Brunei Honours

Tomorrow is His Majesty's 60th Birthday Celebrations. As usual, there will be a few happy people who will be getting their honours and for some of them will automatically get a title that goes with that honour. I would like to describe how it feels to be receiving an honour from His Majesty but the way things are going, I don't think I will ever know. I have only received one tiny medal which practically everyone in the civil service receives throughout my 18 year service. So, I will do the next best thing - describe the honours and medals so that if you do know if anyone getting them, you would know what they got.

Honours awarded by His Majesty can be divided into two. One is the 'Bintang Kebesaran' or Decoration Orders and the other is pingat or medals. The former is awarded during His Majesty's Birthday by His Majesty himself and if there are too many recipients to be awarded, some will be awarded by His Majesty at another smaller ceremony after the birthday. The medals are always given out by HRH The Crown Prince or one of His Majesty's brothers a few months later.

The Bintang Kebesaran come in several different Categories. Each category is for different classes of persons. For instance Darjah Kerabat Mahkota Brunei or the Royal Family Order of the Crown of Brunei are only awarded to members of the royal families either Bruneians or other royals. Darjah Seri Ugama Islam is of course awarded to clerics or those who served in the religious service. Darjah Paduka Seri Laila Jasa Keberanian is of course for the military and the police. Each category has several classes. It is the second and first class of each category which will give the title Dato. However for being awarded the bintang kebesaran, the recipients in addition to the title in front of their names, if any, will also get to keep the letters behind their names. The list of different categories of Orders, the classes in each Order and the titles, if any, associated with that class:-
  • Darjah Kerabat Mahkota Brunei (The Royal Family Order of the Crown of Brunei) - 1st: DKMB

  • Darjah Kerabat Laila Utama Yang Amat Dihormati (The Most Esteemed Family Order Laila Utama) - 1st: DK - Dato Laila Utama

  • Darjah Kerabat Seri Utama Yang Amat Dihormati (The Most Esteemed Family Order Seri Utama) - 1st: DK - Dato Seri Utama

  • Darjah Seri Ugama Islam Negara Brunei Yang Amat Bersinar (The Most Eminent Order of Islam Brunei) - 1st: PSSUB - Dato Paduka Seri Setia; 2nd: DSSUB - Dato Seri Setia; 3rd: SSUB; 4th: SUB; 5th: PUB

  • Darjah Paduka Seri Laila Jasa Keberanian Gemilang Yang Amat Cemerlang (The Most Illustrious Order of Paduka Laila Jasa Keberanian Gemilang) - 1st: DPKG - Dato Paduka Seri; 2nd: DKLG - Dato Laila; 3rd: DKG

  • Darjah Paduka Keberanian Laila Terbilang Yang Amat Gemilang (The Most Exalted Order of Paduka Keberanian Laila Terbilang) - 1st: DPKT - Dato Paduka Seri; 2nd: DKLT - Dato Laila; 3rd: DKT

  • Darjah Pahlawan Negara Brunei Yang Amat Perkasa (The Most Gallant Order of Pahlawan Negara Brunei) - 1st: PSPNB - Dato Seri Pahlawan; 2nd: DHPNB - Dato Hamzah Pahlawan; 3rd: PNB; 4th: PJB

  • Darjah Setia Negara Brunei Yang Amat Bahagia (The Most Blessed Order of Setia Negara Brunei) - 1st: PSNB - Dato Seri Setia; 2nd: DSNB - Dato Setia; 3rd: SNB; 4th: PSB

  • Darjah Paduka Seri Laila Jasa Yang Amat Berjasa (The Most Distinguished Order of Paduka Seri Laila Jasa) - 1st: PSLJ - Dato Paduka Seri Laila Jasa; 2nd: DSLJ - Dato Seri Laila Jasa; 3rd: SLJ

