Royal Family of Brunei Current Events 2: August 2006-

[Empress]

Do I understand that he is muslim? If so, doesn't the muslim religion forbid that sort of behavior? Not to say that it does not happen, but you would think that the kind would try and reign the behavior in if it is indeed not really appropriate. Especially if the king is also the religious head in his country, or am I mistaken?

Not to say that the sort of behavior is appropriate at all, but I remember a discussion that I had with an Islamic friend, who said that it was really frowned upon. Did I misunderstand?

 

[Lady Cess]

Forbes.com put on there Top 20 young Royals and Prince Azim has made the list...

The 20 Hottest Young Royals - Forbes.com

June 6, 2008...which is this friday on E!...for American viewers they will have a one hour special on the list at 9 p.m. pacific time.

I think his younger brother, Prince Mateen is more better looking.

 

[doutzy]

maybe prince azim is not as religious as his other siblings

 

[linakoc]

Yes, u can check the borneo bulletin online couple of weeks ago, Puan Hjh Mariam did accompanied one of her daughters who is the patron of to the Pusat Ehsan. She was ok being a commoner now but she does look so relaxed.

 

[linakoc]

I guess Princess Sarah will be concentrating on her Uni studies and her son. If I am not wrong, she is studying public policy which I think might not be really her interest but because of her position. Read that her ambition before her marriage is to be a marine biologist so it might be extremely tough to study something that is not really her interest. Also everybody will be waiting to see her result..which make it double stress!!!

Infact she is at the moment studying at UBD despite performing her official duties. She actually had the chance to go to UK along with her other friends to further one year course but I guess she had to turn down the offer ..

 

[Observer08]

HRH Prince Jefri Bolkiah

Dear colleagues,

I wanted to post this new thread to discuss and find out more about a once great entrepreneur and still a great person that is also a member of Brunei's Royal Family: HRH Prince Jefri Bolkiah. So here are my initial questions:
1. Why there was no post on HRH before?
2. Was HRH banned here too?
3. Where is he? UK or France?
4. Why can't we forgive and forget and move on?

HRH did great many things to improve Brunei's image (Empire, Jerudong Complex, DST, Berakas Power Station, Dorchester Hotels, etc.) Let's discuss this in detail?

 

[Cantik]

I can't find Majeedah and her husband informal photos! Is the palace peoples asked to pull out the picuters!
She is very beautiful with informal dress compare with she uses hijab. According to my friend who worked in BSB that the princesses not always used their hijab, specially for informal occasion, is it true or not, I don't know because I never go there!

 

[el-khanz]

I used to see some pics of Azeemah and Fadzilah without hijab. Even Princess Sarah also put off her hijab sometimes.

 

[Observer08]

Well I think HRH Prince Jefri is also a taboo here...very unfortunate that a visionary entrepreneur is treated with this manners. Very unfortunate that his countrymen and family has neglected his doings and did not realize how advanced his doings were for the nation.
One that goes to Brunei will never forget HRH as without his works, no one would ever be interested in going to Brunei at all.
Also unfortunate that HRH lost its hand at the helm of things and let his sons take care of much sophisticated/complicated stuff. If it weren't for that, Brunei would be like Dubai is now, only 10 years in advance...
What to do?
Just cry I guess...

 

[Observer08]

Can anyone engage in a topic about HRH Prince Jefri? Why is it that no one talks about it? What's wrong peoples?

 

[Warren]

Observer08, Prince Jefri is neither "taboo" nor "banned" in the Forums. The content of the threads reflects the members interests. You are interested in Prince Jefri, other members may be but they haven't posted on the subject. If there is no news, there is nothing to report and therefore nothing to which members can respond.

 

[Observer08]

Sorry Warren, my bad.

Thanks for the reply though.

 

[Warren]

You're not bad. You can post about Prince Jefri as much as you want. Members will respond if they are interested or have something to say. If they have no opinion on Prince Jefri then they won't post. Many of our younger members won't know who he is or why he has fallen out with his brother the Sultan.

 

[Observer08]

Warren, thank you again.

