 British Resident in Brunei | |
|---|---|
 | |
 | |
| Style | The Honourable |
| Residence | Bubungan Dua Belas (1906–1959) |
| Appointer | The Crown |
| Term length | No fixed term |
| Formation | 1906 |
| First holder | James Brooke First Consul General to Brunei |
| Final holder | Sir Dennis White |
| Abolished | 1959 |
| Succession | High Commissioner |
A list of administrators of the British protectorate of Brunei.
Brunei became a British protectorate in 1888, and in 1906 a British resident was given administrative authority. The sultan was obliged to follow his advice. Despite having a foreign government, Brunei's importance started to rise again in 1929 when petroleum production began. [1] In place of[ clarification needed ] Malay customs, traditions, and Islam, the British administration designated a British Resident to serve as the sultan's advisor in all other affairs. A formal constitution was formed by the 1959 Agreement, giving Brunei internal autonomy. [2]
By the end of 1905, Brunei had been reduced to just two tiny, independent enclaves in Sarawak, covering a total area of 5.765 square metres (62.05 sq ft).[ citation needed ] In fact, had it not been for the British Government's reluctant intervention at this point, James Brooke would have completely engulfed the Sultanate. In order to preserve the monarchy, Sultan Hashim requested British assistance in the internal administration of his nation. He agreed to receive a British officer, to be called the Resident, who opinions were to be received and acted upon on all matters under the Anglo-Brunei Treaty of 1905–1906. Until 1959, successive Residents, who had originally been seconded from the Malayan Civil Service, were in charge of running Brunei. [3]
| No. | Name | Years |
|---|---|---|
| Consuls General to Brunei | ||
| 1 | James Brooke [4] | 1846–1856 |
| 2 | Spenser St. John [5] | 1856–1863 |
| British Consuls in Brunei | ||
| 1 | Noel Penrose Trevenen | 1890–1898 |
| 2 | Arthur Louis Keyser | 1898–1900 |
| 3 | Godfrey Hewett | 1900–1904 |
| 4 | Malcolm Stewart Hannibal McArthur | 1904–1905 |
| No. | Name | Years |
|---|---|---|
| Consuls General to Brunei | ||
| 1 | James Brooke [4] | 1846–1856 |
| 2 | Spenser St. John [5] | 1856–1863 |
| British Consuls in Brunei | ||
| 1 | Noel Penrose Trevenen | 1890–1898 |
| 2 | Arthur Louis Keyser | 1898–1900 |
| 3 | Godfrey Hewett | 1900–1904 |
| 4 | Malcolm Stewart Hannibal McArthur | 1904–1905 |
| British Residents in Brunei | ||
| 1 | Malcolm Stewart Hannibal McArthur [6] [7] | Jan 1906– May 1907 [7] [8] |
| 2 | Harvey Chevallier [6] | May 1907–Dec 1907 [7] [8] |
| (1) | Malcolm Stewart Hannibal McArthur [6] [7] | Dec 1907– Apr 1908 [7] [8] |
| 3 | John Fortescue Owen [6] [7] | Apr 1908– Sep 1909 [7] [8] |
| (2) | Harvey Chevallier [6] [7] | Nov 1909– Nov 1913 [7] [8] |
| 4 | Francis William Douglas [6] [7] | Nov 1913– Jan 1915 [7] [8] |
| 5 | Ernest Barton Maundrell [9] [6] [7] | Feb 1915– May 1916 [7] [8] |
| 6 | Geoffrey Cator [10] [6] [7] | Jun 1916– Mar 1921 [7] |
| 7 | Lucien Allen Arthur [6] [7] | Mar 1921– Jan 1923 [7] |
| 8 | Eric Ernest Falk Pretty [6] [7] | Jan 1923– Mar 1926 [7] |
| 9 | Oswald Eric Venables [6] [7] | Mar 1926– May 1927 |
| (8) | Eric Ernest Falk Pretty [6] [7] | 1927–1928 |
| 10 | Patrick Alexander Bruce McKerron [6] [7] | May 1928– Sep 1931 [7] |
| 11 | Thomas Falkland Carey [6] [7] | Sep 1931– Oct 1934 [7] |
| 12 | Roland Evelyn Turnbull [11] [7] | Nov 1934– Jan 1937 |
| 13 | John Graham Black [6] [7] | Jan 1937– Dec 1940 [7] |
| 14 | Ernest Edgar Pengilly [6] [7] | Jan 1940– Dec 1942 [7] |
| Japanese occupation of Brunei (1942-1945) | ||
| 15 | William John Peel [12] | Jul 1946– Jan 1948 [7] |
| 16 | L.H.N. Davis [13] [14] [7] | Jan 1948– Aug 1948 [7] |
| (8) | Eric Ernest Falk Pretty [15] [7] | Aug 1948– Jun 1951 [7] |
| 17 | John Coleraine Hanbury Barcroft [6] [7] | Jul 1951– Jun 1954 [7] |
| 18 | John Orman Gilbert [6] [16] | Jun 1954– Jul 1958 [16] |
| 19 | Dennis Charles White [17] [16] | Jul 1958– Sep 1959 [16] |
