History of SabahFrom Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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The history of Sabah can be traced back to about 20,000–30,000 years ago when evidence suggests the

earliest human settlement in the region existed. The history is interwoven with the history of Brunei and

the history of Malaysia, to which Sabah was previously part of and is currently part of respectively. The earliest

recorded history of Sabah being part of any organised civilisation began in the early 16th century during the

thriving era of the Sultanate of Brunei. Prior to this, early inhabitants of the land lived in

predominantlytribal societies, although such tribal societies had continued to exist until the 1900s.[1] The

eastern part of Sabah was ceded to the Sultan of Sulu by the Sultan of Brunei in 1658 for the former helping a

victory over Brunei enemies. By the late 19th century, both territories previously owned by Sultan of Brunei and

Sultan of Sulu was granted to British syndicate. Sabah became a protectorate of the United Kingdom in 1888

and subsequently became a crown colony until 1963, during which time it was known as North Borneo. On

September 16, 1963, Sabah merged with Malaya, Sarawak and Singapore (left in 1965) to form the Federation

of Malaysia.

The official flag of the state of Sabah (1988–present).

Contents

  [hide]

1 Prehistoric Sabah

2 Pre-16th century

3 Sultanate of Brunei

4 North Borneo

5 World War II

6 Independence and formation of Malaysia

o 6.1 Konfrontasi and the Brunei Revolt

o 6.2 Philippine claim

7 Post-independence

8 References

[edit]Prehistoric Sabah

During the Last Glacial Maximum about 20,000 years ago, Sabah and the rest of Borneo island was

connected to mainland Asia in a landmass known as the Sundaland. Subsequent deglaciation, which

caused global sea level to rise, resulted in the Sundaland being submerged, separating Borneo from

the rest of Asia.

Earliest human settlement in 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. Stone tools and artifacts

have been found in Madai and Baturong caves and in the archeological site in Lake Tingkayu near the

district of Kunak which were estimated to date back from 28,000–17,000 years ago. The tools found

there were considered advanced for its period.[2] There was evidence of human cave-dwellings around

15,000–6,000 years ago.

An ongoing 2012 study by Universiti Sains Malaysia and Sabah Museum revealed the discovery of

stone tools in Mansuli Valley nearLahad Datu believed to be 235,000 years old[3] and in another site in

Kampung Lipasu, Bingkor believed to be at least 200,000 years old.[4] These recent findings suggests

that human settlement in Sabah and Malaysia have existed much earlier than previously thought,

which is about 40,000 years ago in Niah Caves, Sarawak.

The earliest ascertained wave of human migration, believed to be Austronesian Mongoloids, occurred

around 3000 BC. This wave of migration is believed to represent the time when the indigenous hill

people of present day Sabah had first arrived, namely the Murut and the Kadazan-Dusun, while Brunei

Malays settlement appeared somewhat later.[5] It is believed that some Australoid or Negrito people

have interbred with later Mongoloid migrants and remained in Borneo,[2] while others have migrated to

other places such as Melanesia, the Lesser Sunda Islands or Australia.[6]

The theory that Austronesians in Southeast Asia arrived from China through Taiwan has been

challenged by Stephen Oppenheimerwho suggested that many cultures including the people of China

and India might have actually originated from Sundaland. A new finding based on DNA research in

2008 supported Oppenheimer's theory that migration flow might have been radiated out from

Sundaland sometime around 15,000 to 7,000 years ago following the submergence of Sundaland due

to rise in sea level.[7][8] The findings of Stephen Oppenheimer was doubted. The poor cultures of

sunderland do not support his theory that the people of China and India might have actually originated

from Sundaland. It was the Austronesians in Southeast Asia arrived from China through Taiwan. As for

the case of Sabah, the Dusun or the Muruts cultures are less than 200 years old.

[edit]Pre-16th century

Prior to the expansion of the Sultanate of Brunei most of the coastal region of Borneo has been either ruled or

claimed as part of various Hindu communities or kingdoms from around Southeast Asia. However it is uncertain

whether the influence of these kingdoms had ever reached the coasts of present-day Sabah.

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.[9]

Another kingdom which was suspected to have existed according to Chinese records 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.[10]

The Brunei Annals in 1410 mentioned about a Chinese settlement or province centering in

the Kinabatangan Valley in the east coast surrounding Kinabatangan River founded by a man known as Huang

Senping. This is consistent with the recent discovery of timbercoffins in the Agop Batu Tulug cave in the

Kinabatangan Valley. The coffins, adorned with carvings believed to resemble similar cultural practices in

China and Vietnam, are believed to date back from around 700 to 1,000 years ago (11th to 14th century).[11]

From the 14th to the 16th century, the Majapahit empire expanded its influence towards Brunei and most of the

coastal region of Borneo. Sometime around the late 15th to 18th century, the seafaring Bajau-Suluk people

arrived from the Sulu archipelago and had settled on the coasts of Sabah. It is believed that they were fleeing

from the oppression of the Spanish colonist in that region.[12]

[edit]Sultanate of Brunei

Main article: Bruneian Empire

The Sultanate of Brunei began after the ruler of Brunei embraced Islam. Some sources indicate that this had

occurred around 1365 CE after the ruler, Awang Alak Betatar, converted into Islam and became known

as Muhammad Shah.[13] Other sources suggests that the conversion occurred much later around 1514 to 1521

CE, albeit, under the same person.[10][14] During the same period, trade relations flourished, and intermarriages

among the natives and Chinese, Japanese, Arab, and Hindu peoples became commonplace. The intermixing

of blood resulted in a distinct breed of Palaweños, both in physical stature and features.

During the reign of the fifth sultan known as Bolkiah between 1485–1524, the

Sultanate's thalassocracy extended over Sabah, Sulu Archipelago and Manila in the north,

and Sarawak until Banjarmasin in the south.[15] This was during the period when the Sultanate was in its 'golden

era'.[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 the Brunei Civil War in the Brunei Sultanate. The Sultan of Brunei

continued to loosely govern the west coast of Sabah. Many Brunei Malays migrated to this region during this

period, although the migration has begun as early as the 15th century after the Brunei conquest of the territory.

[17] In 1749, the Sultanate of Borneo ceded southern Palawan to Spain.[18] Within late 1700s, Sultanate of

Sulu gave up the rest of its territories to Spain.

[edit]North Borneo

Main article: North Borneo

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. This plan, together with other attempts to build

a settlement and a military station centering around Pulau Balambangan, proved to be a failure. A map by

Dalrymple of North Borneo is exhibited in the National Museum of Scotland. There was minimal foreign interest

in this region afterward and control over most parts of north Borneo seems to have remained loosely under the

Sultanate of Brunei.

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. Labuan became a base for British operations against piracy in the

region.

The first recorded ascent to the highest peak of Mount Kinabalu was made in 1851 by Hugh Low. In 1964, the region was

designated as Kinabalu National Park and it was declared a World Heritage Site in 2000.

The first recorded ascent of Mount Kinabalu, the highest mountain in Borneo, was made in 1851 by British

Malaya colonial administrator and naturalist Hugh Low. The highest peak and the deep gully of the mountain

was later named after him.

In 1865 the American Consul General of Brunei, Charles Lee Moses, obtained a 10-year lease over North

Borneo from the Sultan of Brunei Abdul Momin. Ownership was then passed to an American trading company

owned by Joseph William Torrey, Thomas Bradley Harris, and some Chinese merchants. They set up a base

and settlement inKimanis and the Sultan of Brunei appointed Torrey as "The Rajah of Ambong and Marudu".

His fortress "Ellena" was located in Kimanis with hundreds of Iban trackers led by Lingkanad. Torrey returned

to America in 1877 and died near Boston, Massachusetts, in March 1884. The rights of the trading company

were then sold to Gustav Baron Von Overbeck, the Austro-Hungarian Consul in Hong Kong (though he was

actually a German national), and he later obtained another 10-year renewal of the lease. The lease was

subsequently converted into a cession via a treaty which was signed by the Sultan of Brunei Abdul Momin. In

the treaty, the Sultan appointed Overbeck as "Maharajah of Sabah and Rajah of Gaya and Sandakan." The

treaty granted Overbeck the right over whole region of Sabah, including parts purporting to be the dominion of

the Sulu Sultanate including Sandakan and Tawau. The treaty was signed on December 29, 1877 at the Brunei

Palace.[19]

On the east coast of North Borneo near Sandakan, William Cowie, on behalf of Dent's company,[20] negotiated

and obtained a lease in perpetuity from the Sultan of Sulu over its holdings in this region in 1878. This lease

was signed on January 22, 1878 in the palace of the Sultan of Sulu.[21] The lease would later be the subject of

dispute by the modern republic of Philippines regarding the sovereignty of the state of Sabah. The rights were

subsequently transferred to Alfred Dent, who in 1881 formed the British North Borneo Provisional

Association Ltd.[22] In 1881, the British government granted the British North Borneo Company a royal charter.

