TANAH JAMBU, Thursday, 15 January 2026 – His Royal Highness Prince Haji Al-Muhtadee Billah ibni His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu’izzaddin Waddaulah, the Crown Prince and Senior Minister at the Prime Minister’s Office, today graced the Sovereign’s Parade Ceremony for the 24th Intake of Officer Cadets from the Officer Cadet School, Defence Academy Royal Brunei Armed Forces (RBAF), held at the Parade Square, Defence Academy RBAF, Kampung Tanah Jambu.
Accompanying His Royal Highness was His Royal Highness 920 Lieutenant Colonel (U) Prince ‘Abdul Mateen ibni His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu’izzaddin Waddaulah.
Upon arrival, His Royal Highness Prince Haji Al-Muhtadee Billah was received by The Honourable Pehin Datu Lailaraja Major General (Retired) Dato Paduka Seri Awang Haji Halbi bin Haji Mohd Yussof, Minister at the Prime Minister’s Office and Minister of Defence II, and Yang Mulia Major General Dato Paduka Seri Haji Muhammad Haszaimi bin Bol Hassan, Commander of the RBAF. His Royal Highness was then accorded a Royal Salute and proceeded to inspect the parade, comprising Officer Cadets of the 24th Intake, under the command of the Parade Commander, Yang Mulia Captain Zulhamizan bin Awang Jamil.
In his Sabda, His Royal Highness emphasised defence readiness and professionalism, noting that modern security challenges include cyber threats, misinformation and emerging technologies. His Royal Highness highlighted that growing regional participation reflects recognition of the quality of training at the Officer Cadet School, and called for stronger cyber defence through a whole-of-government approach. His Royal Highness noted the Defence White Paper 2021 update and its expected launch during the RBAF’s 65th anniversary, and highlighted the Defence Academy’s 15th-year progress, including the first Master of Defence and Security Studies awarded in 2025 with Universiti Brunei Darussalam. His Royal Highness also welcomed plans to introduce a Bachelor of Defence and Security Studies under the “Lifelong Education in Service” concept, in line with Defence White Paper 2021 and the Gagasan Angkatan 2035.
A total of 50 Officer Cadets were commissioned, comprising 36 male officers and 14 female officers. Of this total, 20 were commissioned into the Royal Brunei Land Forces, 16 into the Royal Brunei Navy, and 14 into the Royal Brunei Air Force. The newly commissioned officers also included three International Officer Cadets from Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand, marking the first participation of an Officer Cadet from the Royal Thai Armed Forces in the programme.
His Royal Highness then presented awards to the outstanding Officer Cadets. The Sword of Honour was awarded to Officer Cadet Nur Amanina binti Ismail, while the Best Academic Award was presented to Officer Cadet Jayden Lim Jie En from the Republic of Singapore. The Best Military Skills Award was received by Officer Cadet (U) Awangku Muhammad Haziq Dzulfadhly Mubarak bin Pengiran Haji Md Amir Ilham, and the Best Physical Training Award was awarded to Officer Cadet Muhammad Sufi Shayiran bin Roslan. The Outstanding International Officer Cadet Award was presented to Officer Cadet Rizq Dzakwan bin Sharifuddin from Malaysia.
The ceremony continued with the recitation of Doa led by Yang Mulia Lieutenant Colonel Abdul Mujib bin Japar, Acting Director of the RBAF Religious Directorate (JAMA’AT). His Royal Highness then proceeded to the Ceremonial Hall to receive a Pesambah titled “Nash’at al-Qa’id” (The Making of a Leader) and the commemorative book Perjalanan (Journey), documenting the 48 weeks of training since 10 February 2025. His Royal Highness also received Junjung Ziarah from the newly commissioned officers and their families, signed the Royal Parchment, and proceeded for a group photo session before departing the ceremony.
The Sovereign’s Parade marks the culmination of 48 weeks of intensive military training at the Officer Cadet School, Defence Academy RBAF, aimed at equipping newly commissioned officers with knowledge, discipline, professionalism and leadership qualities essential for their future service.
