logo
From battlefield to brotherhood in Brunei

From battlefield to brotherhood in Brunei

The Star11-06-2025
Australian High Commissioner to Brunei Darussalam Michael Hoy and Deputy Commander of the Royal Brunei Armed Forces Brigadier General (U) Datuk Seri Pahlawan Mohd Sharif Datuk Paduka Ibrahim at the event. - BB/ANN
BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN: Australian High Commissioner to Brunei Michael Hoy said the importance of Operation Oboe to Brunei, Australia and the United States 'could not be understated'.
He said this during a commemorative ceremony at the Brunei-Australia Memorial yesterday to mark the 80th anniversary of the Oboe Landings during World War Two.
'Operation Oboe ended World War Two on Borneo, returned the Sultan to his rightful place, and set Brunei on course to becoming the modern, thriving nation we see today.
'Having troops from Australia, Brunei and the United Kingdom on parade today is a testament to the close relationships we have maintained since 1945.'
Jointly hosted by the Australian High Commission in Brunei and the Royal Brunei Armed Forces (RBAF), the ceremony's message of courage, resilience and reconciliation was reinforced through the Australian High Commission's recently launched Saksi Sejarah (Witnesses of History) photo exhibition at Brunei Energy Hub Dermaga Diraja until June 15.
Deputy Commander of the RBAF Brigadier General (U) Datuk Seri Pahlawan Mohd Sharif Datuk Paduka Ibrahim was also present. - Borneo Bulletin/ANN
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Western aid cuts cede ground to China in South-East Asia: study
Western aid cuts cede ground to China in South-East Asia: study

The Star

time7 minutes ago

  • The Star

Western aid cuts cede ground to China in South-East Asia: study

Transport Minister Anthony Loke Siew Fook officiates the Genting East Coast Rail Link Project Tunnel excavation works ceremony in Bentong, Pahang on July 13, 2025. Beijing's development finance to the region rose by US$1.6 billion to US$4.9 billion in 2023 - mostly through big infrastructure projects such as rail links in Indonesia and Malaysia. — MUHAMAD SHAHRIL ROSLI/The Star SYDNEY: China is set to expand its influence over South-East Asia's development as the Trump administration and other Western donors slash aid, a study by an Australian think tank said Sunday (July 20). The region is in an "uncertain moment", facing cuts in official development finance from the West as well as "especially punitive" US trade tariffs, the Sydney-based Lowy Institute said. "Declining Western aid risks ceding a greater role to China, though other Asian donors will also gain in importance," it said. Total official development finance to South-East Asia - including grants, low-rate loans and other loans - grew "modestly" to US$29 billion in 2023, the annual report said. But US President Donald Trump has since halted about US$60 billion in development assistance - most of the United States' overseas aid programme. Seven European countries - including France and Germany - and the European Union have announced US$17.2 billion in aid cuts to be implemented between 2025 and 2029, it said. And the United Kingdom has said it is reducing annual aid by US$7.6 billion, redirecting government money towards defence. Based on recent announcements, overall official development finance to South-East Asia will fall by more than US$2 billion by 2026, the study projected. "These cuts will hit South-East Asia hard," it said. "Poorer countries and social sector priorities such as health, education and civil society support that rely on bilateral aid funding are likely to lose out the most." Higher-income countries already capture most of the region's official development finance, said the institute's South-East Asia Aid Map report. Poorer countries such as East Timor, Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar are being left behind, creating a deepening divide that could undermine long-term stability, equity and resilience, it warned. Despite substantial economic development across most of South-East Asia, around 86 million people still live on less than US$3.65 a day, it said. "The centre of gravity in South-East Asia's development finance landscape looks set to drift East, notably to Beijing but also Tokyo and Seoul," the study said. As trade ties with the United States have weakened, South-East Asian countries' development options could shrink, it said, leaving them with less leverage to negotiate favourable terms with Beijing. "China's relative importance as a development actor in the region will rise as Western development support recedes," it said. Beijing's development finance to the region rose by US$1.6 billion to US$4.9 billion in 2023 - mostly through big infrastructure projects such as rail links in Indonesia and Malaysia, the report said. At the same time, China's infrastructure commitments to South-East Asia surged fourfold to almost US$10 billion, largely due to the revival of the Kyaukphyu Deep Sea Port project in Myanmar. By contrast, Western alternative infrastructure projects had failed to materialise in recent years, the study said. "Similarly, Western promises to support the region's clean energy transition have yet to translate into more projects on the ground - of global concern given coal-dependent South-East Asia is a major source of rapidly growing carbon emissions." - AFP

