Tawau | |
|---|---|
Town anddistrict capital | |
| Bandar Tawau | |
   From top, left to right: City sign, Aerial view towards the town center, Aerial view towardsCowie Bay | |
 Seal | |
| Motto: Bumi Peladang | |
 Location of Tawau in Sabah | |
| Coordinates:04°15′30″N117°53′40″E / 4.25833°N 117.89444°E /4.25833; 117.89444 | |
| Country |  Malaysia |
| State |  Sabah |
| Division | Tawau |
| District | Tawau |
| Bruneian Empire | 15th century–1658 |
| Sultanate of Sulu | 1658–1882 |
| Sultanate of Bulungan | 1750 |
| Founded | 1893 |
| Settled byNorth Borneo Chartered Company | 1898 |
| Municipality | 1 January 1982 |
| Government | |
| • Council President | Pang Pick Lim Joseph |
| Area | |
• Town | 55.9 km2 (21.6 sq mi) |
| • Municipality | 2,240 km2 (860 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 8 m (26 ft) |
| Population (2020 Census) | |
| • Municipality | 372,615 |
| Time zone | UTC+8 (MST) |
| • Summer (DST) | Not observed |
| Postal code | 91000 |
| Area code(s) | 089 |
| Vehicle registration | ET (1967-1980), ST (1980-2018), SW (2019-Present) |
| Website | mpt |
Tawau (Malaysian:[ˈtawau]), formerly known asTawao, is the capital of theTawau District inSabah,Malaysia. It is the third-largest city (or town)[note 1] in Sabah, afterKota Kinabalu andSandakan. It is located on theSemporna Peninsula in the southeast coast of the state in the administrative centre ofTawau Division, which is bordered by theSulu Sea to the east, theCelebes Sea to the south atCowie Bay[note 2] and shares a border withNorth Kalimantan,Indonesia. The town had an estimated population as of 2010[update], of 113,809,[2] while the whole municipality area had a population of 397,673 (including 47,466 in Kalabakan, subsequently split off to form a separate district).[2][note 3] The municipal area had a population of 372,615 at the 2020 Census.[3]
Before the founding of Tawau, the region around it was the subject of dispute between the British and Dutch spheres of influence. In 1893, the first British merchant vessel sailed into Tawau, marking the opening of the town's seaport. In 1898, the British set up a settlement in Tawau. TheNorth Borneo Chartered Company (BNBC) accelerated growth of the settlement's population by encouraging the immigration of Chinese. Consequent to theJapanese occupation of North Borneo, the Allied forces bombed the town in mid-1944, razing it to the ground. After the Japanese surrender in 1945, 2,900 Japanese soldiers in Tawau became prisoners of war and were transferred toJesselton. Tawau was rebuilt after the war, and by the end of 1947, the economy was restored to its pre-war status. Tawau was also the main point of conflict during theIndonesia–Malaysia confrontation from 1963 to 1966. During that period, it was garrisoned by the BritishSpecial Boat Section, and guarded by Australian Destroyers and combat aircraft. In December 1963, Tawau was bombed twice by Indonesia and shootings occurred across the Tawau-Sebatik Island international border. Indonesians were found trying to poison the town's water supply. In January 1965, a curfew was imposed to prevent Indonesian attackers from making contact with Indonesians living in the town. While in June 1965, another attempted invasion by the Indonesian forces was repelled by bombardment by an Australian destroyer. Military conflict finally ended in December 1966.
Among the tourist attractions in Tawau are: the Tawau International Cultural Festival,Tawau Bell Tower,Japanese War Cemetery, Confrontation Memorial, Teck Guan Cocoa Museum,Tawau Hills National Park, Bukit Gemok, and Tawau Tanjung Markets. The main economic activities of the town are: timber, cocoa, oil palm plantations, and prawn farming.
