Crown of the people (MIB Series)

Crown of the people
July 24, 2017

| Dr Muhammad Hadi bin Muhammad Melayong
Senior Special Duties Officer
Secretariat Office Malay Islamic Monarchy (MIB) Supreme Council |

WE, THE people of Brunei Darussalam, especially the youth who are the future leaders must remember and understand how difficult the struggle was for our top leaders, especially Al-Marhum Sultan Haji Omar ‘Ali Saifuddien Sa’adul Khairi Waddien ibni Al-Marhum Sultan Muhammad Jamalul Alam and His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu’izzaddin Waddaulah, Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam in bringing back the sovereignty of Brunei Darussalam, lost since World War II, on January 1, 1984.

In fact, the dream of full independence was born ever since the country became a protectorate state of the British Government after the nation signed the 1888 Protectorate Agreement with Britain.

Thus the independence, regained after a long struggle, is a precious treasure and should be cherished all the time, as stated in His Majesty’s titah, delivered on the eve of the 33rd National Day celebration earlier this year, in which His Majesty reminded the people that independence is part of the history of the people and a “crown” of the people.

“Neglecting independence means neglecting history, which will in turn put the crown of the people in disarray.”

Thus, it is important for every citizen to understand the history of the nation’s struggle towards independence.

This is especially so for the nation’s youths who will succeed as leaders of tomorrow.

The achievement and progress will not come into being without great effort, accompanied by prayer to Allah the Almighty. All these are values of the Malay Islamic Monarchy (MIB) such as the spirit of ‘berjareh’ (struggle) ‘berkareh’, (motivated) and then ‘berloreh’ (achievement) that should be practised and appreciated.

This success is the result of the leadership of His Majesty for half a century.

This is the real vision His Majesty maintains forever to uphold the philosophy of MIB in Brunei Darussalam.

Therefore, the values of MIB are the source of symbol and identity of Bruneians that should be cultivated as seeds in their souls for upholding the sovereignty and independence of this country.

This was stated at the Conference of Heads of State during the meeting of Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) in Casablanca, Morocco two weeks after Brunei achieved independence on January, 16, 1984, in our Declaration of Independence two weeks ago, we said our country’s position as “Malay Islamic Monarchy”.

At the same time, it also shows our interest and effort to build a true bond closely with our Muslim brothers, based on mutual respect for the sovereignty and integrity of the nation.

If we look back at the history of our country, we can see that we faced a lot of criticism and condemnation from outsiders about the nation’s proclamation of MIB philosophy.

The negative views came not only from abroad but also from among the local citizens who were not confident in the practicality of this philosophy as a way of life for the Bruneians.

At that time we probably could not ward off negative impressions without having proof on the practicality of MIB as national philosophy as declared by His Majesty on January 1, 1984 that:

“…from the First day of January, 1984 of the Christian era, corresponding to the 27th of Rabiulawal, the Hijrah of Prophet Muhammad (on Whom be the benediction and peace of Allah) 1404 being the 17th year of our reign, Brunei Darussalam is and with the blessing of Allah (to Whom be praise and Whose name be exalted) shall be forever a sovereign, democratic and independent Malay Islamic Monarchy upon the teachings of Islam according to Ahli Sunnah Wal Jama’ah…”

Alhamdulillah, this ideology has now been proven.

This is the legacy of our leaders for the sake of the nation and also for the sake of Islam, monarchy system of government and Brunei culture.

It is hoped that these struggles are valued and appreciated by the future generation in the midst of development.

In other words, the success of leaders and the people of Brunei in their fight for regaining the sovereignty of the country is the result of cooperation between peoples and leaders in the face of challenges and resistance from within and outside the country.

The Declaration of Independence was a turning point in which the country became a sovereign state of Malay Islamic Monarchy. Independence also meant that Brunei Darussalam would take big responsibility in international matters.

This statement is clear in His Majesty’s titah, “Now it’s time for Brunei Darussalam to take over the full responsibility on the matter of foreign relation as a sovereign independent state among the international community.”

In relation to independence, His Majesty has stated that he willingly accepted the responsibility as a trust from Allah the Almighty to shape the nation’s future by focussing on the fields of political, economic, job creation, education, health and social benefits.

His Majesty also said that this responsibility included upgrading the quality of public service, developing the infrastructure, as well as establishing good relations with other states across the world.

Moreover, His Majesty gave priority to securing peace and strengthening of the laws and regulations.

The subjects were also urged to remain steadfast in opposing any attempt to jeopardise the stability and the tranquility of the nation.

However, we are yet to achieve a level of satisfactory progress and development as a sovereign country, especially in the economic field, like in developing local expertise in oil and gas industry and in agriculture.

His Majesty raised this issue during the Hari Raya Aidilfitri celebration organised by Yayasan Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah in 2017 where His Majesty said, “The age of oil is already approaching nearly a century but an opportunity for local citizens to hold high office positions and even the highest of position was a disappointment.”

On industrial growth in the agriculture sector, His Majesty stated that it appears to be sedentary even amidst the nation’s growing needs for agricultural products.

In this world of globalised society, it is important for the young generation to possess strong values of ‘kebruneian’ as a fortress of defence in facing the challenges.

Our youths must have the characteristics of a positive human model to ensure continuity of Brunei identity as His Majesty stated in a titah in conjunction with the celebration of the 24th National Day of Brunei Darussalam on February, 23, 2008, calling for strong efforts by family institutions, educational institutions, media and others, to focus their attention towards developing or nurturing good quality human capital.

Therefore, the historical events and their significant lessons should be understood by the current generation as references and guidance for achieving the goals of Vision 2035.

Alhamdulillah, the history of Brunei is inspiring.

We should cherish and defend the values of MIB and let it continue to thrive in the land of Brunei Darussalam.

Courtesy of Borneo Bulletin