Category: Welcome

SOME might see it as diving straight into the deep end, while others have urged for caution when it comes to dealing with diplomacy, but rest assured, I do not think His Royal Highness Prince ‘Abdul Mateen would be out of depth when it comes to his new role as Brunei Darussalam’s Minister of Foreign Affairs.

His Majesty the Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam, has now included Their Royal Highnesses Prince ‘Abdul Malik and Prince ‘Abdul Mateen into the list of newly appointed cabinet ministers, with the appointment of HRH Prince ‘Abdul Mateen as our new foreign minister causing a stir straight away.

One former news editor at a local newspaper here in Brunei Darussalam contacted me asking for an opinion. I didn’t oblige because I felt I wanted to share my thoughts here first and foremost, whether belated or otherwise. The story that was produced after had many opinions I didn’t agree with.

How does my own opinion differ? For a start a lot of the international media has picked up on the strong social media following that HRH has, and some have used that as cause to label HRH as some kind of internet sensation. I feel that is a serious disservice, more so that there is hardly any mention of what formal background HRH has, in terms of his training and education.

To be fair, most are looking at Brunei from the outside, and the most visible HRH has been in the international arena has been when dutifully accompanying His Majesty on many state visits and international meetings. This is where we should dig a bit deeper, and not fall into the trap of parachute journalism.

Looking back on his own journey into being a ‘Soldier Statesman’, His Majesty himself was trained at the UK’s prestigious Royal Military Academy Sandhurst. In fact, this year represents a quietly missed 60th anniversary that passed in January of this year.

During that two year period of training (cadets now take part in a truncated 44-week course) it has been famously shared that His Majesty achieved the distinction of being one of the more distinguished foreign cadet officers, thanks to his grit and determination in the field.

Less spoken about was His Majesty’s academic pursuits in having studied International Affairs during his time there, with a focus on Soviet era Russia. Upon completion of his training, His Majesty attained the rank of Captain, but also a firm grounding in Geopolitics that would serve His Majesty well as Brunei’s sovereign and foremost diplomat.

That has had a significant bearing on Brunei Darussalam’s diplomatic ties with the Russian Federation, and our diplomacy ties as a whole. Make no mistake – it has allowed our country to manage a fine balance between long standing relationships such as the United Kingdom, while succeeding in fostering genuine ties with Russia, which celebrates 35 years of diplomatic ties with Brunei later this year.

The timing of Vladimir Putin’s first visit to Brunei Darussalam in 2000, when the Sultanate hosted APEC was of particular significance, being the first year of Putin being the Russian President. Warmly welcomed to Istana Nurul Iman, Putin has referenced the inaugural visit in subsequent engagements; during visits by His Majesty to Russia, and at bilateral meetings conducted on the sidelines of ASEAN and APEC summits, and more recently during His Majesty and HRH Prince ‘Abdul Mateen’s visit to Kazan, Russia for the ASEAN – Russia Commemorative Summit. A true testimony to the decades of strong ties between Brunei and Russia, a relationship that has been personally cultivated through a warm friendship between His Majesty and the Russian President.

Again, for those on the outside looking in, it might be surprising to see that mantle now being taken up by HRH, however, the more people are surprised about the appointment, the more I feel like they have missed some key substantive points.

We should be duly reminded that HRH received his Masters Degree in International Studies and Diplomacy from the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London. Prior to that, a degree in International Politics from Kings College in London was completed, both coming to fruition after completing his own stint at RMAS.

More so, the path from Sandhurst and a military career towards the role of Minister of Foreign Affairs is a similar path pioneered by another Bruneian prince, His Royal Highness Prince Mohamed Bolkiah, the Duli Pengiran Perdana Wazir. HRH Prince Mohamed also trained at Sandhurst during the same time as His Majesty, albeit separately, and upon passing out, HRH was duly commissioned in the Irish Guards.

In 1970, HRH Prince Mohamed held the rank of Lieutenant Colonel in what was then the Royal Brunei Malay Regiment, and two years later the rank of Colonel. And in the 80s, HRH observed at first, and then oversaw Brunei Darussalam’s entry into ASEAN membership and the United Nations General Assembly as Minister of Foreign Affairs following Brunei’s full independence in 1984 from being a British protectorate state.

