Location
Labuan comprises one main island and six other smaller ones covering
an area of 92 sq. km. It is located off the coast of East Malaysia.
History
Labuan had a glorious history under the rule of various empires.
After the demise of the Majapahit Empire in the 14th century, Labuan
came under the rule of the Brunei Sultanate. The Island was ceded
to the British by the Brunei Sultanate in 1846. The British then
officially declared Labuan a colony of the British Empire in 1849
and renamed it Victoria. The British lost its hold over Labuan in
1942 when the Japanese Army occupied the island. The Island was
renamed Maeda Island during the Japanese rule. After World War II,
the British resumed control of the island until 1963 when Labuan
joined Malaysia and became a part of Sabah. The Island became a
Federal Territory of Malaysia in 1984. Labuan was declared an International
Offshore Financial Centre in 1990.
