Directory_and_Chronicle_1936 — Page 1701

BRUNEI

D99-

Temburong and Muara. These districts were all formerly in the charge of Malay magistrates but in December, 1930, owing to the rapid development of the Oilfield in the Belait District an officer of the Malayan Civil Service was appointed as Assistant British Resident to administer that district. The other districts remain under Malay Officers.

POPULATION

The population of Brunei as given in the 1931 Census was 30,135 and the estimated! population for 1932 was 30,590.

!

The numbers of the various races are estimated as follows

Europeans

Eurasians

Malays

Chinese:

Indians

Others

Total...

HOUSING

84

32

28,000₫

4,000

200

655

732,971

Brunei, Kuala Belait and Tutong are the only townships of any size in the State of Brunei. Each of these areas is controlled by a Sanitary Board which is responsible for all questions of housing, sanitation, etc.

Housing in the townships may be divided roughly into three classes Government owned houses, shop-houses and privately owned native huts and houses.

Government houses are comparatively few and they are occupied by European officials and Senior native subordinates.

The shop-houses are mostly occupied by Chinese traders. The upper part of the building is inhabited by the shop-keeper and his family, while the lower part is used as a shop.

By far the greatest number of houses are privately owned. In Brunei Town the majority of the Malay population has lived from time immemorial in huts raised on piles built on mud flats in the river. These flats are exposed at low tide but flooded at high tide. The tides effectively dispose of rubbish and other impurities. The huts vary in size from a minimum of one room and a kitchen according to the wealth or position of the occupier.

MINERALS

Oil was first found in 1914 at Labi in the District of Belait. The British Malayan Petroleum Company, Limited, which is allied to the Sarawak Oilfields, Limited obtained a lease of this area in 1924. The results obtained from the Labi field were disappointing and the area was evacuated in November, 1931.

Prospecting was also carried on in the coastal area of the Belait District and in April, 1929, oil was found at Seria about 10 miles North-east of Kuala Belait where the headquarters of the Company are situated. It soon became apparent that a commercial oilfield that might rival that of Miri in Sarawak had been discovered and great progress was made in 1930 and 1931 in testing the extent of the field and developing it for production. In 1932 a pipe-line from Seria to the refinery at Lutong. in Sarawak territory was completed and production was commenced during the first quarter.

This has been steadily increased and the State seems assured of royalties amount- ing to at least $200,000 during 1935.

Chinese, Malay and Indian labour is employed. The Chinese are mainly on contract and the other races on daily wages.

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