While His Majesty stated that HRH Prince ‘Abdul Mateen would continue his military career, within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs itself, HRH can count on guiding hands in the form of HRH’s aunt, Her Royal Highness Princess Hajah Masna, Brunei’s Ambassador at Large and His Majesty’s sister. During a swearing-in ceremony held at Istana Nurul Iman recently for cabinet ministers to pledge their oath of allegiance and receive their official appointments, nephew and aunt were all smiles when they were captured on camera sharing a light hearted moment.

Meanwhile, YB Dato Seri Setia Haji Erywan Bin Pehin Datu Pekerma Jaya Haji Mohd Yusof, Minister of Foreign Affairs II is also still serving, and has been a stalwart for Bruneian diplomacy. Especially year-on-year since 2015, firstly as Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and then in 2018 after being appointed to his current role. Having served as Special Envoy of ASEAN to Myanmar in 2021, a posting selected by fellow ASEAN Foreign Ministers, YB Dato Erywan is not a lightweight in this arena and is another resource HRH would undoubtedly tap into in this latest chapter of the Sultanate’s diplomacy.

Junior officers within the Ministry have taken up the royal appointment with enthusiasm, sharing their selfies with HRH on his first day at the ministry on social media. Still, some point to diplomacy needing a deft touch, one that results from having years of experience, a point alluded to by President Putin himself when he welcomed His Majesty recently in Kazan. The Russian president praised His Majesty remarking how monarch is a seasoned and experienced leader.

Even more insightful was how HRH, with the media glare in full effect, did not miss a step. During meetings with foreign counterparts, he did not look out of place, and reports from Russian and Asian correspondents have stated how HRH was able to hold his own in discussions held on the sidelines of the ASEAN – Russia Commemorative Summit, and while accompanying His Majesty during parallel sideline bilateral discussions as well.

Personally, for me, it was quite a nice coincidence to see His Majesty and HRH visiting Russia shortly after the His Majesty’s titah announcing the cabinet reshuffle. Simply because, with all the world to see, one of His Majesty’s recent appointment has indeed proven to be quite a deft touch. In that regard, we should trust the judgement of His Majesty, not just as a seasoned leader, experienced statesman and a disciplined soldier, but also as a father… As father to His Majesty’s children, and knowing what Their Royal Highnesses are capable of, and also as a father to our nation, and having faith in his rakyat and confidence in what we can achieve.

SOME might see it as diving straight into the deep end, while others have urged for caution when it comes to dealing with diplomacy, but rest assured, I do not think His Royal Highness Prince ‘Abdul Mateen would be out of depth when it comes to his new role as Brunei Darussalam’s Minister of Foreign Affairs.

His Majesty the Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam, has now included Their Royal Highnesses Prince ‘Abdul Malik and Prince ‘Abdul Mateen into the list of newly appointed cabinet ministers, with the appointment of HRH Prince ‘Abdul Mateen as our new foreign minister causing a stir straight away.

One former news editor at a local newspaper here in Brunei Darussalam contacted me asking for an opinion. I didn’t oblige because I felt I wanted to share my thoughts here first and foremost, whether belated or otherwise. The story that was produced after had many opinions I didn’t agree with.

How does my own opinion differ? For a start a lot of the international media has picked up on the strong social media following that HRH has, and some have used that as cause to label HRH as some kind of internet sensation. I feel that is a serious disservice, more so that there is hardly any mention of what formal background HRH has, in terms of his training and education.

To be fair, most are looking at Brunei from the outside, and the most visible HRH has been in the international arena has been when dutifully accompanying His Majesty on many state visits and international meetings. This is where we should dig a bit deeper, and not fall into the trap of parachute journalism.

Looking back on his own journey into being a ‘Soldier Statesman’, His Majesty himself was trained at the UK’s prestigious Royal Military Academy Sandhurst. In fact, this year represents a quietly missed 60th anniversary that passed in January of this year.

During that two year period of training (cadets now take part in a truncated 44-week course) it has been famously shared that His Majesty achieved the distinction of being one of the more distinguished foreign cadet officers, thanks to his grit and determination in the field.

