Royalty of Brunei: News & Photos 2: February-April 2005

[Zina]

I love the photos of the royals posing with celebrities in London. P. Azeemah looks very stylish, but I have to say, standing next to that statuesque model, Azim and Azeemah look like little Hobbits!

 

[Humera]

does anyone know who this young woman next to Prince Azim is? Its not one of his sisters. Perhaps a cousin? The picture's from December 2003.

 

[Humera]

Chinese President begins 2 day state-visit to Brunei.
He was welcomed at the airport by the Crown Prince & Princess

 

[Humera]

At the royal palace

 

[Dang Ayah]

does anyone know who this young woman next to Prince Azim is? Its not one of his sisters. Perhaps a cousin? The picture's from December 2003.

I think the girl with Azim is called Mash. I came across her blog at blogspot. I'm not sure what her relation is to Azim but she's most likely to be an adopted child of the Sultan. I could be wrong...

I was about to give the link to her blog. something stopped me...err!? But from what I can gather from reading her blog is that she plays football and netball and her birthday's on 16th December 1987! hehehe

 

[Humera]

I think the girl with Azim is called Mash. I came across her blog at blogspot. I'm not sure what her relation is to Azim but she's most likely to be an adopted child of the Sultan. I could be wrong...

I was about to give the link to her blog. something stopped me...err!? But from what I can gather from reading her blog is that she plays football and netball and her birthday's on 16th December 1987! hehehe

hmm...do the sultan's adopted kids maintain a close relationship with the royal family? One of the members once mentioned that the sultan adopts kids mostly to benefit financially from their allowance and that no one hears about the adopted children or their families?

 

[Dang Ayah]

hmm...do the sultan's adopted kids maintain a close relationship with the royal family? One of the members once mentioned that the sultan adopts kids mostly to benefit financially from their allowance and that no one hears about the adopted children or their families?

I believe they do maintain close relationship with some of the adopted children... the claim that no one hears about the adopted children is too exaggerated. Of course, they don't go to formal functions and sit amongst the royal family. I suppose that's why.. But they live in the palace and have their own nannies!

We go to school with them. One of the adopted daughters was a classmate of mine and she talked about the Raja Isteri as if she was her own mother! but amazingly, she also knows that she came from the Philippines and that her family is also there!

I got another friend whose mum was an adopted daughter of the Almarhum Sultan (the present Sultan's father). She lives a simple life! became a teacher and married a Bruneian commoner! But when asked, my friend would know news from the palace!

Might be true though about the financial gain from having these children. I'm not knowledgeable in that aspect of the story. I mostly know about the Sultan's children (or some of the adopted ones) from friends of mine who have closer relations to them. The closest I got to an interaction with the sultan's real children was shaking their hands hahaha or a time when Princess Azemah lend me her cellphone!!! (because she was our House Assistant Captain. Our house was celebrating a win at the Polo club.When the function was over we were trying to find a phone! In those days, I was too young to own a cellphone! Now, even six year olds own one!! I pretended I dialled something on her cellphone but told her the phone i tried to call was engaged! I was too afraid to use it)

I was in the same classes with other members of the Royal family, like the sons of Perdana wazir (Prince Mohammed) and Putri Masna. But even so, I don't usually ask them about what happens in the palace and they don't usually talk about it (to me at least!hahaha).

Sorry, I know this is not important but just explaining my position so that you can understand why I dont know some things about the royal family.

 

[Poppy]

Is it easy to be in the same school as the royal children?? In Brunei, do they just go to ordinary schools like most of the Bruneian kids, not like Princes William and Harry who went to exclusive Eton.

 

[Humera]

Is it easy to be in the same school as the royal children?? In Brunei, do they just go to ordinary schools like most of the Bruneian kids, not like Princes William and Harry who went to exclusive Eton.

I'm assuming you're refering to the Crown Princess. She wasn't born royal. She married the crown prince last year.

 

[MoonlightRhapsody]

Is it easy to be in the same school as the royal children?? In Brunei, do they just go to ordinary schools like most of the Bruneian kids, not like Princes William and Harry who went to exclusive Eton.

You mean the adoptive children of the sultan, or the sultan's natural daughters and the crown prince?

 

[Poppy]

I'm referring to the post before mine.

