Manteri

The Manteri (Minister or Officer) are a group of state dignitaries within the Sultanate of Brunei whose position ranks the fourth-highest official in the country behind the Sultan. There are two main groups in the Manteri, namely the Manteri Berchiri and the Manteri Bertauliah. Each person who is given a position in the Manteri is also given a certain title. They are also referred to in official speech and correspondence with specific honorific references. The title of Manteri is given to ordinary people and is held in a ceremony, which for the awarding of the title of Pehin Manteri, it is known as "menyampiri gelaran".

Before the era of the British protectorate (1906-1959), designated officials bestowed with traditional Brunei titles had access to political power, as titles not only were privileges but also came with their own obligations. These officials assisted in administrating the state by serving as a go-between for the monarch and the populace. Despite many of the initial tasks having been altered throughout time, the symbolic significance of titles and their relationship to political power still remain to this day.

In the past, holding traditional Brunei titles meant that officials also had territorial powers, or kuripan by virtue of their titles. This allowed them to manage finances, collect taxes and uphold the law in their respective territories. In the event of the official's demise or promotion, the control of these territories would be returned to the Sultan, unless a successor was appointed to the former's office.

Under the British protectorate, the traditional land system was dismantled and the kuripan's management was handed to the government upon the arrival of the British Resident, who also centralised power under his watch.

Although titles are still awarded today, the functions that they entail have changed to reflect the needs of the contemporary political structure. For instance, Jamil Al-Sufri, who previously held the title of Pehin Orang Kaya Amar Diraja (responsible for the monitoring and dissemination of information) from 1968 to 1992, was the Principal of the Brunei History Centre. On another note, the nomination of traditional officials persists even though the contemporary administrative system has practically superseded the ancient political system. In addition to carrying out ceremonial duties, these officers serve as a conduit between the Sultan and his subjects, advising him on issues that impact the country as a whole.

Certain high-ranked royal officials in Brunei, such as the Pengiran Bendahara, and Pengiran Paduka Tuan, previously oversaw matters pertaining to Islam in the country. The Manteri-Manteri Ugama, which include the offices of Pehin Khatib and Mudim, have also assisted with the management of Islamic matters since the time of Sultan Saiful Rijal. Even during the era of the British protectorate, these religious leaders continued to influence national affairs, as exemplified by Pehin Tuan Imam Haji Mohidin bin Nakhoda Jambul's appointment to the State Council in 1907. This illustrates the government's efforts to elevate Islam's role in Brunei.

Ranked below the Cheteria, the Manteri offices and those held by non-nobles are noticeably more intricate. The Manteri are divided into two: Manteri Berchiri and Manteri Bertauliah, distinguished from one another by their ceremonial outfits and method of inauguration. The higher-ranked Manteri Berchiri are sworn in via the reading of a sacred proclamation called Chiri, which is written in a mixture of Sanskrit, Arabic, and Malay.

The appointment of the Manteri Bertauliah is carried out by the reading of the Surat Tauliah. The Manteri Bertauliah include the offices of Manteri Hulubalang (Defence officers), Manteri Istana (Palace officers), Manteri Darat (Interior land officers), and Manteri Pendalaman (Rural officers).

While the Manteri titles are customarily given to Malays, non-Malays can also be honoured with titles, which fall under the category of Manteri Dagang. The Chiri is also read during their appointments.

In Bruneian society, a person's position and status are indicated by a variety of characteristics. A royal court or state function's seating arrangement is one method. In seating configurations, di atas (upper) and di bawah (lower) are used as measurements. The top end, which is often the farthest from the door, is occupied by those of greatest status. The remaining guests are placed near the entrance in decreasing order of rank. Gradations of precedence may also be shown by a person's sitting arrangement, whereby those on the right are sat higher than those on the left.

Titles are typically awarded permanently, and titleholders will continue to be in possession of their titles even after death. It is common for officials to be promoted to a higher-ranked title. Though rather uncommon, titles may be inherited, as an official's successor may take office with the same title as his forebearer. On the other hand, there are instances where the sons of officials are sworn in with titles that differ from their dads.

