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Muara, Brunei

Coordinates: 5°01′36″N 115°04′09″E / 5.0268°N 115.0693°E / 5.0268; 115.0693
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For uses of "Muar", see Muar (disambiguation).

Muara
Pekan Muara
Town and village
Muara Town
Clockwise from top-left: Old commercial area, Muara Port, fishermen off Muara and Muara Beach
Muara, Brunei is located in Brunei
Muara, Brunei
Location in Brunei
Coordinates: 5°01′36″N 115°04′09″E / 5.0268°N 115.0693°E / 5.0268; 115.0693
CountryBrunei
DistrictBrunei-Muara
MukimSerasa
Government
 • Village headShahminan Abdul Rahman[1]
Population
 (2016)[2]
 • Total
2,102
Time zoneUTC 8 (BNT)
Postcode
BT1128

Muara (moo-WAH-rah)[3] or officially known as Muara Town (Malay: Pekan Muara), is a port town in Brunei-Muara District, Brunei, about 28 kilometres (17 mi) from the capital Bandar Seri Begawan. The population of the town proper was 2,102 in 2016.[2] It is home to Muara Port, the country's primary deep water port.[4]

Etymology

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Muara is the Malay term for river mouth and the town is a place next to a large river entrance into Brunei.[5]

Location

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Muara can be found in Mukim Serasa[6] and is located on the easternmost tip of West Brunei. It lends its name to the district which it is in, the Brunei-Muara district. To the north is the South China Sea, to the south is the Brunei Bay, and across the bay is Pulau Muara Besar. To the east, across a man-made channel, are the remains of Tanjung Pelumpong (Cape Pelumpong, now an island). The rest of the Brunei-Muara district is situated on the west side. Serasa lies to the south-west of Muara.

History

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Before the 1900s, the village of Muara was inhabited by a small group of Malay fishermen.[7]

An Australian Matilda II tank approaching Brooketon in 1945

Rapid development was seen in the area of Serai Pimping in 1883 to extract coal, which was used to fuel passing steamships; later, under the government of Sarawak, the area around the settlement was developed and was named Brooketon, after Charles Brooke, the White Rajah of Sarawak, in 1889.

The development of the Brooketon Colliery coal mine also led to transport and infrastructure development in Muara. A wooden railway was built to transport the coal to the deep-water anchorage at Muara, and wharves and jetties were built to allow steamships and barges to berth.[7] By 1911, more than 1,447 people lived in Muara and some 30 shops had opened in the town.[7] Brooketon was also where the first postage stamp in Brunei was issued.[8]

Aerial photograph of Muara in 1970

Although he only had economic privileges, Brooke became the de facto political ruler of the area. The coal mines employed hundreds of miners, which compelled Brooke to introduce a police force, a post office, and roads, effectively transforming Muara into an extraterritorial extension of Sarawak. It was not until 1921 that Muara was "returned" to Brunei.[7] The mine closed in 1924 because of heavy financial losses caused by the continuously decreasing price of coal during the world economic recession.[9]

The Japanese occupied Brunei during Second World War and attempted unsuccessfully to reopen the coal mine.[7] Brooketon was the landing location of the Australian forces as part of the Borneo Campaign, at the end of the war, which liberated Brunei from Japanese occupation.[10]

Under the rule of Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddin III, the area was developed into a deepwater port to assist in the development of the country. Since 1973, Muara Port has undergone extensive improvements. These include extensions to the wharf, bringing its total length to 948 meters (including 250 meters dedicated container wharf and 87 metres aggregate wharf). The overall covered storage capacity is 16,950 square meters. The site also features long storage warehouses with a combined capacity of 16,630 square meters and open storage space of 5 hectares. Facilities for the dedicated container wharf cover an area of 92,034 square meters, including 8,034 square metres of covered areas.[11]

Administration

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Pekan Muara is an unincorporated town; it does not have a municipal body. Instead, the town is officially a village subdivision, whereby it is one of the villages within Mukim Serasa.

The town has the postcode is BT1128.[12]

Muara was formerly part of the separate Muara district until in 1938 when it became part of the present-day Brunei-Muara district.[13]

Economy

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Trading between an Australian and local Malay while watched by an Indian in 1945

Part of the deepwater port of Muara is occupied by two Royal Dutch Shell petroleum facilities. Brunei Shell Marketing maintains a large presence in Muara through its Muara Terminal.[14] There are numerous bottled gas containers on the site and a number of tanks holding various products, including bitumen.

