Brunei Food

The Government of Brunei assures continuing public support for the current form of government by providing economic benefits such as subsidized food, fuel, and housing; free education and medical care; and low-interest loans for government employees. The Sultan said in a 1989 interview that he intended to proceed, with prudence, to establish more liberal institutions in the country and that he would reintroduce elections and a legislature when he "[could] see evidence of a genuine interest in politics on the part of a responsible majority of Bruneians." In 1994, a constitutional review committee submitted its findings to the Sultan, but these have not been made public. In 2004 the Sultan re-introduced a fully appointed Legislative Council with minimal powers. ... [Read More]

Brunei

Information on vaccinations and other health precautions, such as safe food and water precautions and insect bite protection, may be obtained from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's hotline for international travelers at 1-877-FYI-TRIP (1-877-394-8747); fax 1-888-CDC-FAXX (1-888-232-3299), or via the CDC's Internet site at http://www.cdc.gov/travel . For information about outbreaks of infectious diseases abroad consult the World Health Organization's (WHO) website at http://www.who.int/en . Further health information for travelers is available at http://www.who.int/ith . ... [Read More]

Brunei

The authorities conducted raids sporadically on clubs frequented by foreign residents and foreign workers to confiscate alcohol and foodstuffs that were not prepared in accordance with "halal" requirements (the Islamic requirements for the slaughter of animals and the prohibition on inclusion of pork products in any food). The authorities also increased raids on karaoke establishments operating without a license. ...

At least 80,000 foreign nationals worked in the country. There were reports of foreign maids and other domestic workers who worked exceptionally long hours, did not have a rest day, and whose liberty was severely restricted. There also were isolated reports of employers physically beating domestic employees or not providing them with adequate food. The Government prosecuted some such cases. ... [Read More]

Background Notes Archive - East Asia and the Pacific

Background Notes: Brunei, October 1998Released by the Bureau of East Asian and Pacific AffairsU.S. Department of StateOFFICIAL NAME: Brunei DarussalamPROFILEGeographyArea: 5,769 sq. km. (2,227 sq. mi.), slightly larger than Delaware.Cities: Capital--Bandar Seri Begawan.Terrain: East--flat coastal plains with beaches; west--hilly with a few mountain ridges.Climate: Equatorial; high temperatures, humidity, and rainfall.PeopleNationality: Noun and adjective--Bruneian(s).Population (1998 est.): 320,000.Annual growth rate: 2.5%.Ethnic groups: Malay, Chinese, other indigenous.Religion: Islam.Languages: Malay, English, Chinese; Iban and other indigenous dialects.Education: Years compulsory--9. Literacy--90%. (1996)Health: Life expectancy--74 years. Infant mortality rate(1996)--6.9/1,000. GovernmentType: Sultanate.Independence: January 1, 1984.Constitution: 1959.Branches: Executive--Sultan is both head of state and prime minister, presiding over an 11-member cabinet. Judicial (ba ... [Read More]

Brunei

The authorities conducted raids sporadically on clubs frequented by foreign residents and foreign workers in order to confiscate alcohol and foodstuffs that were not prepared in accordance with "halal" requirements (the Islamic requirements for the slaughter of animals and the prohibition on inclusion of pork products in any food). The majority of citizens regarded these actions as upholding Islam. In July 2000, the Government briefly detained local members of a small Islamic group for questioning after reports that group members in Malaysia were involved in an arms theft. No new information was available at year's end. ... [Read More]

US Department Of State Post Report

Food tends to be more expensive than in the United States as most is imported. Subject to seasonal variations and occasional outages, a wide variety of foods are available in Brunei. Fresh meat, fish, fruits, and vegetables are widely available. Canned and frozen vegetables as well as fresh fruits and vegetables from the United States, Europe, South Africa, Malaysia, and Australia are sold at modern supermarkets. Frozen meat and poultry are imported from Australia and Malaysia. Pork products can be hard to obtain since they are not “halal,” but some can be purchased in designated areas in supermarkets open to non-Muslims. ... [Read More]

Background Notes Archive - East Asia and the Pacific

U.S. Department of State Background Notes: Brunei, November 1995 Bureau of Public Affairs November 1995 Official Name: Brunei Darussalam PROFILE Geography Area: 5,769 sq. km. (2,227 sq. mi.), slightly larger than Delaware. Cities: Capital--Bandar Seri Begawan. Terrain: East--flat coastal plains with beaches; west--hilly with a few mountain ridges. Climate: Equatorial; high temperatures, humidity, and rainfall. People Nationality: Noun and adjective--Bruneian(s). Population (1994): 285,000. Annual growth rate (1994): 2.7%. Ethnic groups: Malay, Chinese, other indigenous. Religion: Islam. Languages: Malay, English, Chinese; Iban and other indigenous dialects. Education: Years compulsory--nine. Literacy--77%. Health: Life expectancy--71 years. Infant mortality rate--25/1,000. Government Type: Sultanate. Independence: January 1, 1984. Constitution: 1959. Branches: Executive--Sultan is both head of state and prime minister, presiding over an 11-member cabinet. Judici ... [Read More]

Background Notes Archive - East Asia and the Pacific

U.S. Department of State Background Notes: Brunei, November 1997 Released by the Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs.Official Name: Brunei Darussalam PROFILE Geography Area: 5,769 sq. km. (2,227 sq. mi.), slightly larger than Delaware.Cities: Capital--Bandar Seri Begawan. Terrain: East--flat coastal plains with beaches; west--hilly with a few mountain ridges. Climate: Equatorial; high temperatures, humidity, and rainfall.People Nationality: Noun and adjective--Bruneian(s). Population (1996): 305,100. Annual growth rate (1996): 3.1%. Ethnic groups: Malay, Chinese, other indigenous. Religion: Islam. Languages: Malay, English, Chinese; Iban and other indigenous dialects. Education: Years compulsory--nine. Literacy--88.2%. (1995 est.)Health: Life expectancy--71 years. Infant mortality rate--23.8/1,000.(1997)Government Type: Sultanate. Independence: January 1, 1984. Constitution: 1959. Branches: Executive--Sultan is both head of state and prime minister, presid ... [Read More]

Brunei

There were no reports that human rights monitors requested prison visits; however, foreign diplomats had consular access to detained nationals. Family members were permitted to visit prisoners and bring food. ...

At least 100,000 foreign nationals worked in the country. There were reports of foreign maids and other domestic workers who worked exceptionally long hours, did not have a rest day, and whose liberty was severely restricted. There also were isolated reports of employers who beat domestic employees or did not provide them with adequate food. The Government prosecuted some cases; employers found guilty of abuses typically were fined and asked to compensate the victim. ... [Read More]

Background Notes: Asean

Background Notes: AseanPA/PCSource: Office of Public Communication, Bureau of Public AffairsDate: Mar 15, 19923/15/92Category: Country DataRegion: South AmericaCountry: ArgentinaSubject: Travel, History, Trade/Economics, International Organizations, Security Assistance and Sales[TEXT]Official Name: Association of Southeast Asian NationsMember states: Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia, Malaysia, thePhilippines, Singapore, and Thailand.PROFILEGeographyArea: 3 million sq. km. (1 million sq. mi.); about the size of the USeast of the Mississippi River, plus Texas and Oklahoma. Majorcities: Brunei Darussalam--Band ... [Read More]