Sabah This Week #4 — 23 Jul–5 Aug 2026
🌿 Sabah This Week
Issue #4 · 23 Jul–5 Aug 2026
We’re trying something new this issue — a two-week window instead of one, so you’ve got room to actually plan the weekend after next, not just the one in front of you.
It’s a mall-heavy fortnight in KK: Colours of Malaysia and a space-themed kids’ week land the same weekend, the blood banks need topping up, and further out there’s Bon Odori and — no, really — an international clown convention in Tawau. In the news, the fuel-subsidy argument is the one worth your attention. — Daniel
This Week & The Week Ahead
Colours of Malaysia comes to Suria Sabah A free afternoon of cultural performances on the Ground Floor — an easy, no-ticket way to spend a Saturday with the family. · Sat 25 Jul, 1–3PM · Suria Sabah
Kids’ Funtivity Week: Space Adventure Two weekends of space-themed activities for the kids at Palm Square — somewhere to point the little ones when the school holidays start to bite. · 25–26 Jul, 10AM–5:30PM · Centre Point Sabah
Bon Odori Sabah KK’s turn at the Japanese summer classic — lanterns, yukata and taiko drums. Worth marking now; it’s a highlight of the season. · Sat 1 Aug · Kota Kinabalu (see event for venue)
Give Blood, Give Hope, Give Life A two-day blood drive at Suria Sabah — twenty minutes of your weekend that genuinely helps someone. · 25–26 Jul, 11AM–5PM · 2nd Floor, Suria Sabah
Borneo International Clown Convention 2026 Clowns from the US, Japan, Hong Kong, Thailand and more converge on Tawau for the first time — performances and workshops over three days. A genuinely one-of-a-kind reason to head east. · 3–5 Aug · Dewan Calvary, Tawau
Jelajah Halal Malaysia The halal trade-and-food roadshow rolls into KK for the weekend. · 31 Jul – 1 Aug · Sabah International Convention Centre
Kinabalu Speech Cup 2026 · 第四届神山健言盃 The fourth annual Chinese-language speech competition, a big date on KK’s Mandarin-education calendar. · Sat 1 Aug · City Mall, Kota Kinabalu
OHANA Run 2026 A family fun-run through the greenery at Rainforest Park. · Sun 2 Aug · Taman Ujana Rimba Tropika
Run For Future A charity run in Penampang for the early risers. · Sun 2 Aug · Majlis Perbandaran Penampang
Sabah Junior Tennis Tour — Leg 3, Keningau Junior tennis heads inland for the third leg of the state tour. · 24–26 Jul · Keningau
Tuaran Youth Junior Athletic Championship Track and field for the young athletes of the west coast. · Sat 25 Jul · Tuaran
Weekend drawing class A drop-in art session if you’d rather make something with your hands this Saturday. · Sat 25 Jul, 10AM–4PM
Archery Discovery Program (Beginners) Try archery for the first time — beginner package, second group. · Sun 26 Jul
Riftbound Nexus Night A card-game meetup for the tabletop crowd. · Sun 26 Jul, 1–4PM
KK Lounge Sabah opening A new lounge opens its doors in the city. · Sun 26 Jul, 1PM
Save the date
- Mount Kinabalu Climb, 9th Edition Sat 15 Aug · Kinabalu Park
- Sabah International Music Festival Sat 15 Aug · Likas Stadium
- Sabah MITM Travel Fair 2026 Fri 8 Aug · Sabah International Convention Centre
- Cosmaniac VII: Enter The Cosverse Sat 8 Aug · Centre Point Sabah
- Esportniac Carnival 2026: Cup of Legends (MLBB) Sat 15 Aug · Centre Point Sabah
- Merdeka Fest Art & Craft Workshop Sat 15 Aug · Kota Kinabalu
Got an event we should feature? Submit it here →
The Sabah Roundup
Unfair to apply the peninsula’s fuel-subsidy model to Sabah, says Usukan rep.
The debate over how RON95 and diesel subsidies land in Sabah is heating up — and it’s the one that hits your tank directly. Worth watching if you drive. (Borneo Post)
Seri steps up efforts to revive Sabah’s rural tourism.
Good news if you run a homestay or guide inland — more state push behind the villages and trails beyond the usual KK–Kundasang loop. (Daily Express)
Chef Junior Programme makes its debut in Sabah.
A cooking programme aimed at kids — a nice one to know about if yours shows any interest in the kitchen. (Daily Express)
Book records the legacy of Sabah’s conservation icon, Lamb.
A new book honours one of the state’s great naturalists — for anyone who cares about Sabah’s wild places. (Daily Express)
Sabah’s next frontier: a prime window for coastal resort investment.
The property crowd is eyeing Sabah’s coastline — a signal of where the tourism-and-development money may head next. (EdgeProp)
Making Sabah a leading producer of guarana.
An unexpected one: a push to grow the Amazonian energy crop here. File under “things you didn’t know Sabah was trying.” (Daily Express)
RM20 million upgrade for the Sabah Public Works Laboratory.
State spending on the labs that test our roads and materials — dry, but it’s where road quality quietly starts. (Daily Express)
Sabah aims to cut non-revenue water to 45% by 2030.
Translation: less water lost to leaky pipes. If you’ve ever had a supply cut, this is the number behind it. (NST)
Did You Know?
Sipadan is Sabah’s only oceanic island, rising 600m straight from the seabed — regularly ranked among the best dive sites on earth.
Article Highlights from SabahGuide
Fresh reads from our main site, sabahguide.com
Best time to visit Sabah. Seasons, rain patterns and festival windows so you pick the right month.
Spotlight: Yee Fung, Gaya Street
The most famous laksa in Sabah, going since 1984 — share a marble-top table, skip the aircon, and don’t be surprised by the queue. That’s the point.
We’re building: The Sabah Toolkit
Free, practical tools for everyday Sabah life. First three on the workbench:
- Sabah Holiday & Long-Weekend Planner — every Sabah public holiday for the year (Kaamatan, Governor’s Birthday, Good Friday — the ones the Peninsula doesn’t get) plus the smartest long-weekend combos.
- Budi Diesel Checker — find out in seconds if you qualify for subsidised diesel, and what you’ll actually pay.
- KK Take-Home Pay Calculator — EPF, SOCSO and PCB sorted, so you know what really lands in your account.
Which would you use first — or what tool do you wish existed? Hit reply and tell me — your vote shapes what ships first.
Quotables
“Hujan emas di negeri orang, hujan batu di negeri sendiri; lebih baik di negeri sendiri.” Though it rains gold abroad and stones at home, there’s still no place like home. — Malay proverb
Over to you
What’s the one Sabah event you think more people should know about? Hit reply — best answers get a shout-out next week.
You’re getting this because you signed up at SabahGuide.com. Forward to a friend → Subscribe. · Submit an event · Advertise · © SabahGuide.com