William Hood Treacher was appointed the first British Governor of North Borneo.

In the following year, the British North Borneo Company was formed and Kudat was made its capital. Beginning

1882, the Company brought in Chinese people mainly Hakkas from Guangdong province to work as labourers

in plantation farms. Most of the migrants settled in Kudat and Jesselton (now Kota Kinabalu).

In 1883 the capital was moved to Sandakan to capitalise on its potential of vast timber resources. In 1885,

United Kingdom, Spain and Germany signed the Madrid Protocol of 1885. The purpose of the protocol was to

recognise the sovereignty of Spain in the Sulu Archipelago and also for Spain to relinquish all claims it might

have had over North Borneo.[23]

In 1888 North Borneo became a protectorate of the United Kingdom. Administration and control over North

Borneo remained in the hands of the Company despite being a protectorate and they effectively ruled until

1942. Their rule had been generally peaceful except for some rebellions, including one led by the Bajau-

Suluk leader Mat Salleh from 1894 to 1900,[24] and another led by Antanum of theMuruts known as the Rundum

resistance in 1915.[25] Beginning 1920, more Chinese migrants arrived from the provinces of

Guangdong,Fujian and even Hebei after the British changed its immigration policy to stimulate the stagnant

economy during that period.[26] There was also Javanese migration into Sabah beginning 1891 and subsequent

recruitment of laborers by the British from 1907 onwards.[27]Other significant migrants from present-

day Indonesia into Sabah consists of the Bugis people beginning 1890s[28] and the Florenese people

from Flores beginning early 1950s.[29]

The First Natives Paramount Leader was Pehin Orang Kaya-Kaya Koroh bin Santulan of Keningau "The father

of former Sabah State Minister Tan Sri Stephen (Suffian) Koroh, and Sabah's fifth State Governor Tun Thomas

(Ahmad) Koroh (the elder brother of Suffian)".Santulan which also a Pengeran, the father to Pehin Orang Kaya-

Kaya Koroh was a Murut descendant of Hashim Jalilul Alam Aqamaddin, the 25th Sultan of Brunei.

[edit]World War II

See also: Japanese occupation of Malaya, North Borneo and Sarawak and Borneo Campaign (1945)

The Japanese POW camp in Sandakan during World War II.

As part of the Second World War Japanese forces landed in Labuan on January 1, 1942, and continued to

invade the rest of North Borneo. From 1942 to 1945, Japanese forcesoccupied North Borneo, along with most

of the island. Bombings by the allied forcesdevastated most towns including Sandakan, which was razed to the

ground. Resistance against Japanese occupation was concentrated on the west and north coast of North

Borneo. The resistance in Jesselton was led by Albert Kwok and Jules Stephens of theKinabalu Guerillas.

Another resistance was led by Panglima Alli from Sulug Island, off the coast of Jesselton. In Kudat, there was

also some resistance led by Tun Datu Mustapha. On October 10, 1943, the Kinabalu Guerrillas together with

followers of Panglima Alli staged a surprise attack on the Japanese. The attack however was foiled. The 324

local residents who participated in the attacks, including Albert Kwok and Panglima Alli, were detained in

Petagas and later executed on January 21, 1944.[30] The site of the execution is today known as the Petagas

War Memorial.

In Keningau during World War II, Korom was a rebel and some said he was a Sergeant with the North Borneo

Armed Constabulary. It was claimed that he spied for the Allied Forces by pretending to be working for the

Japanese. He provided intelligence on Japanese positions and some credited him with the escape of 500 Allied

POWs. Fighting alongside with Korom in his platoon was Garukon, Lumanib, Kingan, Mikat, Pensyl, Gampak,

Abdullah Hashim, Ariff Salleh, Langkab, Polos, Nuing, Ambutit, Lakai, Badau and many more including the

Chinese.

In Sandakan there was once a brutal POW camp run by the Japanese for British and Australian POWs from

North Borneo. The prisoners suffered in agony in their first year of captivity under notoriously inhuman

conditions, but much worse was to come through the forced marches of January, March and June 1945 (refer

to Sandakan Memorial Park WWII POW Museum Records). Allied bombardments caused the Japanese to

relocate the POW camp to inland Ranau, 260 km away. All the prisoners, who by then were reduced to 2504 in

number, were to be moved, but instead of transport, were forced to march the infamous Sandakan Death

March. Sickness, disease, exhaustion, thirst, hunger, whipping, and shooting killed most of the prisoners,

except for six Australians who successfully escaped, were never caught, and survived to tell the horrific story of

the death march. The fallen of this march are commemorated each year on Anzac Day (Memorial Day) in

Australia and in Sandakan, at the original POW campsite where a POW hut style museum and a black marble

memorial obelisk monument are nestled in a peaceful park setting with a lily pond.

The war ended with the official surrender by Lieutenant-General Baba Masao of the 37th Japanese Army in

Labuan on September 10, 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]Independence and formation of Malaysia

On August 31, 1963 North Borneo attained self-government. The idea for the formation of a union of the former

British colonies, namely, Malaya, Singapore, Sarawak and North Borneo was mooted as early as in late 19th

century, but it was Tunku Abdul Rahman who officially announced the proposal of wider federation in May

1961. It also seemed that this idea was supported by the British.[31] There was a call for complete independence

on that date by it was denied by the British Governor who remained in power until Malaysia Day.[32] In 1962,

the Cobbold Commission was set up to determine whether the people of Sabah and Sarawak favoured the

proposed union. The Commission had found that the union was generally favoured by the people but wanted

certain terms and conditions incorporated to safeguard the interest of the people. The Commission had also

noted some opposition from the people but decided that such opposition was minor. The Commission

published its report on August 1, 1962 and had made several recommendations. Unlike in Singapore, however,

no referendum was ever conducted in Sabah.

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. An agreement was signed by Tunku Abdul Rahman, Harold MacMillan, the

British Prime Minister, and William Goode, the last Governor of North Borneo, signed on behalf of the territory

on August 1, 1962 putting to paper the agreement to form the union.

The intention had been to form Malaysia on 31 August 1963 but due to objections from the Philippines and

Indonesia, the formation had to be postponed to 16 September 1963. At that point North Borneo, as Sabah,

was united with Malaya, Sarawak and Singapore, to form the independent the Federation of Malaysia.[33][34] To

safeguard the interest of North Borneo in the new federation, a 20-point agreement was entered into between

the federal and the state government.

[edit]Konfrontasi and the Brunei Revolt

Main articles: Indonesia-Malaysia confrontation and Brunei Revolt

Leading up to the formation of Malaysia until 1966, Indonesia adopted a hostile policy towards Malaya and

subsequently Malaysia, which was backed by British forces. 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.

Around the same time, there were proposals from certain parties, particularly by the Brunei People's Party, for

the formation of a North Borneo Federation consisting of Sabah, Sarawak and Brunei. The proposal culminated

in rebel attacks in Brunei and some parts of Sabah and Sarawak. The rebellion was foiled by the Bruneian

Army with the help of the British colonials in December 1962.

[edit]Philippine claim

Main article: North Borneo dispute

Philippines maintains a dormant claim over the sovereignty of eastern Sabah based on the claim that in 1658

the Sultan of Brunei had ceded the northeast portion of Borneo to the Sultan of Sulu; and that later in 1878, an

agreement was signed by the Sultan of Sulu granting the North Borneo Chartered Company a permanent lease

over the territory.

Malaysia 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.[35][36] 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.[37]

[edit]Post-independence

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 ministersand 9 different Yang di-Pertua Negeri as of 2009.

