In 2000 , the state capital Kota Kinabalu was granted city status , making it the 6th city in Malaysia and the first city in the state . Also this year , Kinabalu National Park was officially designated by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site , making it the first site in the country to be given such designation . On 3 May , the Abu Sayyaf militant group from southern Philippines arrived on the resort island of Sipadan and kidnapped 21 people consisting of tourists and resort workers for ransom . Most hostages were rescued on 16 September 2000 following an offensive by the Philippine army . In 2002 , the International Court of Justice ruled that the islands of Ligitan and Sipadan , claimed by Indonesia , are part of Sabah and Malaysia
kidnapped 21 people
2000 Sipadan kidnappings
History of Sabah