Sabah This Week #11 - 10-23 Sept 2026
Last week I told you to stay indoors. This week every Sabah and Labuan station is back to moderate, so the list goes back outside.
Malaysia Day lands on Wednesday the 16th and the fortnight around it is the busiest stretch of the month: nine days of flowers and fruit at the agriculture park in Tenom, the film festival at City Mall, and the art installations going up on Dataran Segama. Nobody has announced a formal all clear on the haze, so check the reading before you commit to a long day outside, but this is a very different week from the last one. One thing to know before you drive anywhere: petrol went up 25 sen this morning, so RON95 is now RM4.02.
Daniel
This Week & Weekend
Nine days of flowers and fruit, and the park opens up for all of them Pesta Bunga runs for nine days, with flower and fruit displays and an agrotour and agrotalk programme. Normal park admission applies, and the park sells its tickets online. · 12-20 September 2026 · Taman Pertanian Sabah, Tenom
Thirty films from eleven countries, and three of them cost nothing The 17th Kota Kinabalu International Film Festival screens under the CINEBALU banner. A strand called Freedom 250 puts three films on across three days at no charge. · 12-19 September 2026 · City Cineplex, City Mall, KK
The art comes to Dataran Segama for Malaysia Day week The 13th Installation Art By The Bay is an outdoor installation trail you walk through rather than a gallery you queue for. Last year’s edition was at Taman Chong Thien Vun, so the location has moved. · 16-20 September 2026 · Dataran Segama, Kota Kinabalu
Bajau heritage, danced on an island inside a marine park Pesta Igal-Igal is a celebration of Bajau cultural heritage and the sea it grew from. We could not confirm it anywhere beyond the organiser’s own post, so call ahead before you book a boat. · 19-20 September 2026 · Pulau Mantabuan, Tun Sakaran Marine Park
Three days of discounted holidays at the convention centre MATTA Fair Sabah is the fair where agents discount packages and flights, and where the organisers expect north of 27,000 visitors. · 18-20 September 2026 · SICC, Kota Kinabalu
Hillsong Worship play Kota Kinabalu for the first time The Worship Nights Asia Tour brings Hillsong Worship to Sabah for the first time. Ticketed through the promoter Star Planet. · 13 September 2026 · SICC, Kota Kinabalu
Four bands, one Sunday, RM40 at the door in Kinarut thejembangans, Singgah, Suistereo and THE ALIF on one bill. Doors at 3pm, music from 4pm, RM40 including a drink. · 20 September 2026 · Kinarut Record Station, Pekan Lama Kinarut
A cat show, a petting zoo and a bazaar, all in the Sandakan mall concourse Harbour Pet Expo fills the mall concourse with a cat show, cat grooming, a petting zoo, aquascaping, a colouring contest and a bazaar. · 12-13 September 2026, 10am-9pm · Harbour Mall Sandakan
Sandakan’s anime convention reaches its final chapter StamaX Club bill STAGE 03 as the last of the series, two days of anime, cosplay, games, collectibles and performances. The first two editions sold tickets through Ticket2u; the 2026 price is not published. · 12-13 September 2026, 10am-7pm · Sandakan Hakka Multi-Purpose Hall, Mile 6
Two days left on the Malaysia Day exhibition at Centre Point The Sabah State Archives run the state level Malaysia Day exhibition, with a Merdeka pop quiz, a blood donation drive, colouring and drawing contests and a Mobile Legends tournament alongside it. · 9-11 September 2026, 10am-9pm · Palm Square, Centre Point KK
The book fair returns to SICC for five days Pesta Buku Antarabangsa Kota Kinabalu brings more than 100 local and foreign exhibitors, with organisers aiming at 150,000 visitors. Visitor admission is not published, so do not assume free entry. · 23-27 September 2026 · SICC, Kota Kinabalu
A music school takes over the convention centre for a night Cecilia Music stage Concert For All 2026. The venue’s own calendar carries it, but no hall, start time or ticket price has been published. · 12 September 2026 · SICC, Kota Kinabalu
A Merdeka run that starts from the road transport department A paid entry road run put on by the state road transport department. The fee and flag off time were not published when we checked. · 12 September 2026 · JPJ state headquarters, Kepayan
