Limbang
Encyclopedia
Limbang is a border
town and the capital of Limbang District in the Limbang Division
of northern Sarawak
, East Malaysia
, on the island of Borneo
. The division has an area of 3,978.1 square kilometers, and a population (year 2000 census) of 42,600. Limbang was annexed by Charles Anthoni Johnson Brooke
, the second Rajah of Sarawak in 1890 from Brunei to become the fifth division of Sarawak. The annexation was strongly disputed by Brunei.
Limbang is located on the banks of the Limbang River (Sungai Limbang in Malay), between the two halves of Brunei
. It is a 30 minute speedboat ride or at least a two hour drive (depending on how busy the Customs/Immigration Checkpoint is) to Bandar Seri Begawan
, the capital of Brunei.
's road network. It is however has good road links to both parts of Brunei
located to the east and west of the district. There is also a good local network of roads in the district.
There are two road border crossing checkpoints
in Limbang district, both into Brunei
.
and Kuala Belait
) to the west of Limbang, and the Temburong district to the east of Limbang.
The de facto boundary ran along the watershed between the Brunei River
and Limbang River basins on the western side of the district, and along the length of the Pandaruan River
on the eastern side. Boundary agreements have delineated a stretch of the western border
and the Pandaruan River while the other stretches have yet to be delineated.
The two countries agreed, via the signing of Exchange of Letters on 16 March 2009, to settle their boundary issues and demarcate their common border according to the five historical agreements, of which two directly concern Limbang, and to use the watershed principle to fill in the gaps. This essentially reaffirms the current de facto boundary without major deviation and has led Malaysia to declare that the Limbang Question has been settled with Malaysia having unequivocal ownership over Limbang. Brunei however immediately denied Malaysian press reports after some members of the Brunei public demanded clarification regarding the matter on the local 'Have Your Say' online forum, saying the Limbang Question was never discussed during negotiations for the Letters of Exchange. Malaysia subsequently said the Limbang Question will be settled when the survey and demarcation of the boundary between the two countries is completed.
in 1897. It is located in the area annexed to Sarawak by the White Rajah in 1890.
Currently the mall have about 50 shopping outlets, with a local supermarket
chain, Ngiu Kee as the main tenant. Apart from these, the Limbang Plaza shopping mall is also a place to the famous food outlet, KFC
and former tenant Pizza Hut
(closed in 2007)
The market has attracted not only local residents, but also Bruneians.
, the neighbouring district). It is a kind of smoked fish and very famous among people of Limbang. "Tahai" can be eaten raw or boiled with chili
and tamarind
juice toppings. In Limbang, "tahai" is called "Dadah Tahai" and can be bought from local market.
Brunei-Malaysia border
The border between Brunei and Malaysia consist of a 481.3 km land border and substantial lengths of maritime borders stretching from the coastline of the two countries to the edge of the continental shelf in the South China Sea....
town and the capital of Limbang District in the Limbang Division
Limbang Division
Limbang Division is one of the eleven administrative divisions of Sarawak, east Malaysia, on the island of Borneo. It has a total area of 7,788.50 square kilometers, and is the fourth largest division after Kapit Division, Miri Division and Bintulu Division. Limbang Division consists of two...
of northern Sarawak
Sarawak
Sarawak is one of two Malaysian states on the island of Borneo. Known as Bumi Kenyalang , Sarawak is situated on the north-west of the island. It is the largest state in Malaysia followed by Sabah, the second largest state located to the North- East.The administrative capital is Kuching, which...
, East Malaysia
East Malaysia
East Malaysia, also known as Malaysian Borneo, is the part of Malaysia located on the island of Borneo. It consists of the Malaysian states of Sabah and Sarawak, and the Federal Territory of Labuan. It lies to the east from Peninsular Malaysia , which is located on the Malay Peninsula. The two are...
, on the island of Borneo
Borneo
Borneo is the third largest island in the world and is located north of Java Island, Indonesia, at the geographic centre of Maritime Southeast Asia....
. The division has an area of 3,978.1 square kilometers, and a population (year 2000 census) of 42,600. Limbang was annexed by Charles Anthoni Johnson Brooke
Charles Anthoni Johnson Brooke
Charles, Rajah of Sarawak, GCMG , born Charles Anthony Johnson, ruled as the head of state of Sarawak from 3 August 1868 until his death...
