Brunei's political development between 1966 and 1984: challenges and difficulties over its security and survival

Abstract

Abstract

After conducting extensive research at the Public Record Office at Kew, London, which involved unearthing documents pertaining to Brunei-UK relationships between 1966 and 1984, I decided to focus my work on Brunei's political development between those periods of time. While I focused my work on this field, it became obvious that Brunei's security and survival remained the main issues that posed challenges and difficulties to the Sultans of Brunei.

Starting in 1966, it was indeed a crucial year because this was when Britain decided to end its protection over Brunei. As a result of this decision, Britain put more pressure
on the Sultan to implement a democratic system of government in the Sultanate. Britain's insistence that the Sultan should implement the system was supported by Malaysia and Brunei's local party. This demand for democracy posed challenges and difficulties concerning Brunei's security and survival, as it could reduce the power of the Sultan and would bring Brunei within Malaysia. Britain's decision also troubled the Sultan, as it would leave Brunei inadequately protected from any internal and external threats or attacks. Consequently the Sultan was apprehensive over Malaysia, which still wanted to bring Brunei within the Federation of Malaysia, and Indonesia for its past support of the 1962 Bruneian ex-rebels and for harbouring the leader of the rebellion, Azahari, after the end of the rebellion.

In this study I hope to give a clearer understanding of Brunei's history particularly between 1966 and 1984, as previous authors of Brunei's history have either not touched
at all or only touched briefly on Britain's demands on the Sultan to implement a democratic system of government and Malaysia's persistent objective to bring Brunei
within Malaysia. Furthermore, none of the authors of Brunei's history has studied in any detail the issues arising from Malaysia's intention to bring Brunei within Malaysia, i. e., the escape of Brunei's 1962 ex-rebels to Limbang (which made Brunei's call for the return of Limbang an urgent matter) and the- ex-rebels' political activities outside Brunei between 1973 and 1975, which had the support of the Malaysian government and other foreign countries and international organizations.

This study benefits from the use of the documents pertaining to Brunei-UK relationships (from 1966 onwards) that are available at the Public Record Office but that previous authors of Brunei's history have not used. Although there is a shortcoming in this study that is the unavailability of records for the period 1976 until 1984, I have used local and foreign newspapers and secondary materials which are available in various institutions both in Brunei and abroad. In addition, I have carried out interviews with key figures pertaining to the issues mentioned above in order to pursue the study. The method used in the study is chronological so that the events and issues highlighted in this thesis can be adequately discussed and followed.

Full text

CONTENTS
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS i
ABSTRACT ii
MAPS viii
ABBREVIATIONS xi
1. CHAPTER ONE
Introduction
1.1. Background 1
1.2. Literature review 11
1.3. Sources: analysis 17
2. CHAPTER TWO
Brunei and the British Decolonisation Policy: 1950 - 1966
2.1. Introduction 24
2.2. British decolonisation policy 25
2.3. Brunei and the Malaysian Plan 32
2.4. Conclusion 49
3. CHAPTER THREE
Brunei and the British end of 1959 Agreement: 1966 – 1970
3.1. Introduction 51
3.2. Reason for end of the1959 Agreement, pressure for democracy and
pressure for entering Malaysia 52
3.3. Brunei’s efforts to seek continuous defence safeguards 73
3.4. Conclusion 84
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4. CHAPTER FOUR
Brunei and the British Reversal of Policy: 1970 - 1972
4.1. Introduction 87
4.2. British reversal of policy and the 1971 Agreement 88
4.3. Continuous calls for democracy and independence 93
4.4. End of plan for democracy 102
4.5. Conclusion 108
5. CHAPTER FIVE
Brunei’s Claim on Limbang: 1970 – 1974
5.1. Introduction 110
5.2. Brunei’s claim on Limbang: 1970 – 1973 111
5.3. The Limbang conflict: 1970 – 1973 118
5.4. The closure of the Limbang issue 128
5.5. Conclusion 132
6. CHAPTER SIX
The Escape of the 1962 Bruneian Ex-rebels and their Political Activities:
1973 – 1975
6.1. Introduction 134
6.2. The escape of Brunei’s ex-rebels 135
6.3. PRB political activities in Kuala Lumpur and Limbang 142
6.4. PRB political activities in the international arena 153
6.5. Brunei’s precautionary measures 160
6.6. Conclusion 163
7. CHAPTER SEVEN
The Revival of the British Policy of 1966: 1974 – 1979
7.1. Introduction 165
7.2. Revival of policy 166
7.3. Malaysia and Indonesia: change of attitudes 173
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7.4. The demise of the PRB 179
7.5. Treaty of Friendship and Co-operation, 1979 186
7.6. Conclusion 189
8. CHAPTER EIGHT
Preparations Towards Independence: 1979 – 1983
8.1. Introduction 191
8.2. Re-establishing relations with Malaysia and Indonesia 192
8.3. Strengthening security through ASEAN and the UN 196
8.4. Strengthening Brunei’s defence organisation 203
8.5. Social programmes and security 214
8.6. Conclusion 217
9. CHAPTER NINE
Conclusion 219
List of Appendices
1. The Protection Treaty of 1888 228
2. Agreement between the United Kingdom and Brunei on Defence
and External Affairs, 29 December 1959 231
3. Agreement between Her Majesty the Queen of the United Kingdom
and Northern Ireland and His Highness the Sultan of Brunei Amending
the Agreement of 29 September 1959 235
4. Sultan Abdul Mumin’s Will 239
5. Letter of Chief Minister of Brunei to the Minister for External Affairs,
Federation of Malaysia regarding Limbang 240
6. Letter of George Thomson to Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah about the
relinquishment of 1959 Agreement 243
7. Letter of Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah to George Thomson about the
relinquishment of 1959 Agreement 245
8. Letter of Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah to Michael Stewart 246
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9. List of British High Commissioners, 1966 – 1983 249
10. Declaration on the granting of independence to colonial countries
and peoples adopted by General Assembly Resolution 1514 (XV) of
14 December `960 250
Bibliography 252
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