Hasbollah Daud | |
|---|---|
| حسب الله داود | |
| Hasbollah, c. 1962 | |
| Born | 1902 |
| Education | |
| Occupations |
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| Known for | Founder of Brunei United Party |
| Political party | BUP (1961–1962) |
Hasbollah bin Haji Mohammed Daud [a] (born 1902) was a prominent Bruneian businessman and politician who founded the Brunei United Party (BUP) in 1961 to promote Brunei's integration into the Malaysian Federation. [2] Supported by the monarchy, he established the party as a counter to the growing influence of the Parti Rakyat Brunei (PRB), but his political efforts were unsuccessful, including losing the 1962 election for the Sumbiling seat. [3]
Hasbollah bin Haji Mohammed Daud was born in 1902 in the village of Kampong Sumbiling, Brunei Town. He received his education at Victoria Institution in Kuala Lumpur, Malaya, [4] and also attended Victoria School in Singapore before returning to Brunei to begin his career. Around 1911, his father, a rubber planter from Johore, was brought to Brunei by a European rubber estate manager, marking the family's relocation to the country. [3] Datin Paduka Hajah Norsiah, his sister, served as the Ministry of Education's acting permanent secretary in 2002. [5]
He worked as a clerk in the British Resident's Office from 1913 to 1923. [3] The British Military Administration detained him together with Salleh Masri and a number of other Malays for their involvement in the Malay-Chinese clash in March 1946. [6] For this reason, he departed from the civil service was a disciplinary charge. He visited several locations in Sarawak, Singapore, and Malaysia. He was also a well-known member of the Persatuan Sahabat Pena Brunei (PSPB) in the 1930s and 1940s. [4] [7]
Hasbollah founded the BUP in September 1961 at Kampong Sumbiling, [7] [1] registered in December, [8] with a pro-Malaysian stance aimed at promoting the Malaysia Plan to Bruneians [9] [3] and in favour of Brunei's integration with the Malaysian Federation. [b] [2] The party was established with royal support as a counterforce to the rising influence of the PRB. Despite his efforts, Hasbollah and the BUP struggled in the elections of 1962 and 1965. [c] [3] [10] In 1962, the party fielded just one candidate—Hasbollah himself—and lost against PRB's Zaini Ahmad for the Sumbiling seat in Brunei–Muara. [11] [12] He only managed to receive 25 votes, while Zaini received 266. [4] PRB's dominance was solidified as they took control of most district councils, leaving BUP without significant influence. [11]
On a research mission to Malaysia in 1962, BUP President Hasbollah caused a stir when he said that most Bruneians were more concerned with making money than with learning about Malaysia's prospective advantages. Only a small percentage of Bruneians followed regional political developments. In response, the PRB stated that numerous Bruneians had publicly opposed Malaysia in front of the Brunei–Malaysia Commission, proving that a lack of faith in Hasbollah did not translate to political apathy. [13]