Kota Kinabalu (Malaysian:[ˈkotakinaˈbalu]; formerly known asJesselton), colloquially referred to asKK, is the state capital ofSabah,Malaysia. It is also the capital of theKota Kinabalu District as well as theWest Coast Division of Sabah. The city is located on the northwest coast ofBorneo facing theSouth China Sea. TheTunku Abdul Rahman National Park[6] lies to its west andMount Kinabalu, which gave the city its name, is located to its east. Kota Kinabalu has a population of 452,058 according to the 2010 census;[7] when the adjacentPenampang andTuaran districts are included, the metro area has a combined population of 628,725.[7] The 2020 Census revealed an increase in the municipal population to 500,421, while the wider area including the Penampang and Putatan districts had a population of 731,406.[3]
Historically, theKadazandusuns called the area by the name of Dondoung.[8] In the 15th century, the area of Kota Kinabalu was under the influence ofBruneian Empire. In the 19th century, the BritishNorth Borneo Chartered Company (NBCC) first set up a settlement near theGaya Island. However, it was destroyed by fire in 1897 by a local leader namedMat Salleh. In July 1899, the place located opposite to the Gaya Island was identified as a suitable place for settlements. Development in the area was started soon after that; and the place was named "Api-api" before it was renamed afterSir Charles Jessel, the vice-chairman of NBCC, as "Jesselton". Jesselton became a major trading port in the area, and was connected to theNorth Borneo Railway. Jesselton was largely destroyed duringWorld War II. The Japanese occupation of Jesselton provoked several local uprisings notably theJesselton Revolt but they were eventually defeated by the Japanese. After the war, NBCC was unable to finance the high cost of reconstructions and the place was ceded to theBritish Crown Colony. The British Crown declared Jesselton as the new capital ofNorth Borneo in 1946 and started to rebuild the town. After the formation of Malaysia, North Borneo was renamed as Sabah. In 1967, Jesselton was renamed as Kota Kinabalu, Kota being the Malay word for City and Kinabalu after the nearbyMount Kinabalu. Kota Kinabalu was granted city status in 2000.
Kota Kinabalu is often known asKK both inMalaysia and internationally. It is a major tourist destination and a gateway for travellers visiting Sabah and Borneo.[9][10]Kinabalu Park is located about 90 kilometres from the city and there are many other tourist attractions in and around the city. Kota Kinabalu is also one of the major industrial and commercial centres ofEast Malaysia. These two factors combine to make Kota Kinabalu one of the fastest-growing cities in Malaysia.[11]
"Kina Balu from Pinokok Valley" – lithograph published in 1862.
Kota Kinabalu is named afterMount Kinabalu, which is situated about 50 kilometres east-northeast of the city.Kinabalu is derived from the nameAki Nabalu meaning the 'revered place of the dead'.Aki means 'ancestors' or 'grandfather', andNabalu is a name for the mountain in theDusun language.[12] There is also a source claiming that the term originated fromKi Nabalu,Ki meaning 'have' or 'exist', andNabalu meaning 'spirit of the dead'.[13]
The wordkota comes fromMalay wordkota which in turn comes from theSanskrit wordकोट्ट (kota) which means 'fort, fortress, castle, fortified house, fortification, works, city, town, or place encircled by walls'.[14] It is also used formally in a few other Malaysian towns and cities, for example,Kota Bharu,Kota Tinggi, andKota Kemuning. It can also be used informally to refer to any towns or cities. Hence, a direct translation of the nameKota Kinabalu into English would be "City of Kinabalu" or "Kinabalu City".
Besides Jesselton, there are also other older names for Kota Kinabalu. The most popular isApi-Api, or simplyApi, which is a Malay word meaning 'fire'.[6]Wendy Law Suart wrote in her book onNorth Borneo,The Lingering Eye, "there is in theSabah State Museum a Dutch map of Borneo and theCelebes dated 1657 in which the settlement where Jesselton was to stand is clearly labelled Api Api. It may have some connection with the seaside tree with breathing roots that bears the same name".[15] There are claims, however, that Kota Kinabalu was actually named after a nearby river calledSungai Api-Api. In Chinese, the city is still known asApi, which is theHakka pronunciation for亚庇 (Simplified Chinese;Traditional Chinese:亞庇;pinyin:yà bì).
Another suggested historical name isDeasoka, which roughly means 'below the coconut tree' in theBajau language.[16] The Bajau locals purportedly used this name to refer to a village in the southern part of the city which was filled with coconut trees. Yet another name wasSinggah Mata which literally means 'transit eye', but can be loosely translated as 'pleasing to the eye'. It is a name said to have been given by fishermen from Gaya Island referring to the strip of land that is today's downtown Kota Kinabalu.[17] Today, all these names have been immortalised as names of streets or buildings around the city. Some examples are Lintasan Deasoka, Api-Api Centre and Singgah Mata Street.