I agree with your point, most of the young don't know about it or just got what was "sold" on the history. Unfortunately I was there and I can tell you all that it has nothing to do with what the press published (both locally and abroad). HRH Prince Jefri did commit many excesses but he was ultimately chosen to be the fall person for a whole family. That is the said part...a power struggle so great between HRH Prince Mohammed and HM the Sultan that even Puan Mariam was partially framed. Yes, that is what happened. Anyone that was there, living what was going on can testify that all was being done with the consent of all the brothers and suddenly there was excess and one started fighting the other. HRH Prince Jefri tried to accomplish a better Brunei, a modern Brunei, like his father the late Begawan intended, with moderation and modernity walking along. All of a sudden, HRH Prince Mohammed (who did enjoy a lot of the moneys from BIA, etc) decided to play the pillar of morality and fought for his piece of the pie. If you go to Brunei now, you'll see no traces of HRH Prince Jefri but its very funny to observe that all businesses that once belonged to ADC now belong to QAF and its related/controlled companies.
Brunei got stuck into a perpetual fight among siblings that will only end once the generation changes. That is the only hope for a country that has being in the time travel tunnel for the past 10 years, stuck and barely functioning. Sad but true. With all my respect and admiration for a loving and caring monarch, HM should have stopped this nonsense among the younger brothers when it first started back in 1997/98...how much time has been lost? How much money has been lost/spent over lawyers, accountants, counsellors, etc? This has become a joke in Europe and America. The only ones benefitting from this are the ones that apply the divide and rule strategy and that really worked out in Brunei. No hope, no future, lots o shame, the people down hearted, a Prince in exile, a once Princess life trashed (along with her children) and all for what? Power? Money?
Back then there were great ideas, great projects, full employment, the people were happy, everyone was making a living. Sure there were mistakes but instead of chopping all up (like HRH Prince Mohammed insisted) the projects should have been reduced, slowed down but completed! Look at Jerudong Park now. This is a huge shame!!! Such a wonder now defunct! The list goes on...Asprey was bought for a fortune and sold for a song but later resold for a REAL fortune. Why the stupid decisions?
HRH Prince Jefri should only have surrounded himself with better advisors and not entrust his sons with too much power. Aside from that, the concept, all in all was absolutely GREAT!

 

[Humera]

Can anyone engage in a topic about HRH Prince Jefri? Why is it that no one talks about it? What's wrong peoples?

You'll find a couple of posts, including an article, on Prince Jefri on the previous page of this thread.
You can also search for other posts on the Prince, just type in "Jefri" under "Search this forum"

 

[Cantik]

Ok agreed all of you Warren and Observer 08, could you explaind to me : what is Puan Maryam partisipation in this case?
And anyone knows who are the peoples?

 

[Observer08]

There was no direct participation of Puan Maryam, at least not that I know of. Now from where I was I would say HRH Prince Mohammed was behind the frame + forcing his hand to get things worst...I did not see the logic of it until his family started getting more and more ground both in business as well as in power. Pardon me but HM cannot rule without DPPW, meaning he has gotten so powerful that there is a split rule today. HRH has key people everywhere in the government, from BIA up to BEBD and Muara Port, telecom, finance, development, etc. Now look at what has that caused us! No development, JPH is falling apart, JPP has been dismantled, etc. Everyone knows HRH was never a fan of Puan Mary, he just used the opportunity to take care of several issues at once! Sad that now Brunei sits as a lame duck!

As to the list of people involved, its quite long: from people within CITIBANK high management at that time up to auditors, regular "go to" guys, P.As., etc. Lots of people were framed or almost framed, for instance: Pg Dato Tengah was framed and lost his job just because he was close to DPD and not that close to DPPW...Many people from abroad stole millions and one or two stole billions! Thus the name Dany Wong rings any bells? Now what's funny is that no one went after them, although everyone knows where they are, for instance, Dany Wong leaves happily and handsomely in Hong Kong where his daughter even has one of the finest boutique hotels in town...
If anyone has ever been into DPPW's places you will notice a pattern that follows the same as every other building from the time of DPD so its very strange that only DPD was the fall guy while the one pointing the finger also used and abused the system. Anyway, very sad that Brunei is stuck in a limbo for the past 10 years and nothing seams to get HM's eyes open. The real Brunei simply doesn't pass where HM goes...

 

[Cantik]

Observer08, are you sure HRH Muchamad more powerful than HM Sultan? No, I'm not sure!

 

[Observer08]

Not more powerful but I am very sure he became indispensable! He created an assortment of businesses + placed key people within the government so that without him, the machine will simply not work! You check with the people in Brunei and everyone talks the same thing!!!

 

[Cantik]

Observer 08:
Thank yu for yr reply. I read long long time ago (+- 9 or 10 years ago) in time magazine, there was competited between JB and MB, once in while JB made MB embrassed infornt of HM! Until He waited for revenge to JB and the time were come last ten years ago! Brunei almost bankrupt!!! And you know what happened between HM and JB till know!
For Puan Mariam, as we known the Begawan of Brunei (Father of HM) was not approved when HM married PM! MB standing besides His Father, SB said "UP TO YOU LAH" but JB supported HM to marry PM!
I read in potical magazine and they describe MB as a low profile and simple man and very strongs confidence as a "MOSLEM".

