James Richard Henry Burns (31 December 1916 – 26 December 2002) or also referred to as J. R. H. Burns, was a nobleman and police officer from England who served in several high-ranking positions which included being a member of the Brunei Privy Council and Brunei Police Commissioner.

Biography

Burns is born in England, on 31 December 1916. He was educated at

Eastbourne College Eastbourne College is a co-educational independent school in the British public school tradition, for day and boarding pupils aged 13–18, in the town of Eastbourne on the south coast of England. The College's headmaster is Tom Lawson. Over ...

, and would go on to marry Rosamund Jackson (

née A birth name is the name of a person given upon birth. The term may be applied to the surname, the given name, or the entire name. Where births are required to be officially registered, the entire name entered onto a birth certificate or birth re ...

Ward). He commenced his tenure with the

Federated Malay States )Under God's Protection , capital = Kuala Lumpur1 , religion = Islam , legislature = Federal Legislative Council , type_house1 = State level , common_languages = , title_leader = Monarch , leader1 ...

(FMS) Police in 1937, progressing through various ranks: Assistant Superintendent by 1940, Superintendent by 1950, Assistant Commissioner of Police for the

Federation of Malaya The Federation of Malaya ( ms, Persekutuan Tanah Melayu; Jawi script, Jawi: ) was a federation of what previously had been British Malaya comprising eleven states (nine Malay states and two of the British Empire, British Straits Settlements, P ...

by 1953, and finally, Senior Assistant Commissioner by 1957. Burns served as an RBPF Commissioner from 12 August 1966 until 15 August 1975. During his tenure, he also became a member of the

Privy Council A privy council is a body that advises the head of state of a state, typically, but not always, in the context of a monarchic government. The word "privy" means "private" or "secret"; thus, a privy council was originally a committee of the mon ...

. On 16 March 1967, he attended the graduation of 39 recruits at the police headquarters in

Brunei Town Bandar Seri Begawan (BSB; Jawi alphabet, Jawi: بندر سري بڬاوان; ) is the capital city of Brunei. It is officially a Municipalities of Brunei, municipal area () with an area of and an estimated population of 100,700 as of 2007. It i ...

. Later that year in August, he would visit the 150 recruits training at the Royal Malaysian Police training academy in Kuala Lumpur. Burns passed away on 26 December 2002, in the United Kingdom.

Honours

Burns was bestowed the

Manteri The Manteri are a group of royal dignitaries within the Sultanate of Brunei whose position ranks the fourth-highest official in the country behind the Sultan. There are two main groups in the Manteri, namely the Manteri Berchiri and the Manteri B ...

title ''Yang Dimuliakan'' (The Exalted One) ''Pehin Datu Pahlawan Diraja'' on 19 April 1973. He also received other titles such as ''Dato Seri Pahlawan'', and other awards of recognition during his lifetime service to the Brunei government. Additionally, he has been known to have the following honours: National * Order_of_the_British_Empire_(Civil)_Ribbon

Order_of_the_British_Empire_(Civil)_Ribbon

Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE;

1962 Events January * January 1 – Western Samoa becomes independent from New Zealand. * January 3 – Pope John XXIII excommunicates Fidel Castro for preaching communism. * January 8 – Harmelen train disaster: 93 die in the wors ...

) *

King's Police Medal (KPM;

1953 Events January * January 6 – The Asian Socialist Conference opens in Rangoon, Burma. * January 12 – Estonian émigrés found a Estonian government-in-exile, government-in-exile in Oslo. * January 14 ** Marshal Josip Broz Tito i ...

) *

UK Colonial Police Medal for Meritorious Service ribbon bar

Colonial Police Medal (CPM; 1947) Foreign * Brunei: ** BRU Order of the Hero of the State of Brunei

Order of Pahlawan Negara Brunei First Class (PSPNB; 1971) – ''Dato Seri Pahlawan'' ** BRU Order of Loyalty to the State of Brunei

Order of Setia Negara Brunei Second Class (DSNB) – ''Dato Setia'' **

Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah Medal Sultan (; ar, سلطان ', ) is a position with several historical meanings. Originally, it was an Arabic abstract noun meaning "strength", "authority", "rulership", derived from the verbal noun ', meaning "authority" or "power". Later, it c ...

(PHBS) **

Meritorious Service Medal (PJK) *Malaysia: ** Companion of the Order of the Defender of the Realm (JMN) *Perak: ** Meritorious Service Medal (PJK)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Burns, James People educated at Eastbourne College British expatriates in Brunei British expatriates in Malaysia Members of the Privy Council of Brunei Bruneian police officers Malaysian police officers British police officers 1916 births 2002 deaths English people Commanders of the Order of the British Empire Companions of the Order of the Defender of the Realm