Papar, Sabah
Encyclopedia
Papar is a town as well as a district located in West Coast Division
of Sabah
, east Malaysia. It is situated 38 kilometres south of Kota Kinabalu
and is one of the main stops on the North Borneo Railway line other than Tanjung Aru
, Putatan
, Beaufort and Tenom
in which Papar lies on the middle of the line. Papar is also a major stopover point for travelers from the southern towns Sipitang and Beaufort to Kota Kinabalu, as it would be at least twenty kilometers to the next township at both ends of the Pan Borneo Highway (Putatan
to the north, Bongawan
to the south).
and Dent
brothers, in 1877.
The first British officer to served Papar was H.L. Leicester. He started his first job in February 1878 with vision to increase economic income of Papar. However, his vision was almost impossible to be achieved in struggled with economic problem at that time by British North Borneo Company
. He was later replaced by Everett
.
in Sabah. The district's first mosque was built at Kampung Laut around 1878, which then remained there until this day by the name Masjid Daerah Papar (Papar District Mosque). There are also some major mosques within district area such as Masjid Pekan Bongawan and Masjid Haji Mohd Yaakob, both at Bongawan
and Beringgis respectively.
in the district was estimated to be around 105,200 in 2006,"Monthly Statistical Bulletin, January 2007: Sabah", Department of Statistics Malaysia, Sabah. and almost evenly divided between Bruneian Malay (Benoni, Buang Sayang, Bongawan, Kampung Laut, Kelanahan, Kimanis, Kinarut), Kadazandusun (Rampazan, Limbahau, Kinarut, Kopimpinan, Lakut, Mondolipau, Koiduan, Ulu Kimanis, Sumbiling, Limputung), and Bajau
(Pengalat Besar, Pengalat Kecil, Kawang, Beringgis). A sizeable Chinese
from ethnic Hakka
, is also scattered throughout the district along with numbers of Indians and Pakistani.
The Papar area is characterised by low lying coastal areas which extend inland towards the Crocker Range. Traditionally this was good rice growing land and the flat open paddy fields may have given it the name. Even today, despite the rapid expansion of the city of Kota Kinabalu
around 40 km north of Papar, the district is still dominated by paddy fields, which are largely worked by natives, and fruit orchards, most of which belong to the Hakka Chinese.
trees and saltwater palm or nipah
. Both banks are connected by two steel-concrete bridges, one (with a railway bridge) connecting directly into the town itself, and another much farther upriver (on the old Kota Kinabalu-Papar road) leading into the paddy plantation hamlets.
The town has seen considerable growth in recent years but still preserves some of its older buildings and features. Important architectural features which can be seen in the Papar town includes the District Office, Papar Public Library, Papar Public Park, New Papar Market, OKK Mahali Park (which constitutes a large part of the new town), Salleh Sulong Hall and a new bigger Papar Community Hall which also hosts a weekly wet market on its compounds, a sports complex with a field, a stand and a gymnasium, and the new train station, which doubles as a bus and mini-van station which serves the Kota Kinabalu-Papar-Beaufort route.
Despite repair and refurbishment over the years, the Papar railway bridge looks much as it did in the Second World War. It featured in Allied plans to retake North Borneo
from the Japan
ese. References to it and the Papar River can be found in reports on covert intelligence operations Agas and Semut, and later in attack plans Stallion and Oboe 6.
education hub. Institut Kemahiran Belia Negara (National Youth Skill Institute) or IKBN and Maktab Rendah Sains MARA (MARA Science College) or MRSM are the first IKBN and MRSM built in Sabah. Papar main secondary schools are SMK Majakir, SMK Benoni, SMK Takis
, SMK Kinarut, SMK Bongawan I/II, SM St Joseph, SM St. Mary and Papar Middle School.
Papar has the most religious schools among districts; SMK(A) Tun Datu Mustapha, SMK(A) Limauan, new SMA Toh Puan Hajah Rahmah and SMA Islamiah Papar. Both SMK are under central government administrative while both SMA are under state government administrative. Papar education complex type area is situated at Kinarut
which includes the IKBN, MRSM, SMK(A) Tun Datu Mustapha and SMA Toh Puan Hajah Rahmah. A number of primary schools can be found in the district
.
West Coast Division
West Coast Division is an administrative division of Sabah, east Malaysia, on the island of Borneo. It occupies the northwest portion of Sabah. With an area of 7,588 square kilometres, it occupies 10.3% of Sabah's territory...
of Sabah
Sabah
Sabah is one of 13 member states of Malaysia. It is located on the northern portion of the island of Borneo. It is the second largest state in the country after Sarawak, which it borders on its southwest. It also shares a border with the province of East Kalimantan of Indonesia in the south...
