A small but relatively new nation, Brunei holds a wealth of records and a long list of landmarks. From the ruler’s long, elaborate official name—Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu’izzaddin Waddaulah ibni Al-Marhum Sultan Haji Omar ‘Ali Saifuddien Sa’adul Khairi Waddien—to his claim to being one of the world’s richest rulers and longest-reigning monarch, Brunei consistently makes its mark in the record books. But there’s more to this former British protectorate, which gained full independence in 1984, than its oil riches and opulence.
United through language and history
The country is officially known as Negara Brunei Darussalam in its official language, Malay or Bahasa Melayu. The Malay term “Bahasa” comes from the Sanskrit word “bhasha” meaning language, while “Negara” is derived from the Sanskrit word “Nagara/Nagari” meaning city. Brunei’s capital, Bandar Seri Begawan, was renamed in 1970 from its previous name Bandar Brunei to honour the country’s former ruler, Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddien III, whose name comes from the Sanskrit term “Shri Bhagwan”, meaning Lord Almighty or “the Blessed One”.
More than a century ago, a historical connection with India emerged when British soldier and migrant James Brooke, born in Bandel, West Bengal, was granted a significant portion of Brunei territory in 1841 by Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddin II for putting down a rebellion. Brooke was later given the title Rajah (derived from the Sanskrit word for king) of Sarawak, today a state of Malaysia, and became known as the White Rajah.
Not so proactive commitment
During my recent visit to Bandar Seri Begawan, in particular to the Royal Regalia Museum in the heart of the capital, I saw a photograph of an Indian teacher dressed in a sari. The image showed the current ruler in his student days at Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddien College in 1964. Remarkably, amidst the museum’s glittering collection of royal regalia (which displays exquisite state gifts from various heads of state and senior ministers from countries including China, Singapore, Thailand, Pakistan, Ukraine and the US), the Indian gift was attributed to a former Indian High Commissioner and not a minister.
Historic visit of the Prime Minister
Oil-driven economic partnerships
Brunei boasts an oil-rich economy with high revenues. Despite the temporary stagnation of its oil sector due to the pandemic, Brunei maintains a currency valued at par with the Singapore dollar, which is also widely used in the country. India’s main exports to Brunei include automobiles, transport equipment, rice and spices. In contrast, India is one of Brunei’s largest importers of crude oil, with annual imports valued at approximately $500-600 million. At the recently opened Brunei Energy Hub, an interactive oil and gas museum in Bandar Seri Begawan, the timeline of the country’s oil and gas development highlights India as one of the “key customers” of Brunei Shell Petroleum (BSP), a joint venture between the Government of Brunei and Shell, and notes the first delivery of a cargo of oil to India in 2003, with approximately 25,000 barrels supplied each year thereafter. A significant portion of Brunei's Indian diaspora, nearly 15,000 people, works mainly in the oil and gas sector, and in recent years an increasing number of unskilled Indian workers have entered construction and other unorganised sectors.
Eyes on China
Brunei, with 161 kilometers of coastline along the South China Sea, is a country of nearly 450,000 people that holds geographical and geopolitical significance in the Indo-Pacific region. The country is a silent claimant to this disputed maritime area and maintains a delicate balance in its relations with China and other ASEAN neighbors, despite China’s growing assertiveness in the region. In May this year, Brunei signed a maritime cooperation agreement with the Philippines, which has recently spoken out against China’s aggression in the South China Sea, officially referring to the area near its coast as the West Philippine Sea. At the same time, the Islamic nation has strengthened its defense ties with India over the years. Prime Minister Modi’s visit is expected to cement this relationship, especially in light of China’s growing influence in the region.
Culinary Connection
Interestingly, Brunei’s population is made up of over 10% Chinese immigrants, with nearly 70% of their ancestors hailing from the Taiwanese islands of Kinmen. This group fled China’s intense bombing raids during the first and second Taiwan Strait crises in the 1950s. While enjoying traditional ‘roti kacang kahwin’ and ‘roti kuning kahwin’ (the word “roti” means bread in Malay, as in Hindi) at Chop Jing Chew, a historic bakery and restaurant in Bandar Seri Begawan, I was surprised to discover that the establishment, owned by Chinese immigrants, is run entirely by Indian staff. My culinary exploration also revealed that one of Brunei’s most popular and highest-rated restaurants (according to Tripadvisor), Riyaz, located in a prominent hotel, is run by a team of Indian chefs and hospitality staff.
The soft power of Bollywood
A visit to another prestigious restaurant, Soto Pabo, on the banks of the Brunei River, highlighted Brunei’s deep cross-cultural connection with India. I came across two elderly Bruneians jamming on a guitar and was greeted with a warm “Namaste” in fluent Hindi. After introducing myself and joining the gathering, one of them, Hajiali, told me that he had studied in Lucknow for a year in the 1970s. The septuagenarian, along with his friend and the restaurant owner’s octogenarian father-in-law, entertained us with a medley of classic Bollywood songs. I was enthralled by the nostalgic tunes of Mukesh’s “Sawan Ka Mahina,” Kishore Kumar’s “Zindagi Ek Safar,” and Mohammad Rafi’s “Jo Wada Kiya.” A little later, after savouring their signature dish Ambuyat (a traditional Bruneian meal), I took a ferry to Kampung Ayer, a traditional water village near the capital. As we cruised through the mangroves populated by long-nosed proboscis monkeys (seen in the Tintin On the Flight 714 adventure, the boatman started singing “Kuch Kuch Hota Hai” upon learning my nationality. This experience reminded me of my trips to East Timor and Indonesia, where locals also fondly remembered the Bollywood classic. It was a profound demonstration of India’s enduring soft power through Bollywood.
While it is encouraging to see the influence of Indian culture in Brunei even before Prime Minister Modi’s visit, India must continue to engage with this small but prosperous nation to enhance its strategic position in the region.
(Suvam Pal works as a broadcast journalist at TaiwanPlus news channel in Taipei)
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