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 oil-rich kingdom.
As the 10th child and fourth son of the sultan, Prince Abdul Mateen is down the line of succession, but his matinee idol looks have earned him more than three 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, who has had a number of health issues recently including knee replacement surgery in January and has made fewer public appearances this year.
Last year, he was admitted to hospital due to extreme fatigue during an Asean summit in the Malaysian capital Kuala Lumpur.
The sultan’s eldest son, Crown Prince Al-Muhtadee Billah, 52, is the next in line to succeed his father, the world’s longest-ruling living monarch and once the richest man on the planet due to Brunei’s oil and gas riches.
The crown prince, who has two sons in the line of succession, remained as senior minister at the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO).
Hassanal said in the televised announcement also posted on the government’s official website, that he would continue to hold the key roles of prime minister, defence minister and finance minister.
The recent appointments bring four royals in the Cabinet in the South-East Asian absolute monarchy. — AFP
