Beaufort, Malaysia

For the federal constituency represented in the Dewan Rakyat, see Beaufort (federal constituency).

Beaufort
Town and district capital
Pekan Beaufort Beaufort Town
Other transcription(s)
• Jawi	بعوفورت
• Chinese	保佛 (Simplified) 保佛 (Traditional) Bǎo fú (Hanyu Pinyin)
Seal
Etymology: Named after former British Governor Leicester Paul Beaufort
Coordinates: 5°20′49″N 115°44′35″E
Country	Malaysia
State	Sabah
Division	Interior
District	Beaufort
Seat	Beaufort
Population  (2010)
• Total	12,742

Beaufort (/ˈboʊfərt/ BOH-fərt) is the capital of the Beaufort District in the Interior Division of Sabah, Malaysia. It was named after former British Governor Leicester Paul Beaufort. Its population was estimated to be around 12,742 in 2010.^[1] It is about 90 kilometres south of Kota Kinabalu and about 167 kilometres north of Long Pasia (one of the famous tourist attractions in Interior Division). It has shophouses built high above the roads to avoid the periodic floods of the Padas River. The population of Beaufort is composed mainly of Bisaya, Brunei Malays, Kadazan-Dusuns, Lun Bawang/Lun Dayeh, Muruts and Chinese (mainly Hakkas). Bisaya are the majority ethnic, and the population is scattered around the town. Like other towns in Sabah such as Kota Kinabalu city (including Penampang), Tuaran, Papar, Tawau, Kudat and Tenom, Beaufort was one of the major initial Hakka population centres in Sabah and still has a large Hakka minority.

History

Originally set up to help economic development of the interior of Sabah, Beaufort's early prosperity was closely linked to rubber cultivation. During World War II, it was the site of a battle between Japanese and Australian forces in late June 1945.

Beaufort District Council building.

Economy

Its current prosperity depends on the booming palm oil industry, rubber, pineapple, mangoes, durian and livestock.

Transportation

Beaufort railway station is a stop on the Sabah State Railway (Jabatan Keretapi Negeri Sabah) line from Tanjung Aru to Tenom. Beaufort is usually visited by tourists for white-water rafting through the nearby Padas Gorge on the Padas River, which is rated as a Grade 2 to 4 river.

Healthcare

Medical services are provided by the 140 bed government hospital which has primary care and basic secondary care services. There are three private practitioners within the town area.

Shopping

The open-air market, locally known as tamu, is held weekly from Friday evening until Saturday afternoon. Local produce such as fresh fruits, vegetables, fresh meat and live poultry are sold.

There is a recently developed shopping area which includes superstore branches.

Cuisine

See also: Sabahan cuisine

Beaufort is also known in Sabah for its local cuisine called ambuyat. Sweet Sambal bambangan is also a popular option, as well as other local dishes such as tapai manis, jelurut, bingka, rojak, soto, nasi ayam special, cendol pulut, satay, mamak foodstuffs and a Chinese noodle dish called Beaufort Mee, served either dry or with soup. It is also famous for its Beaufort oranges, which are featured as three large sculptures in the centre of the town.

Sister cities

As designated by Sister Cities International, Beaufort is a sister city of:

• Beaufort, North Carolina, 2013^[2]

References

1. "Population by ethnic group, Local Authority area and state, Malaysia" (PDF). Department of Statistics, Malaysia. 2010. Archived from the original (PDF) on 27 February 2012. Retrieved 5 November 2017.
2. "Uma-Bawang, Malaysia & Berkeley, California". Sister Cities International. Archived from the original on 18 May 2015. Retrieved 7 May 2015.

External links

Media related to Beaufort (Sabah) at Wikimedia Commons

• Beaufort (Sabah) travel guide from Wikivoyage