D98
BRUNEI
his minority the Duli Pengiran Bendahara and Duli Pengiran Pemancha the two chief ministers of State, were appointed to act as joint Regents. On 19th September, 1931, His Highness the Sultan assumed full sovereignty and the Regency terminated.
The Supreme authority in the State is vested in the Sultan in Council The Council at present consists of ten members, including the British Resi dent, with His Highness the Sultan as President. All legislation requires the assent of the Council which also decides important question of policy.
The general functions of administration are discharged by the British Resident who is an officer of the Malayan Civil Service. By the Treaty of 1906 his advice must be asked and acted upon in all questions other than those affecting the Mohammedan religion. The Resident has his headquarters in Brunei Town, and communicates with the High Commissioner through the intermediary of the Secretary to the High Commissioner in Singapore. He is assisted by the Assistant Resident, also an officer of the Malayan Civil Service, who is stationed at Kuala Belait.
The State is divided into five administrative districts, namely, Brunei Muara, Temburong, Tutong and Belait. under the charge of Malay District Officers responsible to the Resident. In addition there are State heads int charge of the Public Works, Medical, Agricultural, Forest, Police, Customs, Posts and Telegraphs, and Education Departments in the State.
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For the purposes of local government there are at Brunei, Tutong and Belait Sanitary Boards, composed of official and unofficial members appoint- ed by the Resident. These Boards are the authorities responsible for sanita- tion, conservancy, street lighting, rating and municipal matters generally within the areas for which they are appointed..
There are also at Brunei and Belait Licensing Boards which control the licensing of the sale of intoxicating liquors.
POPULATION
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Apart from the diversity of alien peoples inhabiting the State, the in digenous population itself presents a peculiar heterogeneity of race. Bruneis (as the Malays proper of the State are called), Kedayans, Tutongs, Belaits, Dusuns, Muruts and Dayaks are all represented. The first two are found principally in the Brunei, Muara, and Temburong Districts and to a lesser extent in Tutong District, which is the particular province of the Tutongs. The Belaits inhabit the area along the banks of the Belait River in the upper reaches of which, as well as of the Tutong River, the Dusuns lead a hand to mouth existence controlled by omens. The few Muruts are confined to the hinterland of the Temburong District, while small colonies of Dayak settlers! are scattered over all the more remote areas,
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The Bruneis are predominantly fishermen, and the Kedayans. whom tradition credits with a Javanese origin, agriculturists, as are also the Tu- tongs and the Belaits, though in a lesser degree. The Muruts, Dusuns, and Dayaks practise shifting cultivation only.
VITAL STATISTICS
The total population of the State at the 1931 census was 30,135, distribut- ed by race as follows:
Europeans
Eurasians
Malays
Other Malaysians
Chinese
Indians
Others
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...
...
...
The estimated population at the end of 1937 was 35.963.
60
· 10
25.670
1,302
2,683
377
33