Book Review, 123 

The Brunei Constitution of 1959: 

An Inside History 

B. A. Hussainmiya 
Bandar Seri Begawan, Brnnei Darussalam: 

Brunei Press Sdn Bhd, 2000. 81 pages. 

For many countries, the twentieth century was characterized by the shift 

from colonialism to independence. This struggle was contentious and often 
violent; the resulting governments frequently reflected the tensions 

between nationalist and colonial influences. In The Brunei Constitution of 

1959: An Inside History, B. A. Hussainmiya examines the formation of the 

framework for the nonviolent and gradual movement toward independence 
through the negotiations surrounding the 1959 constitution. 

A historian, Hussainmiya's previous works include his 1995 publi­

cation, Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddien III and Britain: The Making of Brunei 

Darussalam. The Brunei Constitution of 1959 began as a series of arti­
cles written for the Borneo Bul letin in 1999. This concise history of the 

1959 Constitution is divided into eight chapters. The first two chapters