Brunei must help Asia: New crown prince<\/p>\n
BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN (Reuters): The newly proclaimed crown
\nprince of Brunei said the oil-rich sultanate must help Asia out
\nin its economic turmoil.<\/p>\n
"We have to help as best we can with what limited resources we
\ncan," said Prince Al-Muhtadee Billah, in line to be the 30th
\nBolkiah sultan of this tiny rain forest kingdom with vast
\nreserves of oil and gas.<\/p>\n
"The economic landscape of the region has changed. Our
\nneighbors are now facing difficulties," he told the lifestyle
\nmagazine Regal in an interview.<\/p>\n
Stressing the need to help out amid the chill winds of
\nrecession, he said: "We are after all economically linked and we
\ncannot escape the reality of the global business environment."<\/p>\n
Brunei contributed US$500 million to the $17.2 billion bail-
\nout package arranged for Thailand last year by the International
\nMonetary Fund.<\/p>\n
But Brunei itself has not been immune from the downturn.<\/p>\n
Plummeting oil prices have hit its ambitious development
\nplans.<\/p>\n
With the bestowal of an ancient sword at an ornate ceremony in
\nAugust, Brunei proclaimed Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah's eldest son
\nheir to the throne in one of the world's last surviving absolute
\nmonarchies.<\/p>\n
For the 300,000 people of tradition-bound Brunei, it was a
\ncause for celebration after rifts in the royal family.<\/p>\n
The sultan's estranged brother, Prince Jefri Bolkiah, has been
\naccused of bankrupting one of the sultanate's biggest firms amid
\nreports of billions of dollars of losses.<\/p>\n
The 24-year-old crown prince, who was educated at Oxford
\nUniversity in Britain, listed three world leaders that he admired
\n-- Singapore's Lee Kuan Yew, Malaysia's Mahathir Mohamad and
\nBritain's Margaret Thatcher.<\/p>\n
He is known as a fanatically keen snooker player who has
\nreceived coaching from top international players.<\/p>\n
The prince said he still enjoyed playing snooker with his
\nfriends as well as the occasional tournament in Brunei.<\/p>\n
But he added: "Now my time for playing snooker is becoming
\nless and less as I take on more official duties."<\/p>\n
In this tight-knit Islamic society, he said he was a great fan
\nof pop as well as traditional Malay music -- but he complained
\nthat many of the songs of today were just re-releases from the
\nsixties and seventies.<\/p>\n
The inheritor of one of the world's most fabulously wealthy
\ndynasties insisted: "I am an ordinary person. I do and feel as
\neveryone else... The only difference perhaps is that I was born
\nas a royal prince."<\/p>\n
His full title is The Crown Prince His Royal Highness Duli
\nYang Teramat Mulia Paduka Seri Pengiran Muda Mahkota Pengiran
\nMuda Haji Al-Muhtadee Billah.<\/p>",
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