Launch of book on constitution
By Ayu Sulaiman & Jacky Lim

The function took place at the Millennium Restaurant in Gadong yesterday afternoon.

In his speech, Prince Abdul Qawi said, "history is the foundation stone of real knowledge. It instils in us a fascination with things past whilst also helping to better understand the complexities of today and challenges of tomorrow."

He said that it also helps us to develop social strategies to cope with an ever-changing environment and it is indeed a never-ending journey and not merely a matter of meaningless dates of lifeless events.

With regards to the book, Prince Abdul Qawi said that it is important in the sense that it records the modern history of Brunei.

He also noted the initiative taken by Dr. B.A. Hussainmiya, the author of the book that clearly records the exciting events and developments that have led to the building of Brunei as a nation, whereby the absence of this in-depth account will make it hard for us to understand and appreciate this period of time in the history of our nation.

The book also contains a wealth of information on the politics of Brunei and it also reveals internal tensions between colonial policy and the traditional struggle in strengthening the Malay Islamic Monarchy in the Sultanate, added the Prince.

He also highlighted Brunei Press' ever-growing reputation for publishing significant works of quality that further affirmed its commitment to promoting knowledge and education within the Brunei scene.

Books written by Dr. Hussainmiya include Lost Cousins: the Malays of Sri Lanka (1986), The Malays of the Ceylon Rifle Regiment (1990) and Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddien III and Britain: The Making of Brunei Darussalam.

Courtesy of Borneo Bulletin