Two Malaysian Newspapers Hurts Bruneians With Their Stories

Bandar Seri Begawan - Many people in Brunei are not too pleased with some newspapers in Malaysia sensationalizing the current royal divorce situation in the sultanate.

In particular some leading mass circulation Malay newspapers have been carrying untrue and scandalous stories about the former wife of the Brunei ruler Hajjah Mariam binte Abdul Aziz.

"I do not know why these papers have descended to the level of cheap supermarket tabloids. We hope they are not trying to hurt us unduly," commented an unhappy local Bruneian.

Yesterday Berita Harian Malaysia failed to appear in Brunei newsstands. The paper is understood to have carried a scurrilous story about the Brunei royal divorce.

"It is a good thing that the paper did not appear here. It would have pained many Brunei people who would have taken it as an insult," said a local subscriber.

His Majesty Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah divorced his second wife Pengiran Isteri Hajja Mariam, 48, on Sunday. She also lost all her royal titles.

She was a commoner and a flight stewardess with Royal Brunei airlines when the 35-year-old Brunei monarch fell love with her and married her 22 years ago. They have four children.

Ever since the news of the royal breakup reached the outside world two rival Malaysian vernacular newspapers, the Utusan Malaysia and the Berita Harian seem to go on a muck raking campaign in trying to outdo each other.

Both papers have a fairly wide circulation in Brunei.

"I do not know why they are pulling a cheap stunt like this. Certainly this is not the mark of a good neighbour," was the comment of many here.

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