Abdul Hamid bin Bakal (2 July 1939 – 2 February 2024) was a Bruneian aristocrat and Muslim scholar who held several high-ranking and important positions in the

Government of Brunei The Government of Brunei is the union government created by the constitution of Brunei where by the Sultan of Brunei is both head of state and head of government ( Prime Minister of Brunei). Executive power is exercised by the government. Brune ...

Career

Abdul Hamid earned a

Master of Arts A Master of Arts ( or ''Artium Magister''; abbreviated MA or AM) is the holder of a master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is usually contrasted with that of Master of Science. Those admitted to the degree have ...

(MA) from

Al-Azhar University The Al-Azhar University ( ; , , ) is a public university in Cairo, Egypt. Associated with Al-Azhar Al-Sharif in Islamic Cairo, it is Egypt's oldest degree-granting university and is known as one of the most prestigious universities for Islamic ...

. He began working as the Superintendent of Information and

Tabligh The process of Islamic Tabligh () or conveying or propagation is a major Islamic mission on which Islam has built its existence and identity in human life.

on 24 December 1966, and also served as the Religious Education Regulator, Deputy Chief

Qadi A qadi (; ) is the magistrate or judge of a Sharia court, who also exercises extrajudicial functions such as mediation, guardianship over orphans and minors, and supervision and auditing of public works. History The term '' was in use from ...

, and Senior Religious Officer. He was appointed Chief Qadi in 1977 and served in that capacity until the end of 1994. He was appointed as a member of the Public Service Commission on 1 January 1995, and served in that capacity until 25 March 2001. On 26 March 2001, he was named Chief Justice Syar'i.e. He had been employed for more than 40 years and spent more than 26 years in the Syariah Judiciary prior to that. Abdul Hamid also held memberships in the Privy Council on 1 July 2008, the Council of Succession, the Islamic Religious Council, and the Council of State Customs. In addition, he served as the

Kampong Tanjong Nangka Kampong Tanjong Nangka is a village in the west of Brunei-Muara District, Brunei. The population was 3,118 in 2016. It is one of the villages within Mukim Sengkurong. The postcode is BG2321. Etymology Tanjung Nangka is one of the most unique ...

Consultative Council (MPK) advisor.

Borneo Bulletin The ''Borneo Bulletin'' is a daily English-language newspaper in Brunei. It is published by Brunei Press, which also publishes a Malay-language daily, '' Media Permata''. The ''Bulletin'' circulates around 20,000 copies on weekdays and 25,000 ...

formally declared on 31 May 2011, that he will join the Legislative Council, effective 1 June. In September 2011, he participated in the 32nd General Assembly of the

ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly The ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA) is a Inter-parliamentary institution, regional parliamentary body which acts as a primary point for communication and information sharing between member countries. Its primary objectives are to provide ...

(AIPA) in

Cambodia Cambodia, officially the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country in Southeast Asia on the Mainland Southeast Asia, Indochinese Peninsula. It is bordered by Thailand to the northwest, Laos to the north, and Vietnam to the east, and has a coastline ...

as a representative of Brunei Darussalam. On 13 January 2017, he was reappointed as a Legislative Council Member, and would hold that position until its official disbandment on 6 March 2022.

Death

Abdul Hamid died on 2 February 2024, at the age of 84. His funeral rites were held at Sultan Sharif Ali Mosque in

Sengkurong Kampong Sengkurong is a village in the west of Brunei-Muara District, Brunei. The total population was 5,003 in 2016. Etymology The names Sengkurong and Bengkurong have a number of different origin stories, but according to Dusun speakers ...

, which was attended by

Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah Hassanal Bolkiah Muiz'zaddin Wad'daulah (born 15 July 1946) is the Sultan of Brunei since 1967, and prime minister of Brunei since its independence from the United Kingdom in 1984. He is one of the few remaining absolute monarchs in the worl ...

, members of the

Royal family A royal family is the immediate family of monarchs and sometimes their extended family. The term imperial family appropriately describes the family of an emperor or empress, and the term papal family describes the family of a pope, while th ...

, state dignitaries and also his colleagues before his burial at Bukit Sadur Muslim Cemetery, Tanjong Nangka.

Books

* * *

Honours

Abdul Hamid held the

Manteri The Manteri (Minister (government), Minister or Officer) are a group of state dignitaries within the Brunei, Sultanate of Brunei whose position ranks the fourth-highest official in the country behind the List of sultans of Brunei, Sultan. There a ...

title of ''Yang Berhormat'' (

The Honourable ''The Honourable'' (Commonwealth English) or ''The Honorable'' (American English; American and British English spelling differences#-our, -or, see spelling differences) (abbreviation: ''Hon.'', ''Hon'ble'', or variations) is an honorific Style ...

) ''Pehin Datu Imam'' on 25 April 1974. Additionally, he earned the following honours: *

Order of Islam Brunei The Most Eminent Order of Islam Brunei (), also translated as The Most Illustrious Islamic Religious Order of the State of Brunei, is an Order (decoration), order of Brunei. It was established on 1 August 1968 by Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah for servi ...

First Class (PSSUB; 11 Fewbruary 1976) – ''Dato Paduka Seri Setia'' *

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) – ''Dato Setia'' * Sultan_Hassanal_Bolkiah_Medal

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 ...

First Class (PHBS; 15 July 2010) * Pingat_Bakti_Laila_Ikhlas

''Pingat Bakti Laila Ikhlas'' (PBLI) * Long Service Medal (PKL)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bakal, Abdul Hamid 1939 births 2024 deaths Bruneian Muslims Al-Azhar University alumni Members of the Legislative Council of Brunei Members of the Privy Council of Brunei