Since the 15th century, the area of what is now Kota Kinabalu came under the influence of theBruneian Empire.[18][19] In the late 1800s, the BritishNorth Borneo Chartered Company (NBCC) began to establish colonial settlements throughoutNorth Borneo.[20] In 1882, NBCC founded a small settlement in the area known as Gaya Bay, which was already inhabited by theBajau people.[21] The first settlement was atGaya Island.[6] However, in 1897, the settlement was burned and destroyed by the indigenous Bajau-Suluk chiefMat Salleh.[19]
After the destruction, NBCC decided to relocate the settlement to the more easily defended mainland at Gantian Bay (nowSepanggar Bay) in 1898.[22] However, Gantian Bay was found to be unsuitable and in July 1899, Henry Walker, a Land Commissioner, identified a 30 acres (12 ha) site opposite Gaya Island as a replacement for Gantian Bay.[23] The replacement settlement site was a fishing village calledApi-Api (seeOriginal names above). The site was chosen due to its proximity to theNorth Borneo Railway and itsnatural port that provided good anchorage, which was up to 24 feet deep.[6]
Bomb damage at the town of Jesselton duringWorld War II, this was part of theBorneo Campaign byAllied forces during 1945.Disarmed Japanese troops marching towards aprisoner of war (POW) compound in Jesselton after surrendering to theAustralian Imperial Force (AIF) on 8 October 1945.Children in Jesselton filmed byAustralian government representative a year after the war in 1946.
By the end of 1899, construction had started onshoplots,[24] a pier and government buildings.[23] This new administrative centre was renamedJesselton afterSir Charles Jessel, who was the then Vice-Chairman of NBCC. Eventually, Jesselton became a major trading post of North Borneo, dealing in rubber,rattan,honey, and wax.[6][25] TheNorth Borneo Railway was used to transport goods to the Jesselton harbour.[25] The Malay and Bajau uprisings during those times were not uncommon, and NBCC worked to quell the long-standing threat of piracy in the region. Jesselton was partially razed by the British during their retreat from the advancingJapanese and suffered further devastation when theAllies bombed it in 1945.[26] After theJapanese takeover of Borneo, it was again renamed Api. Several rebellions against theJapanese military administration took place in Api. One major rebellion in the town occurred on 10 October 1943 by a group calledKinabalu Guerrillas in theJesselton Revolt consisting of local inhabitants. Japanese forces quelled the rebellion after its leader,Albert Kwok, was arrested and executed in 1944.[27] At the later stages of the war, what remained of the town was destroyed again byAllied bombings day and night for over six months as part of theBorneo Campaign in 1945, leaving only three buildings standing.[6] The war in North Borneo ended with the official surrender of the Japanese37th Army by Lieutenant GeneralBaba Masao inLabuan on 10 September 1945.[28]
After the war on the edge of bankruptcy, 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 theBritish Crown on 18 July 1946. The new colonial government elected to rebuild Jesselton as the capital of North Borneo instead ofSandakan, which had also been destroyed by the war.[29] The Crown Colony administration designed a plan, later known as the "Colonial Office Reconstruction and Development Plan for North Borneo: 1948–1955", to rebuild North Borneo. This plan provided£6,051,939 for the rebuilding of infrastructure in North Borneo.[30] When the Crown Colony of North Borneo together withSarawak,Singapore and theFederation of Malaya formed the Federation of Malaysia in 1963, it became known as Sabah, and Jesselton remained its capital.[31] On 22 December 1967, the State Legislative Assembly under Chief MinisterMustapha Harun passed a bill renaming Jesselton as Kota Kinabalu. Kota Kinabalu town board was upgraded to municipal status in 1979. The city was upgraded tocity status on 2 February 2000.[31]
Being the capital city of Sabah, Kota Kinabalu plays an important role in the political and economic welfare of the population of the entire state. It is the seat of the state government where almost all of theirministries andagencies are based. Most of theMalaysian federal government agencies and departments are also located in Kota Kinabalu. The Sabah State Legislative Assembly is located at the nearby Likas Bay. There are four members of parliament (MPs) representing the fourparliamentary constituencies in the city: Sepanggar (P.171), Kota Kinabalu (P.172), Putatan (P.173), Tuaran ("P.176") 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, Segama, Menggatal, Tuaran, Lido, and Moyog.[32]
Kota Kinabalu City Hall.A rough map of Kota Kinabalu city and urban area. Blue lines indicate main roads, grey lines indicate railway lines, and pink dotted lines indicatedistrict boundaries.
The city is administered by theKota Kinabalu City Hall (Dewan Bandaraya Kota Kinabalu). The current mayor of Kota Kinabalu is Sabin Samitah, who became the latest mayor after taking over the post from Noorliza Awang Alip on 1 January 2024.[33] Iliyas in turn became the second mayor of the city after taking over from Abdul Ghani Rashid in 2006. The city obtainedcity status on 2 February 2000,[31] and prior to this it was administered by Majlis Perbandaran Kota Kinabalu (Kota Kinabalu Municipal Council/Kota Kinabalu Town Hall).
View over the southern city central business district.
