Sabah, Tanah Airku

Amanda
Sep 19, 2021
5 min read

Tanjung Aru, Kota Kinabalu

“ You going back Sarawak ah? Which is it again, Sabah or Sarawak?”

“ I’ve been at Kota Kinabalu for quite some time. Oh my favourite is island hopping at Langkawi...”

One of these responses came from a fellow Malaysian (let's be honest, its quite a few)

Another, a Francophone that I met during my studies in the UK

Isn’t it ironic? Someone way far from Malaysia is able to properly identify and display proper appreciation for the state that I call home.

"Hi, My name is Amanda and I’m from Sabah"

The Land Below the Wind, Negeri Di Bawah Bayu

My dear Sabah has been crowned with this nickname for over centuries. Up until lately, I’ve never put much thought into the reason why. I guess I’ve always just taken it as it is. Turns out, it’s because Sabah has been blessed with a typhoon-free geographical advantage. Given that our landscape is encapsulated by Celebes and Sulu waters on the East and the South China Sea on the West, typhoons are prone to occur due to the extensive coastline surrounding Borneo.

A pride of Malaysia -- Mount Kinabalu peaks at a height of 4095 metres, claiming the throne as the highest mountain in SouthEast Asia. Our mountainous terrain is concentrated in the western part of Sabah. An extensive network of plantains, hills, and river valleys are hosts to a wide array of plant and animal species. Natural rainforests here sustain not only the lives of wildlife, it also feeds our people.

The BEST part?

Easy. I’ll show you

What a sight. The sandy beach, crystal blue waters, the crashing of the waves..... I can almost smell the saltiness in the air already. A therapeutic massage, a soak in the hot-spring, sunbathing paired with a good book.... You name it. I think we can all agree that this paradise is the perfect getaway sesh that you need in your life.

Growing up, I’ve had the privilege with easy access to short trips across the coasts of Sabah. Needless to say, there are many marine activities that you adventurers could opt to partake in. Well, I can’t swim… so naturally I don’t have much to suggest. No worries, there's also a bunch of land and sky activities that are available for you to explore. I remember seeing some people riding ATVs along the beaches, even horse-riding. Personally, I prefer sea walking with the corals, kayaking, and the classic kite-flying and picnic combo. You'd be surprised to know that much of the marine activities are really safe and don't require any swimming skills. Suprisingly, even snorkelling.

Fun Fact: Did you know that there are nearly 4oo islands in Sabah?

Important Travel Advice:

You must take caution and consult a local travel advisor if you're considering to visit the islands. Over the years, there has been sightings of kidnapping by pirates nearing the Southern region close to the Philippines, and in the Strait of Malacca. Piracy isn't something to take lightly. Even though there are patrols being done in the waters, there are reports noting that these pirates are in fact, armed with weapons.

Sabahans, Our People

The population in Sabah is diverse. Categorised into bumis and non-bumis, the largest indigenious group residing in Sabah is the Kadazan-Dusuns. Though predominantly, the Chinese take up as the current largest group here. After spending years studying in West Malaysia, I've observed an interesting paradigm that distincts the Chinese between the West and the East. In terms of dialects, Hakka dialect is the dominant culture for Sabahan Chinese amongst the others whereas Cantonese is much more prevalent in the West. I myself grew up in a Hakka household. So, my Cantonese is pretty rusty.

Amongst the bumis, there are over 32 diverse ethnic groups active all around Sabah. To state a few, there are Dusun, Murut, Bajau, Bugis, Bisaya, Kadazan and a lot more. All divided ethnic groups come together with mutual understanding in order to protect this scenic paradise. To be honest, the inherent respect between races in East Malaysia is unparalleled. Muslims are able to mingle in Chinese restaurants without worries, and why should they. We're all made up and brought up differently. The deep sense of unity and respect that has blossomed in me, because of every Sabahan that has shown me the lesson of kindness no matter of skin tone, of language, dialects.

The Other Side

There’s always a flip side to everything. I wish I could go on and on about the beauty and the deep rooted appreciation I have for Sabah, but I know it isn't right.

Why is Sabah so poor?

Do Sabahans still live on trees?

Free Postage across Malaysia (except Sabah and Sarawak)

I know, a little satire doesn't hurt anybody. In fact, it lives in our pop culture era anyways.

But: Underneath those layers, it reflects the unjust treatment, prejudice, to mockery that we have received from netizens.

If Sabah is so resourceful, why are we "poor"?

To put it simply, we have been, and are being exploited. The Cinderella with a long overdue Happily Ever After. As a natural resource rich export oriented state, we have been providing tonnes and tonnes of palm oil, gas, timber, wood, and more to the Peninsular over decades. So much for so little. The worst part is, we don’t even get enough credit for the sacrifices we’ve made. Our situation has been going on for so long, it has become a meme, a topic to laugh at the dinner table.

Perhaps that’s a reason why Sabahans are so united.

Do I need to emphasize that we don’t live on trees?

You might see us joking about it online though

Our treehouses have a working elevator
We fight crocodile and ride them to class
Everyone owns a sampan

In a way, humour is our coping mechanism. Don't take it seriously. Plus, you might be surprised when you learn about your Sabahan friend’s lifestyle. Some are living in what I would put as mansions. I play the sims, so I'd know.

Of course, it is undeniable that a large pay gap exists between individuals living in different towns. In concentrated cities like Kota Kinabalu, the algorithm of high earnings to ability distribution in metropolitan areas and rural areas are typical. In other words, wage works the same across all Malaysia. Where there is rich, there is poor.

Delayed Development and its consequences

Our infrastructure is underdeveloped. Construction are frequently, if not always delayed from its expected delivery date. Flyovers in Selangor take months to complete but it can take years for a simple pedestrian bridge to be built here in Sabah.

Another issue is the drainage system. Every year especially during the monsoon seasons many are affected by floods, some even fatal because of the high waters.

Recently, a breadwinner was killed in a landslide caused by the heavy rain. A few weeks ago, a Myvi that attempted to cross a bridge to their way home lost control due to the strong current and slippery mud, swept away only to be found in a riverbank the next day. Reports states that the water level nearly rose to a height of 180 cm. There were around 96 victims from one flash flood this month. Not only that, there are crocodiles lurking at riverbanks, finding their way into towns because of clogged drainage systems.

From Me:

Sabah is so beautiful and precious. It is my home, my roots. If you ask me any of these questions again, I will still answer with patience. Partly because I have an issue on people-pleasing, but much more of this is to show you the Sabahan way, to open up our doors for you.

I am proud, I am never ashamed of where I come from.