Tawau
Encyclopedia
Tawau is the administrative center of Tawau Division
, Malaysia and the third largest town of Sabah
after Kota Kinabalu
and Sandakan
.
to the east and the interior mountain ranges to the west. The geographic coordinates of Tawau are latitude 4.298 degree North and longitude 117.883 degree East.
The main town area can be divided into three sections, i.e. Sabindo, Fajar and Tawau Lama or Old Tawau. Federal House, where most government offices such as the Immigration Department and the National Registration Department are located is found in Sabindo area. Fajar is the commercial area, where major banks such as HSBC
and Maybank
, BSN
, Public Bank
, are located. The Tawau District Court is also situated here. Tawau Lama is the original part of Tawau, which contains Tawau's central market. Tawau Port is also located in Tawau Lama.
and Suluk
), the villagers ( Nicholas Chung, Borneo Under the Sun, Natural History Publication ) and the groups of local natives (see information of Muzium Negeri Sabah) from the Kesultanan Sulu Territories (including Kudat
, Sandakan
, Lahad Datu
and Sebatik) around Borneo Island.These people were long-settled in the villages in Tawau Lama. Most of them were fishermen,hill rice farmers and sells jungle product, who maintained trade with the Dutch
. Besides that based on fact of history, there was an early settlement at Kalabakan, the oldest kampong in the Tawau distrist. Some of the nearest areas from Tawau such as Sebatik, Kalabakan and Serudong were under Sultanate of Bulungan Teritorries[ Sultan Kaharudin II ( 1875 - 1889 ) ] meanwhile the Nunukan and Tarakan was under to Kerajaan Tidung Tengara Territories [ Ratu Intan Dura / Datu Maulana (1867-1896)]
At 1885, a group of 25 people leads by a Bugis Wajo man named Puado immigrated and settled in Tawau Lama for planting coconuts with permission by English Governor, William Fryer in Sandakan.( Ken Gotlet, Tawau : The Making of a Tropical Community, Opus Publication, 2010 ).The Tawau Town, undoubtedly, was first settled by Bugis Wajo due to the fact that Penghulu Puado with his 25 men had arrived in Tawau way (1885) earlier than Kee Abdullah (1894), Daeng Mepata (1900) or the first British Resident, Alexander Rankin Dunlop (1899).
The name Tawau itself an enigma: the earliest reference to site of present town was Tanjung. Some sources suggest that the Suluk traders called the place Tawao, a misnomer of Davao on Philippine Island of Mindanao. The most credible origin of the word Tawau is attributed to the Tidung, who called the place Tanah Tidung with the word Tanah corrupted to Tawau. However, there is no firm evidence to support this claim.
The most detailed account of the founding of Tawau comes from former Ketua Kampung of Kampung Balung was KK Dullah Salim ( malay Bugis Wajo ), grandson of Penghulu Puado or his real name La Tuampong Bin Andi Buku @ Haji Hasan, the First Native Official recognised by the British. Puado, a Bugis Wajo from Sengkang , was a trader whose business activities extended along the east Borneo coast from Banjarmasin to Sandakan. Bugis Wajo is only the first immigrants in Tawau. Puado asked the Government whether there was land available for growing coconuts and offered land at Tawau, an offer he accepted. So it can be construed that Tawau was founded by Penghulu Puado, Kee Abdullah and Alexander R. Dunlop. There are three streets in Tawau is named after these important personalities that shape Tawau in the 1890s.
On 9 February 1893, the British vessel S.S. "Normanhurst" sailed into Tawau (or Tawao as it was then known) for the first time with a full cargo of dammar, gutta percha, India
n rubber
, tortoise shell
, and ivory
to barter for rattan
, raisin
s, Birds' nests
and rubber
. Kee Kim Swee
, a Sino-Dusun nationals who embraced Islam using the name Kee Abdullah. He became Malay by married the Malay girl named Jumatiah and live as Malay people. He was appointed by the British North Borneo (Chartered) Company
as a custom examiner and revenue collector in 1894 in Tawau. Later after retired from government, he appointed to be the Penghulu or 'Ketua Anak Negeri' carring the title of Orang Kaya Kaya (OKK) in Tawau. Now, Kee Abdullah remembered as a great Malay leader in Tawau. Her grandchildren was Datuk Taufik Abu Bakar Titingan (DUN Apas) and Kee Ayub Kee Abu Bakar (Ketua Anak Negeri of Tawau).
Steps were taken to establish the rudiment of local government by the British North Borneo Company (North Borneo Annual Volume 1966–1965 recorded that Tawau was founded in 1898). Land leases were alienated by the Administration. Since Tawau is situated close to the boundary with Indonesia
, it is noteworthy to mention here that the Sebatik boundary is to latitude 4°10'N which was delimited in 1912 by a Boundary Commission composed of officials from United Kingdom
and Netherlands
. A joint report was prepared together with a map and duly signed by their respective commissioners in Tawau on 17/2/1913. By a protocol between the UK and the Netherlands signed in London
on 28/9/1915, the two governments confirmed the joint report and the map.
In 1930s, Tawau prospered rapidly due largely to its agricultural potential. The inhabitant population rose to 1800 in 1931. The Kuhara Rubber and Manila Hemp Estates and the Kubota Coconut Estates were the two largest plantations of the time. There were also coal mining activities in Silimpopon, 80 mile from Tawau, from 1905 to 1930, operated by the Cowie Harbour Coal Company. Most of the work force was largely Cantonese. The First World War (1914–1918)
did not directly affect Tawau, which had, however, suffered its share of the world slump. Sandakan was the permanent seat of Government and centre of commerce; Tawau was a small but prosperous town.
By the end of 1930s, there were about 60 shophouses, all timber-built, lining the two main streets of Tawau, Dunlop Street (named after A.R. Dunlop who was a District Officer) and Man Cheong Street (now part of Dunlop Street). Man Cheong was a popular coffee shop. It still operates at Dunlop Street. Dunlop Street was so close to the shore that the shops on one side backed out over the high water mark. Most shops were owned by Chinese and sold the foodstuffs and equipment needed in households and on smallholdings. There were some coffee shops and lodging houses.
Tawau's centre was the padang or Town Field, an open area, with the sea on one side and whitewashed timber buildings on the other three - the District Office, police quarters, the government resthouse, none more than two storeys high. A tower (which still stands at the Town Field) was erected by the Japanese after World War I and hours were rung at intervals by the police guard. The scene was tranquil and beautiful. Traffic was scarce - a handful of private cars, lorries and vehicles belonging to the estates. From the field, Dunlop Street branched into Apas Road, which branched off to the Kuhara rubber estates and Sin On. Its people knew intuitively that they had to live and work together. Despite the many races, ethnic groups and religions, the town was very peaceful. There was no serious crime; doors and windows of dwelling houses were normally left unlocked.
There was neither electricity supply nor main drainage. The water supply to the town was by means of tubs set on trolleys which ran along the narrow gauge trolley line from Tawau River. The tubs were hauled by hand. A telephone line linked the District Office with the District Officer's house, the light house and Kuhara estate. The Government's wireless station communicated daily with Sandakan, whence messages were transmitted to Hong Kong
and Singapore
. There was no bank, but money could be remitted through the post office, and the Treasury accepted and repaid deposits on behalf of the State Bank.
