Sabah Tea Sdn Bhd, known as Sabah Tea, has been the main tea company in Sabah, Malaysia, since 1973. It is the largest tea producer in Borneo[1] and sells its products both locally and internationally, especially after joining Yee Lee Corporation Bhd.[2][3]
History
The Nalapak tea farm signboard in Ranau.
In 1976, the Sabah state government gave 6,200 acres of land in Kg Nalapak, Ranau, to the Rural Development Co-operation (KPD). This land was turned into a tea farm, which became part of Sabah Tea on 26 April 1978, with help from KPD.[1] The farm was officially opened by Prime MinisterMahathir Mohamad on 19 February 1984.
In 1987, Sabah Tea joined with the British company Tate & Lyle and the Commonwealth Development Corporation to ease financial pressures on the government.[1] This helped Sabah Tea compete better with other tea farms. Since 1997, Yee Lee Corporation Bhd has fully owned Sabah Tea and Desa Tea Sdn Bhd, which focuses on manufacturing and selling tea products.[1]
