Brunei MinDef Budget to Focus on Training, Defence Diplomacy

14 Maret 2020

The Ministry of Defence proposed a budget of $606.02 million for the fiscal year 2020/2021 (photo : Brunei Mindef)

BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN – The Ministry of Defence has proposed a budget of $606.02 million for the 2020/2021 fiscal year, which will be focused on long-term defence strategies.

The budget allocation is a $1.618 million or 0.27% increase from the 2019/2020 financial year and a five percent increase from the 2018/2019 fiscal year.

Speaking on the fourth day of the Legislative Council meeting, Second Defence Minister YB Pehin Datu Lailaraja Major General (Rtd) Dato Paduka Seri Hj Halbi Hj Mohammad Yussof said the ministry has set up a cyber defence unit to handle online threats.

The establishment of a cyber defence unit will fully equip the Royal Brunei Armed Forces (RBAF) to tackle global threats that are dynamic, rapid and borderless, he added.

The minister, who did not provide a breakdown of his ministry’s budget, said the interconnected nature of challenges such as geopolitical tensions; COVID-19 pandemic and the South China Sea disputes can jeopardise peace and stability in the region.

“Given that the geopolitical situation at present is interconnected, there is no one country that can function effectively without addressing complex issues collectively,” he said.

(The Scoop)