| James Kon |
DECISIONS pertaining to the defence of the country must be made with the highest level of responsibility and accountability as security of a nation cannot be compromised by ‘bad’ decisions or ‘haphazard’ responses.
The need for consensus in defence decisions in addressing emerging security challenges was reiterated by the Deputy Minister of Defence, Dato Paduka Haji Mustappa bin Haji Sirat in his remarks at the closing ceremony of the Royal Brunei Armed Forces Command and Staff Course 5 (RBAF CSC 5) which took place at the RBAF’s new Defence Academy in Kampong Tanah Jambu.
“The task of protecting our nation does not always come with fixed or tested solutions. The security outlook of today and the future is filled with many ‘great unknowns’ with each challenge being unique and unfamiliar,” the deputy minister said.
In such a situation, every decision you make as a future senior officer, whether in command or as a staff, matters, however small they are. The security of a nation cannot and must never be compromised by bad decisions or haphazard responses, made without collective consensus through a process of dialogue and consultation,” he added.
Describing the task of middle managers, Dato Paduka Haji Mustappa bin Haji Sirat said, “It is your experience that shapes your full understanding of the operational and tactical aspects of the military and its effective deployment”.
Deputy Minister of Defence, Dato Paduka Haji Mustappa bin Haji Sirat, presenting a certificate to Major Justin Scott from the New Zealand Army. – BAHYIAH BAKIR
However, as future senior officers “you are required to develop a more holistic understanding of the strategic aspects of national defence,” the minister said.
“Defence is a very expensive affair, encompassing sophisticated military assets valued in the multi-million dollar range. Any extra dollar we seek to raise in our defence budget will inevitably bring an opportunity cost of that amount being deducted elsewhere in government spending such as education or health.
“Resources are scarce and you need to justify its use and value, every time. Therefore, as future senior officers, specifically within the defence institution, you have to exercise high level of accountability to ensure that every dollar invested in defence will bring returns with the best value for money not only to meet defence goals but also the government’s overall strategic objectives.”
We need to develop an entrepreneurial mindset to address the issue of defence spending, the deputy minister said, adding that “this is something that we have yet to embark on for our military officers. But it is a highly relevant skill which needs to be incorporated into the CSC curriculum in future”.
A total of 15 officers from Brunei (13 from RBAF and one officer from Royal Brunei Police Force and one officer from Internal Security Department) and 16 military officers from overseas who completed the 40-week course attended the graduation ceremony.