Tamparuli is a town and sub-district located in the Tuaran District of Sabah, Malaysia, on the island of Borneo. It is approximately 38 kilometres northeast of Kota Kinabalu, the state capital of Sabah. The town is known for its scenic landscapes, which include hills, rivers, and surrounding rural areas, making it a picturesque location. It is famous for its proximity to the Tamparuli Suspension Bridge, a popular tourist attraction. The Tamparuli Suspension Bridge became even more iconic after the creation of the "Tamparuli Bridge Song" by Justin Lusah. Tamparuli is also known for its local culture and is a gateway for visitors heading to the highlands, such as the popular Kundasang area and Mount Kinabalu. The town is known for its food, especially the "Tamparuli Noodles," a local delicacy. It also serves as a stop on the way to Kiulu, a popular whitewater rafting destination for domestic and international tourists.
The convenience of the new Tamparuli Point shopping site is helping Tamparuli grow. The most famous landmark in Tamparuli is a long hanging bridge; another bridge built safer and more compatible for motor traffic spans the river far below the hanging bridge and is flooded during heavy rain. A portion of the motor bridge was destroyed by floods in 1954 but was built not long after.
Etymology The origin of the name Tamparuli has been explained through various stories shared by locals over the years. The most popular version suggests that the town was named after a suspension bridge built by an unnamed British officer. A temporary bridge had been constructed to replace an older one that was damaged by a flood. The British officer reportedly turned to the villagers and said, “This bridge is temporary.” Over time, the word temporary was gradually adapted by the locals and eventually evolved into Tamparuli.
Others version from the year 1942 until the year 1944, the Tamparuli area was used by the Japanese military as a base for heavy vehicles such as trucks. Then, the local people called that area are known as 'Tempat Lori' means truck place and, eventually, it turned called Tamparuli. Next, according to another source, the Tamparuli town also derives a name from words know as slapped by water and, this name derives from Brunei's word, due Brunei traders who came to Tamparuli had trouble to get up to the upstream because of the high water flow. As with many place names, the exact origin may not be fully certain, but these interpretations give a sense of how the name might relate to the local geography, culture, or history.
History Origins of Tamparuli town Tamparuli town known was as called "Bontoi" (actually referring to a small village in that area) and, "Bontoi" of village name means a bridge believed to have existed for over 200 years long before it was named Tamparuli. From a small village, Tamparuli later evolved into a town. The change came after several outside traders, especially among Chinese people from Tuaran, set up some lumber shops in the 1930s. Tamparuli Town is believed to have been established and developed on the site of a former rubber plantation by a group of Chinese families around the 1920s to 1930s. The town was also built by the riverbank near a place called Bontoi and became a parking spot for lorries at night during the Japanese occupation. During the British occupation, the first wooden shop houses in Tamparuli town were built in 1946, a year after World War II. The historic Tamparuli shop houses, which are inscribed on the concrete, are believed to have been completed on 5 September 1954, three years before the Independence of Malaya in 1957.
Memorial Monuments
There is a monument believed to be over 60 years old built near the market in Tamparuli town. According to historical sources, the purpose of the monument was to commemorate two British soldiers who died in a nearby river during a Land Rover four-wheel drive that they crossed across the Tamparuli bridge on 18 May 1960. The dead British soldier named JWN Hall of the Royal Health Corps and a driver, DC Cooper of the Royal Service Corps based at Paradise Camp, Kota Belud. The unfortunate tragedy occurred when two soldiers were on their way to send a severely injured woman from Kampung Sayap, Kota Belud to a hospital in Jesselton. At that time, the vehicle was in the middle of a bridge and an unexpected stream of currents had occurred causing the vehicle to drift. The bodies of the three victims were found with two still in the four-wheel-drive Land Rover that was swept away by the current. Three days later, two British soldiers were buried in the army cemetery at Paradise Camp in Kota Belud. The monument is also one of the visitors' places of interest in the town of Tamparuli.
Administration Tuaran District Council The small district of Tamparuli is still under the administration of the Tuaran District Council in Sabah, Malaysia. Although Tamparuli is often regarded as a small district or town, it is still managed by the Tuaran District Council for administrative and public service matters. The Tuaran District Council is responsible for various aspects of management and development in the area, including infrastructure, cleanliness, and urban planning. Tamparuli, with its strategic location near the state capital of Kota Kinabalu, also plays an important role in the economy and culture of Sabah.
Tamparuli Sub-District Office
The Tamparuli Sub-District Office has undergone several transitions since its establishment. Initially, it began serving the Tamparuli community in 1977, with just 14 staff members operating out of a store in Tamparuli town. In 1982, the office moved to a dedicated building located near Tamparuli town, along Jalan Kampong Bawang. By 2004, the district administration center expanded into a new building, accommodating 38 staff members, and also housed the local court, Tamparuli. These developments reflect the growth and increasing needs of the Tamparuli community over time.
