Gerard MacBryan | |
|---|---|
 MacBryan in 1936 after returning from Saudi Arabia | |
| Born | Gerard Truman Magill MacBryan 9 January 1902 |
| Died | 1953 (aged 50–51) |
| Known for | Private secretary to Rajah Charles Vyner Brooke and political advisor to Sultan Ahmad Tajuddin |
Gerard Truman Magill MacBryan (9 January 1902 – 1953) was a Scotsman who initially served as Rajah Charles Vyner Brooke's Private Secretary and curator at the Sarawak Museum, was notable for his involvement in the annexation of Raj of Sarawak by the British Crown and later meddled in Brunei's affairs, gaining the trust of Sultan Ahmad Tajuddin through connections made in Kuching.[1] In her book Queen of the Headhunters, Sylvia Brett, the last Ranee of Sarawak, introduces MacBryan as "a young man who was destined to play a sinister part in the history of the Sarawak Raj."[2]
After the Sultan's death on 4 June 1950, the succession to the Bruneian throne was seamlessly managed with British support for his brother Omar Ali Saifuddien III, but MacBryan, claiming to have been appointed political adviser by the late Sultan, attempted to assert himself in Brunei's affairs, only to be thwarted by British intervention.[1] In mid-1950, MacBryan, posing as Ahmad Tajuddin's envoy, tried to negotiate with Standard Oil and alert the United States about perceived injustices in Brunei's treaties with Britain, while also claiming the Sultan's daughter had a right to the throne similar to British monarchs, but his claims were exposed as fraudulent by British officials led by Malcolm MacDonald, who then supported Omar Ali Saifuddien III to maintain good relations with Britain.[3]
- ^ a b Hussainmiya 2014, p. 401.
- ^ "Gerard MacBryan, the most eccentric Sarawak officer during the Brooke dynasty". KajoMag. 24 April 2018. Retrieved 15 September 2024.
- ^ Hussainmiya 2014, p. 402.