If anyone ask when was Sabah ever hit by any tropical storm, it has to be on 25 Dec 1996 and the name of the storm is Greg.  Before this, Sabah or North Borneo is known as "The Land Below the Winds" because Sabah is considered to be well protected from strong winds from the seas as it is surrounded and protected by nearby islands or continents as can be seen in the map beside.

http://www.solar.ifa.hawaii.edu/Tropical/GifArchive/GREG-96.gif
However, on that very night the 25th Dec, strong winds came from the South-China Sea between Peninsular Malaysia and took Sabah by surprise, killing many along its path, especially in the Keningau District.  The maximum sustained winds speed recorded then was 40 knots (46 mph).  Many still remembered how the winds blew and blew that night but it was only in the following morning that the impact of it was revealed to the people of Sabah for the very first time.