Like most of this part of Borneo, this area was once under the control of theBruneian Empire[4] in the 15th century before being ceded to theSultanate of Sulu between the 17th[5] and 18th centuries[6] as a gift for helping the Bruneian forces during acivil war inBrunei. The name Tawao was used on nautical charts by 1857,[7] and there is evidence of a settlement by 1879. TheEast India Company had established a trading post in Borneo, though there was no significant activity by the Dutch on the east coast.[8] In 1846, Netherlands signed a treaty with theSultan of Bulungan, where the latter assured the Dutch control of the area.[8] When the Dutch began to operate in 1867, the Sultan married his son to the daughter of the Sultan of Tarakan. Around this time, the Dutch sphere of influence reached Tawao. They controlled the area north of Tawao, overlapping an area controlled by theSultan of Sulu.[8]
In 1878, Sultanate of Sulu sold the southern part of his land bounded by the Sibuco River to anAustro-Hungarian consulBaron von Overbeck, who later tried to sell the territory to theGerman Empire,Austria-Hungary and theKingdom of Italy for use as apenal colony but failed, leavingAlfred Dent to manage and establish the North Borneo Provisional Association Ltd.[9] The Provisional Association negotiated in the 1880s with the Dutch for a definition of a boundary between the area conferred by the Sultan of Sulu and the area that the Dutch claimed from Sultan of Bulungan to settle a dispute that arose from the unknown exact location of the real border between the territory that was held by the Sultanate of Sulu and the Sultanate of Bulungan.[8]Alexander Rankin Dunlop became the firstResident for the settlement of Tawau. On 20 January 1891, a final agreement was reached on a line along 4° 10' north latitude – on the central division of theSebatik Island.[8][note 4] In the early 1890s, approximately 200 people lived in the Tawao settlement, mostly immigrants from Bulungan in Kalimantan, and some from Tawi-Tawi who had fled fromDutch andSpanish rule.[10][11][12] The settlement was renamed from Tawao to Tawau. Most of those who fled from the Dutchcolonisation continued trading with the Dutch.[10] In 1893, a British vessel S.S.Normanhurst sailed into Tawau with a cargo to trade. In 1898, the British built a settlement which later grew rapidly when theNorth Borneo Chartered Company (BNBC) sponsored the migration of Chinese to Tawau.[13][14]
.JPG)
On 16 December 1941, during World War II, theJapanese invasion of Borneo began. After the first landing inMiri, the Japanese moved along the coastline of Borneo from the oil fields ofKuching and towardsJesselton. Life in Tawau continued as usual until 24 January 1942 when the Japanese were sighted off Batu Tinagat. The district officer Cole Adams and his assistant were expecting an attack at the shipyard but were instead arrested by the Japanese.[note 5] TheAllies began counterattacking the Japanese in mid-1944 with the bombing of Tawau. From 13 April 1945, six massive air strikes were made on town, concentrating on the port facilities. The last and largest of these attacks was on 1 May 1945 when 19Liberator bombers bombed Tawau until it was completely razed to the ground.[15] After an unconditional surrender of the37th Japanese Army under Lieutenant GeneralMasao Baba in mid-September atLabuan, 1,100 Australian soldiers in Sandakan under the command of Lt. Col. JA England marched into the Japanese bases at Tawau. A total of 2,900 Japanese soldiers of the 370th battalion under Major Sugasaki Moriyuki were taken as prisoners of war and transferred to Jesselton.[16][17]
.jpg)
At the end of the war, the town had been largely destroyed by bombing and fire; the Bell tower was the only intact pre-war structure. Tawau quickly recovered. Though almost all the shops were destroyed, a report byThe British North Borneo Annual Report in 1947 wrote that "the pre-war economy was largely made towards the end of 1947". In the first six months post-war, the British rebuilt 170 shops and commercial buildings. By 1 July 1947, subsidies for the purchase of rice and flour were introduced.[18]
Due to its exposed location near the international border withIndonesia, Tawau became the main point of the conflict during the confrontation. In preparation for the impending conflict,Gurkhas were stationed in the town with other units including the "British No. 2 Special Boat Section" under Captain DW Mitchell.[19][20] AustralianRiver-class destroyer escorts were stationed in Cowie Bay and asquadron ofF-86 Sabre aircraft flew over Tawau daily fromLabuan.
