DDHK News, Brunei Darussalam - People The Sultanate of Brunei Darussalam supports the implementation of Islamic law in the country. The strict law is expected to reduce the crime rate which continues to rise in this oil-rich country.
Brunei Darussalam has been in the world's spotlight in recent days because it has officially implemented Islamic law since May 1, 2014. The Islamic Sharia is not implemented entirely directly, but gradually.
What was implemented this year were relatively light sentences, in the form of fines and imprisonment for cases such as failure to perform Friday prayers for men, indecent acts, and the spread of religions other than Islam.
It is possible that the full implementation of the Shari'a will only be implemented at the end of next year.
Before the implementation of Sharia, the sultanate admitted that the crime rate in the country had tripled from 2000 to 2008. In 2012 there was an increase of 50 percent for drug abusers.
The sultanate considers this to be due to external influences from the internet. "Islam is an antiviral against globalization," said the sultan.
The decision of the sultan who has been in charge for 47 years is supported by the majority of ethnic Malay Muslims who make up 70 percent of Brunei's population. Only a small proportion of the Malay population and non-Muslim population disagreed with this decision.
The non-Muslim population in Brunei makes up 15 percent of the total population of only 420 thousand people. The majority are ethnic Chinese who are Christian, Catholic and Buddhist.
The Islamic Sharia in Brunei requires all Muslim and non-Muslim residents to wear the hijab when working for the government or attending official events. (AFP / Reuters / Christian Today / jpnn.com). *