Brunei, officially Brunei Darussalam, is a country in Southeast Asia, situated on the northern coast of the island of Borneo. Apart from its coastline on the South China Sea, it is completely surrounded by the Malaysian state of Sarawak, with its territory bifurcated by the Sarawak district of Limbang. Brunei is the only sovereign state entirely on Borneo; the remainder of the island is divided between its multi-landmass neighbours of Malaysia and Indonesia. As of 2023, the country had a population of 455,858, of whom approximately 180,000 resided in the capital and largest city of Bandar Seri Begawan. Its official language is Malay and Islam is the state religion of the country, although other religions are nominally tolerated. The government of Brunei is an absolute monarchy ruled by the Sultan, and it implements a fusion of English common law and jurisprudence inspired by Islam, including sharia.
The history of Brunei concerns the settlements and societies located on the north coast of the island of Borneo, which has been under the influence of Indianised kingdoms and empires for much of its history. Local scholars assume that the Islamisation of Brunei started in the fifteenth century with the formation of the Bruneian Empire, a thalassocracy that covered the northern part of Borneo and Sulu. At the end of the 17th century, Brunei subsequently entered a period of decline brought on by the Brunei Civil War, piracy, and European colonial expansion. Later, there was a brief war with Spain, in which Brunei evacuated its capital for a brief period until the Spanish withdrew. The empire lost much of its territory with the arrival of the Western powers, such as the Spanish in Luzon and Visayas and the British in Labuan, Sarawak, and North Borneo. The decline of the Bruneian Empire accelerated in the nineteenth century when Brunei gave much of its territory to the White Rajahs of Sarawak, resulting in its current small landmass and separation into two parts. Sultan Hashim Jalilul Alam Aqamaddin later appealed to the British to stop further annexation in 1888. In the same year, the British signed a "Treaty of Protection" and made Brunei a British protectorate until 1984 when it gained independence and prospered due to the discovery of oil.
Bandar Seri Begawan (BSB) is the capital and largest city of Brunei. It is officially a municipal area with an area of 100.36 square kilometres (38.75 sq mi) and an estimated population of 100,700 as of 2007. It is part of Brunei–Muara District, the smallest yet most populous district which is home to over 70 percent of the country's population. It is the country's largest urban centre and nominally the country's only city. The capital is home to Brunei's seat of government, as well as a commercial and cultural centre. It was formerly known as Brunei Town until it was renamed in 1970 in honour of Omar Ali Saifuddien III, the 28th Sultan of Brunei and the father of Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah.
Yang di-Pertuan Negara is a title for the head of state in certain Malay-speaking countries, and has been used as an official title at various times in Brunei and Singapore.
The Brunei dollar, has been the currency of the Sultanate of Brunei since 1967. It is normally abbreviated with the dollar sign $, or alternatively B$ to distinguish it from other dollar-denominated currencies. The currency is divided into 100 cents and is issued by the Brunei Darussalam Central Bank.
The national flag of Brunei holds deep historical and symbolic significance, reflecting the nation's royal heritage and unity. First introduced in 1906 when Brunei became a British protectorate, the flag originally featured the now-familiar yellow, white, and black design, representing solidarity among the agreement's signatories. The red national emblem, symbolising government support and unity, was added following the proclamation of the constitution in 1959. The flag’s design incorporates traditional Southeast Asian royal colours, with yellow symbolising the monarchy, white and black representing the purity and strength of Brunei’s wazirs, and red symbolising bravery and unity. Today, the flag stands as a powerful emblem of Brunei's Islamic faith, royal authority, and enduring national identity.
