Brunei – A Brief History
Although its early history is obscure, Brunei was known to be trading with and paying tribute to China in
the 6th century CE. It then came under Hindu influence for a time through allegiance to the Majapahit
empire, based in Java. When the ships of the expedition of Ferdinand Magellan anchored off Brunei in
1521, the fifth sultan, the great Bolkiah, controlled practically the whole of Borneo, the Sulu
Archipelago, and neighbouring islands. Toward the end of the 16th century, however, the territory was
torn by internal strife. Brunei’s power subsequently declined through the 19th century, notably with the
cession of Sarawak in northwestern Borneo to the English adventurer James (later Sir James) Brooke in
1841, the expansion of Sarawak by additional grants to Brooke, the cession to Great Britain of the island
of Labuan in Brunei Bay, and the final loss of what is now Sabah, East Malaysia, in northeastern Borneo.
Brunei became a British protectorate in 1888, and in 1906 administration was vested in a British
resident, whose advice the sultan was bound to accept. Despite the presence of a foreign
administration, Brunei’s significance began to revive with the start of petroleum production in 1929. In
1941–45, during World War II, Brunei was occupied by the Japanese. The British returned after the war,
and negotiations began for the eventual independence of Brunei.
The first step in this process occurred in 1959, when self-government was achieved and the British
resident was replaced by a high commissioner. Britain remained responsible for defense and foreign
policy. Brunei adopted a written constitution, and in 1962 a partly elected Legislative Council with
limited authority was installed. The conversion to a representative government was interrupted later
that year by a revolt, which was suppressed with the help of British forces; the sultan then called a state
of emergency and suspended most provisions of the constitution. New elections were held in 1965, but
appointed members still retained their majority in the council.
In 1967 Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddien abdicated in favour of his eldest son, Hassanal Bolkiah Muʿizzaddin
Waddaulah, although the former sultan continued to exercise influence until his death. Brunei’s political
life was stable throughout the 1970s in large part because of its flourishing economy and its position as
one of the world’s wealthiest (on a per capita basis) oil producers. In 1979 the United Kingdom and
Brunei signed a treaty whereby Brunei would become fully independent in 1984. Malaysia and Indonesia
both gave assurances that they would recognize Brunei’s status, thereby allaying the sultan’s concern
that the state might be incorporated by one of its larger neighbours.
Brunei duly gained independence on Jan. 1, 1984, and an Islamic sultanate was proclaimed. The
Legislative Council, which had become an entirely appointed body by decree of the sultan in 1970, was
suspended, and a ministerial form of government was introduced. The sultan became prime minister, in
addition to holding several other ministerial posts, and he appointed members of his family to most of
the other positions, including his father as defense minister. When his father died in September 1986,
the sultan assumed the important defense post and enlarged his cabinet.
In 1990 the sultan encouraged Bruneians to adopt Melayu Islam Beraja (“Malay Islamic Monarchy”), the
country’s official ideology. The movement, which celebrated traditional Bruneian values and called for
more rigid adherence to traditional Islamic principles, was viewed with anxiety by non-Muslims,
particularly members of the Chinese community. Nevertheless, for much of the late 20th century the
sultanate experienced both political and economic stability (though it did suffer during the Asian
financial crisis of the late 1990s), and its citizens continued to enjoy a very high standard of living.
However, the economy’s heavy reliance on petroleum and natural gas, both nonrenewable sources of
energy, led the government to pursue economic diversification more aggressively.
In the mid-1980s two political parties, the Brunei National Democratic Party and the Brunei National
United Party, were legalized, but membership restrictions were imposed (e.g., government employees,
who made up a significant proportion of Brunei’s citizens, were excluded) and their activities impeded
by the government. After only a few years, both parties were banned. The Brunei National United Party
was allowed to operate again beginning in 1995, and in the early 21st century it was joined by two new
parties, the People’s Awareness Party and the National Development Party. In 2004 the sultan
reconvened the Legislative Council, which had not met in 20 years, to discuss constitutional
amendments. Although provision for an elected component of the Legislative Council was among the
approved amendments, the sultan reformed the council in 2005 with an entirely appointed
membership. Meanwhile, two of the three political parties were deregistered, leaving the National
Development Party as the sole legal party by 2007.
Brunei’s movement toward stricter Islamic practices initially included measures such as banning the sale
of alcoholic beverages and requiring that Muslim children receive religious instruction, Courts for Islamic
law (Sharīʿah; Syariah in Malay) also functioned to help Muslims settle personal matters such as
marriage. The sultan had long wanted to expand Syariah to also include criminal offenses by Muslims,
and in October 2013 he announced that such a policy would become official the following year. The first
phase of three—this one covering lesser crimes, such as failing to observe the fast during Ramadan—
was implemented in May 2014
At independence in 1984, Brunei’s relations with neighbouring Malaysia were strained over boundary
and territorial disputes in Sarawak. Ties between the two countries gradually improved, as most of the
border issues were resolved, but Brunei still claimed the Limbang region of Sarawak between the two
portions of Brunei. In 2009 an agreement was reached by which Brunei would drop its claim on Limbang
and Malaysia would forgo its claim to oil-rich areas in the South China Sea that the two countries had
contested. However, the two countries would jointly exploit any reserves found there.