# 042 My photo trip to Malay Technology Museum, Brunei - Introduction

The Malay Technology Museum building was contributed by The Royal Dutch/Shell Group Company to the Government of His Majesty the Sultan and Yang Di-Peruan of Brunei Darussalam to commemorate Brunei Darussalam's full independence in 1984. The museum was officially opened on 29th February 1988 by His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu'izzaddin Waddaulah, the Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam.

The Malay Technology Museum exhibits various types of traditional technologies utilised by the indigenous people of Brunei darussalam. It mainly showcases of traditional crafts used by the former highly centralised and stratified Brunei Sultanates which are based on maritime economic activities. This was complemented by simple technologies used by various indigenous Brunei ethnic groups whose lifestyle were basically egalitarian economic activities ranged from swidden rice cultivation and animal domestication to food gatherings and hunting.

The Showcase comprise of three galleries :

Gallery 1
Kampong Ayer's Traditional Houses

The gallery exhibits six model of traditional house found in Kampong Ayer ( Water Villages )that were popular in late 19 th centuary until mid 20th centuary, namelyBelah Bumbung House,Loteng House,Belah Bumbung Berserambi House,Potong Limas House,Belanggar House and Tungkup House. The evolution on the use of constraction materials was reflected in their structural designs, thus providing historical records on their architectural influences.

Gallery 2
Kampung Ayer's Traditional Technologies

The Gallery exhibits several models of fishing traps and traditional cottage industries of Kampong Ayer , namely cloath-weaving,boat-making,gold,iron and silver -smithing as well as brass-making. The gallery also exhibits products of these traditional cottage industries.

Gallery 3
Traditional Technologies of other Indigenous Ethnic Groups

The Gallery exhibits the traditional industries of indigenous people of Brunei Darussalam who settled on land , particularly,the interior highlands ( vis-a-vis the river-dwellers of the Brunei water villages ) such as sago-making,suger-processing,simple technologies used in rice cultivation, tops and blowpipes making.The gallery also exhibits model of traditional house of Dusun and Kedayan and the Murut longhouse and the Penan makeshift jungle hut known as Lamin Tana.