Bruneian sultanate In 1884, there was a rebellion by Limbang residents, protesting against the high tax rate imposed by the
Bruneian Empire.
William Hood Treacher, who held the dual position as the governor of
North Borneo and British royal consul at
Labuan, saw an opportunity to acquire more territories from the Bruneian empire. Treacher offered himself to mediate the taxation dispute between the local chiefs and the Bruneian empire. He sailed to Brunei on
H.M.S Pegasus, backed by British navy. Treacher successfully arranged for peace in the Limbang region after Temenggong Hashim agreed not to impose any more arbitrary taxes. After the event, Treacher leased
Padas River,
Klias Peninsula,
Bongawan, and Tawaran (now
Tuaran) from the sultan of Brunei for $3000 payment per year. The Brooke government, threatened by Treacher's expansionist policy into northern Sarawak, sent F.O. Maxwell, a Resident of the First Division of Sarawak (today
Kuching Division) to Brunei, demanding compensation for the killings of Sarawak subjects in Trusan area (near
Lawas). Trusan area at that time was still under the control of the Brunei government. Maxwell also threatened to stop the cession money payment if he did not receive any compensation. Under pressure from Maxwell, Temenggong Hashim agreed to cede the Trusan area to Sarawak. However, the Sultan of Brunei (Sultan Mumin) did not consent to the cession of land. Both Charles Brooke and Temenggong maintained that Sultan's stamp was not required for the cession. Charles later occupied the Trusan area by force. However, Sultan Hashim persistently protested against the decision to cede Limbang until his death in 1906. Subsequent Sultans of Brunei made the Limbang claims in 1951, 1963, and 1973. Brunei-Malaysia maritime boundary was also in dispute since 1981 after Malaysia published its maps in 1979. Negotiations of maritime borders started in 1995. In 2003, Malaysia discovered huge oil reserves at Kikeh, off the coast of Sabah and Brunei. This oil reserve represented 21% of Malaysian total oil reserves at that time. Brunei disputed the Malaysian claim on the Kikeh oil reserve. The dispute ended in 2009 when both countries agreed on the final maritime boundaries. Malaysia also agreed that Brunei holds the rights to the Kikeh oil fields. In return, Brunei allowed the establishment of Commercial Arrangement Areas (CAA) where both countries would share the oil and gas revenues from the disputed maritime areas. However, the quantum of revenue sharing was not disclosed. Brunei also agreed in principle that the final demarcation of the Malaysia-Brunei land border will be based upon five agreements signed between 1920 and 1939 while the remaining borders will be decided by using the watershed model of border demarcation. Malaysian Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Dr Rais Yatim said that such principles would essentially allow Limbang to be placed within Malaysian borders. However, Brunei Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade II Lim Jock Seng denied that Brunei has dropped the claims on Limbang. As of 2023, final demarcation of land boundaries between Malaysia and Brunei has not yet completed. ==Geography==