The Sultan of Brunei Hassanal Bolkiah came the world’s longest-serving monarch with the end of Britain’s Queen’s Elizabeth II, the media reported.
Bolkiah, who took the throne in 1967, has reigned for 54 times and 339 days( as of Friday)– further than four times longer than Margrethe II of Denmark, now the alternate-longest reigning monarch, the Daily Mail reported. Before her death, Her Majesty was far- and- down the longest serving monarch in the world, marking the 70th anniversary of her coronation before this time, the Daily Mail reported.
But while The Queen– who came to the throne progressed just 25 in 1952 in the fate of World War II– has assured that she has kept her distance from politics in the UK, the contrary can be said of Bolkiah in his home country. In addition to being the country’s Sultan and absolute monarch, 76- time-old Hassanal Bolkiah ibni Omar Ali Saifuddien III has also been the Prime Minister of Brunei since the country gained independence from the UK in 1984.
His reign has also been mired in contestation. He has faced review of his country’s mortal rights record, and questions have been raised over business dealings, the Daily Mail reported. Unlike the UK’s head of state, Bolkiah enjoys absolute power in Brunei. Under the country’s 1959 Constitution, the head has full administrative authority- including exigency powers.
In 2006, he was reported to have amended the country’s constitution to make himself unerring under the law, Daily Mail reported. As Prime Minister, he’s also the head of government- and presently holds the positions of Minister of Defence, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Minister of Finance. He also controls the country’s police force.
To eclipse it all off, he’s also Head of Religion, and Islam is the sanctioned religion of the country. In 2014, he supported for the relinquishment of Islamic sharia penalties– that includes death by stropping, the ramifying of branches and flogging for some crimes. similar crimes include revocations, infidelity and same- coitus sexual acts, Daily Mail reported.
