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HIS MAJESTY SULTAN HAJI HASSANAL BOLKIAH
MU'IZZADDIN WADDAULAH
Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam
The Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei
Darussalam, His Majesty Haji Hassanal Bolkiah
Mu'izzaddin Waddaulah is one of the richest men in
the world. He is the 29th Sultan of one of the oldest
dynasties in existence today. Brunei is a country with
a population of approximately 398,000 on the north
coast of the island of Borneo in Southeast Asia.
Country: Brunei Darussalam
Date of Birth: 15 July 1946
Source of Influence: Political,
Administrative
Influence: Leader of
approximately 398,000 citizens of
Brunei
School of Thought: Traditional
Sunni, Shafi'i
House of Bolkiah
His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah
Mu'izzaddin Waddaulah descends from the House
of Bolkiah, which traces back to Sultan Bolkiah, the
fifth Sultan of Brunei (who ruled from 1485-1524
CE). The House of Bolkiah is the longest reigning Sunni Muslim Royal House in Brunei.
Modernizer
Early in his sultanate, Sultan Bolkiah launched the country into a more active role on the
global stage by aligning Brunei with the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN).
Recently, he has used ASEAN as a vehicle for strengthening relations between Brunei and
the region's other countries—through youth and cultural exchange programs as well as
dialogue on environmental and economic development. Sultan Bolkiah is also credited
with bringing the country in to be a member state of the United Nations.
Administrative Influence
Sultan Bolkiah has been lauded for attempts at slowly democratizing the country's
governance, while at the same time consolidating royal authority. Beginning in the early
nineties Sultan Bolkiah began trying to strengthen the role of Islam through the notion of
Melayu Islam Beraja (or Malay Islamic Monarchy). Dating back to 100 CE and established
in the 5th century, Melayu Islam Beraja links Malay identity, Islam, and the monarchy as an
official ideology. Sultan Bolkiah announced the change in philosophy on 1 January 1984,
on Brunei's day of independence. Although a small percentage of Brunei's population
adheres to religions other than Islam, the official ideology is tolerant and inclusive of
non-Muslims. The Sultan is also an important donor to the Organization of the Islamic
Conference.
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