How False Claims Gained Authority in Brunei

Introduction

The most revealing Bruneian cases show how deception borrows authority. A rumour becomes persuasive when it names the police, a ministry, a bank, a restaurant or a member of the royal family. During emergencies, speed and anxiety make verification harder; in financial scams, promises of privileged access or official approval encourage victims to act before checking. Brunei’s response has consequently moved from occasional official denials and criminal prosecutions towards organised fact-checking, public scam alerts and the Waspada.bn verification platform.[aiti.gov.bn]aiti.gov.bnAITI BruneiTrust and Innovation Take Centre Stage at The Digital…4 Jun 2025 — The guest of honour also announced a new initiative unde…

At the same time, famous Bruneian legends such as the stone ship of Jong Batu should not casually be labelled hoaxes. They are folklore: stories whose moral and cultural purpose differs from a deliberate attempt to deceive. Distinguishing fraud, rumour, error and legend is essential to understanding Brunei’s history of unusual claims.

Why Brunei’s hoax record looks different

The surviving English-language record is weighted heavily towards recent misinformation and commercial fraud. Earlier Bruneian stories are commonly preserved as genealogy, oral tradition, religious narrative or folklore rather than investigated as deliberate fabrications. That does not prove that historical hoaxes were absent. It means that familiar hoax-history categories, such as exposed spiritualist mediums or forged archaeological discoveries, are not well represented in accessible documentation.

Modern communications have produced a much clearer trail. A forwarded message can reach much of Brunei’s relatively small and closely connected population quickly, especially when it concerns public safety. The message often arrives not as an obviously invented article but as a screenshot, voice recording, copied warning or short video apparently supplied by somebody “close to” an authority. Its informality helps it travel: recipients pass it on as a precaution even when they are unsure whether it is true.

The pattern became particularly visible during the COVID-19 pandemic. Health rules, case classifications and movement restrictions could change rapidly, while residents relied on digital channels for immediate guidance. This created fertile conditions for claims that were partly true, out of date or stripped of crucial context. International research on pandemic misinformation similarly found that information overload, perceived danger and trust in online material increased the sharing of unverified claims.[arXiv]arxiv.orgarXiv Why do People Share Misinformation during the COVID-19 Pandemic?Why do People Share Misinformation during the COVID-19 Pandemic?April 20, 2020…Published: April 20, 2020

The pandemic rumour that changed meaning

One instructive Brunei case began with a viral WhatsApp message in May 2021 concerning a foreign national in the Belait District who had tested positive for COVID-19. The message encouraged the understandable fear that an active infection might be circulating locally. The Ministry of Health explained that subsequent testing indicated a past infection rather than an active case. In other words, the original laboratory result was not invented, but its meaning had been distorted by circulation without the later clinical interpretation.[The Scoop]thescoop.coThe Scoop Mo H: Expat who was subject of viral message not an activeThe ScoopMoH: Expat who was subject of viral message not an active…May 21, 2021 — 21 May 2021 — After a WhatsApp message went viral re…Published: May 21, 2021

This is an important type of misinformation because it does not depend on a wholly fabricated event. A preliminary result, partial document or genuine observation becomes misleading when detached from timing and context. Such messages are harder to dismiss than obvious fakes: a recipient may know that a test really took place and therefore assume that every attached claim is reliable.

The episode also shows why official correction can lag behind public anxiety. Health authorities need time to confirm test results and determine whether a person is infectious. Social media requires no such caution. By the time a correction appears, screenshots of the first claim may already have circulated through family, workplace and neighbourhood groups.

A more serious case concerned a video and accompanying claim that police had discovered restaurant employees supposedly breaching quarantine requirements. A woman was prosecuted under Section 34 of Brunei’s Public Order Act and later pleaded guilty to disseminating a false statement likely to cause alarm. In December 2023 she was fined BND2,700.[Civicus Monitor]monitor.civicus.orgCivicus MonitorWoman charged for false statement on COVID-19 as…27 Sept 2022 — Hajah Faizah binti Haji Abdul Gapar was charged under S…

The case crossed the line from mistaken interpretation into a legally punishable public allegation. It attached specific misconduct to identifiable workers and a business during a period when quarantine breaches carried strong social stigma. The incident demonstrates how a casual-looking post can have consequences for reputations, employment and public confidence, even without the machinery of a large disinformation campaign.

