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, 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.
In 1945, after World War II, Sabah became a
British Crown Colony. 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. In 1963, it
gained independence and joined Malaysia. Today Sabah is
an integral part of Malaysia.
Jesselton was renamed Kota Kinabalu in 1968.
Kota Kinabalu received official city status from the
Malaysian government on February 2, 2000.
KOTA KINABALU
PEOPLE & CULTURE |
With a population of about 2 million, comprising of over
30 different races speaking over 80 local dialects, it
offers a diverse and multicultural experience. The three
main indigenous groups of Sabah are the Kadazan-Dusun,
Murut, and Bajau.
|
Kadazan-Dusun
The largest, the Kadazan-Dusun, make up about a
third of the population. These are the
prosperous rice producers of Sabah, although in
recent times many have ventured into other
trades. Living in the interior plains they are
well known for their unique customs that feature
female priestesses called ‘bobohizan’ presiding
over still practiced ancient rituals. |
|
Bajaus
Skilled fishermen as well as rice farmers they
are also experts in rearing ponies and water
buffaloes. The Bajaus live mainly on the east
and west coasts. East coast Bajaus are sea
nomads, coming ashore only to bury their dead.
The West-coast Bajaus are farmers and being
dubbed as ‘The cowboys of the East’, they are
renowned for their horsemanship. |
|
Muruts
Being agriculturists and hunters, they live in
the interior region near the borders of Sarawak
and Kalimantan. Once feared for their head
hunting, the Muruts are great hunters with
spears, blowpipes and poisoned darts. Many still
reside in their traditional communal longhouses
and they are well known for their elaborate
displays of bride-wealth, dancing and feasting. |
Like Sarawak, this East Malaysian state’s handicrafts
bear the unique stamp of its many indigenous peoples. In
particular look out for beads, hand woven baskets. Pua-weaving
indigenous to the states of Sabah and Sarawak, is
distinguished by ruddy hues and a predominance of plant
and animal motifs .
