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Fines and jail terms for offences such as indecency and failure to attend
Friday prayers, with future penalties to include flogging and death by stoning
Agence France-Presse in Brunei
- 30 April 2014
The sultan of
The sultan of oil-rich Brunei
has announced the introduction of tough Islamic criminal punishments, pushing
ahead with plans that have sparked international condemnation and rare domestic
criticism of the fabulously wealthy ruler.
"With faith and gratitude to Allah the
almighty, I declare that tomorrow, Thursday 1 May 2014, will see the
enforcement of sharia
law phase one, to be followed by the other phases," the
absolute monarch said in a royal decree on Wednesday.
Plans for the sharia penalties –
which will eventually include flogging, severing of limbs and death by stoning
– triggered condemnation on social media sites in the tiny sultanate earlier
this year.
Confusion has swirled around
implementation of the punishments following the unexplained postponement of an
expected 22 April start date that raised questions over whether the Muslim
monarch was hesitating.
But 67-year-old Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah – one of
the world's wealthiest men – said in his decree that the move was "a
must" under Islam,
dismissing "never-ending theories" that sharia punishments were cruel
in comments clearly aimed at detractors.
"Theory states that Allah's
law is cruel and unfair but Allah himself has said that his law is indeed
fair," he said.
The initial phase beginning on
Thursday introduces fines or jail terms for offences ranging from indecent
behaviour, failure to attend Friday prayers, and out-of-wedlock pregnancies.
A second phase covering crimes
such as theft and robbery is to be implemented later this year, involving more
stringent penalties such as severing of limbs and flogging.
Late next year, punishments such as
death by stoning for offences including sodomy and adultery will be introduced.
The monarch's wealth – estimated
three years ago at $20bn by Forbes magazine – has become legendary, with
reports of a vast collection of luxury vehicles and huge, gold-bedecked
palaces.
The monarchy was deeply
embarrassed by a sensational family feud between Hassanal and his younger
brother Jefri Bolkiah over the latter's alleged embezzlement of $15bn during
his tenure as finance minister in the 1990s.
Court battles and exposés
revealed salacious details of Jefri's jetset lifestyle, including allegations
of a harem of western paramours and a luxury yacht he owned called
"Tits".
Bruneians enjoy among the highest
standards of living in
The sultan first proposed the
sharia penal code in 1990s, and in recent years has increasingly warned of
rising crime and pernicious outside influences including the internet. He has called
Islam a "firewall" against globalisation.
He announced the implementation
plans in October.
Situated on Borneo island, which
it shares with
Muslim ethnic Malays, who make up
about 70% of the population, are broadly supportive of the move by their
revered father-figure.
But some Malays and non-Muslim
citizens privately express unease. About 15% of
Earlier this year, many users of
The move could indicate the
sultan is becoming more conservative as he ages, said Joseph Chinyong Liow, a
Singapore-based professor of Muslim politics.
"The sultan himself is at a
point where there is a need to come to terms with religious identity, both
personally and for the country," he said.
Liow said the sultan may have viewed
sharia as a popular step, as support grows among some Muslims in south-east
Asia for a post-colonial return to Islamic roots.
The UN's human rights office said
this month it was deeply concerned about the changes, adding that women
typically bore the brunt of punishment for crimes involving sex.
"It's a return to medieval
punishment," said Phil Robertson, deputy