King Sultan of Brunei told the residents that if they celebrate Christmas they could face 5 years imprisonment

The super-rich ruler of Brunei has told residents of his country that if they plan on celebrating Christmas, they could face up to five years in imprisonment.

In fear the religious holiday will affect the faith of its country, the tiny oil-rich nation’s Sultan, Hassanal Bolkiah, has banned the public celebration of Christmas.

Any Muslims caught celebrating Christmas, and non-Muslims who are discovered organising celebrations, could face the lengthy prison sentence.

While non-Muslims are allowed to celebrate the holiday within their own communities, they must not disclose their plans to the nation's Muslims – which make up 65 per cent of the 420,000-strong

Around 20 per cent of Brunei's residents are non-Muslim, including substantial Buddhist and Christian communities.

'These enforcement measures are intended to control the act of celebrating Christmas excessively and openly, which could damage the aqidah (beliefs) of the Muslim community,' said the Ministry of Religious Affairs in a statement.

The small Borneo nation prohibits propagating religion other than Islam to a Muslim, and breaking this is a violation of the penal code.

Other banned activities include putting up Christmas trees, singing religious songs and sending Christmas greetings, reported the Borneo Bulletin.

Some may think that it is a frivolous matter and should not be brought up as an issue,' the imams are quoted as saying in the Bulletin.

'But as Muslims…we must keep it [following other religions' celebrations] away as it could affect our Islamic faith.'

Some Burnei residents, however, are risking jail time by still celebrating Christmas and uploading pictures to social media as part of a MyTreedom campaign that celebrates religious freedom.

Imams have told followers to abide by a government edict banning celebrations that could lead Muslims astray and damage their faith.

The tiny state on the island of Borneo is ruled by Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah and relies on oil and gas exports for its prosperity.

The nation embraced a harsh new penal code in April 2014, led by 68-year-old Bolkiah.

At the time, he said: Today I place my faith in and am grateful to Allah the almighty to announce that tomorrow,Thursday, May 1 2014, will see the enforcement of Sharia law phase one, to be followed by the other phases.'

The change means people can face conviction by Islamic courts and fines or jail terms for a range of offences such as pregnancy outside marriage, failure to perform Friday prayers and propagating other religions.

A second phase of the law comes into effect in May this year covering theft and alcohol consumption by Muslims, which would be punishable by whipping and amputation.

The death penalty, including death by stoning, will be introduced in the final phase a year later for offences such as adultery, sodomy and insulting the Koran or the Prophet Muhammad.

 Most of the laws will also apply to non-Muslims.

The Sharia Penal Code calls for the stoning of people who commit a variety of sexual 'crimes' including sodomy, adultery and rape.

The strict Islamic law code also includes flogging, stoning and amputation

By the grace of Allah, with the coming into effect of this legislation, our duty to Allah is therefore being fulfilled,' the sultan said at a legal conference in Brunei's capital last year.

Even before that law was passed, there was a ten year prison sentence for gays.

The land of gold-plated mosques and wooden water villages is so rich from its oil and gas resources that no one pays tax.

Under the Sharia code theft and alcohol consumption are punishable by whippings and amputation.

Smoking is also banned in public.

The Sultan owns the Dorchester Collection of hotels.

The chain’s two American hotels are the Beverly Hills Hotel and the Hotel Bel Air.

In the spring of 2014, after the move to sharia law, celebrities like Ellen DeGeneres led the charge for massive boycotts at the properties.

Despite the no alcohol, no smoking and strict sexual laws in place in Brunei, the Sultan has an infamous playboy brother.

Prince Jefri gained notoriety for his harems of beautiful women, his flotilla of luxury yachts including a boat named 'Tits' and his alleged misappropriation of billions of dollars while he was finance minister.

The Sultan lives in the Istana Nurul Imam, also the seat of Brunei government (which is effectively the sultan and his family).

The palace has a reported 1788 rooms, a 110-car garage, a stable for the sultan's 200 polo ponies, five swimming pools and 350 toilets.

Implementation of Sharia law was denounced by United Nations Commission on Human Rights and also is concerning to Western workers in the oil sector and the tens of thousands of ethnic Chinese. 

Bruneians and 30,000 mostly Roman Catholic Filipino migrant workers living in Brunei.

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