Kota Kinabalu 2010

Jesselton after 1911 had changed so much. The railway line to Tg Lipat has been replaced by highway, flyovers and traffic lights. 99 years after 1911 saw Jesselton becoming a City that is serviced by an international airport and a Port Hub at Sepanggar.

Only a Hotel called Jesselton Hotel gives us a retro of the old name of Kota Kinabalu named after Mr Jessel, the British Resident.

Jesselton 1911

What is so special about Kota Kinabalu,formerly known as Jesselton in 1911? There used to be a railway line right up to Tg Lipat where the Port now lies from Tenom, a district in the Interior Residency of Sabah, formerly North Borneo.

Kota Kinabalu City old name was Api Api after the Malay word for Fire after the town was burnt by none other than Mat Salleh, the Bajau chieftan and rebel at that time in 1897 including the island fronting Kota Kinabalu called Gaya Island.

1911 saw the reconstruction of Jesselton, some 14 years after tStar Cityhe town was burnt down.

The village that you saw called Kg Air is no more there and there lies Asia City and Star City and of course Kg Air the Town.