The city is defined within the borders of what is thedistrict, formerly the municipality, of Kota Kinabalu. With an area of 351 square kilometres, it is the smallest but the most populous district in Sabah.[34] It encompassesTanjung Aru andKepayan in the south, up toTelipok andSepanggar in the north. The urban expanse of the city however extends into the district ofPenampang[35] on the south of the city border, which includes the towns ofDonggongon andPutatan. The combined area ofKota Kinabalu District and the contiguous built up areas in Penampang and Putatan is known asGreater Kota Kinabalu.[36] The district of Penampang has an area of 466 square kilometres, and is administered by Majlis Daerah Penampang (Penampang District Council).[37]
On one end of the scale, Kota Kinabalu may sometimes only refer to, especially by local inhabitants, the city centre or central business district near the sea facing Gaya Island. On the other end of the scale, it may also refer to themetropolitan area which includes urban Kota Kinabalu (Greater Kota Kinabalu), and the surrounding towns ofPapar andKinarut in the south, andTuaran andTamparuli in the north, being within its zone of influence.
Kota Kinabalu is located on the west coast of Sabah. The city lies on a narrow flatland between theCrocker Range to the east and theSouth China Sea to the west. There are six islands off the coast of the city. The largest isGaya Island, the site of the first British settlement. Approximately 8,000 people live there.[38] The smaller islands, mainly uninhabited, are named Sapi Island,Manukan Island, Sulug Island, Mamutik Island and Sepanggar Island to the north.[39] Sepanggar island is located north of the National Park oppositeSepanggar 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 (4 mi) away, and the city is directly in the flight path. Most of the Central Business District (CBD) today is built onland reclaimed from the sea.[6] The original local plant life has largely disappeared, but several hills within the city (too steep for building) are still clothed withtropical rainforest. 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.[40] In 1996, the state government declared 24 acres (9.7 ha) of the forest as a protected area. This forest is now known as theKota Kinabalu City Bird Sanctuary. The sanctuary was given additional protection as a State Cultural Heritage Site in 1998.[40]
The city as seen from the air in 2015.
The five islands (of Gaya, Sapi, Manukan, Sulug, Mamutik) opposite the city, and their surrounding waters, are also preserved as theTunku Abdul Rahman National Park.[6] The park was named in honour of the first Prime Minister of Malaysia,Tunku Abdul Rahman. The park is a recreational spot for tourists and local people.[41] The Kota Kinabalu city centre, consisting of mostly businesses and the 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, Lok Kawi, Bukit Bendera, Kasigui, Bundusan,Likas and Kolombong. The city is growing steadily and theurban sprawl extends to the towns ofInanam,Menggatal,Sepanggar,Telipok and south of the district border toPenampang,Putatan, andLok Kawi.[42] Kota Kinabalu is generally isolated from the rest of the country; it is located about 1,624 kilometres (1,009 mi) fromKuala Lumpur inPeninsular Malaysia[43] and 804 kilometres (500 mi) fromKuching in the neighbouring state ofSarawak.[44]
Kota Kinabalu features atropical rainforest climate (Af) with constant high temperatures, and a considerable amount of rain and high humidity throughout the course of the year.[45] Two prevailing monsoons characterise the climate of this part ofSabah are the NortheastMonsoon 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.[45]
During the 1995–2004 period, Kota Kinabalu's average temperature ranges from 26 °C (79 °F) to 28 °C (82 °F).[46] April and May are the hottest months, while January is the coolest one.[45] The average annual rainfall is around 2,400 millimetres[46] and varies markedly throughout the year. February and March are typically the driest months while rainfall peaks in the inter-monsoon period in October.[47] Thewind speed ranges from 5.5 to 7.9 m/s during the Northeast Monsoon but is significantly lower to 0.3 to 3.3 m/s during the Southwest Monsoon.[48]
Climate data for Kota Kinabalu (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1946–2020)
There have not been any official or popular adjectives, ordemonyms, to describe the people of Kota Kinabalu. A simple way to describe the people of the city is "orang KK", whereorang means "person" or "people" in Malay. Theterms "K.K-ites"[11] and "K.K-ians" have also been used to a limited extent. People from Sabah are called Sabahans.[52]
The Malaysian Census 2010 Report estimated the population of Kota Kinabalu at 452,058.[53] The city's population is a mixture of many differentraces andethnicities. Non-Malaysian citizens form the largest group in the city with 110,556 people followed byChinese (93,429),Bajau (72,931),Kadazan-Dusun (69,993), otherBumiputras (59,107),Malay[54] (35,835),Murut (2,518),Indian (2,207) and others (5,482).[53]
The Chinese are mostlyHakkas and reside mainly in the Luyang area as well as in Likas and Damai neighbourhoods with significant populations in other suburbs such as Manggatal, Inanam and Telipok. There is also a sizeableCantonese-speaking population and smaller communities ofHokkien andFuzhounese-speaking Chinese scattered throughout all areas of the city. Most of the Fuzhounese speakers in particular emigrated to Sabah from the neighbouring Malaysian state of Sarawak.