  • Darjah Seri Paduka Mahkota Brunei Yang Amat Mulia (The Most Honourable Order of Seri Paduka Mahkota Brunei) - 1st: SPMB - Dato Seri Paduka; 2nd: DPMB - Dato Paduka; 3rd: SMB
The greatest number of new Datoships will receive the Darjah Seri Paduka Mahkota Brunei Yang Amat Mulia Darjah Kedua - DPMB which will give the title Dato Paduka. Non-Bruneians traditionally get the Darjah Paduka Seri Laila Jasa Yang Amat Berjasa even though Bruneians have also been awarded this in the past. You can get higher and higher orders. Your title will be the highest one you receive. The lowest decoration order government officers get will be the PSB and for religious officers the PUB. Despite what people say, the PSB is not that easy to get (I don't have one, though the Mrs has one already).

So, come 15th July 2006, if you are watching on tv or reading the news, I hope you can use the above as a guide. If you are one of the recipients, my heartiest congratulations!

Comments

Anonymous said…
Ceritalah pasal the extra $$$ and privileges those titles bring.Manatau it's something we can aim for one day AMIN!Oh don't forget the 'extra' hardship as well of course.I know a fren who aimed to be anak Dato'for years and years. Her wish will come true tomorrow.Luck N:)
sorry to disappoint you, getting a datoship has no $$$ privileges or other privileges apart from the title itself. in that sense, it is 'only' an honour but so many people hoped to be given one. congratulations to your friend....
FlyBoy said…
My father received a pingat during his years in the Civil Service. He said it's called the PJK. I asked him once what it was. He said it was 'Parut Jauh Kedapan' in jest.

He had me in stitches because he has a generous waistline.
Actually, i think it means Pingat Kerja Baik.
it's actually Pingat Jasa Kebaktian. That's a higher level pingat. the lowest one is PIKB - Pingat Indah Kerja Baik.
Anonymous said…
I can't believe there are people out there whose ambition is to become "anak Dato" hahah.. forgive me, but it seems quite ludicrous as the anak has not done anything to contribute to the achieving of the title, and it is not her title but her father's (or mother's).
I think people should want to attain this title themselves, not through their parents, no?
Just for the record, my father is a Dato himself. And to be quite honest, I know a lot of people whose father's are Datos or whose mothers are Datins (Paduka) so it seems to me like the title is superfluous.
But I know these people must've done something to deserve it, and this is one way of honouring them, so congratulations to them, and Congratulations to Anonymous' friend's father..
Anonymous said…
Anyone knows how many DATOs and Pehins are there in Brunei? In Malaysia, it became quite a controversy when there were too many datos in that country... i wonder what's the proportion in Brunei.
Anonymous said…
This is what's wrong with Brunei..people who aim to be an 'anak Dato'. Other than a name change what else do you get? You don't get more money, you don't get bumped to the first in any line and you don't have people fawning over you. Ok that last one you might but honestly does one really want people like that in your life?

It saddens me that in this day and age people still look for the materialistic things in life.
Anonymous said…
Penganugerahan Pingat "Datuk Mindanao" (oleh Keluarga Diraja Mindanao) dikatakan ramai ada diterima oleh rakyat Malaysia beberapa tahun yang lalu.

Dan penganugerahan pingat "Datuk" Kesultanan Sulu kepada beberapa orang rakyat Malaysia dikatakan ada dibuat oleh seorang mengelarkan dirinya "Sultan Rodinood ibni Sultan Julaspi-Kiram" yang mengaku berasal zuriat keturunan Sultan Jamalul-Kiram-II (Keluarga Diraja Kiram). Jika ini benar, malang sekali "Anugerah Datuk Sulu" yang dimaksudkan tidak akan berstatus "Sah atau diikhtiraf" oleh pihak Keluarga Diraja Kesultanan Sulu, kerana "Sultan Rodinood ibni Sultan Julaspi-Kiram" sebenarnya bukan lah berasal dari darah keturunan Kesultanan Sulu. Beliau ini hanya menyamar sebagai waris kepada Sultan Sulu demi untuk kepentingan peribadi beliau sahaja.

