Commander of the Royal Brunei Armed Forces

The Commander of the Royal Brunei Armed Forces (Malay: Pemerintah Angkatan Bersenjata Diraja Brunei)[1] is the professional head of the Royal Brunei Armed Forces (RBAF). He is responsible for the overall management, administration, and the operational control of the entire military of Brunei. The current commander is Major general Dato Paduka Seri Haji Muhammad Haszaimi bin Bol Hassan.

Commander of the Royal Brunei Armed Forces
Pemerintah Angkatan Bersenjata Diraja Brunei
Flag of the Royal Brunei Armed Forces
since 1 March 2022; 2 years ago (2022-03-01)
Royal Brunei Armed Forces
TypeArmed forces commander
StatusMajor general
Reports toMinister of Defence
SeatBolkiah Garrison, Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei BB3510[1]
AppointerSultan of Brunei
Term lengthNo fixed length
Formation30 December 1985; 38 years ago (1985-12-30)
First holderMohammad Daud
WebsiteOfficial website

Early history

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Lieutenant Colonel Tengku Ahmad bin Tengku Besar Barhanuddin, seconded from the Royal Malay Regiment,[2] served as the first commanding officer of the Brunei Malay Regiment (BMR) from June 1961 to April 1964.[3] He was followed by Lieutenant Colonel Donald Murray Fletcher, who became the first and last British officer commanding the regiment from April 1964 to May 1965 and later the first officer commanding the Royal Brunei Malay Regiment (RBMR) until 25 July 1966.[4][5] From 25 July 1966 until 1 March 1969, Major Henry Fairbridge Burrows (later Lieutenant Colonel) replaced him as Commander.[4][6] On 1 March 1969, John Simpson was appointed to lead the RBMR, quickly promoted to Colonel and assumed control of the air and naval wings.[7][8]

Colonel Bertram Francis Louis Rooney served as commander of the RBMR from 4 December 1971 to 18 July 1975,[9][10] followed by Colonel Norman Roberts, who held the position from 18 July 1975 until 1982.[11][12] Brigadier General John Friedberger succeeded Roberts, serving as the last British military commander of Brunei from 1982 until 1 January 1986.[13][14] As the first local commander, 42-year-old Brigadier General Mohammad Daud ushered in a new era for the Royal Brunei Armed Forces (RBAF).[13][15]

Appointees

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No. Portrait Name Took office Left office Time in office Ref.
Brunei Malay Regiment
1   Lieutenant colonel
Tunku Ahmad
(1924–1999)
June 1961 April 1964 2 years [16][3][4]
2   Lieutenant colonel
Donald Murray Fletcher
(1922–2010)
April 1964 31 May 1965 1 year [5][4]
Royal Brunei Malay Regiment
1   Lieutenant colonel
Donald Murray Fletcher
(1922–2010)
31 May 1965 25 July 1966 1 year, 55 days [5][4]
2   Lieutenant colonel
Henry Fairbridge Burrows
(1923–2015)
25 July 1966 1 March 1969 2 years, 219 days [17][18][6]
3   Colonel
John Simpson
(1927–2007)
1 March 1969 4 December 1971 2 years, 278 days [8][7][10]
4   Colonel
Bertram Francis Louis Rooney
(1922–2018)
4 December 1971 18 July 1975 3 years, 226 days [9][10][11]
5 Colonel
Norman Roberts
(1922–2018)
18 July 1975 1982 6–7 years [11][12]
6 Brigadier general
John Friedberger
(born 1937)
1982 1 January 1986 3–4 years [13][14]
Royal Brunei Armed Forces
1   Major general
Mohammad Daud
(born 1943)
1 January 1986 9 August 1990 4 years, 220 days [19][13][20]
2   Major general
Sulaiman Damit
(1941–2016)
10 August 1990 29 September 1994 4 years, 50 days [21]
3   Major general
Husin Ahmad
(born 1944)
30 September 1994 29 September 1997 2 years, 364 days [22][23]
4   Major general
Pengiran Abidin
30 September 1997 3 July 1999 1 year, 276 days [24]
5   Major general
Shari Ahmad
31 August 1999 2 April 2001 1 year, 214 days [23]
6   Major general
Jaafar Abdul Aziz
2 April 2001 27 March 2003 1 year, 359 days [23]
7   Major general
Halbi Mohammad Yussof
(born 1956)
28 March 2003 31 December 2009 6 years, 278 days [23][25]
[26][27]
8   Major general
Aminuddin Ihsan
(born 1966)
31 December 2009 29 January 2014 4 years, 29 days [26][27]
[28]
9   Major general
Tawih Abdullah
(born 1964)
30 January 2014 31 January 2018 4 years, 1 day [25][29]
[30]
10   Major general
Pengiran Aminan
31 January 2018 1 September 2020 2 years, 214 days [30][31]
[32][33]
11   Major general
Hamzah Sahat
1 September 2020 1 March 2022 1 year, 181 days [31][34]
12   Major general
Haszaimi Bol Hassan
1 March 2022 Incumbent 2 years, 218 days [34][35]

