Kuraman Island

Kuraman/Keraman/Mompracem Island

Native name: Pulau Kuraman [1] [2] /Keraman [3]
Geography
Location	Labuan Marine Park
Coordinates	5°13′26.4″N115°07′55.2″E / 5.224000°N 115.132000°E / 5.224000; 115.132000
Archipelago	Borneo (Greater Sunda Islands)
Adjacent to	South China Sea
Administration
Malaysia
Federal Territory	Labuan

Kuraman Island or Keraman Island (Malay : Pulau Kuraman), formerly named as Mompracem, is an island located within the Labuan Federal Territory of Malaysia on the northern mouth of Brunei Bay. ^{[1] [2]} It is one of the six Labuan islands, apart from Burung, Daat, Papan, Great Rusukan, and Little Rusukan. ^[4] With a size of 1.47 square kilometres (0.57 sq mi), ^[5] it forms part of the Labuan Marine Park together with the latter two islands of Great Rusukan and Little Rusukan. ^[6]

The island has two main beaches and is noted for its fishing, wreck diving site, long sand spit and pleasant tropical island atmosphere. ^{[7] [8] [9]} The interior is forested with a range of timbers and contains cleared paths for jungle walks. In recent years, large storms have contributed to increased erosion resulting in several areas of vegetation and numerous buildings being washed into the sea. ^[5]

Etymology

The island was featured in a 1594 Dutch Voorcompagnieën (a predecessor of the Dutch East India Company (VOC)) cartographer map of the East Indies based on the voyage of Petrus Plancius in the South China Sea coast of northern Borneo with Kuraman labelled as Mon Pracem/Mompracem/Mōpracam, ^{[10] [11]} Labuan as Pulo Tigao/Putigao/Tigaon, and Tiga as Pulo Tiga. ^{[12] [13] [14]} The older name of Mompracem was also used by Italian writer Emilio Salgari to refer to the island in his fictional character of Sandokan and subsequent novel naming of The Tigers of Mompracem . ^{[15] [16]} Under the British administration, the local name of Kuraman were used. ^{[1] [17]}

History

An 1848 British Admiralty Chart, featuring the island of Kuraman on the bottom left within the Crown Colony of Labuan

The British lighthouse, photographed in 1945 during a bomb-clearing mission

Along with Labuan and most of the islands in northern Borneo, Kuraman was once under the thalassocracy of the Sultanate of Brunei. ^[12] The island was ceded to the British through the Treaty of Labuan with the Sultanate of Brunei on 18 December 1846. ^[4] A lighthouse, built by the British between 1897–1913, is situated on the highest point of the island. ^{[8] [11] [18]} In the surrounding waters off Kuraman there are several known shipwrecks including the Dutch Steamer SS De Klerk and a minesweeper, the USS Salute (AM-294), both sunk during the Second World War. ^[19]

West Coast view

South Coast view

The island panoramic view from its lighthouse on 18 June 1945, after the liberation by the 2nd Australian Imperial forces (AIF)

Kuraman, like the rest of British North Borneo, was captured by the Japanese during this period and was liberated by the 2nd AIF of the Australian Army in 1945, although no fighting ever occurred on the island. By 1946, the Crown Colony of Labuan was incorporated into the Crown Colony of North Borneo. ^[20] Towards the formation of the Malaysian federation in 1963, the island, together with Labuan, remained under the administration of the Sabah government. Two other major shipwrecks can be found in the area: the MV Tung Hwuang, a freighter that sank in the 1980s while transporting cement to Brunei for the Sultan's new palace, and the MV Mabini Padre, a trawler from the Philippines which caught fire and sank in 1981. ^[19] In 1984, it became part of the Labuan Federal Territories following the cession of the main island by the Sabah government under the Sabah People's United Front (BERJAYA) Chief Minister Harris Salleh to the Malaysian federal government under Barisan National (BN) Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad. ^{[21] [22]}

