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.
Sarawak is a state within Malaysia. The largest among the 13 states, with an area almost equal to that of Peninsular Malaysia, Sarawak is located in northwest Borneo Island, and is bordered by the Malaysian state of Sabah to the northeast, Kalimantan to the south, and Brunei in the north. The capital city, Kuching, is the largest city in Sarawak, the economic centre of the state, and the seat of the Sarawak state government. Other cities and towns in Sarawak include Miri, Sibu, and Bintulu. As of the 2020 census, the population of Sarawak was estimated over 2,907,500. Sarawak has an equatorial climate with tropical rainforests and abundant animal and plant species. It has several prominent cave systems at Gunung Mulu National Park. Rajang River is the longest river in Malaysia; Bakun Dam, one of the largest dams in Southeast Asia, is located on one of its tributaries, the Balui River. Mount Murud is the highest point in Sarawak.
Bandar Seri Begawan is the capital and largest city of Brunei. It is officially governed as a municipality. Bandar Seri Begawan has an estimated population of 100,700, and including the whole Brunei-Muara District, the metro area has an estimated population of 279,924, over half the population of the country.
The Brunei dollar, has been the currency of the Sultanate of Brunei since 1967. It is normally abbreviated with the dollar sign $, or alternatively B$ to distinguish it from other dollar-denominated currencies. It is divided into 100 sen (Malay) or cents (English). The Brunei dollar is issued by the Autoriti Monetari Brunei Darussalam.
The New Straits Times is an English-language newspaper published in Malaysia. It is Malaysia's oldest newspaper still in print having been founded as The Straits Times in 1845, and was reestablished as the New Straits Times in 1974. The paper served as Malaysia's only broadsheet format English-language newspaper.
The Malay Mail is a newspaper in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, first published on 1 December 1896 when Kuala Lumpur was the capital of the then new Federated Malay States, making it the first daily newspaper to appear in the FMS. As of May 2014, it is a free lunchtime paper with 100,000 copies circulated around the Klang Valley. Their main target audiences are Professionals, Managers, Executives and Businessmen (PMEBs).
The New Sabah Times is a newspaper in Sabah, Malaysia. The Sabah Times commenced publication on 21st January 1953, published by Donald Stephens and had a daily circulation of approximately 1000. It was the only English language daily newspaper. The North Borneo News, first published in 1948 in Sandakan was a fortnightly, then weekly periodical with a circulation of approximately 750. It mainly reported Advisory Council news, excerpts from other newspapers and some local and overseas news. Donald Stephens was a reporter for the publication. It began publishing daily in April 1954 but soon amalgamated with the Sabah Times later in 1954 under joint editorship. It included a page of romanised Malay and Dusun to give it wider appeal and increased its circulation.
BH is a Malay-language daily newspaper published in Malaysia owned by the New Straits Times Press. It was first published on 1 July 1957 as the first mainstream newspaper in Malaysia. Its Sunday Edition, BH Ahad, was launched on 10 July 1960.
Utusan Malaysia is a Malaysian Malay-language daily newspaper. Formerly owned by the Utusan Group, the newspaper is currently owned by Media Mulia.
Harian Metro is the Malaysian daily newspaper owned by New Straits Times Press. It is Malaysia's first Malay daily afternoon tabloid in Klang Valley, while morning tabloids in other part of Malaysia were established on 25 March 1991. It is now Malaysia's largest circulating newspaper in any language.
The mass media in Brunei are strictly controlled by the government under Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah, which has effectively imposed martial law in the country since the Brunei Revolt of 1962. News coverage consists of police-beat reporting, lifestyle features, and community events, with little in the way of diverse viewpoints. Reporters Without Borders reports there is "virtually no criticism of the government". The liberal democracy watchdog Freedom House lists Brunei's media as "not free".
The Borneo Bulletin is a daily English-language newspaper in Brunei. It is published by Brunei Press, which also publishes a Malay-language daily, Media Permata. The Bulletin circulates around 20,000 copies on weekdays and 25,000 copies on Saturday and Sunday. The Borneo Bulletin is a main source of information on local, regional and foreign affairs, as well as business news. Detailed stock market reports of the Singapore, Kuala Lumpur and regional stock exchanges are carried for the benefit of Bruneian businessmen and investors. In addition to the more serious news, the newspaper carries sports, lifestyle and leisure pages.
Radio Television Brunei is the national public broadcaster of Brunei. Radio Brunei made its first broadcast on 2 May 1957, with a television service starting on 1 March 1975. Radio Television Brunei also monopolise the free-to-air television in the country, and also radio until 1999, when the country's only commercial radio station, Kristal FM was founded. Currently, it operates 3 television channels and 5 radio stations. The network's logo was based from the national emblem of Brunei.
Bible translations into the languages of Indonesia and Malaysia have a lot of common history up until the modern era. Apart from the shared Malay language which historically was the lingua franca of the Malay archipelago and forms the basis for the national languages of Indonesia and Malaysia today, portions of the Bible have been translated into a variety of indigenous languages in the region.
The Brunei Super League is a Bruneian professional league for association football. It is at the top flight of the Bruneian football league system and it is managed by the Football Association of Brunei Darussalam (FABD). The clubs participating in this top flight league need to pass a set of requirements and verification process, particularly related to professionalism and infrastructure feasibility.
Borneo Cup is a football tournament held in East Malaysia and Brunei. The tournament was played in Borneo since the 1950s, perhaps earlier. Before the establishment of Malaysia on 16 September 1963, the tournament was contested by three national teams, North Borneo, Sarawak and Brunei. After North Borneo and Sarawak formed Malaysia together with Malaya and Singapore, it competed as states of Malaysia.
Jala is a traditional kuih from Sabah and Sarawak in Malaysia and Brunei. In Sarawak, it is known as the traditional snack called the "sarang semut" for the Iban people. It is very different from the roti jala in Peninsular Malaysia.
Kampong Kiudang is a village in Tutong District, Brunei, about 24 kilometres (15 mi) from the district town Pekan Tutong. The population was 1,258 in 2016.
Batu Satu, also known as Kampong Parit, is an area in Bandar Seri Begawan, the capital of Brunei. It is also a designated village in Brunei-Muara District, within Mukim Kianggeh. The population was 1,509 in 2016. It encompasses a commercial area of the capital. It is also home to the country's Supreme Court, as well as some of important Islamic religious educational institutions of the country.