Less spoken about was His Majesty’s academic pursuits in having studied International Affairs during his time there, with a focus on Soviet era Russia. Upon completion of his training, His Majesty attained the rank of Captain, but also a firm grounding in Geopolitics that would serve His Majesty well as Brunei’s sovereign and foremost diplomat.

That has had a significant bearing on Brunei Darussalam’s diplomatic ties with the Russian Federation, and our diplomacy ties as a whole. Make no mistake – it has allowed our country to manage a fine balance between long standing relationships such as the United Kingdom, while succeeding in fostering genuine ties with Russia, which celebrates 35 years of diplomatic ties with Brunei later this year.

The timing of Vladimir Putin’s first visit to Brunei Darussalam in 2000, when the Sultanate hosted APEC was of particular significance, being the first year of Putin being the Russian President. Warmly welcomed to Istana Nurul Iman, Putin has referenced the inaugural visit in subsequent engagements; during visits by His Majesty to Russia, and at bilateral meetings conducted on the sidelines of ASEAN and APEC summits, and more recently during His Majesty and HRH Prince ‘Abdul Mateen’s visit to Kazan, Russia for the ASEAN – Russia Commemorative Summit. A true testimony to the decades of strong ties between Brunei and Russia, a relationship that has been personally cultivated through a warm friendship between His Majesty and the Russian President.

Again, for those on the outside looking in, it might be surprising to see that mantle now being taken up by HRH, however, the more people are surprised about the appointment, the more I feel like they have missed some key substantive points.

We should be duly reminded that HRH received his Masters Degree in International Studies and Diplomacy from the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London. Prior to that, a degree in International Politics from Kings College in London was completed, both coming to fruition after completing his own stint at RMAS.

More so, the path from Sandhurst and a military career towards the role of Minister of Foreign Affairs is a similar path pioneered by another Bruneian prince, His Royal Highness Prince Mohamed Bolkiah, the Duli Pengiran Perdana Wazir. HRH Prince Mohamed also trained at Sandhurst during the same time as His Majesty, albeit separately, and upon passing out, HRH was duly commissioned in the Irish Guards.

In 1970, HRH Prince Mohamed held the rank of Lieutenant Colonel in what was then the Royal Brunei Malay Regiment, and two years later the rank of Colonel. And in the 80s, HRH observed at first, and then oversaw Brunei Darussalam’s entry into ASEAN membership and the United Nations General Assembly as Minister of Foreign Affairs following Brunei’s full independence in 1984 from being a British protectorate state.

While His Majesty stated that HRH Prince ‘Abdul Mateen would continue his military career, within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs itself, HRH can count on guiding hands in the form of HRH’s aunt, Her Royal Highness Princess Hajah Masna, Brunei’s Ambassador at Large and His Majesty’s sister. During a swearing-in ceremony held at Istana Nurul Iman recently for cabinet ministers to pledge their oath of allegiance and receive their official appointments, nephew and aunt were all smiles when they were captured on camera sharing a light hearted moment.

Meanwhile, YB Dato Seri Setia Haji Erywan Bin Pehin Datu Pekerma Jaya Haji Mohd Yusof, Minister of Foreign Affairs II is also still serving, and has been a stalwart for Bruneian diplomacy. Especially year-on-year since 2015, firstly as Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and then in 2018 after being appointed to his current role. Having served as Special Envoy of ASEAN to Myanmar in 2021, a posting selected by fellow ASEAN Foreign Ministers, YB Dato Erywan is not a lightweight in this arena and is another resource HRH would undoubtedly tap into in this latest chapter of the Sultanate’s diplomacy.

Junior officers within the Ministry have taken up the royal appointment with enthusiasm, sharing their selfies with HRH on his first day at the ministry on social media. Still, some point to diplomacy needing a deft touch, one that results from having years of experience, a point alluded to by President Putin himself when he welcomed His Majesty recently in Kazan. The Russian president praised His Majesty remarking how monarch is a seasoned and experienced leader.

Even more insightful was how HRH, with the media glare in full effect, did not miss a step. During meetings with foreign counterparts, he did not look out of place, and reports from Russian and Asian correspondents have stated how HRH was able to hold his own in discussions held on the sidelines of the ASEAN – Russia Commemorative Summit, and while accompanying His Majesty during parallel sideline bilateral discussions as well.

