THE 37th Asean Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA) was officially launched yesterday by Aung San Suu Kyi, Myanmar’s State Counsellor at Myanmar International Convention Centre, in Nay Pyi Taw, Myanmar. The theme for this year’s AIPA General Assembly is ‘Vibrant AIPA for a Progressive Asean Community’ according to a press release.
Representing Brunei at the AIPA General Assembly was YB Pehin Orang Kaya Seri Lela Dato Seri Setia Awang Haji Abdul Rahman bin Dato Setia Haji Mohamed Taib, the Speaker of the Legislative Council, as the head of delegation.
Also in attendance were the Secretary to the Cabinet Minister’s Council and Clerk to the Legislative Council, Pehin Orang Kaya Pekerma Jaya Dato Paduka Haji Judin bin Haji Asar; Ambassador of Brunei Darussalam to the Republic of the Union of Myanmar, Pehin Orang Kaya Seri Pahlawan Colonel (Rtd) Dato Paduka Haji Abdu’r Rahmani bin Dato Paduka Haji Basir; as well as officers from Department of Councils of State.
Before the official opening ceremony, the Speaker of the Legislative Council from Brunei Darussalam together with other AIPA members’ Speakers attended the Executive Committee Meeting with the objective to discuss the agendas and resolutions that will be discussed during the meeting as well as other arising issues.
At the opening ceremony, AIPA President and Speaker of Myanmar, Mahn Winn Khaing Thann gave a welcoming speech and declared that members of AIPA have decided to execute and resolve several issues such as gender equality in education, in the workplace as well as political arena.
Although these issues are undeniably challenging, as people’s representative, it is their responsibility to find the solution. He also stated that the vibrant and optimist dynamism of Asean enabled members of AIPA to cooperate make consultations to find a solution to the issue.
YB Pehin Orang Kaya Seri Lela Dato Seri Setia Awang Haji Abdul Rahman bin Dato Setia Haji Mohamed Taib (front row, 7th left), the Speaker of the Legislative Council in a group photo during the 37th AIPA in Myanmar.
In the first preliminary meeting chaired by the AIPA President, he invited all the speakers to give a speech.
YB Pehin Orang Kaya Seri Lela Dato Seri Setia Awang Haji Abdul Rahman in his speech said that Brunei will continue to give its full support of the meeting while also commenting that this year’s AIPA Meeting theme is in line with the theme of the 28th and 29th Asean Summit held in Vientiane, Laos which was ‘Turning Vision into Reality for a Dynamic Asean Community’. Moreover, YB Pehin Orang Kaya Seri Lela Dato Seri Setia Awang Haji Abdul Rahman expressed his hopes for the Asean members to be able to accomplish the visions of living in a peaceful region, secure and stable, broader economic development and social progress towards Asean 2025. In his closing remarks, YB Pehin Orang Kaya Seri Lela Dato Seri Setia Awang Haji Abdul Rahman recalled that during the recent AIPA-Asean Interface in Vientiane, Laos last month, Asean heads of state expressed appreciation towards AIPA as a legal institution in contributing to the development process of the Asean Community.
This is a platform for parliamentary cooperation within Asean which provide many benefits to the AIPA member countries through increased trade, investment, tourism, exchanges between the individual and the development that will complement regional efforts in the realisation of community-oriented society.
In citing the message of the heads of Asean member countries, His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu’izzaddin Waddaulah ibni Al-Marhum Sultan Haji Omar ‘Ali Saifuddien Sa’adul Khairi Waddien, Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam, has vowed to become a rules-based and community-oriented society during the 28th and 29th Asean Summit. The theme ‘Turning Vision into Reality for a Dynamic Asean Community’ in the recent Asean Summit is visualised in the pilot plan for the thre pillars of Asean Community.
His Majesty in his message during 8th AIPA CAUCUS held on August 8-10, 2016, said that it would be beneficial for AIPA CAUCUS to conduct a comparative research in regards to national legislation, regulations and measures for the AIPA member countries to identify legislative initiative appropriately and with just.
His Majesty further mentioned the importance of Asean-AIPA Interface to be held every year as a venue for the exchange of ideas and views to strengthen teamwork and streamline between the legislative branch and executive within the members of Asean countries.
Therefore, AIPA plays an important role in bringing the society and government together in realising the Asean Community and its impact to the people.
This general assembly is held for three days and will be discussing about the regional issues on the executive committee level, WAIPA, politics, economy, social, organisational and Joint Communique.
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