BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN

TOURISTS witnessing the 69th birthday celebrations of His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu’izzaddin Waddaulah, the Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam yesterday were greatly impressed by Bruneians loyalty and love towards the monarch.

Several tourists interviewed during the monarch’s 69th birthday celebration in the capital yesterday said that the celebration showcased the locals’ patriotic spirit and their love for His Majesty.

Mohammad Zulfauhairi Mokthar, a Malaysian visiting Brunei for the first time, said he and 23 students from Universiti Sains Malaysia were delighted to witness and participate in the celebrations.

“It was a great sight because it has been a long time since we have witnessed such celebrations and patriotism for a country. This brings back good memories. I last witnessed (this sort of celebrations) as a young student in primary school,” he said.

Mohammad Zulfauhairi said he was also impressed by the locals’ dedication for the country as they were excited to participate in the celebration at an early hour.

“Bruneians are good people who are very patriotic. This makes the country very peaceful,” said the visiting student.

Hj Mansil Albani from the Philippines said he was impressed by the celebration as it involved many locals.

“Brunei is the only country that I have seen that has a major celebration for His Majesty’s birthday. This shows their love for their king and their country, which is very positive,” he said.

Hj Mansil said he timed his visit to the Sultanate so he could participate in yesterday’s celebration.

“We planned to visit Brunei during this time to see His Majesty and witness the celebration. It has exceeded my expectations because it was amazing to see the locals’ devotion,” he said.

“Tourists like to see such celebrations and commitment... to see locals being patriotic because it is rare to see this in other countries,” he added

Yosuke Tsuchiya, a Japanese tourist visiting Brunei for four days, said: “I was informed a couple of weeks ago about the celebration by my friend (who works in Brunei)… I was interested to see this celebration because we do not have this in Japan,” he said.

The Brunei Times