Date: Feb. 26, 2007
Location: Muara, Brunei
Next Port: Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia, Feb. 27
Quick Summary: We visited the kingdom of the man who was once the richest person in the world…the Sultan of Brunei. And everything he has touched shows it. Located on the northern part of Borneo, this small country is living off the proceeds of its current oil and natural gas fields.
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Report: We spent a most interesting day in Brunei Darussalam, a small country of 380,000. It is a land of no taxes, free education, free medical services and even a free “Disneyland-like” park for the children. The population (70% Malay and 16% Chinese) works a very short work-day and is quite laid-back. Because of Brunei’s natural resources, gasoline is about 50 cents a gallon. Each family member seems to have their own car.
Everyone we met showed an over-abounding love for their King. “He is a man of the people.” “He attends the street fairs.” “He opens up his palace once a year for three days and serves us food and gives each child $5.” “He built the most beautiful Mosque for us to worship in.”
However, this is the man that built the world’s biggest palace for him and three others that has 1,877 rooms, 257 bathrooms, 10 elevators, 5swimming pools, a 110-space garage and air conditioned stables. He enjoys collecting: 350 Rolls-Royces, Ferraris, etc; 8 jets, and more than 200 thoroughbred ponies. When one of his daughters came of age, he bought her an Airbus aircraft.
He has had three wives: 6 children from his first, 4 from his second (whom he has divorced); and 1 (last year when he was 60) from his third. At one time, the Sultan was estimated to have personal worth of $40 billion. Today, due to his enormous spending sprees and some outrageous embezzlement by his younger brother, his worth is now estimated to be just $10 billion!
On our ships’ tour we were only able to see the entrance to the palace, but we did attend a special World Cruise event and take a tour of the Royal Regalia. (We could only take photos in the main entry hall.) This museum houses the two golden chariots pulled by 40 soldiers that were used in his coronation and Silver Jubilee celebrations. We also saw the gold and silvery armory used on these occasions, the golden crowns and ceremonial garb, the models of the palaces, gifts that have been presented to him over the years, and the honors (gold, silver and jeweled decorations) that he presents to foreign visitors and members of the official Brunei family. The dresses the wives wear on special occasions look like they’re covered with sequins, but they are actually diamonds!
Earlier, we toured the Heritage Museum where we learned about the history of the people and about the oil and gas industries. Then we visited the Sultan’s recently-built mosque. It has 29 golden domes in honor of him being the 29th king. Since no cameras were allowed, you’ll have to take our word for it…it was extravagant. The main prayer space accommodates 3,500 male worshippers under the dome. A huge Austrian chandelier in the center weighs 3.5 tons and is covered with 24-carat gold and beautiful crystals. A separate women’s prayer area holds 1,000. The wood, Italian marble and gold decorations throughout the building are amazing. The elaborate prayer carpeting was designed and made in Thailand with Australian wool. We observed strict dress codes as we all removed our shoes and the women were required to wear long black robes to enter. Because we were a tour group, the women were allowed in the Mosque and did not have to cover our heads. The men all had to wear long pants and sleeves. It was very interesting.
Next we visited one of the many water villages. The villagers slip back and forth on high-speed little water taxis to these ramshackle houses on stilts. We were able to visit one for tea and snacks. They had large rooms but were pretty bare. We were told they needed the space for all the large family gatherings. Upsetting was the fact that the older homes dump ALL waste directly into the water. It was not pretty. An effort is being made to move more and more of these folks into more modern apartments. Very nice single family housing does exist and appear to be large and comfortable from the outside.
We then visited a more modest mosque built by the Sultan’s father. We did not visit inside as the men were at prayer, one of five times a day they are called to prayer. Karen engaged in conversation with a young mother holding her six-month-old daughter outside waiting for her husband to finish prayers. She was very interested in where we were from, how long we were staying in Brunei and where we were going next. It was a treat to engage in conversation with this woman.
Brunei’s oil reserves are calculated to run out in 2020 or so. When asked what would happen then, our guide said, “That will be the next Sultan’s problem.” The current Sultan has recently reorganized his cabinet and has inserted the Crown Prince (age 32) at the top to give him more governmental experience. They are trying to start up some light industry and attract foreign investments, but haven’t been too successful.
It was an amazing experience to see such a cult of personality. Brunei’s 29th Sultan has ruled since 1967…heading the world’s longest monarchy. He has been described as part national leader, part spiritual leader and part CEO. He is all of that! It is amazing that more of the population, which certainly is not as well off as they could be, haven’t recognized how the disparity in life styles has impacted their own lives.
Oh, yes. If you need to know the Sultan’s full name:
His Majesty Paduka Seri Baginda Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu’izzadin Waddaulah Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan Negara Brunei Darussalam.
Larry
Photos of our cruise are available at the web site:
picasaweb.google.com/larryworldcruise
Photos from Brunei have beenadded.
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