Brunei - Brunei country profile

Brunei country profile (Source: BBC) 

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.

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.

FACTS

Full name: Brunei Darussalam

Population: 407,000 (UN, 2010)

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: Estimated to be high income: $12,196 or more (World Bank, 2009)

Internet domain: .bn

International dialling code: +673

LEADERS

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.

MEDIA

Brunei's media are neither diverse nor free. The private press is either owned or controlled by the royal family, or exercises self-censorship on political and religious matters.

Media rights body Reporters Without Borders (RSF) says news outlets carry "virtually no criticism of the government". A press law provides prison terms of up to three years for reporting "false news". Brunei came 142nd out of 178 countries in the 2010 RSF Press Freedom Index.

The local broadcast media are dominated by government-controlled Radio Television Brunei. Foreign TV is available via cable.

There were nearly 319,000 internet users by June 2010 (InternetWorldStats). Access is said to be unrestricted.

The press

Borneo Bulletin - English-language daily

Media Permata - Malay-language

BruDirect - English-language, news website

Television

Radio Television Brunei - state-controlled, broadcasts in Malay and English

Radio

Radio Television Brunei - state-controlled, broadcasts in Malay, English, Mandarin Chinese and Gurkhali

Kristal FM - private

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