TANAH JAMBU, Saturday, 12 May 2018 – Her Excellency Madam Halimah Yacob, the President of the Republic of Singapore, who is currently in Brunei Darussalam on a four-day State visit had the opportunity to visit the Defence Academy, Royal Brunei Armed Forces (RBAF) in Kampong Tanah Jambu today.
Upon arrival at the Defence Academy, Her Excellency Madam President Halimah Yacob was welcomed by the Second Minister of Defence, Yang Berhormat Pehin Datu Lailaraja Major General (Retired) Dato Paduka Seri Haji Awang Halbi bin Haji Mohd Yussof; Minister of Education, Dato Paduka Awang Haji Hamzah bin Haji Sulaiman and spouse; Brunei Darussalam’s High Commissioner to Singapore, His Excellency Haji Awang Saifulbahri bin Haji Mansor and spouse; the Commander of RBAF, Major General Pengiran Dato Seri Pahlawan Aminan bin Pengiran Haji Mahmud; Permanent Secretaries from the Ministry of Defence and Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade; Service Commanders; and Deputy Permanent Secretaries from Ministry of Defence and Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade.
Her Excellency was then accorded with a Guard of Honour comprising of personnel from the Royal Brunei Land Force. The Commander of the RBAF later delivered a welcoming speech, highlighting the strong bilateral relations between Brunei Darussalam and the Republic of Singapore.
Accompanied by top officials and members of the Singaporean Parliament, Her Excellency and her delegation were also given a briefing on the Ministry of Defence and Royal Brunei Armed Forces. The RBAF Command and Staff Course participants and officer cadets at the Defence Academy also had the honour to meet with Her Excellency during this visit.
This visit to Brunei Darussalam is Her Excellency’s first overseas State visit since becoming the President of the Republic of Singapore in 2017. It reaffirms the excellent and enduring bond between Brunei Darussalam and the Republic of Singapore which have flourished in depth and strength since the establishment of diplomatic ties.
With defence as a hallmark of the bilateral ties between the two countries, Brunei Darussalam and the Republic of Singapore share extensive defence arrangements, where both sides interact regularly through numerous avenues, including exchange of visits, policy-level meetings and military exchanges, exercises, courses between the Royal Brunei Armed Forces and the Singapore Armed Forces.
PRESIDEN REPUBLIK SINGAPURA KUNJUNGI AKADEMI PERTAHANAN, ANGKATAN BERSENJATA DIRAJA BRUNEI
TANAH JAMBU, Sabtu, 12 Mei 2018 – Puan Yang Terutama Halimah Yacob, Presiden Republik Singapura, yang kini berada di Negara Brunei Darussalam dalam rangka lawatan negara selama empat hari telah berpeluang mengadakan lawatan ke Akademi Pertahanan, Angkatan Bersenjata Diraja Brunei (ABDB) di Kampong Tanah Jambu hari ini.
Sejurus tiba di Akademi Pertahanan, Puan Yang Terutama Presiden Halimah Yakob disambut oleh Menteri Pertahanan Kedua, Yang Berhormat Pehin Datu Lailaraja Major General (Bersara) Dato Paduka Seri Haji Awang Halbi bin Haji Mohd Yussof; Menteri Pendidikan, Dato Paduka Awang Haji Hamzah bin Haji Sulaiman dan isteri; Pesuruhjaya Tinggi Negara Brunei Darussalam ke Republik Singapura Tuan Yang Terutama Haji Awang Saifulbahri bin Haji Mansor dan isteri; Pemerintah ABDB, Mejar Jeneral Pengiran Dato Seri Pahlawan Aminan bin Pengiran Haji Mahmud; Setiausaha-Setiausaha Tetap Kementerian Pertahanan dan Kementerian Hal Ehwal Luar Negeri dan Perdagangan; Pemerintah-Pemerintah Angkatan Tentera; dan Timbalan Setiausaha-Setiausaha Tetap Kementerian Pertahanan dan Kementerian Hal Ehwal Luar Negeri dan Perdagangan.
Puan Yang Terutama kemudiannya diberikan Perbarisan Kawalan Kehormatan yang terdiri daripada anggota Tentera Darat Diraja Brunei. Pemerintah ABDB seterusnya menyampaikan ucapan alu-aluan, yang menonjolkan hubungan dua hala yang kuat antara Negara Brunei Darussalam dan Republik Singapura.
Diiringi oleh Pegawai-Pegawai Kanan Tertinggi dan Ahli-Ahli Parlimen, Puan Yang Terutama dan delegasi beliau juga diberikan taklimat mengenai Kementerian Pertahanan dan ABDB. Peserta Kursus Maktab Turus ABDB dan pegawai-pegawai kadet di Akademi Pertahanan juga berpeluang berinteraksi bersama Puan Yang Terutama dalam lawatan ini.
Lawatan ini ke Negara Brunei Darussalam adalah kunjungan luar negeri pertama Puan Yang Terutama sejak menjadi Presiden Republik Singapura pada tahun 2017. Ia telah mengesahkan hubungan yang sangat baik dan kekal di antara Negara Brunei Darussalam dan Republik Singapura yang telah berkembang dengan mendalam dan kuat sejak penubuhan hubungan diplomatik.
Sebagai salah satu ciri utama dalam hubungan dua hala antara kedua negara, Negara Brunei Darussalam dan Republik Singapura mempunyai pengaturan pertahanan yang luas, di mana kedua belah pihak berinteraksi secara kerap melalui pelbagai saluran kerjasama, termasuk pertukaran lawatan, mesyuarat berperingkat dasar, dan pertukaran ketenteraan, eksesais, kursus di antara ABDB dan Angkatan Bersenjata Republik Singapura.