In this Malay name, there is no surname or family name. The name Hassanal Bolkiah is a patronymic, and the person should be referred to by their given name, 'Azemah Ni'matul Bolkiah. The word "bin" or "binti"/"binte" means 'son of' or 'daughter of', respectively.
Azemah Ni'matul Bolkiah (born 26 September 1984) is a polo player and princess of Brunei.[1] She is the eighth child of Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah of Brunei by his former second wife, Puan Hajah Mariam. She made a name for herself in 2017 when she was one of only two female polo players from Brunei in Kuala Lumpur at the 29th Southeast Asian (SEA) Games. As one of the ten ASEAN Women in Sports ambassadors in 2021, Princess Azemah was chosen to represent Brunei as part of the ASEAN #WeScore campaign, which is sponsored by Japan.[2][3]
Known to be the Sultan's athletic daughter, she shares her father's passion for polo. She tells Tatler Malaysia that she participated in after-school athletic team competitions throughout her early school years, and that she started riding and show jumping at the age of four. She didn't start playing polo until she was a law student at the University of Warwick.[2]
Azemah made up for her lack of expertise at first by her unwavering dedication to her training and discipline. This occurred during a period when men dominated the polo field, particularly in Brunei where there weren't many female participants. Thus, Castagnola Marianela became her coach. In the end, she was selected for the Brunei National Polo Team. At the 45' Torneo Internacional de Polo Sotogrande in Spain in 2016, Princess Azemah made her debut representing Brunei on a distinguished platform. Her team's victory in the Silver Cup cemented Brunei's renown as a leading international polo player.[2]
Princess Azemah made her national polo team debut during the 2017 SEA Games at the Putrajaya Equestrian Centre, on 22 August 2017.[6] Her team concluded the tournament with bronze and alongside her team received cash incentive through the government’s Sports Excellence Incentive Scheme.[7][8] On 30 August 2017, she attended the 29th SEA Games awards ceremony held at the Putrajaya Equestrian Park in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, during which she received a bronze medal, after her polo team won against Singapore.[9]
Together with her brother, Prince Mateen, she played in the 2019 SEA Games in Calatagan.[10] They finished Bronze in that tournament.[11] At both SEA Games, she became the first female competitor from Brunei to earn a medal.[12]
In an announcement made by ASEAN on 1 December 2021, Princess 'Azemah was among the ten sports ambassadors selected to promote gender equality prior to the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.[13]
The Brunei polo team defeated Malaysia 7–4 to win the gold medal in the 0-2 handicap division at the 30th SEA Games in the Philippines. Princess Azemah, the team captain, guided the Brunei polo team to triumph once more at the first Agong's Cup in October 2023 at the Putrajaya Equestrian Park. Her team defeated the Jogo Polo team 7–5.[2]
Princess Azemah played in the 2024 Charity Polo Tournament on 23 June 2024, at the Royal Brunei Polo and Riding Club, in Jerudong. On the same team as her was her brother, Prince Abdul Mateen. Their team, the LIONS, was crowned champion.[14] On 13 July 2024, Princess Azemah competed in the finals of Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah's Polo Cup 2024 at the Royal Brunei Polo and Riding Club. Although the team she captained (the Brunei Polo Team) lost to the team led by her brother Prince Abdul Mateen (the MB Polo Team), she still received an award from the Sultan.[15][16]
Public service
Azemah at the wedding procession of Prince Abdul Mateen; January 2024
On 17 April 2016, Princess Azemah presented the awards after the 2016 Brunei Women's Run at the Jerudong Park, congratulating the women on the podium.[24]
On 19 June 2017, Princess Azemah represented her father Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah in delivering gifts to the population of the Belait District; the Princess gave the gifts to those present and congratulated them.[25] On 28 October 2017, she attended the launch of the Ehsan Center charity sale and visited the exhibitions and sales of the bazaars present in the headquarters of the center, in Bandar Seri Begawan.[26]
On 24 February 2018, she attended the 34th National Day Parade in Bandar Seri Begawan, leading the population during the parade.[citation needed] On 27 February 2018, she attended the opening ceremony of the Shine Cycle Studio, a one-stop fitness center that caters to all ages, located in Bandar Seri Begawan, as her owner.[27] On 19 March 2018, she attended and presented the Brunei Ladies Open Champion Trophy to Hong Ran from South Korea.[28] In May 2018, she launched "Shine Cycle", the country's first indoor fitness and cycling boutique: Princess Azemah is eager to help Bruneans adopt a healthy lifestyle.[29] On 19 June 2018, Princess Azemah welcomed women at Istana Nurul Iman who had come on pilgrimage to greet the Royal Family.[30]
On 28 May 2019, Azemah handed over the proceeds of the Charity Polo Day 2019 to the Brunei Darussalam Polo Team during a ceremony held at Istana Nurul Izzah, Kampong Jerudong.[31] On 30 May 2019, she and her half-sister Princess Hafizah attended the ceremony of delivering personal gifts to deserving people in the Brunei–Muara District; the two Princesses presented the gifts and congratulated the people who received them.[32]
On 25 July 2022, she handed proceeds from the special screening of the documentary "Prince Azim: Son of the Arts" (about her late brother Prince Abdul Azim, who passed away in 2020) to four charity bodies at Istana Nurul Izzah in Jerudong; Princess Fadzilah and Prince Abdul Mateen, her sister and brother, also attended the event.[33] On 18 October 2022, she attended the ceremony for the delivery of the proceeds of the Charity Polo Day 2022 ($135,819) to the Ehsan Al-Ameerah Al-Hajjah Maryam Center at Istana Nurul Izzah.[34]
On 12 June 2024, Azemah received the honorary medal of the State of Brunei on the occasion of her father's birthday, in a cerimony held at Istana Nurul Iman.[37] On 28 June 2024, she attended a Charity Football Match aimed at supporting children with disabilities at the Hassanal Bolkiah Stadium in Berakas.[38] On 4 July 2024, she attended the inauguration ceremony of the Al-Ameerah Al-Hajjah Maryam school, the first school dedicated to students with special needs in Brunei, accompanied by her husband Pengiran Muda Bahar, Prince Abdul Mateen, and Anisha Rosnah.[39] She was among the Royal guests at the Installation of Yang di-Pertuan Agong XVII, Sultan Ibrahim of Johor, on 20 July 2024, in a ceremony held in Istana Negara.[40]
Wedding
Princess Azemah's royal marriage to her first cousin,[41] Pengiran Muda Bahar was proclaimed by the Chief of Adat Istiadat, per the orders of Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah. Her husband is a son of the Sultan's younger brother, Prince Jefri Bolkiah.[42] On 8 January 2023, the Majlis Istiadat Bersuruh Diraja would kick off the week-long celebrations.[41] The royal pair wed at the Majlis Istiadat Akad Nikah Diraja on the 12th, and then on the 15th, in the Majlis Istiadat Bersanding Pengantin Diraja. The national flag must always be flown by all citizens and residents from the day Gendang Jaga-Jaga opens on the 9th until it closes on the 17th. Radio Television Brunei (RTB), the official broadcaster, announced the royal wedding.[43] Among the attendees were Tengku Hassanal Ibrahim[44] and Tunku Idris Iskandar.[45]
The Paduka Seri Begawan Sultan Science College, colloquially known as Maktab Sains (MS), is a government secondary school and sixth form college in Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei. It is regarded as Brunei's top government-run secondary school; it admits only exceptional pupils and is well-known for its rigorous standards for both academic and extracurricular accomplishment.
The Lapau, also known as the Royal Ceremonial Hall, is a ceremonial hall in Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei. It is where the royal ceremonies, state investiture and some state events are traditionally held. It was the place where the present Sultan of Brunei, Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah, was crowned in 1968.
Pengiran Anak Saleha is a member of the royal family as the wife of Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah. She is the daughter of Pengiran Anak Mohamed Alam and Pengiran Anak Besar. After her husband was crowned as the Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei, she succeeded her mother-in-law, Pengiran Anak Damit, as Raja Isteri. She is the mother of Crown Prince Al-Muhtadee Billah.