When an official-looking message is the trick

Many Brunei scams and false reports do not try to create a new source of authority. They imitate one that already exists. Fraudsters use government emblems, copied corporate branding, photographs of prominent people, formal language and fabricated announcements to make a claim appear to have passed through official channels.

The mechanism is simple:

Financial deception is especially significant because the false claim is merely the first stage of a larger fraud. Brunei Darussalam Central Bank describes impersonation, phishing and payment fraud as important threats to trust in digital finance. Its 2024 Financial Stability Report stated that 49 entities were added to the central bank’s Alert List during that year, mostly in connection with unlicensed investment or money-lending activity. By 31 December 2024, the list contained 274 entities.[cms.bdcb.gov.bn]cms.bdcb.gov.bnOpen source on bdcb.gov.bn.

The Alert List is not itself a finding that every named entity has been convicted of fraud. It identifies people or businesses that may wrongly be perceived as licensed, authorised or regulated. That distinction matters: one common deception is not simply to promise extraordinary returns, but to manufacture the appearance of regulatory approval.

In October 2025, the central bank publicly rejected false information about the supposed launch of an investment product. Its warning connected the episode with both cheating by impersonation and the circulation of false information capable of causing public alarm.[bdcb.gov.bn]bdcb.gov.bnOpen source on bdcb.gov.bn. Such cases reveal the increasingly blurred boundary between fake news and fraud. The invented announcement is designed not merely to misinform but to obtain money, personal details or access to accounts.

Brunei’s law against alarming false reports

Section 34 of Brunei’s Public Order Act criminalises the dissemination of a false report or statement likely to cause public alarm or despondency. The legislation provides for a fine, imprisonment or both. A neighbouring provision addresses false information that creates apprehension for the safety of people or property.[agc.gov.bn]agc.gov.bnlaws of brunei chapter 148 public orderlaws of brunei chapter 148 public order

This framework gives the authorities a direct response to fabricated emergency warnings and damaging public claims. It also means that Brunei’s history of false information cannot be separated from debates about enforcement. Determining that a claim was inaccurate is not always the same as proving that its creator deliberately engineered a hoax. Information may be incomplete, misunderstood, outdated or repeated in good faith.

The restaurant case illustrates the need for careful distinctions. The prosecution described a concrete allegation that was presented as fact and judged likely to cause alarm. Other situations are less clear-cut. A frightened person may share an unconfirmed warning without knowing that it is false; a preliminary medical fact may change after further testing; satire may be mistaken for news; and criticism can contain disputed interpretation rather than a provable fabrication.

Civil-liberties organisations have therefore argued that misinformation laws should be applied cautiously, particularly during health emergencies. Their concern is that broad criminal penalties can deter legitimate discussion as well as malicious deception.[Civicus Monitor]monitor.civicus.orgCivicus MonitorWoman charged for false statement on COVID-19 as…27 Sept 2022 — Hajah Faizah binti Haji Abdul Gapar was charged under S… The central question is not whether false alarms can cause harm—they clearly can—but whether correction, media literacy, platform action or prosecution is the most proportionate response in each case.

Waspada.bn and the move towards public fact-checking

Brunei took a more systematic step in June 2025 with the launch of Waspada.bn, an official platform intended to help the public verify social-media claims, recognise scams and limit the spread of misinformation. It was introduced by the Authority for Info-communications Technology Industry of Brunei Darussalam as a multi-agency initiative involving the Prime Minister’s Office, the Ministry of Transport and Infocommunications and the Royal Brunei Police Force.[AITI Brunei]aiti.gov.bnAITI BruneiTrust and Innovation Take Centre Stage at The Digital…4 Jun 2025 — The guest of honour also announced a new initiative unde…

Initially operated through Instagram, the service was announced with plans for expansion into a dedicated website. The platform’s purpose is revealing in itself. It treats fake news, viral rumours and online scams as connected problems rather than separate categories. A misleading post may begin as gossip, become an impersonation attempt and end with a request for money or information.[The Scoop]thescoop.coaiti launches fact checking platform to curb misinformation fake newsThe ScoopAITI launches fact-checking platform to curb misinformation…5 Jun 2025 — AITI launches fact-checking platform to curb misinfo…

Waspada.bn also addresses an unintended feature of informal fact-checking: people sometimes forward suspicious material while asking whether it is genuine. That still increases the material’s reach. An identifiable reference point allows users to seek verification without repeatedly circulating the original claim.

