Brunei - The Rough Guide to Southeast Asia on a Budget - page 50

Pulau Labuan

1

Muara

BRUNEI

Berakas

Jerudong

Mentiri Falls

SOUTH
CHINA SEA

Metres

BANDAR SERI
BEGAWAN

BRUNEI
MUARA

Lawas

500
0

Kampung
Parit

Tutong

Labu

Limbang

Kuala Lurah

Sekoloh

Bangar

Sungai
Liang

BUKIT PATOI
(PERADAYAN
FOREST RESERVE)

Ujong
Jalan

Lamunin

Lumut

Kuala
Belait

Sungai
Tujuh

Seria

Sungai
Mau

Su

TUTONG

Te

Batang
Duri

Tasek
Merimbun

TEMBURONG

ULU
TEMBURONG
NATIONAL PARK

Kuala
Balai

Labi

SARAWAK

N

SARAWAK

BELAIT

HIGHLIGHTS
Ambuyat
Omar Ali Saifuddien Mosque
Kampong Ayer
Royal Regalia Museum
Ulu Temburong National Park

0 20

kilometres

MALAYSIA

1906 The British set up a Residency in Brunei.
1929 The discovery of the Seria oilfield; extraction begins.
1941-45 The Japanese occupation; after their defeat
Brunei becomes a British Protectorate again.
1959 The British withdraw - but still control defence and
foreign affairs - and a new constitution enshrining Islam
as the state religion is established.
1962 Left-wing Brunei People's Party win the election but
after the sultan refuses to let them form a government,
the ensuing violence is crushed with the assistance of the
British Army. The sultan starts ruling by decree under
emergency powers that largely remain in place today.
1963 Brunei is the only Malay state that chooses to
remain a British dependency rather than join the
Malaysian Federation.
October 5, 1967 Following the voluntary abdication of
his father, the current sultan, Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah (see
box, p.58), takes the throne.
1970s As oil prices escalate, Bruneians - especially the
sultan - grow rich.
January 1, 1984 Brunei gains full independence from
Britain and is declared a “democratic monarchy”.
1991 A conservative, religious ideology is introduced,
which presents the sultan as defender of the faith; the sale
of alcohol is banned.
1998 The sultan's playboy brother (and finance minister)
Jefri is sued for embezzling nearly B$3bn of state funds:

the court reduces his living expenses to a meagre
US$300,000 a month.
2004 The sultan revives Brunei's 20-seat legislative council
after two decades.
2007 Brunei, Indonesia and Malaysia sign a “Rainforest
Declaration” designed to protect the natural habitats of
Borneo's rare species.
2009 Brunei celebrates 25 years of independence.
2011 Brunei stages its biggest energy exhibition ever,
with exhibitors at the Energy Expo including energy-
e cient technology, biofuels and oil and gas.
2013 The Sultan announces the implementation of Sharia
law from 2014 onwards, with adulterers to be stoned and
public flogging for Muslim consumers of alcohol.

ARRIVAL
Brunei can be reached by air, land or sea.
Some long-haul flights (principally
between the UK and Australia) have
stopovers at Brunei International Airport,
while Royal Brunei Airlines, Malaysia
Airlines and AirAsia run connecting
flights from surrounding Sabah and
Sarawak; there are also regular flights to
other regional hubs, including Singapore,
Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok, Hong Kong,