SABAH, MALAYSIA, Monday, 3 February 2020 – Yang Berhormat Pehin Datu Lailaraja Major General (Retired) Dato Paduka Seri Haji Awang Halbi bin Haji Mohd Yussof, the Second Minister of Defence of Brunei Darussalam is in Sabah, Malaysia for a three-day working visit to Tawau upon the invitation of the Honourable Haji Mohamad bin Sabu, Malaysian Defence Minister.

Also in his delegation and joining the visit was Major General Pengiran Dato Paduka Seri Aminan bin Pengiran Haji Mahmud, Commander of the Royal Brunei Armed Forces (RBAF).

The visit began with a briefing by the Commander of Joint Task Force 2, Brigadier General Johari bin Mohd Jaafar at the Joint Task Force 2 Headquarters, Kukusan Camp, Tawau. The delegation was then taken to a number of military facilities and strategic installations around the East Coast of Sabah, including the Tun Sharifah Rodziah Forward Sea Basing, a decommissioned oil platform that has been converted into a security asset and serves as an integrated forward base that is strategically located under the Eastern Sabah Safety Zone (ESSZONE), and supports operations to stave off cross-border criminals.

The Honourable Haji Mohamad bin Sabu, Malaysian Minister of Defence, led the Malaysian delegation. Also present were the Chief of Malaysian Armed Forces, General Tan Sri Dato’ Sri Haji Affendi bin Buang; Chief of the Royal Malaysian Navy, Admiral Datuk Mohd Reza bin Mohd Sany; Joint Force Commander, Lieutenant General Dato’ Suhaimi bin Haji Mohd Zuki; and Deputy Secretary General (Policy), Mr Ahmad Nadzri bin Mohd Hassan.

The visit provided an opportunity for the Brunei Darussalam’s delegation to see how the Malaysian Armed Forces monitors, protects and safeguards national waters against any forms of transnational security challenges particularly within maritime areas of Sabah, Malaysia and the Southern Philippines. The visit essentially aimed to further strengthen the longstanding bilateral defence relations between Brunei Darussalam and Malaysia where both Ministers also exchanged views and information on a range of current security issues, highlighting the growing importance of working closely together to address these challenges.

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LAWATAN KERJA YANG BERHORMAT PEHIN DATU LAILARAJA MEJAR JENERAL (B) DATO PADUKA SERI HAJI AWANG HALBI BIN MD YUSSOF, MENTERI PERTAHANAN KEDUA BRUNEI DARUSSALAM KE TAWAU

Tawau, 3 Februari 2020 – Yang Berhormat Pehin Datu Lailaraja Mejar Jeneral (B) Dato Paduka Seri Haji Awang Halbi bin Haji Md Yussof, Menteri Pertahanan Kedua Brunei Darussalam telah mengadakan lawatan kerja ke Tawau, Sabah dengan diiringi oleh YB Tuan Haji Mohamad bin Sabu, Menteri Pertahanan Malaysia dan Panglima Angkatan Tentera, Jeneral Tan Sri Dato’ Sri Haji Affendi bin Buang TUDM hari ini.

Lawatan kerja ini meliputi penempatan operasi ATM iaitu di Markas Angkatan Tugas Bersama 2 (ATB 2), Pangkalan Laut Tun Sharifah Rodziah (TSR) dan Pulau Pandanan serta turut membuat tinjauan dari udara menggunakan helikopter EC725 Tentera Udara Diraja Malaysia (TUDM) ke kawasan operasi di Pulau Mataking, Pulau Matabuan dan Pulau Sibuan.

Malaysia dan Brunei mempunyai jalinan hubungan dua hala sejak sekian lama dan lawatan kerja ini telah memberi peluang kepada kedua-dua Negara untuk memperhalusi hubungan strategik di antara kedua negara. Hubungan dua hala pertahanan antara Malaysia dan Brunei dibentuk secara rasmi melalui Memorandum Persefahaman Kerjasama Pertahanan yang ditandatangani oleh kedua-dua Negara pada 14 Februari 1992.

Hubungan pertahanan kedua-dua terus berkembang di peringkat strategik, operasi serta taktikal melalui pelaksanaan operasi/latihan bersama dan program pertukaran pegawai serta anggota melibatkan angkatan tentera kedua-dua Negara. Angkatan Bersenjata Diraja Brunei (ABDB) turut menyertai Malaysian Battalion (MALBATT) di dalam misi United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) sejak tahun 2008. Selain itu, Brunei juga menganggotai Tim Pemantau Antarabangsa atau International Monitoring Team (IMT) di Mindanao, Filipina yang diketuai oleh Malaysia sejak tahun 2004.

Kerjasama pertahanan antara kedua Negara ini adalah penting khususnya dalam konteks menjaga keamanan dan kestabilan dengan mengambil kira cabaran dan ancaman keselamatan semasa di rantau ini.

Turut serta dalam lawatan kerja ini ialah Mejar Jeneral Pengiran Dato Paduka Seri Aminan bin Pengiran Haji Mahmud, Pemerintah Angkatan Bersenjata Diraja Brunei; Laksamana Tan Sri Mohd Reza bin Mohd Sany, Panglima Tentera Laut Diraja Malaysia; Encik Ahmad Nadzri bin Mohd Hassan, Timbalan Ketua Setiausaha (Dasar) Kementerian Pertahanan Malaysia; dan Leftenan Jeneral Dato’ Suhaimi bin Hj Mohd Zuki, Panglima Angkatan Bersama.

Kredit Berita & Gambar: UKS Kementerian Pertahanan dan Markas ATB2