Call to strengthen disability rights in Brunei
Call to strengthen disability rights in Brunei

The Star

time16 hours ago

  • The Star

Call to strengthen disability rights in Brunei

Permanent Secretary (Community) at the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports Nor Ashikin Johari and Legislative Council member Chong Chin Yee during the talk. - Photo: Borneo Bulletin/ANN BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN: President of the Law Society of Brunei Darussalam Muhammad Zainidi Abdul Hamid on Saturday (July 19) called to continue working towards making public spaces, schools and workplaces truly inclusive. 'We must tackle stigma, not only through laws but through daily practice and mindset shifts,' he said during a talk on 'Disability Rights and Mental Capacity' at the Attorney General's Chambers' Golden Jubilee Hall. The talk, hosted by the Law Society of Brunei Darussalam, in collaboration with Bar Council Malaysia, aimed at deepening understanding and strengthening frameworks for persons with disabilities (PWDs). While Brunei has taken key steps by ratifying the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) in 2016 and enacting the Persons with Disabilities Act, Chapter 234 and the Mental Health Act 257, Muhammad Zainidi noted that implementation and continuous improvement are essential. 'We see a need to strengthen decision-making frameworks,' he added. 'Around the world, there is a shift from substitute decision-making – where decisions are made for someone – towards supported decision-making, helping individuals make their own decisions as much as possible.' - Borneo Bulletin/ANN

UMNO man is furious Jho Low is still at large
UMNO man is furious Jho Low is still at large

Focus Malaysia

time18 hours ago

  • Focus Malaysia

UMNO man is furious Jho Low is still at large

UMNO Supreme Council member Datuk Dr Mohd Puad Zarkashi criticised Malaysian authorities for their delay in tracking and extraditing Jho Low, following reports that he is living luxuriously in Shanghai using a fake Australian passport with a Greek name. Puad said it is the responsibility of the police and of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Comission (MACC) to bring Jho Low back to face justice. He also criticised former IGP Abdul Hamid Bador for failing to fulfil his promise to bring Jho Low back by end-2019 and mocked his remarks about Jho Low's changed appearance. 'If it is true that he is in Shanghai, then it is the heavy responsibility of the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM) and the MACC to bring Jho Low back to face justice,' he said in a statement on Saturday. Abdul Hamid Bador Puad said, 'He even promised that Jho Low would be brought back before the end of December 2019. However, it was all just empty talk ('sembang kari') that ultimately embarrassed the country.' Additionally, Puad suggested that Najib's trial is unfair without key witnesses like Jho Low present. 'If that is the case, the charges should be dropped,' he added. Meanwhile, Rawang assemblyman Chua Wei Kiat has urged Putrajaya to offer a RM10 million reward for credible information leading to the capture of fugitive financier Jho Low. He argued that Jho Low's return is crucial for justice in the 1MDB case, similar to former prime minister Najib Razak being tried. Chua said the reward is a small amount compared to the RM29 billion already recovered from 1MDB assets and would show Malaysia's commitment to fighting corruption. After nearly four years, Jho Low, the mastermind of the 1MDB scandal, has reportedly been located in Shanghai's exclusive Green Hills area, living under a fake Australian passport and driving luxury cars, according to journalists Bradley Hope and Tom Wright. —July 20, 2025 Main image: Malay Mail

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store