Brunei
Brunei, officially the
Sultanate of Brunei (
Malay:
Negara Brunei Darussalam or برني دارالسلام,
Arabic: سلطنة بروناي or برني دارالسلام), is a country located on the
island of
Borneo, in
Southeast Asia. Apart from its coastline with the
South China Sea, it is completely surrounded by the state of
Sarawak,
East Malaysia.
The
Sultanate of Brunei was very powerful from the
14th through the
16th century. Its realm covered the whole island of
Borneo and southern
Philippines.
European influence gradually brought an end to this
regional power. Later, there was a brief war with
Spain in which Brunei was victorious. The decline of the
Bruneian Empire culminated in the
19th century when Brunei lost much of its territory to the
White Rajahs of
Sarawak, resulting in its current small landmass and separation into two parts.
There was a small
rebellion against the
monarchy during the
1960s, which was prevented by the
United Kingdom. This event became known as the
Brunei Revolt and was partly responsible for the failure to create the
North Borneo Federation. The rebellion also affected Brunei's decision to opt out of the
Malaysian Federation and was the first stage of the
Indonesia-Malaysia confrontation. Brunei was a
British protectorate from
1888 to
1984.
|
Hassanal Bolkiah, Sultan of Brunei |
Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah of Brunei, whose
title has passed within the same dynasty since the
15th century, is the head of state and head of government in Brunei. The Sultan is advised by several
councils and a cabinet of
ministers although he is effectively the supreme ruler. The
media is extremely pro-government and the Royal family retains a venerated status within the country. There is no elected
legislative body. In September
2004, the Sultan convened an appointed
Parliament which had not met since independence in
1984, although it lacks any capacity beyond advising the monarch. Due to the absolute rule of the Sultan, Brunei is one of the most politically stable countries in Asia.
The country has been under hypothetical
martial law since a rebellion occurred in the early
1960s and was put down by
British troops from
Singapore.
Brunei claims territory in
Sarawak, such as
Limbang, and is one of many nations to lay claim to the disputed
Spratly Islands. Several small islands situated between Brunei and
Labuan, including
Kuraman island, are contested between Brunei and Malaysia. However, they are internationally recognised as part of the latter.
The Royal Brunei Armed Forces (RBAF) use a wide range of foreign equipment, with a large percentage originating from the United Kingdom,
France/
Europe and the
United States. Brunei's defence spending $343 million (5.1% of GDP) is quite considerable for such a small state. The
Brunei Army is the largest of the armed services, with a relatively small air force and navy. The
Royal Brunei Police are also included as a branch of the armed services. The Bruneian military lacks any recent combat experience or overseas deployments.
The Army use the
Land Rover Defender and
Bedford trucks. French-built
APC's such as the
Véhicule de l'Avant Blindé and British
FV101 Scorpion light tanks are also used. The
L118 Light Gun is also in use. Currently the standard infantry rifle of the RBAF is the
M16.
The
Royal Brunei Air Force is a small, mainly helicopter-based force which is tasked with supporting the other branches of the armed services and defending Bruneian air space. The Air Force consists of a range of helicopters, including the
UH-1 and the
UH-60 Black Hawk. Its fixed-wing inventory is limited to around 4
Pilatus PC-7 training aircraft and
CN-235 transport aircraft. There have been plans to secure a fighter capability by purchasing several
BAe Hawk aircraft, but these plans have been delayed on several occasions.
The
Royal Brunei Navy is a small coastal defence force tasked with patrolling Bruneian waters and defending the offshore oil industry. It is currently undergoing a large-scale modernisation, with the upgrading of the
Muara Naval Base and the purchase of 3 British-built
Corvettes. However, these have not been delivered from
BAE Systems in
Scotstoun due to Bruneian claims that they fail to meet their requirements. This is seen as a temporary delay until the modernisation of existing naval facilities is complete and can support such modern vessels. In the meantime these advanced warships remain in
Scotland at their builders yard on the
Clyde. These vessels could be used to enforce Brunei's claim to its enlarged territorial waters which include the Spratly Islands.
