Gadong, Friday, 18 August 2006 - The Commander of the Royal Brunei Armed Forces (RBAF), Yang Dimuliakan Pehin Datu Lailaraja Major General Dato Paduka Seri Haji Awang Halbi bin Haji Md Yussof, as the Guest of Honour officiated the Passing Out Ceremony of the New Royal Brunei Police Force (RBPF) Male and Female 1st Intake Recruits for 2005. The ceremony took place at the parade ground of the Police Training Centre in Gadong this morning.

A total of 145 new members have successfully completed their nine-month basic police training. The 145 new members comprised of 90 male recruits and 55 female recruits. Also present at the ceremony was Yang Dimuliakan Pehin Datu Kerma Setia CP Dato Paduka Seri Zainuddin Bin Jalani, Commissioner Police of the Royal Brunei Police Force.

Yang Dimuliakan Pehin Datu Lailaraja Major General Dato Paduka Seri Haji Awang Halbi also delivered a speech highlighting in his statement that in a new move to battle transnational border crime and tackle traditional mischief makers within the country, Royal Brunei Police Force and Royal Brunei Armed Forces have combined security to battle crime. They are practising new approaches and upgrading bilateral cooperation to face the challenges.

In the borderless world nowadays, people are more knowledgeable and sensitive towards the fast changing landscape of security. This was evident especially after the September 11, 2001 attacks on the US. Furthermore with wider access to the country via the borders, Brunei too is not excluded from being exposed to new challenges such as transnational crimes and terrorism apart from traditional crimes in the country.
Being sensitive to all of these challenges there is a need for the Royal Brunei Police Force and Royal Brunei Armed Forces to practise this new approach together and upgrade bilateral cooperation in facing those challenges.

The RBAF Commander also said that recently Brunei made this new example of effective cooperation between the Royal Brunei Police Force and Royal Brunei Armed Forces.
In several other aspects, understanding and cooperation through the implementation of procedures that have existed have been benefited to ensure the safety of our nation's borders, be it on land or on sea.

Increasing areas towards this unity have been kept up from time to time including answering the call to maintain peace and human relief efforts in neighbouring countries have that experienced crisis and natural disasters.

He also said that 'through new initiatives such as human resource development and the creation of the Department of Criminal Intelligence, approach through community policing and others, criminal cases have decreased and a number of criminal cases have successfully been prevented which included successful apprehension of culprits.

In line with this it is also the responsibility for all members of society to cooperate and come forward to help the Royal Brunei Police Force to maintain the peace and harmony of the country.
Before ending his speech he advised the new recruits to guard and respect the discipline of policing and not to be involved in negative activities.

Towards the end of the ceremony the RBAF Commander was also honoured to present awards to the best recruits. After the march past ceremony, the guest of honour Pehin Datu Laila Raja Major General Dato Paduka Seri Haji Awang Halbi proceeded to the multipurpose hall Police Training Centre and was introduced to the new recruits and posed for a group photo.