 

[Humera]

I believe they do maintain close relationship with some of the adopted children... the claim that no one hears about the adopted children is too exaggerated. Of course, they don't go to formal functions and sit amongst the royal family. I suppose that's why.. But they live in the palace and have their own nannies!

We go to school with them. One of the adopted daughters was a classmate of mine and she talked about the Raja Isteri as if she was her own mother! but amazingly, she also knows that she came from the Philippines and that her family is also there!

I got another friend whose mum was an adopted daughter of the Almarhum Sultan (the present Sultan's father). She lives a simple life! became a teacher and married a Bruneian commoner! But when asked, my friend would know news from the palace!

Might be true though about the financial gain from having these children. I'm not knowledgeable in that aspect of the story. I mostly know about the Sultan's children (or some of the adopted ones) from friends of mine who have closer relations to them. The closest I got to an interaction with the sultan's real children was shaking their hands hahaha or a time when Princess Azemah lend me her cellphone!!! (because she was our House Assistant Captain. Our house was celebrating a win at the Polo club.When the function was over we were trying to find a phone! In those days, I was too young to own a cellphone! Now, even six year olds own one!! I pretended I dialled something on her cellphone but told her the phone i tried to call was engaged! I was too afraid to use it)

I was in the same classes with other members of the Royal family, like the sons of Perdana wazir (Prince Mohammed) and Putri Masna. But even so, I don't usually ask them about what happens in the palace and they don't usually talk about it (to me at least!hahaha).

Sorry, I know this is not important but just explaining my position so that you can understand why I dont know some things about the royal family.

no its all very informative, thank you

 

[Humera]

I'm referring to the post before mine.

I believe Dang Ayah will provide you with the appropriate answer to that question.
I wonder if the fact that Brunei is a very small but wealthy country has anything to do with it. Because I've read in the press that the Sultan provides free education and healthcare to his subjects. So I suppose money wouldn't be such a huge obstacle to getting into a school would it?

 

[Poppy]

That's what i actually thought as well

 

[Zina]

Is it easy to be in the same school as the royal children?? In Brunei, do they just go to ordinary schools like most of the Bruneian kids, not like Princes William and Harry who went to exclusive Eton.

There are no really "exclusive" schools in Brunei , most of them are more or less the same. So yes, it's easy to be in the same school as the royal kids. The Filipino girl whom Dang Ayah was referring to in her post is one of the many adopted children of the Sultan and Raja Isteri. You never see them at royal functions, they lead sheltered lives out of the spotlight.

Dang Ayah - since Mash's blog is for public viewing anyway, there can't be any harm in providing us a link..if you'd be so kind. Thankyou.

 

[Humera]

So are the Sultan's adopted kids all Muslim?
And are they usually well-off or wealthy families?

 

[alfie]

So are the Sultan's adopted kids all Muslim?
And are they usually well-off or wealthy families?

Some weren't when they were born but converted to muslim when they got adopted. They are quite well-off, provided with almost everything. Sultan isn't the only royal adopting children his brothers and sisters also adopt and there are equally well-off too. I also know a few of them.

Last Night 22nd April 2005 Deputy Sultan,Crown Prince Billah & Princess Sarah were guest of honours at the Australian Film Festivial in Empire Cinema, Jerudong.

 

[Dang Ayah]

So are the Sultan's adopted kids all Muslim?
And are they usually well-off or wealthy families?

The Sultan's adopted children are muslims.

In the case of my friend's mother, as i have told you, she became independent of the royal family and live her own life but I don't know what would become of the adopted children of the present sultan.

if you meant to ask whether they took the children from well-off families or not, I think mostly the children came from families that are not or those who don't have families at all. I saw Princess Azemah and Fadzillah bring their adopted African brothers to school once. I guess they were orphans.

About schools in Brunei, well, the rich tend to enroll at Jerudong International School which started around 1996-1997. But before there was JIS, the exclusive schools were mostly schools where the students perform well which mostly includes the missionary schools (the ones established really early!) such as St. Andrew's, St. george's, old govt schools like Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddien College, Raja Isteri Girl's high school and Sultan Muhammad Jamalul Alam secondary school.

