| Hakim Hayat |
DROVES of well-wishers turned up yesterday for a chance to meet and greet His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu’izzaddin Waddaulah ibni Al-Marhum Sultan Haji Omar ‘Ali Saifuddien Sa’adul Khairi Waddien, Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam, during a get-together ceremony to celebrate His Majesty’s 70th birthday.
This scene was testament to the people’s affection for the benevolent monarch, and also demonstrated their appreciation for His Majesty’s attention to the well-being of his subjects, several top government officials told the Borneo Bulletin.
Speaking at the final get-together ceremony for all four districts, which played out at Taman Haji Sir Muda Omar ‘Ali Saifuddien in the capital yesterday, Minister of Health Dato Seri Setia Dr Awang Haji Zulkarnain bin Haji Hanafi noted that the people should be grateful to have such a caring, visionary and far-sighted monarch who is very affectionate of his people.
Minister of Health Dato Seri Setia Dr Awang Haji Zulkarnain bin Haji Hanafi. – PHOTOS: IZAH AZAHARI
“I am grateful myself to have a ruler who would go out not just to observe, but also better understand the needs of the people.
“His Majesty is a real-action oriented leader who would address immediately any inadequacies and would follow up with his Cabinet Ministers, government officials and relevant parties to ensure that it is being handled together,” he added.
Commissioner of the Royal Brunei Police Force (RBPF) Dato Paduka Seri Haji Mohd Jammy bin Haji Muhd Shah Al-Islam
Commissioner of the Royal Brunei Police Force (RBPF) Dato Paduka Seri Haji Mohd Jammy bin Haji Muhd Shah Al-Islam said the annual event is indeed special as it gives all tiers of the community the opportunity to meet His Majesty.
It clearly demonstrates the monarch’s desire to keep his subjects close to him.
“Throughout His Majesty’s reign, the country has notched a lot of progress. There are many significant changes in the areas of our economy, politics, human capital resource and also development. This shows His Majesty’s attention to the peoples’ welfare, while also maintaining security, harmony and peace in the country,” he said.
Commander of the Royal Brunei Armed Forces (RBAF) Pehin Datu Pekerma Jaya Major General Dato Paduka Seri Mohd Tawih bin Abdullah
Commander of the Royal Brunei Armed Forces (RBAF) Pehin Datu Pekerma Jaya Major General Dato Paduka Seri Mohd Tawih bin Abdullah, said that as the monarch approaches 50 years of reign, significant progress has been made in a wide range of fields, with the Brunei Vision 2035 being the most significant.
“Collectively we give our full support and effort in meeting the vision of His Majesty, to continue harnessing the development and progress of the country,” he said, adding that the Brunei Vision 2035 is vital not merely because of what has been achieved and what is still in progress, but also for the benefit of the future generations.
Minister of Home Affairs Pehin Orang Kaya Seri Kerna Dato Seri Setia (Dr) Haji Awang Abu Bakar bin Haji Apong
Meanwhile, Minister of Home Affairs Pehin Orang Kaya Seri Kerna Dato Seri Setia (Dr) Haji Awang Abu Bakar bin Haji Apong, who is also the Chairman of the Executive National Committee of His Majesty’s 70th birthday celebrations, noted that the national event presented an opportunity to show the patriotism of the people.
This is also evident through the performances put on by the people yesterday, which was an effort by both primary and secondary schools students from the Brunei-Muara District.
“We are proud and grateful that the performances went well. It was remarkable, fitting the theme of the get-together event in the district this year. This is an initiative made by each district to showcase unique performances through their respective events,” he added.
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