Kota Kinabalu
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| Kota Kinabalu |
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| Nickname: "KK" | |||
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| Country | Malaysia | ||
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| State | Sabah | ||
| Establishment | Granted city status on 2nd February 2000 | ||
| Mayor | Datuk Illiyas Ibrahim | ||
| Area | |||
| - City | km² | ||
| Population | |||
| - City (2000) | 470,000 (City), 900,000 (Metropolitan) approx. | ||
| Time zone | MST (UTC+8) | ||
| - Summer (DST) | Not observed (UTC) | ||
| Website: http://www.dbkk.gov.my | |||
Kota Kinabalu, formerly Jesselton, is the state capital of Sabah, East Malaysia, on the island of Borneo; it is also the capital of the West Coast Division of Sabah. It is located at latitude 5.98333° and longitude 116.06667°. As of the 2005 census, its population was 473,256, with an estimated metropolitan population of 1,200,000 making it Malaysia's fourth-largest city and the largest city in Borneo. Facing the South China Sea and Tunku Abdul Rahman Park on one side, and with the mighty Mount Kinabalu in the background, Kota Kinabalu sprawls for kilometers along the coast and inland. The city is administrated by Dewan Bandaraya Kota Kinabalu (Kota Kinabalu City Hall).
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[edit] History
During the late 1800s, the British North Borneo Company became interested in establishing colonies throughout North Borneo (now Sabah). In 1882, the Company created a small settlement on Pulau Gaya, which was already inhabited by a people known as the Bajaus. This first settlement was destroyed by the Bajau hero and rebel Mat Salleh in 1897.
After the effacement, the Company decided to relocate the settlement to the more easily defended mainland. A nearby fishing village named Api-Api, transliterated into the non-formal Chinese name of Ya Bi (亚庇 yà bì), which had already been chosen as the terminus for a North Borneo Railway, was expanded and renamed to Jesselton. The name came from Sir Charles Jessel, a director of the Company.
Eventually, Jesselton became a major trading post of North Borneo, dealing in rubber, rattan, honey, and wax. The planned railway was built and used to transport goods to the Jesselton harbor. Bajau uprisings during these times were not uncommon, and the Company worked to quell the long-standing threat of piracy in the region.
Jesselton was razed by the retreating British early in World War II to prevent it from falling into the hands of the Japanese. After the Japanese takeover of Borneo, it was renamed to Api (Malay: Fire). What remained of the town was destroyed again by Allied bombing in late World War II, with only three buildings left standing, as the Japanese were pushed out of Borneo.
After the war, the British North Borneo Company, unable to finance the huge costs of reconstruction, gave control of North Borneo to the British crown. The new colonial government elected to rebuild Jesselton as the capital of North Borneo instead of Sandakan, which had also been razed in the war. The need for speedy rebuilding led to much of Kota Kinabalu being built over with concrete apartment blocks. Since then, land reclamation projects have greatly expanded the flat land available in the city for building, and most of the modern city center is located on landfill.
Jesselton was renamed Kota Kinabalu in 1968. Kota Kinabalu received official city status from the Malaysian government on February 2, 2000.
[edit] Etymology
Kota Kinabalu is named after Mount Kinabalu, about 45 km (28 mi) east-northeast of the city. The meaning of the name "Kinabalu" is uncertain. One theory suggests it means "Chinese widow" 中国寡妇, where 'Kina' meaning a Chinese person in Kadazan, and 'Balu' meaning widow in Malay. This theory derives from a folk tale about a Chinese prince who came to the Mountain in search of a mythical pearl which is guarded by a dragon at the top of the Mountain. While he was here, he married a local woman but later returned to China and left the woman heartbroken.[1] Alternatively, it is also argued that "Kinabalu" or "Akinabalu" is the name of the dragon which guards the mythical pearl itself.[2] Another theory suggests that the term is derived from the name "Aki Nabalu" meaning the "revered place of the dead", in which, 'Aki' means ancestors, and 'Nabalu' being a name for the Mountain in the Dusun language.[3]
"Kota" is a Malay word for a fort or city. It is also used formally in a few other Malaysian towns and cities, for example, Kota Bahru, Kota Tinggi, and Kota Kemuning. It could also be used informally to refer to any towns or cities.
