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Country profile:
Brunei
Languages:
Malay, English, Chinese Head of state:
Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah
Sultanate of Brunei Religions: Islam, Buddhism, Christianity
Agro-Industry Development
The culture of Brunei is very
similar to the Malay cultures. Heavily
influenced by life Hinduism and, more obviously,
Islam; the borrowings and derivations of Brunei
culture from these two religions are due mainly
to the country's historical links with the Hindu
empire in the neighbouring regions of modern-day
Indonesia and Malaysia.
The culture is also influenced by the
demographic makeup of the country: two-thirds of
the population are Malay, and the remainder
consists of Chinese, Indians and indigenous
Malays such as Dayaks, Dusuns and Kedazans.
The project will attempt to identify and assess
the extent of multi -functionality of Brunei
agriculture will a view to developing policy
initiatives. Fisheries have been identified as
one of the sectors that can contribute to the
Government's plan for economic
diversification.Brunei Darussalam still had to
import about 50 per cent of its fish
requirements to supplement local production.
The per capita fish consumption of around 45kg
per year is one of the highest in the region.
The Fisheries is implementing several projects
under the current National Development Plan.
To include developing deep-sea fisheries,
increasing the production of small-scale
fishermen, assisting programmes of commercial
operators, developing potential species for
export and improving the storage and
distribution centre.
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.
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.
Friday
prayers in the
capital, Bandar Seri
Begawan
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.
Sultan
Bolkiah: Ruling family
has a large private
fortune
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.
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 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".
The only local
broadcast media are operated
by the government-controlled
Radio Television Brunei.
Foreign TV is available via
cable. Access to the internet
is said to be unrestricted.
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