Legislative Council Opens New Page In Brunei History

Bandar Seri Begawan – September 25, 2004 will mark another momentous day for the country with the convening of the Legislative Council Brunei, after being in hiatus for 21 years ago.

The Legislative Council Brunei that will reconvene tomorrow, Saturday, can trace its history back nearly five decades ago.

At the helm of its creation was Almarhum Sultan Haji Omar Ali Saifuddien Sa'adul Khairi Waddien, who ascended the throne as Brunei's 28th ruler at the mature age of 35 and was also Brunei's first foreign-educated Sultan.

In June of 1950, Brunei was already fast becoming known as a major oil producing country and well on its way to being a super rich state, and he was determined to use these revenues to advance his country socially, politically and economically and by the same measure pursue steps to achieve self-government, to which he would later be rightfully dubbed as the architect of modern Brunei.

His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah, Sultan of Brunei, remarked in a titah in 1996, that Brunei is a new nation but an ancient country.

His Majesty was of course citing the fact that Brunei is one of the oldest sultanates in the ASEAN region.

But in the course of its history, Brunei, at one time was in danger of extinction and agreed to a British-Brunei Protectorate Treaty of 1888, whereby Brunei became a British Protectorate state and all powers were deferred to the British Residents, except matters pertaining to religion.

Under the rule of the British Resident, Brunei's boundaries were fixed and laid the foundations for a strong and centralised state machinery to carry out new and expanding bureaucratic roles.

However, socially and educationally, the living conditions of the rakyat did not improve, despite the discovery of oil in 1929.

Gradually, the intelligentsia, the ruling classes and Almarhum Sultan Haji Omar Ali Saifuddien Sa'adul Khairi Waddien himself demanded more latitude to make their own political decisions and also be able to enjoy the fruits of Brunei's burgeoning wealth.

So on May 12, 1953, His Majesty's late father first expressed his desire to grant a constitution for Brunei and form a constitutional government for his people.

But it would take another six years for the titah to be implemented.

During those six years, a local advisory committee of seven people, known as the Tujuh Serangkai, were mandated by Almarhum Begawan Sultan to travel to the country's four districts, interview the general public, tour the Malayan states of Johore, Negeri Sembilan, Kedah and Kelantan and then return home to draft their findings and report back and advise the Almarhum Begawan Sultan accordingly.

This was in fact what the Almarhum Begawan Sultan had set out to accomplish and the committee's report had captured it all, from their recommendations for a proposed constitution to the rakyat's demands for extensive education, employment and welfare facilities from the government.

For the first time, the rakyat became empowered by a nationalistic zeal that resonated to the theme of Brunei for Bruneians.

The Brunei Constitution was formally endorsed and signed on September 29, 1959, within the auspicious surroundings of the Lapau.

Signing for Brunei was of course the architect of the Constitution himself, Almarhum Sultan Haji Omar Ali Saifuddien Sa'adul Khairi Waddien and representing Great Britain was Sir Robert Scott, the British Commissioner General for Southeast Asia.

Brunei was now able to reassert itself as it reclaimed its right for internal self-rule.

Furthermore, it also paved the way for the country to regain its full sovereignty some 30 years later. -- Courtesy of Radio Television Brunei

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