AFP, BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN
Brunei’s Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah has named one of his youngest sons as foreign minister in a major Cabinet reshuffle — largely seen as a move to prepare for the next generation of leaders in the kingdom.As the 10th child and fourth son of the sultan, Prince Abdul Mateen is down the line of succession, but his looks have earned him more than 3 million followers on Instagram, providing a modern face to the royal family.Another younger son, Prince Abdul Malik, was also appointed to the Cabinet in the changes announced by the 79-year-old ruler.
Brunei’s Prince Abdul Mateen attends a ceremony in Cebu, Philippines, on May 8.
The sultan’s eldest son, Crown Prince al-Muhtadee Billah, 52, is the next in line to succeed his father.The crown prince, who has two sons in the line of succession, remained as senior minister at the Prime Minister’s Office.
Sultan Hassanal said in the televised announcement also posted on the government’s official Web site, that he would continue to hold the key roles of prime minister, defense minister and finance minister.The recent appointments bring four royals in the Cabinet.Prince Abdul Malik, 42, the sultan’s second-eldest son and the fourth in line to succession, takes on his first Cabinet role as a minister in the Prime Minister’s Office.He holds an education degree from a local university.In appointing his younger sons, the sultan said he took “into account their inclinations and early exposure in the government’s administrative system.”Prince Abdul Mateen is a polo-loving British-trained military officer in Brunei’s armed forces and a helicopter pilot. He often accompanies his father on official trips abroad, including diplomatic summits.He is to continue his career in the military while serving as foreign minister, the sultan said.
