POPULATION

The number of Indians in Brunei Darussalam has been growing steadily since 1906, when Britain extended its protection over the shrinking sultanate. In that year a Pathan and a Sikh were seconded from Malaya for police duty in Brunei town. With British protection, began the continued arrival and presence of Indians in one of the smallest states of Southeast Asia (Mani 1993). By logical extension, 2006 could have been celebrated as the first centennial of their contributions to the continued development of the state. Given the ideological foundations of the contemporary state, such historical memories are subdued and forgotten.

The century long participation and contributions of Indians in modern Brunei did not arise as a result of close economic relations between India and Brunei Darussalam. The economic linkages between India and Brunei have been indirect rather than direct. Much of the imports from India are through Singapore than in any direct sense. Thus in 2005 Brunei's imports from India were only US$16.398 million out of the total imports of US$1.5506 billion (B$2.481 billion). While the direct imports were less than one per cent, there was the growing export of oil from Brunei to India.

The term “Indian” in twentieth century Brunei has generally been used to describe all persons who originated from largely contemporary India, but including other countries and regions identified as part of the scholarly defined area termed as South Asia. In some instances, depending on the British demographers’ policies in Malaya, the Nepalese and Ceylonese were separated and grouped under “Others”. In 1971, for instance, Nepalese were grouped with other races by the census takers (Report on the Census of Population 1972, p. xii). Since 1991, Brunei census takers have defined all Indians as “Others”. Thus, in the 1991 and 2001 censuses, Indians are no more listed as “Indians” but as “Others” as Brunei Darussalam braces itself as a homogenous state dominated by Malays in an Islamic state. The only exceptions being that “Chinese” are still accounted for in all official publications and censuses. Of course, this does not mean the 100 years of contributions by Indians to Brunei Darussalam since 1906 has diminished or ended.

Similarly, Brunei's exports to India accounted for only US$198.77 million out of a total export of B$10.397 billion (US$6.4981 billion). India's energy needs accounted for the favourable balance of trade for Brunei.