In 2004 a group of expatriates from neighbouring Brunei contemplated building a bar/clubhouse for divers, despite facing with various legal complications. ^[5] The same group then announced plans to develop the island and to declare independence or greater self-government, claiming a perceived dubious Malaysian sovereignty on the island resulting from a conflicting historical Bruneian claim to the island and its surrounding. ^[5] This went as far as designing a flag for the island, similar to the many unofficial flags which have originated in varying areas around the globe. This was however taken lightheartedly by both the governments of Malaysia and Brunei and looked upon as a form of micronationalism. ^[5]

Geography

Kuraman features a long sandspit leading out into the waters of Brunei Bay. ^[23] The British once described the island as covered mostly by trees. ^[17] The island lies on the southern side of the Kiamsan Point of Labuan Island. ^[24] Its sandy beaches became the nesting area for green turtles and several sea bird as well as butterfly species. ^{[8] [25]} The Megapodius lowi (scrubfowl) is chiefly confined to the island, despite its nests mostly being found on the Labuan main island. ^[26] Between the channel separating the island and the cape point lies a rock called the Sunken Rock. ^[27]

Demographics

Before it was gazetted as a Malaysian Marine Park, around 80 refugee families resided on the island under the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), with two main settlements known as Kampung Warisan (Warisan Village) and Kampung Singgahmata (Singgahmata Village). ^[25] Until present, it is populated by the predominantly illegal immigrants from the Philippines, who claim to be a local Malay community, with a small village that includes a bar which serves food and is locally known for its Western cuisine such as french fries and fried chicken. ^{[5] [28]}

Economy

During the British administration, the island was described as fertile, which is suitable for agricultural purposes. ^[29] The island area is currently part of the future Labuan secondary economic development zone, which gives priority to the preservation of agricultural areas, rural settlements, and coastal and heritage tourism areas, including residential areas. ^[30]

Transportation

The island has no roads or vehicles and it can only be reached by boat. There is a small private jetty and a new larger government pier which assist in providing access. ^[11]

See also

• List of islands of Malaysia

References

1. [Dr.:] Scottish and Adelphi Press 1873, p. 359.
2. Findlay 1889, p. 442.
3. United States Board on Geographic Names 1952, p. 36.
4. Great Britain Foreign Office 1908, p. 60.
5. "Island [Kuraman Island]". Labuan Tourism. Archived from the original on 26 August 2017. Retrieved 24 August 2025.
6. "Labuan Marine Park". Marine Park and Resource Management Division, Department of Fisheries Malaysia, Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security. Archived from the original on 24 August 2025. Retrieved 24 August 2025.
7. Ledesma, Lewis & Savage 1997, p. 449.
8. "The hidden beauty within Labuan Marine Park". The Borneo Post. 10 January 2014. Archived from the original on 31 August 2025. Retrieved 31 August 2025.
9. Hasan, Jailani; Said, Salbiah (3 August 2024). "Labuan, A Jewel Of Marine Biodiversity, Diving Excellence". Bernama. Archived from the original on 30 August 2025. Retrieved 30 August 2025.
10. Gerlich 2012, p. 32–78.
11. "Pulau Kuraman" [Kuraman Island]. Findbulous Travel. Archived from the original on 17 February 2020. Retrieved 17 February 2020.
12. Brunei Museum 1976, p. 106.
13. Sarr, Cure (19 August 2011). "Indies, Petrus Plancius, 1594, J. Fisscher, 1617, Suarez, 1999". The South China Sea. Archived from the original on 19 July 2025. Retrieved 19 July 2025.
14. Crouch, Daniel (6 September 2021). "Maps of the Vereenigde Nederlandsche Oost Indische Compagnie (VOC)". Archived from the original on 19 July 2025. Retrieved 19 July 2025– via Issuu.
15. Ambrosini & Dury 2006, p. 339.
16. Sanna 2018, p. 17.
17. Great Britain Hydrographic Department 1906, p. 172.
18. "Pulau Kuraman Lighthouse". Department of Marine, Malaysia. Archived from the original on 31 August 2025. Retrieved 31 August 2025.
19. "Discover Labuan's Legendary Wreck Diving Sites". BIZ+Leisure. 2 June 2025. Archived from the original on 30 August 2025. Retrieved 30 August 2025.
20. Great Britain Office of Commonwealth Relations 1964, p. 338.
21. Lim 2008, p. 77.
22. "STATE OF SABAH [No. 3 of 1984]" (PDF) (Labuan Enactment Treaties ed.). 8 March 1984. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2 September 2025. Retrieved 2 September 2025.
23. Chen, Grace (9 July 2025). "Labuan's marvels of nature beckon". The Star. Archived from the original on 31 August 2025. Retrieved 31 August 2025.
24. United States Hydrographic Office 1915, p. 336.
25. "Scientific Expedition to Kuraman Island, Labuan". Bernama. 6 December 2010. Archived from the original on 30 August 2025. Retrieved 31 August 2025– via Organization of Asia-Pacific News Agencies (OANA).
26. Guillemard 1889, p. 264.
27. Tho. Newcomb over against Baynards Castle in Thamse-street 1896, p. 3981.
28. "Keraman today". mompracem.de. Archived from the original on 24 August 2025. Retrieved 24 August 2025.
29. Report of the Army Medical Department, Great Britain 1871, p. 315.
30. Labuan Structure Plan 2040 2023, p. 3.

