BRUNEI

(Flag of Brunei)
Motto:

 ‫الدائمون المحسنون بالهدى‬

 Sentiasa membuat kebajikan dengan petunjuk Allah
 "Always in service with God's guidance"
Brunei Darussalam
Capital: Bandar Seri Begawan
 Population 423,000
 Area 5,765 sq km (2,226 sq miles)
 Major languages Malay, English, Chinese
 Ethnicity 65% ethnic Malay, 10% Chinese
 Religious make-up 78% Muslim, 8% Christian, 7% Buddhist
 Life expectancy 75 years (men), 79 years (women)

Brunei’s National Costume

Women’s wear
The traditional Bruneian women’s costume includes the baju kurung (a long tunic over a long
skirt). Nowadays, Bruneian women wear the baju kurung both at work and for formal occasions.
Influenced by Islamic codes of dress, the costume will typically be accompanied by a headscarf
(a tudung).
 (Tudung)

Men’s wear
Bruneian men wear the baju cara melayu (a tunic and long pants). The baju cara melayu is
traditionally worn with a plaid or floral-patterned sarong (or Malayan kilt) called a sinjang,
which extends from the waist to the knees.

(Wrapping of Sinjang)

Bruneian men traditionally wear a simple black hat called a songkok or a folded scarf called
a dastar especially with ceremonial outfits.

(Songkok in various colors)

 (Destar & sinjang)

LITERATURE OF BRUNEI DARUSSALAM

• The Language and Literature Bureau promotes the development of literature and folklore and publishes
textbooks in Malay and English for use in primary and secondary schools. A form of poetry known as sajak
is popular with schoolchildren. A number of local authors have become well known. The most famous
work of traditional literature is the epic poem Sya'ir Awang Simawn , which recounts the exploits of the
culture hero. LITERATURE OF BRUNEI DARUSSALAM

• Simawn and constitutes a traditional history of the sultanate. Most literature in Brunei is either written
in Malay or in English. • The most popular form of literature is a poetry style called sajak. LITERATURE OF
BRUNEI DARUSSALAM

• Sajak is a Malay free-form style (meaning “rhyme” in English) that was full of nationalistic symbolism
once used as a means of propaganda during the days when the Japanese occupied the island during WWII.
There aren’t a lot of Bruneian writers that are well-known outside of the region, but the most famous
work that came out of Brunei is the epic poem called Sya’ir Awang Simawn, about a famous hero to their
culture. However, there are a few books mentioned which use Brunei as its setting. One is a book called
Armageddon by Dan Brown. LITERATURE OF BRUNEI DARUSSALAM

• Another is an Anthony Burgess novel called Devil of a State. The Language and Literature Bureau is the
country’s main ministry in charge of the promotion and development of literature and folklore. This office
produces a series of textbooks in both English and Malay for use by students. The most popular form of
traditional writing is a form of poetry called sajak. Although a handful of local authors have become well
known in the literary world, Brunei is not very prolific. The nation’s most famous piece of traditional
literature is the epic poem Sya’ir Awang Simawn, which tells the story of a cultural hero. LITERATURE OF
BRUNEI DARUSSALAM

• Brunei has, however, been the setting for a few modern novels by Western authors. Dan Brown’s novel
Armageddon takes place mainly in Brunei and details a fictional attack on the nation by the group of
Islamic fundamentalists. Another famous story featuring Brunei is Devil of a State by Anthony Burgess. In
this novel, the building of the Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddin’s mosque in the capital Bandar Seri Begawan is a
major theme. LITERATURE OF BRUNEI DARUSSALAM
BRUNEI: ART AND LITERATURE

The art in Brunei span across all mediums: paintings, sculptures, architecture, photography. A lot of their
arts are a mixture of the old and the new. Some of the more popular items that are sold are silver items,
bronze work, and hand-woven baskets. There’s a really popular open market – both with locals as well as
tourists – in Bandar Seri Begawan called Tamu that sells a lot of art and other locally made items.

Much of the earliest Bruneian art goes back to the Kenyah and Kayan civilizations who occupied much of
Borneo. The Kenyah and Kayan peoples populated the island of Borneo, and animals were an important
part of their art. Art is shared among both sexes: men traditionally work with wood and metal, while
women are pretty much the only ones who work in bead work and textiles. Their spiritual world shows up
in a lot of their art and architecture. Many times they decorate their homes, clothing, objects they use
with protective spiritual images as a means of using their protective powers they exude.

Men make these certain masks with really scary faces and ferocious expressions to protect the rice fields.
It’s thought to be used as a way to ward off evil spirits that damage crops. They also developed a “soul-
catching” mask, which they believed that when you sleep or are unconscious, your soul can escape from
your body causing you to get sick. If they believe this is happening, they will send a shaman to catch it.
Women are exclusively the ones who do beadwork. It’s actually very complex art, utilized in clothing, hats,
baskets, and their unique baby carrier they have called a ba’. Many of these items use the tiny seed beads
and make intricate designs. Beads were even once used as a means to purchase things, and it’s thought
that certain kinds of beads have special powers and used as an amulet.

Most literature in Brunei is either written in Malay or in English. (I’ve been reading a lot of English-
language articles from The Brunei Times lately to get information for these posts, one of their largest
newspapers.) The most popular form of literature is a poetry style called sajak. No, not Pat Sajak, but
close. (Actually, no. Pat Sajak is of Polish descent and grew up in Chicago.) Sajak is a Malay free-form style
(meaning “rhyme” in English) that was full of nationalistic symbolism once used as a means of propaganda
during the days when the Japanese occupied the island during WWII. There aren’t a lot of Bruneian
writers that are well-known outside of the region, but the most famous work that came out of Brunei is
the epic poem called Sya’ir Awang Simawn, about a famous hero to their culture. However, there are a
few books mentioned which use Brunei as its setting. One is a book called Armageddon by Dan Brown
(although I can’t figure out if this is the same Dan Brown who wrote The Da Vinci Code and Angels and
Demons). Another is an Anthony Burgess novel called Devil of a State (I believe it’s the same author of A
Clockwork Orange.