In 2015, Brunei was ruled by an absolute monarchy under the leadership of Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah. The country’s politics were largely characterized by a commitment to traditional Islamic values and the preservation of Brunei’s culture and heritage. As such, the government sought to maintain strict control over public life, restricting freedom of expression and other basic rights. See ehealthfacts for Brunei in the year of 2005.
The government also maintained a strong focus on economic development, with initiatives such as Vision 2035 aiming to diversify and modernize the country’s economy. In addition, oil and gas revenues were used to fund social welfare programs such as health care and education.
In 2015, the government continued to invest heavily in infrastructure projects such as roads and airports in order to attract foreign investment. The government also implemented a number of reforms aimed at improving transparency within public institutions, including measures to combat corruption.
Yearbook 2015
Brunei. In line with Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah’s announcement in 2013 that Brunei will gradually adapt its legal system to Islamic law, sharia, was banned in January Christmas celebrations in the country. According to the authorities, the fear that Muslims would be led on “rest paths” by Christian festivals was behind the decision. According to COUNTRYAAH, Bandar Seri Begawan is the capital of Brunei which is located in Southeastern Asia. The harsh and heavily criticized punishments that were planned to be introduced in 2015 – including the theft of theft and the death penalty for adultery and same-sex marriage – seemed to be delayed.
- Also see AbbreviationFinder.org for Brunei country abbreviations, including geography, history, economy and politics.
In April, one of the Sultan’s sons, Prince Abdul Malik, married, which was lavishly celebrated. Among other things, the prince, who is the second in the succession order, sat and his measure on each belief in solid gold. The wedding bouquet should also have it been made of gold and adorned with diamonds. About 6,000 guests were invited to the festivities, which lasted for eleven days.
HISTORY
On the threshold of the third millennium, political life in the sultanate appeared to be dominated by the power struggles around the Brunei Investment Agency (BIA), a control office on the country’s investments abroad, a branch of the Ministry of Finance. In the early months of 2000, the judicial case of the younger brother of Sultan H. Bolkiah, Prince J. Bolkiah, exploded, accused of having stolen large sums from the state coffers during his term as president of the BIA. The prince had fled the country in April 1998, a few months before he was removed from his post. The scandal, which also involved other leading figures, had significant repercussions in the political and social life of the sultanate, where tensions and discontent due to the unemployment rate were accumulating.
In September 2004 (the year of the celebrations for the twentieth anniversary of independence) the sultan summoned the Legislative Council for the first time since 1984, a sort of consultative Parliament of 21 members, all nominated by the king. Moreover, the country had not held free elections since 1962, that is, since a state of emergency was declared after the outbreak of a revolt led by the North Borneo Liberation Army. Another cautious step towards modernization was in May 2005the appointment (for the first time in seventeen years) of some new ministers, including the heir to the throne, Prince al-Muhtadee Billah. In foreign policy, Brunei engaged in intense diplomatic activity, and in 2000 he hosted the annual meeting of the leaders of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC). In November 2001, on the occasion of the seventh summit of the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN), which was held in the sultanate, the need for regional cooperation in the fight against terrorism was reaffirmed. In the early 21° sec. Instead, the disputes between Brunei, China, Vietnam, Philippines, Malaysia and Taiwan persisted over the disputed area of the Spratly Islands, an archipelago in the South China Sea rich in oil.