Lighthouses of Brunei

Brunei (officially, Brunei Darussalam) is an independent, oil-rich sultanate facing the South China Sea on the northwestern coast of Borneo. The country's territory consists of two enclaves within the Malaysian state of Sarawak, the larger one on the west side of Brunei Bay and a smaller one on the south side of the bay. In an 1888 treaty, the Sultan of Brunei accepted a British protectorate, which remained in force until it was dissolved in 1984. No traditional lighthouses were built in Brunei, so all of its lights are of relatively modern origin and design.

Aids to navigation in Brunei are operated and maintained by the Brunei Marine Department. The Malay term for a lighthouse is rumah api; an island is a pulau and a cape is a tanjung.

ARLHS numbers are from the ARLHS World List of Lights. Admiralty numbers are from volume F of the Admiralty List of Lights & Fog Signals. U.S. NGA List numbers are from Publication 112.

Lighthouses
Ampa Patches
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 17 m (56 ft) four white flashes every 20 s. 17 m (56 ft) square pyramidal steel tower with gallery mounted on a platform supported by three piles. A photo is available. Located in an oil field area about 30 km (19 mi) offshore and 65 km (40 mi) west of the entrance to Brunei Bay. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty F1934.8; NGA 24248.
* Lumut
2005. Active; light characteristic unknown. 30 m (98 ft) hexagonal tower with lantern and gallery. the tower is painted in red, white, and blue as shown in Hazwan Yusof's photo at right. Another photo and a fine closeup are available, Harry Mason has a nighttime photo, and Google has a good satellite view. Completed in November 2004 and inaugurated in March 2005, this lighthouse guides ships toward Lumut, a port on the South China Sea west of the entrance to Brunei Bay. Located in Lumut. Site open, tower closed. Not listed by the Admiralty or by NGA.
Pelong Rocks (Pulau Pelong)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 24 m (79 ft); three white flashes every 15 s. 11 m (36 ft) square skeletal tower with gallery, painted white. A view from the sea is available, but the tower is inconspicuous in Google's satellite view. Located on a rocky islet about 5 km (3 mi) northwest of the entrance to Brunei. Accessible only by boat. Site status unknown. ARLHS BRU-002; Admiralty F1936; NGA 24368.

Lumut Light
Lumut Light, Lumut, December 2008
Flickr Creative Commons photo by Hazwan Yusof

Muara Entrance Range Front
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 15 m (49 ft); continuous green neon light. 15 m (49 ft) skeletal tower mounted on a triangular concrete platform supported by piles. The tower carries a triangular daymark, point up, painted red with a white vertical stripe. No photo available, but Bing has a satellite view. The range guides vessels entering Brunei Bay in a dredged channel. Located off the northwestern point of Pulau Muara Besar, an island in the bay entrance. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty F1936.5; NGA 24328.
Muara Entrance Range Rear
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 28 m (92 ft); continuous green neon light. 27 m (89 ft) skeletal tower, painted white. The tower carries a triangular daymark, point down, painted red with a white vertical stripe. No photo available, but Bing has a satellite view. Located near the western end of Pulau Muara Besar. Accessible only by boat. Site status unknown. Admiralty F1936.51; NGA 24332.
Tanjung Sapo
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 28 m (92 ft); flash every 10 s, white or red depending on direction. Skeletal tower, painted white; the height is not listed but it must be at least 20 m (66 ft). No photo available, and Google has only a distant satellite view of the location. Located at the east end of Pulau Muara Besar, where it marks the natural entrance to Brunei Bay (the modern entrance is through the dredged channel at the west end of the island). Accessible only by boat. Site status unknown. Admiralty F1938; NGA 24316.
Pulau Chermin (2?) (South Bar Bank Range Rear)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 16 m (52 ft); two white flashes every 10 s. 16 m (52 ft) aluminum skeletal tower mounted on a triangular concrete platform supported by piles. The tower carries a square red and white daymark. No photo available, but Google has a satellite view. Pulau Chermin is a small island in the entrance to Brunei Harbour. Apparently there was a historic lighthouse on the island, but if so Google's satellite view shows no trace of it. The modern light stands on a dangerous reef about 400 m (1/4 mi) northwest of the island. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS BRU-001; Admiralty F1941.1; NGA 24266.

Information available on lost lighthouses:

Notable faux lighthouses:

Adjoining page: East Malaysia

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Posted March 21, 2006. Checked and revised December 8, 2012. Lighthouses: 7. Site copyright 2012 Russ Rowlett and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.