in 1976...
.
Leisure and conservation areas:
There are many leisure spots and conservation areas around Kota Kinabalu. Anjung Samudra (KK Waterfront) is a waterfront entertainment spot in the city centre which features restaurants, cafes, pubs, and a nightclub. The Royal Sabah Turf Club in Tanjung Aru hosts weekly horse racing events. The North Borneo Railway which begins its journey from Tanjung Aru station, offers scenic tour of the countryside in the
West Coast DivisionWest Coast Division is an administrative division of Sabah, east Malaysia, on the island of Borneo. It occupies the northwest portion of Sabah. With an area of 7,588 square kilometres, it occupies 10.3% of Sabah's territory...
and the
Interior DivisionInterior Division is an administrative division of Sabah, east Malaysia, on the island of Borneo. It occupies the southwest portion of Sabah, bordering on Sarawak...
. The railway journey ends in the town of
TenomTenom is a town located in Interior Division of Sabah, east Malaysia on the island of Borneo. The town was called Fort Birch in the early colonial period. Its population was estimated to be around 46,200 in the year 2000....
. Sutera Harbour Golf & Country Club near the city centre was built wholly on reclaimed land. It features a
golf and country clubA country club is a private club and it may have a closed membership. Most offer a variety of recreational sports facilities and are located in city outskirts or rural areas.. Activities may include, for example, any of golf, tennis, swimming or traditional polo...
, a
marinaA marina is a sheltered harbor where boats and yachts are kept in the water and where services geared to the needs of recreational boating are found....
, and two hotels.
Tanjung AruTanjung Aru is a sub-district of Kota Kinabalu of Sabah, in Malaysia. Its main feature is its beach called Tanjung Aru Beach which stretches to over 2 kilometres long. It also has its own township called Pekan Tanjung Aru...
, located about 6 kilometres from the city centre, is one of the beaches in the West Coast. It derived its name from casuarina trees (locally called Aru trees) that grows on the shoreline. The beach is over 2 kilometres in length and is complemented with a number food and drink
stallsA market stall is a typically immobile, temporary structure erected by merchants to display and shelter their merchandise in a street market or other setting. Stalls are easily erected, taken down or simply moved on wheels...
, restaurants, and night entertainment clubs. Within the Tanjung Aru vicinity lies the Kinabalu Golf Club, Prince Philip Botanical Park, K.K. Yacht Club, and Shangri-La's Tanjung Aru Beach Resort. This beach is famous for its sunset.
Located within the Likas Bay area is the Kota Kinabalu City Bird Sanctuary. With an area of 24 acres, it is the only remaining patch of mangrove forest that once existed extensively along the coastal region of Kota Kinabalu. It was designated in September 1996 by the State Government to assist and foster a better understanding and awareness of the value of wetlands area. The newly opened Sabah Zoological and Botanical Park (Lok Kawi Wildlife Park) in
Lok KawiLok Kawi is a township in the West Coast Division of Sabah, Malaysia.Located around the border of the districts of Penampang and Papar, and about 15 kilometres south of the state capital Kota Kinabalu, it has become part of the urban expanse of Kota Kinabalu. It also features one of the few Hindu...
, about 20 kilometres south of the city, is the first zoo in Sabah. Set on a 280-acre piece of land, it is arguably the largest zoo in Malaysia.
Tun Fuad Stephens Park, located in Bukit Padang, is a popular jogging and hiking spot among locals. It is surrounded by forests and also features a man-made lake. It has a few food stalls and restaurants. Tunku Abdul Rahman Park is a National Park consisting of the islands of Sapi, Mamutik, Manukan, Sulug and Gaya. It is a popular spot for snorkelling. The park is about 15 to 30 minutes boat ride away from the city ferry terminal. Babagon River, in Penampang, and Kiansom Falls near Inanam are also popular places for picnics and leisure bathing.
Outside the city,
Crocker Range National ParkCrocker Range National Park was established in 1984, although the area had previously been under protection as a forest reserve. It covers the north-south Crocker Range, of 1200-1800 meter mountains in Sabah, east Malaysia on the island of Borneo, which separate the western coastal plain with the...
, located about 70 kilometres away from the city near
KeningauKeningau is a sprawling timber and agricultural town and district located in the Interior Division of Sabah, east Malaysia on the island of Borneo...
, is a popular spot for jungle trekking and camping. Kota Kinabalu is also the gateway to one of the most popular
national parkA national park is a reserve of natural or semi-natural land, declared or owned by a national government, set aside for human recreation and enjoyment, and protected from most development...
s in Malaysia,
Kinabalu National ParkKinabalu National Park or Taman Negara Kinabalu in Malay, established as one of the first national parks of Malaysia in 1964, is Malaysia's first World Heritage Site designated by UNESCO in December 2000 for its "outstanding universal values" and the role as one of the most important biological...