A
battalion from the
British Army's
Royal Gurkha Rifles is still stationed in Brunei under agreement with the Sultan to protect the
oil fields in the West of the country and assist domestic Bruneian forces in the event of an emergency. Other units from the British Army are present to support and train the
Brunei Army. After
the handover ceremony of Hong Kong in 1997, the garrison in
Seria is the only remaining British military base in the Far East and is home to a jungle warfare training centre and 7th Flight,
Army Air Corps.
Singapore also maintains a training establishment in Brunei, known as the Sungai Akar Camp and operates support helicopters.
The Supreme Court comprises the High Court and the Court of Appeals, while the Subordinate Court consists of the Magistrate's Courts. The High Court receives appeals from Magistrate's Courts in the districts and is itself a court of first instance for criminal and civil cases. Appeal from the High Court is submitted to the Court of Appeals.
For civil cases the final appeal is to the
United Kingdom's Judicial Committee of the
Privy Council in
London, a vestige of association with the
Commonwealth of Nations.
Sharia courts co-exist with the Supreme Court and deal with Islamic laws. In 1991 the Intermediate Court was established with extensive civil and criminal jurisdiction, although it does not deal with capital offences.
Brunei is divided into four
districts, called
daerah. These are:
*
Belait*
Brunei and Muara*
Temburong*
TutongA sub-division of a district,
province, is called
Mukim.
Brunei consists of two unconnected parts; 97% of the population lives in the larger western part, only about 10,000 live in the mountainous eastern part, the district of Temburong. Major towns are the capital
Bandar Seri Begawan (about 46,000 inhabitants), the port town
Muara and the oil producing districts of
Seria and
Kuala Belait. In the Belait district, the Panaga area is home to large numbers of expatriates due to Shell and British Army housing and recreational facilities. The well-known Panaga Club is situated here.
The
climate in Brunei is
equatorial-
tropical, with high temperatures, a high
humidity and heavy rainfall.
This small,
wealthy
economy is a mixture of
foreign and
domestic entrepreneurship, government regulation,
welfare measures, and
village tradition. Crude
oil and
natural gas production account for nearly half of
GDP. Substantial income from overseas investment supplements income from domestic production. The government provides for all
medical services and subsidizes
rice and housing. Brunei's leaders are concerned that steadily increased integration in the world economy will undermine internal
social cohesion although it became a more prominent player by serving as
chairman for the 2000
APEC (Asian Pacific Economic Cooperation) forum. Stated plans for the future include upgrading the
labour force, reducing
unemployment, strengthening the
banking and
tourist sectors, and, in general, further widening the economic base. The national airline,
Royal Brunei is trying to make Brunei a hub for international travel between Europe and Australia/New Zealand. It also has services to major Asian destinations.
About two-thirds of the Brunei population are of
Malay origin. The most important
ethnic minority group are the
Chinese, with about 15%. These groups also reflect the most important
languages:
Malay, which is the official language, and
Chinese.
English is also widely spoken and there is a relatively large
expatriate community with large numbers of British and Australian citizens.
Islam is the official
religion of Brunei, and the sultan is the head of the religion in the country. Other faiths practised are
Buddhism (mainly by the Chinese),
Christianity and (in very small communities)
indigenous religions.
*
Islam in BruneiThe culture of Brunei is similar to
Malayan culture, with heavy influences from
Hinduism and
Islam, but is seen as more conservative than Malaysia. The sale and public consumption of alcohol is banned, with foreigners and non-Muslims allowed to bring in 12 cans of beer and two bottles of spirits every time they enter the country. After the introduction of prohibition in the early 1990's, all pubs and nightclubs were forced to close.
*
Brunei Revolt*
Communications in Brunei*
Foreign relations of Brunei*
History of Brunei*
Istana Nurul Iman (The Sultan's Palace)
*
Media of Brunei*
Military of Brunei*
North Borneo Federation*
Royal Brunei Airlines*
Transportation in Brunei*
Water Village (Brunei)*
Brooketon*
Persekutuan Pengakap Negara Brunei Darussalam*L. W. W. Gudgeon (1913).
British North Borneo. London, Adam and Charles Black.
Much of the material in these articles comes from the CIA World Factbook 2000 and the 2003 U.S. Department of State website.*
Government of Brunei Darussalam website
