effect ive , ▁en abling ▁himself ▁and ▁his ▁descend ants ▁to ▁reign ▁as ▁ ▁the ▁White ▁Raj ah s ▁of ▁Sar aw ak . ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁ 1 8 3 0 s , ▁the ▁cont rolling ▁colonial ▁powers ▁in ▁the ▁region , ▁the ▁British ▁East ▁India ▁Company ▁and ▁the ▁Dutch ▁Empire , ▁agreed ▁to ▁cur b ▁the ▁r amp ant ▁pi racy . ▁This ▁decision , ▁emb od ied ▁in ▁the ▁Ang lo - D utch ▁Tre aty ▁of ▁ 1 8 2 4 ▁led ▁to ▁the ▁creation ▁of ▁the ▁British ▁Stra its ▁S ett lement s ▁of ▁Mal ac ca , ▁D inding , ▁Pen ang , ▁and ▁Singapore , ▁seats ▁of ▁British ▁administration ▁aim ed ▁at ▁cont rolling ▁pi racy ▁and ▁en abling ▁mar itime ▁trade . ▁The ▁British ▁and ▁Dutch ▁emp ires ▁effectively ▁drew ▁a ▁dem arc ation ▁line ▁along ▁the ▁stra it , ▁agree ing ▁to ▁fight ▁against ▁pi racy ▁on ▁their ▁own ▁side ▁of ▁the ▁line . ▁This ▁line ▁of ▁dem arc ation ▁would ▁eventually ▁become ▁the ▁modern - day ▁border ▁between ▁Malays ia ▁and ▁Indones ia . ▁In cre ased ▁pat rolling ▁and ▁superior ▁se af aring ▁technology ▁on ▁the ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁European ▁powers , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁improved ▁political ▁stability ▁and ▁economic ▁conditions ▁in ▁the ▁region , ▁eventually ▁allowed ▁the ▁European ▁powers ▁to ▁greatly ▁cur b ▁pi racy ▁in ▁the ▁region ▁by ▁the ▁ 1 8 7 0 s . ▁ ▁Modern ▁pi racy ▁ ▁The ▁International ▁Mar itime ▁Bureau ▁( IM B )