There were 300 Japanese
working on the estates and 100 on Si-Amil Island. They owned the biggest estates (Kuhara Estate), and a golf course. There was an estate hospital and representative office of a Japanese Bank set up for the benefit of the Japanese inhabitants. Their commercial fishing was mainly for tuna. Their company, Borneo Fishing Company, whose office and factory was situated at Si-Amil Island (east of Mabul
and Sipadan
Islands). Apparently, all workers there were Japanese. Japanese men crewed the fishing boats, while canning factory was worked mainly by Japanese women. The workers and suppliers arrived in Tawau in Japanese ships, and all were disembarked into launches and lighters and taken direct to Si-Amil.
The S.S. "Kinabalu" of the Sabah Steamship Company (a subsidiary of Chartered Company) linked Tawau with Sandakan, Lahad Datu, Semporna
and Tungku. The ship was wrecked off Semporna
and later replaced by S.S. "Baynain" by the Bakau Company (also a subsidiary of the Chartered Company). The government cruiser "Petrel" was based in Tawau, but was often used on duty elsewhere. Apart from that, there very few sailing craft. There was no airfield in Tawau (or anywhere in Sabah). There was a small public hospital close to the shore but it had no medical officer. A medical doctor by the name of Ernst Sternfeld was sent from Sandakan to station in Tawau in 1939–1940, but lasted only a few months.
The Chinese community maintained schools. The Roman Catholic Church
was later established in 1922 and provided the only English primary school. Mosque
s were unostentatious. The District Office was headed by a British expatriate District Officer and assisted by a chief clerk and court interpreter, Lim Ong Tun. OKK Abu Bakar (a local Malay leader) the second penghulu or OKK was another highly respected figure in the community. The Chinese "Kapitan" was Stephen Tan (who was later killed by Japanese invaders).
A letter from Tawau to Sandakan
could take more than nine days to arrive and nineteen days was the average time for a letter to get to Singapore
. Since it took many days for the locals to receive mails and newspapers, they tended to rely on radio to keep themselves informed of world news - for the wars in Europe
, China
etc. Even then, few people could afford a radio set.
In January 1942, North Borneo
was invaded by Japanese naval
and military forces
. As the Japanese forces advanced around the coast of Borneo, from the oil fields near Kuching
, then to Jesselton - while Tawau carried on normally. On 19 January 1942, the Sandakan wireless station went off the air. On 24 January 1942, the Japanese invaders were sighted off Batu Tinagat. The District Officer (Cole Adams) and his Assistant met the invaders at the wharf and were arrested immediately. Mr. Cole Adams, after forty-four months in the Japanese prison camps, first on Berhala Island near Sandakan, and then at Batu Lintang camp
near Kuching, died in September 1945 on the very day of his release by the Australian 9th Division.
For 3 years Tawau and the rest of the country remained under the Japanese occupation
until being finally liberated by units of North Australian Division, who landed in Labuan
on 10 June 1945. B.B.C.A.U., the British Military Administration of North Borneo
found the Colony in a state of devastation. Like all other major towns in the Colony, Tawau was destroyed or damaged by bombing and fire.
During the Japanese occupation, many of the inhabitants were massacred, among them a large number of government servants. The British Military Administration continued until 15 July 1946, when civil government was resumed. A lot of pre-war records were destroyed. The emphasis in the immediate post war period was concerned with rehabilitation and reconstruction. A reconstruction and development plan for the years 1945–1955 was adopted in 1948. There were many programmes in the field of social services. The Tawau Town Board was constituted in 1955 with control over its own finances and local authorities.
Population statistics ((2009 census))
, cocoa and palm oil
. Currently, Tawau Port is one of Sabah's main export gateway for timber
. Birds' nests
are harvested at Baturong, Segalong and Madai Caves
as Chinese medicinal delicacies.
There are a few significant development projects in Tawau. These include Tawau Sports Complex, Tawau Free Trade Zone, Kuhara Point and Bandar Sri Indah.
Kuhara Point is an integrated development project which consists of a shopping mall, Eastern Plaza, an office tower, a 4-star hotel and high-rise luxurious condominiums, Kuhara Court.
Bandar Sri Indah is Sabah's largest satellite township development project. It is constructed on 1368 acres (5.5 km²) of reclaimed land, which is three times larger than Tawau town center. Bandar Sri Indah is located at km 16 of Tawau Airport Highway.
. It was named the cocoa capital of Asia in the 1980s. According to the director of Agricultural & Rural Development Department for Vietnamese region, Malaysian cocoa seeds are the best in Asia. As of Feb 2002, the bean price for the SMC1A grade ex-Tawau in Malaysia's growing area rose to 5,173 ringgit (US$1,361) a tonne from 4,890 ringgit one week earlier.
Malaysia plans to increase its cocoa beans output to 250,000 tonnes a year to help meet the rising of country's grinders' demand and cut down the imports of cocoa bean.
ese, at that time the most modern Asian country and an ally of Britain.
In 1917, a Japanese merchant marine captain Jiro Orita launched the Borneo Fishing Company, which differs from the previous fishing efforts in at least two ways. Firstly, it was a larger operation and secondly, it was geared to support the export market. The company set up an office in Tawau. The fishes were caught in the surrounding waters, taken to Pulau Si Amil, an island about 10 miles (16 km) southeast of Semporna, where they were processed and then, taken to the company's warehouse in Tawau to await shipment. Orita imported his labour from Japan and Taiwan
. Orita's Ice Plant, developed mainly for the freezing of fish, also supplied ice to the town.
Today, prawn farming is one of the main activities in Tawau. Spawners from Sabah, especially Tawau, are graded the best in Malaysia. For this reason, Tawau has been supplying high-grade tiger prawns to neighbouring countries, such as Singapore
, Hong Kong
, Taiwan
and Japan
for decades.
Hundreds of deep sea trawlers and tuckboats can be seen at Cowie Bay.
, Philippines
, - Miami , United States
, - Batavia
, Indonesia
, - Kuala Lumpur
, Malaysia,
has picnic areas, a vast camping site, and cabins, mainly visited by local residents during weekends. Located 24 km from Tawau town, the park is accessible by road transport. The Tawau River flows across the park and tumbles over several attractive waterfalls. The Table Waterfall has created a natural flowing pond for swimmers. Shelters, toilets and changing rooms are within vicinity.
The park is formed from rugged volcanic landscapes. Bombalai Hill
, a relatively young volcanic cone, has the remains of the central crater, which still can be seen from the summit. Local flora include the lowland Dipterocarp forest, as well as many species of wild orchids. Occasional sightings of Maroon Leaf Monkey
s and Crab-eating Macaque
s, and the less common but beautiful Cream-coloured Giant Squirrel
, and the Asian Forest Tortoise
are found.
Bukit Gemok is about 428 meter from sea level and is part of the Bukit Gemok Forest Reserve covering 4.45 km². It was declared a forest reserve in 1984.
What makes Bukit Gemok interesting is the challenging track to the top of the hill. There is also a canopy walkway, Titian Silara, which is 231 meter long. It hangs from a few trees on the top of Bukit Gemok and provides visitors a good view of Tawau. The canopy walkway is the second one to be built here after the original canopy collapsed. It is worthwhile to climb up the hill just to enjoy the fantastic views.
, Mabul
, Kapalai
& Mataking islands; and to Indonesia such as Sebatik island, Tarakan
& Nunukan island
.
