Brunei (officially the Nation of Brunei,
the Abode of Peace), is a sovereign state located on the north coast of the
island of Borneo
in Southeast Asia. Apart from its coastline
with the South China Sea, the country is completely surrounded by the Malaysian
state of Sarawak. It is separated into two
parts by the Sarawak district of Limbang. Brunei is the only sovereign state completely on
the island of Borneo;
the remainder of the island's territory is divided between the nations of Malaysia and Indonesia. Brunei's population was 423,196 in
2016.
The Island of Borneo with Brunei
colored in green
At the peak of the Bruneian
Empire, Sultan Bolkiah (reigned 1485–1528) is alleged to have had control over
most regions of Borneo, including modern-day Sarawak and Sabah, as well as the Sulu
Archipelago off the northeast tip of Borneo, Seludong (modern-day Manila), and
the islands off the northwest tip of Borneo. The maritime state was visited by Spain's Magellan Expedition in 1521 and fought
against Spain
in the 1578 Castilian War.
During the 19th century, the Bruneian
Empire began to decline. The Sultanate ceded Sarawak (Kuching) to James Brooke
and installed him as the White Rajah, and it ceded Sabah
to the British North Borneo Chartered Company. In 1888, Brunei became a
British protectorate and was assigned a British resident as colonial manager in
1906. After the Japanese occupation during World War II, in 1959 a new
constitution was written. In 1962, a small armed rebellion against the monarchy
was ended with the help of the British.
Brunei gained its independence from the United Kingdom
on 1 January 1984. Economic growth during the 1990s and 2000s, with the GDP
increasing 56% from 1999 to 2008, transformed Brunei into an industrialized
country. It has developed wealth from extensive petroleum and natural gas
fields. Brunei has the
second-highest Human Development Index among the Southeast Asian nations, after
Singapore,
and is classified as a "developed country". According to the International
Monetary Fund (IMF), Brunei
is ranked fifth in the world by gross domestic product per capita at purchasing
power parity. The
IMF estimated in 2011 that Brunei
was one of two countries (the other being Libya) with a public debt at 0% of
the national GDP. Forbes also ranks Brunei as the fifth-richest nation
out of 182, based on its petroleum and natural gas fields.
Discovery of Oil
Petroleum was
discovered in 1929 after several fruitless attempts. Two men, F. F. Marriot and
T. G. Cochrane, smelled oil near the Seria river in late 1926. They informed a geophysicist,
who conducted a survey there. In 1927, gas seepages were reported in the area.
Seria Well Number One (S-1) was drilled on 12 July 1928. Oil was struck at 297
metres (974 ft) on 5 April 1929. Seria Well Number 2 was drilled on 19
August 1929, and, as of 2009, continues to produce oil. Oil production was
increased considerably in the 1930s with the development of more oil fields. In
1940, oil production was at more than six million barrels. The British Malayan
Petroleum Company (now Brunei Shell Petroleum Company) was formed on 22 July
1922. The first offshore well was drilled in 1957. Oil and natural gas have
been the basis of Brunei's
development and wealth since the late 20th century.
Japanese Occupation
The Japanese invaded Brunei on 16 December 1941, eight days after
their attack on Pearl Harbor and the United
States Navy. They landed 10,000 troops of the Kawaguchi Detachment from Cam
Ranh Bay at Kuala Belait. After six days fighting, they occupied the entire
country. The only Allied troops in the area were the 2nd Battalion of the 15th
Punjab Regiment based at Kuching, Sarawak.
Once the Japanese occupied Brunei, they
made an agreement with Sultan Ahmad Tajuddin over governing the country. Inche
Ibrahim (known later as Pehin Datu Perdana Menteri Dato Laila Utama Awang Haji
Ibrahim), a former Secretary to the British Resident, Ernest Edgar Pengilly,
was appointed Chief Administrative Officer under the Japanese Governor. The
Japanese had proposed that Pengilly retain his position under their
administration, but he declined. Both he and other British nationals still in Brunei were interned by the Japanese at Batu
Lintang camp in Sarawak. While the British
officials were under Japanese guard, Ibrahim made a point of personally shaking
each one by the hand and wishing him well.
On 10 June 1945,
the Australian 9th Division landed at Muara under Operation Oboe Six to
recapture Borneo from the Japanese. They were
supported by American air and naval units. Brunei town was bombed extensively
and recaptured after three days of heavy fighting. Many buildings were
destroyed, including the Mosque. The Japanese forces in Brunei, Borneo, and Sarawak, under
Lieutenant-General Masao Baba, formally surrendered at Labuan
on 10 September 1945. The British Military Administration took over from the
Japanese and remained until July 1946.
Brunei after World War II
After World War II, a new
government was formed in Brunei
under the British Military Administration (BMA). It consisted mainly of
Australian officers and servicemen. The administration of Brunei was
passed to the Civil Administration on 6 July 1945. The Brunei State Council was
also revived that year. The BMA was tasked to revive the Bruneian economy,
which was extensively damaged by the Japanese during their occupation. They
also had to put out the fires on the wells of Seria, which had been set by the
Japanese prior to their defeat.
Before 1941, the Governor of the
Straits Settlements, based in Singapore,
was responsible for the duties of British High Commissioner for Brunei, Sarawak, and North Borneo (now Sabah). The first British High Commissioner for Brunei was the
Governor of Sarawak, Sir Charles Ardon Clarke. The Barisan Pemuda ("Youth
Movement") (abbreviated as BARIP) was the first political party to be
formed in Brunei,
on 12 April 1946. The party intended to "preserve the sovereignty of the
Sultan and the country, and to defend the rights of the Malays". BARIP
also contributed to the composition of the country's national anthem. The party
was dissolved in 1948 due to inactivity.
In 1959, a new constitution was
written declaring Brunei a
self-governing state, while its foreign affairs, security, and defence remained
the responsibility of the United
Kingdom. A small rebellion erupted against
the monarchy in 1962, which was suppressed with help of the UK. Known as
the Brunei Revolt, it contributed to the failure to create the North Borneo
Federation. The rebellion partially affected Brunei's decision to opt out of the
Malaysian Federation.
Brunei gained its independence from the United Kingdom
on 1 January 1984. The official National Day, which celebrates the country's
independence, is held by tradition on 23 February.
Sharia Law
In October 2013,
Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah announced his intention to impose Penal Code from the
Sharia law on the country's Muslims, which make up roughly two thirds of the
country's population. This would be implemented in three phases, culminating in
2016, and making Brunei the
first and only country in East Asia to
introduce Sharia law into its penal code. The move attracted international
criticism, the United Nations expressing "deep concern.”
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