Tun Mustapha became the 3rd chief minister following the first state election. Beginning 1970, Filipino refugees

from the Mindanaobegan arriving in Sabah as a result of the Moro insurgency taking place in that region.[12]

On June 6, 1976, after only 44 days being elected for the second time as chief minister, Tun Fuad Stephens

together with other state cabinet ministers died in a fatal plane crash known as the Double Six Tragedy. He

was replaced by Harris Salleh. On June 14, 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

asroyalties.[38]

Under the leadership of Harris Salleh, 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 April 16, 1984.

Kota Kinabalu in 2008. It became the first city in the state in 2000 and has become not only the administrative capital but

also the economic and transportation hub of the region.

In 1985, following the state elections, Pairin Kitingan of Parti Bersatu Sabah(PBS) became the seventh chief

minister and this marked the second time in Malaysia where a party not affiliated with the nation ruling

coalition Barisan Nasional (BN) or its predecessor, the Alliance Party, formed government in any state

(preceded by Gerakan in Penang in 1969 and followed by PAS inKelantan in 1990). In 1986, opponents of the

newly elected PBS government started riots around the state, mainly in the cities of Kota

Kinabalu, Tawauand Sandakan, resulting in bombings and five fatalities. Peace was gradually restored

following a snap election in 1986 which consolidated PBS' position as the ruling state government.[39][40]

From 1990 to 1991, several PBS politicians were arrested under the Internal Security Act for allegedly being

involved in plans to secede Sabah from the Malaysian Federation and detained for two years. Among those

arrested wereJeffrey Kitingan and Maximus Ongkili. Other politicians, including Pairin, were hit with corruption

charges. The arrests and charges were suspected to be politically motivated.[41]

Following the 1994 state election, Barisan Nasional regained control of the state via the creation of the Sabah

chapter of the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO) party and other parties. The rotation system was

introduced by the then prime minister Mahathir Mohamad in which the chief ministerial post would be rotated

every two years among the three main communities in Sabah, namely, the Muslim Bumiputeras, non-Muslim

Bumiputeras and the Chinese. Sakaran Dandai became the first chief minister under this system in 1994. The

rotation system was finally abolished in 2005 with current chief minister Musa Aman at the helm.

On December 26, 1996, Sabah was hit by one of the worst tropical storm known as Tropical Storm Greg. The

storm hit the western coast of the state resulting in over 200 deaths and thousands of home destroyed.

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.

On May 3, 2000, the Abu Sayyaf militant group from southern Philippines arrived on the resort island

of Sipadan and kidnapped 21 people consisting of tourists and resort workers for ransom. Most hostages were

rescued on September 16, 2000 following an offensive by the Philippine army.

In 2002, the International Court of Justice ruled that the islands of Sipadan and Ligitan, claimed by Indonesia,

are part of Sabah andMalaysia.[42]

abahFrom Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This article is about the Malaysian state. 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′ECoordinates:  5°15′N 117°0′E

Capital Kota Kinabalu

Government

 • Yang di-Pertua Negeri Juhar Mahiruddin

 • Chief Minister Musa Aman (BN)

Area[1]

 • Total 73,631   km 2 (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 theFederation of

Malayato form Malaysia [5]

16 September 1963[6]

Website www.sabah.gov.my

Sabah is one of the 13 member states of Malaysia, and is its easternmost state. It is located

on the northern portion of the island of Borneo. It is the second largest state in the country

after Sarawak, which it borders on its southwest. It also shares a border with the province

of East Kalimantan of Indonesia in the south. The capital of Sabah isKota Kinabalu, formerly

known as Jesselton. Sabah is often referred to as "The Land Below The Wind", a phrase

used by seafarers in the past to describe lands south of the typhoon belt.

Contents

  [hide]

1 Etymology

2 Geography

o 2.1 Conservation

3 History

o 3.1 Brunei Empire

o 3.2 British North Borneo

o 3.3 Japanese occupation

o 3.4 Federation of Malaysia

4 Demographics

o 4.1 Population

o 4.2 Language and ethnicity

o 4.3 Religion

5 Economy

o 5.1 Agriculture

o 5.2 Tourism

o 5.3 Manufacturing

o 5.4 Urban centres and ports

o 5.5 Issues

6 Government

o 6.1 Executive

o 6.2 Legislature

o 6.3 Politics of Sabah

o 6.4 Local government

7 Education and culture

o 7.1 Universities

o 7.2 Colleges

o 7.3 Communication

o 7.4 Movies and TV

o 7.5 Sports

o 7.6 Literature

o 7.7 Ethnic dances

8 Notable residents

9 Territorial dispute

10 See also

11 References

12 External links

[edit]Etymology

The 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[7] or the northern side of the

river.[8] Another theory suggests that it came from the Malay wordsabak which means a

place where palm sugar is extracted. Sabah is also an Arabicword which means sunrise.

The presence of multiple theories makes it difficult to pinpoint the true origin of the name.[9]

It has been said that Sabah was once referred to as Seludang in a 1365 Javanese text

known as Nagarakretagama written by Mpu Prapanca.[10]

[edit]Geography

Mount Kinabalu, the highest mountain inMalay 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 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.[11]

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

Rangewhich 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.[12]

The northern tip of Borneo atTanjung 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]Conservation

National 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 politicalSoutheast 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 andBornean 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]History

Main 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 Empire

Main 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.[13] 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.[14] 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 andManila in the north, and Sarawak until Banjarmasin in the

south.[15] 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.[16] Within

late 1700s, Sultanate of Sulu gave up the rest of its territories to Spain.

[edit]British North Borneo

Main 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).[17] 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.[18] In 1888 North

Borneo became aprotectorate 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 theCommission of Enquiry, North Borneo andSarawak 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

independentFederation of Malaysia.[19][20][21]

The Malaysian proclamation been held atJesselton, 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, Filipinorefugees from the Mindanao began arriving in Sabah as a result of

the Moro insurgencytaking place in that region.[22] 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.[23]

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 byIndonesia, are part of Sabah and Malaysia.[24]

In February 2013, the Sabah village of Tanduo in the Lahad Datu region was occupied by

several armed Filipino supporters of theSultanate of Sulu, calling themselves as the Royal

Security Forces of the Sultanate of Sulu and North Borneo. They were sent byJamalul

Kiram III, a claimant to the throne of the sultanate. His stated goal is to assert the Philippine

territorial claim to eastern Sabah as part of the North Borneo dispute.[25][26][27] In response,

Malaysian security forces surrounded the village. Attempts by the Malaysian and the

Philippine governments to reach a peaceful solution with the Sultan's supporters were

unsuccessful and the standoff escalated into an armed conflict on 1 March 2013.[28][29]

[edit]Demographics

[edit]Population

Main article: Project IC

Population in North Borneo – 1960 Census[30]

(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% [31]

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).[32] and

is the third most populous state in Malaysia afterSelangor 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.[33][34] And, now the Borneon Sabahan most of Christian faith become minorities in their

own homeland,[30][35]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.[36]

Population in Sabah – 2010 Census[37]

Population Percent

Kadazan-Dusun    17.82%Murut    3.22%Bajau    14%Brunei Malay    5.71%Other bumiputra [38]    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:[39]

Kadazan-Dusun : 17.82% (555,647)

Bajau : 14% (436,672)

Brunei Malay : 5.71% (178,029)

Murut : 3.22% (100,631)

Other bumiputra:[38] 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 ethnicity

Malay language is the national language spoken across ethnicities, although Sabahan

dialect called Baku is different from West Malaysian dialect of Johor-Riau.[40] 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 [41]

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]Religion

Since 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.[42] 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),[43] 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,[44] 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.[45]

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.[46]

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).[47] Filipino Muslims and other Muslim immigrants from Indonesia and even

Pakistan were brought into the state to process thousands of identity cards for Sabah illegal

immigrants in the early 1990s to help topple the PBS state government.[48]

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

Religion in Sabah - 2010 Census[35]

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]Economy

Sabah 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.[49]

[edit]Agriculture

Sabah 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]Tourism

Tourism, particularly eco-tourism, is a major contributor to the economy of Sabah. In 2006,

2,000,000 tourists visited Sabah[50] 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[51] of two sites in Malaysia to obtain this status, the other being theGunung 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.[52] Tourism sector is supported

byMinistry of Tourism, Culture & Environment and Sabah Tourism Board.

