Kinarut is a town in the state of

Sabah Sabah () is a state of Malaysia located in northern Borneo, in the region of East Malaysia. Sabah borders the Malaysian state of Sarawak to the southwest and the North Kalimantan province of Indonesia to the south. The Federal Territory ...

Malaysia Malaysia ( ; ) is a country in Southeast Asia. The federal constitutional monarchy consists of thirteen states and three federal territories, separated by the South China Sea into two regions: Peninsular Malaysia and Borneo's East Mal ...

. It is located about 20 kilometres south of the state capital,

Kota Kinabalu , image_skyline = , image_caption = From top, left to right, bottom:Kota Kinabalu skyline, Wawasan intersection, Tun Mustapha Tower, Kota Kinabalu Coastal Highway, the Kota Kinabalu City Mosque, the Wism ...

, and Kinarut railway station is one of the stops on the Sabah State Railway. Kinarut is under the administration of the Papar District.

Etymology

Several theories exist as to the etymological origins of the name 'Kinarut'. One such theory is that it refers to a street in the town which was formerly called China Road. Another theory is that it originated from the Dusun word ''Kinorut'' which means 'cutting using a knife'.

History

Kinarut originally belonged to the

Sultanate of Brunei This article includes a list of successive Islamic states and Muslim dynasties beginning with the time of the Islamic prophet Muhammad (570–632 CE) and the early Muslim conquests that spread Islam outside of the Arabian Peninsula, and continu ...

. In the late 17th century, when Sultan Abdul Hakkul Mubin had to withdraw from Chermin Island (Pulau Chermin) during the Brunei Civil War, he built a base in Kinarut at a strategic location protected by two rivers. He remained there for ten years as the Sultan of Kinarut, during which incidents of piracy in the surrounding seas decreased significantly. With help from the local Bajau and Dusun people, he managed to counter several attacks from Sultan Muhyiddin.

Demographics

A 2010 census estimated the population of Kinarut at 18,029. This population consists mainly of Bajaus,

Bruneian Malays Bruneian MalaysBrunei Malay in its various forms can be identified with a nation, an ethnic group and a region. ( ms, Orang Melayu Brunei, Jawi: ) are a native Malay ethnic group that lives in Brunei, the federal territory of Labuan, the s ...

, Kadazans and Chinese (of whom most are

Hakka Chinese Hakka (, , ) forms a language group of varieties of Chinese, spoken natively by the Hakka people throughout Southern China and Taiwan and throughout the diaspora areas of East Asia, Southeast Asia and in overseas Chinese communities aroun ...

) There is also a large Filipino refugee settlement in Kinarut, which has reportedly caused ethnic tension among locals.

Attractions

Kinarut is noted for its weekly ''tamu'', an open air market dominated by native sellers which is held every Saturday. It is also close to Dinawan Island, Lok Kawi Wildlife Centre and the Kinarut Mansion ruins.

Notes

References

{{Sabah Towns in Sabah