Brunei Darussalam
Geography
About the size of Delaware, Brunei is an independent sultanate on the northwest
coast of the island of Borneo in the South China Sea, wedged between the
Malaysian states of Sabah and Sarawak.
Government
Constitutional sultanate.
History
Brunei was trading with China during the 6th century, and, through allegiance to
the Javanese Majapahit kingdom (13th to 15th century), it came under Hindu
influence. In the early 15th century, with the decline of the Majapahit kingdom
and widespread conversion to Islam, Brunei became an independent sultanate. It
was a powerful state from the 16th to the 19th century, ruling over the northern
part of Borneo and adjacent island chains. But Brunei fell into decay and lost
Sarawak in 1841, becoming a British protectorate in 1888 and a British
dependency in 1905. Japan occupied Brunei during World War II; it was liberated
by Australia in 1945.
The sultan regained control over internal affairs in 1959, but Britain retained
responsibility for the state's defense and foreign affairs until 1984, when the
sultanate became fully independent. Sultan Bolkiah was crowned in 1967 at the
age of 22, succeeding his father, Sir Omar Ali Saifuddin, who had abdicated.
During his reign, exploitation of the rich Seria oilfield had made the sultanate
wealthy. Brunei has one of the highest per capita incomes in Asia, and the sultan
is believed to be one of the richest men in the world. In Aug. 1998, Oxford-
educated Prince Al-Muhtadee Billah was inaugurated as heir to the 500-year-old
monarchy.
Sultan Bolkiah began taking cautious steps toward democratic reform in Sept.
2004, when he reinstated Parliament for the first time since Brunei gained
independence in 1984. He was widely praised in May 2005 when he fired four
members of his cabinet, including the education minister, whose plan to expand
religious education angered many parents.
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A tiny country with a small population, Brunei was the only Malay state in
1963 to choose to remain a British dependency rather than join the
Malaysian Federation.
It became independent in 1984 and, thanks to its large reserves of oil and gas,
now has one of the highest standards of living in the world.
Its ruling royals, led by the head of state Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah, possess a
huge private fortune.
Overview
A country of dense forests and mangrove swamps whose people enjoy high
subsidies and pay no taxes, Brunei is highly dependent on imports. Despite its
immense wealth, most of the country outside the capital remains undeveloped
and unexploited.
While oil and gas exports account for the bulk of government revenues, reserves
are dwindling and Brunei is attempting to diversify its economy. It markets itself
as a financial centre and as a destination for upmarket and eco-tourism.
About two-thirds of the people of Brunei are ethnic Malays, and these benefit
from positive discrimination. The Chinese comprise about 16% of the population.
There are also Indians and indigenous groups, of whom the Murut and Dusuns
are favoured over the Ibans.
The Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddien Mosque is a major landmark of Brunei's capital,
Bandar Seri Begawan
Since 1962 the sultan has ruled by decree. In a rare move towards political
reform an appointed parliament was revived in 2004. The constitution provides
for an expanded house with up to 15 elected MPs. However, no date has been
set for elections.
Brunei's financial fortunes have wavered. Shares and other assets were hit by
the crash of the Asian financial markets in the late 1990s. In 1998 Prince Jefri's
Amedeo conglomerate collapsed, leaving massive debts and precipitating a
financial scandal.
Full name: Brunei Darussalam
Population: 413,000 (UN, 2012)
Capital: Bandar Seri Begawan
Area: 5,765 sq km (2,226 sq miles)
Major languages: Malay, English, Chinese
Major religions: Islam, Buddhism, Christianity
Life expectancy: 76 years (men), 81 years (women) (UN)
Monetary unit: 1 Bruneian dollar = 100 cents
Main exports: Crude oil, liquefied natural gas, petroleum products
GNI per capita: High income: $31,800 (World Bank, 2009)
Internet domain: .bn
International dialling code: +673
A chronology of key events:
15th century - Islamic sultanate of Brunei nominally in control of Borneo,
including Sabah and Sarawak states of Malaysia, and some parts of the Sulu
islands in the Philippines.
Oil exports are an economic mainstay. The Billionth Barrel of Oil Monument
celebrates the industry
1521 - Brunei visited by Spanish navigator Juan Sebastian del Cano.
1841 - Sultan of Brunei Omar Ali Saifuddin II rewards British army officer James
Brooke for helping to quell a civil war by granting him control of Sarawak.
1846 - Brunei reduced to its present size after ceding the island of Labuan to
Britain.
1849-54 - British destroy Malay pirates operating between Singapore and
Borneo.