Personally, for me, it was quite a nice coincidence to see His Majesty and HRH visiting Russia shortly after the His Majesty’s titah announcing the cabinet reshuffle. Simply because, with all the world to see, one of His Majesty’s recent appointment has indeed proven to be quite a deft touch. In that regard, we should trust the judgement of His Majesty, not just as a seasoned leader, experienced statesman and a disciplined soldier, but also as a father… As father to His Majesty’s children, and knowing what Their Royal Highnesses are capable of, and also as a father to our nation, and having faith in his rakyat and confidence in what we can achieve.

SOME might see it as diving straight into the deep end, while others have urged for caution when it comes to dealing with diplomacy, but rest assured, I do not think His Royal Highness Prince ‘Abdul Mateen would be out of depth when it comes to his new role as Brunei Darussalam’s Minister of Foreign Affairs.

His Majesty the Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam, has now included Their Royal Highnesses Prince ‘Abdul Malik and Prince ‘Abdul Mateen into the list of newly appointed cabinet ministers, with the appointment of HRH Prince ‘Abdul Mateen as our new foreign minister causing a stir straight away.

One former news editor at a local newspaper here in Brunei Darussalam contacted me asking for an opinion. I didn’t oblige because I felt I wanted to share my thoughts here first and foremost, whether belated or otherwise. The story that was produced after had many opinions I didn’t agree with.

How does my own opinion differ? For a start a lot of the international media has picked up on the strong social media following that HRH has, and some have used that as cause to label HRH as some kind of internet sensation. I feel that is a serious disservice, more so that there is hardly any mention of what formal background HRH has, in terms of his training and education.

To be fair, most are looking at Brunei from the outside, and the most visible HRH has been in the international arena has been when dutifully accompanying His Majesty on many state visits and international meetings. This is where we should dig a bit deeper, and not fall into the trap of parachute journalism.

Looking back on his own journey into being a ‘Soldier Statesman’, His Majesty himself was trained at the UK’s prestigious Royal Military Academy Sandhurst. In fact, this year represents a quietly missed 60th anniversary that passed in January of this year.

During that two year period of training (cadets now take part in a truncated 44-week course) it has been famously shared that His Majesty achieved the distinction of being one of the more distinguished foreign cadet officers, thanks to his grit and determination in the field.

Less spoken about was His Majesty’s academic pursuits in having studied International Affairs during his time there, with a focus on Soviet era Russia. Upon completion of his training, His Majesty attained the rank of Captain, but also a firm grounding in Geopolitics that would serve His Majesty well as Brunei’s sovereign and foremost diplomat.

That has had a significant bearing on Brunei Darussalam’s diplomatic ties with the Russian Federation, and our diplomacy ties as a whole. Make no mistake – it has allowed our country to manage a fine balance between long standing relationships such as the United Kingdom, while succeeding in fostering genuine ties with Russia, which celebrates 35 years of diplomatic ties with Brunei later this year.

The timing of Vladimir Putin’s first visit to Brunei Darussalam in 2000, when the Sultanate hosted APEC was of particular significance, being the first year of Putin being the Russian President. Warmly welcomed to Istana Nurul Iman, Putin has referenced the inaugural visit in subsequent engagements; during visits by His Majesty to Russia, and at bilateral meetings conducted on the sidelines of ASEAN and APEC summits, and more recently during His Majesty and HRH Prince ‘Abdul Mateen’s visit to Kazan, Russia for the ASEAN – Russia Commemorative Summit. A true testimony to the decades of strong ties between Brunei and Russia, a relationship that has been personally cultivated through a warm friendship between His Majesty and the Russian President.

Again, for those on the outside looking in, it might be surprising to see that mantle now being taken up by HRH, however, the more people are surprised about the appointment, the more I feel like they have missed some key substantive points.

We should be duly reminded that HRH received his Masters Degree in International Studies and Diplomacy from the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London. Prior to that, a degree in International Politics from Kings College in London was completed, both coming to fruition after completing his own stint at RMAS.

More so, the path from Sandhurst and a military career towards the role of Minister of Foreign Affairs is a similar path pioneered by another Bruneian prince, His Royal Highness Prince Mohamed Bolkiah, the Duli Pengiran Perdana Wazir. HRH Prince Mohamed also trained at Sandhurst during the same time as His Majesty, albeit separately, and upon passing out, HRH was duly commissioned in the Irish Guards.