Official fact-checking nevertheless has limits. It works best for claims involving government announcements, known scams and verifiable public events. More interpretive disputes may require independent journalism, specialist evidence or open disagreement. Effective debunking also needs speed and visibility; research into online misinformation has repeatedly shown that corrections tend to arrive after the original falsehood has gained momentum.[arXiv]arxiv.orgarXiv Hoaxy: A Platform for Tracking Online MisinformationarXiv Hoaxy: A Platform for Tracking Online Misinformation

Why Jong Batu is a legend, not an exposed fraud

Jong Batu, a rock formation in the Brunei River, is associated with the story of an unfilial son whose ship was turned to stone after he rejected his mother. Brunei tourism material presents the formation and the tale together as part of the river’s cultural landscape. Versions of the same moral pattern appear elsewhere in maritime Southeast Asia.[bruneitourism.com]bruneitourism.comBrunei Tourism Pulau CherminBrunei Tourism Pulau Chermin

A sceptical reader need not accept that a ship was supernaturally transformed into rock. Yet describing the story as a hoax would impose the wrong category. There is no clear deceiver, fraudulent transaction or documented exposure. The tale explains a striking natural feature while teaching obligations towards parents. Its persistence reflects storytelling, place and morality, not necessarily a continuing attempt to falsify geology.

The same caution applies to royal genealogies, sacred sites and stories attached to old graves. Historical details may be uncertain, embellished or supported unevenly by inscriptions and later texts. Uncertainty alone does not establish forgery. To call something a historical hoax requires evidence that a person knowingly fabricated material and presented it as authentic.

This boundary matters because folklore and fraud operate differently. Folklore survives through adaptation: versions change, details move and listeners may understand the story symbolically. Fraud depends on concealed intention. Treating every implausible legend as a con trick obscures both the cultural value of traditional stories and the specific methods used by actual deceivers.

What Brunei’s cases reveal

Brunei’s best-documented hoax history is not dominated by a single legendary imposture. It is a history of borrowed credibility. False claims become convincing by attaching themselves to institutions and relationships that people already trust: a health ministry, the police, a bank, a familiar business or a prominent public figure.

The most useful warning signs follow directly from those cases. A screenshot is not proof that a notice appeared on an official channel. A genuine test result may not support the interpretation attached to it. Regulatory language does not prove that an investment is licensed. A warning forwarded “just in case” can still damage a person or business. An urgent request to leave an official platform and communicate privately is especially suspect.

Brunei’s experience also shows that “hoax” is often too blunt a label. Some incidents are calculated financial frauds. Some are fabricated public alarms. Others begin with real information that has lost its context, while older supernatural stories belong to folklore rather than deception. Understanding who created a claim, what they stood to gain and how the evidence changed is more informative than simply calling the story fake.

The launch of Waspada.bn marks a shift towards making that analysis part of everyday digital life. Its long-term value will depend not only on correcting individual rumours but on teaching readers to recognise the recurring structure beneath them: borrowed authority, emotional pressure, missing context and a demand to act before checking.

Amazon book picks

Further Reading

Books and field guides related to How False Claims Gained Authority in Brunei. Use these as the next step if you want deeper reading beyond the article.

Book

Calling Bullshit

By Carl T. Bergstrom, Jevin Darwin West

Directly addresses how false claims gain credibility and spread.

See on Amazon

Book

Factfulness

By Hans Rosling, Ola Rosling et al.

Explains common misunderstandings and why people accept inaccurate narratives.

See on Amazon

Book

The Misinformation Age

By Cailin O'Connor, James Owen Weatherall

Examines how false beliefs spread through communities.

See on Amazon

Book

Suspicious Minds

By Rob Brotherton

Explores why people are drawn to questionable claims and conspiracies.

See on Amazon

Browse more on Amazon:Calling BullshitFactfulnessThe Misinformation Age

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

eBay marketplace picks

Marketplace Samples

Example marketplace items related to this page. Use the search link to explore similar finds on eBay.

Shop location

UsingUSA USA USAUKCanadaAustraliaIreland

Example eBay listing

Flagtex Brunei Rectangle Bunting

SearcheBay.co.uk: Brunei flag

Browse similar oneBay.co.uk

Example eBay listing

National Country Flag Patch | Iron-On/Sew-On Embroidered Cloth Patch/Badge

SearcheBay.co.uk: Brunei flag

Browse similar oneBay.co.uk

Example eBay listing

Brunei Flag 5' x 8' for a pole - Bruneian flags 150 x 250 cm - Banner 3x8 ft

SearcheBay.co.uk: Brunei flag

Browse similar oneBay.co.uk

Example eBay listing

Vintage Brunei Flag Yellow Black White Stripe Red Crest Maritime 30” Plus

SearcheBay.co.uk: Brunei flag

Browse similar oneBay.co.uk

Browse more oneBay.co.uk

Example items shown for inspiration; availability and pricing can change. Branchoria may earn a commission if you purchase through outbound eBay links.

