Hassanal Bolkiah

Hassanal Bolkiah

Hassanal Bolkiah is the 29th and current Sultan and Yang di-Pertuan of Brunei. He succeeded to the throne following the abdication of his father on 5 October 1967. After Queen Elizabeth II, he is the world’s second longest-reigning current monarch. The sultan has been ranked among the wealthiest individuals in the world.

About Hassanal Bolkiah in brief

Summary Hassanal BolkiahHassanal Bolkiah is the 29th and current Sultan and Yang di-Pertuan of Brunei. He succeeded to the throne following the abdication of his father on 5 October 1967. The sultan has been ranked among the wealthiest individuals in the world. In 2008, Forbes estimated the sultan’s total peak net worth at US$20 billion. After Queen Elizabeth II, he is the world’s second longest-reigning current monarch. On 5 October 2017, the s Sultan celebrated his Golden Jubilee to mark the 50th year of his reign on the throne. He is the head of state with full executive authority, including emergency powers since 1962. In 1991, he introduced a conservative ideology to Brunei called Melayu Islam Beraja, which presents the monarchy as the defender of the faith. He has recently favoured Brunei government democratisation and declared himself Prime Minister and President. In 2004, the Legislative Council, which had been dissolved since 1962, was reopened. In 2006, the Sultan was reported to have amended Brunei’s constitution to make himself infallible under Bruneian law. In 2014, he advocated the adoption of Islamic sharia penalties, including that adultery is to be punished with death by stoning. In 2015, he banned public celebrations of Christmas in 2015, including wearing hats or clothes that resemble Santa Claus. Christians are still allowed to celebrate Christmas. In 1997, Miss Marketic Sherwood sued Jkiah, Prince and younger brother of Hassanal BolKiah, claiming she and other women were hired for promotional work but instead held as a virtual prisoner.

After 18 months of litigation, a judge at the US court dismissed the suit on the grounds that the sovereign had immunity as a sovereign. Miss Brandi Sherwood declined to file her own lawsuit as a victim, however a judge ruled that she had been drugged and sexually abused and dismissed the case on grounds of a lack of jurisdiction. He currently holds the portfolios of Minister of Defence, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Minister of Finance. He was chairman of Summit APEC Leaders in 2000 when Brunei Darussalam hosted the summit. In 2013, he was also the chairman of ASEAN Summit in 2013 when Bruneing hosted thesummit. He also appointed himself as Inspector General of Police of the Royal Brunei Police Force. He became the Sultan of. BruneiDarussalam on 5October 1967, after his father abdicated. He attended the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst in the United Kingdom, graduating in 1967. He established the Sultan Haji Hassanalbolkiah Foundation. Hassanal Bolivia is Head of Religion, and Islam is the official religion of the country. His coronation was held on 1 August 1968, and made him the Yang di. Pertuan of Bruneing. Like his father, he has been knighted byQueen Elizabeth II of the United UK, of which Brunei was a protectorate until 1984. He often attends mosques and surau throughout the country for the obligatory Friday prayers. In December 2015, there were around estimated 4,000 out of 18,000 Bruneian Catholics.