The Manteri Berchiri are sworn in by the recitation of Chiri during the title ceremony. It is also known as Pehin Manteri because the Manteri in this group carry the title of Pehin. The positions are based on the system of Empat Lipatan (Four Folds) which is up to thirty-two folds. This meant that the bulk of the hierarchy are arranged in groups of 4, 8, 16, and 32 (the number is inversely related to the office rank). Officials of the Manteri 4 are superior than those belonging to the Manteri 8. These numerals are a reflection of Hinduism, which still has an impact on Brunei's ancient political structure. The positions in Manteri Berchiri are as follows in order of precedence:

• Ketua Kepala Manteri
• Kepala Manteri
• Kepala Manteri Ugama
• Kepala Manteri 4
• Manteri Tambahan di Atas Manteri 4
• Manteri 4
• Manteri Dagang di Bawah Manteri 4
• Manteri 8 or Manteri Pengalasan Besar
• Manteri Ugama di Bawah Manteri 8
• Manteri Ugama Tambahan di Bawah Manteri Ugama (below Manteri 8)
• Manteri 16 or Manteri Pengalasan Biasa
• Manteri 32 or Manteri Pengalasan Damit
• Manteri Tambahan di Bawah Manteri 32
• Manteri (Dalam) Istana
• Manteri Ugama (Pehin Khatib)

In contrast to the Manteri Berchiri, the granting of Manteri Bertauliah titles does not involve the reading of Chiri, but rather the Surat Tauliah (letter of commission or accreditation), and does not use the phrase "menyampiri". The Manteri Bertauliah has the following positions:

• Mudim
• Penglima
• Perwira
• Hulubalang
• Pahlawan
• Pateh
• Damong
• Pengarah
• Janang
• Malek
• Ketua Juru Laki
• Juru Laki
• Juru Bini
• Kepala Manteri Pendalaman
• Manteri Pendalaman or Manteri Darat

The difference between the titles for Manteri Berchiri and the Manteri Bertauliah is that only Manteri Berchiri has the title Pehin. However, there are two positions in the Manteri Berchiri that do not carry the title, namely the positions in the Manteri Istana that carry the titles Seri Lela Pengiring Diraja and Dayang-Dayang Diraja. The full title of Manteri Berchiri is Pehin followed by an additional phrase, which phrase may also use the titles of Manteri Bertauliah such as Orang Kaya and Datu for example Pehin Orang Kaya Pekerma Dewa and Pehin Datu Lailaraja.

For Manteri Bertauliah, the title is like the name of the position, for example Pengarah (Director), Mudim, and Hulubalang Diraja and Hulubalang Asgar. However, the base titles for Manteri Pendalaman or Manteri Darat are Orang Kaya and Datu and one position carries the title Bendahari. For the position of Pehin Khatib and Mudim, the incumbent has reached the age 55 and retired from public service, has the title Begawan added. Therefore, Pehin Khatib became Begawan Pehin Khatib and Mudim became Begawan Mudim.

Honorary styles for Manteri-Manteri are as follows:

• Yang Dimuliakan Lagi Dihormati (The Distinguished and Honoured) — Kepala Manteri, Kepala Manteri Ugama and Kepala Manteri 4
• Yang Dimuliakan (The Distinguished) — Manteri Berchiri
• Yang Mulia (The Respected) — Manteri Bertauliah

However, if a Manteri is a member of the Council of Cabinet Ministers, the Legislative Council or the Privy Council, his honorific reference is replaced by Yang Berhormat (The Honourable).

The colours and patterns of each office's ceremonial dastar (tengkolok), arat (belt), and sinjang (sarong) indicate the individual's rank. Their ceremonial outfit is adorned with a variety of colours and designs. There are more ranks for higher non-noble officials: 4, 8, 16, and 32. There is no differentiation in the colour and style of their uniforms inside this office, in contrast to the Cheteria. Their customary uniform material is a pink-coloured bunga butang arab gegati (rhombus and button floral designs) arranged in a dispersed manner.

