Books provide local perspective on history of Brunei
| Lyna Mohamad |
PERMANENT Secretary (Higher Education) at the Ministry of Education (MoE) Dr Haji Azman bin Ahmad yesterday officiated the launching of two publications jointly hosted by the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences and the Academy of Brunei Studies of the Universiti Brunei Darussalam (UBD) and the Brunei History Association (PESEBAR).
The launching of Politics of the Brunei Sultanate 1804-1906: Enduring the Storm to the Blessed Shores and Melayu Islam Beraja, The Malay Islamic Monarchy in Negara Brunei Darussalam Prior to 1906: A Historical Study was held at the Student Affairs Building in UBD and began with the recitation of Surah Al-Fatihah and Doa Selamat.
Politics of the Brunei Sultanate 1804-1906: Enduring the Storm to the Blessed Shores was written by Associate Professor Dr Haji Asbol bin Haji Mail, Associate Professor Ampuan Dr Haji Brahim bin Ampuan Haji Tengah and Haji Mohsin bin Abu Bakar.
Melayu Islam Beraja, The Malay Islamic Monarchy in Brunei Darussalam Prior to 1906: A Historical Study, meanwhile, was written by Associate Professor Dr Haji Asbol, Associate Professor Ampuan Dr Haji Brahim, Dr Hajah Asiyah Az-Zahra binti Haji Ahmad Kumpoh, Dr Nani Suryani binti Haji Abu Bakar and Dr Haji Tassim bin Haji Abu Bakar.
Co-Chairperson of the organising committee and Vice President of PESEBAR Dr Haji Mohd Yusop bin Haji Damit in his welcoming remarks noted that the two publications are very important and relevant to the study of Brunei as a source of reference to researchers and students or as a reading material for the public interested in the history of Brunei.
Permanent Secretary (Higher Education) at the Ministry of Education Dr Haji Azman bin Ahmad launches the new books while Co-Chairperson of the organising committee and Vice President of PESEBAR Dr Haji Mohd Yusop bin Haji Damit (right) looks on
Politics of the Brunei Sultanate 1804-1906: Enduring the Storm to the Blessed Shores and Melayu Islam Beraja, The Malay Islamic Monarchy in Negara Brunei Darussalam Prior to 1906: A Historical Study books that were launched at the event. – PHOTOS: RAHWANI ZAHARI
Book review by Dr Awang Haji Tassim bin Haji Abu Bakar
He added that with both books being written in English by the local writers, this will attract foreigners who want to know about Brunei from a local perspective, as most books about the country have been written by external scholars.
Politics of the Brunei Sultanate 1804-1906: Enduring the Storm to the Blessed Shores was translated from the Malay version of Politik Kesultanan Brunei 1804-1906: Mengharungi Badai Rahmat di Pantai, which is among the first books specifically on Brunei’s political history in the 19th Century AD written by local writers.
Dr Haji Mohd Yusop expressed hope that the publication of the book could be an encouragement for local students to carry out more research on Brunei’s past history, especially in the 19th Century, as books about Brunei at that time were almost entirely produced by foreign scholars who would obviously wrote from their own perspective.
He said the Melayu Islam Beraja, The Malay Islamic Monarchy in Brunei Darussalam Prior to 1906: A Historical Study book is also no less important because it explains that Malay Islamic Monarchy (MIB) concept has become a way of life for Bruneians since ages ago, and most important of all, there are not much publication and references of MIB in English.
Dr Haji Mohd Yusop said since the MIB concept has been upheld as the nation’s philosophy when the country gain its independence in 1984, there have been rising interests on it amongst the community including foreigners with the desire to know and understand the concept.
The publication of the book, he added, will pave the way for more books and writings on MIB to be implemented, not only in writing from the perspective of historical studies, but more importantly on the elaboration of MIB as the country’s philosophy that focusses research on its practice today.
This will certainly add an understanding of MIB to all the citizens and people residing in thie country, said Dr Haji Mohd Yusop.
