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SabahFrom Wikipedia, the free encyclopediaJump to: navigation, search For the Caribbean island, see Saba. For other uses, see Sabah (disambiguation).
Sabah
— State —
Land Below The Wind

Flag
Coat of arms

Motto: Sabah Maju Jaya
Anthem: Sabah Tanah Airku
(Sabah My Homeland)

Sabah in Malaysia
Coordinates: 5°15′N 117°0′E / 5.25°N 117°E / 5.25; 117Coordinates: 5°15′N 117°0′E / 5.25°N 117°E / 5.25; 117
Capital Kota Kinabalu
Government
• Yang di-Pertua Negeri Juhar Mahiruddin
• Chief Minister Musa Aman (BN)
Area[1]
• Total 73,631 km2 (28,429 sq mi)
Population (2010)[2]
• Total 3,117,405
• Density 42/km2 (110/sq mi)
Demonym Sabahan
Human Development Index
• HDI (2010) 0.643 (medium) (14th)
Postal code 88xxx to 91xxx
Calling code 087 (Inner District)
088 (Kota Kinabalu & Kudat)
089 (Lahad Datu, Sandakan & Tawau)
Vehicle registration SA,SAA,SAB (Kota Kinabalu & Kota Belud)
SB (Beaufort)
SD (Lahad Datu)
SK (Kudat)
SS (Sandakan)
ST (Tawau)
SU (Keningau)
Former name North Borneo
Brunei Sultanate 16th century
Sulu Sultanate 1658
British North Borneo 1882
Japanese occupation 1941–1945
British Crown Colony 1946
Self-governance 31 August 1963[3][4]
Accession with the Federation of Malaya to form Malaysia[5] 16 September 1963[6]
Website www.sabah.gov.my

Sabah is the easternmost of the 13 member states of Malaysia. It is located on the northern portion of the island of Borneo. It is the second largest state of Malaysia after Sarawak, which it borders on its southwest. It also shares a border with the province of East Kalimantan of Indonesia in the south. In spite of its internationally recognized status as a Malaysian state,[7] the Philippines lay a dormant claim over much of the eastern part of the territory, of which Malaysia has dismissed it as "non-issue". The capital of Sabah is Kota Kinabalu, formerly known as Jesselton. Sabah is often referred to as "Land Below The Wind", a phrase used by seafarers in the past to describe lands south of the typhoon belt.

Contents
1 Etymology
2 Geography
2.1 Conservation
3 History
3.1 Brunei Empire
3.2 British North Borneo
3.3 Japanese occupation
3.4 Federation of Malaysia
3.5 Philippine claim
4 Demographics
4.1 Population
4.2 Language and ethnicity
4.3 Religion
5 Economy
5.1 Agriculture
5.2 Tourism
5.3 Manufacturing
5.4 Urban centres and ports
5.5 Issues
6 Government
6.1 Executive
6.2 Legislature
6.3 Politics of Sabah
6.4 Local government
7 Education and culture
7.1 Universities
7.2 Colleges
7.3 Communication
7.4 Movies and TV
7.5 Sports
7.6 Literature
7.7 Ethnic dances
8 Notable residents
9 See also
10 References
11 External links


[edit] EtymologyThe origin of the name Sabah is uncertain, and there are many theories that have arisen. One theory is that during the time it was part of the Bruneian Sultanate, it was referred to as Saba because of the presence of pisang saba, a type of banana, found on the coasts of the region. Due to the location of Sabah in relation to Brunei, it has been suggested that Sabah was a Bruneian Malay word meaning upstream[8] or the northern side of the river.[9] Another theory suggests that it came from the Malay word sabak which means a place where palm sugar is extracted. Sabah is also an Arabic word which means sunrise. The presence of multiple theories makes it difficult to pinpoint the true origin of the name.[10]

It has been said that Sabah was once referred to as Seludang in a 1365 Javanese text known as Nagarakretagama written by Mpu Prapanca.[11]

