Pelumpong Spit ( ms, Tanjong Pelumpong) is the easternmost point in the Brunei-Muara district of

Brunei Brunei ( , ), formally Brunei Darussalam ( ms, Negara Brunei Darussalam, Jawi alphabet, Jawi: , ), is a country located on the north coast of the island of Borneo in Southeast Asia. Apart from its South China Sea coast, it is completely sur ...

. Despite its name being labeled as a spit, it is now an

island An island (or isle) is an isolated piece of habitat that is surrounded by a dramatically different habitat, such as water. Very small islands such as emergent land features on atolls can be called islets, skerries, cays or keys. An island ...

due to the artificially constructed 50m-wide,Off the beaten path, Brunei and Muara
- retrieved 28-05-2008 10m-deep Muara cut, which separated the spit from the mainland to provide access to Muara Port.Ports Department, Muara Port Facilities
- retrieved 28-05-2008

Location and Geography

Tanjong Pelumpong is located between the Brunei Bay to the south and the

South China Sea The South China Sea is a marginal sea of the Western Pacific Ocean. It is bounded in the north by the shores of South China (hence the name), in the west by the Indochinese Peninsula, in the east by the islands of Taiwan and northwestern Phil ...

to the north. Administratively, it is part of

Mukim Serasa Mukim Serasa is a mukim in Brunei-Muara District, Brunei. The population was 16,173 in 2016. The mukim encompasses Muara Town, home to Muara Port, the country's only deepwater port. Geography Mukim Serasa is the north-easternmost mukim in ...

of the Brunei-Muara district of

and is separated from the mainland to the west by the 50m-wide,Poscode of the Brunei-Muara district
10m-deep Muara cut. This channel is protected at each side by breakwaters which extend seawards towards the northeast.
- retrieved 28-05-2007 The northern coast of Tanjong Pelumpong consists of the white sandy beach similar to that of Muara Beach. This is because it was a continuation of the latter until the Muara Cut divided it into two. There is however, a series of beach protection structures constructed here to prevent soil erosion. The island is forested with pine trees. The island is inhabited and is only accessible by boat.

History

The history of Tanjong Pelumpong is closely related to the history of Brooketon and Muara. The whole area, including Tanjong Pelumpong, was leased to Charles Brooke, the

White Rajah The White Rajahs were a dynastic monarchy of the British Brooke family, who founded and ruled the Raj of Sarawak, located on the north west coast of the island of Borneo, from 1841 to 1946. The first ruler was Briton James Brooke. As a reward ...

of Sarawak by 1889. Politically too, even though he only had economic rights, Brooke became the de facto ruler of the area. It was not until 1921 that Muara was "returned" to Brunei. The

Japanese Japanese may refer to: * Something from or related to Japan, an island country in East Asia * Japanese language, spoken mainly in Japan * Japanese people, the ethnic group that identifies with Japan through ancestry or culture ** Japanese diaspor ...

occupied Brunei during

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

, and Tanjong Pelumpong was in 1945 one of the landing location of the Australian forces during the

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

which liberated Brunei from the

Imperial Japanese The also known as the Japanese Empire or Imperial Japan, was a historical nation-state and great power that existed from the Meiji Restoration in 1868 until the enactment of the post-World War II 1947 constitution and subsequent forma ...

. The Muara Cut was initiated in the 1960s to provide access to Muara Port. This was done by excavating and then dredging a 10m channel at the narrowest point of Tanjong Pelumpong which converted Tanjong Pelumpong from a spit to an island. A

minke whale The minke whale (), or lesser rorqual, is a species complex of baleen whale. The two species of minke whale are the common (or northern) minke whale and the Antarctic (or southern) minke whale. The minke whale was first described by the Danish n ...

was beached on the island in 2003.20-foot whale stranded near Muara
, Borneo Bulletin 12-05-2003 - retrieved 28-05-2007 There are plans to further deepen the Muara cut to a depth of 16m in order to facilitate the expansion of Muara Port to

Pulau Muara Besar Muara Besar Island ( ms, Pulau Muara Besar, Abbrev: ') is an island in Mukim Serasa, Brunei-Muara District, Brunei. The island is essential for the Brunei–China relations due to its part in the Chinese Belt and Road Initiative. It can be no ...

. The dredged sand will be used for land reclamation on Pulau Muara Besar for the proposed port construction and extension.

Activities

Tanjong Pelumpong and the Muara cut are used by the general public for recreational activities. The Muara cut is a popular spot for anglers and fishermen. The island itself has numerous pristine beaches and is a popular spot for picnicking. There are a number of fish farms in the sheltered area of the Brunei Bay between Tanjong Pelumpong (island) and

Muara Besar Island Muara Besar Island ( ms, Pulau Muara Besar, Abbrev: ') is an island in Mukim Serasa, Brunei-Muara District, Brunei. The island is essential for the Brunei–China relations due to its part in the Chinese Belt and Road Initiative. It can be no ...

. Due to its remoteness, the island is also used for other illicit activities such as smuggling.Suspected pusher charged in court
Brudirect 05-11-2000 - retrieved 28-05-2007

Notes

{{reflist, 2 Islands of Brunei