Kota Kinabalu is home to a diverse range of indigenous groups. TheKadazans, who predominantly come from Penampang and Papar, and theDusuns, from the west coast and the interior of Sabah, are among the largest groups. TheBajaus, originally from Tuaran and Kota Belud, also have a significant presence in the city, along with other Bajau communities from various coastal regions of Sabah. TheMalay population in Kota Kinabalu is primarily descended fromBruneian Malays, with smaller communities from the Malay Peninsula and Sarawak. Additionally, there are several other indigenous groups, including theMurut,Suluk,Sungai,Lun Bawang/Lundayeh,Bisaya,Illanun,Kedayan,Ida'an andRungus, who have relocated to the city for socio-economic opportunities from different parts of the state.
Penampang district is populated mainly by Kadazans, while Bajaus and Dusuns mainly reside in Likas, Sembulan, Inanam, Menggatal, Sepanggar and Telipok. In Tuaran, both Dusun and Bajau communities are prominent, while Papar is largely inhabited by Kadazans and Bruneian Malays.
The Brunei Malays and Bajau areMuslims. The Kadazan-Dusuns, Muruts, Rungus andLundayeh/Lun Bawang mainly practiceFolk forms of Christianity, Islam, or Animism, while the Chinese are mainlyBuddhists,Taoist or Christians. There are numerous Roman Catholic, Basel (Lutheran), Anglican, Evangelical, and Methodist churches throughout the city. A small number ofHindus,Sikhs,Animists, andsecularists can also be found. The Census 2020 Report showed an increase to 500,421 inhabitants.[55]
There is also a sizeableFilipino population in the city. The first wave of migrants arrived in the late 15th century during theSpanish colonisation, while a later wave arrived in the early 1970s, driven away from the Philippines bypolitical and economic uncertainties there. Most of theearlier migrants have beennaturalised as Malaysian citizens. However, there are still some Filipinos living in the city without proper documentation asillegal immigrants.[56]
In addition to Filipinos, the city is also home to sizeable residence ofIndonesian descent.[57] These groups, primarily ofBugis,Banjarese,Torajans andJavanese ancestry, have established visible presence in the city.
There is a small population ofIndians,Pakistanis,Timorese and Eurasians scattered around the city. More recently, the number of expatriates living in the city, whether temporarily or permanently, have also increased. Most of them come from China, South Korea, Japan, Australia, Taiwan and Europe.
Interracial marriages across various ethnicities and nationalities are common. A notable example is the union between Chinese and indigenous groups such as the Kadazan, Dusun, Murut and Rungus, known asSino-Native. The mixed-race descendants are commonly referred to as Sino, with the term adapted to reflect the specific ethnic backgrounds of the parents, such asSino-Kadazan, Sino-Dusun and others.[58]
The people of Kota Kinabalu mainly speakMalay, with a distinctSabahancreole.[52] However, as about 20% of Kota Kinabalu residents are ofChinese descent,[53][59] Chinese is also widely spoken. Among the Chinese, the most commonly spokenvarieties areHuiyangHakka (Simplified Chinese: 惠阳客家话; Traditional Chinese: 惠陽客家話) andMandarin. Additionally, most Chinese can speakCantonese, although with widely varying levels of fluency. Almost all residents are also able to speak English, especially the younger generation. However, some find it difficult to speak fluently due to a limited vocabulary and the general lack of usage of the English language as a conversational lingua franca among Sabahans as a whole.
The number ofKadazan-Dusun speakers is thought to have dropped significantly throughout Sabah, especially in larger towns or cities like Kota Kinabalu. However, some effort has been taken by some to revive the usage of the language. Kadazan has been considered anendangered language, along with the culture of ethnic Kadazans.[60]
Besides being the capital city, Kota Kinabalu is also the main industrial and commercial centre for Sabah. The economy is dominated by theprimary sector of industry. Historically, thesecondary sector dominated the economy, but due to rapid urbanisation and economic development, this sector of the economy is slowly diminishing. More recently, a move towards a moretertiary-based industry has become more apparent, especially with regards to the boom in the tourism industry.[10] Many state-level, national-level and international commercial banks, as well as some insurance companies have their headquarters or branches here. The overseas Chinese population also contributes to the development of KK since their immigration in the late 19th century.[61] Their original role was often a 'coolie' (manual labourer) and today many Chinese work as shopowners.[61]
A number of industrial and manufacturing companies also haveplants here, especially in theindustrial districts of Likas, Kolombong, and Inanam. The ongoing construction of the 8,320-acre (33.7 km2) 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 theBIMP-EAGA (Brunei-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines East ASEAN Growth Area) region.[62][needs update]
The internal roads linking different parts of the city are generallystate roads constructed and maintained by the state'sPublic Works Department.[63] Most major internal roads aredual-carriageways. One of the major roads here is Lintas-Tuaran Bypass Road, which together serves almost as aring road, circling the city and connecting the districts and suburbs surrounding the city, namely Putatan, Penampang, Luyang, Likas, Inanam, Menggatal, Sepanggar and Tuaran. There are currently nofreeways in the city or in any other part of Sabah. The city is linked by highways to other towns in Sabah. These are mainlyfederal roads maintained by the national Public Works Department. Highway routes from Kota Kinabalu include:[64]
The North Bus Terminal inInanam serves long-distance buses bound for the north and east of Sabah.Interior of a train inTanjung Aru station.
