(From right) Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah grants audience to Awang Tengah and Uggah at Istana Darul Iman in Brunei. Looking on is Malaysian Ambassador to Brunei, Datuk Ghulam Jelani Khanizaman.
BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN: The Sultan of Brunei’s 70th birthday celebration on Friday was an event full of colour and pageantry, with the attendance of many heads of nations and dazzling displays of pageantry from the sultanate’s security forces.
Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas and Industrial Development and Entrepreneur Development, Trade and Investment Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hasan were among the high-profile guests at the royal birthday bash held for Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah of Brunei.
Uggah represented Sarawak Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Adenan Satem at the event, while Awang Tengah and his wife Datuk Dayang Morliah Awang Daud were present on personal invitation from the monarch.
A spokesperson of the event said the three-day visit (July 14-16) by the delegation from Sarawak to Brunei underscored the close ties between the ‘two neighbours’.
Uggah, Awang Tengah and Dayang Morliah, as well as other dignitaries and officials, also attended the birthday parade and investiture ceremony in the morning, before proceeding for the royal banquet. Joining them at the VVIP grandstand were Singapore Deputy Prime Minister and Coordinating Minister for National Security, Teo Chee Hean, Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Seri Panglima Musa Aman and Malaysia Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar.
Members of the Brunei royal family including Crown Prince Al-Muhtadee Billah Hassanal Bolkiah, Prince Mohamed Bolkiah, Prince Sufri Bolkiah and Prince Jefri Bolkiah were also at the parade.
The festivities kicked off with the firing of 21-shot cannon salute, followed by the inspection of the guard-of-honour by the Sultan.
The line-up comprised personnel from the Royal Brunei Armed Forces (RBAF) and Royal Brunei Police Force (RBPF).
Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah then proceeded to inspect the secondary squad of uniformed personnel comprising members of the military, police and firefighting cadets. He later went on to inspect the line-ups by the Girl Guides, Boy Scouts and trainees of the National Youth Service.
After the inspection, the Sultan was brought back to the royal dais where he later witnessed the march by RBAF and RBPF personnel, who halted before the monarch and hailed ‘Daulat!’ (translated loosely as ‘Long Live the King’ in Malay) three times, before they continued on.
The crowds were then treated to a spectacular fly-past involving a fleet of planes and helicopters manoeuvred by members of the RBAF performed a fly past.
The investiture at the Indera Buana Grand Hall of at Istana Darul Iman came next, where the Sultan bestowed medals and decorations upon recipients, which included Malaysian IGP Khalid.