Endnotes

1. Source: aiti.gov.bn
Link:https://aiti.gov.bn/news/2025/trust-and-innovation-take-centre-stage-at-the-digital-future-conference-exhibition-dfce-2025/

2. Source: waspada.bn
Link:https://waspada.bn/

3. Source: arxiv.org
Title: arXiv Why do People Share Misinformation during the COVID-19 Pandemic?
Link:https://arxiv.org/abs/2004.09600

Published: April 20, 2020

4. Source: arxiv.org
Link:https://arxiv.org/abs/2104.10864

5. Source: monitor.civicus.org
Link:https://monitor.civicus.org/explore/woman-charged-false-statement-covid-19-brunei-maintains-harsh-restrictions-freedoms/

6. Source: cms.bdcb.gov.bn
Link:https://cms.bdcb.gov.bn/storage/uploads/publications/17489311309747470.pdf

7. Source: bdcb.gov.bn
Link:https://www.bdcb.gov.bn/publications/details?id=01k793xd6ytdsngf0mz1c4shwh

8. Source: agc.gov.bn
Title: laws of brunei chapter 148 public order
Link:https://www.agc.gov.bn/AGC%20Images/LAWS/ACT_PDF/cap148.pdf

9. Source: arxiv.org
Title: arXiv Hoaxy: A Platform for Tracking Online Misinformation
Link:https://arxiv.org/abs/1603.01511

10. Source: asianfolktales.unescoapceiu.org
Link:https://asianfolktales.unescoapceiu.org/folktales/read/pdf/Brunei_Darussalam/Nakhoda_Manis.pdf

11. Source: rtbnews.rtb.gov.bn
Title: rtb.gov.bn Latest News
Link:https://www.rtbnews.rtb.gov.bn/lists/news%202018/allitems.aspx?PageFirstRow=4261&Paged=TRUE&PagedPrev=TRUE&View=%7B3B153AC6-5307-4188-B8E5-8AA4FAA3BB97%7D&p_Date=20240917%3A00%3A00&p_ID=43785

12. Source: rtbnews.rtb.gov.bn
Title: rtb.gov.bn Latest News
Link:https://www.rtbnews.rtb.gov.bn/lists/news%202018/allitems.aspx?PageFirstRow=6721&Paged=TRUE&PagedPrev=TRUE&View=%7B3B153AC6-5307-4188-B8E5-8AA4FAA3BB97%7D&p_Date=20240917%3A00%3A00&p_ID=43787

13. Source: rtbnews.rtb.gov.bn
Title: rtb.gov.bn Latest News
Link:https://www.rtbnews.rtb.gov.bn/Lists/News%202018/DispForm.aspx?ContentTypeId=0x010009BBE23B3840184D80AE8D8DEA617660&ID=43848

14. Source: instagram.com
Link:https://www.instagram.com/p/DCvEKrTyiJZ/

15. Source: instagram.com
Link:https://www.instagram.com/reel/DPH9QOSk76c/

16. Source: instagram.com
Link:https://www.instagram.com/p/DLKQ9FuMkz-/

17. Source: instagram.com
Title: DKeho WMBlh8
Link:https://www.instagram.com/p/DKehoWMBlh8/

18. Source: instagram.com
Link:https://www.instagram.com/p/CUfquBRP3MT/

19. Source: instagram.com
Link:https://www.instagram.com/p/DLWwypiTBYM/

20. Source: instagram.com
Link:https://www.instagram.com/reel/DaE4Dk4R-B9/

21. Source: history-centre.gov.bn
Title: Katalog Terbitan Pusat Sejarah Brunei (2021) Spreads
Link:https://www.history-centre.gov.bn/Kedai%20Buku%20Galeri/Katalog%20Terbitan%20Pusat%20Sejarah%20Brunei%20%282021%29%20Spreads.pdf

22. Source: accc.gov.au
Link:https://www.accc.gov.au/media-release/its-a-scam-celebrities-are-not-getting-rich-from-online-investment-trading-platforms