In October 1963, Indonesia moved their first battalion of theKorps Komando Operasi (KKO) fromSurabaya to Sebatik and opened several training camps near the border in eastern Kalimantan (nowNorth Kalimantan).[19][21] From 1 October to 16 December 1963, there were at least seven shootings along the border resulting in three Indonesians' deaths. On 7 December 1963, an IndonesianTupolev Tu-16 bomber flew over Tawau bay and bombed the town twice.[22]
By mid-December 1963, Indonesian had sent a commando unit consisting of 128 volunteers and 35 regular soldiers to Sebatik.[20] Their aim was to takeKalabakan, then invade Tawau andSandakan.[20] On 29 December 1963, the Indonesian unit attacked the 3rdRoyal Malay Regiment unit.[20] The Indonesians managed to throw severalgrenades into the totally unprepared Malay Regiment's sleeping quarters.[20] The attack resulted in eight Malay soldiers being killed and nineteen wounded.[19] Malaysian armed police eventually drove the attackers north after a two-hour battle.[19]
In 1964, the situation remained tense in Tawau. A group of eight Indonesians were detained while trying to poison the water supply of the town. On 12 May 1964, there was a bombing attempt on the Kong Fah cinema.[23][24] At the end of January 1965, a night timecurfew was imposed in Tawau to prevent attackers from contacting the approximate 16,000 Indonesians living there. By the end of February 1965, 96 of the 128 Indonesian volunteers had been killed or captured, around 20 successfully retreated to Indonesia, and 12 remained at large.[19] On 28 June 1965, an attempt by Indonesian troops to invade eastern Sebatik was repelled by a heavy bombardment by Australian destroyerHMASYarra.[25][26] In August 1965, an unknown assailant made an attempt to blow up ahigh-tension electricity pylon while in September 1965, a logging truck was destroyed by aland mine.[27] The confrontation largely ended 12 August 1966, and in December there was a complete ceasefire in Tawau.[28]
Indonesia has a consulate in Tawau[29] and the town hastwin town arrangements withZhangping, China[30] andPare-Pare, Indonesia.[31]
There are two members of parliament (MPs) representing the twoparliamentary constituencies in the district: Tawau (P.190) andKalabakan (P.191). The area is represented by six members of theSabah State Legislative Assembly representing the districts of: Balung; Apas; Sri Tanjung; Merotai; Tanjung Batu; and Sebatik.[32]
The town is administered by theTawau Municipal Council (Majlis Perbandaran Tawau). As of 2021[update], the President of Tawau Municipal Council is Pang Pick Lim or also known as Joseph Pang.[33] The area under the jurisdiction of the Tawau District is the 2,510-hectare (25.1 km2) town area, 3,075-hectare (30.75 km2) surrounding populated area, 568,515 hectares (5,685.15 km2) of rural land and 38,406 hectares (384.06 km2) of adjacent sea area.[34]
Today, Tawau is one of the six districts involved in the eastern Sabah sea curfew that has been enforced since 19 July 2014 by the Malaysian government to repelattacks from militant groups in southern Philippines.[35]
Tawau is on the south-east coast of Sabah surround by theSulu Sea in the east,Celebes Sea to the south and shares a border withEast Kalimantan (nowNorth Kalimantan).[34][36][37] The town is approximately 1,904 kilometres from the Malaysian capital,Kuala Lumpur and is 540 kilometres south-east of Kota Kinabalu.[38] The main town area is divided into three sections named Sabindo, Fajar and Tawau Lama (Old Tawau).[39] Sabindo and Fajar are the main commercial areas while Tawau Lama is the original part of Tawau.
Almost 70% of the area surrounding Tawau is either high hills or mountainous.[40] Among the major peaks surrounding the Tawau includesMount Maria (1,067 metres),Mount Magdalena (1,310 metres) andMount Lucia (1,201 metres).
