Awang Halbi, Muhammad Haszaimi, Aaron Beng and Singapore High Commissioner to Brunei Laurence Bay cutting a cake to mark the occasion. - Photo: Infofoto
BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN: Singapore’s Chief of Defence Force, Vice-Admiral (VADM) Aaron Beng, hosted a commemorative dinner with current and former defence leaders from Brunei Darussalam to mark the 50th anniversary of defence relations between the two countries.
The dinner, held last Monday (Jan 12) evening at the Indera Samudera Hall, The Empire Brunei, was attended by Minister at the Prime Minister’s Office and Minister of Defence II Pehin Datuk Lailaraja Major General (Rtd) Datuk Paduka Seri Awang Halbi Mohd Yussof as guest of honour.
Vice-Admiral Beng, who flew in to host the event, highlighted the strength and longevity of the bilateral defence partnership, noting that close cooperation over the past five decades has enabled both armed forces to work effectively together.
“I am confident that Brunei Darussalam and Singapore will not only preserve what we have built over the last fifty years, but continue to deepen our partnership, adapt to new challenges, and contribute meaningfully to peace and stability in our region for many decades to come,” he said.
To commemorate the milestone, the Singapore–Brunei 50th Anniversary (SG-BRU 50) logo was officially launched at the dinner. The logo symbolises the close ties founded on mutual recognition, trust and loyalty, and will be worn by personnel of the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) and the Royal Brunei Armed Forces (RBAF) during bilateral engagements throughout the year.
The launch was jointly officiated by VADM Beng and Commander of the RBAF Major General Datuk Paduka Seri Muhammad Haszaimi Bol Hassan.
Defence cooperation between Singapore and Brunei Darussalam has expanded steadily, with engagements between the SAF and RBAF growing in scope and complexity.
This month, the Singapore Army and the Royal Brunei Land Force (RBLF) are conducting the 29th Exercise Maju Bersama and the 25th Exercise Rintis Bersama.
Exercise Maju Bersama involves personnel from Headquarters 2nd Singapore Infantry Brigade, 1st Battalion Singapore Infantry Regiment and 1st Battalion RBLF, while Exercise Rintis Bersama brings together the Singapore Combat Engineers and the RBLF Engineer Regiment.
Both armed forces also engage regularly through other bilateral exercises, including Exercise Pelican and Exercise Airguard, as well as through professional exchanges, cross-attendance of courses and official visits, reinforcing longstanding defence ties between the two countries. - Borneo Bulletin/ANN
