Abbas Al-Sufri

Mohammad Abbas Al-Sufri bin Haji Ibrahim (16 July 1926 – 8 March 2014) was an aristocrat, civil servant and courtier from Brunei who previously served as the acting personal secretary to Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddien III. He had a career in the government service of Brunei, in which he held a number of important positions such as being a member of the Privy Council of Brunei from 1972 to 2014.

Early life and education Abbas Al-Sufri was born in Brunei on 16 July 1926, Additionally, he was the older brother of Pehin Orang Kaya Laila Setia Bakti Di-Raja Dato Laila Utama Haji Isa, the speaker of the legislative council from 2011 to 2015.

As ADC to the sultan, Abbas Al-Sufri reportedly urged TNKU rebel commanders Pengiran Matussin and Awang Hafiz to leave Istana Darul Hana when a group of rebels attempted to deliver a letter to the sultan; according to an unnamed source, the rebels refused to take the letter, and the sultan was never seen by the delegation. During the coronation ceremony at Lapau in Brunei Town on 1 August 1968, where Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah was crowned the 29th Sultan of Brunei by his predecessor Omar Ali Saifuddien, Abbas Al-Sufri carried the Kuching Emas, while Pengiran Abdul Momin held the Tungkat Ajai, two of the 25 ceremonial regalia used in the event.

Abbas Al-Sufri was later appointed chief protocol officer from 1968 till his retirement in 1981. On 31 December 1983, during the declaration of Brunei's independence at Omar Ali Saifuddien Mosque in Bandar Seri Begawan, Abbas Al-Sufri, along with Pengiran Mokhtar Puteh, played a key role in carrying the "Warkah Pemashuran Kemerdekaan Brunei Darussalam" from the grand chamberlain into Taman Haji Sir Muda Omar 'Ali Saifuddien, accompanied by 20 individuals bearing the Royal Regalia Museum. Under the direction of State Mufti Abdul Aziz Juned, the sultan also participated in the congregational burial prayer at his home at Mile 1, Jalan Tutong. He is interred at Kianggeh Muslim Cemetery.

During his lifetime, Abbas Al-Sufri had several hobbies, including collecting cars, stamps, and Hari Pertama covers. He also enjoyed various recreational activities such as sports and shooting. In addition, he was active in charitable work and social welfare. Notably, he was also one of the 21 pupils that worked to establish the Brunei Scout Association from the Government English School's First Labuan Scout Troop. Abbas Al-Sufri received the upgraded title of . The titles are styled as .

23 September 1958 – 7 May 1968: 7 May 1968 – 8 March 2014:

Honours

Abbas Al-Sufri has been awarded the following national and foreign honours;

National

Foreign Selangor:

United Kingdom:

Things named after him

Jalan Dato Abbas Al-Sufri, a road in Bandar Seri Begawan.