The Brunei revolt or the Brunei rebellion of 1962 was a December 1962 insurrection in the British protectorate of Brunei by opponents of its monarchy and its proposed inclusion in the Federation of Malaysia who wanted to establish a republic. The insurgents were members of the TNKU, a militia supplied by Indonesia and linked to the left-wing Brunei People's Party (BPP), which favoured a North Borneo Federation. The TNKU began co-ordinated attacks on the oil town of Seria, on police stations, and on government facilities around the protectorate. The revolt began to break down within hours, having failed to achieve key objectives such as the capture of Brunei Town and Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddien III. The revolt influenced the Sultan's 1963 decision not to join Malaysia. It is seen as one of the first stages of the Indonesia–Malaysia confrontation.
The North Borneo Federation, also known as North Kalimantan, was a proposed political entity which would have comprised the British colonies of Sarawak, British North Borneo and the protectorate of Brunei.
The prime minister of Brunei is the head of government of Brunei. Concurrently, the title is held by the sultan of Brunei, who as sultan is also the head of state of the country. The prime minister, minister of foreign affairs, minister of finance and economy, and minister of defence are all the Sultan of Brunei. He is Brunei's Supreme Executive Authority in his capacity as the Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan. The Privy Council, the Council of Succession, the Religious Council, the Council of Cabinet Ministers, and the Legislative Council support him in carrying out his responsibilities.
Hashim Jalilul Alam Aqamaddin was the 25th Sultan of Brunei from 1885 to 1906. Pengiran Anak Hashim or Hashim Jalilul was a prominent and controversial figure in Bruneian history. Many Western visitors' narrative painted him and his surroundings in a bad light, which was consistent with the idea that Brunei was a decaying monarchy at the time.
The Sultanate of Brunei or simply Brunei, also known as the Bruneian Empire, was a Malay sultanate centered around Brunei on the northern coast of Borneo in Southeast Asia. Brunei became a sovereign state around the 15th century, when it substantially expanded after the fall of Malacca to the Portuguese, extending throughout coastal areas of Borneo and the Philippines, before it declined in the 17th and 18th centuries. It became a British protectorate in the 19th century.
The Royal Mausoleum in Batu Satu, Bandar Seri Begawan, is a significant historical and cultural landmark in Brunei. Located along the Brunei River, it lies beyond Kampong Ayer and on the route from Bandar Seri Begawan to the Istana Nurul Iman. This site serves as the final resting place for several Bruneian sultans and members of the royal family, with Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddin I, who died in 1795, being the first monarch interred here.
Sir Dennis Charles White, sometimes referred to as Tuan D.C. White, was a British colonial administrator in Sarawak and formerly the British High Commissioner to Brunei.
Pengiran Muhammad Yusuf bin Pengiran Haji Abdul Rahim, pen name Yura Halim, was a Bruneian nobleman, politician, civil servant, diplomat, and writer. He served as the Menteri Besar of Brunei from 1967 to 1972. He wrote the lyrics for Brunei's national anthem, "Allah Peliharakan Sultan," in 1947. The song was adopted as the country's official national anthem in 1951, when it was still a British protectorate. He was longtime member of the Legislative Council of Brunei, serving on the council until his death in 2016.
Malcolm Stewart Hannibal McArthur was the first British resident of Brunei. He played a key role in the talks that resulted in the signing of the 1905 and 1906 Agreement between Great Britain and Brunei as well as the implementation of the Residential system. The accomplishments he is most known for were his establishment of a tax system and a Western-style government in Brunei. He also started making arrangements to persuade the people of Kampong Ayer to relocate to homes on land, setting the groundwork for Brunei Town.
The Ministry of Health is a cabinet-level ministry in the government of Brunei which oversees the health system in the country. It is currently led by a minister and the incumbent is Mohd Isham Jaafar, who took office since 1 December 2017. The ministry is headquartered in Bandar Seri Begawan.
The Attorney General's Chambers is the public prosecutor of Brunei, and legal adviser to the Government of Brunei. The functions of the attorney general are carried out with the assistance of the deputy attorney-general and the solicitor-general, through the AGC. Moreover, assisting the Royal Brunei Police Force (RBPF) and other enforcement agencies in carrying out their investigations, advising and approving prosecutions.
The State Secretary was established to manage Brunei’s internal administrative functions and support the Menteri Besar. Reserved for Malay Muslims, the position became a key figure under the 1959 Constitution, overseeing departmental coordination, advising the Sultan of Brunei, and holding a seat in the Council of Ministers. The State Secretary's office was located at the Secretariat Building in Bandar Seri Begawan.