, east Malaysia. It is situated 38 kilometres south of Kota Kinabalu
Kota Kinabalu
Kota Kinabalu , formerly known as Jesselton, is the capital of Sabah state in East Malaysia. It is also the capital of the West Coast Division of Sabah. The city is located on the northwest coast of Borneo facing the South China Sea. The Tunku Abdul Rahman National Park lies on one side and Mount...
and is one of the main stops on the North Borneo Railway line other than Tanjung Aru
Tanjung Aru
Tanjung Aru is a sub-district of Kota Kinabalu of Sabah, in Malaysia. Its main feature is its beach called Tanjung Aru Beach which stretches to over 2 kilometres long. It also has its own township called Pekan Tanjung Aru...
, Putatan
Putatan
Putatan is a town and a suburb of Kota Kinabalu in the state of Sabah, East Malaysia.-Location:The town was located within the district of Penampang on the coast of the West Coast Division but from March 1, 2007, Putatan became a district on its own....
, Beaufort and Tenom
Tenom
Tenom is a town located in Interior Division of Sabah, east Malaysia on the island of Borneo. The town was called Fort Birch in the early colonial period. Its population was estimated to be around 46,200 in the year 2000....
in which Papar lies on the middle of the line. Papar is also a major stopover point for travelers from the southern towns Sipitang and Beaufort to Kota Kinabalu, as it would be at least twenty kilometers to the next township at both ends of the Pan Borneo Highway (Putatan
Putatan
Putatan is a town and a suburb of Kota Kinabalu in the state of Sabah, East Malaysia.-Location:The town was located within the district of Penampang on the coast of the West Coast Division but from March 1, 2007, Putatan became a district on its own....
to the north, Bongawan
Bongawan
Bongawan is a town in the state of Sabah in Malaysia. It is located in the West Coast Division and is approximately 60 kilometres south of Kota Kinabalu, the state capital. Bongawan is situated within the parliamentary constituency of Kimanis...
to the south).
History
The name of 'Papar' came from Brunei word means flat or open land. Before the administration of British, Papar was administrated by Bruneian leader. Soon after, it was administrated by its first officer, Datu Amir Bahar, of Bajau decent, who was responsible for the departure of the Bruneian leader. Papar then handed to OverbeckOverbeck
Overbeck may refer to:*Carla Overbeck is an American soccer player and longtime member and captain of the United States women's national soccer team.*Christian Adolph Overbeck was a German poet, and the Burgomaster of Lübeck....
and Dent
Dent
- People :Surname* Andrew Dent AM, Australian doctor and humanitarian worker* Bucky Dent, American baseball player* Charles Dent , multiple people with the name...
brothers, in 1877.
The first British officer to served Papar was H.L. Leicester. He started his first job in February 1878 with vision to increase economic income of Papar. However, his vision was almost impossible to be achieved in struggled with economic problem at that time by British North Borneo Company
British North Borneo Company
The North Borneo Chartered Company or British North Borneo Company was a chartered company assigned to administer North Borneo in August 1881. North Borneo became a protectorate of the British Empire with internal affairs administered by the company until 1946 when it became the colony of British...
. He was later replaced by Everett
Everett
- Places :* Everett, Washington, the county seat and largest city in Washington state's Snohomish County*Naval Station Everett* Everett, Massachusetts, in Middlesex County, Massachusetts north of Boston* Everett, Pennsylvania, in Bedford County, Pennsylvania...
.
Islam
Papar is one of the most important place in Sabah (North Borneo) after Lahad Datu in the East Coast function as a place for spreading IslamIslam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
in Sabah. The district's first mosque was built at Kampung Laut around 1878, which then remained there until this day by the name Masjid Daerah Papar (Papar District Mosque). There are also some major mosques within district area such as Masjid Pekan Bongawan and Masjid Haji Mohd Yaakob, both at Bongawan
Bongawan
Bongawan is a town in the state of Sabah in Malaysia. It is located in the West Coast Division and is approximately 60 kilometres south of Kota Kinabalu, the state capital. Bongawan is situated within the parliamentary constituency of Kimanis...
and Beringgis respectively.
District
The populationPopulation
A population is all the organisms that both belong to the same group or species and live in the same geographical area. The area that is used to define a sexual population is such that inter-breeding is possible between any pair within the area and more probable than cross-breeding with individuals...
in the district was estimated to be around 105,200 in 2006,"Monthly Statistical Bulletin, January 2007: Sabah", Department of Statistics Malaysia, Sabah. and almost evenly divided between Bruneian Malay (Benoni, Buang Sayang, Bongawan, Kampung Laut, Kelanahan, Kimanis, Kinarut), Kadazandusun (Rampazan, Limbahau, Kinarut, Kopimpinan, Lakut, Mondolipau, Koiduan, Ulu Kimanis, Sumbiling, Limputung), and Bajau
Bajau
The Bajau or Bajaw , also spelled Bajao, Badjau, Badjaw, or Badjao, are an indigenous ethnic group of Maritime Southeast Asia...
(Pengalat Besar, Pengalat Kecil, Kawang, Beringgis). A sizeable Chinese
Chinese people
The term Chinese people may refer to any of the following:*People with Han Chinese ethnicity ....
from ethnic Hakka
Hakka people
The Hakka , sometimes Hakka Han, are Han Chinese who speak the Hakka language and have links to the provincial areas of Guangdong, Jiangxi, Guangxi, Sichuan, Hunan and Fujian in China....
