Sabah This Week #16 - 15-28 Oct 2026
The Climbathon runs up Kinabalu this weekend, and Kota Belud’s big tamu has its last few days. Next weekend Tenom pours coffee for three days, and the Borneo Safari convoy heads into the jungle for a week.
Closer to town: Japanese films for RM10 a ticket, a free ghost art exhibition at Riverson, and a cooperatives fair at Suria. Further down, three Sabah business stories and petrol five sen cheaper.
Daniel
This Week & Weekend
Sabah’s mountain race, 33 editions in The Mount Kinabalu International Climbathon sends about 250 top runners up the mountain and back. Entries have closed, so this one is for the runners already in and anyone up in the hills to watch. · 18 October 2026, elite race starts 6.30am · Kinabalu Park, Kundasang (entries have closed)
Last days of Kota Belud’s big tamu The district’s grand market winds up with its official opening, buffalo and cattle races, cultural shows and stalls. Organisers expect about 50,000 visitors. The picture is an illustration, not a photo of the fair. · to 18 October 2026 (official opening 17 Oct) · Tamu ground, Kota Belud
Three days of coffee in Sabah’s coffee town Pesta Kopi Tenom, held alongside the state Farmers’, Breeders’ and Fishermen’s Day. No programme or hours have been published yet. The picture is an illustration. · 23-25 October 2026 · Dewan Datuk Seri Panglima Antanom, Tenom
The 4x4 convoy heads into the jungle The 34th Borneo Safari International Offroad Challenge, run by the Sabah Four Wheel Drive Association: eight days of extreme off-roading. Before it leaves, a curtain-raiser has sponsor booths, merchandise and car checks. · flag-off 25 October 2026, runs to 1 November · Sabah Tourism Board 0KM, Kota Kinabalu; curtain-raiser 23-24 Oct, 8.30am-3pm, Hakka Hall
D’Masiv, live in concert The Indonesian pop-rock band’s Sabah tour. The RM100 tickets have sold out; seats from RM270 were still on sale on the organiser’s booking site at the time of writing. · 16 October 2026, 8pm · Grand Ballroom, Magellan Sutera Resort, Kota Kinabalu
Thirteen Japanese films, RM10 a ticket The Japan Foundation’s film festival, from Kurosawa’s Throne of Blood to Tokyo Taxi and a 4K Hula Girls. Tickets are RM10 per screening, sold through the cinema. · 15-18 October 2026 · GSC Suria Sabah, Kota Kinabalu
A free exhibition of Malaysian ghost stories in upcycled art Thirteenth, by Japson Wong and Andrea Maturin, turns local ghost folklore into art. Entry is free, but slots are limited each day, so book one first. · to 31 October 2026 · B-1-28, 1st Floor, The Walk, Riverson, Kota Kinabalu
A cooperatives fair with stalls and shows CoopFest Borneo: products from cooperatives and small businesses, activities and live performances, open late every day. · 16-18 October 2026, 10am-10pm · Ground floor, Suria Sabah, Kota Kinabalu
Timpohon Run 2 A trail run on the Timpohon trail, now in its second edition. Entries have closed. · 17 October 2026, flag-off 7am · Kinabalu Park, Kundasang (entries have closed)
A makers’ market where kids can run their own stall Makers & Mavens Market, with a Realms of Oakshire theme, where children can run stalls of their own. · 17-18 October 2026, until 6pm (the post says from 12pm, the poster 11am) · 1st Floor, The Walk, Riverson, Kota Kinabalu
A full day of ballroom and Latin dance competition The 22nd Sabah Open, run by Imperial Ballroom Dancing School. Spectator entry is not stated. · 17 October 2026, 8am-11pm · Promenade Hotel, Kota Kinabalu
Borneo’s international pickleball open A doubles tournament with Open, Intermediate and Novice categories and a RM29,700 prize pool. Spectator entry is not stated. · 16-18 October 2026, from 8am · The Good Club, Tanjung Aru, Kota Kinabalu
Combat sports names under one roof Fight Fest Summit, run by Kinabalu Fighters, with fighters including Marc Marcellinus, Ann Osman and Nor Diana. RSVP through the Fight Fest Facebook page; no fee is mentioned. · 18 October 2026, 9am-6pm · Le Méridien Kota Kinabalu
A Halloween treasure hunt for kids Little Miner’s Trick or Treat Adventure: trick-or-treating, a gold coin hunt and mystery challenges for children in costume. Places are limited to 350 and you need to register first; no fee is stated. · 18 October 2026, 2pm-6pm (register by 15 Oct) · Aramaiti, IMAGO Shopping Mall, Kota Kinabalu
A weekend of games, collectables and crafts Sabah PlayVerse: board game competitions, collectables and blind boxes, face painting, a photobooth, a toy exchange and DIY crafts. No entry fee is stated. · 24-25 October 2026, 9am-9pm · Kinabatangan Hall 1, Sabah International Convention Centre, Kota Kinabalu
A guided bike ride through KK at sunset A cycling tourist guide leads a ride past the city’s scenic spots as the sun goes down; the organiser says all levels are welcome. Register with the QR code on the poster. · 24 October 2026, 4pm-6pm (per the poster) · KK Sentral