My school, Paduka Seri Begawan Sultan Science College (where Sarah is currently studying and also many other royals) is quite prestigious in its own way because students who are accepted there all achieved straight A's in their primary school certificate of education. (most of us were lucky anyway!)
Except one year of entry which was Princess Azemah's batch. She got a B in one of her PCE subjects so the school decided to admit others with A's and one B. Otherwise, people can't go to Maktab Sains (Science College) unless you're a royal! or an adopted child of the Sultan. My Filipino friend got a B. Princess Masna's son got a B too and Prince Mateen didn't even get an A or a B! But Prince Mateen is now transferred to JIS! that same son of Princess Masna transferred there for his sixth form studies.

One of Prince Mateen's teachers in Maktab Sains got transferred to Chung Hwa Middle School because of scolding the prince! I heard he's not really good in his studies and the teachers had a hard time trying to make him focus!

oh, here's the link to mash's blog: http://pb-j.blogspot.com/
there you can see pictures of the adopted African boys.

 

[Poppy]

Dang, how do u know she's a adopted child? How did u come across her blogspot?

 

[Humera]

Thanks for all the info alfie and Dang Ayah
I was just wondering, how does the Sultan, and other royals, decide who to adopt? I mean do they already know these kids? Its good that the adopted kids live in a wealthy lifestyle, especially if they're orphans or poor. Its nice to see that the royal family members socialize with their adopted family members.
Im assuming these kids live in Brunei?

 

[Humera]

Last Night 22nd April 2005 Deputy Sultan,Crown Prince Billah & Princess Sarah were guest of honours at the Australian Film Festivial in Empire Cinema, Jerudong.

I saw pictures of the event you mentioned, I'll post them soon

 

[Roshanah]

Reply: to Humera's post It is clearly stated weithin the Qur'an and Hadeeth that Muslim Males and Females are required by Allah to wear AL-Hijab: Female Islamic Attire and An-Najab: Male Islamic Attire. the roots of such oroginated from a revelation given to Muhammad saws from Allah swt that stated that all Muslims are required by their God to wear Al-Hijab wa An-Najab.

 

[Roshanah]

Reply to: Elizahawthorne: p.s it's spelt Makkah. The afore spelling is the transliteration of the arabictext hence Makkah.

 

[Humera]

Reply: to Humera's post It is clearly stated weithin the Qur'an and Hadeeth that Muslim Males and Females are required by Allah to wear AL-Hijab: Female Islamic Attire and An-Najab: Male Islamic Attire. the roots of such oroginated from a revelation given to Muhammad saws from Allah swt that stated that all Muslims are required by their God to wear Al-Hijab wa An-Najab.

Im assuming you're replying to one of my older posts.
I dont want to get into this discussion again because its completely off topic. Your'e entitled to your interpretation of the Quran. But hijab is not an obligation. The Quran only mentions modesty. It does not mention that women have to cover their hair. That is not what hijab means literally. Im not the only one who has this opinion.
That's all im going to say about the subject. This thread is about the Royals of Brunei. Not about the hijab debate.

 

[Roshanah]

Asalaam aleikum Humera, Indeed I was and indeed I am. I as a Muslim who also specialisez in Shariah, hence my responce to the post. Indeed the forum is about the Royal family of Brunei but the issue of their wearing the hijab was raised hence I responded. Indeed the Qur'an mentioned that one is to cover but the detail of the form in which AL-Hijab takes was takes from the Bukhari Hadeeth. Finally, you are correct and we shall have to agree to disagree.

Ma'a Asalaama

 

[Humera]

Asalaam aleikum Humera, Indeed I was and indeed I am. I as a Muslim who also specialisez in Shariah, hence my responce to the post. Indeed the forum is about the Royal family of Brunei but the issue of their wearing the hijab was raised hence I responded. Indeed the Qur'an mentioned that one is to cover but the detail of the form in which AL-Hijab takes was takes from the Bukhari Hadeeth. Finally, you are correct and we shall have to agree to disagree.

Ma'a Asalaama

good. Im glad this wont turn into another unpleasant argument that we seem to have every once in a while on this forum. It is a coincidence that you brought this up though because just today I read an article about a Muslim scholar on shariah and he mentioned how the veil has become an Islamic tradition but that it is was adopted from pre-existing cultural practices from pre-Islamic times and that it is not an obligation. But I already knew that.

 

[Humera]

back to the royals.
Here are the pictures from the banquet given in honour of the Chinese President on April 20.

 

[Humera]

Banquet pics-Part 2

 

[Humera]

Banquet pics-Part 3

 

[Humera]

Final day of the visit
April 21