Muara Besar Island (Malay: Pulau Muara Besar, Abbrev: PMB) is an island in Mukim Serasa, Brunei-Muara District, Brunei.[1] The island is essential for the Brunei–China relations due to its part in the Chinese Belt and Road Initiative.[2][3] It can be noted that the island may be referred to Muara Island in older works.[4]
Native name: Pulau Muara Besar Nickname: PMB, Muara Island | |
|---|---|
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  Muara Besar Island Location in Brunei | |
| Geography | |
| Location | Brunei Bay |
| Coordinates | 5°00′22″N 115°06′00″E / 5.0060444°N 115.0999753°E |
| Area | 9.636 km2 (3.720 sq mi) |
| Administration | |
Brunei | |
| District | Brunei-Muara |
| Mukim | Serasa |
| Demographics | |
| Population | 0 |
A proposal for an 940 hectares (2,300 acres) protection status to be implemented on the island.[5] The island is home to migratory birds, shoebirds, primary forests and forest swamps.[5]
Location and geography
The island is located within the Brunei Bay, in the south of the South China Sea. Administratively, it is part of Mukim Serasa of the Brunei-Muara District, Brunei.[6] A mangrove forest is present on the inhabited island.[7]
History
During the Battle of Brunei in World War II, United States Navy warship USS Willoughby (AGP-9) was relocated off Muara Island to which a newly established PT boat base on the island on 10 July 1945.[4] The ship sat near the island until the Potsdam Declaration was signed on 15 August 1945.[4] In 1988, it was recommended that 90 hectares (220 acres) of the southeast end of the island to be protected.[7]
A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed in January 2008, in order to explore the construction of an export-focused industrial park.[8] In 2011, the Ministry of Finance and Economy approved the Zhejiang Hengyi Group to establish the Hengyi Industries Sdn, and began to develop the island.[9] The island is linked by the Pulau Muara Besar Bridge, which was completed in May 2018,[10] and a deep sea container port.[11]
The PMB Refinery operated by the Hengyi company within the PMB Industrial Park,[12][10] was joined by two other Chinese companies (Zhejiang Hengyi Group and Damai Holdings).[12] The industrial park took up a total land area of 955 hectares and are being used to produce petrochemical, oil and gas industries.[11] The Phase 1 and 2 of the project were expected to be completed between late 2019 and 2023.[13][14] The 2nd phase, which began construction on 25 September 2020, will be essential to Brunei's Gross Domestic Product (GDP).[15]
Activities
There are a number of fish farms in the sheltered area between Pelumpong Spit and PMB.[16]
Gallery
Australian soldiers landing on PMB in 1945
Pulau Muara Besar Bridge in 2022
PMB Refinery seen from Serasa Beach in 2022
Pelumpong Spit (foreground) and PMB seen from a commercial aircraft in 2023