, is also scattered throughout the district along with numbers of Indians and Pakistani.
The Papar area is characterised by low lying coastal areas which extend inland towards the Crocker Range. Traditionally this was good rice growing land and the flat open paddy fields may have given it the name. Even today, despite the rapid expansion of the city of Kota Kinabalu
Kota Kinabalu
Kota Kinabalu , formerly known as Jesselton, is the capital of Sabah state in East Malaysia. It is also the capital of the West Coast Division of Sabah. The city is located on the northwest coast of Borneo facing the South China Sea. The Tunku Abdul Rahman National Park lies on one side and Mount...
around 40 km north of Papar, the district is still dominated by paddy fields, which are largely worked by natives, and fruit orchards, most of which belong to the Hakka Chinese.
Town
The town itself occupies the southern banks of the Papar River not far from the sea. There are also areas of tidal wetland that are home to mangroveMangrove
Mangroves are various kinds of trees up to medium height and shrubs that grow in saline coastal sediment habitats in the tropics and subtropics – mainly between latitudes N and S...
trees and saltwater palm or nipah
Nypa fruticans
Nypa fruticans, known as the attap palm , nipa palm , and mangrove palm or buah atap , buah nipah , dừa nước , Ging Pol in Sinhala in Sri Lanka and gol pata , dani . It is the only palm considered a mangrove in the Mangroves Biome...
. Both banks are connected by two steel-concrete bridges, one (with a railway bridge) connecting directly into the town itself, and another much farther upriver (on the old Kota Kinabalu-Papar road) leading into the paddy plantation hamlets.
The town has seen considerable growth in recent years but still preserves some of its older buildings and features. Important architectural features which can be seen in the Papar town includes the District Office, Papar Public Library, Papar Public Park, New Papar Market, OKK Mahali Park (which constitutes a large part of the new town), Salleh Sulong Hall and a new bigger Papar Community Hall which also hosts a weekly wet market on its compounds, a sports complex with a field, a stand and a gymnasium, and the new train station, which doubles as a bus and mini-van station which serves the Kota Kinabalu-Papar-Beaufort route.
Despite repair and refurbishment over the years, the Papar railway bridge looks much as it did in the Second World War. It featured in Allied plans to retake North Borneo
North Borneo
North Borneo was a British protectorate under the sovereign North Borneo Chartered Company from 1882 to 1946. After the war it became a crown colony of Great Britain from 1946 to 1963, known in this time as British North Borneo. It is located on the northeastern end of the island of Borneo. It is...
from the Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese. References to it and the Papar River can be found in reports on covert intelligence operations Agas and Semut, and later in attack plans Stallion and Oboe 6.
Education
Papar is known as the West Coast DivisionWest Coast Division
West Coast Division is an administrative division of Sabah, east Malaysia, on the island of Borneo. It occupies the northwest portion of Sabah. With an area of 7,588 square kilometres, it occupies 10.3% of Sabah's territory...
education hub. Institut Kemahiran Belia Negara (National Youth Skill Institute) or IKBN and Maktab Rendah Sains MARA (MARA Science College) or MRSM are the first IKBN and MRSM built in Sabah. Papar main secondary schools are SMK Majakir, SMK Benoni, SMK Takis
SMK Takis Papar
SMK Takis Papar also known as Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Takis Papar in Malay, is a Malaysian secondary school located in East Malaysia at Papar district. This school was established in 2001.-History:...
, SMK Kinarut, SMK Bongawan I/II, SM St Joseph, SM St. Mary and Papar Middle School.
Papar has the most religious schools among districts; SMK(A) Tun Datu Mustapha, SMK(A) Limauan, new SMA Toh Puan Hajah Rahmah and SMA Islamiah Papar. Both SMK are under central government administrative while both SMA are under state government administrative. Papar education complex type area is situated at Kinarut
Kinarut
Kinarut is a town just outside Kota Kinabalu in Sabah, Malaysia. Located about 20 kilometres south of Kota Kinabalu, it is one of the stops for the North Borneo Railway. Popular tourist destinations in Kinarut are the Kindawan Horse Riding Centre, Dinawan Island, Lok Kawi Wildlife Center and...
which includes the IKBN, MRSM, SMK(A) Tun Datu Mustapha and SMA Toh Puan Hajah Rahmah. A number of primary schools can be found in the district
District
Districts are a type of administrative division, in some countries managed by a local government. They vary greatly in size, spanning entire regions or counties, several municipalities, or subdivisions of municipalities.-Austria:...
.
Tourism
Tourism industry is one of the leading industry in Papar after the agriculture industry. Many resorts can be found along the coastline of Papar from north to south of the district such as Beringgis Beach Resort. Other tourist attractions are:- Dinawan Island
- Kawang Forest Centre
- KK Adventure Park
- Mai Aman