Bibliography

• Report of the Army Medical Department, Great Britain. 1871.
• Cyclopaedia of India and of Eastern and Southern Asia, Commercial, Industrial and Scientific: Products of the Mineral, Vegetable and Animal Kingdoms, Useful Arts and Manufactures. Ed. by Edward Balfour. [Dr.:] Scottish and Adelphi Press. 1873.
• Guillemard, Francis Henry Hill (1889). The Cruise of the Marchesa to Kamschatka & New Guinea. J. Murray.
• Findlay, Alexander George (1889). A directory of the navigation of the Indian archipelago, China and Japan.
• The London Gazette. Tho. Newcomb over against Baynards Castle in Thamse-street. 1896.
• Great Britain Hydrographic Department (1906). The China Sea Directory. Hydrographic Office, Admiralty, By Eyre and Spottiswoode, printers to the King's Most Excellent Majesty.
• Great Britain Foreign Office (1908). Handbook of Treaties, &c., Relating to Commerce and Navigation Between Great Britain and Foreign Powers, Wholly Or Partially in Force on July 1, 1907: (With Supplement.). H.M. Stationery Office.
• Asiatic Pilot: Sunda Strait and the southern approches to China Sea with west and north coasts of Borneo and off-lying dangers. Hydrographic Office under the Authority of the Secretary of the Navy, United States Hydrographic Office. 1915.
• Decisions Rendered. United States Board on Geographic Names. 1952.
• Great Britain Office of Commonwealth Relations (1964). The Commonwealth Relations Office Year Book. H.M. Stationery Office.
• The Brunei Museum Journal. Vol. 3. The Museum. 1976.
• Ledesma, Charles de; Lewis, Mark; Savage, Pauline (1997). Malaysia, Singapore & Brunei: The Rough Guide. Rough Guides. ISBN   978-1-85828-232-9.
• Ambrosini, Richard; Dury, Richard (4 April 2006). Robert Louis Stevenson: Writer of Boundaries. Univ of Wisconsin Press. ISBN   978-0-299-21223-0.
• Lim, Regina (2008). Federal-state Relations in Sabah, Malaysia: The Berjaya Administration, 1976-85. Institute of Southeast Asian Studies. ISBN   978-981-230-812-2.
• Gerlich, Bianca (2012). "Finding the island of Mompracem. The Problem of Mapping the Northwest Coast of Borneo from 16th to 20th Century" . Oriente Moderno. 91 (1): 32–78. JSTOR   24710938.
• Sanna, Antonio (12 September 2018). Pirates in History and Popular Culture. McFarland. ISBN   978-1-4766-3309-1.
• "Rancangan Struktur Labuan 2040" [Labuan Structure Plan 2040](PDF). Department of Town and Country Planning, Ministry of Housing and Local Government, Malaysia (in Malay). 2023. Archived (PDF) from the original on 24 August 2025.