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Brunei: Revival of 1906
Brunei lands, tulin (private) property, passed from his hands to Sarawak
and the British North Borneo Company. In 1884, he and Sultan Abdul
Mumin transferred to Sarawak all the rivers from Kidurong to Baram in
exchange for a sum of $3,000 and $2,000 a year. In fact, Temenggung
Hashim had offered not only Trusan but also Limbang to Sarawak at the
time. Originally, the Trusan River had been ceded to Sarawak in 1884.
For the Trusan transfer in 1885, he was paid a price of $4,500 per annum.
He transferred the deeds under his own seal and that of the Pengiran
Bendahara, without waiting for the seal of the Pengiran Di-Gadong or
the Sultan. Behind this transfer seemed to have been a political motive of
the Temenggung to become the next Brunei Sultan. Charles Brooke, the
Sarawak Rajah, this time countenanced Temenggung Hashim’s claim to
the Brunei throne, possibly anticipating not only the confirmation of the
Trusan cession from BNBC to his own country, but also the Limbang.
After becoming the Sultan in June 1885, Hashim Jalilul reneged on his
promise to sell off Limbang and again, was demonised by Brooke (On
12 December 1904, Trusan, together with Lawas District, was finally
transferred to Sarawak ownership).
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LIMBANG AND THE WOES OF THE SULTAN
The forcible annexation of Limbang in 1890 hardened Sultan Hashim
to make his final stand against all overtures by Britain and Brooke. In
1904 Sultan Hashim was left with only four rivers, having lost no fewer
than 18 such districts to Sarawak alone. With the loss of these lands,
Brunei had become abysmally poor. Previously, Sarawak produced
antimony and Mukah produced sago, while Limbang provided subsistence
to the folks in the capital. Now, starvation for both the palace and the
ruler had set in.
With the loss of Limbang, the last of economic opportunities in
the State (if any), had been wiped out. For instance, almost all the four
sago factories in Brunei had to be closed down by 1903 as the trade
shifted from Limbang to Kuching. Only the small cutch factory was
operating on the bank of the Kampong Ayer that gave employment to
about 300 men. Its European manager, Edmund Roberts, became a special
friend to the Sultan who expressed his gratitude to the European for
supplying wooden planks to repair the steps of his rickety palace. The
manager, who was secretly conspiring behind the back of the Sultan, not
only became his adviser, but also was given the title of Dato and a seat in
the newly created State Council.