Sipadan Island
is the only oceanic island in Malaysia. It rises 2,000 feet (600 m) to its peak above sea floor. It is rated as one of the best diving sites in the world. Mabul Island is a small oval shaped island of 200,000 m² ringed with sandy beaches. It is perched on the northwest corner of a larger 2 square kilometre reef.
Following paths from the factory is a hiking trail which leads to a magnificent waterfall. The magnificent waterfall, also known as the Cocoa Culture Spring at the village is an ideal location for a picnic. Nature lovers will feel very much like entering a typical and tropical dense forest which is surrounded by a vast diversity of flora and fauna. The village has two main waterfalls and four mini cascades. Trek up and down steep stairways, following the sounds of babbling brooks will end at what promises to be a splendid waterfall. This waterfall is opened to the public and it is ideal for picnics and get-togethers of families and friends.
For more information, visit following URL :
Mountain stream water is always cool, as else where in other jungles and forests. But in Tawau we have a mountain stream of HOT water as hot as the hot water we used for bathing in our house.
Jalan Air Panas, Taman Air Panas, Hot Spring Park and Kampung Air Panas are the names of a road, housing estates and a village synonymous with hot springs located a 15-minute drive from here. The hot springs were found decades and the surrounding area was named Air Panas (Hot Water).
These springs had been attracting streams of visitors, particularly from Sabah’s east coast as far as Kunak and Semporna. Local people use the spring water for medicinal skin treatment. Bathing in spring water is popular here. They bring along food for lunch as the place feels fresh and is ideal for picnicking.
Above picture show warm spring water drain beside a major road construction site. The construction site is only 200 meters from the hot sprigs and due to complete by middle of 2007.
All 8 hot sulphurous springs occur along the 50 m stretch of mountain stream. Some springs outlets are on the riverbed, others by the bank.
The spring waters are acidic. A strong hydrogen sulphide smell can be detected before reaching stream.
s are the rarest primates on earth as they are only found on the island of Borneo. These monkeys live in mangrove swamps and riverside forests along the Tawau River. The females are about 60 cm tall and the males are about 70 cm tall. They have reddish fur and are tree-dwellers, who inhabit areas close to water and are excellent swimmers. The monkeys are vegetarian and live on mangrove shoots and fruits. They travel in small groups.
At night, numerous stalls set up around the town. Many stalls sell Malay's foods like tasty chicken wings, nasi campur, variety of sate such as sate lembu, sate ayam, sate hati and sate empedal,'Terang Bulan', many types of fried foods such as 'goreng pisang', 'ubi goreng', 'cempedak goreng' and 'sukun goreng', variety of Jawa foods like mi jawa, murtabak jawa, gado gado, bakso and a Makasar specialty food 'Coto Makasar' and 'Sanggar' ( Bugis's name for fried bananas), ABC and Cendol and many types of Malay's cakes such as 'apam', 'kuih talam' , Onde-onde (glutinous rice with savoury taste roasted in banana leaves), Kuih Pandan (Pandan rice cake), Donut( Doughnut ) Karipap (Curry Puff), Kuih kacang (Peanut pancake spread with Kaya
coconut jam), Bubur Chaca(local dessert served with tapioca, sweet potato and sago
in sweet coconut milk) & etc.
"Nasi Kuning" or yellow rice is an Tawau Malay's recipe that cannot be found anywhere else in Malaysia except Tawau. The rice is cooked with turmeric
, also known as kunyit in Malay, and coconut milk - which when mixed causes the rice to become yellow in colour. It is usually served with a piece of fish deep-fried in dried chilli sauce. This can be found in almost any Malay restaurants or stalls around Tawau but sometimes also sold in some Chinese coffeeshops. To further enhance the taste, the rice is usually wrapped in banana leaves. Price ranges from RM 0.50 to RM 3.00 per serving.
Tauhu mee or mi tauhu also can't be found in Malaysia except Tawau.. The "mi tauhu" is "mi kuning" or bee hoon served with fried tauhu pasted with fish fillet and "kuah taucu". Besides tauhu pasted with fish fillet, "mi tauhu" also served with fish pasted chili, eggplant and 'peria'. The price range of "mi tauhu" from RM 1.50 to RM 3.00..
"Amplang" is also another cuisine which cannot be found anywhere else in Malaysia except Tawau. It is a deep-fried fish paste which is dipped in corn flour before frying.
Some other desserts that are more commonly found in this town is Iced Lime Tea(usually with a sour plum and commonly known as 'Kit Cai Sui Peng') and Coconut Pudding (Pudding made from coconut which uses the coconut itself as the mould )
Besides, there's also famous cuisine at Tawau called Nasi Lalap.
takes about 8 hours by express coach, stationed at North City Bus Terminal at Inanam
, a township located outside the Kota Kinabalu city centre on Jalan Tuaran).
Travelling by air takes about 45 minutes from Kota Kinabalu
or Sandakan
. Malaysia Airlines
provides up to 4 daily scheduled flights from Kota Kinabalu International Airport
to Tawau International Airport
.
Another low-cost carrier service provided by Air Asia, which fly directly from Kuala Lumpur International Airport, KLIA
and Senai International Airport
in Johor Bahru takes about 2 hours and 30 minutes.
Tawau Division
Tawau Division is one of the five administrative sub-divisions of Sabah, east Malaysia, on the island of Borneo. It occupies a total of 14,905 square kilometers or 20% of Sabah's territory...
, Malaysia and the third largest town 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...
after 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 Sandakan
Sandakan
Sandakan is the second-largest city in Sabah, East Malaysia, on the north-eastern coast of Borneo. It is located on the east coast of the island and it is the administrative centre of Sandakan Division and was the former capital of British North Borneo...
.
Geography
Tawau is located at the south-east coast of Sabah which faces the Celebes SeaCelebes Sea
The Celebes Sea of the western Pacific Ocean is bordered on the north by the Sulu Archipelago and Sulu Sea and Mindanao Island of the Philippines, on the east by the Sangihe Islands chain, on the south by Sulawesi, and on the west by Kalimantan in Indonesia...
to the east and the interior mountain ranges to the west. The geographic coordinates of Tawau are latitude 4.298 degree North and longitude 117.883 degree East.
The main town area can be divided into three sections, i.e. Sabindo, Fajar and Tawau Lama or Old Tawau. Federal House, where most government offices such as the Immigration Department and the National Registration Department are located is found in Sabindo area. Fajar is the commercial area, where major banks such as HSBC
HSBC
HSBC Holdings plc is a global banking and financial services company headquartered in Canary Wharf, London, United Kingdom. it is the world's second-largest banking and financial services group and second-largest public company according to a composite measure by Forbes magazine...
and Maybank
Maybank
Maybank , a trade name for Malayan Banking Berhad is the largest bank and financial group in Malaysia, with significant banking operations in Singapore, Indonesia and the Philippines. The bank also has large interests in Islamic banking through Maybank Islamic Berhad and insurance via its Etiqa...
, BSN
Bank Simpanan Nasional
Bank Simpanan Nasional is a government owned bank in Malaysia.- History :BSN was incorporated on 1 December 1974 under the Ministry of Finance. With its incorporation, BSN has taken over all the duties and responsibilities of the Post Office Savings Bank...
, Public Bank
Public Bank
Public Bank Berhad is a bank based in Malaysia. Public Bank is currently the biggest domestic bank in Malaysia by shareholders' funds. It focuses on retail customers and small to medium sized enterprises. The bank was founded in 1966 by Teh Hong Piow, the then general manager of Malayan Banking...
