US embassy cable - 04BANDARSERIBEGAWAN270

UNCLAS BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN 000270 
 
 
DEPT FOR EAP/PMBS 
ALSO FOR S/CPR AMB. ENSENAT 
 
SINGAPORE ALSO FOR COL BORDWELL 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL, PGOV 
SUBJECT:  ROYAL WEDDING ANNOUNCED 
 
REF:  BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN 255 
 
1. SUMMARY: THE BRUNEI INFORMATION DEPARTMENT ANNOUNCED 
MAY 15 THAT THE CROWN PRINCE, HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS PRINCE 
HAJI AL-MUHTADEE BILLAH, 30, IS TO MARRY ON SEPTEMBER 8. 
HIS BRIDE-TO-BE IS AN UNKNOWN SEVENTEEN-YEAR-OLD 
STUDENT, DAYANGKU SARAH BTE PENGIRAN HAJI SALLEH ABDUL 
RAHAMAN.  END SUMMARY. 
 
2.  THE LONG-EXPECTED ANNOUNCEMENT WAS MADE ON NATIONAL 
TELEVISION ON SATURDAY, MAY 15, AND COPIES OF THE BORNEO 
BULLETIN ON THE FOLLOWING DAY, WHICH CARRIED AN OFFICIAL 
PORTRAIT OF SARAH, WERE SOLD OUT WITHIN HOURS.  MESSAGES 
CONGRATULATING THE COUPLE AND THE PRINCE'S WISE CHOICE 
OF A BRIDE HAVE BEEN POURING IN TO BRUNEI'S INTERNET 
BOARDS. THERE HAS BEEN WIDESPREAD PRAISE ALSO THAT THE 
PRINCE HAS CHOSEN AGAINST MARRYING HIS EARLIER RUMORED 
CHOICE OF PARTNER WHO ALLEGEDLY HAD TOO COLORFUL A PAST 
TO WITHSTAND PUBLIC SCRUTINY. 
 
3.  DAYANGKU SARAH IS A STUDENT AT THE PADUKA SERI 
BEGAWAN SULTAN SCIENCE COLLEGE AND IS STUDYING FOR HER 
UNIVERSITY ENTRANCE EXAMINATIONS.  SHE IS THE YOUNGEST 
OF THREE CHILDREN.  HER FATHER IS A MINOR RANKING 
"PENGIRAN," WHICH MEANS HE HAS SOME ROYAL BLOOD, BUT THE 
CONNECTION IS DISTANT.  SARAH'S MOTHER IS A SWISS 
NATIONAL. (NOT SWEDISH AS ORIGINALLY REPORTED IN 
REFTEL.) 
 
4.  THE EMERGENCE OF DAYANGKU SARAH IS A RECENT 
DEVELOPMENT.  AS PART OF PREPARATIONS FOR THE CROWN 
PRINCE'S ANTICIPATED WEDDING, HE HAS IN THE PAST SEVERAL 
MONTHS INCREASED HIS APPEARANCES AT PUBLIC EVENTS AND 
MADE REGULAR VISITS TO PROMINENT PUBLIC INSTITUTIONS. 
AMONG THE SCHOOLS HE VISITED WAS THE PADUKA SERI BEGAWAN 
SULTAN SCIENCE COLLEGE, WHERE HE MET SARAH FOR THE FIRST 
TIME.  UPON REPORTING HIS INTEREST, THE PALACE SWUNG 
INTO ACTION AND DETERMINED THAT SARAH HAD MANY OF THE 
QUALITIES THE SULTAN AND QUEEN HOPED FOR IN A BRIDE, 
INCLUDING A ROYAL FAMILY CONNECTION AND NEW BLOOD FOR 
THE ROYAL LINE.  CROWN PRINCE BILLAH, ACCORDING TO THE 
LOCAL RUMOR MILL, IS HEAD OVER HEELS IN LOVE WITH SARAH 
AND HAS COMPLETELY LOST INTEREST IN HIS FORMER LEADING 
BRIDE CHOICE -- OR AT LEAST THAT'S THE SPIN BEING 
CIRCULATED FOR PUBLIC CONSUMPTION. 
 
5.  COMMENT:    THE EMBASSY IS WORKING WITH MFA PROTOCOL 
TO DETERMINE WHETHER FOREIGN REPS WILL BE INVITED AND 
WILL REPORT WHEN CONFIRMATION IS AVAILABLE.  AMBASSADOR 
HAS BEEN TOLD INFORMALLY THAT UP TO 100 HEADS OF 
STATE/ROYALS WILL BE INVITED TO THE CEREMONY.  THE 
OFFICIAL WEDDING PERIOD IS SLATED TO RUN FROM AUGUST 26 
TO SEPTEMBER 8.  KEY EVENTS WILL TAKE PLACE ON AND 
IMMEDIATELY BEFORE SEPTEMBER 8. 
 
6. KABUL MINIMIZE CONSIDERED. 
 
CHRISTY