50th Anniversary Celebrations of Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah's Accession to the Throne of Brunei
# 50th Anniversary Celebrations of Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah's Accession to the Throne of Brunei

The Fiftieth Anniversary Celebrations of Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah's Accession to the Throne were the celebrations held throughout Brunei in October 2017 to celebrate the Sultan's Golden Jubilee; his 50th year on the Bruneian throne.

## Background

According to the history of Brunei Sultanate, there were three rulers of the Sultanate who had ruled for 50 years and celebrate Golden Jubilee. The first monarch to celebrate Golden Jubilee in Brunei was Sultan Abdul Jalilul Akbar, the 10th Sultan of Brunei. Sultan Abdul Jalilul Akbar who ruled Brunei for 61 years, from 1598 until 1659, was known as the longest ruling Sultan to date. The Sultan celebrated his Golden Jubilee in the year 1648.

The second Bruneian monarch to celebrate Golden Jubilee was Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddin I, Brunei's 20th Sultan. Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddin I who ruled Brunei for 55 years, from 1740 until 1795, celebrated his Golden Jubilee in the year 1790.

On 5 October 2017, Brunei made its history when His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu’izzaddin Waddaulah, the 29th Sultan of Brunei, become the third monarch to celebrate Golden Jubilee, marking his 50 years reign on the Throne of Brunei. Hassanal Bolkiah ascended the Throne as the 29th Sultan of Brunei on 5 October 1967 after following the voluntary abdication of his father, Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddien Saadul Khairi Waddien. The Sultan had celebrated his Silver Jubilee to mark the 25th year of his reign on the Throne on 5 October 1992.

In conjunction of his Golden Jubilee celebration, the Sultan declared Thursday, 5 October 2017 to be a public holiday.

## Main Programmes

### Royal ceremonies

The Golden Jubilee celebrations of Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah's Accession to the Throne in October 2017 as follows:

| Date | Time | Ceremony | Place |
| - | - | - | - |
| Tuesday, 3 October | 08:00 | The Opening of Gendang Jaga-Jaga Ceremony | Lapau Building, Bandar Seri Begawan |
| Wednesday, 4 October | 20:00 | Mass Fardhu Maghrib and Isya Prayers and Doa Kesyukuran | Jame' 'Asr Hassanil Bolkiah Mosque, Kampong Kiarong |
| Thursday, 5 October | 07:15 | The Royal Parade and Audience Ceremony | Indera Buana Throne Hall, Istana Nurul Iman |
| Thursday, 5 October | 09:00 | Royal Procession surrounding Bandar Seri Begawan | Bandar Seri Begawan |
| Friday, 6 October | 19:00 | Royal Banquet | Banquet Hall, Istana Nurul Iman |
| Sunday, 8 October | 14:00 | The Doa Selamat and the Closing of Gendang Jaga-Jaga Ceremony | Istana Nurul Iman |
| Wednesday, 11 October | 13:30 | Khatam Al Quran Ceremony | Istana Nurul Iman |
| Saturday, 14 October | 19:30 | The Opening Ceremony of the Sungai Kebun Bridge (Raja Isteri Pengiran Anak Hajah Saleha Bridge), Procession of Decorated Floats and Firework Display | Bandar Seri Begawan |
| Wednesday, 18 October | 14:00 | Tahlil Ceremony | Kubah Makam Di Raja, Bandar Seri Begawan |
| Sunday, 22 October | 07:15 | Procession of Decorated Vehicles, Opening Ceremony of Eco-Corridor (Taman Mahkota Jubli Emas) and Mass Junjung Kasih and Kesyukuran Ceremony | Taman Mahkota Jubli Emas, Bandar Seri Begawan |

All the Golden Jubilee ceremonies were broadcast nationwide by the Radio Television Brunei, the Brunei government's main broadcasting body.

### Other Ceremonies

* Flag hoisting in conjunction of the Golden Jubilee Celebration, 1 October until 31 October 2017.
* Forum Melayu Islam Beraja (MIB) at all four district of Brunei-Muara, Tutong, Belait and Temburong, in conjunction of the Golden Jubilee Celebration, 2 October until 12 October 2017.

## Foreign Guests

### Heads of state and consorts

| Country | Name | Title |
| - | - | - |
| Malaysia | Sultan Muhammad V | Yang Di Pertuan Agong of Malaysia |
| Johor | Sultan Ibrahim Ismail and Raja Zarith Sofiah | Sultan and Permaisuri of Johor |
| Pahang | Tengku Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah and Tunku Azizah Aminah Maimunah Iskandariah | Regent and Tengku Puan of Pahang |
| Penang | Tun Dato' Seri Utama Haji Abdul Rahman bin Haji Abbas | Yang Di Pertua Negeri of Pulau Pinang |
| Perak | Sultan Nazrin Muizzuddin Shah and Tuanku Zara Salim | Sultan and Raja Permaisuri of Perak |
| Perlis | Tuanku Syed Faizuddin Putra Jamalullail and Tuanku Lailatul Shahreen Akashah | Raja Muda and Raja Puan Muda of Perlis |
| Sabah | Tan Sri Datuk Seri Panglima Haji Musa bin Haji Aman | Chief Minister of Sabah |
| Sarawak | Tun Pehin Sri Haji Abdul Taib bin Mahmud | Yang Di Pertua Negeri of Sarawak |
| Selangor | Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah and Tengku Permaisuri Norashikin Binti Abdul Rahman | Sultan and Tengku Permaisuri of Selangor |
| Terengganu | Al-Wathiqu Billah Sultan Mizan Zainal Abidin and Sultanah Nur Zahirah | Sultan and Sultanah of Terengganu |

### Heads of Government

| Country | Name | Title |
| - | - | - |
| Cambodia | Samdech Hun Sen | Prime Minister of Cambodia |
| Indonesia | Joko Widodo and his wife, Iriana | President and First Lady of Indonesia |
| Malaysia | Najib Razak | Prime Minister of Malaysia |
| Myanmar | Aung San Suu Kyi | State Counsellor of Myanmar |
| Philippines | Rodrigo Duterte | President of the Philippines |
| Singapore | Lee Hsien Loong and his wife, Ho Ching | Prime Minister of Singapore |
| Thailand | General Prayut Chan-o-cha | Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Thailand |

### Royal representatives

| Country | Name | Position |
| - | - | - |
| United Kingdom | Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex and Sophie, Countess of Wessex | Representatives of Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom |
| Jordan | Prince Hashim bin Hussein | Representative of King Abdullah of Jordan |
| United Arab Emirates | Rashid Ahmad Muhammad Bin Fahad | United Arab Emirates's Minister of State |

## Commemorations

In conjunction of the Sultan's Golden Jubilee celebration, Brunei government and also private bodies through the Golden Jubilee Memorial Souvenir Sectorial Committee produce and sell commemorative merchandise and souvenirs to the public. Major broadcasting bodies also publish and sell photographs of the ceremonies.

The Brunei Information Department Department was given the rights to provide photographs and any informations needed about the Golden Jubilee for the use of local and foreign journalists and also to individuals. Government newspapers such as the Pelita Brunei and local media such as Media Permata and Borneo Bulletin made their special commemorative publications.