[edit] Geography
Mount Kinabalu, the highest mountain in the Malay Archipelago.The western part of Sabah is generally mountainous, containing the three highest mountains in Malaysia. The most prominent range is the Crocker Range which houses several mountains of varying height from about 1,000 metres to 4,000 metres. At the height of 4,095 metres, Mount Kinabalu is the highest mountain in the Malay Archipelago (excluding New Guinea) and the 10th highest mountain in political Southeast Asia. The jungles of Sabah are classified as tropical rainforests and host a diverse array of plant and animal species. Kinabalu National Park was inscribed as a World Heritage Site in 2000 because of its richness in plant diversity combined with its unique geological, topographical, and climatic conditions.[12]


Highway 22 section from Ranau to Kota Kinabalu in Kundasang.Lying nearby Mount Kinabalu is Mount Tambuyukon. With a height of 2,579 metres, it is the third highest peak in the country. Adjacent to the Crocker Range is the Trus Madi Range which houses the second highest peak in the country, Mount Trus Madi, with a height of 2,642 metres. There are lower ranges of hills extending towards the western coasts, southern plains, and the interior or central part of Sabah. These mountains and hills are traversed by an extensive network of river valleys and are in most cases covered with dense rainforest.

The central and eastern portion of Sabah are generally lower mountain ranges and plains with occasional hills. Kinabatangan River begins from the western ranges and snakes its way through the central region towards the east coast out into the Sulu Sea. It is the second longest river in Malaysia after Rajang River at a length of 560 kilometres. The forests surrounding the river valley also contains an array of wildlife habitats, and is the largest forest-covered floodplain in Malaysia.[13]


The northern tip of Borneo at Tanjung Simpang Mengayau.Other important wildlife regions in Sabah include Maliau Basin, Danum Valley, Tabin, Imbak Canyon and Sepilok. These places are either designated as national parks, wildlife reserves, virgin jungle reserves, or protection forest reserve.

Over three quarters of the human population inhabit the coastal plains. Major towns and urban centres have sprouted along the coasts of Sabah. The interior region remains sparsely populated with only villages, and the occasional small towns or townships.

Beyond the coasts of Sabah lie a number of islands and coral reefs, including the largest island in Malaysia, Pulau Banggi. Other large islands include, Pulau Jambongan, Pulau Balambangan, Pulau Timbun Mata, Pulau Bumbun, and Pulau Sebatik. Other popular islands mainly for tourism are, Pulau Sipadan, Pulau Selingan, Pulau Gaya, Pulau Tiga, and Pulau Layang-Layang.

[edit] ConservationNational or state park areas in Sabah are under the protection of Sabah Parks. Other reserves or protected areas are under the governance of the Sabah Forestry Department and Sabah Foundation.

Kinabalu Park – the highest mountain in Malay archipelago (excluding New Guinea) and the 10th highest mountain in political Southeast Asia, with an altitude of 4,101 metres (13,455 ft).
Tabin Wildlife Reserve - Stronghold for rare large mammals like Bornean elephant, Sumatran rhinoceros, Bornean banteng and Bornean clouded leopard
Danum Valley Conservation Area - another important reserve for large mammals of Borneo, including Bornean orang-utan
Turtle Islands Park – conservation efforts for endangered sea turtles
Tunku Abdul Rahman Park – A national park consisting of five islands off the coast of Kota Kinabalu
Sipadan Park – Located near Semporna, the oceanic island of Sipadan has a very rich underwater ecosystem.
Pulau Tiga Park
Crocker Range Park
Tawau Hills Park
[edit] HistoryMain article: History of Sabah
Earliest human migration and settlement into the region is believed to have dated back about 20,000–30,000 years ago. These early humans are believed to be Australoid or Negrito people. The next wave of human migration, believed to be Austronesian Mongoloids, occurred around 3000 BC.

