Abbas Al-Sufri
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Mohammad Abbas Al-Sufri bin Haji Ibrahim (16 July 1926 – 8 March 2014) was an aristocrat,
civil servant The civil service is a collective term for a sector of government composed mainly of career civil service personnel hired rather than elected, whose institutional tenure typically survives transitions of political leadership. A civil service offic ...
and
courtier A courtier () is a person who attends the royal court of a monarch or other royalty. The earliest historical examples of courtiers were part of the retinues of rulers. Historically the court was the centre of government as well as the officia ...
from
Brunei Brunei, officially Brunei Darussalam, is a country in Southeast Asia, situated on the northern coast of the island of Borneo. Apart from its coastline on the South China Sea, it is completely surrounded by the Malaysian state of Sarawak, with ...
who previously served as the acting
personal secretary ''Personal Secretary'' is a 1938 American comedy film directed by Otis Garrett and written by Betty Laidlaw, Robert Lively and Charles Grayson. The film stars William Gargan, Joy Hodges, Andy Devine, Ruth Donnelly, Samuel S. Hinds and Fran ...
to
Sultan Sultan (; ', ) is a position with several historical meanings. Originally, it was an Arabic abstract noun meaning "strength", "authority", "rulership", derived from the verbal noun ', meaning "authority" or "power". Later, it came to be use ...
Omar Ali Saifuddien III Omar Ali Saifuddien Sa'adul Khairi Waddien (Jawi script, Jawi: ; 23 September 1914 – 7 September 1986) was the 28th Sultan of Brunei, reigning from 1950 until his abdication in 1967 to his oldest son, Hassanal Bolkiah. Over the course of his ...
. He had a career in the government service of Brunei, in which he held a number of important positions such as being a member of the
Privy Council of Brunei The Privy Council () is a formal body of advisers to the monarch of Brunei. When His Majesty appoints people to posts with traditional ranks, titles, and honours, the council provides advice. History The period of the State Council came to ...
from 1972 to 2014.


Early life and education

Abbas Al-Sufri was born in Brunei on 16 July 1926, to
Ibrahim Mohammad Jahfar Ibrahim bin Mohammad Jahfar (27 September 1902 – 19 February 1971) was an aristocrat, civil servant and magistrate. He was the first Malay to hold Brunei's highest executive position, serving as State Secretary of Brunei, state secretary fro ...
(former
Menteri Besar head of government, Heads of government in Malaysia's many states of Malaysia, states take on various titles. Seven out of nine in the Peninsular Malaysia, Peninsular who each have Monarchies of Malaysia, historical monarchs are known as the Men ...
of Brunei). Additionally, he was the older brother of ''Pehin Orang Kaya Laila Setia Bakti Di-Raja'' Dato Laila Utama Haji Isa, the speaker of the legislative council from 2011 to 2015. He attended
Chinese Chinese may refer to: * Something related to China * Chinese people, people identified with China, through nationality, citizenship, and/or ethnicity **Han Chinese, East Asian ethnic group native to China. **'' Zhonghua minzu'', the supra-ethnic ...
and Malay schools in Brunei Town (now
Bandar Seri Begawan Bandar Seri Begawan (BSB) is the capital and largest city of Brunei. It is officially a Municipalities of Brunei, municipal area () with an area of and an estimated population of 100,700 as of 2007. It is part of Brunei–Muara District, the s ...
) and continued his education at the Government English School in
Labuan Labuan (), officially the Federal Territory of Labuan (), is an island federal territory of Malaysia. It includes and six smaller islands off the coast of the state of Sabah in East Malaysia. Labuan's capital is Victoria, which is best kno ...
from 1935 to 1942. In 1956, he participated in a Local Government Study Tour in
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,
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,
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,
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, and
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. He married Besar binti Haji Mohd. Yusof on 16 June 1947, and they have two daughters.