, are located. The Tawau District Court is also situated here. Tawau Lama is the original part of Tawau, which contains Tawau's central market. Tawau Port is also located in Tawau Lama.
History
In early 1800s, Tawau's population was about 200, mainly by local Malay people ( TidungTidung
The Tidung, or Tidong are a group of Dayak people who lived in northeastern part of Borneo and surrounding small islands. They lived on both sides of the border of Malaysia and Indonesia. They are closely related to other native people in northeastern Borneo, such as Murut people.Tidung speak...
and Suluk
Suluk
For the Suluk people of Sulu and Malaysia, see Tausūg people. For the Islamic or Sufi term, see Sulook. For the Libyan town, see Suluq.Suluk is a settlement in the Xinjiang Autonomous Region of China. It is situated 11 km to the east of the Continental Pole of inaccessibility, the point of...
), the villagers ( Nicholas Chung, Borneo Under the Sun, Natural History Publication ) and the groups of local natives (see information of Muzium Negeri Sabah) from the Kesultanan Sulu Territories (including Kudat
Kudat
Kudat is a town in Sabah, East Malaysia, on the northern tip of Borneo island. It serves as the administrative center for the Kudat Division, which includes the towns of Kudat, Pitas, Kota Marudu, and some offshore islands....
, Sandakan
Sandakan
Sandakan is the second-largest city in Sabah, East Malaysia, on the north-eastern coast of Borneo. It is located on the east coast of the island and it is the administrative centre of Sandakan Division and was the former capital of British North Borneo...
, Lahad Datu
Lahad Datu
Lahad Datu is a town and district located in Tawau Division, in the east of Sabah, eastern Malaysia on the island of Borneo. It occupies the peninsula on the north side of Darvel Bay. Its population was estimated to be around 118,000 in 1991 and 156,059 in the 2000 census. Lahad Datu is surrounded...
and Sebatik) around Borneo Island.These people were long-settled in the villages in Tawau Lama. Most of them were fishermen,hill rice farmers and sells jungle product, who maintained trade with the Dutch
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
. Besides that based on fact of history, there was an early settlement at Kalabakan, the oldest kampong in the Tawau distrist. Some of the nearest areas from Tawau such as Sebatik, Kalabakan and Serudong were under Sultanate of Bulungan Teritorries[ Sultan Kaharudin II ( 1875 - 1889 ) ] meanwhile the Nunukan and Tarakan was under to Kerajaan Tidung Tengara Territories [ Ratu Intan Dura / Datu Maulana (1867-1896)]
At 1885, a group of 25 people leads by a Bugis Wajo man named Puado immigrated and settled in Tawau Lama for planting coconuts with permission by English Governor, William Fryer in Sandakan.( Ken Gotlet, Tawau : The Making of a Tropical Community, Opus Publication, 2010 ).The Tawau Town, undoubtedly, was first settled by Bugis Wajo due to the fact that Penghulu Puado with his 25 men had arrived in Tawau way (1885) earlier than Kee Abdullah (1894), Daeng Mepata (1900) or the first British Resident, Alexander Rankin Dunlop (1899).
The name Tawau itself an enigma: the earliest reference to site of present town was Tanjung. Some sources suggest that the Suluk traders called the place Tawao, a misnomer of Davao on Philippine Island of Mindanao. The most credible origin of the word Tawau is attributed to the Tidung, who called the place Tanah Tidung with the word Tanah corrupted to Tawau. However, there is no firm evidence to support this claim.
The most detailed account of the founding of Tawau comes from former Ketua Kampung of Kampung Balung was KK Dullah Salim ( malay Bugis Wajo ), grandson of Penghulu Puado or his real name La Tuampong Bin Andi Buku @ Haji Hasan, the First Native Official recognised by the British. Puado, a Bugis Wajo from Sengkang , was a trader whose business activities extended along the east Borneo coast from Banjarmasin to Sandakan. Bugis Wajo is only the first immigrants in Tawau. Puado asked the Government whether there was land available for growing coconuts and offered land at Tawau, an offer he accepted. So it can be construed that Tawau was founded by Penghulu Puado, Kee Abdullah and Alexander R. Dunlop. There are three streets in Tawau is named after these important personalities that shape Tawau in the 1890s.
On 9 February 1893, the British vessel S.S. "Normanhurst" sailed into Tawau (or Tawao as it was then known) for the first time with a full cargo of dammar, gutta percha, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n rubber
Rubber
Natural rubber, also called India rubber or caoutchouc, is an elastomer that was originally derived from latex, a milky colloid produced by some plants. The plants would be ‘tapped’, that is, an incision made into the bark of the tree and the sticky, milk colored latex sap collected and refined...
, tortoise shell
Tortoiseshell material
Tortoiseshell or tortoise shell is a material produced mainly from the shell of the hawksbill turtle, an endangered species. It was widely used in the 1960s and 1970s in the manufacture of items such as combs, sunglasses, guitar picks and knitting needles...
, and ivory
Ivory
Ivory is a term for dentine, which constitutes the bulk of the teeth and tusks of animals, when used as a material for art or manufacturing. Ivory has been important since ancient times for making a range of items, from ivory carvings to false teeth, fans, dominoes, joint tubes, piano keys and...
to barter for rattan
Rattan
Rattan is the name for the roughly 600 species of palms in the tribe Calameae, native to tropical regions of Africa, Asia and Australasia.- Structure :...
, raisin
Raisin
Raisins are dried grapes. They are produced in many regions of the world. Raisins may be eaten raw or used in cooking, baking and brewing...
s, Birds' nests
Bird's nest soup
Bird's nest soup is a delicacy in Chinese cuisine. A few species of swift, the cave swifts, are renowned for building the saliva nests used to produce the unique texture of this soup....
and rubber
Rubber
Natural rubber, also called India rubber or caoutchouc, is an elastomer that was originally derived from latex, a milky colloid produced by some plants. The plants would be ‘tapped’, that is, an incision made into the bark of the tree and the sticky, milk colored latex sap collected and refined...
. Kee Kim Swee
Kee Kim Swee
Kee Kim Swee was one of the prominent and important Chinese nationality who settled in Tawau, Sabah. He was appointed as the first custom examiner and revenue collector by the British North Borneo Company in Tawau, 1894...
, a Sino-Dusun nationals who embraced Islam using the name Kee Abdullah. He became Malay by married the Malay girl named Jumatiah and live as Malay people. He was appointed by the British North Borneo (Chartered) 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...
as a custom examiner and revenue collector in 1894 in Tawau. Later after retired from government, he appointed to be the Penghulu or 'Ketua Anak Negeri' carring the title of Orang Kaya Kaya (OKK) in Tawau. Now, Kee Abdullah remembered as a great Malay leader in Tawau. Her grandchildren was Datuk Taufik Abu Bakar Titingan (DUN Apas) and Kee Ayub Kee Abu Bakar (Ketua Anak Negeri of Tawau).
Steps were taken to establish the rudiment of local government by the British North Borneo Company (North Borneo Annual Volume 1966–1965 recorded that Tawau was founded in 1898). Land leases were alienated by the Administration. Since Tawau is situated close to the boundary with Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
, it is noteworthy to mention here that the Sebatik boundary is to latitude 4°10'N which was delimited in 1912 by a Boundary Commission composed of officials from United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
. A joint report was prepared together with a map and duly signed by their respective commissioners in Tawau on 17/2/1913. By a protocol between the UK and the Netherlands signed in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
on 28/9/1915, the two governments confirmed the joint report and the map.
In 1930s, Tawau prospered rapidly due largely to its agricultural potential. The inhabitant population rose to 1800 in 1931. The Kuhara Rubber and Manila Hemp Estates and the Kubota Coconut Estates were the two largest plantations of the time. There were also coal mining activities in Silimpopon, 80 mile from Tawau, from 1905 to 1930, operated by the Cowie Harbour Coal Company. Most of the work force was largely Cantonese. The First World War (1914–1918)
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
did not directly affect Tawau, which had, however, suffered its share of the world slump. Sandakan was the permanent seat of Government and centre of commerce; Tawau was a small but prosperous town.
By the end of 1930s, there were about 60 shophouses, all timber-built, lining the two main streets of Tawau, Dunlop Street (named after A.R. Dunlop who was a District Officer) and Man Cheong Street (now part of Dunlop Street). Man Cheong was a popular coffee shop. It still operates at Dunlop Street. Dunlop Street was so close to the shore that the shops on one side backed out over the high water mark. Most shops were owned by Chinese and sold the foodstuffs and equipment needed in households and on smallholdings. There were some coffee shops and lodging houses.
Tawau's centre was the padang or Town Field, an open area, with the sea on one side and whitewashed timber buildings on the other three - the District Office, police quarters, the government resthouse, none more than two storeys high. A tower (which still stands at the Town Field) was erected by the Japanese after World War I and hours were rung at intervals by the police guard. The scene was tranquil and beautiful. Traffic was scarce - a handful of private cars, lorries and vehicles belonging to the estates. From the field, Dunlop Street branched into Apas Road, which branched off to the Kuhara rubber estates and Sin On. Its people knew intuitively that they had to live and work together. Despite the many races, ethnic groups and religions, the town was very peaceful. There was no serious crime; doors and windows of dwelling houses were normally left unlocked.
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
and Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
. There was no bank, but money could be remitted through the post office, and the Treasury accepted and repaid deposits on behalf of the State Bank.
There were 300 Japanese
Japanese people
The are an ethnic group originating in the Japanese archipelago and are the predominant ethnic group of Japan. Worldwide, approximately 130 million people are of Japanese descent; of these, approximately 127 million are residents of Japan. People of Japanese ancestry who live in other countries...
working on the estates and 100 on Si-Amil Island. They owned the biggest estates (Kuhara Estate), and a golf course. There was an estate hospital and representative office of a Japanese Bank set up for the benefit of the Japanese inhabitants. Their commercial fishing was mainly for tuna. Their company, Borneo Fishing Company, whose office and factory was situated at Si-Amil Island (east of Mabul
Mabul
Mabul is a small island off the south-eastern coast of Sabah in Malaysia. The island has been a fishing village since 1970s. Then in 1990s, it first became popular to divers due to its proximity to Sipadan island....
and Sipadan
Sipadan
Sipadan is the only oceanic island in Malaysia, rising from the seabed. It is located in the Celebes Sea off the east coast of Sabah, East Malaysia . It was formed by living corals growing on top of an extinct volcanic cone that took thousands of years to develop...
Islands). Apparently, all workers there were Japanese. Japanese men crewed the fishing boats, while canning factory was worked mainly by Japanese women. The workers and suppliers arrived in Tawau in Japanese ships, and all were disembarked into launches and lighters and taken direct to Si-Amil.
The S.S. "Kinabalu" of the Sabah Steamship Company (a subsidiary of Chartered Company) linked Tawau with Sandakan, Lahad Datu, Semporna
Semporna
Semporna is a town located in Tawau Division, in the east coast of Sabah, Malaysia on the island of Borneo. Its population was estimated to be around 133,000 in 2006.-History:...
and Tungku. The ship was wrecked off Semporna
Semporna
Semporna is a town located in Tawau Division, in the east coast of Sabah, Malaysia on the island of Borneo. Its population was estimated to be around 133,000 in 2006.-History:...
and later replaced by S.S. "Baynain" by the Bakau Company (also a subsidiary of the Chartered Company). The government cruiser "Petrel" was based in Tawau, but was often used on duty elsewhere. Apart from that, there very few sailing craft. There was no airfield in Tawau (or anywhere in Sabah). There was a small public hospital close to the shore but it had no medical officer. A medical doctor by the name of Ernst Sternfeld was sent from Sandakan to station in Tawau in 1939–1940, but lasted only a few months.
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
was later established in 1922 and provided the only English primary school. Mosque
Mosque
A mosque is a place of worship for followers of Islam. The word is likely to have entered the English language through French , from Portuguese , from Spanish , and from Berber , ultimately originating in — . The Arabic word masjid literally means a place of prostration...
s were unostentatious. The District Office was headed by a British expatriate District Officer and assisted by a chief clerk and court interpreter, Lim Ong Tun. OKK Abu Bakar (a local Malay leader) the second penghulu or OKK was another highly respected figure in the community. The Chinese "Kapitan" was Stephen Tan (who was later killed by Japanese invaders).
A letter from Tawau to Sandakan
Sandakan
Sandakan is the second-largest city in Sabah, East Malaysia, on the north-eastern coast of Borneo. It is located on the east coast of the island and it is the administrative centre of Sandakan Division and was the former capital of British North Borneo...
could take more than nine days to arrive and nineteen days was the average time for a letter to get to Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
. Since it took many days for the locals to receive mails and newspapers, they tended to rely on radio to keep themselves informed of world news - for the wars in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
etc. Even then, few people could afford a radio set.
In January 1942, 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...
was invaded by Japanese naval
Imperial Japanese Navy
The Imperial Japanese Navy was the navy of the Empire of Japan from 1869 until 1947, when it was dissolved following Japan's constitutional renunciation of the use of force as a means of settling international disputes...
and military forces
Imperial Japanese Army
-Foundation:During the Meiji Restoration, the military forces loyal to the Emperor were samurai drawn primarily from the loyalist feudal domains of Satsuma and Chōshū...
. As the Japanese forces advanced around the coast of Borneo, from the oil fields near Kuching
Kuching
Kuching , officially the City of Kuching, and formerly the City of Sarawak, is the capital and most populous city of the East Malaysian state of Sarawak. It is the largest city on the island of Borneo, and the fourth largest city in Malaysia....
, then to Jesselton - while Tawau carried on normally. On 19 January 1942, the Sandakan wireless station went off the air. On 24 January 1942, the Japanese invaders were sighted off Batu Tinagat. The District Officer (Cole Adams) and his Assistant met the invaders at the wharf and were arrested immediately. Mr. Cole Adams, after forty-four months in the Japanese prison camps, first on Berhala Island near Sandakan, and then at Batu Lintang camp
Batu Lintang camp
Batu Lintang camp at Kuching, Sarawak on the island of Borneo was a Japanese internment camp during the Second World War. It was unusual in that it housed both Allied prisoners of war and civilian internees...
near Kuching, died in September 1945 on the very day of his release by the Australian 9th Division.
