Bruneian Malay people

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Bruneian Malay people
AF Mlm Berbedak.jpg
A Bruneian Malay bride during her Malam Bebedak pre-wedding ceremony. The Malam Bebedak tradition is unique to the Brunei-Muara District.
Total population
c.330,000 [1] (1999 estimate)
Regions with significant populations
Flag of Brunei.svg  Brunei

Flag of Malaysia.svg  Malaysia
Sarawak (Lawas and Limbang)
Sabah (Sipitang, Beaufort, Kuala Penyu, Papar, Kota Kinabalu)
Labuan
Languages
Brunei Malay and Standard Malay
Religion
Predominantly
Star and Crescent.svg Sunni Islam Shafi'i
Related ethnic groups
Kedayan, Lun Bawang/Lundayeh, other Malays

Bruneian Malays [note 1] (Malay : Orang Melayu Brunei, Jawi: اورڠ ملايو بروني) are a native Malay ethnic group that lives in Brunei, the federal territory of Labuan, the southwestern coast of Sabah and the northern parts of Sarawak. [2] [3] The Bruneian Malays are a subgroup of the larger ethnic Malay population found in the other parts of the Malay World, namely Peninsular Malaysia and the central and southern areas of Sarawak including neighbouring lands such as Singapore, Indonesia and Southern Thailand, having visible differences especially in language and culture, even though they are ethnically related to each other and follow the teachings of Islam. All Bruneian Malays who are born or domiciled in East Malaysia even for generations before or after the independence of the states of Sabah and Sarawak from the British Empire through the formation of Malaysia in 1963 are also considered Malaysian Malays in the national census and were in the same status like the Malaysian Malays domiciled in Peninsular Malaysian states and the central and southern parts of Sarawak. They are also defined as a part of the Bumiputera racial classification together as a subgroup within the Malaysian Malay ethnic population along with the Kadazan-Dusuns, Ibans, Malaccan Portuguese and the Malaysian Siamese.

Contents

Etymology

The northwest coast of Borneo, areas with large concentration of Bruneian Malays in Brunei and East Malaysia. Brunei Malay Spoken Area.png
The northwest coast of Borneo, areas with large concentration of Bruneian Malays in Brunei and East Malaysia.

As per an official statistics, the "Bruneian Malays" term only became official after the 1921 Brunei Ethnic Categories Census, which is different from the 1906 and 1911 census which only mentioned "Barunays" (Brunei's or Bruneian). It is possibly indicated a shift on the self-perception by the Bruneians about their Malay identity. [4]

The earliest recorded documentation by the West about Brunei is by an Italian known as Ludovico di Varthema, who also said the "Bruneian people have fairer skin tone than the peoples he met in Maluku Islands". On his documentation back to 1550;

We arrived at the island of Bornei (Brunei or Borneo), which is distant from the Maluch about two hundred miles, and we found that it was somewhat larger than the aforesaid and much lower. The people are pagans and are men of goodwill. Their colour is whiter than that of the other sort....in this island justice is well administered... [5]

Some historians[ who? ] have suggested that Bruneian Malay have been linked with the Chinese mainland due to its historical sources dependent on Chinese support.

History

Origin

It is widely believed that the Brunei Kingdom was founded in 14th century by the first Sultan, Alak Batatar. [4] However, from the Chinese records, an older Brunei was in existence as far back as 800 years before the founding of Brunei by Sultan Muhammad Shah, the first Sultan of Brunei. [6] Even though some sources stated that the Malays of Brunei came from Yunnan and the Formosa Island (now Taiwan) through to the Philippines and settled on the coastal Borneo before expanding into Sumatra and Indochina countries like Malay Peninsula, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam as a result of their trading and seafaring way of life, researchers are still unable to trace the origin of the old Brunei. [6]

Cultures

Ambuyat, a quintessentially Bruneian Malay cuisine, it is considered as the national dish of the country. Ambuyat in Bandar Seri Begawan Brunei.jpg
Ambuyat, a quintessentially Bruneian Malay cuisine, it is considered as the national dish of the country.

Cuisine

As the official Brunei national dish, the Ambuyat is the main dish of the Bruneian Malays together with a number of types of snack such as lamban , punjung and many more. [7] [8]

Music

The main song and dance performed by this ethnic both in Brunei and Malaysia is the Adai-adai, [9] [10] which was traditionally sung by the Bruneian fishermens. [11] [12]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brunei</span> Country in Southeast Asia

Brunei, formally Brunei Darussalam, is a country located on the north coast of the island of Borneo in Southeast Asia. Apart from its South China Sea coast, it is completely surrounded by the Malaysian state of Sarawak. It is separated into two parts by the Sarawak district of Limbang. Brunei is the only sovereign state entirely on Borneo; the remainder of the island is divided between Malaysia and Indonesia. As of 2020, its population was 460,345, of whom about 100,000 live in the capital and largest city, Bandar Seri Begawan. The government is an absolute monarchy ruled by its Sultan, entitled the Yang di-Pertuan, and implements a combination of English common law and sharia law, as well as general Islamic practices.