[edit] People
Today the city's population is a mixture of many different races and ethnicities. The city consists of mainly Kadazans, Chinese and Bajaus. Most of the Chinese people in the city are Hakkas and can mainly be found in Luyang area. The area of Penampang is populated mainly by Kadazans, while the Bajaus mainly reside in Likas and Sembulan. This does not suggest that the people are socially segregated. In fact, the people of the city have lived peacefully side by side for many years, not being affected by larger racial conflicts, such as the May 13 Incident. People mainly speak Bahasa Malaysia, with a distinct Sabahan accent. However many still speak the language or dialect of their mother tongue when speaking with person of the same race or ethnicity. Mandarin and Hakka are still widely spoken by the Chinese.
The number of Bahasa Kadazandusun speakers is thought to have dropped significantly, although some efforts can be seen to have been taken by some to revive the usage of the language. Kadazan has been considered an endangered language, along with the culture of ethnic Kadazans.[4] Today most of the people are also able to speak English, and some have adopted it as their first language. The national education system provides compulsory English language instruction. The main religions practiced here are Christianity (70%), Islam (20%), and Buddhism (10%). There are a small number Hindus, Sikhs, and Animists.
There has been a considerable increase in the number of Filipino migrants that have been naturalized as Malaysian citizen, although it is thought that there still remains a large number of illegal immigrants living around the city. Most of the Filipino migrants are Suluks (Tausug) coming from the southern part of Philippines. Many of them live in Kampung Pondo on Pulau Gaya. There are also a number Indonesian migrants living in KK.
There is a small population of ethnic Malays, Indians, Pakistanis and Eurasians scattered around the city. More recently the number of expatriates living in the city, either temporarily or permanently, have also increased. Most have come from South Korea, Japan, Australia, and Europe.
Intermarriage is not an uncommon practice here.
[edit] Geography
Kota Kinabalu is located on the west coast of Sabah. The surrounding city lies on a narrow flatland, being enveloped by the Crocker Range from the east, and by the South China Sea from the west. The central business district itself is located on a very narrow piece of flatland bordered by Signal Hill and the sea. Rapid economic development in the city has resulted in an urban sprawl connecting surrounding towns and districts including Likas, Inanam, Menggatal, Sepanggar, Donggongon (Penampang), Putatan, and Lok Kawi.
[edit] Infrastructure
[edit] Transportation
Kota Kinabalu International Airport (KKIA) serves flights to and from other domestic and international destinations. It is a major hub for Malaysia Airlines and Air Asia and it consists of two terminals. It handles the second most number of passengers annually in Malaysia after Kuala Lumpur International Airport. It is currently being upgraded whereby the terminal building will be expanded to anticipate increase in the number of passenger arrivals. The runway will also be extended to allow larger aircraft to land in the airport.
Railway connects Kota Kinabalu with other towns (Beaufort, Tenom being the more important ones). Today the railway is mainly used for tourism purposes rather than as a means of commuting.
Regular bus services operate around the city. There are two main bus terminals in the central business area. The one located along Jalan Tun Razak serves buses towards different part of the city and its outskirts. Another bus terminal near Bandaran Berjaya serves buses heading towards other towns and cities south of Kota Kinabalu (Papar, Tenom, Beaufort, etc.). The newly built Kota Kinabalu (North) Bus Terminal in Inanam will serve buses heading towards destinations north and north-east of the city (Tuaran, Kudat, Ranau, Sandakan, etc.)
[edit] Education
There are many government schools in and around the city. The more notable secondary schools are SM La Salle, SM All Saints, SM Konven St Francis, Maktab Sabah, SM Lok Yuk, SM Sains (formerly known as Sekolah Berasrama Penuh Sabah or SBPS), SM Shan Tao and many more. There are also many independent private schools in the city, which includes Sabah Tshung Tsin Secondary School, Kian Kok Middle School, Maktab Nasional, Seri Insan, and others. Classes usually start at 7am and finishes at 4pm.
There is also an International School called Kinabalu International School (KIS). The school is located in Bukit Padang. KIS is part of the Federation of British International Schools in South and East Asia (FOBISSEA).
Another international school is the Kinabalu Japanese School which caters to childrens of Japanese expatriates working and living in and around the city.
Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) is the largest university in Kota Kinabalu and in Sabah. Its main campus is located on a 999 acre piece of land, on a hill facing the South China Sea at Sepanggar Bay, about 10 kilometres north of the city centre. It also has a branch campus in Labuan. It is considered to be one of the most beautiful universities in Malaysia and it also possesses an excellent surrounding environment.
Most of the schools, colleges and universities can be found in the list of schools in Sabah.
[edit] Tourist attractions
- Atkinson Clock Tower - Built by Mary Edith Atkinson in 1905 in memory of her son Francis George Atkinson. It was formerly used as a navigation aid for ships until it was overshadowed by taller buildings. It is one of only three pre-World War II buildings to survive the war.
