Badaruddin bin Othman

Badaruddin bin Haji Othman (born 23 September 1942), known by his pen name Badaruddin H.O., is a Bruneian aristocrat, poet, and politician. He has served as the minister of religious affairs since 2015. Previously, he held several prominent roles, including ambassador to Indonesia from 1986 to 1987, deputy minister of religious affairs from 2005 to 2010, and minister of home affairs from 2010 to 2015.

In 1983, Badaruddin embraced the (MIB) philosophy, which emphasised Islamic values to strengthen support for Brunei's monarchy. During the 1990s, he became a key proponent of MIB as the leader of Brunei's conservative Islamic political movement. His advocacy extended to encouraging non-Muslims to convert to Islam to integrate into Bruneian society, while also seeking to counter materialistic and consumer-driven cultural trends.

Early life and education Badaruddin bin Dato Paduka Haji Othman was born on 23 September 1942 in Kampong Burong Pingai, a part of Kampong Ayer.

Deputy Minister of Religious Affairs Before embarking on his ministerial career, Badaruddin was appointed director of the Islamic Da'wah Centre in 1985. He went on to serve as ambassador to Indonesia and non-resident high commissioner to Papua New Guinea from August 1986 to March 1987. From 1 January 1989 to 1999, he held the position of permanent secretary at the Prime Minister's Office. To transform Brunei into a nation aligned with Allah's will, the sultan conceived the idea of on 19 December 2007, with Badaruddin playing a key role in its development. In 2008, Badaruddin described as a country where the people recognise Allah's blessings and maintain a constant awareness of him. He also noted that religious programming on television and radio had reached a level of daily prominence, highlighted by the establishment of the TV Dakwah Unit and the Nur Islam radio channel. Despite variations in content, the radio networks consistently featured religious programming.

Minister of Home Affairs As part of a cabinet reshuffle, Badaruddin was appointed minister of religious affairs on 29 May 2010. He took the oath of office later that year on 9 June at Istana Nurul Iman, with his appointment set for a five-year term according to Brunei's constitution. On 25 February 2012, Badaruddin highlighted the importance of both new and experienced municipal board members in enhancing local government effectiveness. He encouraged the sharing of ideas and suggested focusing on maintaining a clean environment, improving business property fee collection, and managing arrears more effectively. He also acknowledged efforts to facilitate business permits and welcomed suggestions to streamline the business licensing process.

On 19 December 2014, Badaruddin emphasised the need to evaluate the success of the "Bahasa Jiwa Bangsa" initiative, which had been launched five years earlier by (DBP). With over 50 years of experience, he expressed confidence that DBP was prepared to implement necessary changes, including adopting new strategies for its language campaigns. Speaking at the 2014 Literary Essay and Short Story Writing Award Ceremony, he stressed DBP’s role in standardising and promoting Malay as the official language of Brunei since its establishment. He also highlighted the importance of assessing DBP's initial goals, particularly in the fields of language and literature.

In February 2015, under Badaruddin's leadership, the Ministry of Home Affairs announced that the Brunei government had imposed stringent restrictions on Chinese New Year performances as part of a gradual effort to limit non-Muslim cultural and religious activities in the country. Lion dances would only be allowed for a brief period over three days (19–21 February) and at three designated locations: temples, Chinese homes, and school hallways. Holding performances in public spaces or commercial establishments was strictly prohibited.

Minister of Religious Affairs On 22 October 2015, Badaruddin was appointed minister of religious affairs as part of a broader cabinet reshuffle, during which several senior officials were reassigned to new positions. He succeeded Pengiran Mohammad Abdul Rahman in the role. During his tenure, Badaruddin was most notably recognised for overseeing the complex implementation of Brunei's Syariah Penal Code Order (SPCO) 2013.

During a royal speech in May 2014, the sultan underlined that the Ministry of Religious Affairs (MoRA), led by Badaruddin, was one of the authorities responsible for putting the SPCO law into effect. With its gradual implementation of Shariah laws for both Muslims and non-Muslims, this law represented a dramatic change. Citing organisational difficulties, Badaruddin issued a public apology in January 2016 for the delays in completing the Syariah Courts CPC. During a surprise visit to MoRA in February 2016, the sultan had publicly criticised MoRA, demanding explanations from the authorities, including the Attorney General's Chambers, for the 2-year delays in completing the CPC, which was a crucial stage in the SPCO's second phase. The sultan bemoaned the ministry's emphasis on outside activities rather than office work and voiced his displeasure with bureaucratic inaction. In response, Badaruddin said that the second phase would begin in June 2016 after the finalised CPC was delivered. He explained that final changes were being made to ensure the SPCO's enforcement was fair and in line with Islamic law. He also mentioned ongoing training programs and staff exchanges with foreign institutions experienced in Islamic criminal law. Even so, there were still delays in the process as MoRA dealt with implementation and training issues.

Badaruddin retained his position in the 2018 Bruneian cabinet reshuffle, which replaced six ministers. He later criticised remarks made by non-LegCo parties who argued that the increased budget allocation for his ministry was wasteful and impeded the nation's development strategy. During his motion of adjournment on the final day of the 15th LegCo session on 22 March 2019, he described these views as unwise and unaligned with local ideology, attributing them to a lack of understanding of the national education policy and objectives.

On 20 November 2021, Badaruddin urged the public to get vaccinated against COVID-19, addressing concerns about the relatively low number of MoRA employees and members of the public who were hesitant to receive the vaccine.

In response to the 2023 Turkey–Syria earthquake, he participated as a special advisor in the national committee for Turkiye and Syria Earthquake Humanitarian Fund. Alongside Nazmi Mohamad, he attended a committee meeting on 14 February at Digadong Hall after the sultan granted permission for the establishment of the fund.

On 1 March 2022, during the fifth day of the 18th LegCo Meeting, Badaruddin warned that social media posts containing disparaging or slanderous remarks against the MoRA could undermine Islamic principles and noted that individuals making such statements might face legal consequences. He retained his position as minister of religious affairs during the 2022 cabinet reshuffle on 7 June.

Literary career Writing under the pen name Badaruddin H.O., His home is located at Daraina 8, Spg 530, Jalan Kota Batu, Kampong Sungai Besar.

Titles, styles and honours

Titles and styles On 6 November 1984, Badaruddin was honoured by Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah with the manteri title of , bearing the style . Mastera Literary Award (1999)

Honours Badaruddin has been bestowed the following honours: