In Brunei, Pork Can Only Be Sold by Licensed Non-Muslim Businesses — Not Banned Entirely

Brunei Darussalam is an absolute Islamic monarchy governed by the 'Melayu Islam Beraja' (Malay Islamic Monarchy) national ideology, with Islam enshrined as the state religion. This shapes every aspect of food law in the country. The formal legislative framework for halal regulation began with a 1997 speech by Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah stressing the importance of halal standards, which prompted the enactment of the Halal Meat Act (Chapter 183) in 1998. The Halal Food Control Division (BKMH) was established under the Ministry of Religious Affairs to oversee enforcement. In 2005, the Halal Certificate and Halal Label Order was introduced, initially on a voluntary basis. A major escalation came in 2017 when the Amendment Order made halal certification compulsory for all food businesses — restaurants, cafes, food stalls, factories, and home-based food producers alike. This means every business in the country's food supply chain must obtain official MUIB certification proving its products and premises are free from pork, alcohol, and other haram ingredients. There is no domestic pork production in Brunei; all pork is imported from the neighbouring Malaysian state of Sarawak. Pork remains legally available to Brunei's non-Muslim minority — primarily ethnic Chinese — but only through non-halal-licensed shops and eateries that are clearly separated from halal businesses. What makes the law particularly notable is the enforcement teeth: non-compliance can result in imprisonment, and a halal certificate can be revoked if a pork-related contaminant is discovered — as recently occurred in 2026 when a halal certificate was revoked after a pork-derived brush was found at an ice cream shop.