- Ethno Botanic Garden
- Filipino Market - Handcrafts by the indigenous and non-indigenous people of Sabah can be found here. They produce a wide range of items which are mainly for functional rather than for decorative use.
- Gaya Street Sunday Market - A gathering of local hawkers selling a wide range of items from traditional ethnic cultural souvenirs to pets and flowers. Worth a visit while in Kota Kinabalu.
- Karamunsing Complex - The equivalent of Lowyat Plaza in Kuala Lumpur as it has more computer shops per capita than anywhere else in Sabah.[1]
- Kota Kinabalu City Bird Sanctuary - Located in Likas.
- Kota Kinabalu International Airport (KKIA) - Located about 8 km from the city of Kota Kinabalu. It is the second busiest airport in Malaysia after Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) with around 3.9 million passengers using this airport annually for domestic and international flights.
- Monsopiad Cultural Village (Kampung Monsopiad) - Situated in Penampang.
- Kinabalu National Park - Kota Kinabalu is the gateway to one of the most popular national park in Malaysia. The park is a two hour drive away from the city. Mount Kinabalu has the highest peak in South East Asia. Beautiful Sceneries. A Must visit for any keen tourists visiting Sabah.
- North Borneo Railway
- Sabah Museum
- State Mosque
- Signal Hill Observatory
- Stilt Villages
- Tun Mustapha Tower (formerly Sabah Foundation Building or Bangunan Yayasan Sabah) - About a 10-minute drive from Kota Kinabalu, this 30-storey glass building is supported by high-tensile steel rods, one of only four buildings in the world that is built with this method.
- Tanjung Aru Beach - Tanjung Aru has long stretches of sandy beaches. The most visited beaches are Beach 1, Beach 2 and Beach 3. Food and drink stalls, Prince Phillip Botanical Park, night entertainment clubs, recreational clubs such as Tanjung Aru Golf Course and KK Yacht Club and a 5-star beach resort - Shangri-La's Tanjung Aru Beach Resort can be found here. A popular family getaway place during the weekends.
- Tunku Abdul Rahman Park - A National Park consisting of the beautiful islands of Sapi, Mamutik, Manukan, Sulug and Gaya. About 15 to 30 minutes boat ride away from KK jetty. A popular spot for snorkeling.
- Rafflesia Forest Reserve - Located near Tambunan, the Reserve is an hour ride away from Kota Kinabalu. The world's largest flower species, the rafflesia, can be found here.
- Crocker Range National Park - Located just about 140 kilometres away from the city, near Keningau. A nice place for jungle trekking and camping.
- Sutera Harbour Golf & Country Club
- Karambunai - A half an hour drive north of the city. It has a world-class beach and golf resort.
[edit] Arts, Entertainment and Culture
Kota Kinabalu is home to a number of independent musicians who have had success in West Malaysia such as singer-songwriters Pete Teo, Mia Palencia and Jerome Kugan, and acoustic guitar virtuoso Roger Wang.
[edit] Photo Gallery
 City Mosque, Kota Kinabalu |
 Sacred Heart Cathedral, Kota Kinabalu |
 Stilt village in Sembulan, southern Kota Kinabalu |
 Southern Kota Kinabalu |
 Karamunsing |
 View of the city from Signal Hill |
 Sinsuran shophouses |
 Sunset at Tanjung Aru Beach |
 City centre |
 Office buildings in the city |
 Aerial photo of northern Kota Kinabalu |
[edit] References
[edit] External links
- Hotel Kota Kinabalu
- Sabah Travel Guide to Kota Kinabalu
- Sabah Attractions
- History of Kota Kinabalu
- Extreme Sports Community in Kota Kinabalu and Sabah
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Sabah |  |
|---|---|---|
| Divisions: Interior Division | Kudat Division | Sandakan Division | Tawau Division | West Coast Division | ||
| City: Kota Kinabalu | ||
| Towns: Beaufort | Beluran | Inanam | Keningau | Kinabatangan | Kuala Penyu | Kota Belud | Kota Marudu | Kudat | Kunak | Kundasang | Lahad Datu | Nabawan | Papar | Penampang | Pitas | Ranau | Sandakan | Semporna | Sipitang | Tambunan | Tamparuli | Tawau | Tenom | Tuaran | ||
| Islands: Banggi Island | Gaya Island | Layang Layang Island | Ligitan Island | Sebatik Island | Sipadan Island | ||
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- Mapping from Multimap or GlobalGuide or Google Maps
- Aerial image from TerraServer
- Satellite image from WikiMapia