[edit] Brunei EmpireMain articles: Bruneian Empire and History of Brunei
During the 7th century CE, a settled community known as Vijayapura, a tributary to the Srivijaya empire, was thought to have been the earliest beneficiary to the Bruneian Empire existing around the northeast coast of Borneo.[14] Another kingdom which suspected to have existed beginning the 9th century was P'o-ni. It was believed that Po-ni existed at the mouth of Brunei River and was the predecessor to the Sultanate of Brunei.[15] The Sultanate of Brunei began after the ruler of Brunei embraced Islam. During the reign of the fifth sultan known as Bolkiah between 1473–1524, the Sultanate's thalassocracy extended over Sabah, Sulu Archipelago and Manila in the north, and Sarawak until Banjarmasin in the south.[16] In 1658, the Sultan of Brunei ceded the northern and eastern portion of Borneo to the Sultan of Sulu in compensation for the latter's help in settling a civil war in the Brunei Sultanate. In 1749, the Sultanate of Borneo ceded southern Palawan, to Spain.[17] Within late 1700s, Sultanate of Sulu gave up the rest of its territories to Spain.

[edit] British North BorneoMain article: North Borneo

Alexander Dalrymple, an officer of the British East India Company who concluded an agreement with the Sultan of Sulu.In 1761, Alexander Dalrymple, an officer of the British East India Company, concluded an agreement with the Sultan of Sulu to allow him to set up a trading post in the region, although it proved to be a failure. In 1846, the island of Labuan on the west coast of Sabah was ceded to Britain by the Sultan of Brunei and in 1848 it became a British Crown Colony. Following a series of transfers, the rights to North Borneo were transferred to Alfred Dent, whom in 1881 formed the British North Borneo Provisional Association Ltd (predecessor to British North Borneo Company).[18] In the following year, the British North Borneo Company was formed and Kudat was made its capital. In 1883 the capital was moved to Sandakan. In 1885, the United Kingdom, Spain, and Germany signed the Madrid Protocol of 1885, which recognised the sovereignty of Spain in the Sulu Archipelago in return for the relinquishment of all Spanish claims over North Borneo.[19] In 1888 North Borneo became a protectorate of the United Kingdom.

[edit] Japanese occupation
The Japanese forces landed at the West Coast Division of North Borneo.As part of the Second World War, Japanese forces landed in Labuan on 1 January 1942, and continued to invade the rest of North Borneo. From 1942 to 1945, Japanese forces occupied North Borneo, along with most of the island. Bombings by the allied forces devastated of most towns including Sandakan, which was razed to the ground. In Sandakan there was once a brutal POW camp run by the Japanese for British and Australian POWs from North Borneo. The prisoners suffered under notoriously inhuman conditions, and Allied bombardments caused the Japanese to relocate the POW camp to inland Ranau, 260 km away. All the prisoners, then were reduced to 2504 in number, were forced to march the infamous Sandakan Death March. Except for six Australians, all of the prisoners died. The war ended on 10 September 1945. After the surrender, North Borneo was administered by the British Military Administration and in 1946 it became a British Crown Colony. Jesselton replaced Sandakan as the capital and the Crown continued to rule North Borneo until 1963.

[edit] Federation of Malaysia
The signing of the Cobbold Report of the Commission of Enquiry, North Borneo and Sarawak at Knebworth House, London on 21 June 1962.On 31 August 1963 North Borneo attained self-government. 1962, the Cobbold Commission was set up to determine whether the people of Sabah and Sarawak favoured the proposed union, and found that the union was generally favoured by the people. Most ethnic community leaders of Sabah, namely, Tun Mustapha representing the Muslims, Tun Fuad Stephens representing the non-Muslim natives, and Khoo Siak Chew representing the Chinese, would eventually support the formation. On 16 September 1963 North Borneo, as Sabah, was united with Malaya, Sarawak and Singapore, to form the independent Federation of Malaysia.[20][21][22]


