American Military Base Near Northern Sabah

The United States of America and the Philippines government will build a post and upgrade it into a military base at Balabac Island, southern part of the Philippines. The island - home to rare birds and pristine beaches - is 70 km / 38 nautical miles away from northern Sabah and is reachable in less than 2 hrs by speedboat from Pulau Banggi, Sabah.

Chief Minister Datuk Seri Panglima Haji Hajiji Haji Noor - on 31 August 2026 – mentioned the military-base issue during a visit to victims of a fire incident in Kota Kinabalu.

“The development at Pulau Balabac is for America’s military purposes and it has nothing to do with Malaysia, and it is not a cause of concern for Sabah. Do not make an issue out of it. The United States is establishing a military base in the Philippines, on Balabac Island. That is Philippine territory. It has nothing to do with Malaysia or anyone else,” Hajiji said.

At this moment, Sabah is not yet been informed of the objective of the two countries’ plans of having a military base at the island, but we should view the development positively as it might be related to the United States’ need to maintain a military base in the eastern region, Hajiji added.