Travel Guide

Brunei People
Brunei has a mixture of Southeast Asian ethnic groups. About two-thirds of the population is Malay, nearly one-fifth is Chinese, and the remainder are indigenous peoples. Almost two-thirds of the people are Muslims, 12 percent are Buddhists, and 9 percent are Christians, and in the remote interior there are a few animists. Malay is the official language, and English is widely spoken and understood. Approximately two-thirds of the population is urban. Most of the people live in Bandar Seri Begawan or near the oil fields at Seria and Kuala Belait. The interior of Brunei is sparsely populated by indigenous peoples who clear areas of the forest for temporary, or shifting, cultivation.

Religion
The official religion is Islam and the people in their everyday life follow Islamic principles. Islam is extremely important to Bruneians and must be treated with respect by all visitors. The practice of other religions is, however, allowed and there are churches in Bandar Seri Begawan, Kuala Belait and Seria.

Language
The official language is Malay. However, English is widely spoken and most business is transacted in English. Other dialects are also widely spoken including the Hokkien dialect of Chinese as well as various native languages (Iban, Murut, Dusun etc.) and local dialects (Tutong, Belait etc.).
Malay is often said to be an easy language to learn. The grammar is fairly simple and the script is Roman. Unlike English, there is a straightforward script/sound correspondence.

Social Customs
Brunei is a much more conservative place than are Western countires. As a general rule Asians tend to avoid any sort of personal confrontation in public. This brings with it the avoidance of showing emotions such as impatience, anger, dislike, distaste or disagreement. It does not mean that they are not felt: They are, and if they are shown at all, they would not normally be shown in the European way but more subtly “Asian-style”. Generally speaking, Asians are concerned with overt signs of respect for age, seniority and authority.

Quality of Life
The United Nations’ Human Development Index (HDI) ranks Brunei 32nd in the world for its quality of life – the highest among Islamic countries – and 5th highest in Asia. The HDI is based on a combination of indicators including life expectancy, income levels, health and education. A woman in Brunei can expect to live to 78.9 years and a man to 74.2 years – among the best 5 in Asia.

Titles
Awards are conferred (on expatriates as well as Bruneians) by the Sultan, and many awards carry titles. The most common are `Dato’ and `Pehin’. A person with a title may be spoken to with the title alone.
In formal speech and writing, the business of titles and correct address is very important and quite complicated and, as most people are sensitive on this issue, you should seek advice as to what the formal title and address is and make sure you use it correctly

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