In Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia, it’s hard to tell genuine street art from advertisements

Street art that pays homage to Sabah adorns the Malaysian state’s capital city – as do murals in a similar style that advertise big brands

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Published: 4:30pm, 24 Jun 2024Updated: 7:57pm, 24 Jun 2024

For many visitors, Kota Kinabalu, the capital of Malaysia’s Sabah state, is simply a base from which to begin sweaty treks through the jungles or up the mountains of Borneo, an island shared with Brunei and Indonesia.

In the lobby of my hotel, I weave through gaggles of DEET-scented hikers on my way to the rooftop patio, to soak up views of Malaysia’s highest peak – Mount Kinabalu – from the infinity pool.

However, ignore for a moment the draw of distant eco-lodges and orangutans, and you may notice that Kota Kinabalu all of a sudden has artistic appeal, seen in colourful murals covering this tiny city’s office blocks, hotels and restaurants.

Most of them pay homage to Sabah, and there is no shortage of inspiration in this fiercely independent state, home to more than a dozen indigenous groups and numerous endangered species, including pygmy elephants – although not to tigers, a creature that almost crept into the mural that covers one side of the Toojou Hotel.

A depiction of an indigenous girl surrounded by Sabah wildlife, it was painted by Kenji Chai, a Malaysian based in the national capital, Kuala Lumpur.

Luckily, the lack of tigers in Sabah was flagged to Chai early enough for him to transform the tiger into a clouded leopard.

The mural on the side of the Toojou Hotel in Kota Kinabalu, complete with clouded leopard. Photo: Tamara Hinson