The Ribbon Run is on, but entries have closed The 10KM flags off at 6am with the 5KM fun run 15 minutes later. Registration has closed, so this one is for spectators now. · 13 September 2026, flag off 6am · Likas Bay Public Park
A 28KM trail race under some of the tallest trees on earth The Tropical Rainforest Run takes 28KM and 10KM fields through protected lowland rainforest. Entries have closed. Note that the state tourism calendar still lists this for 6 September, which is wrong; the organiser’s own page and the ticket page both say the 20th. · 20 September 2026 · Tawau Hills Park
Leg two of the Jesselton 10KM series The second of three legs, chip timed, minimum age 15, with a 2 hour 30 minute cut off. The aggregators give Sunday the 20th but the official ticket page carries no date, so confirm with the organiser before you plan around it. · 20 September 2026, unconfirmed · Yayasan Sabah, Menara Tun Mustapha
A faith and work conference at SICC, with an eligibility rule worth reading first Two days of talks and a foyer expo for working professionals across East Malaysia. The organisers state plainly that it is a Christian faith based event open to non Muslims only and that they may decline registrations. · 15-16 September 2026 · SICC, Kota Kinabalu
The month long festival that half of this list already sits inside Sabah Fest is an umbrella programme of around 50 events. The entries in our fortnight that sit inside it are the film festival, Hillsong, Installation Art By The Bay and the book fair. No itemised master programme has been published. · 29 Aug - 29 Sep 2026 · Kota Kinabalu, Sandakan, Tawau, Kudat, Kuala Lumpur
A national conference on ageing, in town for three days The Malaysian Healthy Ageing Society brings its 11th conference to town, with pre conference workshops ahead of the main programme. Paid delegate registration, aimed at clinicians and allied health staff. · 10-12 September 2026 · SICC, Kota Kinabalu
Surgeons meet at the Marriott The Sabah Surgical Society and the Malaysian Upper Gastrointestinal Surgical Society run SSC26-MUGIS over two days. Registration only, for medical professionals. · 11-12 September 2026 · Kota Kinabalu Marriott
UMS hosts its 18th science and technology conference The Faculty of Science and Technology at Universiti Malaysia Sabah runs S&T 2026, hybrid on site and virtual. Registration has closed. · 17-19 September 2026 · SICC, Kota Kinabalu
Save the date
- Hybrid Walk 2026: Drive Hope, Crush Childhood Cancer Sat 26 Sept · Taman Awam Teluk Likas
- LDU Half Marathon Sun 27 Sept · Lahad Datu town
- Ritma Kinabalu: Rhythms of Kinabalu 2026 Fri 2 to Sun 4 Oct · Padang Merdeka, Kota Kinabalu
- STELLarian Fun Run 2026 Sat 3 Oct · SM Stella Maris, Kota Kinabalu
- 31st Merdeka Day Regatta 2026 Fri 9 Oct · Kinabalu Yacht Club
- UMS Alumni Homecoming Dinner and Fundraising 2026 Sat 10 Oct · Hilton Kota Kinabalu
- Mt Kinabalu International Climbathon Sun 18 Oct · Kinabalu Park, Kundasang
Got an event we should feature? Submit it here →
The Sabah Roundup
Sabah and Labuan air quality back to moderate after a fortnight of haze.
All seven Sabah and Labuan stations were reading moderate on Tuesday: Labuan 98, Kota Kinabalu Politeknik 93, Kota Kinabalu 90, Kimanis 87, Tawau 73, Keningau 69 and Sandakan 69. Six days earlier Kota Kinabalu was at 176 and Kimanis at 162. No formal all clear has been announced by the state, and the national rule still says restrict outdoor activity above 100, so keep checking the reading before a long day outside. Figures as reported on 8 September. (The Star)
Higher BUDI quotas bring relief to Sabah, Sarawak.
The subsidised diesel quota has been raised for the two Borneo states, which matters if you drive for a living here. If you are not sure what you are entitled to, our Budi diesel checker walks through it. (Free Malaysia Today)
Sabah will continue to pursue claims, including the 40 per cent payment, says the Chief Minister.
The state’s position on its constitutional revenue entitlement, restated in the week Malaysia Day falls. (Jesselton Times)
Water shortage hits over 600 Tambunan padi farmers.
More than 600 padi farmers in Tambunan are reported short of water. (Daily Express)
Semporna and Sipitang houses razed.
Fires destroyed homes in both districts. (Daily Express)
Government to place resident specialists in Sabah hospitals, says Dzulkefly.