[edit]Manufacturing

There are hundreds of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and industries (SMIs) in

Sabah[53] and some companies have become a household name such as Gardenia. Sabah

government is seriously pursuing industrialization with the Sabah Development

Corridor plan specifically in Sepanggar area where KKIP Industrial Park and Sepanggar

Container Port Terminal located. Sabah manufacturing are supported by Ministry of

Industrial Development and Department of Industrial Development & Research.

[edit]Urban centres and ports

Kota Kinabalu City.

Sandakan City.

There are currently 7 ports in Sabah: Kota Kinabalu Port, Sepanggar Bay Container Port,

Sandakan Port, Tawau Port, Kudat Port, Kunak Port, and Lahad Datu Port. These ports are

operated and maintained by Sabah Ports Authority.[54] The major towns and city are:

Rank

City Population[55]

1 Kota Kinabalu 617,972

2 Sandakan 501,195

3 Tawau 402,400

4 Lahad Datu 213,100

5 Keningau 195,700

6 Semporna 140,400

7 Kudat 85,400

[edit]Issues

In the 1970s, Sabah was ranked second behind Selangor including Kuala Lumpur as the

richest state in Malaysia.[56] As of 2010, Sabah is the poorest state in Malaysia. GDP growth

was 2.4%, the lowest in Malaysia behind Kelantan.[57] Proportion of population living below

US$1 per day declined from 30% in 1990 to 20% in 2009 but still lag behind other states

that have lowered poverty rate significantly from 17% in 1990 to 4% in 2009.[58] Slum is

nonexistent in Malaysia but the highest number of squatter settlements is in Sabah with

households between 20,000 to 40,000. After Kuala Lumpur, most low-cost public housing

units under the People's Housing Program were built in Sabah.

Cabotage policy imposed on Sabah and Sarawak is one of the reason behind the higher

price of goods. The rules set in early 1980s made sure that all domestic transport of foreign

goods between peninsula and Sabah ports are only for Malaysian company vessels. This

leads to shipping cartel charging excessive costs and ultimately a higher cost of living in

East Malaysia.[59]

Cabotage rules also affected the industry sector. Tan Chong Motor is planning to build a

Nissan 4WD factory in KKIP but higher cost of shipping stalled the plan that could provide

new jobs.[60] Lack of industry providing jobs for professional and highly skilled workers

forced large numbers of Sabahans to seek opportunities in Peninsular Malaysia, Singapore,

Australia and United States.

The 5% fixed oil royalty Sabah currently receives from Petronas according to Petroleum

Development Act 1974 is also an issue of contention.[61] The three oil producing states

namely Sabah, Sarawak and Terengganu demanded Petronas to review the agreement and

increase royalty to no avail.

[edit]Government

Main article: Government of Sabah

Sabah is a representative democracy with universal suffrage for all citizens above 21 years

of age. However, legislation regarding state elections are within the powers of the federal

government and not the state.

[edit]Executive

Main article: List of Chief Ministers of Sabah

The Yang di-Pertua Negeri sits at the top of the hierarchy followed by the state legislative

assembly and the state cabinet. The Yang di-Pertuan Negeri is officially the head of

state however its functions are largely ceremonial. The chief minister is the head of

government and is also the leader of the state cabinet. The legislature is based on

the Westminster system and therefore the chief minister is appointed based on his or her

ability to command the majority of the state assembly. A general election representatives in

the state assembly must be held every five years. This is the only elected government body

in the state, with local authorities being fully appointed by the state government owing to the

suspension of local elections by the federal government. The assembly meets at the state

capital, Kota Kinabalu.

[hide]#

Chief Minister Took office Left office Party

1 Tun Fuad Stephens (1st term)September 16,

1963December 31, 1964 Alliance (UNKO)

2 Peter Lo Sui Yin January 1, 1965 May 12, 1967 Alliance (SCA)

3 Mustapha Harun May 12, 1967 November 1, 1975 Alliance (USNO)

4 Mohamad Said Keruak November 1, 1975 April 18, 1976 Barisan Nasional (USNO)

5 Tun Fuad Stephens (2nd term) April 18, 1976 June 6, 1976 Barisan Nasional (BERJAYA)

6 Harris Salleh June 6, 1976 April 22, 1985 Barisan Nasional (BERJAYA)

7 Joseph Pairin Kitingan April 22, 1985 March 17, 1994

Parti Bersatu Sabah(1985–1986)

Barisan Nasional (PBS)(1986–1990)

Parti Bersatu Sabah(1990–1994)

8 Sakaran Dandai March 17, 1994 December 27, 1994 Barisan Nasional (UMNO)

9 Salleh Said Keruak December 27, 1994 May 28, 1996 Barisan Nasional (UMNO)

10 Yong Teck Lee May 28, 1996 May 28, 1998 Barisan Nasional (SAPP)

11 Bernard Dompok May 28, 1998 March 14, 1999 Barisan Nasional (UPKO)

12 Osu Sukam March 14, 1999 March 27, 2001 Barisan Nasional (UMNO)

13 Chong Kah Kiat March 27, 2001 March 27, 2003 Barisan Nasional (LDP)

14 Musa Aman March 27, 2003 present Barisan Nasional (UMNO)

[edit]Legislature

Main article: Sabah State Legislative Assembly

Composition of Sabah State Legislative

PoliticalParty

LegislativeAssembly

ParliamentMembers

UMNO 32 13

PBS 12 3

UPKO 4 4

LDP 2 1

MCA 1 0

PBRS 1 1

SAPP 2 2

DAP 1 1

Source: Suruhanjaya Pilihanraya

Members of the state assembly are elected from 60 constituencies which are delineated by

the Election Commission of Malaysia and may not necessarily result in constituencies of

same voter population sizes. Sabah is also represented in the federal parliament by 25

members elected from the same number of constituencies.

The present elected state and federal government posts are held by Barisan Nasional (BN),

acoalition of parties which includes United Malays National Organisation (UMNO), Sabah

Progressive Party (SAPP), United Pasokmomogun Kadazandusun Murut

Organisation(UPKO), Parti Bersatu Rakyat Sabah (PBRS), Parti Bersatu

Sabah (PBS), Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), and Malaysian Chinese Association (MCA).[62]

[edit]Politics of Sabah

See also: Politics of Malaysia

Prior to the formation of Malaysia in 1963, the then North Borneo interim government

submitted a 20-point agreement to the Malayan government as conditions before Sabah

would join the Federation. Subsequently, North Borneo legislative assembly agreed on the

formation of Malaysia on the conditions that these state rights were safeguarded. Sabah

hence entered Malaysia as an autonomous state. However, there is a prevailing view

amongst Sabahan that beginning from the second tenure of BERJAYA's administration

under Datuk Harris, this autonomy has been gradually eroded under the federal influence

and hegemony.[63] Amongst political contention often raised by Sabahans are the cession of

Labuan island to Federal government and unequal sharing and exploitation of Sabah's

resources of petroleum. This has resulted in strong anti-federal sentiments and even

occasional call for secession from the Federation amongst the people of Sabah.

Until the Malaysian general election, 2008, Sabah, along with the states

of Kelantan and Terengganu, are the only three states in Malaysia that had ever been ruled

by opposition parties not part of the ruling BN coalition. Led by Datuk Seri Joseph Pairin

Kitingan, PBS formed government after winning the 1985 elections and ruled Sabah until

1994. In 1994 Sabah state election, despite PBS winning the elections, subsequent cross-

overs of PBS assembly members to the BN component party resulted in BN having majority

of seats and hence took over the helm of the state government.[64]

A unique feature of Sabah politics was a policy initiated by then Prime Minister Mahathir

Mohamad in 1994 whereby the chief minister's post is rotated among the coalition parties

every 2 years regardless of the party in power at the time, thus theoretically giving an equal

amount of time for each major ethnic group to rule the state. However, in practice this

system was problematic as it is too short for any leader to carry-out long term plan.[65] This

practice has since stopped with power now held by majority in the state assembly by the

UMNO party, which also holds a majority in the national parliament.

