How Indian barbers cut a monopoly for themselves in faraway Brunei

A barber store, generally known as Kedia Gunting in Malay, in Kiulap, Brunei-Muara District, Brunei. Photograph credit score: Ida

“Everybody I do know goes to an Indian barber,” Ida, a Brunei resident, advised indianexpress.com. A number of a long time earlier than Indians turned dominant within the nation’s barber store enterprise, it was the invention of oil that first introduced Indians to Brunei in 1929. The pre-World Struggle II immigration of Indians to that area was divided into two teams, write Okay S Sandhu and A Mani of their ebook ‘Indian Communities in Southeast Asia’: “The Indians who engaged in buying and selling and commerce got here of their very own accord and arrange their companies in varied city facilities. The second group consisted of labourers within the 4 rubber plantations of Brunei.”

The labourers who had been introduced to those rubber plantations had been largely of Tamil origin, writes Sridevi Menon in her analysis article ‘Narrating Brunei: Travelling histories of Brunei Indians’, revealed in 2016. At this time, they kind a majority within the Indian group within the nation.

Mohammed Armaan Ahmed stands exterior his barber store in Kuala Belait, Brunei. Photograph credit score: Mohammed Armaan Ahmed

After the invention of oil in Seria in 1929, Indian labour participation within the oil trade elevated as a result of the petroleum firm paid the very best wages, leading to Indians leaving the plantations for these alternatives, Okay S Sandhu and A Mani write. Within the years that adopted, Brunei witnessed speedy growth, creating alternatives for Indian residents within the fields of training and well being companies. There are roughly 7,500 Indian nationals residing in Brunei and greater than half of the expatriates immediately are semi and unskilled staff, who’re employed in development, retail companies, and many others, in keeping with a paper on bilateral relations revealed by the Excessive Fee of India in Brunei Darussalam.

Izehar Ahmed’s household has been within the haircutting enterprise for no less than three generations of their hometown Azamgarh, Uttar Pradesh, and it was these expertise that helped Ahmed’s grandfather first transfer to Brunei some 4 a long time in the past, when few of their group had even heard of the nation. Quickly after he arrived in Brunei all these years in the past, Ahmed’s grandfather had realised that there was an enormous marketplace for the abilities that Indian barbers possessed, Ahmed advised indianexpress.com.

It wasn’t simply their mastery at haircutting that set them aside from different communities within the enterprise. Indian barbers shortly turned identified for the particular companies that they supplied, not normally accessible elsewhere, like head and shoulder massages, fast shaves and fundamental skincare, all provided at low costs—companies generally accessible in native barber retailers in north India particularly in Uttar Pradesh, the place a big share of Indian barbers in Brunei are initially from.

Mohammed Armaan Ahmed at work in his barber store in Kuala Belait, Brunei. Photograph credit score: Mohammed Armaan Ahmed

There have been a number of home components that helped create area for Indian barbers to develop their companies and flourish. Previous to Brunei’s independence in January 1984 from the UK, the enterprise of barber retailers and hair salons was dominated by Sarawakian-Chinese language from Sarawak, Ida defined. “The Sarawakian-Chinese language left after Brunei gained independence, as a result of our currencies had been not appropriate. Pre-independence, the currencies in Brunei, Singapore and Malaysia had been interchangeable. This meant that we may use each Singaporean and Malaysian cash along with our personal. Then at some point in 1984, the yr we gained independence, we had been advised that retailers and companies would not settle for Malaysian notes and cash.”

When the Chinese language barbers slowly started returning to Sarawak, that area was stuffed by Indian barbers. “One other factor to recollect is that Brunei has a tiny inhabitants, which isn’t conducive to enterprise competitors. When the Chinese language started shedding their clients to Indian barbers, they simply shut store and moved again to Malaysia,” Ida stated.

It was curiosity to journey and a need to see the world that made Mohammed Armaan Ahmed board a flight from Kolkata to Brunei a bit over twenty years in the past. Armed with little else aside from haircutting expertise, Armaan landed in a rustic he had identified little about, however to 1 which he would shortly adapt.

Mohammed Armaan Ahmed offers a head therapeutic massage to one among his most common clients, Haji Abdullah, in his barber store in Kuala Belait, Brunei. Photograph credit score: Mohammed Armaan Ahmed

“Everybody hopes to earn extra money. The change price was fairly vital and so I used to be capable of ship some huge cash again dwelling,” Armaan stated. Brunei’s barber retailers run by Indians are identified for offering fast haircuts that value something between BND5-BND7 (roughly Rs. 300 to Rs. 400), with haircuts for youngsters costing even much less, typically lower than BND2; costs which are considerably decrease than the BND18 (roughly Rs. 1,000) {that a} minimize at a contemporary barber store could value—nearly thrice the value.

Within the retailers run by Indians, clients get a variety of companies at low costs, Indian barbers interviewed for this report advised indianexpress.com. “Within the trendy salons, they’ll simply minimize hair for that value. They received’t offer you a shave. We minimize hair, we shave. We additionally give a head therapeutic massage with oil. Bruneians love these head massages,” stated Armaan.

Trendy barber retailers in Brunei cost for each service they supply and on most events, there isn’t any of Shah Rukh Khan’s songs taking part in contained in the store or the scope of discussing Bollywood movies with the store’s Indian workers. “I used to be not capable of earn as a lot in India. Again there, I used to earn Re. 1-Rs. 2 for a shave, and Rs. 10 for a haircut. After I got here right here, I discovered that the folks had been good. The work circumstances weren’t as harsh and I may work in an air- conditioned store,” stated Armaan. A 2020 report by the World Financial institution marked Brunei as a high-income financial system, with a gross nationwide revenue (GNI) per capita of $32,230, the second highest in Southeast Asia after Singapore.

