Living together in Brunei

Brunei has no single institution responsible for every aspect of everyday coexistence. The system is fragmented but connected: formal state rules operate alongside local consultation, community projects and informal problem-solving. A kampung is a village or settlement, while a mukim groups several local communities under a Penghulu Mukim. The Ketua Kampung acts as a local contact for welfare, safety, unity, neighbourhood concerns and referrals to government departments. Majlis Perundingan Mukim and Majlis Perundingan Kampung provide forums for consultation, local projects and community participation. Access normally starts through the relevant kampung or mukim, and procedures, costs and time limits are not published uniformly. The Department of Community Development, Jabatan Pembangunan Masyarakat (JAPEM), handles social support, family disputes, homelessness, complaints, child protection and related welfare matters. Its Unit Keluarga addresses family conflict and misunderstandings. Talian Kebajikan 141 is a toll-free, 24-hour service for counselling, abuse reports and information about support. Talian ANAK 121 provides a 24-hour, toll-free child-related service, while Talian Harapan 145 supports psychological crises. Police emergencies use 993, ambulance emergencies 991 and fire emergencies 995. Talian Darussalam 123, including WhatsApp at 8333123 and online channels, routes non-emergency complaints about government services, infrastructure and municipal matters. Neighbourhood disagreements can often begin with a conversation involving the Ketua Kampung, Penghulu Mukim or a local consultative council. No general nationwide compulsory neighbourhood-mediation procedure is established in the available information. Serious violence, child-safety concerns, homelessness or urgent welfare risks require the responsible service rather than informal settlement. Civil disputes follow the relevant court process: the Small Claims Tribunal handles eligible claims up to BND 10,000, with filing generally required within 12 months, while the Magistrates' Court handles breach-of-contract claims up to BND 50,000. The Small Claims Tribunal filing fee is BND 10 or BND 20 for consumer claims up to BND 5,000 or BND 10,000, and BND 50 or BND 100 for non-consumer claims at those levels. A process server may cost BND 20 for distances up to 8 km or BND 40 beyond 8 km. These procedures do not replace emergency protection or specialist welfare support. Brunei's official religion is Islam, and Malay Islamic Monarchy provides an important national context. Census 2021 recorded 440,715 residents: 297,016 Brunei Malays, 42,132 Chinese residents and 101,567 people in other categories. The census recorded 362,035 Muslims, 29,462 Christians, 27,745 Buddhists and 21,473 people in other religious categories. Temporary residents numbered 81,212, or 18.4 percent. These figures describe the population but do not justify assumptions about an individual's religion, ethnicity, nationality, language or legal status. No separate national anti-discrimination or diversity-mediation office was identified in the available research, so local religious and community practices should not be treated as identical everywhere. Municipal boards maintain public functions such as recreation reserves, roads, drains, bridges, lighting, trees, waste and sanitation. Municipal departments in Bandar Seri Begawan, Tutong and Kuala Belait or Seria are relevant according to location, and Talian Darussalam 123 is the central complaint channel for many non-emergency issues. Public Order Act, Cap. 148 can criminalise threatening or insulting behaviour in a public place or assembly when it risks disturbing the peace. The Syariah Penal Code also sanctions public indecent behaviour. The exact application depends on the conduct, the person, the place, religion and the applicable procedure. Event and entertainment permits may require separate checks. Shared housing mainly belongs to the housing topic, but coexistence questions arise around house rules, shared rooms, safety, noise, cleaning and disputes between occupants. Census 2021 recorded 83,810 occupied housing units: 55,064 owner-occupied, 11,142 privately rented or provided, 9,903 government units and 7,669 units provided by companies or associations. The research does not establish a separate nationwide room-sharing or flat-sharing system. Written agreements help clarify payment, access to common areas, damage and notice. A landlord cannot simply use self-help to recover rent: under the Distress Act, rent arrears are pursued through the statutory writ-of-distress process, with an application limited to up to 12 months of arrears. The Housing Development Department complaint service for defects and infrastructure is limited to National Housing Scheme and Landless Housing Scheme residents, not a general private-rental protection service. Digital coexistence includes cyberbullying, cyberstalking and hateful, threatening or humiliating content. Authority for Information and Communication Technology Industry (AITI) guidance directs users to preserve evidence, report content to the platform and contact the police or responsible authority when conduct may be criminal. AITI identifies reported cyberbullying cases as potentially falling under criminal law, and its FAQ directs certain prohibited Islam-related content to the Religious Enforcement Section. The Personal Data Protection Order 2025 provides a framework for private organisations' collection, use and disclosure of personal data, but its commencement must be verified because the cited legislation leaves commencement to ministerial action and Gazette publication. AITI also provides an individual data-complaint service. No separate digital-coexistence mediator was identified. The arrangements and legal status described here were documented on 6 September 2026 and should be checked again when a current complaint, filing or emergency requires them.