The town is bordered byCowie Bay towards the south. The bay is recorded as a home for several species of dolphin, includingIndo-Pacific humpback dolphin andIrrawaddy dolphin.[41]
The only volcano in Malaysia is located in Tawau. The Bombalai Volcano contains a 300-metercrater that straddles to the south.[42]
Tawau has atropical rainforest climate under theKöppen climate classification. The climate is relatively hot and wet with average shade temperature about 26 °C (79 °F), with 29 °C (84 °F) at noon and falling to around 23 °C (73 °F) at night. The town sees precipitation throughout the year, with a tendency for November, December and January to be the wettest months, while February and March are the driest months. Tawau's mean rainfall varies from 1800 mm to 2500 mm.[43][44]
| Climate data for Tawau (1991–2020 normals) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 34.4 (93.9) | 35.1 (95.2) | 35.5 (95.9) | 35.2 (95.4) | 35.2 (95.4) | 34.4 (93.9) | 33.6 (92.5) | 33.9 (93.0) | 34.4 (93.9) | 34.5 (94.1) | 34.8 (94.6) | 35.4 (95.7) | 35.5 (95.9) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 31.1 (88.0) | 31.5 (88.7) | 31.8 (89.2) | 31.9 (89.4) | 31.8 (89.2) | 31.4 (88.5) | 31.1 (88.0) | 31.2 (88.2) | 31.5 (88.7) | 31.7 (89.1) | 31.7 (89.1) | 31.3 (88.3) | 31.5 (88.7) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 26.4 (79.5) | 26.6 (79.9) | 26.9 (80.4) | 27.2 (81.0) | 27.3 (81.1) | 26.9 (80.4) | 26.7 (80.1) | 26.8 (80.2) | 26.9 (80.4) | 26.8 (80.2) | 26.8 (80.2) | 26.6 (79.9) | 26.8 (80.2) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 23.1 (73.6) | 23.1 (73.6) | 23.3 (73.9) | 23.7 (74.7) | 23.9 (75.0) | 23.6 (74.5) | 23.3 (73.9) | 23.3 (73.9) | 23.3 (73.9) | 23.4 (74.1) | 23.5 (74.3) | 23.4 (74.1) | 23.4 (74.1) |
| Record low °C (°F) | 18.2 (64.8) | 18.7 (65.7) | 20.2 (68.4) | 21.8 (71.2) | 20.6 (69.1) | 20.9 (69.6) | 21.0 (69.8) | 21.0 (69.8) | 21.2 (70.2) | 19.9 (67.8) | 21.2 (70.2) | 18.2 (64.8) | 18.2 (64.8) |
| Averageprecipitation mm (inches) | 143.2 (5.64) | 106.0 (4.17) | 126.6 (4.98) | 123.4 (4.86) | 164.0 (6.46) | 174.9 (6.89) | 192.1 (7.56) | 209.6 (8.25) | 135.4 (5.33) | 169.8 (6.69) | 172.1 (6.78) | 213.5 (8.41) | 1,930.6 (76.01) |
| Average precipitation days(≥ 1.0 mm) | 11.3 | 9.0 | 10.3 | 9.4 | 11.5 | 12.4 | 12.5 | 11.4 | 10.4 | 12.7 | 13.2 | 14.8 | 138.9 |
| Mean monthlysunshine hours | 182.5 | 183.8 | 216.5 | 222.6 | 231.1 | 191.6 | 216.2 | 218.9 | 198.3 | 198.1 | 193.3 | 194.0 | 2,446.9 |
| Source 1:World Meteorological Organization[45] | |||||||||||||
| Source 2: NOAA[46] | |||||||||||||
The demographic landscape of Tawau, as highlighted in the Malaysian Census 2010 Report, portrays a rich tapestry of cultures and ethnicities. Initially boasting a population of 397,673, with a subsequent adjustment excluding 57,466 individuals in theKalabakan District, the municipality is a bustling port town situated in Malaysian Borneo.[3][2][note 3] Its proximity toIndonesia and thePhilippines has significantly influenced its demographic makeup, setting it apart from other areas in Sabah.
The population of Tawau is notably diverse, resembling major urban centers in the eastern coast ofKalimantan, such asTarakan,Samarinda, andBalikpapan. The census reveals a melting pot of races and ethnicities, characterised byintermarriages among variousgroups andnationalities.