For 3 years Tawau and the rest of the country remained under the Japanese occupation
Japanese occupation of Malaya, North Borneo and Sarawak
Throughout much of World War II, British Malaya, North Borneo and Sarawak were under Japanese occupation.The Japanese Empire commenced the Pacific War with the invasion of Kota Bahru in Kelantan on 8 December 1941 at 00:25, about 90 minutes before the Attack on Pearl Harbor in Hawaii at 07:48 on 7...
until being finally liberated by units of North Australian Division, who landed in Labuan
Labuan
Labuan is a federal territory in East Malaysia. It is an island off the coast of the state of Sabah. Labuan's capital is Victoria and is best known as an offshore financial centre offering international financial and business services via Labuan IBFC since 1990 as well as being an offshore support...
on 10 June 1945. B.B.C.A.U., the British Military Administration of 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...
found the Colony in a state of devastation. Like all other major towns in the Colony, Tawau was destroyed or damaged by bombing and fire.
During the Japanese occupation, many of the inhabitants were massacred, among them a large number of government servants. The British Military Administration continued until 15 July 1946, when civil government was resumed. A lot of pre-war records were destroyed. The emphasis in the immediate post war period was concerned with rehabilitation and reconstruction. A reconstruction and development plan for the years 1945–1955 was adopted in 1948. There were many programmes in the field of social services. The Tawau Town Board was constituted in 1955 with control over its own finances and local authorities.
Demographics
As of 1991, the population of the Tawau was estimated at 345,000.Population statistics ((2009 census))
| Total | 474,728 |
| Female | 215,360 |
| Male | 259,368 |
| Malay | 11,516 |
| Dusun | 921 |
| Kadazan | 76 |
| Bajau | 17,094 |
| Murut | 1,529 |
| Other Bumiputera | 24,946 |
| Chinese (majority Hakka) | 35,097 |
| Indonesian | 55,057 |
| Other Non-Bumiputera | 3,727 |
| Total Malaysian citizen | 192,695 |
| Non-Malaysian citizen | 274.728 |
| Population distribution | 14.1% |
| Population density | 40/km² |
Economy
Exports have traditionally been tobaccoTobacco
Tobacco is an agricultural product processed from the leaves of plants in the genus Nicotiana. It can be consumed, used as a pesticide and, in the form of nicotine tartrate, used in some medicines...
, cocoa and palm oil
Palm oil
Palm oil, coconut oil and palm kernel oil are edible plant oils derived from the fruits of palm trees. Palm oil is extracted from the pulp of the fruit of the oil palm Elaeis guineensis; palm kernel oil is derived from the kernel of the oil palm and coconut oil is derived from the kernel of the...
. Currently, Tawau Port is one of Sabah's main export gateway for timber
Timber
Timber may refer to:* Timber, a term common in the United Kingdom and Australia for wood materials * Timber, Oregon, an unincorporated community in the U.S...
. Birds' nests
Bird's nest soup
Bird's nest soup is a delicacy in Chinese cuisine. A few species of swift, the cave swifts, are renowned for building the saliva nests used to produce the unique texture of this soup....
are harvested at Baturong, Segalong and Madai Caves
Madai Caves
Madai Caves are famed as a source for swiftlet's nests used in bird's nest soup. The caves are located in Tawau Division of Sabah, eastern Malaysia, on the island of Borneo....
as Chinese medicinal delicacies.
There are a few significant development projects in Tawau. These include Tawau Sports Complex, Tawau Free Trade Zone, Kuhara Point and Bandar Sri Indah.
Kuhara Point is an integrated development project which consists of a shopping mall, Eastern Plaza, an office tower, a 4-star hotel and high-rise luxurious condominiums, Kuhara Court.
Bandar Sri Indah is Sabah's largest satellite township development project. It is constructed on 1368 acres (5.5 km²) of reclaimed land, which is three times larger than Tawau town center. Bandar Sri Indah is located at km 16 of Tawau Airport Highway.
Cocoa industry
Tawau is the world's third largest producer of cocoa bean after Ivory Coast and GhanaGhana
Ghana , officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country located in West Africa. It is bordered by Côte d'Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, Togo to the east, and the Gulf of Guinea to the south...
. It was named the cocoa capital of Asia in the 1980s. According to the director of Agricultural & Rural Development Department for Vietnamese region, Malaysian cocoa seeds are the best in Asia. As of Feb 2002, the bean price for the SMC1A grade ex-Tawau in Malaysia's growing area rose to 5,173 ringgit (US$1,361) a tonne from 4,890 ringgit one week earlier.
Malaysia plans to increase its cocoa beans output to 250,000 tonnes a year to help meet the rising of country's grinders' demand and cut down the imports of cocoa bean.
Fishing industry
Since time immemorial, people in Tawau have relied on the sea for their sustenance. A great variety of high-grade fishes and all kinds of crustaceans were found in abundance in the sea and waterways around Tawau. To the early settlers, nearly all seafarers, making a living from the sea was easy. And in the age of subsistence economy with a small population, in-shore fishing using sampans was the norm. There was apparently no urgency or necessity to organize the fishing folk to engage in commercial deep-sea fishing. However, the Chartered Company soon realized the potential of developing deep-sea fishing as a means to augment and diversify the existing economic base. Once again they turned to the JapanJapan
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, at that time the most modern Asian country and an ally of Britain.
In 1917, a Japanese merchant marine captain Jiro Orita launched the Borneo Fishing Company, which differs from the previous fishing efforts in at least two ways. Firstly, it was a larger operation and secondly, it was geared to support the export market. The company set up an office in Tawau. The fishes were caught in the surrounding waters, taken to Pulau Si Amil, an island about 10 miles (16 km) southeast of Semporna, where they were processed and then, taken to the company's warehouse in Tawau to await shipment. Orita imported his labour from Japan and Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
. Orita's Ice Plant, developed mainly for the freezing of fish, also supplied ice to the town.
Today, prawn farming is one of the main activities in Tawau. Spawners from Sabah, especially Tawau, are graded the best in Malaysia. For this reason, Tawau has been supplying high-grade tiger prawns to neighbouring countries, such as Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
, Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
, Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
and 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...
for decades.
Hundreds of deep sea trawlers and tuckboats can be seen at Cowie Bay.
Education
Tawau offers good opportunities for education. There are many primary and secondary schools in Tawau such as St. Patrick Anglican Academy (S.P.A.A), SM St. Patrick and SMK Tawau. There is also one private Chinese high school - Sabah Chinese High School (Sekolah Tinggi Cina Sabah). Technical and Vocational school can also be found at Tawau. The only Technical School in Tawau is SM Teknik Tawau, that are situated at the Muhibbah. Tawau also has one of the only two A-Level education centres in the state of Sabah - the Institute of Science and Management (ISM). There are also teacher training colleges such as Institut Perguruan Tawau,Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) Sabah Tawau Branch, Open University Malaysia, PPT Universiti Terbuka Malaysia,Tawau, Kolej Komuniti Tawau, Maktab Rendah Sains MARA Tawau and Pusat Giat Mara Tawau.Sister cities
- Batangas CityBatangas City
- Foreign Rule :The first Spanish missionaries arrived in Batangas City since 1572. Finally on 1581 Spanish authorities governing the Philippines created a pueblo in the area which included the hill where the present Provincial Capitol of Batangas stands after the formal end of the Coumintang...
, Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
, - Miami , United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, - Batavia
Jakarta
Jakarta is the capital and largest city of Indonesia. Officially known as the Special Capital Territory of Jakarta, it is located on the northwest coast of Java, has an area of , and a population of 9,580,000. Jakarta is the country's economic, cultural and political centre...
, Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
, - Kuala Lumpur
Kuala Lumpur
Kuala Lumpur is the capital and the second largest city in Malaysia by population. The city proper, making up an area of , has a population of 1.4 million as of 2010. Greater Kuala Lumpur, also known as the Klang Valley, is an urban agglomeration of 7.2 million...
, Malaysia,
Tawau Hills National Park
Tawau Hills National ParkTawau Hills National Park
Tawau Hills National Park, also Tawau Hills Park, was established in 1979, primarily as a protection for the water catchment area of Tawau town, in Sabah, east Malaysia on the island of Borneo. It is located 24 kilometers from Tawau, and comprises 279.72 km² of lowland dipterocarp rainforest,...
has picnic areas, a vast camping site, and cabins, mainly visited by local residents during weekends. Located 24 km from Tawau town, the park is accessible by road transport. The Tawau River flows across the park and tumbles over several attractive waterfalls. The Table Waterfall has created a natural flowing pond for swimmers. Shelters, toilets and changing rooms are within vicinity.
The park is formed from rugged volcanic landscapes. Bombalai Hill
Bombalai Hill
Mount Bombalai is part of a volcanic field on the Semporna peninsula in northeastern Borneo. The volcano lies in Tawau Division, Sabah, Malaysia across Cowie Harbour from the Indonesian province of East Kalimantan, and is the only volcano in the country. The low volcanic cone is located north of...
, a relatively young volcanic cone, has the remains of the central crater, which still can be seen from the summit. Local flora include the lowland Dipterocarp forest, as well as many species of wild orchids. Occasional sightings of Maroon Leaf Monkey
Maroon Leaf Monkey
The maroon langur, maroon leaf monkey, or red leaf monkey is a species of primate in the Cercopithecidae family. It is found on the southeast Asian island of Borneo and the nearby smaller Karimata....
s and Crab-eating Macaque
Crab-eating Macaque
The Crab-eating macaque is a cercopithecine primate native to Southeast Asia. It is also called the "long-tailed macaque", and is referred to as the "cynomolgus monkey" in laboratories.-Etymology:...
s, and the less common but beautiful Cream-coloured Giant Squirrel
Cream-coloured Giant Squirrel
The cream-coloured giant squirrel is a large tree squirrel in the genus Ratufa found in Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand. It is probably extinct in Singapore, as no recent sightings have been made...
, and the Asian Forest Tortoise
Manouria emys
Asian forest tortoise , also known as Asian brown tortoise, is a species of tortoise found in India , Bangladesh, Burma , Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia .-Description:...
are found.
Bukit Gemok
Bukit Gemok (The Fat Hill) is about 11 km from Tawau town. Its geographical location is 40 19’N / 1170 19’E. It is quite popular among the locals, especially with hikers and those who like mountain climbing. Many climbers have been frequenting Bukit Gemok, both in the morning and in the afternoon. It gives them a good form of exercise and recreation.Bukit Gemok is about 428 meter from sea level and is part of the Bukit Gemok Forest Reserve covering 4.45 km². It was declared a forest reserve in 1984.
What makes Bukit Gemok interesting is the challenging track to the top of the hill. There is also a canopy walkway, Titian Silara, which is 231 meter long. It hangs from a few trees on the top of Bukit Gemok and provides visitors a good view of Tawau. The canopy walkway is the second one to be built here after the original canopy collapsed. It is worthwhile to climb up the hill just to enjoy the fantastic views.
Neighbouring islands
Tawau Harbour is used as a transit point to many neighbouring islands, such as SipadanSipadan
Sipadan is the only oceanic island in Malaysia, rising from the seabed. It is located in the Celebes Sea off the east coast of Sabah, East Malaysia . It was formed by living corals growing on top of an extinct volcanic cone that took thousands of years to develop...
, Mabul
Mabul
Mabul is a small island off the south-eastern coast of Sabah in Malaysia. The island has been a fishing village since 1970s. Then in 1990s, it first became popular to divers due to its proximity to Sipadan island....
, Kapalai
Kapalai
Kapalai is an island in Malaysia, known for its scuba resorts.The island of Kapalai, just 15 minutes off Sipadan, was a beautiful island two hundred years ago, but now it is only a sand bar. Erosion has reduced the island to sea level and the village now sits on the edge of the extensive Ligitan...
& Mataking islands; and to Indonesia such as Sebatik island, Tarakan
Tarakan Island
Tarakan is an island off the coast of East Kalimantan, Indonesia. It is a marshy island situated in the eastern Celebes Sea, off the northeastern coast of Borneo. The island occupies an area of .-Petroleum:...
& Nunukan island
Nunukan
Nunukan is a regency of East Kalimantan in Indonesia.Nunukan is also the name of an island within this regency. It has an area of 226 km2. Nunukan borders with the Malaysian state of Sabah to the north, and Bulungan Regency and Malinau Regency to the south....
.
Sipadan Island
Sipadan
Sipadan is the only oceanic island in Malaysia, rising from the seabed. It is located in the Celebes Sea off the east coast of Sabah, East Malaysia . It was formed by living corals growing on top of an extinct volcanic cone that took thousands of years to develop...
is the only oceanic island in Malaysia. It rises 2,000 feet (600 m) to its peak above sea floor. It is rated as one of the best diving sites in the world. Mabul Island is a small oval shaped island of 200,000 m² ringed with sandy beaches. It is perched on the northwest corner of a larger 2 square kilometre reef.
Tawau Cocoa Village
Tawau is always inseparable with cocoa. Tawau Cocoa Village is situated at the world-renowned cocoa-planting site, Quoin Hill. Visitors are taken on a two-hour guided tour to see how cocoa is cultivated, harvested, fermented and dried before they are sent to the factory. In close proximity to the factory is a guest house. There is a gallery of cocoa products which tourists can buy as souvenirs. Tourists are served a variety of local fruits.Following paths from the factory is a hiking trail which leads to a magnificent waterfall. The magnificent waterfall, also known as the Cocoa Culture Spring at the village is an ideal location for a picnic. Nature lovers will feel very much like entering a typical and tropical dense forest which is surrounded by a vast diversity of flora and fauna. The village has two main waterfalls and four mini cascades. Trek up and down steep stairways, following the sounds of babbling brooks will end at what promises to be a splendid waterfall. This waterfall is opened to the public and it is ideal for picnics and get-togethers of families and friends.
For more information, visit following URL :
Shan Shui Golf & Country Club
Shan Shui Golf & Country club is situated on the airport highway 15 km off Tawau. This magnificent hideaway has an 18-hole championship golf course designed by Nelson & Haworth. It is acclaimed to be their finest creation in Asia. Shan Shui Golf & Country club provides the hardest bar hole in Malaysia. The ground level is not smooth, that's why increasing the difficulties of golf playing. It has attracted some Korean golf players to visit Tawau just for golf game.The Hot Spring of Tawau
A HOT StreamMountain stream water is always cool, as else where in other jungles and forests. But in Tawau we have a mountain stream of HOT water as hot as the hot water we used for bathing in our house.
Jalan Air Panas, Taman Air Panas, Hot Spring Park and Kampung Air Panas are the names of a road, housing estates and a village synonymous with hot springs located a 15-minute drive from here. The hot springs were found decades and the surrounding area was named Air Panas (Hot Water).
These springs had been attracting streams of visitors, particularly from Sabah’s east coast as far as Kunak and Semporna. Local people use the spring water for medicinal skin treatment. Bathing in spring water is popular here. They bring along food for lunch as the place feels fresh and is ideal for picnicking.
