The Lost History of Sultan Abdul Hakkul Mubin the Raja of Saba' Kinarut

Sultan Abdul Hakkul Mubin ibni Pengiran Bendahara Pengiran Muhammad

Also Known As: "Al-Marhum di Pulau"

Death:  Died 1673 in Brunei

Immediate Family : 

      

Son of : Sri Maharaja Pangiran Muhammad Panjang and Y.A.M. Pangiran Anak Tuah / Raja Dungu Sultan Saiful Rijal

Husband of : Bu Angsa wife of brunai sultan 13th and Raja Isteri Pg Anak Puteri Noralam

Father of : Pangiran di-Gadong Omar; Pangiran Temenggung Dakula Pangiran Abdul Rauf; Pg Bendahara Pg Muda Amir and Pg Anak Puteri Besar

Brother of : Pangiran Bendahara Sri Maharaja Raja Kahar and Pangiran Bendahara Sri Maharaja Raja Hamid

Half brother of :  Abang Lemanak and I-Kenaway

When i read an article about the history of Brunei Darussalam, I wondered....if there was something wrong with it.

They do not list a proper and true story what happened in Brunei about 500 years ago.

Why I said so..? Let me show some of the evidence and truthful story that I found in several books and old folks story that their inherit from their ancestors.

Theory  1 (based on Brunei History, that was written by the Sultan writer)

It began from the assassination of Sultan Muhammad Ali's son. It happened because of cock fight. Rooster belonging to the Sultan Muhammad Ali's son was lost and that makes him angry then killed the Bendahara son which is Pangeran Bendahara Abdul Mubin's eldest son.

The Bendahara so angry with that incident and marching to the palace to seek the revenged. But the Sultan denied it and asked him to checked the palace if his son was available. When his men never saw the Sultan's son, he started to killing everybody in the palace including the Sultan.

Brunei had no Sultan after Sultan Muhammad Ali was killed by the Bendahara.

To governed the country, Bendahara was appointed to be the next Sultan because he had the close blood relationship to the previous sultan (Sultan Muhammad Ali was his uncle).

Sultan Abdul Hakkul Mubin appointed Pangeran Muhyiddin as known as Pangeran Bongsu to be his Bendahara to make foster peace between his followers and previous sultan's followers.

But Pangeran Bongsu betrayed him. He makes chaos in the country and it pushed the sultan to move at Pulau Chermin. When the sultan stayed there, Pangeran Bongsu took the throne and it was makes the sultan felt betrayed.

Then the civil war happened.

Pangeran Muda Bongsu called his name as Sultan Muhyiddin and he striked at Sultan Abdul Mubin fort at Pulau Chermin but he failed.

He asked help from Betara Sulu to attacked Sultan Abdul Mubin and as a reward, he will give certain land  of North Borneo which is the land called Saba' to the Betara.

After several years of war, the Betara defeated Sultan Abdul Mubin who was retreated to Kinarut, Saba'. That is why the Sultanate of Sulu always claiming Sabah as their belonging until nowadays.

They claimed that Sultan Abdul Mubin  died in Pulau Chermin but there are no grave in the island that found until today.

Theory 1 conclusions:

1. Sultan Abdul Mubin was known as a 'throne prowler' in old Brunei history. But his intention just to seek the revenged after his son was killed by Pangeran Muda Alam. Not more than that. He was appointed as a Sultan by the peoples who want him to be the sultan replacing Sultan Muhammad Ali.

2. He was insulted by the historian of Brunei. What is the reason why he was insulted by the historian? Is it because he killed the previous sultan? How about his son who was stabbed by Pangeran Muda Alam? Anyone can feel his sadness? Think about it.

3. His right was denied as a Sultan by his own Bendahara who was betrayed him. The Bendahara should not offering any gifts or royal colony to the peoples because he does not have any rights to do it except the sultan give the order or permission. In this context, Muhyiddin was not the Sultan.