In 1970, HRH Prince Mohamed held the rank of Lieutenant Colonel in what was then the Royal Brunei Malay Regiment, and two years later the rank of Colonel. And in the 80s, HRH observed at first, and then oversaw Brunei Darussalam’s entry into ASEAN membership and the United Nations General Assembly as Minister of Foreign Affairs following Brunei’s full independence in 1984 from being a British protectorate state.

While His Majesty stated that HRH Prince ‘Abdul Mateen would continue his military career, within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs itself, HRH can count on guiding hands in the form of HRH’s aunt, Her Royal Highness Princess Hajah Masna, Brunei’s Ambassador at Large and His Majesty’s sister. During a swearing-in ceremony held at Istana Nurul Iman recently for cabinet ministers to pledge their oath of allegiance and receive their official appointments, nephew and aunt were all smiles when they were captured on camera sharing a light hearted moment.

Meanwhile, YB Dato Seri Setia Haji Erywan Bin Pehin Datu Pekerma Jaya Haji Mohd Yusof, Minister of Foreign Affairs II is also still serving, and has been a stalwart for Bruneian diplomacy. Especially year-on-year since 2015, firstly as Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and then in 2018 after being appointed to his current role. Having served as Special Envoy of ASEAN to Myanmar in 2021, a posting selected by fellow ASEAN Foreign Ministers, YB Dato Erywan is not a lightweight in this arena and is another resource HRH would undoubtedly tap into in this latest chapter of the Sultanate’s diplomacy.

Junior officers within the Ministry have taken up the royal appointment with enthusiasm, sharing their selfies with HRH on his first day at the ministry on social media. Still, some point to diplomacy needing a deft touch, one that results from having years of experience, a point alluded to by President Putin himself when he welcomed His Majesty recently in Kazan. The Russian president praised His Majesty remarking how monarch is a seasoned and experienced leader.

Even more insightful was how HRH, with the media glare in full effect, did not miss a step. During meetings with foreign counterparts, he did not look out of place, and reports from Russian and Asian correspondents have stated how HRH was able to hold his own in discussions held on the sidelines of the ASEAN – Russia Commemorative Summit, and while accompanying His Majesty during parallel sideline bilateral discussions as well.

Personally, for me, it was quite a nice coincidence to see His Majesty and HRH visiting Russia shortly after the His Majesty’s titah announcing the cabinet reshuffle. Simply because, with all the world to see, one of His Majesty’s recent appointment has indeed proven to be quite a deft touch. In that regard, we should trust the judgement of His Majesty, not just as a seasoned leader, experienced statesman and a disciplined soldier, but also as a father… As father to His Majesty’s children, and knowing what Their Royal Highnesses are capable of, and also as a father to our nation, and having faith in his rakyat and confidence in what we can achieve.

SOME might see it as diving straight into the deep end, while others have urged for caution when it comes to dealing with diplomacy, but rest assured, I do not think His Royal Highness Prince ‘Abdul Mateen would be out of depth when it comes to his new role as Brunei Darussalam’s Minister of Foreign Affairs.

His Majesty the Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam, has now included Their Royal Highnesses Prince ‘Abdul Malik and Prince ‘Abdul Mateen into the list of newly appointed cabinet ministers, with the appointment of HRH Prince ‘Abdul Mateen as our new foreign minister causing a stir straight away.

One former news editor at a local newspaper here in Brunei Darussalam contacted me asking for an opinion. I didn’t oblige because I felt I wanted to share my thoughts here first and foremost, whether belated or otherwise. The story that was produced after had many opinions I didn’t agree with.

How does my own opinion differ? For a start a lot of the international media has picked up on the strong social media following that HRH has, and some have used that as cause to label HRH as some kind of internet sensation. I feel that is a serious disservice, more so that there is hardly any mention of what formal background HRH has, in terms of his training and education.

To be fair, most are looking at Brunei from the outside, and the most visible HRH has been in the international arena has been when dutifully accompanying His Majesty on many state visits and international meetings. This is where we should dig a bit deeper, and not fall into the trap of parachute journalism.

