Rokiah Mahmud
The nation must be ready to maintain a high level of preparedness in a world of increasing uncertainties, said Minister of Defence II Yang Berhormat Pehin Datu Lailaraja Major General (Rtd) Dato Paduka Seri Haji Awang Halbi bin Haji Mohd Yussof in his adjournment speech during the 18th Legislative Council (LegCo) session yesterday.
The minister said even in this contemporary environment, threats to sovereignty is prevalent around the world, as can be seen in the crisis in Europe.
He said the efforts of the Royal Brunei Armed Forces during the COVID-19 pandemic has shown the necessity of being ready for non-traditional operations while performing regular duties of securing the nation’s peace and sovereignty.
“The development and progress of a country needs peace and stability. Therefore, the Ministry of Defence (MinDef) will continue to play its role in ensuring that the peace in this nation will not be compromised through cooperation with government and non-government agencies in a whole-of-nation and whole-of-government approach, supporting the national development agenda as well as achieving Brunei Vision 2035,” said the minister.
The minister said the ministry will strive towards advancing aspects of readiness, preparedness and spiritual strength to achieve its vision of ‘A Formidable Armed Forces and a Reliable Partner’ which is aimed at ensuring the security of the monarch, country and religion.
“This is supported by the three main pillars of defence – deterrence and response, defence diplomacy and holistic defence,” he said.
The minister said alongside the Defence White Paper 2021 which was launched last year, the Force 2035 and Force Structure Review are being carried out.
Yang Berhormat Pehin Datu Lailaraja Major General (Rtd) Dato Paduka Seri Haji Awang Halbi said under the leadership of 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, the MinDef and the RBAF will continue to address current and future challenges.
