---
title: "Brunei sultan in Kuala Lumpur hospital 'resting', Malaysia PM says"
description: "Brunei's Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah is currently in a Kuala Lumpur hospital \"resting\" after feeling tired during a Southeast Asian leaders' summit, Malaysia's prime minister said on Tuesday."
type: "NewsArticle"
publisher: "Daily Maverick"
site: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za"
section: "Newsdeck"
author: "Reuters"
author_url: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/author/reuters/"
canonical_url: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2025-05-27-brunei-sultan-in-kuala-lumpur-hospital-resting-malaysia-pm-says/"
published: "2025-05-27T13:23:31"
updated: "2025-05-27T13:23:32"
lang: "en-ZA"
word_count: 138
---

# Brunei sultan in Kuala Lumpur hospital 'resting', Malaysia PM says

> Brunei's Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah is currently in a Kuala Lumpur hospital "resting" after feeling tired during a Southeast Asian leaders' summit, Malaysia's prime minister said on Tuesday.

By Reuters · Published 27 May 2025, 15:23 SAST · Updated 27 May 2025, 15:23 SAST

## Key points
- In a classic case of royal fatigue, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim confirmed that Brunei's long-reigning sultan is taking a well-deserved breather at the National Heart Institute, reminding us all that even monarchs need a nap now and then.
- Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim confirms Brunei's sultan, 78, is resting at the National Heart Institute in Kuala Lumpur.
- The sultan has ruled Brunei since 1967, gaining independence from Britain.
- Once the world's richest man, he remains popular among Brunei's nearly half a million citizens.
- His reign has seen significant improvements in living standards, positioning Brunei among Asia's wealthiest nations.

## Content

Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, the current chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, was responding to a question during a press conference on whether the 78-year-old sultan had been admitted to the National Heart Institute in Kuala Lumpur.

"He's a little bit tired and resting," Anwar said, confirming that the sultan had been admitted to the institute. He did not elaborate.

The sultan has ruled the oil-rich nation of Brunei, on the island of Borneo, since 1967. He was once the world's richest man and remains hugely popular, despite holding a firm grip on power in the country of nearly half a million people.

Under his rule, Brunei gained full independence from Britain and oversaw a rise in living standards to among the highest in Asia.

(Reporting by Danial Azhar; Writing by Martin Petty;Editing by Ros Russell)