The Malaysian proclamation been held at Jesselton, North Borneo on 16 September 1963.From before the formation of Malaysia till 1966, Indonesia adopted a hostile policy towards the British backed Malaya, and after union to Malaysia. This undeclared war stems from what Indonesian President Sukarno perceive as an expansion of British influence in the region and his intention to wrest control over the whole of Borneo under the Indonesian republic. Tun Fuad Stephens became the first chief minister of Sabah. The first Governor (Yang di-Pertuan Negeri) was Tun Mustapha. Sabah held its first state election in 1967. Until 2008, a total of 11 state elections has been held. Sabah has had 13 different chief ministers and 9 different Yang di-Pertua Negeri as of 2009. Beginning 1970, Filipino refugees from the Mindanao began arriving in Sabah as a result of the Moro insurgency taking place in that region.[23] On 14 June 1976 the government of Sabah signed an agreement with Petronas, the federal government-owned oil and gas company, granting it the right to extract and earn revenue from petroleum found in the territorial waters of Sabah in exchange for 5% in annual revenue as royalties.[24]

The state government of Sabah ceded the island of Labuan and its 6 smaller islands to the Malaysian federal government and it was declared a federal territory on 16 April 1984. In 2000, the state capital Kota Kinabalu was granted city status, making it the 6th city in Malaysia and the first city in the state. Also this year, Kinabalu National Park was officially designated by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site, making it the first site in the country to be given such designation. In 2002, the International Court of Justice ruled that the islands of Sipadan and Ligitan, claimed by Indonesia, are part of Sabah and Malaysia.[25]

[edit] Philippine claimMain article: Sabah dispute

W. C. Cowie, Managing Director of BNBC with the Sultan of Sulu.The North Borneo dispute is the result of a claim by the Philippines over much of the eastern part of Sabah in Malaysia. Sabah was known as North Borneo prior to the formation of the Malaysian federation in 1963. The Philippines, via the heritage of the Sultanate of Sulu, claim Sabah on the basis that Sabah was only leased to the British North Borneo Company with Sulu's sovereignty never being relinquished. Malaysia however, considered this dispute as a "non-issue", as there is no desire from the actual people of Sabah to be part of the Philippines or of the Sultanate of Sulu.[26][27] As reported by the Secretary-General of the United Nations, the independence of North Borneo was brought about as the result of the expressed wish of the majority of the people of the territory in a 1963 election.[28] This is further reinforced by the International Court of Justice view that,

“ ...historic title, no matter how persuasively claimed on the basis of old legal instruments and exercises of authority, cannot - except in the most extraordinary circumstances - prevail in law over the rights of non-self-governing people to claim independence and establish their sovereignty through the exercise of bona fide self-determination.[28] ”

[edit] Demographics[edit] PopulationMain article: Project IC
Population in North Borneo – 1960 Census[29]
(now Sabah and Labuan Island)
Population Percent
Kadazan-Dusun   32%
Murut   4.9%
Bajau   13.1%
Brunei Malay   0.4%
Other Muslim groups   15.8%
Indonesians   5.5%
Filipinos   1.6%
Chinese   23%
Sources: British North Borneo (1961)
Sabah’s population numbered 651,304 in 1970 and grew to 929,299 a decade later. But in the two decades following 1980, the state’s population rose significantly by a staggering 1.5 million people, reaching 2,468,246 by 2000, that as of 2010, this number had grown further to 3,117,405, with foreigners making up a 27% [30]

The population of Sabah is 3,117,405 as of the last census 2010 showed more than 400 percent increase from the census 1970 (from 651,304 in 1970 to 3,117,405 in 2010).[31] and is the third most populous state in Malaysia after Selangor and Johor. Sabah has one of the highest population growth rates in the country as a result of illegal immigrants (and oftentimes state-sponsored) from the Muslim-dominated southern provinces of Philippines who were of Malay stock by granting citizenship to illegal or legal immigrants.[32][33] And, now the Borneon Sabahan most of Christian faith become minorities in their own homeland,[29][34] therefore, on 1 June 2012, Prime Minister Najib Razak of the Malaysia announced that the federal government has agreed to set up a Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) to investigate problems related.[35]

