Prof. Madya Dr. Hj Awg Asbol bin Hj Mail: The Lifestyle Of The Kampong Ayer (Floating Village) Community In Brunei During The Administration Of The British Resident (1906-1941) THE LIFESTYLE OF THE KAMPONG AYER (FLOATING VILLAGE) COMMUNITY IN BRUNEI DURING THE ADMINISTRATION OF THE BRITISH RESIDENT (1906-1941) By: Assoc. Prof. Dr. Haji Awg Asbol Bin Haji Mail Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences Universiti Brunei Darussalam. and Dr. Haji Tassim Haji Abu Bakar Senior Lecturer, Academy Of Brunei Studies, Universiti Brunei Darussalam. INTRODUCTION This article undertakes to analyse the lifestyle of the Kampong Ayer (floating village) community during the era of governance under the British Resident. In Brunei’s historical records, there are two phases of this form of governance. The first phase occurred between 1906 until 1941. This phase ended abruptly on 16 December 1941 due to the arrival of the Japanese army of a strength of ten thousand men in Brunei. On 22 December, they reached Bandar Brunei (the capital) and effortlessly occupied the state because there was no resistance from the people. The Japanese army remained in power until 17 June 1945 because thereafter, it was defeated by the Allied Forces. With this defeat, martial law was enforced in Brunei by the British administration. After peace was regained, martial law was lifted and it was subsequently replaced by a system of public administration that was Prof. Madya Dr. Hj Awg Asbol bin Hj Mail: The Lifestyle Of The Kampong Ayer (Floating Village) Community In Brunei During The Administration Of The British Resident (1906-1941) governed by the British Resident, which was reintroduced in 1946.1 With that, the second era of governance under the British Resident started, from 1946 until 1959, after the proclamation of the written constitution of Negeri Brunei. In that year, the British residency was abolished and the Resident was replaced by the British High Commissioner, whose role was limited to advising the sultan in issues of national security. Henceforth, the main administrative power in the government was handed over to the country’s Chief Minister and the Secretary of State.2 It must be stressed that this article only discusses the first phase of the British residency, with a focus on the economic and social aspects of the community that lived in Kampong Ayer or floating villages. The discussion in this article attempts to illustrate the depth of the traditional way of life within the community and whether it was able to withstand modern influences after the introduction of the British residential administration. BACKGROUND OF PEOPLE’S LIFESTYLE PRIOR TO THE ERA OF THE BRITISH RESIDENT THE KAMPONG AYER (FLOATING VILLAGE) CENTRE OF GOVERNANCE Before the establishment of the British residential administration in 1906, the centre of governance in Brunei was located in Kampong Ayer (floating village). It can be considered the capital or most important city at the time because this was the location of the sultan’s palace, along with residences of Brunei’s dignitaries, ulamas (scholars) and businessman. Therefore, it was also the centre of administrative operations for the various colonised regions under the kingdom’s rule. Early evidence that proved the existence of Kampong Ayer in Brunei was as recorded in the sixteenth century by Antonio Pigafetta, a transcriber on Magellan’s sea 1 Sabihah Osman, Muhammad Hadi Abdullah & Sabullah Haji Hakip.1995. Sejarah Brunei Menjelang Kemerdekaan (The History of Brunei at the Dawn of Independence), Kuala Lumpur: Dewan Bahasa and Pustaka, p. 95 -109; BAR, 1946, p.8 2 Pelita Brunei, 1 February 1959; Pelita Brunei, 29 September 1959. Prof. Madya Dr. Hj Awg Asbol bin Hj Mail: The Lifestyle Of The Kampong Ayer (Floating Village) Community In Brunei During The Administration Of The British Resident (1906-1941) voyage around the world. It was the largest settlement in Brunei prior to the period of the British residency. Aside from its function as the centre of governmental administration, it also functioned as a centre of economic activity, especially in the sectors of fisheries, handicraft and trading. Aside from that, Kampong Ayer also became a centre for Islamic expansion because of the many scholars, which consisted of Pehin-Pehin Menteri Agama (religious ministers), that lived in the area. Western travellers that visited Brunei or have heard of it mentioned Kampong Ayer as resembling Venice, with many water lanes 3 There were some that mentioned it as this greatest ever of Malay cities.4 Previously, before Kampong Ayer’s current location, its original location was in Kota Batu. Then, it was relocated to where it stands today. According to a report by Pigafetta who once came to Brunei in 1521, the population of Kampong Ayer was twenty-five thousand families. Only the Sultan and dignitaries resided on land.5 Thus, it could be estimated that the population of Kampong Ayer at that time was between twenty to thirty thousand people. This means that at that time, this area had a population that was quite high. Brunei was a sultanate ever since the fourteenth century when Awang Alak Betatar embraced Islam after his marriage to a Johorean princess in 1386. He adopted the title Sultan Muhammad Shah. In the administration of the Bruneian kingdom, the sultan’s political and socioeconomic power was the highest. In socioeconomic terms, the power of the sultan 3 D.E.Brown.1970. Brunei: The Structure and History of A Bornean Malay Sultanate. Monograph of the Brunei Museum Journal, vol. II no. 2, Bandar Brunei: The Brunei Museum Brunei, p.93; Jatswan S. Sidhu. 