Regular bus services operate in the city. Aside from buses, minibuses or vans are used as an alternative mode of public transport.[65] There are two main bus terminals in the city centre. The terminal along Tun Razak Road provide bus services to different parts of the city and its outskirts, while theKK Sentral terminal provides intercity services to destinations south of the city (Papar,Beaufort,Sipitang,Limbang etc.). A third bus terminal, the North Kota Kinabalu Bus Terminal inInanam district, services intercity buses heading towards destinations north and north-east of the city (Ranau,Sandakan, Lahad Datu,Tawau,Semporna etc.).Taxis are available throughout the city.[65]
A railway system formerly known as theNorth Borneo Railway was established in 1896 by theBritish North Borneo Company.[25][66] It was built for the main purpose of transporting commodities from theInterior Division to the port in Jesselton (now Kota Kinabalu) during the period of British rule.[25] The railway line connectsTanjung Aru in Kota Kinabalu toTenom and several other towns in between, and it is the only railway system operating inEast Malaysia.[25][66] Today, the railway line is known as theWestern Line and managed by theSabah State Railway, providing daily services for commuters, travellers, as well as for cargo transportation.[25] A separate company operates the leisure tour also called theNorth Borneo Railway, which caters mainly for tourists. This antique steam train service only running on Saturday and Wednesday mornings from Tanjung Aru station to Kinarut station before returning to the former station.[25] In 2016, the Tanjung Aru railway station was moved toAeropod with a new terminal and more public facilities.
A ferry fromLabuan at Kota Kinabalu Ferry Terminal.Entrance to the Jesselton Point waterfront.
Kota Kinabalu has two ports: Kota Kinabalu Port andSapangar Bay Container Port (SBCP). Kota Kinabalu Port mainly handles loose/bulk cargo, while SBCP operates as anaval base for theRoyal Malaysian Navy and anoil depot in addition to handling containerised cargo.[69] 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.[34] However, it handles the highest number ofcontainers in the state, with 153,793 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEU) of containers handled in 2006. Sepanggar Bay Port will have an annual capacity of 200,000 TEU when its container terminal is completed.
The Kota Kinabalu Ferry Service operates from a passenger ferry terminal located at Jesselton Point,[70] providing ferry and motorboat services to nearby islands. There are also regular scheduled ferry services toLabuan.[70]
The Sabah Police Contingent Headquarters is located in Kepayan. There are two district headquarters in the city, the Kota Kinabalu District police headquarters located inKaramunsing, and the Penampang District headquarters. Both also operate as police stations. Other police stations are found in KKIA,Tanjung Aru,Putatan,Inanam,Menggatal,Luyang and Alamesra. Police substations (Pondok Polis) are found inLikas,Telipok and Babagon.[73] The city's traffic police headquarters is located along Lorong Dewan near Gaya Street, and themarine police headquarters is located near the city ferry terminal alongTun Razak Road.
Kota Kinabalu Central Prison is located inKepayan.[74]
There are threepublic hospitals, six publicshealth clinic, two child and mother health clinics, six village clinics, one mobile clinic, and six community clinics in Kota Kinabalu.[75][76]Queen Elizabeth General Hospital, which is located along Penampang Road and named afterQueen Elizabeth II, is the largest public hospital in the state with 589 beds.[77] Built in 1957, it is the most important healthcare centre in the city and one of three general hospitals in Sabah.Queen Elizabeth Hospital II was established then after the acquisition of the former building of Sabah Medical Centre (SMC) in 2009. The second main government hospital are mainly used for heart centre. Hospital Wanita dan Kanak-kanak (Sabah Women and Children Hospital) serves as a referral hospital for children and women. Hospital Mesra Bukit Padang (Bukit Padang Mental Hospital), which opened in 1971, provides psychiatric services for the entire state.
KPJ Specialist Hospital is the largestprivate hospital with 245 beds.[78] In addition, five other large private health facilities are Gleneagles Kota Kinabalu with 200 beds,[79] Jesselton Medical Centre (JMC) with 73 beds,[80] Damai Specialist Centre (DMC) with 56 beds[81] and Rafflesia Medical Centre (RMC) with 33 beds.[82]
Classes usually begin at 7 am and end at 1 pm except for boarding schools where classes begins as early as 6.30 am and end at 2 pm. Children age 7 must attend primary education, which consists of six years of learning, while those age 13 can pursue their studies 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 or the Arts stream based on their examination results. Students who choose to study at boarding schools will be placed into the Science stream. Currently, there are four boarding schools in Sabah.