. The park is a two hour drive away from the city and it contains
Mount KinabaluMount Kinabalu is a prominent mountain in Southeast Asia. It is located in Kinabalu National Park in the east Malaysian state of Sabah, which is on the island of Borneo in the tropics...
which is the fifth highest peak in South-East Asia, and the highest in Malaysia. The Rafflesia Forest Reserve near
TambunanTambunan is a valley district located in the Interior Division of the state of Sabah. The district covers an area of 1,347 sq. km.. Its population was estimated to be around 27,852 in 2000, based on the 2000 Population and Housing Census conducted by the Department of Statistics, Malaysia....
, 30 kilometres away from Kota Kinabalu, is also within the Crocker Range National Park boundary. The world's largest flower species, the
RafflesiaRafflesia is a genus of parasitic flowering plants. It was discovered in the Indonesian rain forest by an Indonesian guide working for Dr. Joseph Arnold in 1818, and named after Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles, the leader of the expedition...
, can be found here. Nearby here is the Gunung Emas Highland Resort which is another spot famous for its scenery and cool climate. The Tuaran Crocodile Farm, about 30 kilometres north of the city, has around 1000 crocodiles in its enclosure, making it the largest of its kind in Sabah.
Other sights:
Other buildings and sites in the city are the
stilt villagesStilt houses or pile dwellings are houses raised on piles over the surface of the soil or a body of water.In the Neolithic and Bronze Age, stilt houses were common in the Alpine and Pianura Padana region. Remains have been found at the Mondsee and Attersee lakes in Upper Austria, for example...
found in the areas of Sembulan, Tanjung Aru, Kampung Likas, and Kampung Pondo in
Pulau GayaPulau Gaya is a sizeable Malaysian island of 1,465 ha, just 10 minutes off Kota Kinabalu, Sabah. The large and mainly uninhabited portion of island is protected as part of Tunku Abdul Rahman Park, and the surface is undeveloped, although the eastern shore supports a well-known illegal Filipino...
. These houses are built on coastal shallow waters and are typical homes for the
BajauThe Bajau, are an indigenous ethnic group of Malaysia and the southern Philippines...
and Suluk inhabitants. The
Sabah State MosqueSabah State Mosque is the state mosque of Sabah, located at Jalan Tunku Abdul Rahman, Sembulan, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia. It was constructed in 1974...
in Sembulan is the largest mosque in Sabah. The City Mosque on Likas Bay is another significant landmark in the city. The Signal Hill Observatory near the CBD offers a scenic view of the city centre, the islands, and the sea.
Tun Mustapha TowerThe Yayasan Sabah Tower was built in 1977, is the third tallest building in Borneo after The Ministry of Financial Building in Bandar Seri Begawan,Brunei Darussalam. This 30-storey circular glass sculpture that reaches 122 meters high is located in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah. It is named after Tun Datu...
(formerly Sabah Foundation Building) is about a 10-minute drive from the city centre. This 30-storey glass building is supported by high-tensile steel rods, one of only four buildings in the world that is built with this method. At 122 metres, it is the tallest building on Borneo island.
Shopping:
Kota Kinabalu also features a number of shopping malls, which attract many visitors. These include Kompleks Karamunsing, Centre Point, Wisma Merdeka, Warisan Square, Plaza Wawasan, Kompleks Asia City, City Mall, KK Plaza, and the largest hypermall in 1 Borneo. Karamunsing, where Kompleks Karamunsing is situated, is an area that has more computer shops per capita than anywhere else in Sabah.. The weekly Gaya Street Sunday Market features a gathering of locals
hawkersA hawker is the name given to vendors in many areas of the world selling merchandise that can be easily transported; it is roughly synonymous with peddler or costermonger. In most places where the term is used, a hawker sells items of food that are native to the area...
selling a wide range of items from traditional ethnic cultural souvenirs to pets and flowers. The Kota Kinabalu Handicraft Market(formerly known as the Filipino Market) features vendors selling traditional handicrafts, souvenirs and foodstuffs.
