The Architecture of Faith: How Brunei’s Governance Grew from MIB Ideals

☕ KopiTalk with MHO

(Understanding Brunei’s Political System through MIB — Series Part 3)

In Part 1, we took a look at the basics of Brunei’s political philosophy — how Negara Zikir and Melayu Islam Beraja (MIB) shape the country’s spiritual and constitutional core. 

In Part 2, we talked about participatory governance — how people get involved through service and sincerity instead of traditional politics.

Now, in Part 3, we’re diving into the system that keeps this moral order in check — the governance framework itself. 

We draw on insights from Pehin Orang Kaya Pekerma Laila Diraja Dato Seri Setia Haji Hazair bin Haji Abdullah, who shared some great thoughts in his paper “Politik, Pentadbiran dan Wawasan – Perlaksanaan dan Hala Tuju,” presented some years ago at a national symposium on governance and nation-building. 

He looked at how Brunei’s administrative structure grew from MIB ideals into a living system of faith and responsibility.

Every country needs a guiding star — and for Brunei, it’s faith. Melayu Islam Beraja (MIB) is not just the nation's heart but also the game plan for daily governance. 

Pehin Hazair pointed out that Brunei’s system isn’t borrowed from anywhere else; it’s deeply rooted in its sacred traditions. 

Power here is seen as amanah — a trust from Allah through the Sultan to every state servant. 

So, to govern is to worship; every policy, when done with fairness and humility, becomes an act of remembrance (zikir). 

Governance under MIB isn’t just about administration; it’s a moral duty — a mix of ethics, trust, and faith in action.

Pehin Hazair described Brunei’s political journey not as a revolution but as a gradual refinement — a continuous thread connecting past and present. 

He identified four key periods of governance: 

• The traditional monarchy before 1906, where divine legitimacy was guided by custom and conscience. 

• The British Residency period from 1906 to 1959, when modern bureaucracy came in, yet the spirit of sovereignty stayed intact.

• The Constitutional Monarchy started in 1959, when a written charter established Islam and Malay kingship as the state’s foundations; and finally,

• The Independent Islamic Monarchy from 1984 to now reaffirms MIB as the living philosophy of nationhood. 

 
Pehin Hazair emphasised that change in Brunei must always be anchored in the lasting values of MIB — modernisation should strengthen those principles, not replace them.

For Pehin Hazair, administration isn’t just a technical job; it’s a moral calling. 

He boiled down four virtues that define effective governance: justice, trust, welfare, and faith. 

A civil servant’s integrity brings more barakah (blessings) than any rule. As he reflected, effective administration is measured not just by results but by intention and blessings.

Brunei’s institutions reflect the spirit of MIB.

• The Majlis Ugama Islam Brunei protects Islamic values.

• The Jabatan Adat Istiadat Negara maintains Malay identity and royal dignity.

• The civil service brings moral philosophy into everyday governance, and

• The Legislative Council and Judiciary represent syura (consultation) and justice. 

 
Each works not in competition but together under divine trust, ensuring that faith and function go hand in hand.

Many people wonder: where’s the check and balance? 

Pehin Hazair’s answer mixes practicality with spirituality — accountability comes from conscience, discipline, and awareness of the divine, not from political rivalry. 
The Sultan is first accountable to Allah.

 

• The Legislative Council, Audit Department, and Attorney General’s Chambers ensure legality.

• The civil service maintains ethical accountability through amanah kerja. 

• The TPOR and feedback channels let the rakyat voice their concerns respectfully, while the media, though guided by national values, upholds truth as a moral duty. 

In the MIB system, checks and balances are a shared responsibility — a partnership of conscience between ruler and rakyat.

The bond between the Sultan and the rakyat is a spiritual covenant, not just a business deal. 

The ruler governs with justice and mercy; the people respond with loyalty and prayer. 

This mutual faith creates Brunei’s social contract of zikir— a moral agreement where every act of governance becomes worship, and every act of service becomes devotion.

As Brunei aims for Wawasan 2035, Pehin Hazair warns that progress shouldn’t lose sight of purpose. 

Technology can change how things are done, but it shouldn’t change the meaning of trust.

As he hinted, while tech may alter governance tools, it shouldn’t change the trust and accountability that support it. 

True modernisation strengthens faith; it doesn’t silence it. Brunei’s future relies on the ethics of its administrators — on humility that remembers, not efficiency that forgets.

Through Pehin Hazair’s perspective, Brunei’s governance is a living legacy, continuously refreshed by belief. 

MIB ensures the State stays humane, its power balanced by conscience, and its progress guided by grace. 

The harmony between adat and syarak, between authority and service, is the foundation that keeps the nation steady.

A nation survives not by power but by the purity of its purpose. 

Pehin Hazair’s reminder rings true: governance is worship, and service is trust. 

When rulers act justly, servants act sincerely, and citizens serve with gratitude, Negara Zikir becomes more than an aspiration — it becomes our shared reality.

As we move to Part 4, we’ll explore the people’s movement — how a political party aims to fit within this moral ecosystem, not as a challenger of authority but as a partner of conscience in Brunei’s changing political culture. (MHO/11/2025)