There are twointernational schools teaching the British Curriculum. Sayfol International School Sabah teaches from kindergarten to theGCE 'A' Levels, which is taken at age 18 (pre-university).[85] Sayfol International School is the sister school of the established and highly successful Sayfol International School in Kuala Lumpur. Kinabalu International School (KIS) is part of the Federation of British International Schools in South and East Asia (FOBISSEA). Both English medium schools are in Bukit Padang. Other international schools are the Kinabalu Japanese School, one of fourJapanese schools in Malaysia and the Kota Kinabalu Indonesian School.[86][87] Both schools cater to children of Japanese and Indonesian expatriates working and living around the city.
Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS), founded in 1994, is the largest university in Sabah. Its main campus is on a 999-acre (4.04 km2) piece of land, on a hill facing the South China Sea at Sepanggar Bay, about 10 kilometres north of the city centre. A 6 hectare botanical garden was proposed for its campus in 2010.[88] It has branch campuses inLabuan andSandakan. The oldest university in Sabah isUniversiti Teknologi MARA Sabah which was co-founded by UiTM and Yayasan Sabah in 1973. It has been certified by the Kota Kinabalu City Hall as a litter-free university.[89]
There are private universities / colleges and one polytechnic operating in the city, which are City University Malaysia (Sabah Campus),[90]Tunku Abdul Rahman University of Management and Technology,Universiti Tun Abdul Razak, AlmaCrest International College,INTI College, Kinabalu Commercial College, Jesselton College, Informatics College, Kota Kinabalu Polytechnic andInstitut Sinaran.[91] Many affluent residents send their children overseas to pursue secondary or tertiary education.
TheSabah State Library Headquarters is located on Tasik Road Off Maktab Gaya Road while itsmain branch in Tanjung Aru is sandwiched between Perdana Park and the Plaza Tanjung Aru along Mat Salleh Road as the main library in the state. Other public libraries include the Kota Kinabalu City (Regional) Library, Penampang Branch Library and Menggatal Village Library. They are operated by the Sabah State Library department.[92] Other libraries or private libraries can be found in schools, colleges, or universities.[75]
On 23 September 2017, the KK City WiFi was announced for public and tourist use in the city with free internet access throughhigh speed fibre via a new submarine cable connecting West and East Malaysia. Each user is entitled to 10GB of quota with no access time limit every day. The first phase covering the area from Tun Fuad Stephens Road to Pantai Road – Tugu Road, Lintasan Deasoka, Kg. Air and Shell.[93]
There are a number of cultural venues in Kota Kinabalu. TheSabah State Museum, situated near the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, is the main museum of Sabah.[6] In the vicinity of the museum are the Science and Technology Centre,Sabah Art Gallery, and the Ethno Botanic Gardens. 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 Association (KDCA).[94] It hosts the annualKaamatan orHarvest Festival and the Unduk Ngadau beauty contest, which is held concurrently, in May. Monsopiad Cultural Village (Kampung Monsopiad) features cultural shows related to theKadazan-Dusun culture. It is named after the legendary Kadazan-Dusun headhunting warrior, Monsopiad.[95]
TheMerdeka Square (Malay:Padang Merdeka) or also known as "Town Field" is the site where the declaration of Sabah's independence and formation of Malaysia took place.[96] The declaration was announced by Sabah's first Chief Minister,Tun Fuad Stephens, on 16 September 1963, also known asMalaysia Day.[96] Today the site hosts the annual City Day celebration on 2 February,Merdeka Day celebration on 31 August, and a number of other celebrations and functions.[citation needed]
TheAtkinson Clock Tower near Bandaran Berjaya was built by Mary Edith Atkinson in 1905 in memory of her son, Francis George Atkinson.[97] It was formerly used as a navigation aid for ships.[97] It is only one of three pre-World War II buildings to survive the war.[6] ThePetagas War Memorial, located near KKIA, is a reminder of those who died when they went against theJapanese forces during World War II. It is situated at the place where the Kinabalu Guerrillas were killed by the Japanese army in 1944. TheDouble Six Monument, located in Sembulan, is also a memorial to remember Sabah's first Chief Minister and six other state ministers who died on a plane crash known as theDouble Six Tragedy on 6 June 1976.[98]
There are many leisure spots and conserved areas in and 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 but has since closed and moved to Tambalang Race Course in Tuaran due to the expansion of Kota Kinabalu International Airport. TheNorth Borneo Railway, which begins its journey from Tanjung Aru station, offers a scenic tour of the countryside in theWest Coast Division and theInterior Division.[25] The railway journey ends in the town ofTenom.[25] Sutera Harbour Golf & Country Club near the city centre was built onreclaimed land.[6] It features agolf and country club, amarina, and two hotels.
Sunset atTanjung Aru beach.Sulug Island can be seen on the left and Manukan Island on the right of the horizon.