Looking back on his own journey into being a ‘Soldier Statesman’, His Majesty himself was trained at the UK’s prestigious Royal Military Academy Sandhurst. In fact, this year represents a quietly missed 60th anniversary that passed in January of this year.

During that two year period of training (cadets now take part in a truncated 44-week course) it has been famously shared that His Majesty achieved the distinction of being one of the more distinguished foreign cadet officers, thanks to his grit and determination in the field.

Less spoken about was His Majesty’s academic pursuits in having studied International Affairs during his time there, with a focus on Soviet era Russia. Upon completion of his training, His Majesty attained the rank of Captain, but also a firm grounding in Geopolitics that would serve His Majesty well as Brunei’s sovereign and foremost diplomat.

That has had a significant bearing on Brunei Darussalam’s diplomatic ties with the Russian Federation, and our diplomacy ties as a whole. Make no mistake – it has allowed our country to manage a fine balance between long standing relationships such as the United Kingdom, while succeeding in fostering genuine ties with Russia, which celebrates 35 years of diplomatic ties with Brunei later this year.

The timing of Vladimir Putin’s first visit to Brunei Darussalam in 2000, when the Sultanate hosted APEC was of particular significance, being the first year of Putin being the Russian President. Warmly welcomed to Istana Nurul Iman, Putin has referenced the inaugural visit in subsequent engagements; during visits by His Majesty to Russia, and at bilateral meetings conducted on the sidelines of ASEAN and APEC summits, and more recently during His Majesty and HRH Prince ‘Abdul Mateen’s visit to Kazan, Russia for the ASEAN – Russia Commemorative Summit. A true testimony to the decades of strong ties between Brunei and Russia, a relationship that has been personally cultivated through a warm friendship between His Majesty and the Russian President.

Again, for those on the outside looking in, it might be surprising to see that mantle now being taken up by HRH, however, the more people are surprised about the appointment, the more I feel like they have missed some key substantive points.

We should be duly reminded that HRH received his Masters Degree in International Studies and Diplomacy from the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London. Prior to that, a degree in International Politics from Kings College in London was completed, both coming to fruition after completing his own stint at RMAS.

More so, the path from Sandhurst and a military career towards the role of Minister of Foreign Affairs is a similar path pioneered by another Bruneian prince, His Royal Highness Prince Mohamed Bolkiah, the Duli Pengiran Perdana Wazir. HRH Prince Mohamed also trained at Sandhurst during the same time as His Majesty, albeit separately, and upon passing out, HRH was duly commissioned in the Irish Guards.

In 1970, HRH Prince Mohamed held the rank of Lieutenant Colonel in what was then the Royal Brunei Malay Regiment, and two years later the rank of Colonel. And in the 80s, HRH observed at first, and then oversaw Brunei Darussalam’s entry into ASEAN membership and the United Nations General Assembly as Minister of Foreign Affairs following Brunei’s full independence in 1984 from being a British protectorate state.

While His Majesty stated that HRH Prince ‘Abdul Mateen would continue his military career, within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs itself, HRH can count on guiding hands in the form of HRH’s aunt, Her Royal Highness Princess Hajah Masna, Brunei’s Ambassador at Large and His Majesty’s sister. During a swearing-in ceremony held at Istana Nurul Iman recently for cabinet ministers to pledge their oath of allegiance and receive their official appointments, nephew and aunt were all smiles when they were captured on camera sharing a light hearted moment.

Meanwhile, YB Dato Seri Setia Haji Erywan Bin Pehin Datu Pekerma Jaya Haji Mohd Yusof, Minister of Foreign Affairs II is also still serving, and has been a stalwart for Bruneian diplomacy. Especially year-on-year since 2015, firstly as Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and then in 2018 after being appointed to his current role. Having served as Special Envoy of ASEAN to Myanmar in 2021, a posting selected by fellow ASEAN Foreign Ministers, YB Dato Erywan is not a lightweight in this arena and is another resource HRH would undoubtedly tap into in this latest chapter of the Sultanate’s diplomacy.

Junior officers within the Ministry have taken up the royal appointment with enthusiasm, sharing their selfies with HRH on his first day at the ministry on social media. Still, some point to diplomacy needing a deft touch, one that results from having years of experience, a point alluded to by President Putin himself when he welcomed His Majesty recently in Kazan. The Russian president praised His Majesty remarking how monarch is a seasoned and experienced leader.

