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History :
In ancient times, Brunei
was a powerful trading nation controlling most of Borneo
and part of the Philippines archipelago, with extensive
connections throughout South-East Asia. The country was occupied
briefly by the Spanish during the late 16th century. Part of the
Spanish colonial mission was always the vigorous dissemination of
Catholicism - in the previous century, Islam had been adopted in
Brunei as the principal religion. In the mid-19th century, Brunei came
under British influence when the seafarer, James Brooke, was granted
control of the Sarawak region (now part of Malaysia) in
return for protection against pirates. The island of Labuan was also
ceded to Britain, thereby reducing Brunei to its current borders.
In 1888, Britain declared ‘North Borneo’ to be a British Protectorate,
under which the territory was governed by a British resident, with
purely nominal powers available to the Sultan. This arrangement
continued - apart from a period of Japanese occupation between
1941-1945 - until Brunei’s transition to independence began in 1959.
That year, a new Anglo-Brunei agreement was signed, under which the UK
assumed responsibility for defence and foreign affairs but passed
control of all other matters to the Sultan. Three years later, the
North Borneo Liberation Army instigated rebellions, during which a
state of emergency was declared. As a result, the Sultan assumed the
power to rule by decree. Since then, with the benefit of its vast oil
wealth, Brunei has undergone steady, if somewhat unequal, development.
The country is in many respects comparable to the Gulf sheikhdoms -
small, exceedingly wealthy and more or less surrounded by larger,
poorer nations.
The government of the country rests in the exclusive hands of His
Majesty Paduka Seri Baginda Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu’izzaddin
Waddaulah, 29th in the dynasty, 35 years on the throne and certainly
one of the world’s richest individuals. Sultan Bolkiah (for short)
took over in 1967, following the abdication of his father, Sultan
Omar, who remained chief adviser to the new ruler. Political activity
in his realm is kept on a very short leash. After toying with orthodox
politics, the government invoked the concept of Melayu Islam Beraja
(Malay Islamic Monarchy) as a state ideology at the end of the 1980s;
Islam consequently has become a steadily stronger influence in the
life of the country. Electoral politics have generally been an
anathema to the Sultan. Political parties, specifically the National
Democratic Party and the National Solidarity Party, were allowed to
operate openly for a brief period in the 1980s and again in the
mid-1990s, although were ultimately suppressed. The Sultan’s intention
to maintain the leading role of the dynasty was reflected by an
official announcement in August 1998, stating that his eldest son,
Prince al-Muhtadee Billah, will succeed him as Sultan upon his death
or retirement. However, the image of the dynasty has been somewhat
damaged by revelations of the profligate and debauched lifestyle of
the Sultan’s brother, Prince Jefri, who has since been declared
bankrupt.
Abroad, Brunei pursued a more active foreign policy during the last
decade, joining the Non-Aligned Movement and establishing diplomatic
relations with China, Vietnam, Iran and
Myanmar. A military cooperation agreement was signed with the USA,
supplementing that with the UK. Brunei hosted an ASEAN summit in July
2002, which agreed co-operative measures in the field of
counter-terrorism among member states. Brunei is also involved in the
search for a settlement of the awkward and potentially dangerous
dispute over the Spratly Islands, the South China Sea archipelago
claimed by six countries, including Brunei itself and China. Relations
with Malaysia have improved since the resolution of various
long-running border disputes.
Government :
Brunei is a traditional Islamic monarchy, with
supreme political power vested in the Sultan. He is advised by the
Privy Council, the Religious Council, the Council of Cabinet Ministers
and the Council of Succession. |