Tanjung Aru, located about 10 kilometres, 6 miles, from the city centre, is one of the beaches along the West Coast. Its name was derived from the casuarina trees (locally called Aru trees) that grow on the shoreline.[99] The beach is 3 kilometres in length. The entrance car parking area to Tanjung Aru has increase in size as the previous building that were on the site have been demolished in 2017. In the vicinity of Tanjung Aru lies the Kinabalu Golf Club, Prince Philip Botanical Park, KK Yacht Club, andShangri-La's Tanjung Aru Beach Resort. Prince Philip Park is freely accessible to the public, while the others need permission. This beach is known for its sunset views.[100][101]
Located within the Likas Bay area is theKota Kinabalu City Bird Sanctuary. With an area of 24 acres (9.7 ha), it is one of the few remaining patches ofmangrove forest that once existed extensively along the coastal region of Kota Kinabalu.[103] It was conserved in September 1996 by the State Government to assist and foster a better understanding and awareness of the value of wetlands. The Sabah Zoological and Botanical Park (Lok Kawi Wildlife Park) inLok Kawi, about 20 kilometres south of the city, is the first zoo in Sabah. Set on a 280-acre (1.1 km2) piece of land, it is arguably the largest zoo in Malaysia.[104]
The boardwalk in Kota Kinabalu at dusk.
Tun Fuad Stephens Park, located in Bukit Padang, is used for jogging and hiking by 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 State Park consisting of the islands of Sapi, Mamutik, Manukan, Sulug and Gaya.[6] It is used forsnorkelling. The park is about a 10 to 15 minutes boat ride away from the city ferry terminal. Babagon River in Penampang and Kiansom Falls near Inanam are also places visited for picnics and leisure bathing.[105]
Outside the city,Crocker Range Park, occupying a stretch of c. 20 x 80 km of the Crocker Range mountain chain to the city's southeast (roughly betweenTenom andTambunan, is a common spot for jungle trekking and camping. Kota Kinabalu is also the gateway to one of the most popular conservation areas in Malaysia,Kinabalu Park.[106] The park is a two-hour drive away from the city andMount Kinabalu, which is the 10th highest peak in South-East Asia and the highest in Malaysia, is located there. TheRafflesia Forest Reserve nearTambunan, which is 30 kilometres away from Kota Kinabalu, is also within the Crocker Range National Park boundary. One of the smaller species ofRafflesia, R. pricei, can be found there. The Gunung Emas Highland Resort is also nearby. The Tuaran Crocodile Farm, about 30 kilometres north of the city, has around 1400 crocodiles in its enclosure, making it the largest of its kind in Sabah.[107]
TheTun Mustapha Tower (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 three buildings in the world that is built using this method.[108]
Other buildings and sites in the city are thestilt villages found in the areas of Sembulan, Tanjung Aru, Kampung Likas, and Kampung Pondo inGaya Island.[109] These houses are built on shallow coastal waters and are homes for theBajau andSuluk inhabitants.[110]
TheSabah State Mosque in Sembulan is the main mosque in the city. The City Mosque on Likas Bay is another significant landmark in the city. On top of a hill in the city, there is also afreemason hall.
The Signal Hill Observatory on top of a hill along Jalan Asrama.
The Signal Hill Observatory viewing platform and snack shop is accessible via steps leading up from the near the City Centre. It is the highest point in Kota Kinabalu and offers sweeping, scenic, unobstructed views of the city and the islands beyond.[6]
Suria Sabah during the 2013 Chinese New Year celebrations, this is also one of the shopping malls in the city.
Kota Kinabalu also features a number of shopping malls. These includeImago KK Times Square, Oceanus Waterfront Mall, Karamunsing Complex,Centre Point,Wisma Merdeka, Warisan Square, Plaza Wawasan, Asia City Complex,[6] City Mall, KK Plaza, Mega Long Mall,Suria Sabah and1Borneo, which is the largest hypermall in Kota Kinabalu.[111] Karamunsing, where Karamunsing Complex is situated, is an area that has more computer shops per capita than anywhere else in Sabah.[112] The weeklyGaya Street Sunday Market features a gathering of localhawkers selling a wide range of items from traditional ethnic cultural souvenirs to pets and flowers.[113] TheAnjung Kinabalu (formerly known as the Kota Kinabalu Handicraft Market) features vendors selling traditional handicrafts, souvenirs and foodstuffs.[114]
There are six cinemas in Kota Kinabalu: 2Golden Screen Cinemas (commonly known as GSC), MBO cinemas located at Imago Mall Kota Kinabalu Times Square, City Cineplex at City Mall, Growball Cineplex at Centre Point Mall and Megalong Cineplex at Megalong Mall. One of the GSC cinemas is located at Suria Sabah Shopping Mall,[115] while the other is located at1Borneo.[116] Both GSC cinemas hold eight cinema halls each.[117] 1Borneo Hypermall and Sutera Harbour Marina have bowling alleys and pool tables.[118]MBO Cinemas with a capacity of 1,038 is located in Imago Mall, KK Times Square.[119]
Kota Kinabalu is well known as live seafood market. There are many live seafood restaurants such as Hua Hing Seafood Restaurant (located at Sedco Complex), Welcome Seafood Restaurant (Asia City) and Hung Xing Seafood Restaurant around the city.[citation needed]
An aerial view of Likas Sport Complex withLikas Stadium, which is the home stadium forSabah F.C.
