On 1st January 1942, the Japanese army landed on Labuan Island. The mission to capture Sabah was rapid. On 16th May 1942, Sabah was completely under the Japanese rule. Sabah was divided into two divisions, the West Coast including the interior and Kudat was named Sheikai Shiu and the East Coast was called Tokai Shiu. Labuan (Jawi:ڤوتراجاي) formerly known as Victoria Island is a territory of Malaysia comprising of one main island (75km²) and six other smaller ones on the coast of Sabah, and Brunei. ... State motto: Sabah Maju Jaya Capital Kota Kinabalu Governor Ahmadshah Abdullah Chief Minister Hj. ... Kudat Kudat is a town in Sabah, east Malaysia, on the island of Borneo. ...

The Japanese occupation was resisted by guerilla groups i.e. the Kinabalu Guerrillas led by Albert Kwok at West Coast and another led by Datu Mustapha at the northern part of Sabah. However, the Kinabalu Guerrillas movement ended with the mass killing of Kwok and its members in Petagas on 21st January 1944.

The liberation of Sabah began on 9th June 1945 when the 9th Australia Imperial Force Division attacked the Japanese location on Labuan Island.

The war in Sabah ended with the official surrendering by Lieutenant General Masao Baba on Labuan Island on 10th September 1945, Colonel Elimus in Papar on 15th September 1945 and Major Akashi in Beaufort on 17th September 1945. This was the result of the combined bombing of the Allied Forces (Australia, British, United States and New Zealand) which in the process also devastated Sandakan, Jesselton and Labuan. The Papar (from Irish pap, father) were, according to early Icelandic sources some Irish monks that inhabited Iceland and left after the arrival of the Vikings. ... Beaufort is: The name of some places in the United States of America: Beaufort, North Carolina Beaufort, South Carolina Beaufort County, North Carolina Beaufort County, South Carolina The name of a place in Australia: Beaufort, Victoria The name of several communes in France: Beaufort, in the Haute-Garonne département... Sandakan as viewed from the English Tea House Sandakan is the second-largest city in the state of Sabah, East Malaysia, on the north-eastern of island of Borneo. ... Kota Kinabalu (1996 pop. ... State motto: Capital Victoria Governor  ? Chief Minister  ? Area 92 km2 Population 78,000 (est. ...