Brunei
INTRODUCTION
Brunei Darussalam (Malay: Negara Brunei Darussalam, also known as the Islamic Monarchy of Brunei; Negara means “nation” and Darussalam means “state of peace”, which means vigilance and stability), Brunei for short, is an autocratic monarchy. Brunei is located in southeast Asia, northwest of Kalimantan, and borders the South China Sea in the north. It borders Malaysia’s Sarawak state on three sides to the west and southeast. The coastline is approximately 162 kilometers long and has 33 islands with a total area of 5,765 square kilometers. Tropical rain forest climate. The introduction of Islam in the middle of the 14th century established the Sultanate. It became a British protectorate in 1888, was occupied by Japan in 1941, and Britain regained control of Brunei in 1946. In 1st of January 1984, Brunei became independent.
GEOLOCATION
Brunei is located on the northwest coast of the island of Borneo. It is adjacent to Sarawak and Sabah in Malaysia and Kalimantan Province in Indonesia. It lies between 4-5 degrees north latitude and 115 degrees east longitude. The coastline is about 130 kilometers long and covers an area of 5,765 square kilometers. There are many hills and rivers in the territory, including Brunei River, Tutong River, Belait River, and Temburong River. The forest area accounts for about three-quarters of the country’s area, but the trees are sparse and the yield is only self-sufficient. It is worth mentioning that the government emphasizes great importance to protecting the original tropical rain forests so as not to damage their natural ecology. The tropical rain forests in Temburong are the favorite of research scholars and are also well-known in the world. The country is divided into four districts: BRUNEI-MUARA, BELAIT, TUTONG, and TEMBURONG, of which Temburong is separated from the mainland. The capital city of Bandar Seri Begawan is the administrative, commercial and cultural center of the country.
GOVERNMENT
Brunei’s political scene has always been calm, independent since 1984, and is one of the unique monarchy in the world. Before independence, it was a British protectorate. Although it is a small country, it is also very active in international organizations. Not only it participates in ASEAN, the Commonwealth, the United Nations, but also an important member of the Organization of Islamic States (OIC) and the World Organization of Petroleum Producing Countries (OPEC).
POPULATION
The total population of Brunei, including foreign residents, is about 435,290. The annual growth rate is 3.1%. Two-thirds of the population is 68% of the Malay indigenous people, and the Chinese are the larger proportion of ethnic minorities, with more than 50,000 people, accounting for 17%. In addition, there are 15% foreign residents from ASEAN countries, Europe, Australia, Indonesia, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and so on.
RELIGION
Islam is the state religion, and [Malay Islam Monarch] (M.I.B for short) is the concept of a nation. Non-Muslims can freely and openly worship other religions. The law and order are good, and the laws are strict. Most of the reasons are also restricted by their religious decrees.
EDUCATION AND LANGUAGE
The official Brunei language is Malay, which is the national language, but English and Chinese are commonly used as the medium of communication in the business world. Most of the stores are run by Chinese people. Socially speaking, Chinese people of Chinese descent generally communicate in dialects, especially in Hokkien dialect. However, most Chinese people can speak Chinese. The education system adopts a bilingual policy and uses Mandarin and English as the medium of instruction. Except English one for grades one to three of elementary school, the other subjects use Mandarin as the medium of instruction, and fourth grade to high school for elementary school, except for one subject of Chinese language, the other subjects all use English as the medium of instruction. Private Chinese schools add Teaching mother tongue-Chinese.
Education is very well developed, featuring free education, there are more than 300 government schools across the country, including a university, teacher training college, technical college, vocational technical college, religious college, nursing college, ordinary primary school and more than 200 primary schools. In addition, there are eight Chinese schools, including three secondary schools and five primary schools. The three secondary schools are Brunei Chung Hwa Middle School, Belait Chung Hwa Middle School, and Seria Chung Ching Middle School. The largest number of students is Chung Hwa Middle School in Bandar Seri Begawan of Brunei Darussalam has approximately more than 3,600 students.
MEDICAL
Medical equipment is available all over the country, and the equipment is modern. There are also flying medical service teams and mobile medical service teams to serve inland and rural residents. All citizens enjoy free medical services. The school has health care equipment, such as vision, intelligence, teeth, immunity, etc. The hospital regularly sends doctors to various places and schools for regular inspections.
WELFARE
The government is building cheap houses in various districts, with low interest rates for people to pay by installments. For citizens or residents aged 60 or above, the government pays an old-age pension every month. Citizens receive free education from elementary school to university and are exempt from income tax. The people are well-groomed, have good law and order, live and work in peace and contentment, and feel like a golden land and a world of peace.