Brunei Press Sdn. Bhd. is the largest publisher of newspapers in Brunei. The company publishes two newspapers: Borneo Bulletin, which is printed in English, and Media Permata, which is printed in Malay. Previously, the company also operated the English-language newspaper Brunei Times, which ceased publication in 2016.
Media assets
Publishing: Borneo Bulletin, Media Permata
State Media Matrix Typology: State-Controlled (SC)
Ownership and governance
Brunei Press Sdn. Bhd. is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the QAF Group of Companies, a prominent conglomerate in Brunei with a diversified portfolio of investments across multiple sectors, including automotive dealerships, restaurant businesses, industrial and manufacturing operations, and marketing. According to data from journalists in Malaysia interviewed for this report in May 2024, the QAF Group is majority-owned by the Brunei state (more precisely, by the Sultan’s family).
Source of funding and budget
While Brunei Press Sdn. Bhd. does generate some revenue from advertising sales, it also receives substantial state funding in various forms, including state advertising and state grants, according to journalists in Malaysia. However, the lack of publicly available details about the enterprise’s budget means that the share of state funding in the company’s total budget is not known. Our experts estimate that state funds represent over 50% of the company’s total budget.
Editorial independence
It is widely understood in Brunei that the newspapers operated by Brunei Press Sdn. Bhd. serve as official mouthpieces for the government, refraining from critical commentary and consistently dedicating a significant portion of their coverage to positive portrayals of the government, according to insights from Malaysian journalists interviewed for this report in May 2024.
There is no domestic legislation or independent mechanism in place to assess or oversee the editorial independence of Brunei Press Sdn. Bhd. newspapers.
September 2024