Maktab Sabah (English: Sabah College) is a two-session secondary school located in the city of Kota Kinabalu, in the State of Sabah, Malaysia. The school was established in the year 1957, making Sabah College a historical institution as it was formed before the independence of Sabah.
As of the year 2021, the school has approximately 100 teachers and over 1300 students.
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History
Establishment of Sabah College was suggested by the first education director of the North Borneo government, PE Perry in 1947. The purpose of this school is to help and provide education to potential and bright local children in North Borneo. Among the proposed construction sites are Likas (current SM All Saints site), Kepayan and current Queen Elizabeth Hospital. Finally, in 1955, the Civil Aviation Department site has been chosen to be the site of Sabah College with an area of 16.77 acres (67,900 m2) which includes 6 acres (24,000 m2) of sports field area, 4.8 acres (19,000 m2) of residential areas and the rest is the school. In 1956 its construction plans had been proposed to the British Government and granted.
During the construction project the Colonial Development Welfare has funded 90% of the cost. While the rest was contributed by local sources. The first intake consist of 85 students and 95 teachers. Only selected students which passed special exam were chosen to study at Maktab Sabah. The school acting principal was Buckley. In the same year, Geoffrey Clarke was appointed as the very first principal of Sabah College.
At the end of 1957 this school was moved to a new site near the current Secretariat building. In 1958 Form Six classes started with limited facility of classes lessons.
Then, in 1960, Sabah College once again moved to a new site.
Principals
Below are the principals who have served and led Sabah College since its establishment.
G.C. Clarke (May 1957 – May 1963)
F.J. Rawcliffe (May 1963 – Dec 1966)
Siew Peng Foo (January 1967 – May 1970)
Datuk Vincent T.Y. Shia (May 1970 – September 1975)
Yong Foo Sang (September 1975 – May 1980)
Mokhtar Senik (May 1980 – January 1981)
Ahmad A. Staun (January 1981 – 1986)
Dg. Haruni (1986–1991)
Hasnah Yunan (1991 – August 1996)
Ahmad Abdul Wahab (September 1996 – May 1998)
Julia Willie Jock (1998 – March 2006)
Datuk Nuinda Alias (March 2006 – 6 January 2022)
Nurani Fauziah Derin (7 January 2022 – 29 January 2024)
Suhaimi Basri (1 February 2024 – present)
Alumni (OSCA)
A student pursuing his secondary education in Maktab Sabah is commonly known as a Sabah Collegian; once the individual leaves the school, he is an Old Sabah Collegian. The school's alumni, Old Sabah Collegians Alumni is commonly referred to by its abbreviation, OSCA.
Notable alumni
Awang Ahmad Sah Awang Sahari – Sabah state assemblyman for Petagas (in the Putatan electorate) of the Penampang district since 2020
Malaya Ayalamshah Sibuku – state notary government surveyor
Pandikar Amin Mulia – former Speaker of the Dewan Rakyat
Anifah Aman – former Malaysian Minister of Foreign Affairs
Maximus Ongkili – Malaysian cabinet minister from 2004 to 2022 cum former member of parliament and state assemblyman; also former Sabah state Assistant Minister in March 1994 (attended Form 6 in this school)
Masidi Manjun – former Sabah State Minister of Tourism, Culture and Environment from 2008 to 2018, Minister of Housing and Local Government from 2020 to 2023, current Sabah Minister of Finance
Shafie Apdal – former Malaysian Minister of Rural and Regional Development and 15th Chief Minister from 2018 to 2020 (attended from Forms 1 to 3, lower secondary)
Musa Aman – 14th Chief Minister of Sabah from 2003 to 2018, Governor of Sabah since 2025 (alumnus in lower secondary, Forms 1 to 3)
Nasir Sakaran – former Minister in the Chief Minister's Department of Sabah
Yahya Hussin – former Deputy Chief Minister of Sabah and former Sabah state assemblyman for Petagas (in the Putatan electorate) of the Penampang district from 1994 to 2018
Abdul Rahim Ismail – former Minister of Agriculture and Food Industry of Sabah
Tham Nyip Shen – former Deputy Chief Minister of Sabah