| Sabah - Sabah is a relatively small geographic area in the north of Borneo island, which is governed as a state by Malaysia. They claim full rights over this territory, but the Philippines also does the same, although their claim has been put on hold by recent Philippino governments, in a effort to strengthen economic and political ties with Malaysia. After the Second World War was over, North Borneo, Malaya, Sarawak and Singapore were brought together to form the Federation of Malaysia, a completely new country which would be free from British rule for the first time in centuries. Both the Philippines and Indonesia contested territory issues, but Sabah was declared a state within Malaysia, and the international community continues to recognise the situation in this way. Sabah is currently inhabited by 3.5 to 4 million citizens, who come from a diverse mixture of ethnic backgrounds, making it the third most populous state in Malaysia. |
