Keningau (Malay: Pekan Keningau) is the capital of the Keningau District in the Interior Division of Sabah, Malaysia. It is the fifth-largest town in Sabah, as well one of the oldest. Keningau is also located between Tambunan and Tenom. The town has an estimated population of 5,565.

The name Keningau is derived from the locally-abundant Javanese cinnamon tree (Cinnamomum burmannii) which is locally known as Koningau. The tree is known as 'Kayu Manis' in Malay, and is sometimes also referred to as the 'king of spices'. The bark of this tree was collected by the British North Borneo Company to be sold as a spice. During the British colonial era, Keningau was one of the most important administrative centres in British North Borneo. The Japanese also used Keningau as one of its main administrative centres during their occupation of North Borneo in World War II.

Keningau is the most prominent district in the interior part of Malaysian state of Sabah. Just like most other districts in Sabah, it is a multi-racial place with Dusun &Murut being the major ethnics. Located just about 2 and half hour’s drive from Kota Kinabalu, I’d say it is a place worth considering a visit for.

Ethnicity and religion

Keningau's population was estimated in 2010 at 5,565. Of the total, 90% are Dusuns and Muruts, 8% are Chinese (of whom most are Hakka Chinese) and the balance is divided between other indigenous Sabahan races and foreign immigrants (both legal and illegal) from the Philippines and Indonesia. The latter group forms a disproportionately large part of the population of Keningau as many of these immigrants come to Keningau to seek employment in the many agricultural plantations in the district.

Languages

Apart from their own native languages, the indigenous Sabahan ethnicities present in Keningau mostly speak English, Malay, albeit a distinct Sabahan creole form of it. The ethnic Chinese population speak Hakka and Mandarin (two varieties of Chinese) among themselves, but generally speak Malay when interacting with members of the indigenous races. Most of the Indonesian and Filipino immigrants also speak Malay in addition to their various native languages.

Road

Keningau is situated along the following highways:

Kota Kinabalu-Papar-Kimanis-Keningau (Kimanis-Keningau Highway)
Kota Kinabalu-Tambunan-Keningau-Tenom) (Malaysia Federal Route 500)
Ranau-Tambunan-Keningau-Tenom-Kemabong (Interior North-South Highway)
Keningau-Sook-Nabawan-Kalabakan-Tawau (Interior West-East Highway)
Keningau-Sook-Tulid-Telupid-Sandakan (Keningau-Sandakan Highway)

Public transportation

Long-distance coaches link Keningau with the cities of Kota Kinabalu, Sandakan, Lahad Datu and Tawau. Within the town, public transportation is provided by minibuses and taxis.

Air

The main entrance to Keningau Airport

Keningau Airport (Malay : Lapangan Terbang Keningau) (IATA: KGU, ICAO: WBKG) was last serviced by commercial flights in the 1970s. It is currently under private ownership.

Radio

Keningau also have their own radio station, Keningau FM, (frequency 94.70 MHz or 98.40 MHz) that show in Malay, Murut and KadazanDusun or Dusun language. Keningau also can connect other radio station such as Ai FM, Traxx FM, Nasional FM, Sabah FM & Sabah V FM. Some place of Keningau also can connect Astro Radio, Hitz FM.

Courts of law and legal enforcement

The Keningau court complex is located on Jalan Nyamok (Nyamok Road). It houses the High, Sessions and Magistrates Courts. The police headquarters is located on Jalan OKK Sodomon (OKK Sodomon Road). There are police substations or pondok polis (literally 'police huts') in Apin-Apin, Bingkor and Sook.

Healthcare

There are eight public health clinics, two public hospital, one maternal and child health clinic, four village clinics, one mobile clinic and one 1Malaysia clinic in Keningau. The new Keningau Hospital is the main hospital in the Interior Division, and is therefore visited by patients from the surrounding districts of Nabawan, Sook, Tambunan, Tenom and beyond.

Librarie

The Keningau Regional Library is one of three regional libraries in Sabah, the others being in Sandakan and Tawau. These libraries are operated by the Sabah State Library.

Sports

The Keningau Sports Complex has facilities for badminton, tennis, volleyball and basketball as well as two stadiums for hockey and football. There is also a 25m swimming pool. It hosted the fifth Sabah Games in 2011.

Keningau Football Stadium has a capacity of 10,000 capacity. It is the home stadium for KDMM F.C.

Keningau Airport

Keningau Airport (Malay : Lapangan Terbang Keningau) (IATA: KGU, ICAO: WBKG) is a privately owned and domestic airport serving the citytown of located at Keningau in the state of Sabah, Malaysia. It just 2.5 km from Keningau Town.

Many years ago, the Keningau Airport was used for aeroplanes with a small capacity like the BN-2 Islander and Fokker F27. The last flight to Keningau Airport for Malaysia Airlines was in the 1970s.

Airlines and Destinations[edit]

Malaysia Airlines used to fly from Subang Airport (now Kuala Lumpur International Airport) to Keningau Airport. When Malaysia Airlines stop their operation, they ended the Kuala Lumpur-Keningau route and turn it an abondened airport because hence there is no scheduled commercial airlines currently flying to the airport.

Kimanis–Keningau Highway

Kimanis–Keningau Highway is a state highway in Sabah, Malaysia, connecting the town of Kimanis to Keningau. It also acts as an alternative for Federal Route 500 from Kota Kinabalu to Tenom which is nowadays somewhat under-use. The 53-kilometre (33 mi) highway began as a main logging road before being upgraded to a full two-lane highway.^[1] The highway was opened to traffic in 2006.

Even though the highway is relatively short and is in very good condition, it is notorious for its very steep gradients along the way, ranging from 10% to about 25%, making the Kimanis–Keningau Highway as the steepest highway in Malaysia. As a result, climbing road lanes are provided at steep sections.

A gravity hill induced by optical illusion is located 11 kilometres (6.8 mi) from Keningau. It is reported that at the gravity hill, there is a slope which appears as a downhill slope, but is actually an uphill slope.

Rest and Restaurant Stops

There are at least three popular stops along the highway;

Jabatan Perhutanan Station
Dimie Mountain resort
Oyong Restaurant

These stops are popular for motorists especially lorries, buses and tourists. The punishing steep gradient made it necessary for the lorries to make frequent stops and replenish their water-cooling tanks. From the high vantage point of Dimie Resort a panaromic view of the Brunei Bay and The Klias Bay to the West and glimpse of the Keningau Plain. The Liawan river and the Pampang river, which flow into the Keningau Plain arises from the divide provided by the Crocker Range.

Many local people especially Keningau compare that Kimanis-Keningau Highway is like Mount Haruna or manga series Initial D under the fictional name Akina(秋名) because of their structure road is almost same with Mount Haruna.

List of interchanges

Km	Interchange	To	Remarks
	Kimanis	Federal Route 1 North Kota Kinabalu Papar South Beaufort Sindumin	Roundabout
	Shell Layby	Shell	Keningau bound
	Bongawan Estate	North Papar South Bongawan	Roundabout
	Kimanis–keningau Highway R&R Complex		R&R complex Kimanis bound
	Layby		Keningau bound
	-- m above sea level		Kimanis bound, Engage lower gear
West Coast Division Papar district border
West Coast-Interior division border
Interior Division Keningau district border
	-- m above sea level		Keningau bound, Engage lower gear
	Crocker Range National Park -- m above sea level
	Jalan Masak Roundabout	South Jalan Patikang Ulu Tenom	Roundabout
	Keningau	Federal Route 500 Interior North-South Highway Northeast Tambunan Ranau Kota Kinabalu Southwest Tenom Melalap Sook \|\|Roundabout