Welcome to tawau district. Tawau is the third largest district in Sabah. Tawau district there are a number of tribes. Among them are the Bugis, Bajau, mysticism and so on.

Tawau History is not clearly known, particularly before the 1890s. However Tawau already populated with a small fishing village with 200 inhabitants, most of whom Τidung Malay descent and mysticism before the year 1890 (before the earliest settlements there Tidung Muslim Malay community in the Sultanate under the auspices of Kalabakan Bolongan-Tarakan and Bajau community placement Semporna). At that time Tawau is under control of the Sultan of Sulu. In the signing of an agreement on January 22, 1878, to submit the Sultanate of Sulu in Tawau environment that exists today to the British.

Tawau became part of the British colony of people through the Company (Chartered) British North Borneo (SBUB). According to records The North Borneo Annual Volume (1955-1965) state administrative system began in 1898, following the steps of the SBUB open a placement in Tawau and thus provide the basics of local government there.

To avoid any misunderstandings with the Dutch who ruled at the time Kalimantan (Tawau shared border between the Dutch colony of British colony), the British government has taken steps to fix the border. This is due to the original boundaries of the area was handed over to the British by both the Sultan of Brunei and the Sultan of Sulu is under Sibuco River near Tarakan (Indonesia), which includes the area under Dutch rule when it was already occupying the area said. As a result of the Boundary Commission was established in 1912 consisting of officials from the United Kingdom and the Netherlands. (History of Malaysia)

A Joint Report has been prepared together with maps and signed by the respective Commissioner in Tawau on February 17, 1913. Then according to the protocol between the United Kingdom and the Netherlands, which was signed in London on 28 September 1915, the two governments confirmed the joint report and the map.

With the establishment of British rule in Tawau, has provided facilities such as hospitals, schools, police stations, houses, shops, Tawau port as well as the roads and villages built by the PWD, a government department whose employees are among Tawau locals.

Rights and privileges of the local community have been recognized by the British Government with the appointment of native chiefs to represent the local population in Tawau to express their needs and concerns of the people to the British government. Prior to that position was given to community leaders Sheikh Habib in 1912 while assigned to the office of Imam Imam minister in 1916. The office of the Chief Native title Orang Kaya Kaya (OKK) The British government appointed the first end of the 1920s was OKK Kee Abdullah, a Chinese Muslim. [2] while in 1937 to 1953, chief Abu Bakr (OKK Kee Abdullah's son) was appointed as the Chief Native. He is responsible for providing land titles officially legitimate local communities living in settlements around Tawau for affirmative locals as indigenous in Tawau district.

Establishment of the National Association of Malay Tawau (PKMT) in 1945, founded by Datuk Abu Bakar Titingan together other Malay leaders to champion the rights and interests of the Malays, the local Malay community united Tawau. The members of this association together with minister Tun Datu Harun through USNO, demanding independence for the state through Malaysia in 1963. While the establishment of the Islamic Society of Tawau Airport (PIT), which is chaired by Haji Abdul Karim Haji Drahman and assisted by Datuk Kassim Kamidin in 1956 has prompted the establishment of a guarantee integrity AGE spread of Islam throughout the state