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BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN - THE sultan of oil-rich Brunei has issued a New Year's warning on the dangers of corruption, a newspaper reported on Tuesday.
'When we are clean from corruption, Allah the Almighty will surely bless our country and us,' Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah said in his New Year message, according to the Borneo Bulletin.
Sultan Hassanal, one of the world's longest-reigning monarchs, said all civil servants must bear the responsibility of ensuring a clean administration.
'They cannot shirk from leading and providing awareness to the people on this issue. They must lead by example as they are the managers and administrators. If they are clean, the government will also be clean,' said Sultan Hassanal, who has spent 40 years on the throne.
The sultan, 61, is prime minister, defence minister, finance minister and head of Islam in the Malay Muslim absolute monarchy, which dates back to the 14th century.
He was once reputed to be the world's richest man before the rise of technology mogul Bill Gates and other self-made billionaires.
The Bulletin quoted Hassanal as saying corruption is partly to blame for social ills and poverty in many nations.
'Do not assume that 'petty corruption' is acceptable,' he said.
'Remember the risks, be it small or big, it is an illness that can affect the nation. A nation that is overwhelmed with corruption becomes an ineffective country,' he was quoted as saying.
Brunei's mineral wealth has brought its citizens, who number fewer than 400,000, one of the highest per capita incomes in Asia.
Occupying a sliver of Borneo island, Brunei gained full independence from Britain in 1984. -- AFP
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