The Land Below The Wind
Sabah, a Malaysian state that covers an area of 72,500 sq. km. with a coastline of 1,440 km. Long that’s being washed by the South China Sea in the West, the Sulu Sea in the Northeast and the Celebes Sea in the East sits at the northern tip of the island of Borneo, the third largest island in the world. It is the second largest state after Sarawak which it borders on its Southwest. Much of the state is covered by relatively untouched rainforest with its rugged terrain dominated by the 4,095 m. Mount Kinabalu the highest mountain in Malaysia and fourth tallest in Southeast Asia while scattered of its coast are many island paradises, a heaven for the true diving enthusiast.
Known to the world as “THE LAND BELOW THE WIND”, Sabah is rich not only in natural beauty and resources, but also in the cultural heritage of its people.
The population of Sabah is made up of more than 30 ethnic groups who all have their own culture, traditions and languages and dialects. Kadazan-Dusun, Murut and Bajau are the main indigenous groups while the local Chinese make up the main non-indigenous group whose ancestors were merchants trading with the local settlements as early as in the 9th century AD.
In early 15th century when the local Chieftains and autonomous communities owing a general allegiance to the Sultan of Brunei, then started to trade with the Spanish as well as the Portuguese which saw the beginning of European intervention in the region. But it was at the last quarter of the 19th century that saw Brunei’s control over Sabah was extremely tenuous as little difficulty required by American trader called Moses obtained a lease over the greater part of the country.
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This lease passed into the hands of an Austrian, Baron Von Overbeck and finally transferred to Alfred Dent an English Businessman who subsequently signed treaties with both Brunei and Sulu converting the lease into a cession and in 1881 succeeded in establishing the Chartered Company of British North Borneo to manage the acquisition. Sabah was ruled by the Company and was known as British North Borneo until the Japanese conquest in 1941. Became a British Crown Colony when Japan surrendered.
Sabah was able to achieve its independence from the British by agreeing to Tunku Abdul Rahman’s Malaysian proposal and becoming part of Malaysia in 1963 and since then, Sabah has undergone rapid modernization. Despite of the modernization, tradition and culture still prevail in local lifestyles. Most often, they are used in welcoming visitors. A visit to Sabah is indeed a multi-cultural and fascinating experience.
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