Direct political intervention by the federal, for example, introduction and later convenient [for

UMNO] abolition of the chief minister's post and earlier PBS-BERJAYA conflict in 1985,

along with co-opting rival factions in East Malaysia, is sometimes seen as a political tactic

by the UMNO-led federal government to control and manage the autonomous power of the

Borneo states.[66] The federal government however tend to view that these actions are

justifiable as the display of parochialism amongst East Malaysians is not in harmony with

nation building. This complicated Federal-State relations hence become a source of major

contention in Sabah politics.

[edit]Local government

Administrative divisions and districts of Sabah.

Sabah consists of five administrative divisions, which are in turn divided into 25districts.

These administrative divisions are, for all purposes, just for reference. During the British rule

until the transition period when Malaysia was formed, aResident was appointed to govern

each division and provided with a palace (Istana). This means that the British considered

each of these divisions equivalent to a Malayan state. The post of the Resident was

abolished in favour of district officers for each of the district.

[hide]

Division Name

DistrictsArea (km²)

Population (2010)[67]

1West Coast Division

Kota Belud, Kota Kinabalu, Papar,Penampang, Putatan, Ranau, Tuaran

7,588 1,067,589

2Interior Division

Beaufort, Nabawan, Keningau, Kuala Penyu, Sipitang, Tambunan, Tenom

18,298 424,534

3 Kudat Division Kota Marudu, Kudat, Pitas 4,623 192,457

4Sandakan Division

Beluran, Kinabatangan, Sandakan,Tongod 28,205 702,207

5 Tawau Kunak, Lahad Datu, Semporna,Tawau 14,905 819,955

Division

As in the rest of Malaysia, local government comes under the purview of state governments.[68] However, ever since the suspension of local government elections in the midst of

the Malaysian Emergency, which was much less intense in Sabah than it was in the rest of

the country, there have been no local elections. Local authorities have their officials

appointed by the executive council of the state government.[69][70]

[edit]Education and culture

See also: List of schools in Sabah

[edit]Universities

Panorama of UMS.

Official Name in Malay Name in English Acronym

Universiti Malaysia Sabah Malaysia Sabah University UMS

Universiti Teknologi MARA MARA Technology University UiTM

Universiti Terbuka Malaysia Open University Malaysia OUM

[edit]Colleges

Official Name in Malay Name in English Acronym Website

Kolej Kinabalu Kinabalu College [3]

Institut Seni Sabah Sabah Institute of Art SIA [4]

Kolej Yayasan Sabah Sabah Foundation College KYS [5]

Kolej SIDMA Sabah SIDMA College Sabah SIDMA [6]

Kolej Pelancongan Asia Antarabangsa Asian Tourism International College ATIC [7]

Sekolah Perniagaan AMC Advanced Management College AMC [8]

Politeknik Kota Kinabalu Kota Kinabalu Polytechnic POLITEKNIK [9]

Kolej Pentadbiran Dinamik Antarabangsa Sabah

Sabah International Dynamic Management College

SIDMA [10]

Institut Sinaran Sinaran Institute SINARAN [11]

Kolej Antarabangsa AlmaCrest AlmaCrest International College ACIC [12]

Kolej Eastern Eastern College EASTERN [13]

Institut Prima Bestari Prima Bestari Institute IPB [14]

Kolej Tunku Abdul Rahman Tunku Abdul Rahman College TAR [15]

Kolej Informatics Informatics College INFORMATICS

Official Name in Malay Name in English Acronym Website

Kolej INTI INTI College INTI [16]

Pusat Teknologi dan Pengurusan LanjutanAdvanced Management and Technology Centre

PTPL [17]

Kolej Teknologi Cosmopoint Cosmopoint Kota Kinabalu COSMOPOINT [18]

Kolej Multimedia Multimedia College MMC

Institut Teknologi Sabah Sabah Institute of Technology SIT [19]

Institut Perguruan Kampus Gaya Gaya Teachers Training Institute IPGKG [20]

Institut Perguruan Kampus Keningau Keningau Teachers Training Institute IPGKK [21]

Institut Perguruan Kampus Tawau Tawau Teachers Training Institute IPGKT [22]

Institut Perguruan Kampus Kent Kent Teachers Training Institute [23]

Kolej Masterskill Masterskill College MASTERSKILL [24]

Kolej MAHSA MAHSA College MAHSA

[edit]Communication

Radio Televisyen Malaysia operates 2 statewide free-to-air terrestrial radio channels, Sabah

FM and Sabah VFM as well as district specific channels such as Keningau FM. A local

television channel is due to be launched called TV Sabah, also under RTM. KK FM is run

by Universiti Malaysia Sabah. Bayu FM is only available through Astro satellite feed.

Recently KL based AMP Radio Networks andSuria FM set up base to tap the emerging

market. Sabahan DJs were hired and the content caters to Sabahan listeners.

Sabah's first established newspaper was the Sabah Times. The newspaper was founded

by Tun Fuad Stephens, who later became the first Chief Minister of Sabah. Today the main

newspapers are New Sabah Times, Daily Express and Borneo Post. Aside from New

Sabah Times, other English daily are independent media thus making Sabah the state with

the most freedom of the press in Malaysia.[71]

[edit]Movies and TV

The earliest known footage of Sabah is from two movies by Martin and Osa

Johnson titled Jungle Depths of Borneo and Borneo filmed at Abai, Kinabatangan.[72] Three

Came Home was a 1950 Hollywood movie based on the memoir of the same name

by Agnes Newton Keith depicting the Second World War in Sandakan.

Bat*21 was a 1988 Vietnam War film directed by Peter Markle and shot at various locations

in West Sabah such as Menggatal, Telipok, Kayumadang and Lapasan.

Sabah's first homegrown film was Orang Kita, starring Abu Bakar Ellah. Sabah-produced

TV programs such as dramas or documentaries are usually aired on TV1 while musicals

aired through special Sabah slots in Muzik Aktif.

Foreign films and TV shows filmed in Sabah include the reality show Survivor: Borneo, The

Amazing Race, Eco-Challenge Borneo as well as a number of Hong Kong production films

such as Born Rich. Sabah was featured in Sacred Planet, a documentary hosted byRobert

Redford.

[edit]Sports

Sabah FA won the FA Cup in 1995 then become the Premier League champion in 1996.

Matlan Marjan is a former football player for Malaysia. He scored two goals

against England in an international friendly on 12 June 1991. The English team included

Stuart Pearce, David Batty, David Platt, Nigel Clough, Gary Lineker, was captained

by Bryan Robsonand coached by Bobby Robson.[73] He again made history for Sabah when

he was named the captain of the national team in the 1995 match against Brazilian football

club, Flamengo XI, in which the team famously held their opponent to a 1-1 draw.[74] In

1995, he along with six other Sabah players, were arrested on suspicion of match-fixing.

Although the charges were dropped, he was prevented from playing professional football

and was banished to another district.[75][76] He was banished under the Restricted Residence

Act.[77]

Martin Guntali was a weightlifter who won the Commonwealth Games bronze medal. Lim

Keng Liat was a swimmer who won the Asian Games gold medal in 2006. Arrico Jumiti is a

weightlifter who won the Asian Games gold medal at Guangzhou in 2010.

[edit]Literature

Australian author Wendy Law Suart lived in Jesselton between 1949–1953 and wrote The

Lingering Eye – Recollections of North Borneo about her experiences.[78]

American author Agnes Newton Keith lived in Sandakan between 1934–1952 and wrote

four books about Sabah, Land Below the Wind,Three Came Home, White Man

Returns and Beloved Exiles. The second book was made into a Hollywood motion picture.

In the Earl Mac Rauch novelisation of Buckaroo Banzai (Pocket Books, 1984; repr. 2001),

and in the DVD commentary, Buckaroo's archenemy Hanoi Xan is said to have his secret

base in Sabah, in a "relic city of caves."

[edit]Ethnic dances

There are many types of traditional dances in Sabah, most notably:

Daling-daling : Danced by Bajaus and Suluks . In its original form, it was a dance which

combined Arabic belly dancing and the Indian dances common in this region, complete

with long artificial finger nails and golden head gear accompanied by a Bajau and Suluk

song called daling-daling which is a love story. Its main characteristic is the large hip

and breast swings but nowadays it is danced with a faster tempo but less swings, called

Igal-igal by the Bajau from Semporna District.

Sumazau: Kadazandusun traditional dance which performed during weddings and

Kaamatan festival. The dance form is akin to a couple of birds flying together.

