Brunei's Populations

Among religions in Brunei, Islam is prevalent. 67% of the population is Islamic. However, other religions also have a considerable foothold in Brunei. 13% of the population is Buddhist and another 10% is Christian. The remaining 10% subscribe to various religions, including domestic religions.

Islam is the state religion of Brunei, but freedom of religion is guaranteed. The right to practice privately is given to a plethora of religions. Furthermore, some non-Islamic holidays, such as Christmas, are recognized. However, these rights are limited: religious education is controlled, even in private schools, and any non-Islamic religious materials being distributed are subject to confiscation.

The state madh'hab of Islam is Shafi'i. Most of Brunei's Muslim population subscribe to the Shafi'i school as well, and Shafi'i is a major source of law for the country. However, with the Sultan's permission, lawmakers may also consult the other three Sunni schools of fiqh.

Language used in Brunei is standard Malay language, as well as 9 other languages. They are English, Chinese, Brunei Malay, Arabic, Indian, Nepali, etc.

"The Malay Language: The Public Language of The Country"

The local dialect, Melayu Brunei (Brunei Malay), is the most widely spoken language. It is spoken by about 266,000 people. About 84% of its words are cognate with Standard Malay, while 94% are reported to be cognate with Kedayan.
Brunei Malay is also spoken as a lingua franca in some parts of East Malaysia such as the Federal Territory of Labuan, the districts of Limbang and Lawas (Sarawak) and the districts of Sipitang, Beaufort, Kuala Penyu and Papar (Sabah). It is expanding at the expense of the indigenous minority languages.

English is extensively used as a business and official language and it is spoken by a majority of the population in Brunei. There are two daily English language newspapers, Borneo Bulletin and The Brunei Times, but only one daily newspaper in Malay, Media Permata, which is published six times a week since there is no Sunday edition.

Protected place sign

The Chinese opposition in Brunei speak a number of Chinese languages and dialects. The Hokkien (Min Nan) tongue predominates in the Brunei-Muara and Temburong districts, while Cantonese and Hakka speakers are mostly focused in the Seria and Kuala Belait areas of the Belait district. Other versions of Chinese spoken in Brunei include Hoisan, Fuchow and Hainanese.

Arabic is the language of the Quran and is used by Islamic scholars in Brunei. The official religion of Brunei is Islam and as such, all adherents of the faith possess some proficiency in reading and speaking Arabic.

The Indian minority in Brunei originates mostly from southern India. They are joined by a relatively large expatriate community, estimated at about 7500, from India.
Tamil, Malayalam, Telugu and Hindi are some of the Indian languages spoken in Brunei.