15 November 2011

Brunei: 14th JDWC Brunei-Malaysia Reaffirmed to Strengthen Defence Ties

BOLKIAH GARRISON, Monday 14 November 2011 - The 14th Joint Defence Working Committee (JDWC) Meeting between Brunei Darussalam and Malaysia was held today at the Officers’ Mess, Bolkiah Garrison, Ministry of Defence, Brunei Darussalam. The JDWC was established through the “Memorandum of Understanding on Defence Co-operation” signed on 14 February 1992 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.  

The Meeting was co-chaired by Permanent Secretary (Defence Policy and Development) of the Ministry of Defence Brunei Darussalam, Haji Saifulbahri bin Haji Awang Mansor, and the Deputy Secretary of Defence of Malaysia, Yang Berbahagia Datuk Dr Ismail bin Haji Bakar.

At the meeting, both sides reaffirmed their commitments to strengthen further their defence ties. A wide range of bilateral matters was discussed, including bilateral exercises and training, logistics cooperation, and intelligence exchanges. The Malaysian delegation was also briefed on Brunei’s recent Defence White Paper published in May 2011. 

Defence relations between Brunei Darussalam and Malaysia began in 1961 when 3 Cadet Officers and 60 cadets were sent to the then Malaya to undergo military training. Since the establishment of the JDWC in 1992, Brunei Darussalam and Malaysia have had excellent bilateral defence cooperation covering various fields. Both countries work closely together in the International Monitoring Team in Southern Philippines and in the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL).

The next JDWC Meeting is expected to be held in Malaysia in 2012.