Till 2013, haircutting in Brunei was restricted to barber retailers run by Indians and Southeast Asians. However over the previous decade, trendy barber retailers have sprung up that concentrate on hair styling and remedy, that’s frequented by a clientele particularly searching for these companies, who’re prepared to pay thrice extra.

The rising presence of those trendy barber retailers nevertheless, doesn’t imply that Brunei’s youth are drawn to them or favor their companies over Indian and Southeast Asian-run retailers. Since he was a toddler, Baz, a 19-year-old resident of Bandar Seri Begawan, has solely visited Indian barber retailers and stated that it’s the similar story along with his pals. The rationale for his alternative is straightforward: as a result of they’re considerably cheaper than trendy males’s salons. “Most of them frequent the Indian barber retailers of their neighbourhoods or within the buying district at Serusop, Brunei-Muara District,” stated Baz.

Mohammed Armaan Ahmed at work in his barber store in Kuala Belait, Brunei. This {photograph} was taken by the client’s father or mother and revealed with their consent. Photograph credit score: Mohammed Armaan Ahmed

These barber retailers, typically additionally known as ‘nook retailers’ in Brunei, are normally small institutions, sufficient to suit some 5 chairs, are scattered throughout the nation and nearly each neighbourhood could have no less than one barber store run by Indians. There aren’t any actual figures for what number of Indian barbers work in Brunei, however the Indian Excessive Fee had discovered that the quantity could also be round 500 throughout an off-the-cuff survey performed final yr—excessive numbers for a rustic that’s solely barely bigger than the state of Sikkim, the place a lot of the inhabitants is concentrated within the capital Bandar Seri Begawan.

“In Brunei, 90% of the barber retailers are run by Indians. The remaining retailers are run by Chinese language and Southeast Asians, however over the previous few years, a handful of Bangladeshis have additionally entered the commerce,” stated Armaan. As phrase unfold through the years of the success that Indian barbers discovered and the work circumstances in Brunei, it inspired their kinfolk in India to journey to the nation for employment, ensuing within the creation of a subgroup throughout the Indian group. “The enterprise grew when Indians began coming right here and commenced understanding that there was a requirement particularly for Indian barbers,” stated Ahmed. “Again dwelling, kinfolk watching the monetary success and prosperity that the barbers discovered, had been impressed to strive their very own luck right here.”

“It’s like this: I got here, then I known as somebody I do know. He known as another person,” stated Armaan. Most Indian barbers work on employment permits that repeatedly get renewed until they attain the age of 60, after which they retire and return to India. Their jobs are shortly stuffed, as a result of there’s all the time somebody again in India ready to interchange them. “If I depart Brunei, somebody from my household or neighbourhood will decide up my work,” defined Armaan.

The outbreak of Covid-19 suspended the issuance of recent work visas for Indians hoping to journey to Brunei. Because of this, since 2020, there have been no alternatives for hopefuls wanting to affix their kinfolk and acquaintances within the barber store enterprise within the nation.

A barbershop in Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei. Photograph credit score: Michael Maxx/Fb

The companies of a particular Indian barber in Brunei is advisable by phrase of mouth, stated Abdullah. “I’ve been coming to Armaan for 10 years now. It’s nearly like a friendship. I’ll say, ‘barber A could be very good, very variety, their service is excellent,’” Abdullah stated, explaining how he recommends Armaan to his pals.

“I simply name and say ‘Armaan, I’m coming at 2:30 pm’. If I don’t name, I’ll await him. If he’s with a buyer, he says, ‘give me half an hour’. However I’m prepared to attend as a result of the service is sweet,” stated Abdullah. Ten years in the past earlier than he discovered Armaan, Abdullah visited a number of Chinese language barber retailers and some run by Indians. Dissatisfied with their companies, he chanced upon Armaan and has by no means thought of going elsewhere.

It isn’t uncommon to listen to tales of three generations in a household visiting the identical barber within the nation. “I’ve been in Brunei for over 20 years. The younger boy whose hair I used to chop, received married and is now a father of two youngsters. He brings his youngsters to my store for haircuts. There have been instances when I’ve minimize the hair of 4 generations in a household—first the nana (grandfather), then the abbu (father), then his son after which the great-grandson. That’s how it’s,” Armaan stated.

Over time, hair merchandise and face lotions have come and gone in Brunei, however a glass bottle of Axe model’s Minyak Angin Cap Kapak has been a everlasting fixture on barber store cabinets for so long as the group can keep in mind. ‘Axe oil’ as it’s typically known as within the nation, is a concoction of menthol, eucalyptus oil, camphor, methyl salicylate, important oils and different secret substances, and is usually discovered throughout Southeast Asia. This oil is used within the area as a house treatment to remedy every thing from colds to muscle ache. A haircut in an Indian barber store is completed with a therapeutic massage utilizing a couple of drops of this oil, to alleviate aching shoulders and stiff necks, and is likely one of the hottest companies amongst Bruneians above 30, barbers advised indianexpress.com.

As of late, Abdullah prefers shaving his head totally each time he comes into Armaan’s store. After his shave, Abdullah has a set routine with which his barber is well-acquainted: a head therapeutic massage, adopted by a face therapeutic massage. “The factor about Indian barbers is that they know what type the client needs. After I are available, Armaan is aware of what type I need.”