Kudat is a town in
Sabah, a state in the eastern part of
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.
Kudat is located on the northern part of Sabah, some 190 kilometers north of
Kota Kinabalu, the state capital. On the west, it faces the
South China Sea, and on the east the
Sulu Sea. It is at latitude 6°55'north, longitude 116°50'east.
Kudat's population (2000) was 68,242. The ethnic composition is mainly
Rungus, a sub-group of the indigenous
Kadazan. About 10% of the population is ethnic Chinese, and there are minorities of
Bajau,
Dusun,
Murut,
Bugis, and
Malay. However, there is also a considerable number of unregistered
illegal immigrants from the nearby
Philippines, notably from the
Sulu regions and
Mindanao.
The town was founded by A H Everett of the
British North Borneo Company on December 7, 1881 to be the first capital of
British North Borneo, due to its strategic geographic location. However, after being repeatedly raided by Bajau,
Sulu and
Illanun pirates, in 1883 the capital was shifted to the more secure port of
Sandakan, on the east coast
It is not a well known location for foreign visitors, however, there is a notable modern beach resort near the town, Kudat Golf & Marina Resort, which offer good foods and accommodation. The resort and the adjoining golf course was built on reclaimed land done in 70s by the then Chief Minister of Sabah Tun Dato Mustapha. The late Tun Mustapha was from Limau-limaun, across the bay from Kudat. The golf club is the oldest golf club in Borneo,
Kudat Golf Club, founded in 1906, currently a 18 holes par 72 championship course. Other attractions include tours to nearby Rungus
longhouses, where traditional
brass gongs are made, and where
honey is produced and to
Tanjung Simpang Mengayau, the northernmost point on the island of Borneo.
During World War II, the Japanese Imperial Army built and maintained an air field here. The airfield was built by locals and forced labour from Java, Indonesia using coral stones as base. Many Indonesian died from disease and hunger. In 1945, B25 bombers of the United States Far East Air Force repeatedly bombed the air field and put it out of action. The current airfield operated by Malaysian Airport Berhad is built on part of the former military air field.