Population in Sabah – 2010 Census[36]
Population Percent
Kadazan-Dusun   17.82%
Murut   3.22%
Bajau   14%
Brunei Malay   5.71%
Other bumiputra[37]   20.56%
Chinese   9.11%
Other non-bumiputra   1.5%
Non-Malaysian citizen   27.81%
Sources: Department of Statistics, Malaysia.
The population estimates based on ethnic groups in 2010 are as follows:[38]

Kadazan-Dusun: 17.82% (555,647)
Bajau: 14% (436,672)
Brunei Malay: 5.71% (178,029)
Murut: 3.22% (100,631)
Other bumiputra:[37] 20.56% (640,964) – which consists of Rungus, Iranun, Bisaya, Tatana, Lun Bawang/Lun Dayeh, Tindal, Tobilung, Kimaragang, Suluk, Ubian, Tagal, Timogun, Nabay, Kedayan, Orang Sungai, Makiang, Minokok, Mangka’ak, Lobu, Bonggi, Tidong, Bugis, Ida’an (Idahan), Begahak, Kagayan, Talantang, Tinagas, Banjar, Gana, Kuijau, Tombonuo, Dumpas, Peluan, Baukan, Sino, Jawa
Chinese (majority Hakka): 9.11% (284,049)
Other non-bumiputra: 1.5% (47,052)
Non-Malaysian citizens (Filipino, Indonesian): 27.81% (867,190)
[edit] Language and ethnicityMalay language is the national language spoken across ethnicities, although Sabahan dialect called Baku is different from West Malaysian dialect of Johor-Riau.[39] Sabah also has its own slang for many words in Malay, mostly originated from indigenous or Indonesian words. In addition, indigenous languages such as Kadazan, Dusun, Bajau and Murut have their own segments on state radio broadcast as well as English. Chavacano is also spoken in the town of Semporna, as Sabah was part of Spanish Philippines until late 19th century.

The people of Sabah are divided into 32 officially recognised ethnic groups, in which 28 are recognized as Bumiputra, or indigenous people.[3] The largest non-bumiputra ethnic group is the Chinese (13.2%). The predominant Chinese dialect group in Sabah is Hakka, followed by Cantonese and Hokkien. Most Chinese people in Sabah are concentrated in the major cities and towns, namely Kota Kinabalu, Sandakan and Tawau. The largest indigenous ethnic group is Kadazan-Dusun, followed by Bajau, and Murut. There is a much smaller proportion of Indians and other South Asians in Sabah compared to other parts of Malaysia. Cocos people is a minority ethnic residing in Sabah especially at the Tawau Division. Collectively, all persons coming from Sabah are known as Sabahans and identify themselves as such.

Sabah demography consists of many ethnic groups, for example:

Kadazan-Dusun
Bruneian Malay
Malay
Kwijau
Murut
Bajau
Illanun[40]
Lotud
Rungus
Tambanuo
Dumpas
Mangka'ak
Orang Sungai
Kedayan
Bisaya
Tidong
Maragang
Ida'an
Minokok
Rumanau
Paitan
Lun Bawang/Lun Dayeh
Orang Cocos
Suluk
Sabah born Chinese (Malaysian) including mixed parentage with natives (Sino)


Other inhabitants:

West Malaysian – Malay, Chinese, Indian
Chinese – Hakka, Cantonese, Teochew, Hainanese
Filipino – Chavacano, Visayan, Ilocano, Badjao, Iranun, Tausug/Suluk, Tagalog
Indonesian – Bugis, Javanese, Ambonese, Banjarese, Torajan, Chinese Indonesian
Indian – Punjabi, Tamil
Sarawakian – Iban, Penan, Dayak, Orang Ulu, Melayu Sarawak, Sarawakian Chinese
Pakistani – Pashtun
Arab people – Hadhrami
Eurasian
Timorese
Japanese
Koreans
[edit] ReligionSince independence in 1963, Sabah has undergone a significant change in its religious composition, particularly in the percentage of its population professing Islam. In 1960, the percentage of Muslims is 37.9%, Christians - 16.6%, while about one-third remained animist.[41] In 2010, the percentage of Muslims has increased to 65.4%, while people professing Christianity at 26.6% and Buddhism at 6.1%.

