Tutong District

Tutong District (Daerah Tutong; Jawi: ) or simply Tutong is one of the four districts of Brunei. It has an area of 1166 km2; the population was 48,313 in 2016. The administrative town is Pekan Tutong. It is home to Tasek Merimbun, the country's largest natural lake.

History
Tutong was formerly a part of the Melanau administration in the 14th century before joining the Brunei Sultanate in the 15th. Prior to the introduction of the British residential system in Brunei in 1906, Tutong was a kuripan land, a type of land ownership in Brunei's traditional government. It was the non-hereditary land of Pengiran Di-Gadong, one of the four traditional wazir (viziers) to the Sultan. The district have seen a rapid rise in population by nearly 15,000 in 1967.

Geography
The district borders the South China Sea to the north, Brunei-Muara District to the north-east, the Malaysian state of Sarawak to the east and south, and Belait District to the west. With an area of 1166 km2, it is the third largest district in Brunei.

The 137 km Tutong River is the sole primary river and only flows in the district. It begins in the district's interior in the south and flows northwards which finally discharges into the South China Sea.

Bukit Bedawan ("Bedawan Hill") is the highest point in the district with a height of 529 m.

The district is home to Tasek Merimbun, the largest natural lake in Brunei. It is a designated ASEAN Heritage Park since 29 November 1984.

Administration
Tutong District is administered by Tutong District Office (Jabatan Daerah Tutong), a government department under the Ministry of Home Affairs.

The district is divided into eight mukims:


 * Mukim Keriam
 * Mukim Kiudang
 * Mukim Lamunin
 * Mukim Pekan Tutong
 * Mukim Rambai
 * Mukim Tanjong Maya
 * Mukim Telisai
 * Mukim Ukong

Mukim Pekan Tutong encompasses the municipal area of Pekan Tutong.

According to the Constitution, the district is to be represented in the Legislative Council, the state legislature, by up to 3 members. As of 2017, two members have been appointed to represent the district in the legislature.

Demographics
Tutong District is the third most populous district in Brunei. According to the 2016 census update, the population was 48,313 and made up about 11.6% of the country's total population. NaN% were males and NaN% were females. The racial make-up were as follow: NaN% were Malays, NaN% were Chinese, and NaN% were those other than the aforementioned races. In terms of residency status, NaN% were citizens, NaN% were permanent residents and NaN% were temporary residents. In terms of professed religions, NaN% were Muslims, NaN% were Christians, NaN% were Buddhists, and NaN% professed other than the aforementioned religions or irreligious. The age groups were as follow: NaN% were 14 years old and below, NaN% were 15 to 24 years old, NaN% were 25 to 64 years old, and NaN% were 65 years old and above. The population is predominantly rural, whereby NaN% lived in rural areas in contrast to NaN% in urban areas.

The census also recorded 8,578 households living in 8,491 dwellings in the district.

In 2020, the district's population was estimated to have increased to 51,500.

The main ethnic groups in the district consist of Tutong, Dusun, Kedayan, Iban and Chinese.

Healthcare
Healthcare in the district began with the establishment of a medical clinic in 1932 in Bukit Bendera area near the district town Pekan Tutong. During the Japanese occupation of Brunei (1941–1945), the clinic building suffered great damage due to bombing.

In late 1972, the construction of Tutong District Hospital was completed. It could accommodate 20 beds; healthcare services included surgery room, delivery room, x-ray, dental clinic, outpatient and medical laboratory.

The current district hospital is Pengiran Muda Mahkota Pengiran Muda Haji Al-Muhtadee Billah (PMMPMHAMB) Hospital which replaced the former Tutong District Hospital. As of today, it is the sole hospital in the district.

There are also four community health centres located in Pekan Tutong, Kampong Sungai Kelugos, Kampong Telisai and Kampong Lamunin. The health centres mainly provide outpatient care to the residents of the village or mukim where they are located, as well as those that live in the surrounding areas.

National Isolation Centre
Tutong District is home to the National Isolation Centre (NIC, Pusat Pengasingan Kebangsaan), the country's dedicated medical isolation facility for communicable diseases. Located in a permanent building beside the district hospital, it was inaugurated by the Crown Prince Al-Muhtadee Billah on 13 November 2012 at a cost of B$8.47 million (US$6.26 million as of September 2021 ); it can accommodate 136 beds. It is playing a vital role in the COVID-19 situation in Brunei, whereby it is where COVID-19 patients are isolated and treated. A new extension was built in 2020 in the event the existing facility reached full capacity. The construction was completed in three weeks at a cost of B$11 million (US$8.1 million as of September 2021 ); it can accommodate additional 160 beds. During the COVID-19 outbreak, the adjacent PMMPMHAMB Hospital has also been converted into another extension for the isolation centre.

Education
In 2019, there were 42 schools in Tutong District under the Ministry of Education, out of which 36 were government and 6 were private. The number of teachers were recorded at 1,187, in which NaN% taught in government schools and NaN% in private schools. The number of students were recorded at 8,919, whereby NaN% were enrolled in government schools and NaN% in private schools. For the formal Islamic religious education which is under the Ministry of Religious Affairs, there were 30 religious schools (19.0% of the country's total), employing 327 teachers and enrolling 4,102 students.

Education in the district is available up to sixth form, which is provided at Tutong Sixth Form Centre (Pusat Tingkatan Enam Tutong), the sole sixth form college in the district.

Government schools
The government schools are mainly administered under the Ministry of Education. There are 30 primary schools, 5 secondary schools and one sixth form college in the district, which are grouped under Cluster 6 of the Ministry's school administrative district.

The five secondary schools are: These schools offer secondary education that leads to Brunei-Cambridge GCE O Level.
 * Muda Hashim Secondary School;
 * Raja Isteri Pengiran Anak Saleha Secondary School;
 * Sayyidina 'Othman Secondary School;
 * Sufri Bolkiah Secondary School; and
 * Tanjong Maya Secondary School.

The sole sixth form college of the district is the Tutong Sixth Form Centre and offers sixth form education which leads to GCE A Level.

Ma'had Islam Brunei is the only government school in the district which is not administered by the Ministry of Education. It is administered by the Ministry of Religious Affairs and one of the few schools in the country dedicated to Brunei's Arabic-medium Islamic religious education stream, providing preparatory and secondary levels leading up the Sijil Pelajaran Ugama Brunei (Bruneian Certificate of Religious Education), the O Level equivalent of the stream.

Transportation
As of 2022, the district's road network consisted of 649.69 km, out of which around 82% were paved.

Places of interest
Tutong has the largest lake in Brunei, Tasek Merimbun, which surrounds the Tasek Merimbun Heritage Park. Other places of interest in Tutong include
 * Sungai Basong Recreation Park
 * Seri Kenangan Beach