| Nuri Sufri |
THREE of the four officer cadets presented with awards for their outstanding achievement are females, demonstrating strong female capabilities in a predominantly male organisation. They were presented their awards yesterday during a Sovereign’s Parade in celebration of Intake 13 Officer Cadet School (OCS) Defence Academy of the Royal Brunei Armed Forces (RBAF).
RBAF Commander Pehin Datu Pekerma Jaya Major General Dato Paduka Seri Mohd Tawih bin Abdullah congratulated the officer cadets on their successful completion of the OCS training.
Speaking to the Bulletin, the commander said, “It is very interesting to see that out of four of the top achievers, three are females. This goes to show the capabilities, hard work and full commitment of female trainees.
“There is little difference between male and female trainees because the women have shown that they are as capable as the men – or even better. This is a good platform to build their career as this is only the beginning. I hope they will continue to work hard and climb the ladder,” he added.
The ‘Sword of Honour’ was presented to 21750 Officer Cadet Auni ‘Afifah @ Yumni binti Haji Ali Hassan, who expressed gratitude for the prestigious award and to all those who supported and guided her.
His Royal Highness Prince General Haji Al-Muhtadee Billah, the Crown Prince and Senior Minister at the Prime Minister’s Office, and General of the RBAF, presenting the Sword of Honour to 21750 Officer Cadet Auni ‘Afifah @ Yumni binti Haji Ali Hassan
His Royal Highness Prince General Haji Al-Muhtadee Billah presenting the ‘Excellence in Physical Training’ award to 21749 Midshipman Najihah binti Haji Abdul Hisab. – PHOTOS: DEAN KASSIM
“The biggest challenge for me as a female training with male cadets is that we are not exempted from training. Physically, I overcame this challenge by being mentally and physically prepared,” she said.
“Passion will drive you all the way to the end… Those challenges may drag you down, but if there is passion and will, gender differences will not be an issue,” she added.
21751 Midshipman Qurratu’aini Qayyimah binti Dr Al-Haj Zelzy, who was presented with the ‘Best Academic Award,’ told the Bulletin, “Those who are passionate about the military should join – especially the Royal Brunei Navy, reason being that ever since 2010, women are allowed to have operational command posts… we are not restricted to office jobs. We are also in a position where we will lead and manage people wisely and efficiently.”
According to her, women should understand the responsibilities and sacrifices that come with joining OCS.
“Knowledge and continuous learning is power because it allows you make better decisions and calculated risks, thus maximising one’s contribution to RBAF in terms of nation building and towards the organisation, especially given the security threats nowadays,” she added.
21749 Midshipman Najihah binti Haji Abdul Hisab, who received the ‘Best Physical Fitness Award,’ said, “Women should not be afraid to apply for a career in the military, especially because it is stereotypically assumed to be dominated by males.
“The women of today are more advanced in terms of thinking and we are more confident in our abilities to strive for our goals. The challenges we face are mental and physical in that we are pushed beyond our limits and taken out of our comfort zones, therefore the value of teamwork is important, which is heavily emphasised in OCS and RBAF. We strive towards a common goal,” she explained.
“The real challenge is not during the training, but the responsibilities and risks entailed to a job post. Therefore, self-motivation is imperative to overcome these challenges,” she said.
The post Salute to outstanding officer cadets appeared first on Borneo Bulletin Online.