, the second Rajah of Sarawak in 1890 from Brunei to become the fifth division of Sarawak. The annexation was strongly disputed by Brunei.
Limbang is located on the banks of the Limbang River (Sungai Limbang in Malay), between the two halves of Brunei
Brunei
Brunei , officially the State of Brunei Darussalam or the Nation of Brunei, the Abode of Peace , is a sovereign state located on the north coast of the island of Borneo, in Southeast Asia...
. It is a 30 minute speedboat ride or at least a two hour drive (depending on how busy the Customs/Immigration Checkpoint is) to Bandar Seri Begawan
Bandar Seri Begawan
Bandar Seri Begawan, with an estimated population 140,000 , is the capital and largest city of the Sultanate of Brunei...
, the capital of Brunei.
Road
Owing to its geographical location, Limbang is completely cut off from the rest of SarawakSarawak
Sarawak is one of two Malaysian states on the island of Borneo. Known as Bumi Kenyalang , Sarawak is situated on the north-west of the island. It is the largest state in Malaysia followed by Sabah, the second largest state located to the North- East.The administrative capital is Kuching, which...
's road network. It is however has good road links to both parts of Brunei
Brunei
Brunei , officially the State of Brunei Darussalam or the Nation of Brunei, the Abode of Peace , is a sovereign state located on the north coast of the island of Borneo, in Southeast Asia...
located to the east and west of the district. There is also a good local network of roads in the district.
There are two road border crossing checkpoints
Border checkpoint
A border checkpoint is a place, generally between two countries, where travellers and/or goods are inspected. Authorization often is required to enter a country through its borders. Access-controlled borders often have a limited number of checkpoints where they can be crossed without legal...
in Limbang district, both into Brunei
Brunei
Brunei , officially the State of Brunei Darussalam or the Nation of Brunei, the Abode of Peace , is a sovereign state located on the north coast of the island of Borneo, in Southeast Asia...
.
- Tedungan: Located 43 km west of Limbang, it is the road crossing into the main part of Brunei from Limbang. The Brunei checkpoint is called Kuala Lurah.
- Pandaruan: This checkpoint is located 15 km east of Limbang on the Pandaruan River which forms the borderBrunei-Malaysia borderThe border between Brunei and Malaysia consist of a 481.3 km land border and substantial lengths of maritime borders stretching from the coastline of the two countries to the edge of the continental shelf in the South China Sea....
between Sarawak and Brunei's Temburong district. The crossing has to be done by ferry. The checkpoint on the Brunei side is called Puni and operates out of a wooden building located 500 m from the ferry landing point.
Disputed territory
The dispute over Limbang district arose from the annexation of the district by Sarawak's Rajah Charles Brooke in 1890. The "involuntary cession" resulted in Brunei being split into two - the main part with three districts (Brunei-Muara, TutongTutong
Tutong may refer to:*Tutong District, Brunei*Tutong , the administrative town of the Tutong District*Tutong River, which flows through the Tutong District*Tutong people, the main ethnic group in the Tutong District...
and Kuala Belait
Kuala Belait
This article refers to the town of Kuala Belait. For the mukim of the same name, please refer to Kuala Belait, Belait. For district, please see Belait district.Kuala Belait |Jawi]]: )is a town located in South-West of Brunei...
) to the west of Limbang, and the Temburong district to the east of Limbang.
The de facto boundary ran along the watershed between the Brunei River
Brunei River
The Brunei River is a river which flows through Brunei and empties into Brunei Bay towards the North-east direction. The Istana Nurul Iman, the official residence of the Sultan of Brunei, stands on its banks. The Brunei River is the shortest major river in Brunei Darussalam. Brunei Darussalam's...
and Limbang River basins on the western side of the district, and along the length of the Pandaruan River
Pandaruan River
The Pandaruan River is an international river on the island of Borneo. The river forms part of the international border between Brunei and Malaysia. The river separates Limbang District, Sarawak, Malaysia and the Temburong District, an exclave of Brunei. The river empties into Brunei Bay. There is...
on the eastern side. Boundary agreements have delineated a stretch of the western border
Brunei-Malaysia border
The border between Brunei and Malaysia consist of a 481.3 km land border and substantial lengths of maritime borders stretching from the coastline of the two countries to the edge of the continental shelf in the South China Sea....
and the Pandaruan River while the other stretches have yet to be delineated.
