Brunei revolt to achieve key objectives such as the capture of Brunei town and Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddien III. The revolt influenced the Sultan's 1963 decision not to join Malaysia. It is seen as one of the first stages of the Indonesia–Malaysia confrontation. The northern part of the island of Borneo was composed of three British territories: the colonies of Sarawak and North Borneo (to be renamed Sabah) and the protectorate of the Sultanate of Brunei. Brunei became a British protectorate in 1888, had an area of about and some 85,000 people. Just over half of the people were Malays, a quarter
Brunei–Malaysia border at the 100 fathom isobath. In its 1979 territorial waters and continental shelf map, Malaysia claimed the area to be part of its continental shelf and depicted the Brunei-Malaysian border as running up to the 100 fathom isobath. Brunei did not recognise these assertions made by Malaysia. The Exchange of Letters signed on 16 March 2009 by the two countries provided for Malaysia's recognition of Brunei's territorial waters which it had earlier disputed. A joint committee is to determine the final maritime border between the two countries. See below for more on the dispute between the two countries. At its