Even more insightful was how HRH, with the media glare in full effect, did not miss a step. During meetings with foreign counterparts, he did not look out of place, and reports from Russian and Asian correspondents have stated how HRH was able to hold his own in discussions held on the sidelines of the ASEAN – Russia Commemorative Summit, and while accompanying His Majesty during parallel sideline bilateral discussions as well.

Personally, for me, it was quite a nice coincidence to see His Majesty and HRH visiting Russia shortly after the His Majesty’s titah announcing the cabinet reshuffle. Simply because, with all the world to see, one of His Majesty’s recent appointment has indeed proven to be quite a deft touch. In that regard, we should trust the judgement of His Majesty, not just as a seasoned leader, experienced statesman and a disciplined soldier, but also as a father… As father to His Majesty’s children, and knowing what Their Royal Highnesses are capable of, and also as a father to our nation, and having faith in his rakyat and confidence in what we can achieve.

As’salamu’alaikum warrahmatullahi wabbarakatuh.

Bismillāhir-Rahmānir-Rahīm.

First and foremost, on behalf of the management and administration of The New Brunei Digest, we would like to take this humble opportunity to greet our readers, old and new, on the auspicious occasion of our nation’s 42nd National Day.

As some of us may know, the theme for this year’s National Day is ‘Bersatu Mencapai Cita Negara’, which roughly translates to united in achieving our nation’s aspiration. A rather fitting theme for not only our country as we look towards Wawasan 2035 in the coming years, but also for this platform.

When I touched upon earlier in my greeting to readers both old and new, it is a nod to those readers who have read all our stories in the past. It has been a long journey for myself and fellow founder, Waleed PD Mahdini, and without the support and encouragement of our readership in the past, the professional network and acquaintances we have built up over the years, we would not even begin to consider this substantial undertaking.

However, I digress… it was during His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Muizzaddin Waddaulah, the Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam’s 78th royal birthday celebrations that we had decided to venture back into this arena, with a new platform.

In His Majesty the Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan’s titah to mark the occasion, His Majesty highlighted that 2035 was nearing, and that we, as a nation, need to pull together in order to reach the targets that His Majesty laid out years ago.

It was during that moment where His Majesty asked us, the rakyat, to question ourselves what can we do for the nation, and for one another, that spurred us both on to put together The New Brunei Digest.

You see, for my own part, I have been in this industry for over 22 years, and my colleague longer still. Between us is almost five decades of working in communications, first and foremost on the frontlines and in the newsroom. Our bylines include that of Radio Television Brunei, where most of the Bruneians working today will have seen my colleague on their screens; and the Borneo Bulletin; and then came the inception of The Brunei Times, where we spent most of our years working together, as well as several other notable enterprises along our journey.

In the corporate world also, ranging from Corporate Affairs in various organisations, we have been in the Oil and Gas sector, Banking and Finance, and as Media and Communications consultants in one way or another for past members of the State Legislative Council, and a number of smaller medium enterprise companies. At one point we even ran and delivered a car magazine, the first of its kind in Brunei Darussalam, with foreign contributors filling in where necessary as newly released cars would only be arriving on our shores much later on.

With all that in the proverbial bank, it was a clear sign for us that it is now or never. Albeit with a new approach, better focus, still the hallmarks of the kind of writing and language that drew readers to our stories all those years ago, this time around we hope that we can bring more likeminded individuals to participate on a broader scale.

As we firm up our platform, our forté will be Opinion and Analysis, Talking points involving Business and our Economy, with video content to come later down the road. Our wish is to deliver content and material that is relevant to our sovereign and the decision makers, and more importantly to break it all down for the rakyat and residents alike. As it is only with your support will our endeavour not only endure, but insya’Allah more importantly, thrive.

So, please feel free to write in to The Driven Company, our publisher’s email address at driven.BN@gmail.com should you like to schedule an interview or discussion to collaborate. As we begin to move forward with our plans to grow this platform, we are open to explore all opportunities to engage with collaborators and contributors alike.

Lastly, best wishes also to all observing the holy month of Ramadhan and to the members of our community currently enjoying the festive celebrations of the Lunar New Year. May this special time of the year unite us as we celebrate 42 years of nationhood.