Limbang
Limbang
Coordinates: 4°45′33″N 115°00′24″E / 4.75917°N 115.00667°E / 4.75917; 115.00667Coordinates: 4°45′33″N 115°00′24″E / 4.75917°N 115.00667°E / 4.75917; 115.00667
Country	Malaysia
State	Sarawak
Population (2000)
• Total	42,600

Limbang is a border town and the capital of Limbang District in the Limbang Division of northern Sarawak, East Malaysia, on the island of Borneo. The division has an area of 3,978.1 square kilometers, and a population (year 2000 census) of 42,600. Limbang was annexed by Charles Anthoni Johnson Brooke, the second Rajah of Sarawak in 1890 from Brunei to become the fifth division of Sarawak. The annexation was strongly disputed by Brunei.^[1]

Limbang is located on the banks of the Limbang River (Sungai Limbang in Malay), between the two halves of Brunei. It is a 30 minute speedboat ride or at least a two hour drive (depending on how busy the Customs/Immigration Checkpoint is) to Bandar Seri Begawan, the capital of Brunei.

Demographics[link]

Economy developments[link]

Transport[link]

Air[link]

Limbang is served by the Limbang Airport.

Road[link]

Owing to its geographical location, Limbang is completely cut off from the rest of Sarawak's road network. It is however has good road links to both parts of Brunei located to the east and west of the district. There is also a good local network of roads in the district.

There are two road border crossing checkpoints in Limbang district, both into Brunei.

• Tedungan: Located 43 km west of Limbang, it is the road crossing into the main part of Brunei from Limbang. The Brunei checkpoint is called Kuala Lurah.
• Pandaruan: This checkpoint is located 15 km east of Limbang on the Pandaruan River which forms the border between Sarawak and Brunei's Temburong district. The crossing has to be done by ferry. The checkpoint on the Brunei side is called Puni and operates out of a wooden building located 500 m from the ferry landing point.

Disputed territory[link]

The dispute over Limbang district arose from the annexation of the district by Sarawak's Rajah Charles Brooke in 1890. The "involuntary cession" resulted in Brunei being split into two - the main part with three districts (Brunei-Muara, Tutong and Kuala Belait) to the west of Limbang, and the Temburong district to the east of Limbang.

The de facto boundary ran along the watershed between the Brunei River and Limbang River basins on the western side of the district, and along the length of the Pandaruan River on the eastern side. Boundary agreements have delineated a stretch of the western border^[2] and the Pandaruan River^[3] while the other stretches have yet to be delineated.

The two countries agreed, via the signing of Exchange of Letters on 16 March 2009, to settle their boundary issues and demarcate their common border according to the five historical agreements, of which two directly concern Limbang, and to use the watershed principle to fill in the gaps. This essentially reaffirms the current de facto boundary without major deviation and has led Malaysia to declare that the Limbang Question has been settled with Malaysia having unequivocal ownership over Limbang.^[4] Brunei however immediately denied Malaysian press reports after some members of the Brunei public demanded clarification regarding the matter on the local 'Have Your Say' online forum, saying the Limbang Question was never discussed during negotiations for the Letters of Exchange.^[5] Malaysia subsequently said the Limbang Question will be settled when the survey and demarcation of the boundary between the two countries is completed.^[6]

Notable places[link]

Limbang Regional Museum[link]

The Limbang Regional Museum is located in a fort built by Rajah Charles Brooke in 1897. It is located in the area annexed to Sarawak by the White Rajah in 1890.

[edit] Taman Tasik Bukit Mas

Taman Tasik Bukit Mas (literal translation: Gold Hill Lake Park) is a recreational park set in Limbang's iconic feature Bukit Mas. The park is a favourable place for Limbang residents to spend their evening, doing recreational activities. Various facilities had been set up in the park, such as children's playground, lake, barbecue site, suspension bridge and toilet.

Limbang Plaza[link]

Located in the town center, and often dubbed as the definite centre of Limbang, is Limbang Plaza. This building mainly consists of three components: Purnama Hotel, a shopping mall and various government offices (located right on the top of the mall). It's also good for other business and pleasures.

Currently the mall have about 50 shopping outlets, with a local supermarket chain, Ngiu Kee as the main tenant. Apart from these, the Limbang Plaza shopping mall is also a place to the famous food outlet, KFC and former tenant Pizza Hut (closed in 2007)

[edit] Pasar Tamu

"Pasar Tamu" is a local gathering where village folks came to the town of Limbang to sell their goods. Usually it is held on Friday every week, but preparations can be seen on Thursday. Various goods are sold, i.e. rice, rare vegetables, fishes, and fruits.

The market has attracted not only local residents, but also Bruneians.