The Likas Sports Complex in Kota Kinabalu provides various sporting and recreational facilities for public use.[75] It has, among others, a 20,000-seater football (soccer) stadium,[120] badminton, tennis, and squash courts, a gymnasium, an Olympic size swimming pool, adriving range, hockey fields and a new Youth Challenge park consisting of an international standard skate park and indoor climbing centre. It is the largest sports complex in the state and has hosted numerous national as well as international sporting events.[75]Likas Stadium is the home stadium ofSabah F.C., also known asSabaHawks. There is another sports complex in Penampang which also has a full-sized football stadium.
There are four golf courses in Kota Kinabalu, namely the Sabah Golf and Country Club in Bukit Padang, Kinabalu Golf Club inTanjung Aru, Sutera Harbour Golf and Country Club, and Karambunai Golf and Country Club.[121]
Kota Kinabalu has hosted a number of national sporting events such as the 2002Sukma Games, international tournaments such as the 1994Karate World Championships[122] and the 2008BWF Super Series Masters Finals badminton tournament.[123] It is also the starting point of the annual international Borneo Safari4x4 Challenge.[124] Kota Kinabalu has been one of the circuits for the F2PowerboatUIM World Cup Series in December every year since 2007.[125]
Kota Kinabalu is home to one of Asia's favourite jazz festivals, the KK Jazz Festival. It has become an annual event.[126] International performers such as Son2nos (Venezuela), award-winning Korean jazz divaNah Youn Sun, Hong Kong's Junk Unit, Malaysia's Double Take, Atilia and Mood Indigo from UK have all previously performed at the festival.[127] Coinciding with UNESCO's International Jazz Day celebrations in 2019, the year marks the inauguration of Sabah Jazz in Kota Kinabalu with the showcases of local jazz artists as well as from the region. Among those who performed include Grupo Da Bossa, Gordon Horace Chin, Hady Afro, Joe Balanjiu Jr and La Sambusa Latina from Argentina. Sabah Jazz is set to be held annually.[128]
BandWidth Street Press Magazine is Kota Kinabalu's only free monthly magazine that promotes local Sabah music. The magazine was launched in March 2009, and was supported by the local government and was referred by Sabah's Minister of Culture, Environment & Tourism,YBDatuk Masidi Manjun, as a publication that will introduce and promote new local musicians while serving up the latest information on the local entertainment scene.[129]
Several countries have set up their consulates in Kota Kinabalu, including Australia,[130] Brunei,[131] China,[132] Czech Republic,[133] Denmark,[134] France,[135] Finland,[136] Indonesia,[137] Japan,[138] Norway,[139] Panama,[140] Romania,[141] Slovakia,[142] South Korea,[143] Spain,[144] Sweden[142] and the United Kingdom.[145][146] In 2018, Russia set up their branch office of the Russian Centre of Science and Culture (RCSC) to expanding the existing co-operation between Malaysia and Russia in the culture, economic and education spheres.[147][148]
^Brumby, Victor (1 May 2014)."May 1 MALAYSIA UPDATE and NOTES ON SUFFIXES". European Registration Plate Association (Europlate) blog. Archived fromthe original on 10 December 2015. Retrieved10 December 2015.About 1967, they added E as a prefix for new registrations in Sabah (for East Malaysia) (about 1967). and at unknown later date, added an S suffix to existing plates.
^Siegel, James T. (2018).Southeast Asia over Three Generations: Essays Presented to Benedict R. O'G. Anderson. New York: Cornell University Press. p. 94.ISBN9781501718946.
^Wendy Law Suart (1993)The Lingering Eye page 55, footnote
^"NAMA ASAL" (in Malay). DBKK Official Website. Archived fromthe original on 8 July 2013. Retrieved19 May 2013.
^"NEW PORT IN NORTH BORNEO".The Singapore Free Press and Mercantile Advertiser (1884–1942), 17 April 1900, Page 3. National Library Singapore. Retrieved21 May 2013.
^Fujio, Hara (2013). "Chapter Eight – The 1943 Kinabalu Uprising in Sabah". In Paul H. Kratoska (ed.).Southeast Asian Minorities in the Wartime Japanese Empire. Taylor & Francis. pp. 111, 113.ISBN978-1-136-12506-5.
^abRussel, Andy Immit Mojiol (2006).Ecological Landuse Planning and Sustainable Management of Urban and Sub-urban Green Areas in Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia. Cuvillier Verlag. p. 23.ISBN978-3-86727-081-6.
^"Not Malays full stop". The Nut Graph. 22 November 2010. Archived fromthe original on 12 August 2013. Retrieved21 May 2013.Actually in Sabah, there were no Malays. You were either Bajau, or Murut, or Orang Sungai. The closest to Malays were the Brunei Malays because they were originally from Brunei before settling in Sabah
^"Sejarah Hospital" (in Malay). Queen Elizabeth Hospital (Malaysia). Archived fromthe original on 30 July 2014. Retrieved1 July 2013.Pada masa ini hospital Queen Elizabeth ialah hospital terbesar di negeri Sabah. Ia pusat rujukan untuk semua hospital daerah yang mengandungi 589 katil.
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