Assistant District Officer Tamparuli The current Assistant Sub-District Officer of Tamparuli is Hannevy W Harry. List of Names of Tamparuli Subdistrict Assistant Officers NumDate of serviceOfficer's name11977 Until 1979Azman Edmund bin Datuk Mohd. Yaakub Imbayan21980 Until 1981Felix Richard Kadayum3August 1981 until December 1982Victor Jikomin Moosom41983 until 1985Jeffery Ghani51986 until 1992Jimmy Kojuna61992 until 1994Edwin Siagian71994 until 1997Victor Jikomin Moosom81997 until June 1999Datuk Robert Stidi9June 1999 until October 2000Lian Awang10November 2000 until December 2002Steven Galono11January 2003 until October 2010Edip Abun12October 2010 until 1 April 2018Celestinus Lawanding131 April 2018 until 6 April 2019Joseph Bangguan146 April 2019 until 21 October 2024Herman Tunggiging1521 October 2024 CurrentHannevy W Harry
Mukim The Tuaran district has 4 administrative areas, namely; Tamparuli area Kiulu area Sulaman area Pantai Dalit area
Under the Tamparuli area, it is divided into 5 Mukims, namely: Mukim Tamparuli Mukim Tenghilan Mukim Topokon Mukim Gayaratau/Rungus Mukim Tuaran Bandar
Under Mukim Tamparuli, it consists of 13 villages, namely: Kampong Telibong Kampong Pitas Kampong Tengkurangoh Kampong Sawah Kampong Bundung Kampong Damat Kampong Bulieng Kampong Sungai Damit Kampong Bintangor Kampong Bantayan Kampong Tamparuli Kampong Mangkaladoi Tamparuli Town
Architectural structure Building
Like many other towns in Sabah and Malaysia as a whole, the town of Tamparuli consists of a mix of newly built concrete retail shops and old wooden structures. Tamparuli town has four rows of wooden shop houses built around 1946, a year after the end of World War II. These historic wooden shop houses are similar in structure to those found in the Tuaran district, such as in the towns of Tenghilan and Tuaran. The old wooden shop houses in Tamparuli measure approximately 20' x 80' (6.06 m x 24.3 m), with each unit extended to the back, featuring a central courtyard. The physical characteristics of these wooden shop houses include a two-storey design, with the upper floor used for residential purposes for the shopkeepers, while the ground floor is dedicated to business activities, mostly operated by the Chinese community. These historic wooden shop houses also have a verandah, which serves as a space to display goods for sale and as a walkway for pedestrians. However, only two of the original wooden shop houses in Tamparuli remain due to destruction caused by fires in 2008 and 1976. The old shop buildings in Tamparuli hold significant historical value that should be preserved and developed to attract visitors to the town. Tamparuli is said to have potential for growth with the presence of new concrete building developments, such as Tamparuli Point and the Bataras Tamparuli supermarket.
Bridge The bridge for vehicle traffic was built by British engineers in the 1930s using a combination of cement and iron.
Population demographics Ethnic The population around Tamparuli The population of Tamparuli in 2010, according to statistical sources, was 1,402, with the majority belonging to the Kadazan-Dusun ethnic group (mainly Dusun Lotud). The indigenous people originally living in the Tamparuli area are the Dusun Lotud. A census was conducted on 7 July 2020, to gather updated population statistics. The total population for the year 2020 was recorded at 40,502.
Below is the breakdown of the population in the Tamparuli area for the years 2010 and 2020, categorised by ethnic group, Local Authority Area, and state in Malaysia. The population by ethnic group, Local Authority areas, and states in Malaysia YearMalayKadazan/DusunBajauMurutOther BumiputeraChineseIndianOthersNon-citizen of MalaysiaOverall total2010726505121663881155881,40220202,40323,2756,5921283,7571,155264052,76140,502
The population of the Sub-district of Tamparuli The population of the small town of Tamparuli, which includes surrounding villages, was 31,500 in 2014. A large majority of the population belongs to the Kadazan/Dusun ethnic group, with most being from the Lotud Dusun subgroup. The Lotud people are believed to have originated from the villages of Kampong Tambalugu, Puju, Lakang, Telibong, Tomui, Sungai Damit, Bantayan, and Kampong Nohirot, which are still their settlement areas to this day. This highlights Tamparuli as one of the key locations where the Kadazan/Dusun community resides.
Here is the population in the small area of Tamparuli in 2014 according to the percentage distribution; Information on the population of the small district of Tamparuli by percentage YearKadazan/DusunChineseBajauOthersTotal overall201477%15%8%Unknown31,500
Gender Below is the population of Tamparuli in 2010 and 2020 according to gender distribution as follows; Gender YearMaleFemaleTotal20107036991,402202020,63419,86840,502
Language The people of Tamparuli, like most of Sabah, speak Malay with a mix of the Sabah dialect. The majority of the population in Tamparuli, around 77%, are of Kadazan/Dusun descent, and the Dusun language is predominantly spoken by the residents. Additionally, nearly 15% of the population in Tamparuli are of Chinese descent, and the Hakka and Mandarin languages are also spoken by the Chinese community in Tamparuli.
Disaster Flood The floods have a historical record in the area town of Tamparuli that reminds people until today, the floods also have impacted other areas such as Tuaran, Tenghilan and, other districts in Sabah. In the year 1999, the area Tamparuli town was hit by a massive flood at that time and bring destroyed convenience such as the Tamparuli old bridge. Flooding also occurred in the year 1992 in area Tamparuli town.