Manteri Istana (Palace Officials), Manteri Agama (Religious Officials), Manteri Dagang (Officials of Foreigners), Manteri Hulubalang (Defence Officials), and Manteri Pedalaman (Inland Officials) are the lower-ranking non-noble traditional authorities in Brunei. Their costumes are different; the Manteri Pedalaman wears blue with a bunga kembang setahun theme, while the Manteri Istana and Manteri Hulubalang use purple fabric with a bunga tampuk manggis motif, all with a scarlet basis. Traditional religious leaders dress in an Arabic-style jubah (thawb)—black during the day and white at night—and a serban (turban). Invested officials' ceremonial attire during royal court events indicates their position. Certain authorities use traditional woven cloths with certain colors and designs as part of their ceremonial attire. Umbrellas and personal standards are also employed as concrete indicators of rank. Some leaders' personal standards serve as pretty accurate markers of their position and level of authority. The state flag is flown by average residents, whereas those descended from nobles have their own standards. The traditional officials' ceremonial attire and personal standard have a similar colour. The highest ranks of Brunei society are the only ones who wear umbrellas as a symbol of their position.

Musicians of Brunei's traditional royal orchestras, the smaller Naubat Diraja and the larger Gendang Jaga-Jaga, are ranked and appointed as Manteri Bertauliah and wear costumes similar to those of the others, however the former would wear just simple dress with the songkok on non-ceremonial days.

Additionally, there are two conventional commandants in public ceremonies who went by the names Panglima Diraja (Royal Commandant) and Panglima Asgar (Defense Commandant). These traditional commandants, during public events, are seen traveling in a vehicle that was ahead of the Sultan's on the route from the palace to the ceremonial venue. Upon reaching the venue, these commanders would then dismount out of their car and stationed themselves on each side of the grandstand's stairs, which was where the Sultan and Wazirs, together with the royal princes and princesses, are sitting. The commandants wore traditional purple woven sinjang, arat, and dastar with bunga bertabur and bunga tampuk manggis (mangosteen flower calyx) motifs, along with a scarlet traditional uniform. The Panglima Raja carries pemuras (blunderbuss) and kampilan (royal sword), or the royal pistol and ammunition container (karga), while the Panglima Asgar carries the kelasak (shield) and kampilan.

Copper, silver, and gold items used in royal ceremonies reveal the rank and identity of the owner. Items such as the keris (Malay dagger) and kaskol (gold betel container) were given to royal dignitaries who received the title of Wazir, Cheteria, and Manteri. The kaskol is only given to the Wazir and Kepala Cheteria while Cheteria-Cheteria and Manteri-Manteri such as Kepala Manteri and Kepala Manteri Empat receive the silver-born tipa (container or vessel to store betel and its seasonings) while copper-born tipa would be granted for the other officials.

• Ceremonial uniforms of Manteri-Manteri
• Mohammad Daud, Manteri 16
• Jaafar Abdul Aziz, Manteri 32
• Hasrin Sabtu, Manteri 32
• Husin Ahmad, Manteri Tambahan di Bawah Manteri 32
• Panglima Raja and Panglima Asgar

The list of Manteri Berchiri below is as of 1 June 2025.

The list of Manteri Bertauliah below is as of 6 September 2022.

• Cheteria

• Wazir

• Council of Cabinet Ministers

• Siti Norkhalbi Haji Wahsalfelah (2005). Traditional Woven Textiles: Tradition and Identity Construction in the 'New State' of Brunei Darussalam (PDF) (PhD thesis). University of Western Australia. Archived from the original (PDF) on 9 October 2022.

• Jamil Al-Sufri (2002). Adat Istiadat Diraja Brunei (in Malay). Bandar Seri Begawan: Jabatan Adat Istiadat Negara. ISBN 9991734228.

• Li Li, Pang (2015). Minority Participation in an Islamic Negara (PDF). Policy Studies, Universiti Brunei Darussalam. Archived from the original on 19 January 2022.

• Siti Norkhalbi Haji Wahsalfelah (2014). Sejarah Sosio-Budaya Kraftangan di Brunei Darussalam: Barangan Logam dan Kain Tenunan (PDF) (in Malay). Jurnal Kajian Sejarah & Pendidikan Sejarah.

• Mohidin, Musa, ed. (2014). BRUNEI DARUSSALAM 2005-2009 (PART ONE) (PDF). English Publication Unit, Department of Information, Prime Minister's Office. ISBN 978-99917-49-51-8.