Entertainment:
There are four cinemas in Kota Kinabalu - 2 Golden Screen Cinemas (commonly known as GSC), Cathay Cineplex and Growball. GSC is located in Kota Kinabalu and in 1Borneo. The GSC building in Kota Kinabalu has 4 cinemas whilst the one in 1Borneo has 8 cinemas and is the latest cinema in Kota Kinabalu
Sports
The Likas Sports Complex in Kota Kinabalu provides various sporting and recreational facilities for public use. It has, among others, a 20,000-seater football (soccer) stadium, badminton, tennis, and squash courts, a gymnasium, an Olympic size swimming pool, a
driving rangeA driving range is an area where golfers can practice their swing. It can also be a recreational activity itself for amateur golfers or when enough time for a full game is not available. Many golf courses have a driving range attached and they are also found as stand-alone facilities, especially...
, and hockey fields. It is the largest sports complex in the state and has hosted numerous national as well as international sporting events.
Likas StadiumLikas Stadium is located in Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia. It is used by Sabah FA, has a capacity of 30,000, and was built in 2001....
is home for
Sabah FAThe Football Association of Sabah is a registered football association affiliated with the Football Association of Malaysia. The association's football team competes in Malaysia's football league representing the state of Sabah in Borneo. Sabah FA is a professional football club and one of the big...
football team (Sabah Rhinos) which is currently competing in the
Malaysian Premier LeagueTM Premier League Malaysia is the second-tier football league in Malaysia.Between 1998 to 2003, the second-tier league existed as the Malaysia Premier Two League, below the top-flight Malaysia Premier One League...
. There is another sports complex in Penampang which also has a full-sized football stadium.
There are four golf courses in Kota Kinabalu; Sabah Golf and Country Club in Bukit Padang, Kinabalu Golf Club in Tanjung Aru, Sutera Harbour Golf and Country Club, and Karambunai Golf and Country Club.
Kota Kinabalu has played host to a number of national sporting events such as the 2002
Sukma GamesSukma Games is a sporting event in Malaysia held once every two years. Sukma is an acronym for Sukan Malaysia; literally Malaysian Games...
, international tournaments such as the 1994
Karate World ChampionshipsThe WKF Karate World Championships also known as the World Karate Championships; are the highest level of competition for Karate. The competition is held in a different Country every two years. The most recent events include Madrid in 2002; Monterrey in 2004; and Tampere in 2006; and Tokyo in...
and the 2008
BWF Super Series Masters FinalsThe BWF Super Series Masters Finals is an annual badminton tournament held at the end of the year where the players compete for total prize money of US$500,000, the biggest total prize money event in BWF calendar....
badminton tournament. It is also the starting point of the annual international Borneo Safari 4x4 Challenge. Kota Kinabalu also hosts and is one of the circuits for the F2
PowerboatPower boating describes activities performed in a motorized boat. Generally a power boat has a high power to weight ratio and a hull design that allows for easy planing which allows for higher speed and improved handling. Also the shape of the actual boat is usually very streamlined, which...
UIMThe Union Internationale Motonautique is the international governing body of powerboating, based in the Principality of Monaco. It was founded in 1922, in Belgium, as the Union Internationale du Yachting Automobile....
World Cup Series in December every year since 2007.
Notable personalities
Kota Kinabalu is home to a number of independent musicians who have had success in West Malaysia such as singer-songwriters
Pete TeoPete Teo , is a leading English language singer-songwriter in Malaysia. He is also an acclaimed film composer and music producer as well as a sought-after actor in what has become known as 'New Wave Malaysian Cinema'.-Biography:...
, Mia Palencia, Jerome Kugan, and acoustic guitar virtuoso Roger Wang. It is also the native city of Popular Malaysian television personality,
Daphne IkingDaphne Eleanor Iking is a Malaysian model, television personality and actress. She currently hosts The Breakfast Show on ntv7.-Television:...
. Australian-based
R&BContemporary R&B is a music genre of western popular music. Although the acronym “R&B” originates from its association with traditional rhythm and blues music, the term R&B is today most often used to define a style of African American music originating after the demise of disco in the 1980s...
singer
Che'NelleCheryline Lim also known as Che'Nelle is a R&B singer-songwriter and producer signed to Virgin Records America...
(Cheryline Lim) came from Kota Kinabalu.
The first Asian-born member of the Australian Cabinet,
Penny WongPenelope "Penny" Ying-yen Wong , Australian Labor Party politician, is the current and first Australian Minister for Climate Change and Water. She has been a member of the Australian Senate since 2002, representing South Australia...
, was born in Kota Kinabalu. She moved to Australia at the age of eight.
Others
- Sabah State Government and DANCED (Danish Co-operation for Environment and Development): Sabah Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM)
- Department of Statistics Malaysia, Sabah: "Monthly Statistical Bulletin, January 2007: Sabah". ISSN 18231659
External links