Brunei People's Party

Brunei People's Party
Parti Rakyat Brunei
ڤرتي رعيت بروني
AbbreviationBRP, PRB
LeaderA. M. Azahari
FounderA. M. Azahari
Salleh Masri
Founded21 January 1956 (1956-01-21)
Registered15 August 1956
Banned9 December 1982
Preceded byAngkatan Pemuda Brunei
Barisan Pemuda
Succeeded byBrunei United Party
Brunei National Party
HeadquartersBrunei Town, Brunei
MilitaryNorth Kalimantan National Army
Membership (1957)16,000
IdeologyLeft-wing nationalism
Malay nationalism
Anti-colonial nationalism
Political positionLeft-wing
ReligionSunni Islam
Regional affiliationMalayan People's Party
Party flag

Brunei People's Party (BPR), also known as Parti Rakyat Brunei (PRB), is a banned political party in Brunei. The party was established as a left-wing party in 1956 and aimed to bring Brunei into full independence from the United Kingdom. The party called for a constitution that would unite[why?] Brunei, North Borneo, and Sarawak under a fully democratic government, the Unitary State of North Kalimantan or Negara Kesatuan Kalimantan Utara (NKKU). However, in 1958 the British publicised their own ideas and rejected the Borneo union ambitions of the PRB, seeking instead for a gradual democratic transformation. The PRB's reactions to both the plan for a Federation of Malaysia and the Constitution of Brunei led to a mutiny in the first part of December 1962.[1]

The PRB seeks to establish a fully democratic government for Brunei while preserving the country's monarchy, it frequently displays a lack of agreement with the government, particularly when it comes to the creation of a new constitution. Azahari has suggested to the government that 75% of the Legislative Council of Brunei (LegCo) members should be elected independently rather than chosen by the Sultan in order to demand that the people of Brunei have complete democracy in their governance.[2]