The Sultan of Brunei has announced the introduction of sharia law.
“With faith and gratitude to Allah the almighty, I declare that tomorrow, Thursday 1 May 2014, will see the enforcement of sharia law phase one, to be followed by the other phases,” the absolute monarch said in a royal decree on Wednesday.
Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah – one of the world’s wealthiest men – said in his decree that the move was “a must” under Islam, dismissing “never-ending theories” that sharia punishments were cruel in comments clearly aimed at detractors.
“Theory states that Allah’s law is cruel and unfair but Allah himself has said that his law is indeed fair,” he said.
The initial phase introduces fines or jail terms for offences ranging from indecent behaviour, failure to attend Friday prayers, and out-of-wedlock pregnancies. A second phase covering crimes such as theft and robbery is to be implemented later this year, involving more stringent penalties such as severing of limbs and flogging. Late next year, punishments such as death by stoning for offences including sodomy and adultery will be introduced.
But critics fear that Brunei may follow the “Saudi model” – where sharia law is implemented on the poor but not on the rich. The monarch’s wealth – estimated three years ago at $20bn by Forbes magazine – has become legendary, with reports of a vast collection of luxury vehicles and huge, gold-bedecked palaces.
Bruneians enjoy among the highest standards of living in Asia due to the country’s energy wealth, with education, medicine and other social services heavily subsidised.
Subscribe to our newsletter and stay updated on the latest news and updates from around the Muslim world!
The sultan first proposed the sharia penal code in 1990s, and in recent years has increasingly warned of rising crime and pernicious outside influences including the internet. He has called Islam a “firewall” against globalisation.
Brunei is the first country in east or south-east Asia to introduce a sharia penal code on a national level.
Situated on Borneo island, which it shares with Malaysia and Indonesia, the small state already practised a relatively conservative form of Islam compared with its Muslim-majority neighbours, banning the sale of alcohol and restricting other religions.
Muslim ethnic Malays, who make up about 70% of the population, are broadly supportive of the move by their revered father-figure. But some Malays and non-Muslim citizens privately express unease. About 15% of Brunei’s people are non-Muslim ethnic Chinese.