1995. Sejarah Sosioekonomi Brunei (Brunei Socioeconomic History) 1906-1959. Kuala Lumpur: Dewan Bahasa and Pustaka, p.57. 4 K.G. Tregonning. 1968. “The Partition on Brunei”, Journal of Tropical Geography, vol. II, p.84 5 Robert Nicholl.1975. European Sources for the History of the Sultanate of Brunei in the Sixteenth Century, Bandar Seri Begawan: Muzium Brunei, p.10 Prof. Madya Dr. Hj Awg Asbol bin Hj Mail: The Lifestyle Of The Kampong Ayer (Floating Village) Community In Brunei During The Administration Of The British Resident (1906-1941) included control over the lands and subjects in the Bruneian empire, along with trade, traditions and customs, law, the appointment of dignitaries and also religion. The lands or colonies in the Bruneian empire belonged to the sultan and His Majesty’s family. These lands were also known as Sungai Kerajaan, Sungai Kuripan and Sungai Tulin. A land of the status Sungai Kerajaan belonged to the sultan, whereas those of the status Sungai Kuripan belonged to the Wazir. These were both owned in relation to their titles. Therefore, they were not to be inherited, but would belong to the successor of the title. This was in contrast to lands that had the status of Sungai Tulin, which could be inherited by the subsequent owners, of whom were strictly the sultan and the royal family. The region of Kampong Ayer had the status of Sungai Kerajaan. 6 In executing the administration of the country, the sultan was assisted by dignitaries that consisted of the Wazir, Ceteria (knights), Menteri (ministers) and village heads. The group of Wazir consisted of four dignitaries, Pengiran Bendahara, Pengiran Pemanca, Pengiran Digadong and Pengiran Temenggung. On another note, the group of Ceteria consisted of Ceteria Empat (four), Lapan (eight), Enam Belas (sixteen) and Tiga Puluh Dua (thirty-two). In this group Ceteria Empat, which consisted of Pengiran Shah Bandar, Pengiran Maharaja Lela, Pengiran Paduka Tuan and Pengiran Maharaja Adinda, were the highest in ranking. The Menteris (ministers), on the other hand, were elected from amongst the common people who were charismatic in their leadership and influential in society. They usually consisted of the wealthy. The group of Menteri consisted of Menteri Empat (four), Lapan (eight), Enam Belas (sixteen) and Tiga Puluh Dua (thirty-two). The highest in ranking for this group was Dato 6 Haji Awg Asbol bin Haji Mail. 2011. Kesultanan Melayu Brunei Abad ke 19 Politik dan Struktur Pentadbiran (The Brunei Malay Sultanate in 19th Century Politics and Administrative Stucture), Bandar Seri Begawan: Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka, p. 107-112; Pehin Haji Awg Mohd Jamil Al-Sufri. 1990. Tarsilah Brunei: Sejarah Awal dan Perkembangan Islam (The Family History of Brunei: Early History and Development of Islam), Bandar Seri Begawan: Pusat Sejarah Brunei, p.53-54. Prof. Madya Dr. Hj Awg Asbol bin Hj Mail: The Lifestyle Of The Kampong Ayer (Floating Village) Community In Brunei During The Administration Of The British Resident (1906-1941) Perdana Menteri, Orang Kaya Digadong Seri Nara Indera and Orang Kaya Digadong Seri Laila7. Aside from them, there were also Bruneian dignitaries who were appointed as the kingdom’s representative to the colonies. They were all regarded as rulers and had a high social status amongst Brunei society because they had political power and a strong standing in economy. On the other hand, the subjects consisted of common people and slaves. They resided in villages that were located on land, river banks and on the sea. THE ORIGIN OF GOVERNANCE UNDER THE BRITISH RESIDENT Governance under the British Resident was introduced following the decline in the number of Bruneian colonies due to British take-overs in the nineteenth century. Control over Bruneian colonies in Sarawak was taken by the Brooke family since 1841, which was pioneered by James Brooke. After he died in 1868, he was succeeded by Charles Brooke. On the other side in Sabah, the North Borneo British Company gained control since 1865. These regions were controlled by western powers either by force using firepower, or were leased, granted or given by the owner, and some were even bought. Previously, at end of the fifth and sixteenth centuries Brunei once reached its glory under the reign of Sultan Bolkiah (1485-1524) and Sultan Muhammad Hassan (1582-1581) that it was said to have had the power to control the entire island of Borneo, to the north in the Philippines including Sulu.