[edit] Tahai

Limbang is one of the manufacturers of "ikan tahai" or "tahai" fish (the major manufacturer is Lawas, the neighbouring district). It is a kind of smoked fish and very famous among people of Limbang. "Tahai" can be eaten raw or boiled with chili and tamarind juice toppings. In Limbang, "tahai" is called "Dadah Tahai" and can be bought from local market.

References[link]

External links[link]

• Limbang information network
• Limbang tourism
• Limbang - The Northern Town of Sarawak

v t e Sarawak Divisions Betong Division Bintulu Division Kapit Division Kuching Division Limbang Division Miri Division Mukah Division Samarahan Division Sarikei Division Sibu Division Sri Aman Division Cities Kuching (capital) Miri Districts Belaga Bintulu Dalat Limbang Meradong Sarikei Selangau Song Sri Aman Tatau Sub-districts Sebauh Islands Bruit Island Towns Asajaya Ba'kelalan Batu Kawa Bau Beladin Betong Bintangor Bintulu Daro Dalat Debak Engkilili Julau Kanowit Kapit Kota Samarahan Lawas Limbang Lingga Lubok Antu Lundu Maludam Matu Mukah Marudi Oya Pakan Pusa Saratok Sebuyau Selangau Serian Serikin Sibu Siburan Simunjan Spaoh Sungai Tujuh Tanjung Kidurong Tatau Tebedu

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Dark horse is a term used to describe a little-known person or thing that emerges to prominence, especially in a competition of some sort^[1] or a contestant that seems unlikely to succeed.^[2]

Origin[link]

The term began as horse racing parlance. A dark horse is a race horse that is not known to gamblers and thus is difficult to place betting odds on.

The earliest-known use of the phrase is in Benjamin Disraeli's novel The Young Duke (1831). Disraeli's protagonist, the Duke of St. James, attends a horse race with a surprise finish: "A dark horse which had never been thought of, and which the careless St. James had never even observed in the list, rushed past the grandstand in sweeping triumph."^[3]

Use in the political arena[link]

The term has been used politically in such countries as Peru, Philippines^[4] and United States.

Politically, the term reached America in the nineteenth century when it was first applied to James K. Polk, a relatively unknown Tennessee Democrat who won the Democratic Party's 1844 presidential nomination over a host of better-known candidates. Polk won the nomination on the ninth ballot, and went on to win the presidential election.

Other famous dark horse candidates for the United States presidency include:

• Franklin Pierce, chosen as the Democratic nominee and later elected the 14th president in 1852.
• Abraham Lincoln, chosen as the Republican nominee and elected as the 16th president in 1860.
• Rutherford B. Hayes, elected the 19th president in 1876.
• James A. Garfield, elected the 20th president in 1880.
• Warren G. Harding, elected the 29th president in 1920 after his surprise nomination.
• Jimmy Carter, elected the 39th president in 1976; in the beginning of that same year, Carter was a relative unknown outside his home state of Georgia.

Outside of the United States, the term was also applied to Alberto Fujimori, who rose to the Presidency in Peru and Jejomar Binay, who rose to the Vice Presidency in the Philippines.^{[citation needed]}

Recently Sarah Grainger for the BBC News website, used the term to refer to former army officer Diosdado Cabello, who helped Hugo Chávez to stage a failed coup in 1992, in an article about possible successors for Hugo Chávez.^[5]

Use in film[link]

The term dark horse is also used outside the political context. Surprising or unlikely nominations for such prizes as the Academy Award (awarded by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences) are referred to as dark horses.

Use in music[link]

Guitarist and singer-songwriter George Harrison was nicknamed the "dark horse" of The Beatles, as his visibility as a songwriter and vocalist increased later in the Beatles' career, particularly on Abbey Road. Harrison went on to name his solo label Dark Horse Records, and to release both an album and a song named Dark Horse.

The blues band Savoy Brown have been called the "Dark Horse" band before, because of how under-appreciated they were.

The rock bands Crazy Town and Nickelback have albums titled Darkhorse and Dark Horse, respectively.

American Idol season 8 winner Kris Allen was coined as the "dark horse" of the competition as he went on to win the competition and defeat the crowd favorite and front-runner Adam Lambert.

Jai McDowall was described as a "dark horse" of the show before beating hot favourite Ronan Parke in Britain's Got Talent.

Switchfoot's first single off album Vice Verses is called Dark Horses.

Independent guitarist and singer-songwriter Don Amero produced a song based on the end of a relationship titled "Dark Horse", similar to George Harrison's idea of Dark Horse

Use in publishing[link]

Dark Horse Comics is an American comic book publisher.

See also[link]

• Stalking horse
• Underdog (competition)

References[link]

External links[link]

• Experts Say Philippines is Dark Horse of Asia
• Jan 2012 - Philippine Market continue its charging rush to be Asia's Dark horse