 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 |
| British Residents in Brunei | ||
| 1 | Malcolm Stewart Hannibal McArthur | 1906–1907 |
| 2 | Harvey Chevallier | 1907–1907 |
| (1) | Malcolm Stewart Hannibal McArthur | 1908–1908 |
| 3 | John Fortescue Owen | 1908–1909 |
| (2) | Harvey Chevallier | 1909–1913 |
| 4 | Francis William Douglas | 1913–1915 |
| 5 | Ernest Barton Maundrell [6] | 1915–1916 |
| 6 | Geoffrey Cator [7] | 1916–1921 |
| 7 | Lucien Allen Arthur [8] | 1921–1923 |
| 8 | Eric Ernest Falk Pretty [8] | 1923–1926 |
| 9 | Oswald Eric Venables | 1926–1927 |
| (8) | Eric Ernest Falk Pretty [8] | 1927–1928 |
| 10 | Patrick Alexander Bruce McKerron | 1928–1931 |
| 11 | Thomas Falkland Carey [8] | 1931–1934 |
| 12 | Roland Evelyn Turnbull [9] | 1934–1937 |
| 13 | John Graham Black | 1937–1940 |
| 14 | Ernest Edgar Pengilly [8] | 1940–1942 |
| Japanese occupation of Brunei (1942-1945) | ||
| 15 | William John Peel [10] | 1946–1948 |
| 16 | L.H.N. Davis [11] [12] | 1948–1948 |
| (8) | Eric Ernest Falk Pretty [13] | 1948–1951 |
| 17 | John Coleraine Hanbury Barcroft [8] | 1951–1954 |
| 18 | John Orman Gilbert [8] | 1954–1958 |
| 19 | Dennis Charles White [14] | 1958–1959 |
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 a constitutional 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 per cent 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.
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 flag of Brunei has a centered emblem of Brunei on a yellow field cut by black and white diagonal stripes. The yellow field represents the sultan of Brunei. The red crest consists of a crescent facing upwards, joined with a parasol, with hands on the sides.
Sir Charles Noble Arden-Clarke was a British colonial administrator.
Limbang is a border town and the capital of Limbang District in the Limbang Division of northern Sarawak, East Malaysia, on the island of Borneo. This district area is 3,978.10 square kilometres, and population was 56,900. It is located on the banks of the Limbang River, between the two halves of Brunei.
Malcolm John MacDonald was a British politician and diplomat. He was initially a Labour Member of Parliament (MP), but in 1931 followed his father Ramsay MacDonald in breaking with the party and joining the National Government. He was consequently expelled from the Labour Party. He was a government minister during the Second World War and was later Governor of Kenya.
Ahmad Tajuddin Akhazul Khairi Waddien was the 27th Sultan of Brunei from 1924 until his death in 1950. He was succeeded by his younger brother Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddien III.
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.
Brunei People's Party (BPR), also known as Parti Rakyat Brunei (PRB), is a banned political party in Brunei. The party was established as a left-wing party in 1956 and aimed to bring Brunei into full independence from the United Kingdom. The party called for a constitution that would unite Brunei, North Borneo, and Sarawak under a fully democratic government, the Unitary State of North Kalimantan or Negara Kesatuan Kalimantan Utara (NKKU). However, in 1958 the British publicised their own ideas and rejected the Borneo union ambitions of the PRB, seeking instead for a gradual democratic transformation. The PRB's reactions to both the plan for a Federation of Malaysia and the Constitution of Brunei led to a mutiny in the first part of December 1962.
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.
Sir Roland Evelyn Turnbull was a British colonial official and governor of British North Borneo. His major influence is mentoring Brunei's former ruler, Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddien III. He stated that in 1959 to one of his Colonial Office colleagues that the Sultan came to regard him as ‘his father’.
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.
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 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 Council was established in 1906 as a result of the British Residency system and offered a legislative structure for the administration of a protected state managed by the British government without direct jurisdiction of the Crown. First held in June of 1907, it served as a predecessor to the Constitution of Brunei under Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddien III for over fifty years, until September 1959. The State Council was distinct from the executive and legislative councils characteristic of Crown Colony government, while being a British colonial body.
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.