Jika Keluarga Diraja Mindanao terdiri dari 3 Keluarga Diraja nya iaitu Keluarga Diraja Kesultanan Maguindanao, Keluarga Diraja Kesultanan Maranao & Keluarga Diraja Kesultanan Raja Buwayan, maka Keluarga Diraja Sulu juga adalah terdiri dari 3 buah Keluarga Diraja Sulu. Iaitu, Keluarga Diraja Kiram, Keluarga Diraja Shakiraullah & Kelauraga Diraja Maharajah Adinda.

Namun dalam memberikan sesuatu pingat darjah Kebesaran Kesultanan Sulu (Datuk Sulu), ianya hanya boleh diberikan oleh seseorang "Sultan Sulu" yang sah berasal dari zuriat darah keturunan Sultan Sulu, yang menaiki takhta Sulu (Mengikut Protokol Kesultanan Sulu atau Tartib Kesultanan Sulu).

(*Protokol Sistem Kesultanan Sulu menyamai protokol sistem Kesultanan Perak lama, dimana takhta perlu digilirkan diantara 3 buah Keluarga Diraja Sulu).

Maka di masa kini, Keluarga Diraja Sulu yang layak menduduki takhta Kesultanan Sulu dan layak memberikan Anugerah Pingat Darjah Kebesaran Sulu adalah semestinya dari Keluarga Diraja Maharajah Adinda, dan bukan dari Keluarga Diraja Kiram mahu pun Keluarga Diraja Shakiraullah.

Kini dikhabarkan bahawa Keluarga Diraja Sulu dari Keluarga Diraja Maharajah Adinda bersama waris Keluarga Diraja Kiram akan menubuhkan "Persatuan Waris & Kerabat Diraja Sulu" yang mana ianya akan didaftarkan secara sah.

Dengan wujudnya nanti "Persatuan Waris & Kerabat Diraja Sulu" itu nanti, ianya akan boleh melindungi nama baik Kesultanan Sulu dari dipergunakan oleh pihak-pihak yang tidak bertanggungjawab dengan menjual "Anugerah Pingat-pingat Kebesaran Darjah Sulu" (Gelaran Datuk Sulu) kepada sesiapa saja, sedangkan Waris-waris sebenar Sultan Sulu pun tidak pernah memberikan sebarang anugerah sedemikian kepada sesiapa jua.

Namun demikian, kepada sesiapa yang telah menerima "Anugerah Pingat-pingat Kebesaran Sulu", adalah dinasihatkan nanti membawa "Anugerah" itu kepada Persatuan Waris & Kerabat Kesultanan Sulu untuk ditapis dan diberikan "Pengesahan". Kerana hanya melalui "Persatuan Waris & Kerabat Diraja Sulu" itu nanti yan g ada hak dan kuasa untuk "Mengikhtiraf & Mengesahkan" sebarang "Anugerah Pingat-pingat Kebesaran Sulu". Ini juga adalah untuk membersihkan nama baik Kesultanan Sulu dari dicemari akan kemartabatannya.
Anonymous said…
dekat brunei pun ada juga orang0orang yang menerima Datuk Sulu. sekiranya apa yang dibentangkan itu benar, ada baiknya oenerima berkenaan merujuknya kepada pihak yang berkenaan.

beza bagi mereka yang menerima Dato diBrunei dengan mereka yang menrima Dato di malaysia. Di Brunei dato hanyalah satu kehormatan dan bagi mereka yang menerimanya sewaktu berkhidmat dengan kerajaan boeh juga dibanggakan kerana dengan Datonya adalah juga "influence". Tapi dah pencen, influnencenya juga akan pudar. mungkin di Malaysia influence seorang Dato lebih tinggi dan boleh membawa kekayaan. itu pun mungkin sebahagian besar.

boleh dibetulkan jika saya salah.

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