Non-Malaysian citizens constitute a majority in the town, numbering at 164,729 individuals. The non-Malaysian populace predominantly hails from Indonesia and the Philippines, originating fromSulawesi,Kalimantan, theSulu Archipelago,Mindanao, and theVisayas. Additionally, a small Pakistani community, primarily engaged in business ventures, contributes to the multicultural fabric of Tawau. Many non-citizen residents work and reside in plantations, with some having obtained Malaysian citizenship throughnaturalisation. However, a significant portion continues to live without proper documentation, residing inillegal settlements within the town.[48][49]
Among Malaysian citizens, Bumiputras represent a significant portion, includingBugis,Bajau,Banjar,Javanese,Suluk,Tidung,Bulungan, alongside smaller communities ofKadazan-Dusun,Murut,Lun Bawang/Lundayeh,Bruneian Malays,Cocos Malays,Kedayan,Peninsula Malays,Indians,Iban and other smaller Bumiputera groups. The Bugis community formed as the largest ethnolinguistic group in Tawau.[47]
In Tawau, theMalaysian Chinese community shares a historical narrative akin to their counterparts in other regions of Sabah. These are predominantlyHakkas, and their migration traces back to the British colonial era. Settling originally in agricultural zones around Apas Road, they have since become a prominent fixture in the town's fabric. Notably, intermarriages between Chinese and Kadazan-Dusun Muruts have fostered a distinctiveSino-Native community. Additionally, marriages between Chinese individuals andTorajans from Indonesia, as well as Filipinos, are prevalent. Beyond the Sabahan Chinese, Tawau also attracts Chinese immigrants from Peninsula Malaysia, Sarawak,Indonesia and thePhilippines into its fold, contributing to its vibrant multicultural landscape.[50][51]
Religiously, most Bumiputera populations in Tawau areMuslims, with exceptions among the Kadazan-Dusuns, Lundayeh, and Muruts who mainly practice Christianity. Malaysian Chinese are predominantly Buddhists, with some practising Taoism or Christianity. Other religious groups, including Hindus, Sikhs, Animists, and secularists, also coexist within the town.
The majority of non-citizen inhabitants in Tawau adhere to Islam, with a significant minority belonging to the Christian faith. Among the Christian community, a sizeable proportion originates from Indonesia, mainly comprising ethnicToraja,Florenese,Timorese, Chinese Indonesians,Dayaks Indonesian, and Filipinos of Visayan and Zamboangueño descent.[49][52]
![Al-Kauthar Mosque, the largest mosque in Sabah.[53]](/mt/?noimg=&dark=on&url=https%3a%2f%2fwikipedia.org%2fwiki%2fFile%3aTawau_Sabah_Masjid-Al-Khauthar-02.jpg)
The residents of Tawau primarily communicate inMalay, often with a distinctSabahancreole.[54][48] The Tawau version of Sabahan creole shares many similarities with the East Coast Sabahan Dialect andBahasa Indonesia spoken in North Kalimantan across the border. Among the younger generation, there's a noticeablelanguage shift towards speaking Sabahan Malay over their ancestral language.
TheBugis language is also prevalent in Tawau due to a considerable population with Bugis ancestry. The main Bugis dialect spoken in the town is Bone, followed closely by Enrekang-Duri and other Bugis dialects.
Given that a significant portion of Tawau's Chinese population is Hakka Chinese,Hakka Chinese is commonly spoken. Additionally, Tawau Chinese also utilise other Chinese dialects such asCantonese,Hokkien,Teochew,Hainan and other minority dialects.
The language of the east coast Bajau community bears resemblance to theSama language in the Philippines and Kalimantan, with borrowed words from theSuluk language. Notably, the Bajau language on the east coast differs from the west coast Bajau, which has been influenced byMalayic languages fromBrunei Malay.[55][56]
As of 1993, there were 40 timber-processing plants and a number ofsawmills. Tawau Port is a major export and import gateway for timber especially from North Kalimantan.[57][58] Abarter trade has been formalised between East Kalimantan (now North Kalimantan) and Sabah with the creation of Tawau Barter Trade Association (BATS) in 1993. The association handles the cash-based trade of raw materials from Indonesia, but in recent years has focussed on timber industry.[57] Other than timber, since British rule ended exports have traditionally been spices,cocoa and tobacco.[59]Birds' nests are harvested at Baturong, Sengarung, Tepadung andMadai Caves by theIda'an community.[60][61] Tawau is one of the top cocoa producers in Malaysia, and the world together withIvory Coast,Ghana and Indonesia.[62] The town is the cocoa capital for both in Sabah and Malaysia.[63] Cocoa production is mostly concentrated in the interior, north of the town, whilepalm oil production is concentrated along the roads to Merotai, Brantian,Semporna andKunak.[40] Both cocoa and palm oil are part of the large agriculture sector that has become the main income producer for the town.[64][65]
