Brunei Darussalam, a tiny, oil-rich sultanate in Southeast Asia, hopes to strengthen
economic ties with South Korea, particularly in the areas of information
technology and tourism, the country's leader said.
``We have unspoiled yet fairly accessible pristine rainforests, offering rich
biodiversity and are thus well positioned for eco-tourism,''
Sultan HajiHassanal Bolkiah told The Korea Times. ``We will continue to market our country
to the world, including Korea. We will see more Korean tourists visiting Brunei in
the future.''
Brunei Religious Affairs Building
Omar Ali Saifuddin Mosque
Brunei, officially
Negara Brunei Darussalam, is one of the oldest kingdoms in
the world as well as one of the youngest independent nations location in Southeast Asia.
Korea established diplomatic relations with Brunei in 1984 right after the
country gained independence from the United Kingdom on Jan. 1 that year.
One of the Islamic nation's key policy goals is to promote the country as a
unique tourist destination in Asia, making the industry a key source of revenue
and one of the main contributors to the growth of national wealth.
``Looking forward, perhaps we could also focus on other tourism segments, such
as sports and medicine, and position ourselves to provide integrated tourism
experiences,'' the Brunei leader said in an e-mail interview with The Korea
Times.
Crude oil and natural gas, which account for nearly half of the country's gross
domestic product, allow the Brunei government to provide the population with
one of Asia's best healthcare systems, Brunei citizenship benefits, free education, and food and housing
subsidies.
A large portion of the labor force is from the Philippines, Indonesia,
Thailand, India and Bangladesh while American and British professionals are
engaged in industry, education and medical services.
Experts say the economy can be called a mixture of domestic and foreign
entrepreneurship, government regulation, well-established welfare system and
village tradition.
``Since oil was discovered in 1929, it has dominated the country's economy. We
are very thankful for this, as it has put us in a better position to enjoy
economic development and overcome challenges such as the global economic
slowdown,'' the Sultan said. ``At the same time, we recognize that economic
diversification is in the long-term interest of the nation and community. We
have created an attractive and competitive environment for business and
investors and my government is also working on several incentives to strengthen
the private sector.
``In this regard, we look forward to Korea's cooperation and support through exchange
of experience, expertise and capacity building. At the same time, we also
welcome Korean investors and companies to participate in our economic
diversification projects, such as the Sungai Liang Industrial Park and the
Pulau Muara Besar Port,'' he added.
Kampong Ayer in Brunei
Brunei Kampong Ayer
Korean Cultural Wave
Asked about Brunei's interest in Korean culture, he said like may other people
in the region, many Bruneians have been attracted to increasingly popular
Korean soap operas, movies and songs.
``I see much benefit from closer cultural cooperation and exchanges.
Especially, these cultural waves help us understand each other and learn about
the history of South Korea,'' he said.
The Brunei leader noted ASEAN and South Korea have made good progress over the
last two decades, and the summit on Korea's southern resort island of Jeju will
provide a crucial opportunity to take their relations to a higher level.
In light of the current global challenges, such as the economic crisis, food
and energy security and the recent outbreak of influenza, it is important for
both ASEAN and Korea to work closely to address those challenging issues, he
said.
``We value our strong relations with Korea. We have good cooperation in trade,
energy and education. We further hope both countries will continue to find ways
to strengthen trade relations as well as in the area of IT and tourism,'' the
leader said.
With a population of some 400,000, developing human capital and improving the
welfare of people have been a priority for the Southeast Asian country.
Free Education, Healthcare
Brunei spends much part of its earnings from oil exports on maintaining its
welfare system.
Bruneians enjoy free medical and health care which is provided via the
government hospitals, health centers and health clinics throughout the whole
country.
In remote areas that are not accessible or access by land or water is
difficult, primary health care is provided by the Flying Medical Services.
Other than four government hospitals in each district, there are also two other
private hospitals.
It also has excellent housing programs.
It seeks to provide comfortable homes for landless Brunei citizens, especially
government employees who are eligible for housing loans.
``The benefits provided to Bruneians cover many areas, including free education
and medical services, on personal income tax, subsidized housing and land for
those who are landless,'' the leader said.
``However, there is always room for improvement, and in this regard our
long-term national development, called Brunei Vision 2035, aims to build a
first-class education system and ensure the sustainable system of our health
services, which are comprehensive, equitable and affordable,'' he added.
Brunei is heavily dependent on international trade for economic growth.
Substantial income from overseas investment supplements income from domestic
production.
Stated plans for the future include upgrading the labor force, reducing
unemployment, strengthening the banking and tourism sectors, and, in general,
further widening the economic base.
The national airline, Royal Brunei, is trying to make the country a hub for
international travel between Europe and Australia and New Zealand, and also has
services to major Asian destinations.
Brunei's culture was mainly derived from the Old Malay World, which encompassed
the Malay Archipelago, and from this stemmed what is known as the Malay
Civilization.
Based on historical facts, various cultural elements and foreign civilizations
had a hand in influencing the culture of the country.
Thus, the influences on culture can be traced to the four dominating periods of
animism, Hinduism, Islam and the West. However, it was Islam that managed to
wind its roots deeply into Brunei, hence it became a way of life and was
adopted as the state's ideology and philosophy.
Brunei Darussalam is richly endowed with a cultural heritage steadfastly
maintained until today.
The country has focused on the preservation and proliferation of the arts and
crafts of bygone days for which it was renowned, such as boat making,
silversmithing, bronze tooling, cloth weaving as well as mat and basket
weaving.
Relics and other items of artistic heritage include Malay weaponry, wood
carvings, traditional games, musical instruments, silat (the traditional martial
art of self defense) and decorative items for women.
Brunei is a member of the United Nations, Commonwealth of Nations, Asia-Pacific
Economic Forum, Organization of the Islamic Conference, ASEAN and other
regional and international forums.
jj@koreatimes.co.kr
