TANAH JAMBU, Thursday, 11 October 2018 – A total of 31 officers completed the 8th Royal Brunei Armed Forces Command and Staff Course (RBAF CSC 8) today at the Defence Academy of the RBAF.
The RBAF CSC 8 was a 40-week course delivered in partnership with New Zealand’s Massey University. Amongst its aims were to broaden the professional and academic knowledge, develop command, analytical, communication skills of mid-level officers in order to prepare them for higher appointments.
Present as guest of honour was the Minister of Defence II, Yang Berhormat Pehin Datu Lailaraja Major General (Retired) Dato Paduka Seri Haji Awang Halbi bin Haji Mohd. Yussof.
Various awards were also presented by the Minister of Defence II and Phil Morrison, the Brunei Relationship Manager from the Centre for Defence and Security Studies, Massey University, New Zealand.
The RBAF CSC Commendation award went to 673 Major (U) Hasnul Alwe bin Haji Matassan of the Royal Brunei Air Force (RBAirF); the RBAF CSC Overall Excellence Award went to Major Ee Pinn Hwee Joe of the Republic of Singapore Air Force; and the Massey University’s Academic Excellence Award went to Commander Ian Fyfe-Green of the Royal Navy.
Addressing the graduands, Yang Berhormat Pehin underscored the achievements of the Defence Academy since its establishment, where one of its notable successes was to produce new generations of staff qualified officers. Yang Berhormat Pehin also highlighted that the staff course at the Defence Academy has been integral in bolstering defence diplomacy, one of the seven key results area that Yang Berhormat Pehin shared during his address at the Legislative Council 2018, in view that there are 14 international officers among the graduands this year. He also reminded the value of Whole of Nation Approach and the attainment of high quality human resource as means for the nation to work collectively towards the call of Wawasan 2035.
Additionally, drawing guidance from the lessons of Hijrah of Prophet Muhammad, “Hijrah is not just a physical travel from one place to another. The deeper and more sacrosanct meaning is the transit from one state of being to another. In this case from less knowing to be more knowledgeable. He also advised the graduands to be humble with the knowledge and to make good use of it.
Also present were the Commissioner of the Royal Brunei Police Force (RBPF), Dato Paduka Seri Awang Haji Mohd Jammy bin Haji Muhd Shah Al-Islam, Services Commanders, High Commissioners, Ambassadors, Representatives from Foreign Missions in Brunei Darussalam, Defence Advisers and Defence Attachés in Brunei Darussalam, Permanent Secretaries from Prime Minister’s Office and Ministry of Defence, Deputy Permanent Secretaries, Commandants, Directors, senior RBAF officers and family members of the graduates.
The course participants this year were officers from the RBAF, RBPF, the Prime Minister’s Office and 14 international participants from India, Indonesia, Malaysia, New Zealand, Oman, Pakistan, Philippines, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Thailand, United Kingdom and the United States.