23. Source: scamwatch.gov.au
Title: scam alert fake celebrity online investment scams
Link:https://www.scamwatch.gov.au/about-us/news-and-alerts/scam-alert-fake-celebrity-online-investment-scams

24. Source: youtube.com
Link:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-iRW7BfsQvg

25. Source: thescoop.co
Title: aiti launches fact checking platform to curb misinformation fake news
Link:https://thescoop.co/2025/06/05/aiti-launches-fact-checking-platform-to-curb-misinformation-fake-news/

26. Source: thescoop.co
Title: The Scoop Mo H: Expat who was subject of viral message not an active
Link:https://thescoop.co/2021/05/21/moh-expat-who-was-subject-of-viral-message-not-an-active-covid-19-case/

Published: May 21, 2021

27. Source: rune.une.edu.au
Link:https://rune.une.edu.au/server/api/core/bitstreams/df58ff6f-b130-4a1b-95e8-a0e8418bfe81/content

28. Source: bruneitourism.com
Title: Brunei Tourism Pulau Chermin
Link:https://www.bruneitourism.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Brunei-River-Heritage-Trail_compressed.pdf

29. Source: Wikipedia
Title: Jong Batu
Link:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jong_Batu

30. Source: bruneitourism.com
Link:https://www.bruneitourism.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Brunei-Heritage-River-Trail.pdf

Additional References

31. Source: youtube.com
Title: Episode 8: Tetapan Keselamatan
Link:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x9fWNLtzYY4

32. Source: researchgate.net
Link:https://www.researchgate.net/publication/371591235_Thalamasin_Ari_Kasikis_and_Urduja_US_colonial_discourse_in_the_making_of_a_contrived_or_fake_history_and_lessons_in_historical_methodology

33. Source: facebook.com
Link:https://www.facebook.com/mrmartinlewis/videos/a-viewer-asked-me-for-help-on-this-morning-after-losing-140000-to-a-fake-crypto-/1061408756047269/

34. Source: reddit.com
Link:https://www.reddit.com/r/nasikatok/comments/1l5zy05/aiti_factchecking_platform_waspadabn_now_only_on/

35. Source: facebook.com
Link:https://www.facebook.com/bruneicompass/posts/%F0%9D%97%A7%F0%9D%97%B5%F0%9D%97%AE%F0%9D%97%B6-%F0%9D%98%84%F0%9D%97%BC%F0%9D%97%BA%F0%9D%97%AE%F0%9D%97%BB-%F0%9D%97%B3%F0%9D%97%B6%F0%9D%97%BB%F0%9D%97%B2%F0%9D%97%B1-%F0%9D%97%95%F0%9D%97%A1%F0%9D%97%97%F0%9D%9F%AD%F0%9D%97%B8-%F0%9D%97%B3%F0%9D%97%BC%F0%9D%97%BF-%F0%9D%97%AF%F0%9D%97%BF%F0%9D%97%B2%F0%9D%97%AE%F0%9D%97%B0%F0%9D%97%B5%F0%9D%97%B6%F0%9D%97%BB%F0%9D%97%B4-%F0%9D%98%80%F0%9D%97%B0%F0%9D%97%B5%F0%9D%97%BC%F0%9D%97%BC%F0%9D%97%B9-%F0%9D%97%BD%F0%9D%97%BF%F0%9D%97%B6%F0%9D%98%83%F0%9D%97%AE%F0%9D%97%B0%F0%9D%98%86a-23-year-old-thai-woman-was-/1099983051485222/

36. Source: facebook.com
Link:https://www.facebook.com/bruneicompass/posts/copypastedear-teachers-recently-there-are-a-lot-of-post-online-showing-the-griev/764701533680631/

37. Source: icnl.org
Link:https://www.icnl.org/covid19tracker/?date=&issue=2&location=&type=

38. Source: asiacentre.org
Link:https://asiacentre.org/wp-content/uploads/COVID-19-and-Infodemic-in-Southeast-Asia-%E2%80%93-James-Gomez-and-Robin-Ramcharan.pdf

39. Source: csis-website-prod.s3.amazonaws.com
Link:https://csis-website-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/s3fs-public/210428_Covid_Tracker.pdf?j_yXry0lWRgCgyMW.WVO33KLWSJvmxHC=

40. Source: facebook.com
Link:https://www.facebook.com/groups/528568377334876/posts/2687553751436317/