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<img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.kahimyang.com/resources-10/alfred-dent.webp"  alt="Alfred Dent" />
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(Alfred Dent)
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The Sultan announced:
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"To all nations of the earth whom these matters may concern, certain portions of the dominions owned by us comprising all the  lands on the north and east coast of Borneo  ...  we do hereby nominate and appoint Baron de Overbeck supreme and independent ruler of the above named territories with the title of Datu Bandahara and Rajah of Sandakan."
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The announcement was made at the palace of the sultan at Lipuk in the island of Sulu. 
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It was also in this occassion, through the instrumentation of Sir Alfred Dent, that the Sultan of Sulu was induced to transfer to a company formed by Baron de   Overbeck and Sir Dent,  his possession in North Borneo for a lease of 5,000 Mexican dollars annually and the Sultan to collect the rent in Sandakan.
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January 22, 1878: Baron de Overbeck was conferred the title Datu Bandahara by the Sultan of Sulu