Career

Abbas Al-Sufri worked in a variety of capacities during his career in the Brunei Administrative Service (BAS). In 1943, he started out as a clerk in the Japanese-occupied Land Transport Company. He was employed by the British Resident's Office,
Public Works Department This list indicates government departments in various countries dedicated to public works or infrastructure. See also * Public works * Ministry or Board of Public Works, the imperial Chinese ministry overseeing public projects from the Tang ...
, and Electrical Office in 1948 as a Grade 'B' clerk. By 1951, he was working as an administrative official and an advisor to Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddien III. On 1 January 1951, Abbas Al-Sufri began his employment with the government as the a
probationer Probation in criminal law is a period of supervision over an offender, ordered by the court often in lieu of incarceration. In some jurisdictions, the term ''probation'' applies only to community sentences (alternatives to incarceration), suc ...
in the BAS. Later in 1953, he would join Sultan Omar Ali's entourage for
coronation of Elizabeth II The Coronation of the British monarch, coronation of Elizabeth II as queen of the United Kingdom and the other Commonwealth realms took place on 2 June 1953 at Westminster Abbey in London. Elizabeth acceded to the throne at the age of 25 upon th ...
. On 26 April 1956, he stopped serving as the sultan's aide-de-camp (ADC), but he started back on 18 September 1956. From 29 September 1959 to 10 September 1961, he served as the Sultan's acting personal secretary. He and his father traveled to
London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...
in April 1959 as part of the Sultan's constitutional delegation to begin work on the Brunei Constitution during the 1959 Brunei Negotiations. As ADC to the sultan, Abbas Al-Sufri reportedly urged TNKU rebel commanders Pengiran Matussin and Awang Hafiz to leave Istana Darul Hana when a group of rebels attempted to deliver a letter to the sultan; according to an unnamed source, the rebels refused to take the letter, and the sultan was never seen by the delegation. During the coronation ceremony at
Lapau The Lapau, also known as the Royal Ceremonial Hall, is a ceremonial hall in Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei. It is where the royal ceremonies, state investiture and some state events are traditionally held. It was the place where the present Sulta ...
in Brunei Town on 1 August 1968, where Sultan
Hassanal Bolkiah Hassanal Bolkiah Muiz'zaddin Wad'daulah (born 15 July 1946) is the List of sultans of Brunei, Sultan of Brunei since 1967, and Prime Minister of Brunei, prime minister of Brunei since its independence from the United Kingdom in 1984. He is one ...
was crowned the 29th Sultan of Brunei by his predecessor Omar Ali Saifuddien, Abbas Al-Sufri carried the Kuching Emas, while Pengiran Abdul Momin held the Tungkat Ajai, two of the 25 ceremonial regalia used in the event. Abbas Al-Sufri was later appointed chief protocol officer from 1968 till his retirement in 1981. On 31 December 1983, during the declaration of Brunei's
independence Independence is a condition of a nation, country, or state, in which residents and population, or some portion thereof, exercise self-government, and usually sovereignty, over its territory. The opposite of independence is the status of ...
at
Omar Ali Saifuddien Mosque The Omar Ali Saifuddien Mosque () or unofficially Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddin Mosque (SOAS Mosque), is a mosque in Bandar Seri Begawan, the capital of Brunei. Omar Ali Saifuddien III, the 28th Sultan of Brunei, is credited with building the mosqu ...
in Bandar Seri Begawan, Abbas Al-Sufri, along with Pengiran Mokhtar Puteh, played a key role in carrying the "Warkah Pemashuran Kemerdekaan Brunei Darussalam" from the
grand chamberlain A chamberlain (Medieval Latin: ''cambellanus'' or ''cambrerius'', with charge of treasury ''camerarius'') is a senior royal official in charge of managing a royal household. Historically, the chamberlain superintends the arrangement of domestic ...
into
Taman Haji Sir Muda Omar 'Ali Saifuddien Taman Haji Sir Muda Omar 'Ali Saifuddien is a historical urban park, located in the Pusat Bandar of Bandar Seri Begawan, where significant state ceremonies are held, including the Sultan's birthday celebrations, National Day, the National Mus ...
, accompanied by 20 individuals bearing the
Royal Regalia Museum The Royal Regalia Museum () is a museum located in the heart of Bandar Seri Begawan, the capital of Brunei. Originally built as a monument in 1965, the museum had a makeover and expansion in 1992 that combined constructivist and Melayu Islam B ...
. Abbas Al-Sufri held and performed the tasks assigned to him, such as arranging and maintaining the ceremonial positions and the vehicles for the queen consort, princess consorts, or other sultan wives in all royal ceremonies, both inside and outside the palace. He was also in charge of planning and overseeing the sultan and his consort's food, health, and sleeping arrangements. He continued to work under contract after retirement until 1992.


