Interior Division

The Interior Division (Malay: Bahagian Pedalaman) is an administrative area in the state of Sabah, Malaysia. It is found in the southwest part of Sabah and shares a border with the state of Sarawak to the west. This division covers a large area of 18,298 square kilometres, making up about 24.9% of Sabah's land, and is home to around 14.7% of the state's people.

The biggest town in the Interior Division is Keningau. Other important towns include Beaufort, Kuala Penyu, Sipitang, Tambunan, and Tenom. The coastal areas are mainly lived in by groups such as the Bisaya, Bruneian Malays, and Kedayan. Moving inland, closer to the Crocker Range, many people belong to the Dusun group. Tambunan is a key place for Dusun culture, while Tenom is the largest town for the Murut people. There are also many Chinese people, especially from the Hakka group, living in towns like Beaufort, Keningau, and Tenom. Places such as Long Pasia and Long Mio serve as gateways to the Lun Bawang/ Lun Dayeh tribes around Sipitang.

Districts

The Interior Division of Sabah, Malaysia, is made up of several districts. These districts help organize the area for local government work. Some of the districts include Beaufort, Keningau, Kuala Penyu, Membakut, Nabawan, Sipitang, Tambunan, Tenom, and Sook, each with its own town.

Constituencies

The Interior Division is split into six areas for national elections and 14 areas for state elections in Sabah.

History

The way Sabah is divided today mostly comes from old rules set by the North Borneo Chartered Company. After getting control in 1881, they split the land into areas called residencies, with two main ones: West Coast and East Coast. Sandakan was where the leaders worked. Over time, more residencies were added, including Interior Residency.

After World War II, when North Borneo became a Crown Colony, these areas stayed the same. When Malaysia was formed in 1963, Sabah kept these divisions. In 1976, the word "residency" was replaced with "division." Now, these divisions don't have much administrative power, and local leaders handle most of the work.