Magunatip: Famously known as the Bamboo dance, requires highly skilled dancers to

perform. Native dance of the Muruts, but can also be found in different forms and names

in South East Asia.

Nona Mansaya: Called Dansa among the Cocos Islanders in Sabah, the dance used

violin as the primary instrument and the dance derived from the culture of Scottish and

Javanese.

[edit]Notable residents

Statue of Antanom in Tenom.

Mat Salleh was a Bajau leader who led a rebellion against British North Borneo Company

administration in North Borneo. Under his leadership, the rebellion which lasted from 1894

to 1900 razed the British Administration Centre on Pulau Gaya and exercised control over

Menggatal, Inanam, Ranau and Tambunan. The rebellion was by Bajaus, Dusuns and

Muruts.[79]

Antanum or Antanom (full name Ontoros Antonom) (1885–1915) was a famous and

influential Murut warrior who led the chiefs and villagers from Keningau, Tenom,

Pensiangan and Rundum to start the Rundum uprising against the British North Borneo

Company but was killed during fighting with the company army in Sungai Selangit near

Pensiangan.

Another notable Sabahan is Donald Stephens who helped form the state of Sabah under

the UN appointed Cobbold commission. He was an initial opponent of Malaysia but later

converted to the support of it.[80] He was also the first Huguan Siou or paramount leader of

the Kadazan-dusun andMurut people.

Penny Wong, AustralianMinister for Climate Change and Energy Efficiency and the current Minister for Finance and

Deregulation.

Tun Datu Mustapha was a Bajau-Kagayan-Suluk Muslim political leader in Sabah through

the United Sabah National Organisation (USNO) party.[81] He was a vocal supporter of

Malaysia but fell out of favour with Malayan leaders despite forming UMNO branches in

Sabah and deregistering USNO. Efforts to reregister USNO have not been allowed, unlike

UMNO that was allowed to be reregistered under the same name.[82]

Former Chief Minister Joseph Pairin Kitingan is the current Huguan Siou and the President

of Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS). Pairin, the longest serving chief minister of the state and one

of the first Kadazandusun lawyers, was known for his defiance of the federal government in

the 1980s and 1990s in promoting the rights of Sabah and speaking out against the illegal

immigration problems. Sabah was at the time one of only two states with opposition

governments in power, the other being Kelantan. PBS has since rejoined BN and Datuk

Pairin is currently the Deputy Chief Minister of Sabah.

The 8th and current Attorney General of Malaysia, Abdul Gani Patail, comes from Sabah.

In 2006, Penampang-born Richard Malanjum was appointed Chief Judge of Sabah and

Sarawak and became the first Kadazandusun to hold such a post.

Datuk Hj. Railey bin Hj. Jeffery was the first and well-known Cocos political leader. He was

the Deputy Information Minister and the JKR Deputy Minister in the 1990s.

Penny Wong, born in Kota Kinabalu in 1968, moved to Australia at age 5. She became the

first Minister for Climate Change and Energy Efficiency and the current Minister for Finance

and Deregulation in Australia.[83][84]

Philip Lee Tau Sang (died 1959) was one of the most prominent Sabahan Chinese

politicians in the 1950s. Of Hakka descent, he was greatly favoured by the British, whose

colonisation Sabah was still under then, and was Member of the Advisory Council of North

Borneo (1947–1950), Legislative Council of North Borneo (1950–1958) and Executive

Council of North Borneo (1950–1953, 1956–1957).[85] He has been posthumously honoured

with a road named after him in the town of Tanjung Aru, near the Kota Kinabalu

International Airport.

[edit]Territorial dispute

Main article: North Borneo dispute

W. C. Cowie, managing director of theNorth Borneo Chartered Company with theSultan of Sulu.

Sabah has seen several territorial disputes with Malaysia's neighbours Indonesia and

thePhilippines. In 2002 both Malaysia and Indonesia submitted to arbitration by

theInternational Court of Justice on a territorial dispute over the Sipadan and Ligitan islands.

There are also several overlapping claims over the Ambalat continental shelf in the Celebes

(Sulawesi) Sea. Malaysia's claim over a portion of the Spratly Islands is also based on

sharing a continental shelf with Sabah & Sarawak.

The Philippines has a territorial claim over much of the eastern part of Sabah, the

formerNorth Borneo. It claims that the territory, via the heritage of the Sultanate of Sulu,

was onlyleased to the North Borneo Chartered Company in 1878 with the Sultanate's

sovereignty never being relinquished. Malaysia however, considers this dispute as a "non-

issue," as it believes that the 1878 document was a cession agreement, and that it deems

that the residents of Sabah had exercised their right of self-determination when they voted

to join the Malaysian federation in 1963.[86][87]

[edit]

Who owns Sabah Island?Answer:

 

The owner of Sabah is the Royal Sultanate of Sulu and North Borneo Kingdom. It was been rented to the British North Borneo Company ,a private charter company in 1878. When the private charter company has dissolved , the lease was absorbed by the British Government which later transfer to Malaysia in 1963 when they got their independence.

 

Sabah did not join Malaysia according to Yong Teck Lee in his statement , it was included without the consent of the owner , the Royal Sultanate of Sulu and North Borneo Kingdom. Sabah is now being administered by Malaysia since the Royal Sultanate of Sulu and North Borneo kingdom is now only a traditional government not political.

 

In 1939 the High Court of North Borneo has come out of the ruling to implement the proprietary audit and inventory of Sabah property of the Royal Sultanate of Sulu and North Borneo but did not materialized due to the coming of Second World War. After the war comes the turmoils in the hierarchy, Dayang Dayang Hadji Piandao, the sister of Princess Tarhata assume the throne and illegally passed on to her husband Ombra Amilbangsa which was not entitled to the throne, then Abraham Rasul ,the adviser of President Marcos misled the president by electing Mahakutta

Kiram , the son of Sultan Esmail Kiram I as Sultan while Punjungan Kiram , the successor to his brother Esmail Kiram I was in Sabah. This was corrected when Punjungan return to Sulu and installed by President Marcos. Punjungan Kiram is the administrator of Sabah as per 1939 McKaskie ruling, the father of the current Sultan HRH Esmail D. Kiram II

 

The reigning and legitimate Sultan of Royal Sultanate of Sulu and North Borneo, (www.sulu.gov.pH) is his Royal highness HRH Sultan Esmail D. Kiram II, he has decided and signed a "Royal Decree' and 'Royal Authority ' to the "Sultanate of Sulu and North Borneo Company Limited",a Hongkong registered Company to undertake the total development and management of Sabah property of the Kingdom. 

 

There were claiming sultans of Sulu and North Borneo in the relative lineage, but failed to justify themselves holding the positions of Maharajah Adinda and Rajah Muda, prior to their supposed claim as Sultan.The unbroken hierarchy of Maharajah Adinda ,Rajah Muda and Sultan proper must be undergone by the legitimate and reigning Sultan of Royal Sultanate of Sulu and North Borneo Kingdom. None so far among claimant Sultans has gone through the Maharajah Adinda and Rajah Muda prior to their claim except his HRH Sultan Esmail D. Kiram II. ( www.sultanatesulu.org ) 

The recent stand-off in Malaysia's Sabah, where more than 100 armed men from the Philippines entered a village and refused to leave last month, has brought into focus a territorial dispute that has been dormant for half a century.

The men, identifying themselves as the Royal Sulu Sultanate Army, declared to the Malaysian security forces who

surrounded them in Lahad Datu that they were there to reclaim the ancestral land of Sultan Jamalul Kiram III, one of several claimants to the defunct Sultanate of Sulu and North Borneo.

They defied calls by the Philippine President Benigno Aquino to return home and rejected offers by the Malaysian authorities to withdraw from the village, saying that they were prepared to fight if they were forcefully evicted from Sabah, formerly known as North Borneo.

After three tense weeks, the stand-off worsened to a violent confrontation between the intruders and security forces, that killed two Malaysian policemen and 12 of the armed men last Friday.

This incident will certainly affect the final stages of Malaysia- mediated peace negotiations with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) in Mindanao, southern Philippines.

Kept under wraps for the past five decades, the issue of claims to Sabah has now resurfaced with such urgency that it can no longer be conveniently swept under the carpet.

The stand-off has raised questions as to why it took place at a sensitive time when both Malaysia and the Philippines are about to hold major elections.

