HE’S worth an estimated $25 billion (AUS), lives in a 1700-bed palace, indulges himself in western luxuries and has a reputation for enjoying beautiful women.
In a story on 60 Minutes, viewers saw how the Sultan of Brunei lives a very extravagant but somewhat moderate Muslim life.
But last year the Sultan introduced Sharia Law - where thieves would have their hands cut off and adulterers and homosexuals would be stoned to death. It applies to everyone living in Brunei except the Sultan and his Royal family.
While parts of the ancient Islamic law have been introduced in stages, Brunei is now on the verge of adopting public stoning.
60 Minutes’ Alison Langdon travelled through the small Asian nation undercover to see how the strict regime was affecting citizens and spoke to a woman who was once part of the Sultan’s harem revealing the hypocrisy of the current state of affairs.
“We’ve been trying for six months to get access and permission to visit Brunei to speak to the Sultan and that was denied, so in the end we decided to go in as tourists,” Langdon told news.com.au ahead of the program.
What they found, she explained, was a beautiful but repressed country where its citizens never criticise the royal family – mainly because it's a crime – and seem to be unaware of the Sultan and his playboy brother, Prince Jefri’s debauchery.
Both brothers have a reputation for indulging in beautiful women.
Vanity Fair dubbed them the “constant companions in hedonism” in 2011 for their lavish lifestyles and penchant for collecting women like children collect toys.
And Prince Jefri is on the outer, accused of siphoning $19.2 billion (AUS) from the country’s coffers.
Prince Jefri Bolkiah, brother of Sultan of Brunei, during polo match at Cirencester Park, England, in June 1998. Source:AP
According to Jillian Lauren, the American woman who spoke to 60 Minutes about her year in Prince Jefri and the Sultan’s harem, the pair indulged a lot – and they didn’t care how old the girls were.
“She (Lauren) was in the harem when she was 18 and when she was there there were between 30 to 40 other girls, some as young as 15,” Ms Langdon said. “She spent a year there. She received hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of gifts, jewerlly and clothing. She was very well looked after but that’s because she caught the eye of the Sultan’s younger brother Prince Jefri.
“She was his play thing. They had sex hundreds of times and then Prince Jefri gave her as a gift to the Sultan and she goes into great detail (about) the sexual activity she got up to with the sultan.”
Jillian Lauren spent a year in the Sultan of Brunei’s harem. Picture: 60 Minutes Source: News Corp Australia
Jillian Lauren when she lived in the Sultan of Brunei’s harem. Picture: 60 Minutes Source: News Corp Australia
Jillian Lauren when she was part of the Sultan of Brunei’s harem. Picture: 60 Minutes. Source: News Corp Australia
Ms Langdon said the crew spent five days in Brunei secretly recording, trying to find out if people felt anger towards the new changes. But instead they found citizens seemingly apathetic to Sharia Law.
Brunei has a population just over 415,000 and was ranked the fifth richest nation in the world by Forbes thanks to its large oil and gas reserves.
Its citizens enjoy free health and education, most are employed in the public sector and none of them criticise the royal family – because it’s not allowed.
When 60 Minutes went in, they found it hard to find anyone who was willing to say a bad word about anything from the introduction of Sharia Law or the royal family.
It seems only the Hollywood elite were repulsed by the introduction of the ancient Islamic law.
Last year stars such as Ellen DeGeneres, Jay Leno, Sharon Osborne, Elton John and entrepreneur Richard Branson boycotted the infamous Beverley Hills Hotel which is owned by the Sultan as part of his Dorchester Hotel luxury chain.
All vowed to take their business elsewhere. And the stance worked according to aVanity Fair article last year.
Jay Leno protesting outside the Beverley Hills Hotel last year after it emerged the Sultan of Brunei had imposed Sharia Law in his country. Picture: Supplied Source: Supplied
“It’s a really bizarre place Brunei,” Ms Langdon said. “No one has any ideas about what the sultan and his brother have got up to. They have no idea about the women, the sex acts and the drinking of alcohol. They don’t get exposed to that.” - News.com.au
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