Federal Territory of Labuan
Federal Territory of Labuan
Federal Territory of Labuan
Labuan /lbun/ is a federal territory off the coast of Borneo in East Malaysia. It
is made up of the homonymous Labuan Island and six smaller islands, and is
located off the coast of the state of Sabah. Labuan's capital is Victoria and is best
known as an offshore financial centre offering international financial and
business services via Labuan IBFC since 1990 as well as being an offshore
support hub for deepwater oil and gas activities in the region. It is also a tourist
destination for people travelling through Sabah, nearby Bruneians and scuba
divers. The name Labuan derives from the Malay word labuhan which means
harbour.
Since the 15th century, the north and west coast of Borneo including the island
of Labuan was part of the Bruneian Empire. In the 18th century, Labuan
attracted British interest. James Brooke acquired the island for Britain in 1846
through a treaty with the Sultan of Brunei, Omar Ali Saifuddin II on 18 December
1846. A British naval officer, Rodney Mundy, visited Brunei with his ship HMS Iris
to keep the Sultan in line until the British Government made a final decision to
take the island and he took Pengiran Mumin to witness the island's accession to
the British Crown on 24 December 1846. Some sources state that during the
signing of the treaty, the Sultan had been threatened by a British navy warship
ready to fire on the Sultan's palace if he refused to sign the treaty while another
source says the island was ceded to Britain as a reward for assistance in
combating pirates.
In World War II, Labuan was occupied by Japan from December 1941 until June
1945 and governed as part of the Northern Borneo military unit by the Japanese
37th Army. The island served as the administrative centre for the Japanese
forces. During the occupation, the Japanese Government changed the island
name to Maida Island ( [Maeda-shima]) on 9 December 1942 after Marquis
Toshinari Maeda, as a remembrance to the first Japanese commander in northern
Borneo who was killed in an air crash at Bintulu, Sarawak when en route to the
island to open the airfield here. As the Allied counter-attack came closer, the
Japanese also developed Labuan and Brunei Bay as a naval base.The liberation
of Borneo by the Allied forces began on 10 June 1945 when the Australian Army
under the command of Australian Major General, George Wootten launched an
attack under the codenamed of Operation Oboe Six. Labuan became the main
objective for the Allied forces to repossessed. Soon, the 9th Division of the
Australian Army launched the attack with support from massive airstrike and sea
bombardments until the capture of the Labuan airstrip.
As of 2010 Census the population of Labuan is 76.0% Muslim, 12.4% Christian,
9.0% Buddhist, 0.4% Hindu, 2.1% follower of other religions, and 0.1% nonreligious.
melancarkan serangan di bawah nama kod Operasi Oboe Enam. Menjadi Labuan
objektif utama untuk pasukan Berikat untuk ditarik. Tidak lama kemudian,
Bahagian ke-9 Tentera Australia melancarkan serangan dengan sokongan besarbesaran serangan udara dan laut bombardments sehingga penawanan landasan
kapal terbang Labuan.
Sehingga 2010 Banci penduduk Labuan adalah 76.0% Muslim, 12.4% Kristian,
Buddha 9.0%, 0.4% Hindu, 2.1% pengikut agama lain, dan 0.1% bukan agama