KOTA KINABALU, Jan 2, 2026 — The number of non-citizens residing in Kota Kinabalu has risen sharply to 125,400, accounting for nearly one-fifth of the district’s population.
In a joint media statement issued today, four Sabah state assemblymen from Parti Warisan said the figure represents a significant increase.
The non-citizen population in Kota Kinabalu increased steadily from 79,100 in 2022 to 81,700 in 2023, before surging sharply to 121,800 in 2024 — an increase of 21,700 in a single year. The figure has since risen further to 125,400.
The joint statement noted that Kota Kinabalu now has the third-highest non-citizen population among districts in Sabah, behind Sandakan with 195,100 and Tawau with 142,900.
The 125,400 non-citizens represent about 20.9 per cent of Kota Kinabalu’s estimated total population of around 600,000, the statement said.
The data was published in Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM) statistical release on December 24 last year.
The statement, issued by Api Api assemblyman Loi Kok Liang, Luyang assemblyman Samuel Wong, Inanam assemblyman Edna Majimbun and Kapayan assemblyman Chin Tek Ming, said the rise was “surprising” given the Sabah government’s stated policy to reduce the number of foreign nationals and non-citizen residents in the state.
“The Gabungan Rakyat Sabah–Pakatan Harapan state government led by Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor has been in power since 2020, with a clear policy commitment to reduce the number of foreign nationals and non-citizens in Sabah,” the statement said, questioning why the numbers have continued to climb.
“At what point will the state government’s commitment to reducing the number of non-citizens be realised, when the figures continue to increase year after year?” the assemblymen asked.
Statewide, DOSM data shows that Sabah currently has 1,043,200 non-citizen residents. This marks an increase of 279,200 compared with 810,400 recorded during the previous Warisan Plus administration, according to the statement.
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