This is due in part to aggressive Islamization activities and policies during the years 1969-1975, when the state was under the chief ministership of USNO's Tun Mustapha bin Datuk Harun, together with tacit support of the federal government. On 14 October 1969, USNO formed the Pertubuhan Islam Seluruh Sabah - USIA (United Sabah Islamic Association),[42] which has carried out a campaign of Islamization throughout the state, together with the Federal government assistance to infuse Islamic values into government administration and civil services,[43] funding Islamic religious establishments and launched a massive Malayisation program to realize its goal. People who opposed to this were considered “extremist or deviant,” and some people were detained under ISA[44]

In 1973, USNO amended the Sabah Constitution to make Islam the religion of State of Sabah. USIA vigorously promote conversion of Sabahans natives to Islam by offering rewards and office position, and also through migration of Muslim immigrants from the Phillipines and Indonesia. Expulsion of Christian missionaries from the state were also performed to reduce Christian proselytization of Sabahan natives.[45]

These policies were continued when Sabah was under the BERJAYA's administration headed by Datuk Harris, in which he openly exhorted to Muslims of the need to have a Muslim majority, to control the Christian Kadazans (without the help of the Chinese minority).[46] Filipino Muslims and other Muslim immigrants from Indonesia and even Pakistan were brought into the state.

As a result, this has significantly altered the demography of Sabah in just 50 years.

Religion in Sabah - 2010 Census[34]
Religion Percent
Islam   65.4%
Christianity   26.6%
Buddhism   6.1%
Other   1.6%
No religion   0.3%
As of 2010 the population of Sabah follows:

2,096,153 Muslim
853,726 Christian
194,428 Buddhist
3037 Hindu
2495 Confucianism/Taoism
3467 followers of other religions
9850 non-religious
43,586 unknown religion
[edit] EconomySabah economy relies on three key development sectors; agriculture, tourism and manufacturing. Petroleum and palm oil remained the two most exported commodities. Sabah imports mainly automobiles and machinery, petroleum products and fertilizers, food and manufactured goods.[47]

[edit] AgricultureSabah was traditionally heavily dependent on lumber based on export of tropical timber, but with increasing depletion at an alarming rate of the natural forests, ecological efforts to save the remaining natural rainforest areas were made in early 1982 through forest conservation methods by collecting seeds of different species particularly acacia mangium and planting it to pilot project areas pioneered by the Sandakan Forest Research Institute researchers, however, palm oil has emerged as a choice of farmers to plant as crops. Other agricultural products important in the Sabah economy include rubber and cacao. America's lobster breeding company Darden will start a huge investment to breed lobsters in Sabah waters for export to the United States in the coming years. Agriculture sector is supported by Department of Agriculture, Ministry of Agriculture & Food Industry and Palm Oil Industrial Cluster.

[edit] TourismTourism, particularly eco-tourism, is a major contributor to the economy of Sabah. In 2006, 2,000,000 tourists visited Sabah[48] and it is estimated that the number will continue to rise following vigorous promotional activities by the state and national tourism boards and also increased stability and security in the region. Sabah currently has six national parks. One of these, the Kinabalu National Park, was designated as a World Heritage Site in 2000. It is the first[49] of two sites in Malaysia to obtain this status, the other being the Gunung Mulu National Park in Sarawak. These parks are maintained and controlled by Sabah Parks under the Parks Enactment 1984. The Sabah Wildlife Department also has conservation, utilisation, and management responsibilities.[50] Tourism sector is supported by Ministry of Tourism, Culture & Environment and Sabah Tourism Board.