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Labuan

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Labuan, Malaysia

A dynamic town with modern telecommunications facilities, Labuan has been declared a federal territory as well as an International Offshore Financial Centre.

Malaysia Labuan Labuan Malaysia

In Labuan, you can visit the colonial Botanical Gardens, World War II Memorial, the challenging golf course, and the world-famous wreck sites. Deep under the waters here lie a few shipwrecks dating back from World War II. Arrangements can be made with local travel agencies to explore these marvelous wrecks.

Labuan Area: 91 square km

Labuan Capital: Victoria

Going to Labuan

Lying only 8 km off the west coast of Sabah, Labuan can be reached by air from Kuala Lumpur and Kota Kinabalu.

Malaysia Airlines flies daily from Kuala Lumpur and Kota Kinabalu to Labuan. AirAsia fly from KLIA-LCCT to Labuan daily.

Air-conditioned speedboat services are available from Sabah, Sarawak and Brunei Darussalam. Arrangements can be made with local travel agencies to visit the adjacent islands. Tourists can also take a high-speed ferry from Kota Kinabalu, Sarawak or Brunei to Labuan. The journey from Kota Kinabalu takes 2 hours while that from Brunei takes about 1 hour.

Labuan Flag

Labuan has had its own flag since 1990. For eight years prior to this, Labuan used the Malaysian flag. The Labuan flag consists of three alternating stripes of red, white, and blue, the colors signifying Labuan as a Malaysian Federal Territory. The red also denotes courage, the whites purity, and the blue unity. The crescent moon is the symbol of Islam and the 14-pointed star represents the states of Malaysia.

Labuan History

Labuan was part of the dominion of the Brunei Sultanate until 1846 when the Sultan of Brunei ceded it to the British. The discovery of large coal deposits and its strategic location led to the establishment of the island as an entreport on 1 August 1848. For the next 115 years, with a break of three years of Japanese military occupation, Labuan was under direct British rule.

Following the Japanese Occupation, Labuan became part of the British North Borneo colony (Sabah) on 18 July 1946. Labuan joined Malaysia in 1963 and on 16 April 1984, Labuan has declared a Federal Territory and ceded it to the Federal Government.

Labuan Travel

Besides being a major duty-free port, Labuan also has other tourist attractions like wreck diving spots, water villages, a War Memorial, golf courses, and the Peace Park. Of course, one cannot afford to miss out on the great duty-free shopping available on the island.

Labuan Places of Interest

  • World War II Memorial
    The beautifully landscaped cemetery is dedicated to 3,900 Australian, New Zealand, and British servicemen who lost their lives during World War II. A section is also dedicated to the Indian soldiers of the Punjab Regiment.
  • Peace Park
    The Peace Park is a memorial dedicated to the fallen soldiers of World War II. The park is located next to the site where the Japanese surrendered to the Allies at the end of World War II.
  • Jamek An’Nur Mosque
    The pride of Muslims on the island, Masjid An’nur Jamek is a beautiful mosque featuring futuristic architecture.
  • Labuan Square
    A popular place for an evening stroll, Labuan Square is a fascinating park with neat lawns and flora indigenous to the island.
  • Ayer Village
    At Kampung Air (Water Village), visitors can see traditional stilt houses joined by a maze of interconnecting wooden walkways.
  • The Chimney
    Located at Tanjong Kubong, The Chimney is a relic from Labuan’s coal-mining era from 1847 to 1912.
  • Labuan Town
  • Labuan Market
  • Labuan Golf & Country Club
  • Pulau Kuraman
  • Papan Island, Daat Island, Burong Island.
  • Wreck Diving
  • Pulau Rusukan

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