 

[Observer08]

Thank you Cantik.

DPPW is indeed low profile and a dedicated and religious man. That aside, all you've wrote is true or almost all true. It was not about embarrassing DPPW but the simple fact that DPD is smarter than DPPW in every way you may see it. DPD is business minded person while DPPW is the sort of person that gets the receipts of the coffee he drinks while traveling abroad in service, so to bill HM's government. So you have little minded versus business minded.
Also, DPPW is not that low profile as he has two huge compounds in in front of Istana Nurul Iman and sure if you visit there you will notice the ADC touches all over!!! At the end of the day: no one was going bankrupted but one was spending more than the others....thus the fight for power and money that lead to Brunei being frozen until today and maybe forever!!!!

 

[Cantik]

Thank you Observer08.

Don't be upset. The "sun still shinning every morning, isn't it". You must be patiented to see Brunei to be "modern country" or "to be your dream". Who knows the next generation of the Royal will change Their mind but if Their focus only for "Power" and "Money": I feel sorry to you. Their live extravaganza but the peoples should be waited 20 years to get the increasing of their salary.
By the way who is ADC.

 

[Observer08]

I am not at all upset. I've moved from Brunei long ago. I'm in the USA now and I am just sad to see my country going backwards! Very unfortunate when you don't have the right people on the top + no right to choose...

ADC stands for Amedeo Development Corporation which was HRH Prince Jefri's flagship company that was destroyed by DPPW.

 

[Dang Ayah]

I think it's weak of us to lament about losses without suggesting how we can improve the country. And as Muslims, we should believe that what has happened was willed to us by God.

As a citizen of Brunei, I am frankly disappointed to see any bad remark about our government, its head of state and the Royal Family. The good question to ask is what each of us has done to our country's development. It seems some of us also like to pick on the Sultan, his ministers, his officials, his family and make them the 'fall guy' when something goes wrong to the country.

I believe it takes the whole nation to get the country to its best shape.

I am sure some bad things that are said are true and this is a forum where you can possibly learn the truth but why do dwell on that and spicing it up with non-constructive criticism about them.

Your country is as backwards or forwards as you believe it to be so I refuse to entertain the statement that it is going backwards. How do you measure it anyway? By the closing down of a playground? How big the Sultan's palace is?

What matters the most is the state of the rakyat or the general population. We are still being well taken care of. We still have many privileges A LOT of people in other countries don't get. And we should be more thankful for that.

 

[Observer08]

Dang Ayah,

Thanks for joining and sharing your opinion. No one wants to use HM as "fall guy" for anything here. I am just pointing out something that has happened and cannot be ignored at all. I am as a muslim also NOT happy with the way things are right now at our beloved nation. If you look at the rakyat, you'll see a lot of sub-employment, high debt, shrinking private economy, etc.
You say the people in Brunei enjoy a lot of things that other countries don't enjoy and that is correct but at what cost that comes to them/us? Brunei could be much more than what it is! Brunei was in a pace to become what Dubai is now but 10 years ago. HM government is full of people that talk a lot and enjoys a great deal of benefits and money but do nothing to improve the nations diversification and an example of that is the BEDB plans and so on. How come you expect to diversify an economy coming up with all sorts of plans always linked to Oil and Gas? This is ridiculous to say the least. Look at our economy and what do you see? There is Shell and its imposed Shellfare state and nothing else. Now that oil is below $40 let's see how viable we are as a nation and also how viable are all this nonsense projects proposed by BEDB and its people.
A country success is measured by a number of things, surely not by the closing of a playground but definitely by its private sector, its state of economy, its people and the wealth moving around and by all means, Brunei has lost compared to 10 years ago. The crisis is again looming and this time around things may end up pretty bad for everybody (Royal Family included) and simply because there is some sort of bubble around our Royals that delink them from REALITY!
But again, that is only my humble opinion and I am still a huge admirer of HM. Not of HM's government but of HM as a person!

 

[Warren]

A reminder that this thread is for discussion of the Royal Family.
The state of Brunei's economy can be debated in Members' Corner.

Warren
Brunei moderator

 

[bossany]

I like princess Majeedah. she is beautiful. I would like to know is she belove for
brunei people and is she lovely and gennerous??

 

[RhapsodyBrat]

Prince Bahar Jefri of Brunei (right) poses with him team, who recently won a polo tournament at the Manila Polo Club in the Philippines.

From the Philippine Daily Inquirer (scroll down the page towards the gallery, pic is #7).

 

[jakesmith]

Hi Everyone,
Myself Jake Smith & I am new member to this forum...
Nice forum I like it...
Thanks!

 

[Nur]

Welcome to the forum Jake! Are you interested in the Brunei Royal Family in particular?