The Majlis Perundingan Kampung (MPK) of Masjid Lama, Pekan Muara, Sabun dan Pelumpong labored and developed a project that was centered on sea fish, specifically the Lumai Fish Snack Project, in an effort to react to the Ministry of Home Affairs' request to actualize the dream of "One Village, One Product". With a gathering of 32 individuals, this activity profited from the collecting of BND10 from community members and villages. The preparation and acquisition of necessary supplies, the acquisition of raw materials, the washing, drying, cooking, packing, and marketing of the Lumai Fish Snack product are all included in the manufacturing phase.[15]

The Muara Leisure Festival's major objective is to increase both locals' and international visitors' familiarity with Masjid Lama, Pekan Muara, Sabun, and Pelumpong. Additionally, it aims to strengthen friendships and foster an understanding of the spirit of cooperation among MPK members and children. The people of the village work with governmental organizations and private businesses that have an interest in Mukim Serasa in order to carry out economic development activities and assist villagers like orphans and single mothers.[15]

Transportation

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Road

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Muara-Tutong Highway

Jalan Muara is Muara's main road. It originates in Mukim Berakas near the Brunei International Airport and terminates at the artificial channel at Tanjong Pelumpong. It connects Muara town to Bandar Seri Begawan. Jalan Serasa and Jalan Persuahan branch off from Jalan Muara and connect Muara with Serasa. Tjey enables products manufactured in the Serasa Industrial Area to be transported to Muara Port for export.

The Muara-Tutong Highway starts at a roundabout on Jalan Muara between Kampong Sungai Kebun and Kampong Meragang. It connects Muara to Jerudong and Tutong. Muara is served by the purple buses of the Eastern Line. Route numbers 33, 37, 38 and 39 connect Muara with Serasa and the rest of the country.

Rail

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There are currently no railways or light rail facilities in Muara, as the line connecting Brooketon Colliery to what is now Muara Port is defunct.[7]

Ports

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Muara Port

Muara Port was opened for commercial operations in February 1973 and was commissioned by the Ports Department on 1 May 1974. The Ports Department took over the management and operations of all ports on 1 January 1986, forming the Royal Customs and Excise Department.[16]

The Muara Container Terminal was operated by the PSA International until 1 April 2007, when it was turned to the Brunei Government. It features one container berth with a quay length of 250m and a max draft of 12.5m.[17] There is an existing plan by the Brunei Economic Development Board to further develop the port by further dredging the Muara Cut, constructing additional port facilities on Pulau Muara Besar, and linking the latter to the mainland with a bridge.[18]

From May 2009, International Container Terminal Service Inc (ICTSI), based in Manila, Philippines, set up a subsidiary, New Muara Container Terminal Service Sdm Bhd (NMCTS), to operate the Muara Container Terminal. August 2009, Chinese destroyer Guangzhou made a goodwill visit to Muara Port from Manado.[19] In early 2017, Muara Port Company Sdn Bhd, a joint-venture company of Darussalam Assets Sdn Bhd and Beibu Gulf Holding(Hong Kong) Co., Ltd., took over the operation of the terminal.

The port is part of the Maritime Silk Road that runs from the Chinese coast to Singapore and the southern tip of India, west from India to Mombasa, Kenya, through the Red Sea via the Suez Canal to the Mediterranean, and then via Athens to the Upper Adriatic hub of Trieste, Italy, with its rail connections to Central Europe and the North Sea.[20][21]

Air

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There are no airports in Muara. Commercial travellers would have to travel to either Bandar Seri Begawan or Labuan (from Serasa) to catch a commercial flight.

Infrastructure

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Muara Naval Base

Brunei Shell Petroleum has a jetty along Muara Port to support their offshore operations in Brunei.[22] The jetty measures 120 metres by 48 metres and equipped with three loading facilities and 14 storage tanks.

Military

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The Royal Brunei Navy of the Royal Brunei Armed Forces is based in the Muara Naval Base, which is located in the Tanjong Pelumpong area of Muara.[23] The Naval Base was expanded in 1997 to include facilities to support three offshore support vessels.[24]

Recreation

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The main tourist attraction of Muara is Muara beach (Malay: Pantai Muara), which stretches along the coast of the South China Sea.[25] The beach is about a mile long and consists of clear white sand. Amenities here include a picnic area, a children's playground, changing and toilet facilities, as well as weekend food and drink stalls.

