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Hiccups at APEC summit |
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November 16, 2000
BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN-- (UNB/AP) - Bill Clinton helped tiny Brunei inaugurate its newest hotel - an eye-poppingly lavish showcase with gold-plated chairs and a history of scandal. The Empire Hotel, on a point overlooking the turquoise waters of the South China Sea, was the brainchild of Prince Jefri, younger brother of Brunei's ruler, Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah. Construction stopped in 1998 after the sultan sued Jefri - a step unheard of in a nation ruled by their family for six centuries. The younger royal, in charge of investing Brunei's oil wealth abroad, was accused of squandering up to dlrs 16 billion. An out-of-court settlement kept the details secret, and work resumed last year on Brunei's showiest hotel. The lobby of the 500-room Empire is a space vast enough to park a jetliner, with pillars trimmed in goldleaf and a floor of inlaid Italian marble. Soaring windows overlook the sea. Next door is an 18-hole golf course designed by Jack Nicklaus. Its first guests were business executives taking part in a conference held parallel with the APEC summit of leaders of 21 regional economies. Clinton addressed the meeting Wednesday. Other trophy hotels in Jefri's portfolio include the Plaza Athenee in Paris, the Dorchester in London and the Bel-Air in Los Angeles. At the Empire, standard rooms start at 500 Brunei dollars (dlrs 300) a night. Suites cost 10 times that. The 7,000-square-foot (650-square-meter) Emperor Suite has its own swimming pool and butler's quarters. No one has rented it yet, which isn't too surprising. It costs 30,000 Brunei dollars (dlrs 18,000) a night. --- As APEC leaders turned out for dinner Wednesday night, they walked across the obligatory red carpet to be received by the sultan. And both of his wives. Islamic tradition permits men to have as many as four wives, if they are able to support them. Support is not an issue for one of the world's richest men, but it made for a reception not seen at every international gathering. Clinton and the other Pacific Rim leaders, more than one in the company of a spouse, got the chance to meet and shake hands with the sultan's brightly dressed wives: his first cousin, Raja Isteri Saleha, and former airline stewardess Penigran Isteri Mariam. Hillary Clinton did not make the trip to Brunei, but Clinton was accompanied by daughter Chelsea. On the way in, the dignitaries were greeted by children in brightly colored garb, with a 20-piece Bruneian orchestra playing subdued music with gonglike instruments and muted drums. --- Clinton stopped Wednesday at an exhibit by young artists from APEC members and spoke with one of the American contributors - Yatika Starr Fields, a 20-year-old from Stillwater, Oklahoma. Fields, an American Indian, said he draws on his culture and spirituality in his works. A student at the Art Institute of Boston, Fields received the National American Vision Award in 1999. His piece in the APEC exhibit was an oil on canvas titled "Acknowledgment of Differences." --- Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah, absolute ruler of Brunei, has spared no expense on his APEC guests. The International Convention Center was built specifically for the two-day forum attended by Presidents Clinton, Vladimir Putin of Russia and Jiang Zemin of China and other APEC leaders. Arriving Tuesday at Brunei International Airport, where the sultan parks his private Boeing 747, leaders were ferried away by motorcades of dozens of brand-new BMW sedans. The lavish hospitality continued at lunch Wednesday with a menu that included lobster salad, steamed salmon with abalone, and baked lamb on a balsamic ragout. Clinton, Jiang and the other APEC leaders finished off the assault on their waistlines with a desert of tiramisu grande with vanilla sauce and pralines. |