One theory that is making the rounds is that the ailing Sultan Jamalul Kiram III was trying to reinforce his claims to the sultanate. There have been several claimants to the throne in recent years, none of whom have gained international recognition as the Sulu Sultanate ended after the death of the last sultan in 1936.

Sultan Jamalul Kiram III is apparently upset that he was not included in the negotiations with the MILF last October, and he planned the "reclaim" of Sabah in order to undermine the peace process. Reports from Manila have claimed he was being secretly backed by Nur Misuari, leader of the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF), which signed a peace deal with Manila in 1996, as he himself was also left out in the negotiations with the MILF, its breakaway group. Several of Misuari's MNLF fighters are among the intruders.

Another theory is that the heirs of the sultanate staged the armed publicity stunt that turned ugly to demand a renegotiation of the "rent" of 5,300 ringgit (US$1,700) which they received from Malaysia annually for the Sabah "lease" made during British rule.

Over the years, they have written to the Malaysian government requesting a larger sum - as much as US$855 million - but to no avail.

Malaysia has never officially acknowledged such payment but analysts say that it is a gesture of goodwill by Kuala Lumpur to the descendants of the sultanate and not a recognition of their claim of sovereignty over Sabah.

The incident has raised concern that it could spark a renewed MNLF militancy with support from Tausug immigrants, who are natives of Sulu, in the Malaysian state in solidarity with their Filipino cousins.

In the worst-case scenario, some analysts say the MNLF could revive its rebellion against the authorities in Sabah and the Philippines that would have long- term implications on ties between the two countries and the region.

As it is, the stand-off has reignited demands in the Philippines to place the Sabah claims on high profile in its relations with Malaysia. Even President Aquino has ordered his legal team to study the claims, generating wider interest on the issue.

Kuala Lumpur too felt the heat from its citizens, who demanded stern action against the intruders so as to uphold Malaysian sovereignty in Sabah and from having to answer criticisms of security lapses that had allowed the armed men to enter the state without firing a shot.

Amid the stand-off were questions raised as to who really owns Sabah. It is 1,143km from Manila, 1,495km from Singapore, and 1,678km from Kuala Lumpur. By geographical distance, Sabah is nearer to Manila than Malaysia's capital of Kuala Lumpur. Does it mean that Sabah belongs to the Philippines which includes the Sulu archipelago?

To understand the issue better, there is a need to look at the state's history. Sabah was a gift from the Sultan of Brunei for the Sulu Sultanate's help in quelling a rebellion in 1685.

The dispute has its origin in the signing of an agreement in 1878 between the Sulu Sultanate and a British company which "leased" the territory for a sum to be paid in perpetuity.

In 1885, Spain renounced all claims of sovereignty over the whole of Borneo, in exchange for British recognition of Spanish sovereignty over the entire Sulu archipelago. That placed Sabah under the British sphere of influence.

Over the years, the British colonial government succeeded the company, with Sabah becoming a Crown Colony in 1946 and later joining Malaya, Singapore and Sarawak in the Federation of Malaysia in 1963.

The Philippine government came into the picture in September 1962 when an heir of the sultanate, Esmail Kiram, surrendered authority and sovereignty over Sabah to President Diosdado Macapagal's government. However, Manila has been hesitant in its approach to Sabah. At one stage, it secretly backed Moro militants to reclaim the territory. But at other times, it left the issue dormant in favour of better ties with Malaysia.

At the centre of the dispute is the 1878 agreement between the sultanate and the British company. Was Sabah leased or ceded to the British? Over the past five decades, the heirs of the Sulu Sultanate have been making unilateral claims to Sabah, including filing a petition at the United Nations for the return of the territory, arguing that the territory was only rented out. The recent intrusion into Sabah is the latest attempt to retake the land by the claimants.

The issue of the Sabah claim can no longer be placed on the back burner. Both Malaysia and the Philippines have to decide on a long-term solution. Seeking international arbitration through the International Court of Justice in The Hague may be one option. But this would require the consent of both sides to seek such recourse. This does not seem likely as both countries do not appear keen to take that path because of the risks involved should either party lose its claims.

Both countries must look for common ground to meet each other halfway and consider available options, including cash settlements, to solve the age-old issue.

As long as it is not settled, the issue will resurface because of the manoeuvrings of the sultanate's many descendants still struggling to reclaim the land of their ancestors.

 

Another researched and exclusive article by the people of the www.epilipinas.com

PHILIPPINES' CLAIM

TO SABAHA majority of Filipinos everywhere are wondering what is this Sabah claim is all about. The Philippine history books, Malaysian's probably too, have not mentioned about the Philippines' stake on the northern part of the island of Borneo. On the other hand, the Malaysians maybe furious that there are a lot of attention now being focused to that part of the Malaysian federation to which they believe was theirs since the British handed the territory in 1963.

What we are trying here is to bring an insight to this dispute based on our researched of the various facts (or allegations) regarding this subject.

As Filipino Americans, our main concern in bringing about this article is to tell that part of the history of the Philippines.

WHERE IS SABAH?

Sabah,is the northern part of Borneo. It is bordered by Sarawak on its southwestern side, and Kalimantan (Indonesian Borneo) to the south. Sabah has a coastline of approximately 800 to 900 miles and with the South China Sea in the west and north, the Sulu Sea in the northeast and the Celebes Sea in the east. Sabah's total land area is 76,115 sq km (29,388 sq miles). Sabah's population is about 2.5 million. It is 1,961 km from Hong Kong, 1,143 km from Manila, 1,495 km from Singapore, 1,678 km from Kuala Lumpur and 2,291 km from Taipei - note that it is nearer to Manila than Malaysia's capital of Kuala Lumpur.

North Borneo is much undeveloped and very rich in natural resources.One of the wealthiest oil producing countries is located in same island of Borneo, the tiny Sultanate of Brunei.

Learn more about Sabah through the links below.

THE LEASE STARTED IT ALL

The Sultanate of Sulu was granted the territory as a prize for helping the Sultan of Brunei against his enemies and from then on that part of Borneo is recognized as part of the Sultan of Sulu's sovereignty. In 1878, Baron Von Overbeck, an Austrian partner representing The British North Borneo Co. and his partner British Alfred Dent, leased the territory known as "Sabah" - roughly translated as "the land beneath the winds". In return the company will provide arms to the Sultan to resist the spaniards and 5,000 Malaysian ringgits annual rental based on the Mexican dollars value at that time or its equivalent in gold. This lease have been continued until the independence and formation of the Malaysian federation in 1963 together with Singapore, Sarawak and Malaysia. Up to these days, the Malaysians have been continuing the rental payment of 5,300 Malaysian ringgits - a 300 ringgits increased from original rent.

In 1962 during the Pres. Diosdado Macapagal's administration (the father of the present president, Glorio Arroyo), the Philippines formally claimed Sabah based on the Sultanate of Sulu heirs' claim on the territory. The Philippines broke diplomatic relations with Malaysia after the federation have included "Sabah". The sultan's heirs have given the Philippine government the authority to pursue the claim legally in international courts. However, the succeeding administrations have either have ignored or set aside the claim for peaceful co-existent and trade relation with the Malaysians.

One significant incident involving then President Marcos have briefly brought into limelight the Sabah claim once more. In 1972, the Marcos government have been training secretly a group of Muslim Filipinos in Corregidor, an island off Manila Bay, for possible intrusion in Sabah to pave the way to an armed secession of Sabah from Malaysia. But upon knowing of the plans, the recruits have mutinied and were eliminated except for one that swam the bay and was rescued. The newspapers have called this incident, the "Jabidah Massacre" named after the operation that was given by the military. The survivor divulged

the plan and the claim was put in back burner once more. It was believe that because of the incident, the Malaysians have been aiding the Muslim separatists against the Philippine government. Some people says this distracted the attention to the claim on Sabah as the government was embroiled in containing the conflict.

LEGAL CLAIM BASIS

The claim was based on several historical facts and court judgement.

The lease agreement is definitely a proof otherwise there will be no basis for any agreement if such ownership was not established at all. The contract was between Sri Paduka Maulana Al Sultan Mohammad Jamalul Alam - representing the sultanate as owner and sovereign of Sabah on one hand, and that of Gustavus Baron de Overbeck and Alfred Dent, representing the British East India Co. (then became the North Borneo Co.), on the other as lessee of Sabah, was executed on June 22, 1878. Though the British turned over the possession and government of Sabah to the federation, the Malaysians have not remissed in paying the annual rental.

