[3] As piracy and rebellion threatened the internal order of the kingdom and Sarawak's White Rajahs encroached on the borders, Sultan Hashim Jalilul Alam Aqamaddin petitioned the British government for help to slow the rapid collapse of Brunei's land.

The Constitution Agreement, which abolished the residence requirement and established internal self-government while leaving Britain in charge of defense and foreign policy, was signed with the United Kingdom in 1959, marking the beginning of the country's journey toward independence.

And whereas, via the Treaty of Friendship and Cooperation with the United Kingdom..... Brunei Darussalam's restoration of full independence and the return of full responsibility for defense and foreign affairs to the person of the Sultan and Yang di-Pertuan of Brunei from HM the Queen has been set to happen on the first day of January of 1984, as agreed upon and under the provisions of said Treaty.Upon the reading of the proclamation, Omar Ali Saifuddien III, the father of His Majesty, led three cries of "Allahu Akbar" among the 30,000 people gathered at the Padang Besar (present day Taman Haji Sir Muda Omar 'Ali Saifuddien).

After the national anthem Allah Peliharakan Sultan was played, 21-gun salute was fired to celebrate the event, and the sounds of the hadrah resounded around the field.

[3] That evening, the capital Bandar Seri Begawan was packed to the gills with people praying for a smooth handover outside the Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddin Mosque and the field despite the heavy rain.