Oh I love browsing through this thread. I am always in different countries and love textile shopping. LOL. I did most of my sewing when I lived in Canada (Ontario), and Tokyo. Some of my favourite shops:
Ontario, Canada - Len's Mill Stores, and FabricLand. Both are pretty big chains across the province. They often have good sales prices.
Tokyo, Japan - Nippori Textile District. So basically get to the Nippori textile district and I really don't need to say much more, the entire district is fantastic. BUT, you have to visit the Tomato Store. (Yes, it's called Tomato...lol). But it's 5 floors of all the textiles....It's quite organized by purpose. You'll find all the athletic/swim together, higher-end silks, satins, suiting, jersey, cotton, bamboo-cotton, cotton lycra, etc... it's got everything.
Hope to find the best shops in Sabah, Malaysia if anyone has shopped for fabric there.