# Tuaran District

The Tuaran District (Malay: Daerah Tuaran) is an administrative district in the Malaysian state of Sabah, part of the West Coast Division which includes the districts of Kota Belud, Kota Kinabalu, Papar, Penampang, Putatan, Ranau and Tuaran. The capital of the district is in Tuaran Town and the administrative area includes the entire boundary of Tuaran District, covering an area of 116,500 hectares (287,875 acres). Tuaran also one of the districts in Sabah located near Kota Kinabalu, and it is considered part of the Greater Kota Kinabalu area.
St. Andrews Anglican church was consecrated on 12 November 1967 by Roland Koh.

## Etymology

The origin of the name of "Tuaran" is somewhat uncertain as a settlement had existed since before the arrival of the British. One of the earliest recorded evidence of the use of Tuaran is through the letter of Stamford Raffles. After he became the governor of Java in 1813, he requested the British secretary in India to give him permission to enter the northern Borneo area after being invited by the Sultanate of Brunei. The Sultan of Brunei request help from Raffles as the waters around Jawaran (Tuaran) and Jampasoo (Tempasuk) have been infected with piracy. The letter stated:
   The present Sultan of Borneo Proper (Brunei) is understood to be well disposed not given the encouragement of piratical enterprise, notwithstanding the shelter is accorded to pirates in almost every river in his domain, a number of petty states having arisen beyond the reach of his authority and control. The most prominent of these states are the states of Jawaran (Tuaran) and Jampasoo (Tempasuk) to the northward of Borneo Proper………
   It has been reported that Jawaran send about 50 prows (perahu) belonging to this states is estimated about 150 with from one to two hundred guns. The large prows armed with 10 feet long probably 12 and 18 paunders. Their crews consisting 80-200 men. The lanoons are the most considerable, formidable of these eastern pirates. There is little doubts that we the (East India Company) should be justified in the immediate destruction of these prows.

## Administration
### Tuaran District Council

The Tuaran District Council oversees the administration of various areas within Tuaran district, including Pantai Dalit, Sulaman, Tamparuli, and Kiulu. It was established on January 1, 1958, under the "Rural Government Ordinance Cap. 132" and began operating as a Local Authority on January 1, 1962, under the Local Authorities Ordinance 1961 and the Tuaran District Council Deed 1961.
The administrative center of the Tuaran District Council is situated in the town of Tuaran. Prior to this, the council operated from the Small Secretariat Building in the town. In 1994, the proposal to build a new office complex for the council was greenlit, and construction work commenced. By the end of 1997, the new building, known as the Tuaran District Council Complex, was finished and officially occupied.

### Administrative division

Tuaran District includes:
Tuaran District :
| Area | Mukim (Section) |
| Sulaman | Mukim Tambalang |
| Sulaman | Mukim Serusop |
| Sulaman | Mukim Indai |
| Pantai Dalit | Mukim Berungis |
| Pantai Dalit | Mukim Mengkabong |
| Pantai Dalit | Mukim Tuaran Bandar |
| Tamparuli | Mukim Tamparuli |
| Tamparuli | Mukim Tenghilan |
| Tamparuli | Mukim Topokon |
| Tamparuli | Mukim Gayaratau/Rungus |
| Kiulu | Mukim Ulu |
| Kiulu | Mukim Tengah |
| Kiulu | Mukim Lembah |
| Kiulu | Mukim Pantai |
| Kiulu | Mukim Nabalu |
| Kiulu | Mukim Pekan |

### Members of Sabah State Legislative Assembly

| State constituency | Member of Sabah State Legislative Assembly | Party |
| S12 Sulaman | Hajiji Noor | GAGASAN |
| S13 Pantai Dalit | Jasnih Daya | GAGASAN |
| S14 Tamparuli | Jahid Jahim | Gabungan Rakyat Sabah |
| S15 Kiulu | Joniston Bangkuai | Gabungan Rakyat Sabah |

### Towns

There are 4 Towns in Tuaran District:
* Tuaran Town
* Tamparuli Town
* Tenghilan Town
* Kiulu Town

### Sub-District

Tamparuli became a sub-district in 1977, followed by Kiulu in 2018. There are 2 Sub-District in Tuaran District:
* Tamparuli
* Kiulu

## Demographics

According to the last census in 2020, the population of the district is estimated to be around 135,665, mainly Dusun and Bajau people as well a significant number of Chinese and Malay. As in other districts of Sabah, there are a significant number of illegal immigrants from the nearby southern Philippines, mainly from the Sulu Archipelago and Mindanao, many of whom are not included in the population statistics.

## Tourism

Tourist attractions in Tuaran include the Mengkabong and Penimbawan water villages, which are villages of stilt houses built over the seashore by the Bajau people, and the Ling San Pagoda (Traditional Chinese: 龍山塔), a nine-storey Buddhist pagoda situated just outside the town centre. The main tourist resorts in Tuaran are the Mimpian Jadi Resort and Shangri-La's Rasa Ria Resort. In addition to food and lodging, these resorts offer various other activities such as golfing and water sports.

### Other Attraction

List of attraction at Tuaran District :
| Num | Area | Attraction Place |
| 1 | Tuaran | • 9-storey Ling-San Pagoda Tower • Peak of Hope • Borneo Ant House • Tuaran Crocodile • Sabandar Cowboy Town Farm • Dalit Bay Golf & Country Club • Mengkabong and Penimbawan water villages • Shangri-La's Rasa Ria Resort • Linangkit Cultural Village • Lotud's Tree House • Nuluh Lapai Jungle Trails |
| 2 | Tamparuli | • Upside Down House • Tamparuli Suspension Bridge • Ruhiang Hill (Bukit Perahu) • Murug-Turug Eco Tourism (MTET) • JonGrapevines & Figs Garden • Bungalio Hill (Glass Bridge) |
| 3 | Kiulu | • Jurassic Land Kiulu • Kiulu White Water Rafting Centre • Zip Borneo (The Adventure Centre) • Borneo Quad Biking • Kiulu Farmstay • Kondis Point |
| 4 | Tenghilan | • Sambah River Cruise |

## Gallery

* An-Nur Mosque.
* St. Andrew Anglican Church.
* Ling San Pagoda.
* Tuaran canopy walk.
* Tuaran shoplots.
* Tuaran Roundbout.