Sipitang

Sipitang
District and Town
Esplanade Sipitang in Sipitang town.
Seal
Sipitang
Coordinates: 5°05′0″N 115°33′0″E / 5.08333°N 115.55000°E / 5.08333; 115.55000
Country	Malaysia
State	Sabah
Division	Interior
Population (2010)
• Total	34,862
Website	www.sabah.gov.my/pd.sptg

Sipitang is a town, district and also a parliamentary constituency located in the Interior Division of Sabah, east Malaysia on the island of Borneo. The population of the district was 12,076 in 1980 and 24,349 in 1991. In 2000, the population grew to 29,256 while in 2010, 34,862. It is the closest town in Sabah to the Sarawak border, and is 44 kilometres south of Beaufort and 144 kilometres south of Kota Kinabalu, the state capital.

Other than the Sipitang town center; Sipitang district is further divided into 3 sub-division; i.e. Mesapol, Sindumin and Melamam. Mesapol comprises at least 14 villages, which includes Kampung Melalia, Kampung Lubok Darat and Kampung Naluyan. Sindumin has 22 villages, among others are Kampung Mengalong, Kampung Banting and Kampung Siputol. Meanwhile, Malamam consists of at least 20 villages, e.g. Randulang, Long Mio and Long Pasia.

Sipitang was a territory of the Brunei sultanate before 1884. On 5 November 1884, the Brunei Sultan ceded his territory, from Sipitang to Kuala Penyu, to British North Borneo Company (BNBC). It is alleged that this agreement was met after excessive bribery by the BNBC Governor, William Treacher to the Sultan's court.

Sultan of Brunei granted his territory, from Sipitang River to Trusan River, to BNBC on 7 September 1901. In relation to that, BNBC acquired the area of Mengalong and Merantaman (now in Sipitang district) on 12 September 1901, through a grant by Pangiran Tengah Damit ibni al-Marhum Pangiran Anak Bongsu, of his tulin right on those areas. The acquisition of these areas was done separately because lands such as these are owned individually by Pangirans (princes and nobles) through their tulin right and therefore are independent of the authority of the sultan.