RANKED
Mount KK (Mount Kinabalu) is Malaysia's highest peak — but where does it rank against the rest of Southeast Asia and the world's islands?
THE HEADLINE
At 4,095 metres (13,435 feet), Mount KK is the undisputed highest mountain in both Malaysia and the wider Malay Archipelago. It sits in Sabah on the island of Borneo, and its nearest rival on the Malaysian peninsula — Mount Tahan in Pahang, at 2,187m — isn't even close, standing at barely half its height.
SOUTHEAST ASIA
Mount KK ranks as the 28th-highest peak in Southeast Asia — the region is dominated by mountains in continental Myanmar and Vietnam, which connect to the wider Himalayan mountain system. But among island peaks specifically, Mount KK's story changes dramatically.
| Peak | Country | Height | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hkakabo Razi | Myanmar | 5,881m | Continental |
| Fansipan | Vietnam | 3,143m | Continental |
| Mount KK (Kinabalu) | Malaysia (Borneo) | 4,095m | Island — #1 in region |
| Rinjani | Indonesia (Lombok) | 3,726m | Island |
| Doi Inthanon | Thailand | 2,565m | Continental |
Ranking is by absolute elevation across mainland and island Southeast Asia; Mount KK is the tallest peak on any island in the region.
GLOBAL CONTEXT
Zoom out further and Mount KK holds a genuinely rare title: the third-highest peak on any island on Earth, behind only Puncak Jaya in Indonesian Papua (4,884m) and Puncak Trikora, also in Papua (4,750m) — both part of the same New Guinea highlands system. Outside of New Guinea, Mount KK is the highest island peak in the world.
Its topographic prominence — a measure of how much a peak stands independently above the surrounding terrain — is also 4,095m, making it the 20th most prominent mountain on the planet, on par with well-known peaks most people have actually heard of.
QUICK ANSWERS
Mount KK (Mount Kinabalu), at 4,095 metres, located in Sabah on the island of Borneo.
No — it ranks 28th regionally. Myanmar's Hkakabo Razi (5,881m) is the highest in Southeast Asia. But Mount KK is the highest peak on any island in the region.
Mount Tahan, at 2,187m in Pahang — roughly half the height of Mount KK, which is in East Malaysia (Borneo), not the peninsula.
Puncak Jaya in Indonesian Papua (4,884m). Mount KK ranks third globally, and is the highest island peak outside of the New Guinea highlands.