SABAH, MALAYSIA, Monday, 3 February 2020 – Yang Berhormat Pehin Datu Lailaraja Major General (Retired) Dato Paduka Seri Haji Awang Halbi bin Haji Mohd Yussof, the Second Minister of Defence of Brunei Darussalam is in Sabah, Malaysia for a three-day working visit to Tawau upon the invitation of the Honourable Haji Mohamad bin Sabu, Malaysian Defence Minister.
Also in his delegation and joining the visit was Major General Pengiran Dato Paduka Seri Aminan bin Pengiran Haji Mahmud, Commander of the Royal Brunei Armed Forces (RBAF).
The visit began with a briefing by the Commander of Joint Task Force 2, Brigadier General Johari bin Mohd Jaafar at the Joint Task Force 2 Headquarters, Kukusan Camp, Tawau. The delegation was then taken to a number of military facilities and strategic installations around the East Coast of Sabah, including the Tun Sharifah Rodziah Forward Sea Basing, a decommissioned oil platform that has been converted into a security asset and serves as an integrated forward base that is strategically located under the Eastern Sabah Safety Zone (ESSZONE), and supports operations to stave off cross-border criminals.
The Honourable Haji Mohamad bin Sabu, Malaysian Minister of Defence, led the Malaysian delegation. Also present were the Chief of Malaysian Armed Forces, General Tan Sri Dato’ Sri Haji Affendi bin Buang; Chief of the Royal Malaysian Navy, Admiral Datuk Mohd Reza bin Mohd Sany; Joint Force Commander, Lieutenant General Dato’ Suhaimi bin Haji Mohd Zuki; and Deputy Secretary General (Policy), Mr Ahmad Nadzri bin Mohd Hassan.
The visit provided an opportunity for the Brunei Darussalam’s delegation to see how the Malaysian Armed Forces monitors, protects and safeguards national waters against any forms of transnational security challenges particularly within maritime areas of Sabah, Malaysia and the Southern Philippines. The visit essentially aimed to further strengthen the longstanding bilateral defence relations between Brunei Darussalam and Malaysia where both Ministers also exchanged views and information on a range of current security issues, highlighting the growing importance of working closely together to address these challenges.
Yang Berhormat Pehin Datu Lailaraja Major General (Retired) Dato Paduka Seri Haji Awang Halbi bin Haji Mohd Yussof, the Second Minister of Defence of Brunei Darussalam and Major General Pg Dato Paduka Seri Aminan bin Pg Haji Mahmud, RBAF Commander are at a briefing held at Joint Task Force 2 Headquarters, Kukusan Camp, Tawau.
Yang Berhormat Pehin Datu Lailaraja Major General (Retired) Dato Paduka Seri Haji Awang Halbi bin Haji Mohd Yussof, Second Minister of Defence of Brunei Darussalam exchanging memento with Commander Noor Azley bin Othman, TLDM, Commanding Officer Tun Sharifah Rodziah Forward Sea Basing.
MENTERI PERTAHANAN KEDUA MENGADAKAN LAWATAN KERJA KE SABAH, MALAYSIA
SABAH, MALAYSIA, Isnin, 3 Februari 2020 – Yang Berhormat Pehin Datu Lailaraja Mejar Jeneral (Bersara) Dato Paduka Seri Haji Awang Halbi bin Haji Mohd Yussof, Menteri Pertahanan Kedua Negara Brunei Darussalam sedang berada di Sabah, Malaysia bagi mengadakan lawatan kerja ke Tawau atas undangan Yang Berhormat
Haji Mohamad bin Sabu, Menteri Pertahanan Malaysia.
Menyertai rombongan ialah Pemerintah Angkatan Bersenjata Diraja Brunei (ABDB), Mejar Jeneral Pengiran Dato Paduka Seri Aminan bin Pengiran Haji Mahmud.
Lawatan kerja berkenaan dimulai dengan taklimat yang disampaikan oleh Pemerintah Angkatan Tugas Bersama 2, Brigadier Jeneral Johari bin Mohd Jaafar di Markas Angkatan Tugas Bersama 2, Kem Kukusan, Tawau. Delegasi kemudiannya dibawa melawat ke beberapa lokasi ketenteraan dan aset strategik di sekitar Pantai Timur Sabah, termasuk
Tun Sharifah Rodziah Forward Sea Basing, iaitu bekas sebuah pelantar minyak yang digunakan menjadi aset keselamatan dan berfungsi sebagai pangkalan hadapan bersepadu yang secara strategik diletakkan di bawah Zon Keselamatan Timur Sabah (ESSZONE), dan berfungsi mendokong operasi membenteras kegiatan jenayah merentas sempadan.
Yang Berhormat Haji Mohamad bin Sabu, Menteri Pertahanan Malaysia, mengepalai delegasi dari Malaysia. Turut hadir ialah Panglima Angkatan Tentera Malaysia, Tan Sri Dato ‘Sri Haji Affendi bin Buang; Panglima Tentera Laut Diraja Malaysia, Laksamana Datuk Mohd Reza bin Mohd Sany; Panglima Angkatan Bersama Malaysia, Leftenan Jeneral Dato’ Suhaimi bin Haji Mohd Zuki; dan Timbalan Ketua Setiausaha (Dasar), Ahmad Nadzri bin Mohd Hassan.
Lawatan ini memberikan peluang kepada delegasi Brunei Darussalam untuk melihat dengan lebih dekat bagaimana Angkatan Tentera Malaysia memantau, melindungi dan memelihara perairan negara daripada cabaran transnasional khusus di kawasan perairan Sabah, Malaysia dan Selatan Filipina.
Lawatan juga pada dasarnya bertujuan untuk mengukuhkan lagi hubungan pertahanan dua-hala antara Brunei Darussalam dan Malaysia, di mana kedua-dua Menteri juga mengambil peluang untuk bertukar-tukar pandangan dan maklumat mengenai pelbagai isu keselamatan semasa, dan menekankan betapa pentingnya untuk kedua-dua belah pihak bekerjasama rapat dalam menangani cabaran-cabaran tersebut.