Save the date
- BIGSABAH Sale 2026 30 Oct-1 Nov · Sabah International Convention Centre, Kota Kinabalu
- North Borneo Rainforest Festival 31 Oct-1 Nov · Koisaan Cultural Village, Penampang
- Borneo 4by4 Outdoor Show, then CULT Car Culture Festival 31 Oct and 1 Nov · Sabah International Convention Centre, Kota Kinabalu
- Mud Volcano Run, 10km and 15km trail Sun 8 Nov (early bird to 20 Oct) · Pantai Sawangan, Kuala Penyu
- Sabah International Balloon Expo: Galaxy Ocean 13-15 Nov · Sabah International Convention Centre, Kota Kinabalu
- 26th Sabah Hospitality Fiesta 20-22 Nov · Sabah International Convention Centre, Kota Kinabalu
- Sabah Digital Summit 2026 25-26 Nov · Sabah International Convention Centre, Kota Kinabalu
- Kiulu Adventure Challenge Sun 6 Dec · Kiulu
Got an event we should feature? Submit it here →
💼 Sabah Business
Sabah’s economy grew 5.1 per cent last year, to RM88.8 billion
Official state figures for 2025 show the fastest growth since 2017, up from 1.2 per cent in 2024 and just under Malaysia’s 5.2 per cent. Chief Minister Hajiji Noor called it the strongest performance in six years, with construction up 28.3 per cent. (DOSM, Jesselton Times)
The Securities Commission brought its funding roadshow to KK
About 200 people came to hear about equity crowdfunding, peer-to-peer financing and listing for small and mid-sized firms. SC chairman Mohammad Faiz Azmi said its MyCIF fund has backed RM7.7 billion of funding for more than 11,500 businesses nationwide since 2019. (NST, The Star)
VentureTECH made its first Sabah investment, in a farm-tech startup
The government-backed fund invested an undisclosed sum in AgriData Portal, founded in 2020, which offers smallholders financing, farming support and market access, and plans to grow its support hubs in Sabah from three to seven. (Digital News Asia, theSun)
🚌 Getting Around
Fuel: petrol came down five sen
For the week from 15 October: RON95 RM4.62 and RON97 RM5.10, both down five sen, with the BUDI95 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)
The undersea cable linking Sabah to the peninsula should start in early 2027
In a written reply in Parliament, the Communications Ministry said the Madani submarine cable linking the peninsula, Sabah and Sarawak is due to start in the first quarter of 2027 and finish by the end of 2029. Separately, 352 of the first 1,000 Jendela phase 2 sites starting next month are in Sabah. (Malay Mail)
The Sabah Roundup
Sabah gets RM18.7 billion in Budget 2027, and an MP asks how much is new
Libaran MP Suhaimi Nasir welcomed the allocation, RM1.1 billion more than this year, and asked in Parliament how much is fresh money once running costs and ongoing projects are taken out. He also asked for more specialists at Duchess of Kent Hospital in Sandakan. (Free Malaysia Today)
Doctors want a halfway house for children with cancer
MMA Sabah chairman Dr Brandon Patrick Senagang says the state’s children’s cancer unit sees 80 to 100 new cases a year, nearly half from far districts such as Pitas, Kota Marudu and Kudat, with some treatment lasting up to eight months. He wants a halfway house near the Likas Women and Children’s Hospital. (The Star)
More than a third of doctors offered posts in Sabah and Sarawak do not turn up
The South China Morning Post reports family separation, career uncertainty, isolation and costs as the reasons doctors turn down permanent posts in Borneo. (SCMP)
Sabah Parks wants villagers to help run marine parks
Director Datuk Dr Maklarin Lakim says coastal communities should share in managing marine protected areas, as some already do at Tun Mustapha Park in Kudat, building on the tagal system. (NST)
KUPIKUPI FM is now on air in the Klang Valley
The Sabah station, on 96.3 FM at home since 2016, now broadcasts on 106.0 FM across Seremban, Sepang, Klang, Shah Alam, Petaling Jaya, Kajang and Putrajaya. (Jesselton Times)
UMS gets about 1,010 new Wi-Fi points
Deputy Communications Minister Teo Nie Ching says the MCMC paid for the access points at Universiti Malaysia Sabah from its own funds. (Malay Mail)
Did You Know?
Sipadan is Malaysia’s only oceanic island. It rises about 600 metres from the seabed, according to Sabah Parks.
Keep reading
The Kinabalu Climbathon. What the race is, for anyone heading up this weekend.
A coffee guide to Sabah. Where Tenom’s coffee comes from, before its festival.
Tamu markets across Sabah. The weekly markets worth knowing, for after Tamu Besar.
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)
You’re getting this because you signed up at SabahGuide.com. Forward to a friend → Subscribe. · Submit an event · Advertise · © SabahGuide.com