Sabah, Malaysian Borneo » City Info

Malaysia is renowned for housing the tallest buildings in the world; ‘The Petronas Twin Towers’ and also for its well preserved tropical forests. Sabah, located on the northern point of the island of Borneo, is among one of the states governed by the Malaysian government. After Sarawak, area wise, Sabah is said to be the second largest state in Malaysia.

Sabah, when translated in Malayan language, is spelt as ‘Sabah, negeri di bawah bayu’ which means ‘Land below the wind’. Its name derived from being located just below the typhoon prone region of the Philippines.

Multiculturalism is the high point of Sabah as different ethnic groups reside together here, peacefully. The majority of them are of Malayan origin but the other minority fractions that make up Sabah’s society belong to Chinese, Indian and other indigenous groups. Though Malay is the official language here, English is the mostly widely spoken language and multiculturalism may be the reason for this.

The tourist industry of Sabah has matured and has been expanding in recent times, but still the state has been successful is maintaining the virginity of its flora, fauna and its beaches.

The state is one of its own, as its ‘botanical heaven’ contains some of the rarest plants on earth, such as Rafflesia.

Kinabalu, the highest mountain in South East Asia at 4,101 meters is also situated in Sabah. The region is also known to protect endangered species such as Sumatran Rhinoceros, Orang-Utan, Elephant, Mousedeer, Monkey, Flying Squirrel and Barking deer.

Sabah is a place which was created by God in his leisure time. Be it the tropical rainforests, luscious beaches, delicious Malaysian cuisine, or the welcoming spirit of the Malayan people, Sabah is a place where nature and man come together to form paradise.