Later life and death

On Sunday, 9 March 2014, Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah paid his homage at the home of the late Abbas Al-Sufri on Jalan Raja Isteri Pengiran Anak Saleha in
Bandar Seri Begawan Bandar Seri Begawan (BSB) is the capital and largest city of Brunei. It is officially a Municipalities of Brunei, municipal area () with an area of and an estimated population of 100,700 as of 2007. It is part of Brunei–Muara District, the s ...
. At the age of 87, He died on Saturday, 8 March. Under the direction of State Mufti
Abdul Aziz Juned Abdul Aziz bin Juned (born 22 December 1941), also known by his pen name Adi Rumi, is a Bruneian aristocrat, poet and politician. Serving as the State Mufti of Brunei since 1994, his appointment marked a pivotal moment in the country's Islamic g ...
, the sultan also participated in the congregational burial prayer at his home at Mile 1, Jalan Tutong. He is interred at Kianggeh Muslim Cemetery. During his lifetime, Abbas Al-Sufri had several hobbies, including collecting cars, stamps, and ''Hari Pertama'' covers. He also enjoyed various recreational activities such as sports and
shooting Shooting is the act or process of discharging a projectile from a ranged weapon (such as a gun, bow, crossbow, slingshot, or blowpipe). Even the acts of launching flame, artillery, darts, harpoons, grenades, rockets, and guided missile ...
. In addition, he was active in charitable work and social welfare. Notably, he was also one of the 21 pupils that worked to establish the Brunei Scout Association from the Government English School's First Labuan Scout Troop.


Titles, styles and honours


Titles and styles

On 23 September 1958, Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddien III bestowed the title of ; and later, on 7 May 1968, Abbas Al-Sufri received the upgraded title of . The titles are styled as . * 23 September 1958 – 7 May 1968: * 7 May 1968 – 8 March 2014:


Honours

Abbas Al-Sufri has been awarded the following national and foreign honours; National *
Family Order of Laila Utama The Most Esteemed Family Order of Laila Utama () is the highest Order (decoration), order of Brunei. It was established on 1 March 1954 by Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddien III. The order carries the post-nominal letters "DK I" as well as the Malay styl ...
(DK; 1972) – ''Dato Laila Utama'' *
Family Order of Seri Utama The Most Esteemed Family Order of Seri Utama () is an Order (decoration), order of Brunei. It was established on 1 March 1954 by Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddien III. The order carries the post-nominal letters "DK II" as well as the Malay styles and tit ...
(DK; 1968) – ''Dato Seri Utama'' *
Order of Seri Paduka Mahkota Brunei The Most Honourable Order of Seri Paduka Mahkota Brunei (), also translated as The Most Honourable Order of the Crown of Brunei, is an Order (decoration), order of Brunei, Brunei Darussalam. It was established on 1 March 1954 by Sultan Omar Ali ...
First Class (SPMB; 12 February 1969) – ''Dato Seri Paduka'' * Order of Seri Paduka Mahkota Brunei Second Class (DPMB; 23 September 1958) – ''Dato Paduka'' * Order of Seri Paduka Mahkota Brunei Third Class (SMB; 1954) *
Order of Setia Negara Brunei The Most Blessed Order of Setia Negara Brunei (), also translated as The Most Blessed Order of Loyalty to the State of Brunei, is an Order (decoration), order of Brunei, Brunei Darussalam. It was established on 29 November 1959 by Sultan Omar Al ...
Second Class (DSNB; 23 September 1963) – ''Dato Setia'' *
Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah Medal Sultan (; ', ) is a Royal and noble ranks, position with several historical meanings. Originally, it was an Arabic abstract noun meaning "strength", "authority", "rulership", derived from the verbal noun ', meaning "authority" or "power". La ...
(PHBS; 1972) * Omar Ali Saifuddin Medal First Class (POAS; 23 September 1959) * Meritorious Service Medal (PJK; 1968) * Long Service Medal (PKL; 1968) * Coronation Medal (1 August 1968) * Campaign Medal * Sultan of Brunei Silver Jubilee Medal (5 October 1992) Foreign * Selangor: ** Sultan Salahuddin Silver Jubilee Medal (3 September 1985) * United Kingdom: ** Member of the
Royal Victorian Order The Royal Victorian Order () is a dynastic order of knighthood established in 1896 by Queen Victoria. It recognises distinguished personal service to the monarch, members of the royal family, or to any viceroy or senior representative of the m ...
(MVO; 1972)


Things named after him

* Jalan Dato Abbas Al-Sufri, a road in
Bandar Seri Begawan Bandar Seri Begawan (BSB) is the capital and largest city of Brunei. It is officially a Municipalities of Brunei, municipal area () with an area of and an estimated population of 100,700 as of 2007. It is part of Brunei–Muara District, the s ...
.


References

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Abbas Al-Sufri 1925 births 2014 deaths Bruneian civil servants Members of the Order of the British Empire Bruneian Muslims Members of the Privy Council of Brunei Children of prime ministers of Brunei