Malaysian Malay, also known as Standard Malay, BahasaMalaysia, or simply Malay, is a standardized form of the Malay language used in Malaysia. Malaysian Malay is standardized from the Johore-Riau dialect of Malay. It is spoken by much of the Malaysian population, although most learn a vernacular form of Malay or another native language first. Malay is a compulsory subject in primary and secondary schools.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Muhammad Jamalul Alam II</span> 26th Sultan of Brunei

Muhammad Jamalul Alam II was the 26th Sultan of Brunei from 10 May 1906 until his death in 1924.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Victoria, Labuan</span> Capital of Labuan, Malaysia

Victoria, sometimes known as Bandar Labuan, is the capital of the Federal Territory of Labuan in Malaysia, an island group off the north coast of Borneo. It is in the southeast corner of Labuan and its Malay name, Bandar Victoria, is commonly used to honour the reign of Queen Victoria. The town is an urban district within the wider city limits of Victoria which includes Labuan Port, a sheltered deep-water harbour which is an important trans-shipment point for Brunei Darussalam, northern Sarawak and western Sabah.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kedayan</span> Ethnic group in Borneo

The Kedayan are an ethnic group residing in Brunei, Federal Territory of Labuan, southwest of Sabah, and north of Sarawak on the island of Borneo. According to the Language and Literature Bureau of Brunei, the Kedayan language is spoken by about 30,000 people in Brunei, and it has been claimed that there are a further 46,500 speakers in Sabah and 37,000 in Sarawak. In Sabah the Kedayan mainly live in the cities of Sipitang, Beaufort, Kuala Penyu and Papar. In Sarawak the Kedayans mostly reside in Lawas, Limbang, Miri and the Subis area. The Kedayan people are also regarded as a sub-ethnic group of the Klemantan Dayak people.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hashim Jalilul Alam Aqamaddin</span> 25th Sultan of Brunei

Hashim Jalilul Alam Aqamaddin was the 25th Sultan of Brunei from 30 May 1885 to 10 May 1906.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ministry of Education (Malaysia)</span>

The Ministry of Education is a ministry of the Government of Malaysia that is responsible for education system, compulsory education, pre-tertiary education, technical and vocational education and training (TVET), curriculum standard, textbook, standardised test, language policy, translation, selective school, comprehensive school.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mukim Kuala Belait</span> Mukim of Brunei

Mukim Kuala Belait is a mukim in Belait District, Brunei. The population was 31,308 in 2016. The mukim encompasses Kuala Belait, the administrative town of the district.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bruneian Sultanate (1368–1888)</span> Malay sultanate centred in Brunei from 1368 to 1888

In the history of Brunei, the Sultanate of Brunei or simply Brunei was a Malay sultanate, centred in Brunei on the northern coast of Borneo island in Southeast Asia. Brunei became a sovereign state around the 15th century, when it grew substantially after the fall of Malacca to the Portuguese, extending throughout coastal areas of Borneo and the Philippines, before it declined in the 17th and 18th centuries. The first ruler or sultan of Brunei was a Muslim. It became a British protectorate in the 19th century.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lun Bawang language</span> Austronesian language spoken on Borneo

Lun Bawang or Lundayeh is the language spoken by the Lun Bawangs. It belongs to the Malayo-Polynesian family.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brunei Malay</span> Language spoken in parts of Southeast Asia

The Brunei Malay language, or Kedayan is the most widely spoken language in Brunei and a lingua franca in some parts of Sarawak and Sabah, such as Labuan, Limbang, Lawas, Sipitang and Papar. Though Standard Malay is promoted as the official national language of Brunei, Brunei Malay is socially dominant and it is currently replacing the minority languages of Brunei, including the Dusun and Tutong languages. It is quite divergent from Standard Malay to the point where it is almost mutually unintelligible with it. Although the idea that Brunei Malay might be classified as a creole language has been discredited, it does bear considerable similarities to East Indonesian Malay-based creole languages.

The Tutong language, also known as Basa Tutong, is a language spoken by approximately 17,000 people in Brunei. It is the main language of the Tutong people, the majority ethnic group in the Tutong District of Brunei.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kelupis</span> Glutinous rice rolls

Kelupis is a traditional kuih for the Bruneian Malay people in the country of Brunei and in the states of Sabah and Sarawak in Malaysia. It is also a traditional snack for the Bisaya people as the three ethnics are ethnically related which is Lun Bawang/Lundayeh also create this kelupis especially on the wedding ceremony.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka Brunei</span> Language authority and public libraries operator in Brunei

The Language and Literature Bureau is the Bruneian language authority of the country's official language Malay. It is also the operator of public libraries in the country. It was established in 1960 and is now a government department under the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zakaria Ariffin</span>

Zakaria Ariffin is a Malaysian playwright, theater director and educator.

