Introduction:The use of medicinal plants as a remedy and prevention of diseases based on practical skills, knowl-edge and therapies was passed down from one generation to the next. It was reported by WHO that, approximately a quarter of the modern drugs were derivatives of plants or herbs, used as traditional medicines. It has contributed greatly in the health care management as the main source of medicine for many of the rural population in Sabah. This preliminary study was carried out to observe the use of medicinal plants in different villages of Kudat and to know about the knowledge of the villagers related to possible side effects of these plants. Methods: It was a cross-sectional descriptive study which was carried out in different villages of Kudat, Sabah, Malaysia between August and Septem-ber 2018. The data were obtained through interviewing the people in different villages by using semi- structured questionnaire. Descriptive statistics were used to present the data. Results: Among the 87 participants, 37.9% were male and 62.1% were female. Their mean age was 45.87 (±14.03) and they were mostly from Kadazan-Dusun (50.6%) and Rungus (42.5%). The highest level of education among the participants was SPM (20.7%). Roots, stems, leaves, flowers and fruits of 49 plant species were reported in the treatment of more than 30 types of health condi-tions. Anaemia, hypertension, diabetes, joint pain, hypercholesterolaemia, fever, asthma, malaria, vomiting and few acute illnesses are mentionable. Majority (71%) of the participants did not have any knowledge about possible side effects of the orally ingested or tropically applied medicinal plants. Conclusion: There should be thorough research on dosage, mechanism of action and possible side effects of the medicinal plants and the results of these researches should reach the users of these plants.