The two countries agreed, via the signing of Exchange of Letters on 16 March 2009, to settle their boundary issues and demarcate their common border according to the five historical agreements, of which two directly concern Limbang, and to use the watershed principle to fill in the gaps. This essentially reaffirms the current de facto boundary without major deviation and has led Malaysia to declare that the Limbang Question has been settled with Malaysia having unequivocal ownership over Limbang. Brunei however immediately denied Malaysian press reports after some members of the Brunei public demanded clarification regarding the matter on the local 'Have Your Say' online forum, saying the Limbang Question was never discussed during negotiations for the Letters of Exchange. Malaysia subsequently said the Limbang Question will be settled when the survey and demarcation of the boundary between the two countries is completed.
Limbang Regional Museum
The Limbang Regional Museum is located in a fort built by Rajah Charles BrookeCharles Anthoni Johnson Brooke
Charles, Rajah of Sarawak, GCMG , born Charles Anthony Johnson, ruled as the head of state of Sarawak from 3 August 1868 until his death...
in 1897. It is located in the area annexed to Sarawak by the White Rajah in 1890.
Taman Tasik Bukit Mas
Taman Tasik Bukit Mas (literal translation: Gold Hill Lake Park) is a recreational park set in Limbang's iconic feature Bukit Mas. The park is a favourable place for Limbang residents to spend their evening, doing recreational activities. Various facilities had been set up in the park, such as children's playground, lake, barbecue site, suspension bridge and toilet.Limbang Plaza
Located in the town center, and often dubbed as the definite centre of Limbang, is Limbang Plaza. This building mainly consists of three components: Purnama Hotel, a shopping mall and various government offices (located right on the top of the mall). It's also good for other business and pleasures.Currently the mall have about 50 shopping outlets, with a local supermarket
Supermarket
A supermarket, a form of grocery store, is a self-service store offering a wide variety of food and household merchandise, organized into departments...
chain, Ngiu Kee as the main tenant. Apart from these, the Limbang Plaza shopping mall is also a place to the famous food outlet, KFC
KFC
KFC, founded and also known as Kentucky Fried Chicken, is a chain of fast food restaurants based in Louisville, Kentucky, in the United States. KFC has been a brand and operating segment, termed a concept of Yum! Brands since 1997 when that company was spun off from PepsiCo as Tricon Global...
and former tenant Pizza Hut
Pizza Hut
Pizza Hut is an American restaurant chain and international franchise that offers different styles of pizza along with side dishes including pasta, buffalo wings, breadsticks, and garlic bread....
(closed in 2007)
Pasar Tamu
"Pasar Tamu" is a local gathering where village folks came to the town of Limbang to sell their goods. Usually it is held on Friday every week, but preparations can be seen on Thursday. Various goods are sold, i.e. rice, rare vegetables, fishes, and fruits.The market has attracted not only local residents, but also Bruneians.
Tahai
Limbang is one of the manufacturers of "ikan tahai" or "tahai" fish (the major manufacturer is LawasLawas
border=1 align=right cellpadding=1 cellspacing=0 width=260 style="margin: 0 0 1em 1em; background: #f9f9f9; border: 1px #aaa solid; border-collapse: collapse; font-size: 95%;"|+Lawas...
, the neighbouring district). It is a kind of smoked fish and very famous among people of Limbang. "Tahai" can be eaten raw or boiled with chili
Chili pepper
Chili pepper is the fruit of plants from the genus Capsicum, members of the nightshade family, Solanaceae. The term in British English and in Australia, New Zealand, India, Malaysia and other Asian countries is just chilli without pepper.Chili peppers originated in the Americas...
and tamarind
Tamarind
Tamarind is a tree in the family Fabaceae. The genus Tamarindus is monotypic .-Origin:...
juice toppings. In Limbang, "tahai" is called "Dadah Tahai" and can be bought from local market.