British rule
1888 - Brunei becomes a British protectorate.
1906 - Brunei administered by a British resident, with the sultan having nominal
authority.
1929 - Oil extraction begins.
1941-45 - Japan occupies Brunei.
1950 - Omar Ali Saifuddin III inaugurated sultan.
1959 - Sultan Omar introduces Brunei's first written constitution which enshrines
Islam as the state religion and keeps Britain in charge of defence and foreign
affairs.
Rule by decree
1962 - Legislative Council election results annulled after leftist Brunei People's
Party, which sought to remove the sultan from power, won all 10 elected seats in
the 21-member council; sultan declares state of emergency and rules by decree.
1963 - Brunei decides to remain a British dependency rather than join the
Federation of Malaysia.
1967 - Hassanal Bolkiah becomes sultan following the abdication of his father,
Sultan Omar, who nonetheless remains chief adviser.
Independence
1984 - Brunei becomes independent.
1985 - Government legalises the Brunei National Democratic Party (BNDP).
1986 - Brunei National Solidarity Party (BNSP) becomes legal; former Sultan
Omar dies.
1988 - BNDP and BNSP banned.
1990 - Sultan Bolkiah introduces ideology of Malay Muslim Monarchy.
1995 - Government allows BNSP to operate, but the party is targeted for
harassment and becomes inactive.
1998 - Sultan Bolkiah removes his younger brother, Prince Jefri Bolkiah, as chief
of Brunei Investment Agency over concerns about his stewardship of agency;
Sultan Bolkiah's eldest son, Prince Al-Muhtadee Billah, becomes heir apparent.
Royal scandal
2000 - Brunei files civil suit against Prince Jefri Bolkiah for alleged misuse of
state funds. Case is settled out of court. Court documents reveal that he spent
$2.7 billion on luxury goods over 10 years. Prince agrees to return all assets
allegedly taken from state-owned investment agency.
2000 August - Brunei says it will retrain up to 25% of the workforce to diversify
the economy away from oil and to develop alternative industries such as tourism.
2001 - Auction is held of more than 10,000 items belonging to Prince Jefri.
2001 November - As chair of Association of South East Asian Nations (Asean),
Brunei hosts body's 2001 summit. Leaders pledge to cooperate in fighting
terrorism but push back launch date for Asian free trade area.
2004 September - Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah reopens parliament, 20 years after it
was disbanded. The new parliament has 21 appointed members. The sultan later
amends the constitution to allow the direct election of 15 members of the next
parliament, but no poll date is set.
2005 May - Major cabinet reshuffle ushers in younger faces and ministers with
private sector experience.
2005 August - National Development Party registered as political party.
2007 February - Brunei, along with Indonesia and Malaysia, signs a "Rainforest
Declaration", agreeing to conserve a large area of Borneo that is home to rare
species.
2007 November - Former finance minister and Sultan's brother, Prince Jefri
Bolkiah, loses appeal at Brunei's highest court and is ordered to return property,
cash and luxury goods allegedly acquired through misappropriated state funds.
2007 December - Amnesty international criticises Brunei's corporal punishment
laws. Reports say 68 foreigners were flogged in 2008 for immigration offences.
Immigration rules were tightened in 2004 to prevent illegal stay of migrant
workers.
2008 June - UK judge issues warrant for the arrest of Prince Jefri Bolkiah after
he failed to attend a High Court hearing over allegations that he violated a court
order to return billions of dollars in missing funds to the Brunei government.
2010 February - Brunei included in France's "blacklist" of tax havens. French
businesses operating in Brunei face increased taxes at home.
2010 June - US adds Brunei to its human trafficking watch list as a destination
for forced labour and prostitution.
2010 December - Malaysia and Brunei agree to jointly develop two oil areas off
Borneo, ending a border dispute dating from 2003 which held up exploration.
Brunei Leader
Head of state: Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah
Hassanal Bolkiah, one of the world's longest-reigning monarchs, became sultan
in October 1967 after his father, Sir Haji Omar Ali Saifuddin, abdicated. He was
crowned in August 1968.
In 1991 he introduced a conservative ideology called Malay Muslim Monarchy,
which presented the monarchy as the defender of the faith.
Apparently aimed at pre-empting calls for democratisation, it is said to have
alienated Brunei's large Chinese and expatriate communities.
In September 2004 the sultan reopened Brunei's parliament, 20 years after it was
suspended. Observers said it was a tentative step towards giving some political
power to the country's citizens.
The sultan was born in 1946 and was educated in Malaysia and Britain. He has
two wives and is one of the world's richest individuals.
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