The 1939 court judgement on the claim had handed ownership of North Borneo to the heirs of the Sultanate prior to the formation of Malaysian federation in 1963. The judgment of Chief Justice C.F.C. Makaskie of the High Court of North Borneo in the civil suit filed by the late Dayang Dayang Hadji Piandao and eight other heirs of the Sultan of Sulu, including the famous Putlih (Princess) Tarhata Kiram, upheld the validity of the claim of the heirs.

Being a British colony did they favored the Malaysians than returning the leased territory to its rightful owners as per 1939 court judgement? Did the British influenced the outcome of their sponsored 1962 plebiscite to which won by those who wanted to join the Malaysian federation than be an independent state. One also has to speculate as to why did the British respected a similar treaty with China by returning Hong Kong instead of conducting a plebiscite just like the one conducted in Sabah in 1962, is the Philippines a weak nation that can be ignored? These are some questions that need to be addressed by those who have the mandate to pursue the Philippine claim.

The Malaysian argument before the International Court (The Hague) is in the link below. This is based on the islands disputed between Indonesia and Malaysia wherein the Philippines is trying to intervene.

SO WHY THE REVIVAL OF THE CLAIM NOW?

In the last few months the Malaysian authorities have been deporting, we are not sure if this is the right term for this action knowing the existence of legal claim to North Borneo, thousands of Filipinos from Sabah for being illegals and for lack of necessary documents. There are allegations of inhuman treatments and rapes by Malaysian authorities which are currently being investigated by both governments. It is also good to point out that illegal Indonesians are likewise being sent home through Kalimantan (Borneo part of Indonesia). Both the Philippine and the Indonesian governments have protested the mass deportation and have indignation rallies against the Malaysian action.

Since the time memorial the numerous ethnic tribes in the southern Philippines notably the Tausugs and Badjaos have been traversing the Celebes Sea from Sulu to Borneo and other parts of Indonesia. These tribes are sea faring people and settled from anywhere around the region. To curtail these movements, the Malaysians have decided to demand document from the Filipinos in Sabah. Undocumented Filipinos were deported and could only be admitted back when there are necessary papers presented. This situation is extremely hard specially to those who have fled the secessionist war during the seventies and eighties as they are refugees and do not have any travel documents. These Muslim Filipinos have considered Sabah as part of their domain as their ancestors have been doing centuries ago. That part of southeast asia is bound by common religion, historyand people.

NOW WHAT?

As per official Philippine government stand, the Philippines will continue legal action through the international courts and also by bringing this claim again to the attention of the Malaysian government. One of the immediate objectives is to have the rent increased to what is a more realistic amount while a claim is still being disputed.

There are apprehensions, as some quarters are claiming, that nothing will come out of this revived interest in the Sabah claim, they are saying that the Philippine government officials as in the past can be bribed to lose interest in the claim - there is no concrete evidence to this effect. The Malaysians are hoping that it will die a natural death for lack of will on the Philippine claimants to pursue further the claim over the years. The longer the dispute is settled, the harder (or maybe lesser) for the claimants to get any settlement.

Will the heirs get a just settlement in form of monetary compensation? The heirs had been offered money before by the Malaysians and have rejected the idea. Will the settlement comes with some portion of the disputed land for displaced Filipino muslims in Sabah? In any issue involving property dispute, possession is everything.

Will the Arroyo administration be transparent in negotiations with the Mahathir government or some kind of a deal will be struck without consultations with the other parties involved?

We will see what will transpire in the future.

Related Sites:Giving back Sabah to the Sulu sultanate By Noralyn MustafaThe Sultan of Sulu's Lost Land by Manfred Rist Malaysia's Stand On Disputed IslandsUmmahnews-an independent and non-partisan global media serviceSabah Tourism SiteFacts On Sabah

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Ninoy vowed to drop Sabah claim to get KL support vs Marcos’

By Janvic Mateo (The Philippine Star) | Updated March 13, 2013 - 12:00am

  279    11.3K   googleplus16    32  

MANILA, Philippines - Former senator Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino Jr. had promised Malaysia in 1983 that the

Philippines would drop its claim over Sabah in exchange for its support in the move to oust strongman

Ferdinand Marcos, a former foreign affairs official revealed yesterday.

Hermes Dorado, former national territory division head of the Department of Foreign Affairs, said Aquino met

with then Malaysian Prime Minister Mohammad Mahathir before he went back to the Philippines and was

assassinated on Aug. 21, 1983.

Dorado said there were no official records of the supposed meeting between Aquino and Mahathir, but said he

“became privy to this bit of intelligence” from former ambassador and retired general Rafael Ileto.

“General Ileto indirectly confirmed that Ninoy Aquino asked for help from Mahathir in exchange for dropping the

Sabah claim when he gains power,” Dorado told a forum at the University of the Philippines in Quezon City.

Dorado said Ileto was the person assigned to monitor Aquino’s movement on his journey back to Manila.

“There was a commitment to help oust Marcos,” he added. “That is the reason why the government today is

somehow reluctant to support the Sabah claim.”

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“Our hands are tied today because the leadership up to this day is committed to drop the Philippine claim of

Sabah,” he said.

According to Dorado, the clearest proof of Ninoy’s supposed pledge to Malaysia will be found in the 1987

Constitution, which was written during the presidency of his widow Corazon Aquino.

Dorado said the 1987 Constitution amended the first article of the 1973 Constitution and removed the phrase,

“and all other territories belonging to the Philippines by historic right or legal title.”

The 1987 Constitution revised the definition of Philippine territory and “deleted Sabah as a historic claim

backed up by the legal title pertaining to the sultanate of Sulu,” he added.

Dorado said Mrs. Aquino had no choice but to honor Ninoy’s commitment to Mahathir because she needed

support from ASEAN nations to legitimize her ascendancy to the presidency through the people power

revolution.

“Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir adamantly refused to attend the ASEAN Summit in Manila until President

Cory made a firm commitment to amend Article 1 of the 1973 Constitution,” Dorado pointed out.

“Malaysian hard-ball diplomatic and guerrilla war maneuverings, backed by shrewd use of economic leverage,

sourced from huge revenues from oil extracted in Sabah, were completed by 1987,” he added.

“They succeeded in forcing the Constitutional Commission to drop the Philippine Sabah claim, hands down.”

Dorado said the amended Baselines Law approved in March 2009 resulted in the exclusion of Sabah from the

Philippine territory.

He said the amended law removed Section 2 of the 1968 law that included the phrase, “…the territory of

Sabah, situated in North Borneo, over which the Republic of the Philippines has acquired dominion and

sovereignty.”

“Removal of the specific reference to Sabah represented a disastrous outcome to the claims of the sultanate of

Sulu,” Dorado said.

He claimed the results of the supposed “Ninoy-Mahathir pact” have destroyed all peaceful possibilities of

pursuing the country’s claims.

 

Proprietary rights

Reacting to Dorado’s presentation, Princess Jacel Kiram – daughter of Sulu Sultan Jamalul Kiram III –

maintained that Filipinos have proprietary rights in Sabah.

“We have so much wealth in Sabah na dapat tayo ang nakikinabang (we should be the ones benefitting),” Jacel

said.

She said the lease agreement over North Borneo expired in 1978.

She accused the Aquino administration of protecting the interests of the Malaysian prime minister rather than

the interest of the Filipino people.

“I would prefer to be another (nationality) rather than a Filipino citizen under our current set of leaders,” she

said.

During the forum, Jacel confirmed the meeting between her uncle Sultan Bantilan Esmail Kiram II and Interior

Secretary Manuel Roxas II.

“This is the first official talk from our side and from the side of the government,” she said, declining to provide

additional information as she was not privy to what was discussed in the meeting.

Jacel said the development was a “good gesture” on the part of the government, and that its intention was for

the benefit of the Filipino people.

Citing latest information from Sabah, Jacel said Agbimuddin Kiram and his people are safe but a lot of Filipinos

have become victims of excessive force by Malaysian security forces. – With Paolo Romero, Jaime Laude,

Marvin Sy