Ethnic Chinese in Brunei

Ethnic Chinese in Brunei

汶萊華人 Orang Cina di Brunei اورڠ چينا د بروني‎
Chinese women and children in Kuala Belait, 1945.
Total population
42,132 9.6% of the Bruneian population (2021)[1]
Languages
English and Malay as medium of communication in schools and government • Mandarin (lingua franca) • Chinese varieties such as Hokkien, Cantonese, Teochew, Hainanese, Hakka
Religion
Buddhism • Christianity[2] • Taoism • Islam[3] • Chinese folk religion
Related ethnic groups
Singaporean Chinese · Malaysian Chinese · Indonesian Chinese · Overseas Chinese

Ethnic Chinese in Brunei are people of full or partial Chinese – particularly Han Chinese – ancestry who are citizens or residents in Brunei. As of 2015, they constitute 10.1% of the country's population, making them the second largest ethnic group in Brunei. Brunei is home to one of the smaller communities of overseas Chinese. Many Chinese in Brunei are stateless.^[4]

Ethnic Chinese in Brunei were encouraged to settle because of their commercial and business acumen. The biggest Chinese group is the Hokkien; many originated from Kinmen and Xiamen in China. The Hakka and Cantonese represent a minority of the Chinese population. Despite their small numbers, the Hokkien have a considerable presence in Brunei's private and business sector, providing commercial and entrepreneurial expertise and often operating joint business ventures with Malaysian Chinese enterprises.^[5]

During the Song dynasty (960 AD to 1296 AD) trade was active between Poni (Brunei) and China. By the 17th century, Brunei had a Chinese community. However, trade declined in the 18th and 19th centuries. It was not until Brunei became a British protectorate that immigration increased again. Most of the immigrants arrived from Sarawak, Singapore and Hong Kong. In 1904, there were about 500 ethnic Chinese in Brunei, most of them British subjects. The discovery of oil in 1929 led to an increase in Chinese immigrants as many sought out the new employment opportunities related to this discovery of oil. The Chinese population continued to increase significantly during 1931–1947 when it quadrupled. In 1960, Ethnic Chinese made up slightly more than a quarter of the Bruneian population at 26%. The Chinese population of Brunei has declined significantly since then. Still, the Chinese population comprises 10.3% of the Bruneian population as of 2019, which places them as the second largest ethnic group in Brunei.^[6][7][8]

As of 1986, it was estimated that over 90% were unable to obtain Bruneian citizenship, despite generations of residence in the country.^[9] In recent years, ethnic Chinese in Brunei are allowed to obtain Bruneian Citizenship, however many encounter significant issues overcoming the Malay language exam which is a major requirement for gaining Bruneian citizenship.^[10] An overhaul of the Nationality Act has been blocked by the Home Ministry.^{[11][better source needed]}

Around 65% of the Chinese population in Brunei practices Buddhism and Taoism. An additional 20% practices Christianity. There are smaller numbers of Muslims, practitioners of other religions, and Irreligious individuals among the Chinese community in Brunei numbering a combined 15%.^[8]

• Andrew Shie, first Bruneian elevated as Assistant Bishop in the Anglican Diocese of Kuching (Sarawak and Brunei).^[20]

• Malaysian Chinese
• Singaporean Chinese
• Indonesian Chinese
• Filipino Chinese
• Thai Chinese
• Vietnamese Chinese
• Cambodian Chinese
• Laotian Chinese
• East Timorese Chinese
• Burmese Chinese
• Chinese folk religion in Southeast Asia
• Brunei–China relations