Nagara Brunei Darsussalam

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Nagara Brunei Darsussalam

• Government/History 354
• Campbell University

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Brunei

• Brunei is located on North Borneo between Sarawak
  and Sabah

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Sultanate of Brunei

• Brunei is an absolute monarchy it became
  independent in 1984.
• The sultan is heir to a dynasty begun in the 15th
  Century.
• The country occupies 2,226 sq. miles and has a
  population of 374,000.
• The per capita GDP is 24,826.
• Key source of national income is oil and LNG.

Sultan Hassanal Bokiah
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Brunei

• In the early 1500s, Brunei controlled coastal
  Borneo and exercised hegemony over the
  Philippines all the way north to Manila.
• Began tribute relations with China in 977.
• In the 1570s, was attacked twice by the Spanish
  from the Philippines.
• Ceded Sarawak in 1841 became a British
  protectorate in 1888.

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Sarawak and Sabah

• James Brooke, the first of the white Rajahs,
  acquired Sarawak by conquest and negotiation
  between 1839 and 1846.
• In 1878, the Sultan of Sulu sold Sabah to Baron
  Von Overbeck, who then sold it to the British
  North Borneo Company.
• In 1890, Brooke acquired Limbang, splitting
  Brunei in two.
• In 1906, the British introduced the Residency
  system in Brunei.

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Protecting the Oil

• Bruneis rich oil fields were discovered in 1929.
  Brunei Shell splits the profits with the Sultan.
• The oil and gas reserves are important enough for
  the British to maintain a Gurkha battalion in
  Seria at Bruneis expense. The British also
  provide officers for two additional native
  battalions.
• Close military ties are maintained with Singapore
  for training and defense.

Gurkha holds Khukuri
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Monarchy Challenged

• In 1962, Partai Rakyat Brunei (PRB) under the
  leadership of A. M. Azahari seized the Brunei
  Shell facilities at Seria. The revolt was quickly
  quelled with the help of British forces.
• A major instigator and supporter was the PKI, the
  Indonesian Communist Party.
• The revolt shaped the Sultanates attitude toward
  joining the Federation of Malaysia and hardened
  its stand on representative forms of government.

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Institutions and Social Groups

• The Sultanate
• Brunei is an absolute monarchy. There is no
  distinction between the wealth of the state and
  that of the ruler.
• The Sultan and his brother acquired a playboy
  image that they are trying to change. There were
  complaints by Philippine entertainers, movie
  stars and Ms. U.S.A. that invitations to the
  palace were accompanied by demands for sexual
  favors.
• The Sultan was also embarrassed by gross
  corruption of Prince Jefri and others associated
  with the collapse of the Amedeo conglomerate in
  1998. He initiated a law suit that led to a
  settlement and reconciliation.

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Institutions and Social Groups

• Democratization
• There is no democracy in Brunei. The Sultan has
  sought to substitute an ineffective visit the
  people program.
• In 1985, the Brunei National Democratic Party was
  allowed to form. In 1986, the party called for a
  constitutional monarchy. In 1988, the leaders
  were arrested and the party deregistered.
• The Brunei Solidarity National Party was
  registered in 1995. It has not been allowed to
  actively function.

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Institutions and Social Groups

• Appointed Legislature
• Legislative Council met in 2004 for first time in
  20 years with 21 members appointed by the Sultan
  passed constitutional amendments calling for a
  45-seat council with 15 elected members Sultan
  dissolved the council in 2005 and appointed a new
  council with 29 members.
• The 15 elected seats have not been filled. The
  last elections were held in March 1962 (the year
  of the revolt).

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Institutions and Social Groups

• Economy
• The countrys oil and gas reserves are now
  estimated at between 30 and 40 years. Oil and gas
  represent about 40 of the current economy.
• The Sultanate has sought to develop its
  infrastructure and diversify into small
  industries such as pharmaceuticals, cement,
  steel, chemicals, ceramics and garment
  manufacture.

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Institutions and Social Groups

• Chinese Minority
• There are about 57,000 Chinese in Brunei out of a
  total population of 380,000 or 15. They are
  among the best educated and most entrepreneurial.
• Only 10 of the Chinese are eligible for
  citizenship. A 30 year residency of which 25
  must be continuous is required and candidates
  must pass an almost impossibly difficult Malay
  language test.
• Over 40,000 Chinese are stateless. They have
  only identity papers, but not passports.

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Institutions and Social Groups

• Foreign Policy
• Bruneis foreign policy has been pro-western.
• ASEAN membership has been a key factor in
  achieving the countrys goal of security.
• Bruneis relationship with the U.S. led to the
  Sultan making a 10 million donation to help the
  Contras in 1986. (Ronald Reagans Irangate.)
• Brunei supported the U.S.-led liberation of
  Kuwait in 1990.

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The End