The House of Bolkiah is the ruling royal family of Brunei Darussalam. It is composed of the descendants of the 1st sultan Sultan Muhammad Shah and his family. The Sultan of Brunei is the head of state and absolute monarch of Brunei. He is also head of government in his capacity as Prime Minister.
Abdul Mateen ibni Hassanal Bolkiah is a member of the royal family of Brunei. He is the tenth child and fourth son of Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah of Brunei, by his former second wife, Yang Mulia Datin Paduka Seri Puan Hajah Mariam binti Haji Abdul Aziz. Additionally, he is the founder of Jab Boxing Gym and the Deputy Chairman 2 of the Jabatan Adat Istiadat Negara (JAIN).
The Royal Family Order of the Crown of Brunei is an order of Brunei. It was established on 15 August 1982 by Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah. The order carries the post-nominal letters "DKMB".
The Istana Darussalam is the former residence of Omar Ali Saifuddien III and birthplace of Sultan of Brunei, Hassanal Bolkiah. The palace is located at Jalan Darussalam, Sumbiling Lama, Brunei-Muara District, Brunei. The building has become a tourist attraction and currently under the protection of the Antiquities and Treasure Trove Act of the Museums Department.
Fadzilah Lubabul Bolkiah (Jawi: فضيلة لباب البلقية; born 23 August 1985) is a princess of Brunei. She is the ninth child of Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah of Brunei by his former second wife, Hajah Mariam. She has been nicknamed Fadz by her teammates in the netball national team and sometimes referred to as the Sporty Princess by the media.
Abdul Qawi ibni Mohamed Bolkiah is a member of the Brunei royal family. He is a nephew of the current Sultan of Brunei, Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah and also the brother-in-law of the current Sultan of Kelantan, Sultan Muhammad V.
Rashidah Sa'adatul Bolkiah is the eldest daughter of Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah and Queen Saleha.
Pengiran Anak Damit was the Queen of Brunei as the wife of the 28th Sultan of Brunei, Omar Ali Saifuddien III.
Bahar ibni Jefri Bolkiah is a member of the royal family of Brunei. He is the second son and third child of Prince Jefri Bolkiah by his first wife, Pengiran Anak Isteri Pengiran Norhayati, thus making him a prince of Brunei. He is regarded as one of Southeast Asia's top polo players.
Mariam binti Abdul Aziz, also referred to as Mariam Aziz, is the former wife of Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah, married to him from 1981 to 2003.
Pengiran Anak Abdul Rahim is a member of the royal family of Brunei as the husband to Princess Rashidah Sa'adatul Bolkiah, daughter of Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah. Notably, he is a member of the Privy Council, and the vice chairman of DPMM FC.
The Istana Darul Hana is one of the few remaining palaces in Brunei which notably, is the former residence of Omar Ali Saifuddien III from 1951 to 1987. The palace is located on a hill at Kilometer 3 of Jalan Tutong in Kampong Tumasek, Brunei-Muara District, Brunei. It is sometimes referred to as Istana Lama.
Anisha Rosnah binti Adam is a member of the royal family of Brunei as the wife of Prince Abdul Mateen, the fourth son of Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah. As a member of the Royal Family, she is known as Yang Amat Mulia Pengiran Anak Isteri Anisha Rosnah binti Adam.
Pengiran Anak Haji Muhammad Bey Muntassir was a member of the royal family of Brunei as the husband of Princess Amal Jefriah Bolkiah, the sixth daughter of Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddien III, and brother-in-law to Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah. Additionally, he was also a member of the Brunei Privy Council.
Abdullah ibn Nabil Mahmoud Al-Hashimi is a member of the royal family of Brunei as the husband of Princess Fadzilah Lubabul Bolkiah, the sixth daughter of Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah.
Pengiran Anak Idris is a Bruneian nobleman and member of the royal family who became the prince consort to Princess Amal Umi Kalthum Al-Islam in 1972, the daughter of Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddien III. He is the current Chief of Jabatan Adat Istiadat Negara, a member of the Privy Council of Brunei, and assistant chairman of Adat Istiadat Council, and Yayasan Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah's board of governors.
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