| Hakim Hayat |
MALAYSIAN Minister of Defence Haji Mohamad bin Sabu, was hosted to a luncheon at the Malaysian High Commission in Bandar Seri Begawan, as part of his two-day introductory visit to the country yesterday.
The luncheon hosted by Deputy High Commssioner of Malaysia to Brunei Darussalam and Charge d’Affaires Rafedah binti Haji Abdul Aziz, was attended by key Malaysian business leaders and officials residing in Brunei.
The Malaysian Defence Minister praised the strong bond shared by both countries in various sectors, particularly between both leaders and in the defence arena, and pledged to further enhance the cooperation through various mediums.
He said his visit is a testament of the strong and dynamic bilateral defence ties, while expressing optimism that the defence cooperation would be strengthened further.
The Malaysian Defence Minister also shared that his audience with 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 on Wednesday ended on a positive note, with both sides having productive discussions on mutual issues of concern.
During the luncheon, he also shared with business leaders the latest defence strategies that Malaysia has devised, especially on their aspirations to produce their Defence White Paper this year, while also noting the Malaysian government’s commitment in ensuring optimal spending of their defence budget.
The Malaysian Defence Minister also paid a courtesy call on Minister of Defence II Pehin Datu Lailaraja Major General (Rtd) Dato Paduka Seri Haji Awang Halbi bin Haji Mohd Yussof at the Bolkiah Garrison, and visited the Defence Academy of the Royal Brunei Armed Forces (RBAF) in Kampong Tanah Jambu.
He also visited several places of interest including the Jame’ ‘Asr Hassanil Bolkiah and Kampong Ayer.
According to the Malaysian Defence Ministry, the minister’s visit aims to enhance the network of bilateral and multilateral defence cooperation, while also exchanging views on regional and global issues of mutual concern.
Brunei Darussalam and Malaysia have enjoyed a long history of defence cooperation ranging from defence agreements and professional exchanges at all levels to trainings and exercises across the army, navy, and air force.
Both countries cooperate on various multilateral platforms which include the ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting (ADMM) and the ADMM-Plus, as well as through international peacekeeping operations such as the International Monitoring Team (IMT) in Mindanao and the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL).