Tuaran District

Tuaran District
Tuaran District
District
	Daerah Tuaran
Other transcription(s)
• Jawi	داءيره توارن‎
• Chinese	斗亚兰县 (Simplified); 鬥亞蘭縣 (Traditional); Dòuyàlán xiàn (Hanyu Pinyin); dêu3 a3 lan2 yan4 (Hakka)
• Tamil	துவாரான் மாவட்டம்; Tuvārāṉ māvaṭṭam (Transliteration)
• Kadazandusun	Watas Tuaran
	Tuaran District Office
	Seal
	Coordinates: 6°11′00″N 116°14′00″E / 6.18333°N 116.23333°E
Country	Malaysia
State	Sabah
Division	West Coast
Seat	Tuaran
Government
• District Officer	Herman Tunggiging
• MP	Wilfred Madius Tangau (UPKO)
• MLA	Jahid Jahim; (GRS-PBS); (Tamparuli); Hajiji Noor; (GAGASAN); (Sulaman); Joniston Bangkuai; (GRS-PBS); (Kiulu); Jasnih Daya; (GAGASAN); (Pantai Dalit);
Area
• Total	1,170 km2 (450 sq mi)
Population (2020)
• Total	135,665
• Density	120/km2 (300/sq mi)
Website	ww2.sabah.gov.my/md.trn/; ww2.sabah.gov.my/pd.trn/

The Tuaran District (Malay: Daerah Tuaran) is an administrative district in the Malaysian state of Sabah, part of the West Coast Division which includes the districts of Kota Belud, Kota Kinabalu, Papar, Penampang, Putatan, Ranau and Tuaran. The capital of the district is in Tuaran Town.

St. Andrews Anglican church was consecrated on 12 November 1967 by Roland Koh.^[1]

Etymology

The origin of the name of "Tuaran" is somewhat uncertain as a settlement had existed since before the arrival of the British. One of the earliest recorded evidence of the use of Tuaran is through the letter of Stamford Raffles. After he became the governor of Java in 1813, he requested the British secretary in India to give him permission to enter the northern Borneo area after being invited by the Sultanate of Brunei.^[2] The Sultan of Brunei request help from Raffles as the waters around Jawaran (Tuaran) and Jampasoo (Tempasuk) have been infected with piracy. The letter stated:

The present Sultan of Borneo Proper (Brunei) is understood to be well disposed not given the encouragement of piratical enterprise, notwithstanding the shelter is accorded to pirates in almost every river in his domain, a number of petty states having arisen beyond the reach of his authority and control. The most prominent of these states are the states of Jawaran (Tuaran) and Jampasoo (Tempasuk) to the northward of Borneo Proper……… It has been reported that Jawaran send about 50 prows (perahu) belonging to this states is estimated about 150 with from one to two hundred guns. The large prows armed with 10 feet long probably 12 and 18 paunders. Their crews consisting 80-200 men. The lanoons are the most considerable, formidable of these eastern pirates. There is little doubts that we the (East India Company) should be justified in the immediate destruction of these prows.^[2]

Administrative division

Map of Tuaran District

Mukims of Tuaran District

Tuaran District includes:

Tuaran District
Area	Mukim (Section)
Sulaman	Mukim Tambalang
	Mukim Serusop
	Mukim Indai
Pantai Dalit	Mukim Berungis
	Mukim Mengkabong
	Mukim Tuaran Bandar
Tamparuli	Mukim Tamparuli
	Mukim Tenghilan
	Mukim Topokon
	Mukim Gayaratau/Rungus
Kiulu	Mukim Ulu
	Mukim Tengah
	Mukim Lembah
	Mukim Pantai
	Mukim Nabalu
	Mukim Pekan

Demographics

Historical population

Year

Pop.

±%

1991

63,995

—

2000

81,215

+26.9%

2010

102,411

+26.1%

2020

135,665

+32.5%

Source: ^[3]

According to the last census in 2020, the population of the district is estimated to be around 135,665,^[4] mainly Dusun and Bajau people as well a significant number of Chinese and Malay. As in other districts of Sabah, there are a significant number of illegal immigrants from the nearby southern Philippines, mainly from the Sulu Archipelago and Mindanao, many of whom are not included in the population statistics.

Tourism

Tourist attractions in Tuaran include the Mengkabong and Penimbawan water villages, which are villages of stilt houses built over the seashore by the Bajau people, and the Ling San Pagoda (Traditional Chinese: 龍山塔), a nine-storey Buddhist pagoda situated just outside the town centre. The main tourist resorts in Tuaran are the Mimpian Jadi Resort and Shangri-La's Rasa Ria Resort. In addition to food and lodging, these resorts offer various other activities such as golfing and water sports.