The clock is ticking on Brunei’s boldest promise.
With less than a decade left, Wawasan 2035 faces its most critical test yet. In the chamber, ministers and MPs debated everything from falling foreign investment to youth unemployment — and whether the nation can deliver before time runs out.The next 10 years will decide more than an economic plan. They will decide the future.
BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN: The vibe in Brunei’s Legislative Council on Aug. 4 felt like a ticking clock. With less than ten years left to hit the goals of Wawasan 2035 - the ambitious plan to turn this small, oil-rich country into a diverse, educated, and skilled society - lawmakers weren’t just checking on progress; they were grappling with the reality that time is running out.
It was a mix of reflection and motivation. Ministers and council members took turns speaking, swinging between confidence in the country’s stability and urgent calls to speed things up.
“Without peace and security, our efforts to diversify the economy and make social progress will struggle,” said Pehin Datu Lailaraja Mejar Jeneral (B) Dato Paduka Seri Haji Awang Halbi bin Haji Mohd. Yussof, Minister at the Prime Minister’s Office and Minister of Defence II.
His message hit home: Brunei's political calm and security aren’t just nice to have; they’re essential for any real change.
Blueprints and Benchmarks
The government laid out three main “blueprints” - the Manpower Blueprint (2024), the Social Blueprint (2025), and the Economic Blueprint (2021).These plans are Brunei’s roadmap for the final stretch, covering everything from future-ready education to sustainable farming.
Officials came ready with stats: Brunei’s 2022 PISA scores shot up across the board, ranking the country among the top three in ASEAN.
The UN rated Brunei 60th out of 193 in human development this year, and IMF data from April put its GDP per capita at seventh in the world.
Ministers promised data-driven policies, clear performance indicators, and even an E-Pemedulian Pelanggan feedback portal for citizens to keep tabs on progress.
YB Pehin Dato Seri Haji Awang Halbi highlighted some recent wins: near-universal electrification at 99.99 per cent, with the national grid finally reaching Mukim Sukang in Belait; the launch of AI-driven public service tools; and the Personal Data Protection Order set to kick in on Jan. 1, 2026.
The Skills Gap Dilemma
But those numbers didn’t hide ongoing issues. Economic resilience was a hot topic, with several lawmakers pointing out the gap between what’s taught in schools and what’s needed in the workplace.
Pehin Orang Kaya Johan Pahlawan Dato Seri Setia Haji Adanan bin Begawan Pehin Siraja Khatib Dato Seri Setia Haji Md. Yusof shared a worrying stat: 3,849 Bruneian youth were categorised as NEET - “Not in Education, Employment, or Training” - in 2021.
As of June 30 this year, 13,710 Bruneians were job hunting, with youth unemployment at 16.8 per cent and over 5,000 degree holders still searching for work.
Reality checks revealed a tougher scene: up to 1,500 students leave school each year without solid literacy or numeracy skills; only about 35 per cent succeed in O-Level exams.
Meanwhile, 75,000 foreign workers are filling jobs alongside 14,000 unemployed locals and 32,600 under-utilised workers.
Solutions ranged from a comprehensive education review to vocational training aligned with industry needs, enhancing graduate matching platforms, and turning high-performing trainees into permanent roles to keep talent at home.
Investment Slide and Economic Pivots
If education was one challenge, foreign investment was another. Lawmakers were concerned about a drop in FDI - from US$3 billion in 2022 to US$1 billion in 2023, the lowest in ASEAN.
They called for a real one-stop agency to guide investors, eliminate duplicate approvals, and ramp up utilities and connectivity upgrades.
They argued that having export-grade certification for goods and skills should be the norm.
Others pushed for activating Strategic Development Capital and even using some reserve funds to boost non-oil sectors: green tech, halal industries, Islamic finance, exclusive tourism, and smart agriculture.
Upgrading industrial sites, creating free economic zones, and making it easier for SMEs to get credit - potentially through an expanded Bank Usahawan - rounded out the suggestions.
A Chorus of Priorities
From the Prime Minister’s Office, Dato Seri Setia Dr. Awang Haji Mohd. Amin Liew bin Abdullah acknowledged the tough global climate but insisted that Brunei’s finances were solid enough to support steady growth.
Pehin Orang Kaya Laila Setia Dato Seri Setia Haji Abd. Rahman bin Haji Ibrahim cautioned against “changing priorities too often,” saying frequent shifts could stall progress.
For Dayang Hajah Safiah binti Sheikh Haji Abd. Salam, the urgency felt personal. “We have less than ten years left; the goals need to be real for everyone,” she said, calling for a cultural shift in the civil service.
A recent public sector review found only two agencies at the top tier last year, while 26 needed improvement. Safiah advocated for outcome-based monitoring, public performance dashboards, and user-friendly e-services.
Social Currents and Warning Signs
Welfare numbers also shocked the room: by April 2024, over 10,000 Bruneians were getting monthly state aid, with about 73 per cent of them being able-bodied.There were calls for a “Social Mobility Dashboard” and a revamped SKN 2.0 to shift assistance towards wage subsidies, microloans, and flexible hours - all paths out of dependency.
Some suggested grounding policies in Maqasid al-Shariah and tracking inequality through the Gini coefficient and a global multidimensional poverty index.
Others highlighted rising social risks: a 14.6 per cent increase in recidivism, with 60 per cent of drug offenders reoffending; nearly double the HIV cases since 2019; cybercrime jumping to over 1,100 cases in 2022; and a 72 per cent rise in out-of-wedlock births among Malay Muslims.
Everyday Lives, Rural Reach
Stepping away from the stats, members like Awang Amran bin Haji Maidin emphasised judging Wawasan by its impact on everyday life - smoother roads, better healthcare, and reliable public services.
Rural representatives, including Haji Daud bin Jihan, stressed that national growth needs to include the countryside, ensuring equal access to infrastructure, education, and digital resources.
Connectivity was key to that promise. Pengiran Dato Seri Setia Shamhary bin Pengiran Dato Paduka Haji Mustapha committed to improving transport and broadband links, while Dato Seri Setia Dr. Awang Haji Abd. Manaf bin Haji Metussin championed tourism and agriculture as the twin pillars of diversification.
SMEs, Halal Industry, and Local Empowerment
Dayang Chong Chin Yee pushed for more support for SMEs, from targeted incentives to simpler regulations, arguing that small businesses are crucial for job creation.
Several members echoed that call, demanding faster halal certification and tackling “Ali Chandran” - foreign-front businesses undercutting locals in retail and construction.
They suggested bringing Shariah scholars directly into the halal value chain to boost Brunei’s competitive edge.
Awang Lawi bin Haji Lamat added that infrastructure plans should prioritise local contractors to keep economic benefits within the country.
The Narrowing Window
By the end of the session, everyone seemed to agree: Wawasan 2035 is still within reach, but only if the next decade is broken into three-year deliverable blocks, tracked through a national KPI dashboard covering 37 key indicators, with public updates every quarter.
Outside the chamber, the streets of Bandar Seri Begawan buzzed along at their usual slow pace - a reminder that for most Bruneians, national visions are measured not in policy papers but in the roads they drive, the jobs they hold, and the futures they dream up for their kids.
In that gap between ambition and everyday life, the final chapter of Wawasan 2035 will unfold. (MHO/08/2025)
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