References

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  1. ^ a b "MINDEF – Addresses – Ministry of Defence Head Office". MinDef.gov.bn. Bolkiah Garrison, Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei: Defence Information Technology Unit, Ministry of Defence, Brunei Darussalam. n.d. Retrieved 16 May 2024.
  2. ^ Hussainmiya 2012, p. 10.
  3. ^ a b Muhammad bin Awang Abdul Latif (Haji.); Hashim bin Haji Mohd Noor (Haji.); Rosli bin Haji Ampal (Awang Haji.) (1994). Brunei di tengah-tengah Nusantara: kumpulan kertas kerja Seminar Sejarah Brunei (in Malay). Jabatan Pusat Sejarah, Kementerian Kebudayaan Belia dan Sukan. p. 216.
  4. ^ a b c d e Horton, A.V.M. (2011). Negara Brunei Darussalam: obituary 2010-2011. Vol. 42. Borneo Research Bulletin. p. 54. Retrieved 4 October 2024.
  5. ^ a b c "Brigadier Donald Fletcher". The Telegraph. 14 March 2010. Retrieved 4 October 2024.
  6. ^ a b "Interview with Henry Fairbridge Burrows". Imperial War Museums. Retrieved 4 October 2024.
  7. ^ a b "Brigadier John Simpson". The Times. 29 March 2007. Archived from the original on 4 October 2024. Retrieved 4 October 2024.
  8. ^ a b "UPACHARA PERPISAHAN KA-ATAS DATO BURROWS" (PDF). Pelita Brunei (in Malay). 5 March 1969. p. 8. Retrieved 3 October 2024.
  9. ^ a b "Colonel 'Runce' Rooney, soldier who narrowly escaped death at the hands of the Japanese in a Burmese paddy field – obituary". The Telegraph. 4 February 2019. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 4 October 2024.
  10. ^ a b c Great Britain Colonial Office (1971). Brunei. H.M. Stationery Office. p. 298.
  11. ^ a b c Brunei (1975). Brunei. on behalf of the Information section, Department of State Secretariat, Brunei. p. 347.
  12. ^ a b Great Britain Parliament House of Commons (1983). Parliamentary Papers. H.M. Stationery Office. p. 21.
  13. ^ a b c d Han, Ling (2 January 1986). "Brunei armed forces get first local commander". The Straits Times. p. 6. Retrieved 3 October 2024.
  14. ^ a b Who's Who 2010, A & C Black, 2010, ISBN 978-1-4081-1414-8
  15. ^ Hussainmiya 2012, p. 23.
  16. ^ Morais, John Victor (1967). The Who's who in Malaysia. Solai Press. p. 20.
  17. ^ Horton, A.V.M. (2015). Negara Brunei Darussalam: obituary 2015. Vol. 46. Borneo Research Bulletin. p. 39. Retrieved 4 October 2024.
  18. ^ Great Britain Colonial Office (1969). Brunei. H.M. Stationery Office. p. 200.
  19. ^ Southeast Asian Affairs. Institute of Southeast Asian Studies. 1986. p. 50.
  20. ^ "Pehin Orang Kaya Seri Dewa Major General (Rtd) Dato Seri Pahlawan Awang Haji Mohammad bin Haji Daud, Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports". BruneiResources.com. BRUNEIresources.com. 2005. Retrieved 3 February 2023.
  21. ^ Hussainmiya, B.A. (Bachamiya Abdul); Waleed Mahdini (2013). Sarimah Haji Umar (ed.). Pencapaian aan aspirasi : ABDB 1961–2011 dan seterusnya [Journey of accomplishments and aspirations : RBAF 1961-2011 and beyond] (in Malay). Bandar Seri Begawan: Brunei Press / Angkatan Bersenjata Diraja Brunei. pp. 20–21. OCLC 973874229.
  22. ^ "Selamat Ulang Tahun ABDB" [Happy Birthday RBAF]. MediaPermata.com.bn (in Malay). Media Permata Online. 10 June 2017. Retrieved 3 February 2023.