Above picture show warm spring water drain beside a major road construction site. The construction site is only 200 meters from the hot sprigs and due to complete by middle of 2007.
All 8 hot sulphurous springs occur along the 50 m stretch of mountain stream. Some springs outlets are on the riverbed, others by the bank.
The spring waters are acidic. A strong hydrogen sulphide smell can be detected before reaching stream.
Proboscis monkey
Proboscis monkeyProboscis Monkey
The proboscis monkey or long-nosed monkey, known as the bekantan in Malay, is a reddish-brown arboreal Old World monkey that is endemic to the south-east Asian island of Borneo...
s are the rarest primates on earth as they are only found on the island of Borneo. These monkeys live in mangrove swamps and riverside forests along the Tawau River. The females are about 60 cm tall and the males are about 70 cm tall. They have reddish fur and are tree-dwellers, who inhabit areas close to water and are excellent swimmers. The monkeys are vegetarian and live on mangrove shoots and fruits. They travel in small groups.
Local cuisine
Seafood stalls at the Sabindo hawker centre is located along the waterfront of town centre. The stalls offer very competitive prices for selective catch of the day. “Makanan Laut 101” serves excellent crab and shellfishes with vegetables at incredibly low prices.At night, numerous stalls set up around the town. Many stalls sell Malay's foods like tasty chicken wings, nasi campur, variety of sate such as sate lembu, sate ayam, sate hati and sate empedal,'Terang Bulan', many types of fried foods such as 'goreng pisang', 'ubi goreng', 'cempedak goreng' and 'sukun goreng', variety of Jawa foods like mi jawa, murtabak jawa, gado gado, bakso and a Makasar specialty food 'Coto Makasar' and 'Sanggar' ( Bugis's name for fried bananas), ABC and Cendol and many types of Malay's cakes such as 'apam', 'kuih talam' , Onde-onde (glutinous rice with savoury taste roasted in banana leaves), Kuih Pandan (Pandan rice cake), Donut( Doughnut ) Karipap (Curry Puff), Kuih kacang (Peanut pancake spread with Kaya
Kaya (jam)
Coconut jam, Srikaya, or Kaya is a food spread, a fruit curd in the general sense, consumed mainly in Southeast Asia and made from a base of coconut and sugar.-Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore:...
coconut jam), Bubur Chaca(local dessert served with tapioca, sweet potato and sago
Sago
Sago is a starch extracted in the spongy center or pith, of various tropical palm stems, Metroxylon sagu. It is a major staple food for the lowland peoples of New Guinea and the Moluccas, where it is called saksak and sagu. A type of flour, called sago flour, is made from sago. The largest supply...
in sweet coconut milk) & etc.
"Nasi Kuning" or yellow rice is an Tawau Malay's recipe that cannot be found anywhere else in Malaysia except Tawau. The rice is cooked with turmeric
Turmeric
Turmeric is a rhizomatous herbaceous perennial plant of the ginger family, Zingiberaceae. It is native to tropical South Asia and needs temperatures between 20 °C and 30 °C and a considerable amount of annual rainfall to thrive...
, also known as kunyit in Malay, and coconut milk - which when mixed causes the rice to become yellow in colour. It is usually served with a piece of fish deep-fried in dried chilli sauce. This can be found in almost any Malay restaurants or stalls around Tawau but sometimes also sold in some Chinese coffeeshops. To further enhance the taste, the rice is usually wrapped in banana leaves. Price ranges from RM 0.50 to RM 3.00 per serving.
Tauhu mee or mi tauhu also can't be found in Malaysia except Tawau.. The "mi tauhu" is "mi kuning" or bee hoon served with fried tauhu pasted with fish fillet and "kuah taucu". Besides tauhu pasted with fish fillet, "mi tauhu" also served with fish pasted chili, eggplant and 'peria'. The price range of "mi tauhu" from RM 1.50 to RM 3.00..
"Amplang" is also another cuisine which cannot be found anywhere else in Malaysia except Tawau. It is a deep-fried fish paste which is dipped in corn flour before frying.
Some other desserts that are more commonly found in this town is Iced Lime Tea(usually with a sour plum and commonly known as 'Kit Cai Sui Peng') and Coconut Pudding (Pudding made from coconut which uses the coconut itself as the mould )
Besides, there's also famous cuisine at Tawau called Nasi Lalap.
Getting there
Getting to Tawau from the state capital city of Kota KinabaluKota 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...
takes about 8 hours by express coach, stationed at North City Bus Terminal at Inanam
Inanam
Inanam is a town and sub-district of Kota Kinabalu in Sabah, Malaysia. It is situated 10km from Kota Kinabalu city centre.The town population consists of mainly the Dusun, and the Chinese who operate the shops. Of late however there is a large influx of immigrants both from the southern Philippines...
, a township located outside the Kota Kinabalu city centre on Jalan Tuaran).
Travelling by air takes about 45 minutes from 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...
or Sandakan
Sandakan
Sandakan is the second-largest city in Sabah, East Malaysia, on the north-eastern coast of Borneo. It is located on the east coast of the island and it is the administrative centre of Sandakan Division and was the former capital of British North Borneo...
. Malaysia Airlines
Malaysia Airlines
Malaysian Airline System Berhad , DBA Malaysia Airlines , is the government-owned flag carrier of Malaysia. Malaysia Airlines operates flights from its home base, Kuala Lumpur International Airport, and its eastern hub in Kota Kinabalu. It has its headquarters on the grounds of Sultan Abdul Aziz...
provides up to 4 daily scheduled flights from Kota Kinabalu International Airport
Kota Kinabalu International Airport
Kota Kinabalu International Airport serves the city of Kota Kinabalu, the state capital of Sabah, Malaysia. It is located about 8 km southwest of the city centre. It is the second busiest airport in Malaysia after Kuala Lumpur International Airport, handling 4.8 million passengers in 2009...
to Tawau International Airport
Tawau International Airport
"RAF Tawau" & "Tawau Airbase/Airfield" redirects here.Tawau Airport is an airport located in Tawau, a town in the state of Sabah in Malaysia. It is the second airport in Sabah with immigration counters for international flights. The airport is 31 km from town. The new runway could cater for...
.
Another low-cost carrier service provided by Air Asia, which fly directly from Kuala Lumpur International Airport, KLIA
Kuala Lumpur International Airport
Kuala Lumpur International Airport , or KLIA serves the capital city of Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, and is one of Southeast Asia's largest airports. It is also Malaysia's main international airport. It is situated in the Sepang district, in the south of the state of Selangor, about from Kuala Lumpur...
and Senai International Airport
Senai International Airport
Senai International Airport , officially known as Sultan Ismail International Airport , is an airport located in the town of Senai, near Johor Bahru, Malaysia. The airport is the secondary hub for Firefly.-History:Opened in 1974, it serves the state of Johor as well as people from the southern...
in Johor Bahru takes about 2 hours and 30 minutes.
External links
- Gigapan Panorama - Gigapan image of Tawau town from the seventh floor of Promenade hotel comprise of 522 images stitch together to form a very high resolution gigapixels panorama.
- Sabah official site on Tawau
- Tawau information
- Tawau Photography
- TAWAU COMMUNITY ONLINE
- Tawau's one stop information website
- Ken Goodlet (2010) Tawau — The Making of A Tropical Community