Adai-adai dance is a traditional dance of Bruneian Malay ethnic group in Brunei Darussalam, Sabah and Labuan in Malaysia, this dance is based on the life of the fishermen. This dance tells the story of a group of fishermen who go fishing in the sea while the women wait for their return to the beach to help collect the catch that will be obtained.

The Tutong people are an ethnic group native to Brunei, mainly in Tutong District. They traditionally speak the Tutong language. They are officially recognised as one of the seven ethnic groups of the Bruneian Malay race.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Istana Kota Manggalela</span> Palace in Brunei

The Istana Kota Manggalela, also known as Istana Manggalela, is one of the temporary official residences of the then Sultan of Brunei, Omar Ali Saifuddien III. The palace is located at Jalan Maulana, Kuala Belait, Belait District, Brunei. The building has become a tourist attraction and historical site in the present day.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cermin Island</span> An islet at the mouth of the Brunei River

Cermin Island is an islet at the mouth of Brunei River in the Mukim Kota Batu, Brunei-Muara District, Brunei. During the Brunei Civil War, a battle unfolded on the island and it's sometimes referred to as the Peperangan Pulau Cermin. A proposal for an 5 hectares protection status to be implemented on the island. The island is home to sundry vegetation and swamp forests.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sufri Bolkiah</span> Prince of Brunei

Sufri Bolkiah ibni Omar Ali Saifuddien III is a member of the royal family of Brunei. He is the third son of Omar Ali Saifuddien III, the 28th Sultan of Brunei, and Raja Isteri (Queen) Pengiran Anak Damit. He is also the President of the Brunei Darussalam National Olympic Council (BDNOC) since 2010.

References

  1. Adrian Clynes. "Occasional Papers in Language Studies, Department of English Language and Applied Linguistics, Universiti Brunei Darussalam, Volume 7 (2001), pp. 11-43. (Brunei Malay: An Overview1)" (PDF). Universiti Brunei Darussalam. Archived from the original (PDF) on 16 October 2013. Retrieved 21 August 2013.
  2. "The Malay of Malaysia". Bethany World Prayer Center. 1997. Archived from the original on 10 October 2012. Retrieved 23 August 2013.
  3. "The Diaspora Malay". Bethany World Prayer Center. 1997. Archived from the original on 18 July 2012. Retrieved 23 August 2013.
  4. 1 2 B. A. Hussainmiya (2010). "The Malay Identity in Brunei Darussalam and Sri Lanka" (PDF). Universiti Brunei Darussalam. pp. 67, 68 and 69/3, 4 and 5. Archived from the original (PDF) on 29 October 2014. Retrieved 29 October 2014.
  5. Bilcher Bala (2005). Thalassocracy: a history of the medieval Sultanate of Brunei Darussalam. School of Social Sciences, Universiti Malaysia Sabah. ISBN   978-983-2643-74-6.
  6. 1 2 Rozan Yunos (25 October 2010). "The Malay origin: Tracing back the lineage of the old Brunei". The Brunei Times. Archived from the original on 29 October 2014. Retrieved 29 October 2014.
  7. Jessica Tiah (8 January 2011). "Ambuyat - Our iconic heritage". The Brunei Times. Archived from the original on 4 April 2014. Retrieved 5 April 2014.
  8. Zaimah Dinin (4 April 2014). "Ambuyat, kelupis pelik tapi sedap" (in Malay). Sinar Harian. Archived from the original on 29 October 2014. Retrieved 29 October 2014.
  9. Culture Grams. CultureGrams. 2010. ISBN   9780977809165.
  10. "Papar Culture (Brunei)" (in Malay). Papar District Office. Archived from the original on 29 October 2014. Retrieved 29 October 2014.
  11. Marshall Cavendish Corporation (2007). World and Its Peoples: Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, and Brunei. Marshall Cavendish. pp. 1202–. ISBN   978-0-7614-7642-9.
  12. Lonely Planet (2010). The Travel Book: A Journey Through Every Country in the World. Lonely Planet. pp. 63–. ISBN   978-1-74179-211-9.

Notes

  1. Brunei Malay in its various forms can be identified with a nation, an ethnic group and a region.

Books

  1. Malay : Laporan banchi pendudok Brunei, 1971 (Malay : Bahagian Ekonomi dan Perangkaan, Jabatan Setia Usaha Kerajaan), 1971.
  2. Mohd. Nor bin Long; Malay : Perkembangan pelajaran di Sabah (Malay : Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka, Kementerian Pelajaran Malaysia), 1978.
  3. Sabihah Osman, Muhamad Hadi Abdullah, Sabullah Hj. Hakip; Malay : Sejarah Brunei menjelang kemerdekaan (Malay : Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka, Kementerian Pendidikan Malaysia), 1955.