For many years, the Sultan of Brunei was known as “the godfather of excess”.

Once the richest man in the world, he and his family were known for their lavish lifestyle.

Now, the 72-year-old has decided to change his ways, not by becoming a better person, but by implementing Sharia law that includes punishments such as death by stoning for adultery or homosexuality, or amputation of limbs for theft.

They say you get more conservative in your old age, but this is ridiculous.

CNN with more:

Critics say this move towards the most draconian form of Sharia law is a sign of the rising influence of conservative Islam across Southeast Asia — and an indication that the aging monarch wants to leave a religious legacy that seeks to compensate for his family’s controversies.

“The sultan is getting on in years now, and his family hasn’t always had the cleanest of reputations,” said Matthew Woolfe, the founder of human rights group The Brunei Project.

The move is indeed at odds with the lifestyle that the Sultan and his brother, Prince Jefri Bolkiah, are alleged to have lived.

During the 1980s and 1990s, they had a reputation for throwing lavish parties, going on multi-million-dollar spending sprees, and running a “harem” at their palace. They owned luxury hotels in London, Paris and New York. Jefri also famously owned a giant luxury yacht he named “Tits” and two smaller vessels called “Nipple 1” and “Nipple 2.” Vanity Fair described the brothers as “constant companions in hedonism.”

Elton John and George Clooney are currently boycotting those hotels, FYI.

An American woman, Jillian Lauren, published an autobiographical book “Some Girls: My Life in a Harem” in which she alleged that she was recruited to be one of 40 women for Prince Jefri’s harem when she was an 18-year-old aspiring actress in New York in the early 1990s.

Lauren said she spent 18 months in the harem on and off — and was Prince Jefri’s “second favorite” mistress for a year.

There’s a title to be proud of.

The parties were always extravagant, and weddings even more so.

The two royals also have access to high-profile celebrities and political figures. Prince Azim and Pamela Anderson attended the launch of her exclusive Coco De Mer collection at Morton’s on December 5, 2017, in London.

The Sultan also met with Prince Charles and the Queen in the same year.

In short, the Sultan is a hypocrite, and his draconian laws will do nothing but further hurt the reputation of his family.

[source:cnn]