He is the one should be insulted by the historian because he took the throne from the Sultan and that time Sultan Abdul Mubin was still the legal sultan.

4. Muhyiddin gave the land called Saba' to Betara Sulu as a reward to help him against Sultan Abdul Mubin. But it was no legal because there was no any black and white letter or agreement on it. He just gave it by his words not his letter and royal seal. The royal seal was in hand of Sultan Abdul Mubin.

5. Due to that, Muhyiddin asked the palace writer to remove Sultan Abdul Mubin history from Brunei Sultanate history. 

Sultan Abdul Mubin history was lost almost 500 years!

Can u imagine that?

            Pulau Chermin near Muara Brunei, the palace of Sultan Abdul Hakkul Mubin

Theory 2 (based on several books -actually it was bought and hidden by the current government of Brunei) and old folks story that their inherit by their ancestors in Sabah.

It  began by the non satisfaction of Pangeran Bendahara Abdul Mubin to the sultan because of his majesty bad treatment to the peoples of Saba'. Generally, the sultan already gave and divided the 'kawasan pegangan' or area of administration (Sungai Tulin) to his wazirs and as Bendahara, he was appointed to keep the land of Saba'.

The peoples in Saba' was very poor and always facing the natural disasters. So he always advice the sultan to help them if he want the support of the peoples from Saba'. But the sultan refused and this makes him disappointed. According the books written by Mr. Yusin Hj. Boaklan, Sultan Muhammad Ali was a weak ruler. He always wasting his time at the palace with the maids and concubines.

He never take care of his kingdom and this make Pangeran Bendahara was angry and disappointed with him.

Sultan Abdul Mubin fort in Kinarut. 

His Majesty stayed there almost 10 years.

When the Bendahara always pushed the sultan and keep asked him to help the peoples, he felt uneasy and try to against the Bendahara. Actually the Bendahara was afraid if the peoples of Saba' will rebel to the kingdom but the sultan misunderstand it.

At the climax of this relationship between Sultan and Bendahara, Pangeran Bendahara Abdul Mubin went to Saba' because of the natives invitation. They discussed with him and asked if possible if they want to withdraw from the kingdom of Brunei because they was too suffered.

Lately, the peoples of Saba'  rebelled and wanted the Bendahara and his family to be the sultan in Saba'. The Bendahara men killed the sultan and appointed Pangeran Bendahara as a new sultan of Brunei. But he was opposed by previous sultan's son in law.

Then Sultan Abdul Mubin retreated to Kinarut and built a palace there. The peoples of Bajau and Dusun was the loyal followers to him.

Theory 2 conclusions :

1. Why Pangeran Bendahara Abdul Mubin was accepted by the peoples of Saba'? It was because he was well known since his father became previous Bendahara the one who kept Saba' as Sultan's representor.

2. His relationship with the peoples much better than the sultan. Because he always went to Saba' to heard the peoples problem. Why he did not went to Sarawak even its also in area of Brunei Kingdom?

It was because, Sarawak is under Pangeran Digadong power, so Bendahara should not interfere on that area.

3. Pangeran Bendahara Abdul Mubin decendants was from Saba'. That was why he accepted by the peoples of Saba'. His ethnic is Samah Bajau from the noble clan and supreme Datu of Saba'. Why he is related with Brunei? It was because he also has a bloodline with the Sultan Hassan from his mother side.

4. The native accepted him as a Sultan of Saba'. This is stated in old Brunei manuscript and this was certified by Muhyiddin when he asked help from Betara Sulu.

This research is ongoing. 

What makes me disappointed is the Brunei History Centre does not want to give full cooperation in this research. 

Seems they hide something when we asked about Abdul Mubin history.   

         

It was a big research because the history must be reveal and peoples has to know. 

We just afraid our children lost their identities and they would not knows the real story of their ancestors.

I hope my fellows and I could discover it sooner. God's will.

Source : The Prince