Like in Sandakan, people in Tawau have always relied on the sea for their sustenance. Every day, hundreds of deep sea trawlers and tuckboats can be seen at the Cowie Bay. Barter trade also happens in the sea area around Tawau.[53] The Tawau marine zone are one of Sabah four marine zones, with the other been in Sandakan,Kudat and the west coast.[66][self-published source?] A great variety of high-grade fishes and all kinds ofcrustaceans were found in abundance in the sea and waterways around Tawau.[13]Prawn farming has become largest sea economic source for the district. The oldest and largest prawn farm were located in this area together with six frozenshrimp processing plants.[67][68]
Most of the town's roads arestate roads constructed and maintained by the state'sPublic Works Department. A program began in 2012 to upgrade the town's roads and increase the amount of public parking.[69] Most major internal roads aredual-carriageways. The only highway route from Tawau connects: Tawau –Semporna –Kunak –Lahad Datu –Sandakan (part of thePan Borneo Highway)[70]
Regular bus services andtaxis operate in the town. The town has long-distance, short-distance and local bus stations. The long-distance services connect Tawau to Lahad Datu, Sandakan,Telupid,Ranau, Simpang Sapi,Kundasang, Kota Kinabalu,Sipitang,Beaufort,Papar and Simpang Ranau.[71] The short-distance services connect to destinations including as Sandakan and Semporna.[72]
Tawau Airport (TA) (ICAO Code: WBKW) is the second largest airport in the state of Sabah, Malaysia, following Kota Kinabalu International Airport. It connects the town to variousdomestic destinations, includingJohor Bahru,Kota Kinabalu,Kuala Lumpur andSandakan, with flights operated byAirAsia,Batik Air Malaysia,Malaysia Airlines andMASWings. Before theCOVID-19 pandemic, the airport also offered international regional flights several times per week, including routes toTarakan,Indonesia, operated by MASWings, and toBandar Seri Begawan,Brunei, viaRB Link. In 2024, international flights resumed, adding various new overseas destinations, includingChengdu–Tianfu,Nanjing,Guangzhou, andMacau operated by Firefly and Batik Air.
Before 2001, Tawau was served by an older airport located on North Street (Jalan Utara). The airport's first flight took place in September 1953. During the 1960s, it handled small aircraft such as theFokker 27.[73] In the 1980s, the runway was widened to accommodateBoeing 737s. In the early 1970s, the airport began receiving scheduled international flights operated byBouraq Indonesia Airlines to Tarakan and Balikpapan, Indonesia. By the mid-1990s, international destinations expanded to includeMakassar served byMerpati Nusantara Airlines.[74]
The old airport experienced a fatal accident in 1995 whenMalaysia Airlines Flight 2133, aFokker 50, crashed due to pilot error during landing, resulting in 34 fatalities. Additionally, aCessna 208 Caravan crashed on takeoff in 1995, and a MAS Boeing 737-400 skidded off the runway in 2001, though neither of these incidents caused fatalities. The old airport was closed when the new Tawau Airport opened.[75]
There are multiple daily passenger ferry service to the town's sea port, linking the town directly toSungai Nyamuk,Nunukan and Tarakan inNorth Kalimantan,Indonesia as well as toBongao,Tawi-Tawi in thePhilippines.[76]
The maritime route has also being used for smugglingsubsidisedgoods from the town to certain parts in Indonesia, especially southernSebatik, by Indonesian smugglers as this area is highly dependent on Tawau.[77][78] Many Indonesians near theinternational border choose to seek medical treatment in the town due to the lower cost and better facilities, compared to other Indonesian towns.[78]
Tawau's court complex is on Dunlop Street.[79] It contains theHigh Court,Sessions Court, and the Magistrate Court.[80]Syariah Court is located at Abaca Street.[81] The district police headquarters is on Tanjung Batu Street,[82] and other police station are sited throughout the district including Wallace Bay, Bombalai, Bergosong, Kalabakan, Seri Indah and LTB Tawau.[83] Police substations (Pondok Polis) are found in Tass Bt. 17, Apas Parit, Merotai, Quin Hill, Balung Kokos, Titingan, Kinabutan and Burmas areas,[83] and the Tawau Prison is in the town centre.[84]