  23. ^ a b c d "RBLF History". MinDef.gov.bn. Bolkiah Garrison, Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei: Defence Information Technology Unit, Ministry of Defence, Brunei Darussalam. Retrieved 3 February 2023.
  24. ^ "Dua juruterbang tempatan pertama lakar sejarah TUDB" [The first two local pilots sketch the history of RBAF]. MediaPermata.com.bn (in Malay). Media Permata Online. 7 August 2021. Retrieved 19 December 2022.
  25. ^ a b "RBAF senior officers promoted". MinDef.gov.bn/airforce. Bolkiah Garrison: Royal Brunei Air Force, Ministry of Defence, Brunei Darussalam. 10 October 2008. Retrieved 15 May 2024.
  26. ^ a b "Outgoing RBAF Commander in audience". MinDef.gov.bn/airforce. Istana Nurul Iman, Brunei: Royal Brunei Air Force, Defence Information Technology Unit, Ministry of Defence, Brunei Darussalam. 31 December 2009. Retrieved 3 February 2023.
  27. ^ a b "Crown Prince grants audience to outgoing, new RBAF Commanders". MinDef.gov.bn. Istana Nurul Iman, Brunei: Royal Brunei Air Force, Defence Information Technology Unit, Ministry of Defence, Brunei Darussalam. 4 January 2010. Retrieved 3 February 2023.
  28. ^ "Commander Royal Brunei Armed Forces". MinDef.gov.bn. Bolkiah Garrison, Brunei: Defence Information Technology Unit, Ministry of Defence, Brunei Darussalam. Retrieved 3 February 2023.
  29. ^ "Outgoing RBAF Commander in audience". MinDef.gov.bn. Istana Nurul Iman, Brunei: Defence Information Technology Unit, Ministry of Defence, Brunei Darussalam. 30 January 2014. Retrieved 3 February 2023.
  30. ^ a b "Crown Prince grants audience to outgoing and new RBAF Commanders". MinDef.gov.bn. Qashr Al-Meezan, Brunei: Defence Information Technology Unit, Ministry of Defence, Brunei Darussalam. 1 February 2018. Retrieved 3 February 2023.
  31. ^ a b "His Royal Highness the Crown Prince received in audience the outgoing and newly appointed RBAF Commander". MinDef.gov.bn. Qashr Al-Meezan, Brunei: Defence Information Technology Unit, Ministry of Defence, Brunei Darussalam. 2 September 2020. Retrieved 3 February 2023.
  32. ^ "3 RBAF senior officers promoted". MinDef.gov.bn/airforce. Bolkiah Garrison, Bandar Seri Begawan, BB3510, Brunei Darussalam: Royal Brunei Air Force, Ministry of Defence Brunei Darussalam. 2 January 2008. Retrieved 15 May 2024.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: location (link)
  33. ^ Tran Tien Duan (1 February 2018). "Brunei: Sultan appoints new RBAF Commander". en.VietnamPlus.vn. VietnamPlus, Vietnam News Agency. Retrieved 15 May 2024.
  34. ^ a b "His Royal Highness Prince Haji Al-Muhtadee Billah, the Crown Prince and Senior Minister at the Prime Minister's Office receives in audience the outgoing and newly appointed Royal Brunei Armed Forces Commander". MinDef.gov.bn. Qashr Al-Meezan, Brunei: Defence Information Technology Unit, Ministry of Defence, Brunei Darussalam. 2 March 2022. Retrieved 3 February 2023.
  35. ^ Kon, James (2 March 2022). "His Majesty appoints new RBAF commander". BorneoBulletin.com.bn. Istana Nurul Iman, Brunei: Borneo Bulletin Online. Retrieved 3 February 2023.
  • Hussainmiya, B. A. (2012). RBAF 50th Golden Anniversary Commemorative Book. Bandar Seri Begawan: Brunei Press Commercial Printing Services.