INTRODUCTION

Sabah Agriculture Park
Sabah has long been the primary focus of trade and commerce in the region. Trading ships from all over the world came for the riches extracted from the heart of the rainforest - spices, aromatics woods, beeswax and birds nests. The fertile soil was tilled and planted with rubber trees, coffee, cocoa, coconut, and palm oil to feed the growing population and for export. Fruits trees and flowers were planted in the gardens to sweeten the palate and add colour to the lush greenery.

Officially launched in March 25, 2001 by the Prime Minister of Malaysia, YAB Datuk Seri Dr. Mahathir Mohamad, the Sabah Agriculture Park showcase Sabah's rich agricultural heritage.

The Park is accessible by vehicle through 200km of sealed road from Kota Kinabalu. The journey from Kota Kinabalu to Tenom is about 3 hours. It takes you through the mountainous Crocker Range and down into Tambunan Valley, passing through quaint, traditional Kadazan/dusun villages, continuing on to Keningau and finally Tenom. One can also make the journey from Kota Kinabalu to Beaufort, by road and then by train through the scenic Tenom Gorge and the return journey by road via, Keningau and Tambunan. The Sabah Agriculture Park is located at Lagud Sebrang about 15km away from Tenom town.

Gunung Alab situated right at the border of the districts of Tambunan/Penampang, offers a good stop-over point. In Tambunan there is the Mat Salleh Memorial at Kg. Tibabar. At Kampung Solibog is the amazing

Murut Cultural Centre
Initiated in 1991, the Murut Cultural Centre is finally up. The Murut Cultural Centre is located 10 km from Tenom Town. If you are coming from Keningau, you will not miss the centre as it is located just beside the road to the left. The Murut Cultural Centre is located at Kampung Pulong and the total area measures 33 acres. Beside the culture centre is the Pegalan river. The building covers an area of 20 acres which cover the main building in the initial phase and traditional houses in the second phase.

The main building is now complete and is open to public. The sight of this culture centre is exciting, constructed mainly by timber with giant timber pillars with local Murut architecture. Wood carvings on the pillars and areas inside the building is also excellent which give visitors a real feel of the Murut Traditions. There is also a museum located on the upper floor of the building, which exhibits many traditional and historical Murut artifacts such as jars, traditional wedding and etc.

The Muruts are the third larges indigenous group in Sabah after the Kadazandusuns and the Bajaus. They are made up of a number of sub-groups called Baukan, Gana, Timugon, Tahol, Serundung, Selungai, Paluan, Okolod, Murut Beaufort and Keningau.