The health minister says resident specialists will be posted to Sabah hospitals, against a longstanding shortage in the rural districts. (Free Malaysia Today)
Rebates for Yayasan Sabah education loans.
Yayasan Sabah is offering rebates on its education loans. (Daily Express)
The dreams of Malaysia: the Sabah and Sarawak perspective in 1963.
A Malaysia Day week read on what the two Borneo states expected from the federation. (Jesselton Times)
Croatian climber did not have a permit.
A Croatian climber on Mount Kinabalu was found to be without a climbing permit. (Daily Express)
Sunda clouded leopards rely on intact forests.
Research on Sabah’s clouded leopards points back to unbroken forest as the thing that keeps them going. (Daily Express)
Different faiths, one prayer for Malaysia.
Sabah’s religious communities held a joint prayer ahead of Malaysia Day. (Daily Express)
Kota Marudu to become a fruit planting hub.
Kota Marudu is being lined up as a fruit planting centre. (Daily Express)
Sabah eyes a bigger role in the creative industry.
The state is positioning itself for more of Malaysia’s creative sector. (Daily Express)
Call for free drinking water in Sabah schools.
A call for free drinking water to be provided in the state’s schools. (Daily Express)
KK Community Hall restoration has not been neglected, says the minister.
The minister responds on the state of the Kota Kinabalu Community Hall restoration. (Daily Express)
Tshung Tsin tops the National Science Challenge.
A Sabah school takes the national science title. (Daily Express)
US mission expands Sabah cultural ties.
The American mission widens its cultural programme in Sabah. (The Star)
Who benefits from the burning?
An opinion piece asking who gains from the fires behind the regional haze. (Free Malaysia Today)
Sabah must not miss Malaysia’s drone moment.
An argument that the state should move now on drone industry work. (Jesselton Times)
Development must reach every Sabah district, says the Chief Minister.
The Chief Minister on spreading development beyond the west coast. (Daily Express)
Sabah urged to embrace technology.
A call for faster technology adoption across the state’s industries. (Daily Express)
Food safety awareness strengthened.
A push on food safety awareness in the state. (Daily Express)
Viridien launches an onshore Sabah prospectivity study.
A geoscience firm starts an onshore prospectivity study in Sabah. (World Oil)
Understanding, not division, will advance Sabah, says the Malaysia-China Chamber of Commerce.
The chamber’s line on how the state moves forward. (Daily Express)
The Balabac issue warrants attention, says Masiung.
A Sabah assemblyman on the Balabac question. (Daily Express)
Sabah lose an overnight lead.
Sabah FC give up a lead they held overnight. (Daily Express)
🚌 Getting Around
Tamparuli bridge: the last official word still puts the reopening in October
The Ministry of Works told Tuaran MP Madius Tangau on 2 July that repairs would be finished by the end of September and the bridge would reopen in early October, with traffic diverted via Jalan Bontoi to Tamparuli and Jalan Kota Kinabalu to Kudat. That is the most recent statement we can find, and the date has moved before: in March the concession company was saying August. So plan on it still being closed if you are driving up to Ranau or Kundasang, and allow for the diversion. (Kupi Kupi FM)
Fuel: petrol went up 25 sen, East Malaysian diesel has not moved
For the week from 10 September: RON95 RM4.02 and RON97 RM4.50, both up 25 sen, with diesel in Sabah and Sarawak unchanged at RM2.15 and the Budi rate at RM1.99. A new set is announced most weeks, so treat this as the price at the time of writing. (data.gov.my fuel price dataset)
Did You Know?
Malaysia Day is not Sabah’s independence day, and the difference matters here. North Borneo became self governing on 31 August 1963, then joined the Federation of Malaya, Sarawak and Singapore to form Malaysia on 16 September 1963, taking the name Sabah. Singapore left two years later.
Keep reading
Sabah’s must-try local dishes. From tuaran mee to hinava, the plates every visitor and local should know.
Things to do in Sabah. A running list of experiences worth your weekend.
How many tourists actually visit Sabah?. The running numbers, updated as the state publishes them.
Heads up: Malaysia Day falls on Wednesday 16 September, a public holiday.
Quotables
“Bumi mana yang tidak ditimpa hujan.” There is no land that is never touched by rain. Everyone faces trouble sometime. (Malay proverb)
You’re getting this because you signed up at SabahGuide.com. Forward to a friend → Subscribe. · Submit an event · Advertise · © SabahGuide.com