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 yesterday consented to the establishment of a Faculty of Military Studies in collaboration with Universiti Brunei Darussalam (UBD).
His Majesty made the announcement in a titah during the Sovereign’s Parade for the 22nd intake of the Officer Cadet School (OCS), a move that the monarch sees as a positive step in achieving recognition in terms of professional military education.
The new faculty, His Majesty said, will provide officers at the Royal Brunei Armed Forces (RBAF) the opportunity to enrol in the Bachelor of Defence and Security Studies programme and later, a Master’s degree in the discipline at the RBAF Staff College.
The monarch expressed confidence that the initiative will bear fruit, especially on the back of strong support and cooperation from all stakeholders.
His Majesty also congratulated officers who recently received awards from overseas military institutions, such as Singapore Armed Forces College and Britannia Royal Naval College in the United Kingdom, as well as six officers who received the OBOE Endeavour Academic Excellence Award from Australia for their outstanding performances in a recent RBAF academy course.
Since the establishment of the OCS 15 years ago, His Majesty said, there have been numerous positive developments, including the participation of two officer cadets, one from the Malaysia Armed Forces and another from the Singapore Armed Forces.
These achievements, the monarch added, are “clear evidence of the reputation of the Officer Cadet School among friendly nations”, while noting that to date, the school has produced some 804 commissioned military officers.
Meanwhile, as the sole institute that provides military education and training, His Majesty said it is crucial for the Defence Academy to uphold its role as an organisation that fosters professional development of RBAF officers.
Nonetheless, the monarch expressed confidence in the academy to assist the armed forces in formulating strategies that align with the national philosophy of Malay Islamic Monarchy (MIB) and the core values of the Bruneian identity. – Rokiah Mahmud
