SABAH DAY CELEBRATION 2026 – MILDURA, VICTORIA, AUSTRALIA
MILDURA, VICTORIA


The Sabah and Borneo communities in Australia will gather in Mildura, Victoria, on 29 August 2026 for Sabah Day Celebration 2026, a community event aimed at commemorating Sabah’s history, celebrating its rich cultural heritage, and strengthening connections among Sabahans living far from their homeland.

With the theme:

“Honouring Our Roots. Celebrating Our Identity.”

Sabah Day Celebration 2026 carries the message that although Sabahans are now living in many parts of the world, their connection to their homeland, history, culture and identity should never be lost.

The event, which will take place from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm, is organised by the Republic of Sabah North Borneo Government-in-Exile (RSNB-GiE) in collaboration with several Borneo organisations and communities.

The choice of Mildura as the location for Sabah Day carries its own significance.

Mildura is one of the areas in Australia where members of the Sabah and Borneo communities live and earn their livelihoods. Many arrived as workers and migrants before building lives, families and friendships within the wider Australian community.

For this reason, the organisers believe that events celebrating Sabah’s identity should not be concentrated solely in major cities.

Sabah exists wherever Sabahans are.

Holding Sabah Day in Mildura sends a message that diaspora communities, even when small and located thousands of kilometres from their homeland, can continue to play an important role in preserving their culture, history and connections between generations.

It is also a recognition of Sabahans who work and build their lives in regional Australia.

One of the main objectives of the Sabah Day Celebration is to provide younger generations, particularly children from Sabahan families who were born or raised outside Sabah, with opportunities to learn about their family heritage.

They should be given the opportunity to discover Sabah’s history, food, music, languages, traditional attire, arts and the diversity of communities that make up Sabah.

Sabah is home to an extraordinarily diverse population, including the Kadazan, Dusun, Murut, Rungus, Bajau, Bisaya, Brunei, Kedayan, Orang Sungai, Lundayeh, and many other communities.

This diversity should not be something that divides the people of Sabah.

Instead, it represents one of Sabah’s greatest strengths.

Sabah Day Celebration 2026 also carries the message that a shared identity should transcend differences in ethnicity, religion, district, language and background.

The event provides a space for people to meet, share experiences, enjoy culture and food, build friendships, and strengthen connections among the Sabah, Sarawak and wider Borneo communities, as well as with the broader Australian community.

The organisers believe that unity cannot be built through slogans alone.

It must begin through human connections, through meeting one another, conversation, culture, mutual respect and a willingness to understand each other.

The presence of Sabahan communities overseas is also part of the continuing journey of the people of Sabah.

Today, many Sabahans work, study, conduct business and build careers in Australia and other countries around the world.

These diaspora communities carry with them experiences, skills and knowledge gained abroad.

These connections should continue to be nurtured because the Sabahan diaspora has the potential to serve as a bridge between Sabah and the wider world in areas such as education, skills development, professional expertise, business, technology, culture and people-to-people relations.

Sabah Day in Mildura represents one small step towards building and strengthening those connections.

Sabah Day Celebration 2026 carries a simple message:

No matter how far we travel from home, we should never forget where we come from.

Thousands of kilometres of distance should not sever a person’s connection with their history and culture.

Living in a new country does not mean that a person must forget their homeland.

Instead, the experience of living abroad can enrich our perspectives and help future generations understand that they can be part of the wider global community while continuing to value and honour their family roots.

On 29 August 2026, from Mildura, Victoria, Sabahans and friends of Borneo will gather together in one spirit:

Honouring Our Roots.
Celebrating Our Identity.
Strengthening Our Unity.

Sabah may be far from Mildura, but Sabah remains close to our hearts.

Issued by,

Timothy S Arambala
Minister of Planning, Development & Infrastructure
Republic of Sabah North Borneo
Government-in-Exile

29 AUGUST 2026