Tawau has onepublic hospital, four publichealth clinics, three maternal and child health clinics, seven village clinics, one mobile clinic and two1Malaysia clinics.[85][86]Tawau Hospital, on Tanjung Batu Street, is the town's main hospital and an important healthcare facility for patients from Semporna, Lahad Datu, Kunak, and Sandakan. Indonesian patients near the border area also frequently visit the hospital. Tawau Specialist Polyclinics (TSPC) is a walk-in healthcare clinic that sees patients from Tawau and surrounding areas as well as patients from neighbouring Philippines and Indonesia. TSPC has a range of medical specialists, a medical laboratory and radiology services.[78][87][88] The hospital has undergone a series of modernisations since 1990 with the construction of specialist clinics,Central Sterile Services Department (CSSD), new wards and operation theatres.[88] Tawau Specialist Hospital is the onlyprivate hospital in the town.[89] The Tawau Regional Library is one of three regional libraries in Sabah, the others are atKeningau andSandakan. These libraries are operated by the Sabah State Library department.[90] Some schools, colleges, or universities have private libraries.[85]
There are many government or stateschools in and around the town.Secondary schools include Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Kinabutan, Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Jalan Apas, Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Kabota, and Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Pasir Putih.[91] The town has two private schools, called the Sabah Chinese High School (Sekolah Tinggi Cina Sabah) and Vision Secondary School (Sekolah Menengah Visi). Tawau has two of the threeA-Level education centres in the state of Sabah—the Institute of Science and Management (ISM) and Maktab Rendah Sains Mara Tawau.[92][93] A teacher-training college called Tawau Teacher Training Institute is found in the town. For tertiary education the town has the Tawau Community College[94] and GIATMARA Tawau,[95] and campuses of two universities,Universiti Teknologi MARA[96] andOpen University Malaysia.
The Tawau International Cultural Festival is an annual event, first held in 2011, that has been promoted for its potential to attract tourists.[97] TheTawau Bell Tower in the town's park was built by the Japanese in 1921 shortly afterWorld War I to mark theclose allied relations betweenJapan and Great Britain.[13] Other historical attractions include theJapanese War Cemetery, Confrontation Memorial, the Public Service Memorial and the Twin Town Memorial. Tawau is one of the top cocoa production centres in Malaysia. The Teck Guan Cocoa Museum has become one of the important historical attractions for the town since it was founded in the 1970s by Datuk Seri Panglima Hong Teck Guan.[98] Varieties of cocoa products including chocolate jam and hot cocoa beverages are sold in the museum.[99]
Tawau has nearby conservation areas and areas set aside for leisure. TheTawau Hills National Park has picnic areas, a vast camping site, and cabins. It is 24 kilometres (15 miles) from Tawau and is accessible by road.[100] Bukit Gemok (also known asFat Hill) is an approximately 428-metre (1,404 ft) hill about 11 km (7 mi) from the town. It is part of the 4.45-square-kilometre (1.72 sq mi) Bukit Gemok Forest Reserve, which was declared aforest reserve in 1984.[101][102] Tawau Harbour is used as a transit point to islands near the town includingSipadan,Mabul,Kapalai,Mataking, and Indonesian islands including southernSebatik,Tarakan andNunukan.
The main shopping area in Tawau is the Eastern Plaza located at Mile 1 on Kuhara Street. It was built in 2005, completed in 2008 and opened in May 2009. The complex has three levels of car parking with 476 covered and 49 surface parking bays.[103][104] Sabindo Plaza was opened in January 1999 and is known as the first shopping centre built in Tawau.[105] There is amarket that runs alongside Dunlop Street.[106] The Tawau Tanjung Market was established in 1999. Since then, it has expanded to house 6,000 stalls and is known as the largest indoor market in Malaysia.[107][108]
The town has a sport complex with badminton,tennis, volleyball andbasketball courts, and two stadiums for hockey and football.[109] In 2014, Youth and Sports Minister Khairy Jamaluddin announced formation of a National Sports Institute (ISN) in Tawau. It will be the third sports satellite centre in Sabah once completed in 2015.[110] A cross-border sporting event was held in 2014 between the town andNunukan in Indonesia. It has been proposed to be repeated annually to strengthen ties between the towns.[111]
Sultan of Brunei cedes the lands east of Marudu Bay to the Sultanate of Sulu in 1704.
Tawau travel guide from WikivoyageCapital:Kota Kinabalu | |||||||||||
| Topics | |||||||||||
| Society | |||||||||||
| Administrative divisions |
| ||||||||||
Articles related to Tawau | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Geographic | |
.svg)
.jpg)