Notable people

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References

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  1. ^ BUKU DIREKTORI TELEFON PENGHULU-PENGHULU MUKIM DAN KETUA-KETUA KAMPUNG NEGARA BRUNEI DARUSSALAM (PDF) (in Malay). Vol. 4. Brunei: Bahagian Perancangan Daerah, Ministry of Home Affairs. April 2024. p. 17.
  2. ^ a b "Population and Housing Census Update Final Report 2016" (PDF). www.deps.gov.bn. Department of Statistics. December 2018. Retrieved 27 July 2021.
  3. ^ Cohen, Saul Bernard (2008). The Columbia Gazetteer of the World: A to G. Columbia University Press. p. 2542. ISBN 978-0-231-14554-1.
  4. ^ "Brunei-Muara District" (PDF). www.information.gov.bn. p. 17. Retrieved 28 February 2018.
  5. ^ Mohd Yunos, Rozan (2013). SEMINAR UNITED NATIONS GROUP OF EXPERTS ON GEOGRAPHICAL NAMES ASIA, SOUTHEAST DIVISION (PDF). pp. 2, 7.
  6. ^ Poskod bagi Daerah Brunei Muara Archived 12 July 2007 at the Wayback Machine Brunei-Muara Postcodes - retrieved 19 April 2007
  7. ^ a b c d e f Before the Oil, it was Coal Brunei Times 14 April 2007
  8. ^ History of Brunei Stamps Archived 7 February 2012 at the Wayback Machine by the Brunei Postal Service Department - retrieved 19 September 2019
  9. ^ Brooketon Colliery Archived 28 September 2007 at the Wayback Machine from The Geology and Hydrocarbon Resources of Negara Brunei Darussalam retrieved 16 April 2007
  10. ^ Negara Brunei Darussalam Archived 8 January 2007 at the Wayback Machine by A Allaert
  11. ^ 8th National Development Plan Archived 5 April 2007 at the Wayback Machine Government of Brunei Darussalam - retrieved 19 April 2007
  12. ^ "Buku Poskod Edisi Kedua (Kemaskini 26 Disember 2018)" (PDF). post.gov.bn (in Malay). Brunei Postal Services Department. 26 December 2018. Retrieved 27 July 2021.
  13. ^ Jabatan Muzium-Muzium Brunei 2004, p. 1.
  14. ^ BSM presents safety awards to Belait Shipping Company Archived 27 September 2007 at the Wayback Machine Brunei Government - retrieved 19 April 2007
  15. ^ a b KOMPILASI RENCANA KNK 2015 (PDF) (in Malay). Kenali Negera Kitani. 2015. pp. 69–74.
  16. ^ Ports Department Archived 28 September 2007 at the Wayback Machine - retrieved 19 April 2007
  17. ^ Muara Port Returns To Govt In April Archived 6 February 2007 at the Wayback Machine BruDirect 30 February 2007 - retrieved 19 April 2007
  18. ^ Pulau Muara Besar Port Project, BEDB Archived 24 August 2007 at the Wayback Machine - retrieved 28 May 2007
  19. ^ "海军"广州"舰结束访问文莱、印尼抵三亚(图)——中新网". www.chinanews.com. Retrieved 14 December 2020.
  20. ^ Brunei bets on China's Silk Road in hard times
  21. ^ The Geopolitical Evolution of Malaysia-Pakistan and Turkey on the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road Route
  22. ^ New Muara Supply Base Jetty Boost for BSP's Operations 13 March 2007 - retrieved 19 March 2007
  23. ^ Introduction Royal Brunei Navy - retrieved 19 April 2007
  24. ^ "page 15 GHD Annual Review 2002/2003" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 9 August 2008. Retrieved 19 April 2007.
  25. ^ Tourism Brunei Beaches Archived 7 March 2007 at the Wayback Machine - retrieved 19 April 2007
  26. ^ "Biodata Yang Berhormat Menteri Pembangunan" (PDF). www.pelitabrunei.gov.bn (in Malay). 22 May 2002. p. 6. Retrieved 30 June 2024.
  27. ^ "Keluaran Khas Sempena Pelantikan Menteri-Menteri Kabinet dan Timbalan-Timbalan Menteri" (PDF). Pelita Brunei. 12 June 2010. p. 6.
  • Jabatan Muzium-Muzium Brunei (2004). Sungai Limau Manis: Tapak Arkeologi Abad Ke-10 - 13 Masihi (in Malay). Jabatan Muzium-Muzium Brunei. ISBN 9991730184. OCLC 61123390.
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  • Media related to Muara at Wikimedia Commons
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