Page 41 - The Guide To Malaysia 9th Edition

THE GUIDE TO MALAYSIA 37
Sabah Negeri Di Bawah Bayu
(Sabah, The Land Below the Wind)
Mala M
Minister, usually leader of the majority party or coalition). A professional Civil Service (under the State Secretary) administers and implements policy.
Major Economic Activities
Sabah’s economy relies on three key areas; agriculture, tourism and manufacturing, with oil and gas beginning to play a major role thanks to recent major discoveries. Palm oil is heavily planted together with rubber and cocoa. Eco-tourism is an important contributor, thanks to superb beaches, offshore islands and six national parks, including Kinabalu Parks, a UNESCO World Heritage site. Manufacturing centres on natural resources; wood and paper products, food processing and palm oil refining.
Major Industrial Areas
Major industrial areas, populated mostly by
SMEs, are concentrated around Kota Kinabalu, Sandakan, Tawau, Lahad Datu, Keningau, Semporna, and Kudat. To boost industrialisation, the State Government initiated the Sabah Development Corridor (see page 372), where the Kota Kinabalu Industrial Park and Sepanggar Container Port Terminal are located. Launched in 2008, it is geared to attracting large manufacturing plants with emphasis on the oil and gas sector.
ysia
aps
Population: 3.9 million Area: 73,631sq km
State Capital: Kota Kinabalu Website: sabah.gov.my
HOW TO GET THERE
By Air: Kota Kinabalu International Airport, regional airports at Sandakan, Lahad Datu, Tawau.
Historical Background
Sabah was part of the Brunei Sultanate before being ceded to the Sultan of Sulu in 1658 for helping Brunei to settle a civil war. The Sulu Sultanate leased and subsequently ceded North Borneo (as Sabah was previously called) to the British North Borneo Company, ratified by the Madrid Protocol of 1885. Sabah became a British Protectorate in 1888 until the Japanese occupation in WWII, following which it became a British Crown Colony. Sabah achieved independence by forming the Federation of Malaysia
By Road: The Pan Borneo Highway from Sarawak and Brunei in the South.
By Rail: Sabah State Railway has 15 stations (all within Sabah) starting from Tanjung Aru near Kota Kinabalu through to Tenom.
By Sea: Kota Kinabalu, Sepangar Bay, Sandakan and Tawau are major international
ports. Ferries serve Labuan (from
Kota Kinabalu, Sipatang, Menumbok), Brunei (from Menumbok), Zamboanga, Philippines (from Sandakan) and Nunukan and Tarakan, Indonesia (from Tawau).
together with Malaya, Sarawak and Singapore (later expelled) in 1963.
State Government
The Head of State is the
Yang di-Pertua Negeri
(Governor), currently Tun Datuk Seri Panglima Juhar Mahiruddin (2011 - present), who is appointed by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong (ruling monarch). The State Legislative Assembly is
the elected legislature. The State Cabinet, comprising Ministers and Assistant Ministers (Menteri and Pembantu Menteri), acts as the executive, headed by the Ketua Menteri (Chief
SABAH