The 8th Brunei Legislative Council Meeting

If you are following local news then surely you will have not missed this year's Legislative Council (LegCo) meeting. For those of you unfamiliar with the LegCo, Rozan Yunos provides a historical overview in this article. The Brunei Times (BT) also provides a summary of LegCO as well as a primer for the uninitiated.

The opening of the 8th session of the LegCo. Picture from this BT article.

I had the opportunity to cover the LegCo twice when I was still with BT, once at the International Convention Centre and the next year in the new LegCo building where the current proceedings are held.Being able to witness and report on the proceedings, the issues raised and the ceremony involved was an incredible privilege.

Essentially the LegCo meeting is where prevailing local and national issues are brought to light by the side that represents the people of Brunei, which are then addressed by the government representatives. The former are made up of representatives from all four district and various business, religious and social groups, while the latter are mostly cabinet ministers.


A wide range of issues gets discussed every session, and this year is no different. Just to take today's coverage in the BT as an example, yesterday's meeting saw housing and car loans and the living allowance of public servants being tabled. The latter has generated much excitement at least among my FB contacts because it's like getting a mini-bonus. Educational quality and the need to assess environmental impact of development projects are among other issues that have been discussed. You can find out about other issues on the BT or Borneo Bulletin websites.

This year's highlight, for me, is the inclusion of the first women members of the LegCo. They were appointed last year in a landmark move that broke the pattern of male dominance in the LegCo.

The session is open to the public, although I think it will be ending soon. I haven't had the chance to attend, but BT's twitter provides regular updates on the topics being discussed. There is also a twitter forum (#legco8) where the public can express their opinions about the proceedings. Already there is a strong backlash regarding the new limitation on buying land, with only citizens eligible to do so and leaving foreigners, and more devastatingly permanent residents, without the opportunity to own land.

As an aside, I think that academics in this area should seriously consider mining these forums alongside the actual proceedings as they provide valuable insights into not only the decision-making process but also the public's perception of the government, its services, social welfare and other matters. 


The LegCo is definitely something worth following. As an academic, I find the outcomes of each meeting to be prime material for teaching and research. As a resident of Brunei, it is important because the matters raised concern me, my family and friends and future generations. I think even an outsider with an interest in Brunei would stand to gain because this is one of the few times of the year when the nation's affairs are publicly deliberated, giving a rare glimpse into the workings of the government and the goings-on of the people.