His Majesty Divorces Azrinaz

Last Updated on Thursday, 17 June 2010 10:50 Share  Written by Ignatius Stephen & ShaSahmin Wednesday, 16 June 2010 21:36 

All Royal Titles, Decorations & Medals Withdrawn

Bandar Seri Begawan - His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah of Brunei has divorced his second wife, Azrinaz Mazhar Hakim a former Malaysian television journalist on Wednesday, June 16, whom he married at a private ceremony in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia in 2005.
The announcement was made over Radio Television Brunei tonight and came after rumours of the royal split circulated for some time in the Brunei capital. A Brunei Palace announcement said tonight that all her royal titles have been revoked.

Soon after Azrinaz's marriage to the Brunei ruler she was conferred the royal titles and became known as Pengiran Isteri Azrinaz Mazhar (Malay: Duli Yang Teramat Mulia Pengiran Isteri Azrinaz Mazhar).
She is the second child of Hakim Mazhar Mohd Johar and Fauziah Abdullah Mansoor.

The Brunei ruler married the former TV3 (Malaysia) newscaster Azrinaz Mazhar at a private ceremony attended by family members and close friends at the Istana Brunei in Kuala Lumpur five years ago.

The marriage was a heavily guarded secret and was only leaked very much later to the press by one of the guests, according to a then news report. A royal proclamation was made back in Brunei some days later.
Azrinaz, fondly known as Naz among her TV colleagues, started work as a broadcast journalist with Malaysian television channel TV3 (Malaysia) in 1997.

Azrinaz Mazhar

 

She won TV3's "Most Promising Journalist" award in 2000 and received the MIIM Alumni Award in 2002.
She quit TV3 just before her marriage, saying that she wanted to "venture into other undertakings".

Soon rumours were afloat both in Kuala Lumpur and in Brunei that Azrinaz, 26, who used to appear on the Buletin Pagi, Berita Terkini and Buletin 1.30 news segments, had married the 58-year-old Sultan.

On 1 June 1 2006 at 12.43am, she gave birth to a prince, Prince 'Abdul Wakeel. The pregnancy itself was also kept secret. A 21-cannon salute was fired at the vicinity of the Istana Nurul Iman to celebrate the birth.
On 28 January 2008 at 4.21pm, she gave birth to a princess, Princess Ameerah Wardatul Bolkiah.
On 16 June 2010 a royal announcement said that the Brunei ruler has divorced Azrinaz and hereby removed all titles that was given to her.

His Majesty's first wife is Raja Isteri Pengiran Anak Hajah Saleha and their son, Crown Prince Al Muhtadee Billah Bolkiah, is the heir to the throne of Brunei.

The Brunei ruler took former stewardess Mariam Abdul Aziz as his second wife in October 1981. He divorced Mariam in February 2003.

Click here for the Special Annoucement's video. -- Courtesy of Brudirect's News
...
And according to the local newspaper agency, Borneo Bulletin, stating that:
Sultan Divorces 2nd Wife
By Azlan Othman

Bandar Seri Begawan - His Majesty the Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam has divorced his wife, Her Royal Highness Pengiran Isteri Azrinaz Mazhar Binti Hakim Mazhar with a single ‘talak'.
It took effect yesterday, 3rd Rejab 1431 of Muslim Calendar corresponding to June 16, 2010.
This was announced by the Grand Chamberlain, YAM Pengiran Penggawa Laila Bentara Istiadat Diraja Dalam Istana Pengiran Hj Alauddin bin Pengiran Paduka Tuan Pengiran Hj Abu Bakar in a special announcement televised live over the RTB 8pm news last night.

The announcement mentioned that with the consent of His Majesty, effective June 16, 2010 all royal titles, state decorations and honorary medals bestowed on her have been withdrawn.

The special announcement reads: "By command of His Majesty the Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam, His Royal Highness Prince Hj Sufri Bolkiah, Chairman of Adat Istiadat Council hereby informs that His Majesty, due to special reasons, driven and guided by Syara' laws in the matters of marriage and divorce and in line with the excerpts of Surah Al-Baqarah of the Quran and part of the verses 229 which reads marriage in a proper way (ma'aruf) and also dissolve in a proper way (ihsan) has divorced his wife with a single `Talak'. -- Courtesy of Borneo Bulletin
...

And another statement from another local newpapers agency, The Brunei Times, stating that:
His Majesty Divorces Azrinaz Mazhar
By Ubaidillah Masli & Fitri Shahminan

Bandar Seri Begawan - By command of His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu'izzaddin Waddaulah, the Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam, the Chairman of the Council of Adat Istiadat, His Royal Highness Prince Haji Sufri Bolkiah yesterday announced that His Majesty has divorced Her Royal Highness Azrinaz Mazhar Hakim Mazhar.

The "special announcement" was made last night at 8pm nationwide through state broadcaster Radio Televisyen Brunei, in which the chairman's statement was read by Grand Chamberlain Yang Amat Mulia Pengiran Penggawa Laila Bentara Istiadat Diraja Dalam Istana Pengiran Hj Alauddin Pengiran Paduka Than Pengiran Hj Abu Bakar.

The statement read: "His Majesty, for specific reasons (which were not disclosed), guided and ordained by Syara' laws pertaining matrimonial matters, as well as in conformance with an extract of verse 229 of Surah Al-Baqarah in the Holy Quran, (which states) marrying in the proper way (Ma'am}) and also dissolution of marriage in the proper way (Ihsan), on Wednesday evening (June 16, 2010) has (pronounced) talaq sate (first category of divorce) to His Majesty's spouse, Her Royal Highness Azrinaz Mazhar Hakim Mazhar".
Effective yesterday, the terasul (royal title) as well as Brunei's Bintang Kebesaran (state decorations) and Pingat Kehormatan (medals of honour) that had been conferred on the former spouse were withdrawn. -- Courtesy of The Brunei Times
...
News adapted from Brudirect, Borneo Bulletin and The Brunei Times