This article defines the legal definition of Bumiputera as defined in Brunei. For the definition of Bumiputera in terms of Malaysia, please see Bumiputera (Malaysia).

The Bumiputera (or Bumiputra) is derived from the Sanskrit

Sanskrit

Sanskrit , is a historical Indo-Aryan language and the primary liturgical language of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.Buddhism: besides Pali, see Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Today, it is listed as one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and is an official language of the state of Uttarakhand...

 word 'Bhumiputra', which roughly translated means 'sons of the soil'. In both Malaysia and Brunei, the term is used to refer to a member of majority Malay ethnic group

Ethnic group

An ethnic group is a group of people whose members identify with each other, through a common heritage, often consisting of a common language, a common culture and/or an ideology that stresses common ancestry or endogamy...

. It can also refer to members of certain indigenous groups as outlined below.

Definition

The Brunei

Brunei

Brunei , officially the State of Brunei Darussalam or the Nation of Brunei, the Abode of Peace , is a sovereign state located on the north coast of the island of Borneo, in Southeast Asia...

 Constitution

Constitution

A constitution is a set of fundamental principles or established precedents according to which a state or other organization is governed. These rules together make up, i.e. constitute, what the entity is...

 defines a Bumiputera as a member of the following ethnic groups:

• Brunei
• Tutong
• Belait
  Belait People
  The Belait People are an ethnic group which reside mainly in the Belait district of Brunei. They are the native inhabitants of the Belait district from which the name was taken. The majority of the Belait People live in the Belait district and they are overwhelmingly Muslims...
  
  
• Dusun
  Dusun
  Dusun is the collective name of a tribe or ethnic and linguistic group in the Malaysian state of Sabah of North Borneo. Due to similarities in culture and language with the Kadazan ethnic group, a new unified term called "Kadazan-Dusun" was created. Collectively, they form the largest ethnic group...
  
  
• Murut
  Murut people
  The Murut is the warrior tribe of indigenous ethnic groups inhabiting northern inland regions of Borneo. The Murut comprise several people groups that are scattered in parts of Borneo Island including Brunei, Kalimantan...
  
  
• Kedayan
  Kedayan
  The Kedayan are an ethnic group residing in Brunei, Labuan, Sabah, and parts of Sarawak on the island of Borneo. They are also known as Kadayan, Kadaian or simply badly spelled as Kadyan by British. The Kedayan language is the de facto national language of Brunei...
  
  
• Bisaya

Other ethnic groups otherwise native to Borneo (e.g. Iban

Iban people

The Ibans are a branch of the Dayak peoples of Borneo. In Malaysia, most Ibans are located in Sarawak, a small portion in Sabah and some in west Malaysia. They were formerly known during the colonial period by the British as Sea Dayaks. Ibans were renowned for practising headhunting and...

, Dayak

Dayak people

The Dayak or Dyak are the native people of Borneo. It is a loose term for over 200 riverine and hill-dwelling ethnic subgroups, located principally in the interior of Borneo, each with its own dialect, customs, laws, territory and culture, although common distinguishing traits are readily...

, Kelabit

Kelabit

The Kelabit, who have close ties to the Lun Bawang, are an indigenous people of the Sarawak highlands in Borneo with a minority in the neighbouring state of Brunei. The elevation there is slightly over 1,200 meters...

 and Penan

Penan

The Penan are a nomadic aboriginal people living in Sarawak and Brunei. They are one of the last such peoples remaining. The Penan are noted for their practice of 'molong' which means never taking more than necessary...

) are not defined as being Bumiputera by the Brunei constitution, nor are citizens who are of ethnic-Chinese, Indians or of Caucasian ancestry. Race is patrilineally defined in Brunei, so, for example, a half-Chinese man with an ethnic Dusun father is considered to be Bumiputera.

This is different from the definition in Malaysia where a larger number of races and ethnic groups are considered as Bumiputra

Bumiputra

Bumiputera or Bumiputra is a Malay term widely used in Malaysia, embracing indigenous people of the Malay Archipelago. The term comes from the Sanskrit word bhumiputra, which can be translated literally as "son of land"...

. The Malaysian Constitution does not actually provide a definition of the term, which has led to some controversy concerning its relation to the indigenous groups in that country. See Bumiputera (Malaysia). Constitutional references to Bumiputeras can be found in Section 160 (2) of the Constitution of Brunei Darassalam.

Benefits and Privileges

Being accorded the status of Bumiputera in Brunei (as in Malaysia) carries with it certain benefits and opportunities which other ethnic groups in the country may not have access to. There are a number of affirmative action

Affirmative action

Affirmative action refers to policies that take factors including "race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation or national origin" into consideration in order to benefit an underrepresented group, usually as a means to counter the effects of a history of discrimination.-Origins:The term...

 items targeting the Bumiputeras in Brunei. Under special legislation they have extended land rights and are given special privileges for employment opportunities in the Royal Brunei Armed Forces

Royal Brunei Armed Forces

The Royal Brunei Armed Forces was formed on 31 May 1961. Known as the Askar Melayu Brunei, it was honoured with the royal title on 31 May 1965, when the word 'Diraja' was added to the title. It was then known as Askar Melayu Diraja Brunei,...

 and Brunei Shell Petroleum.

A Special Place in Society

The justification for these special privileges and affirmative action schemes is that Bumiputeras face disadvantages due to the success of other groups in society, for example the Chinese. One case of such disadvantage can be seen in the demise of the construction industry in Brunei. The building sector is a major employer of Bumiputeras and forms the lifeblood of many Bumiputera families. As such, they are the group in society most affected by the global economic crisis. In the past, government policies in relation to economic recovery has been directly focussed on improving the position of Bumiputeras. During the Asian Economic Crisis of the late 1990s, Brunei's Economic Council developed an Action Plan in order to increase economic activity and thereby bring aout some form of relief. A major part of that plan was to actively encourage and subsidise investment in Bumiputera-owned businesses.

Bumiputera and Islam

The term Bumiputera often connotes those people of Malay-speaking ethnic groups who belong to the Islamic faith. Indeed, it has become advantageous for Bruneians to convert to Islam in order to truly qualify for Bumiputera status. There are some concerns that members of indigenous groups who technically fall under the Bumiputera category, but do not belong to the Islamic faith, may be under official pressure to convert in order to maintain their rights and privileges. In the 1970s, many indigenous people converted to Islam for this reason. The Bruneian government bans many religious activities not related to Islam, while at the same time benefitting those who participate in activities conducted by Muslim groups. This increases disadvantages to indigenous Bumiputeras who are not Muslims.

Comparing the concept of Bumiputera privileges in Malaysia and Brunei

Whereas the delineation between Bumiputeras and other groups in Malaysia has been the cause of much conflict and unrest of late, it does not appear to have had the same consequences in Bruneian society. This may be because affirmative action

Affirmative action

Affirmative action refers to policies that take factors including "race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation or national origin" into consideration in order to benefit an underrepresented group, usually as a means to counter the effects of a history of discrimination.-Origins:The term...

strategies are not so prevalent or obvious in Bruneian society. A lack of opposition to the Bumiputera concept in Brunei may also be because as an autocratic sultanate, the country does not experience a great deal of political diversity. This is in contrast to the situation in Malaysia, where protests against Bumiputera privileges in Malaysia are often backed by opposition parties in order to raise dissatisfaction with the government.