BRUNEI-MUARA

A GROUND-BREAKING ceremony was held yesterday for the $3,938,000 surau and headquarters of the new defence academy at Kampung Tanah Jambu.

Laying the foundation at the site was Commander of the Royal Brunei Armed Forces Pehin Datu Pekerma Jaya Major General Dato Paduka Seri Mohd Tawih Abdullah.

The construction of both buildings, under package four of the Defence Academy project, is scheduled to be completed on August 15, 2015.

The project – initiated last April at a cost of $60 million – is part of His Majesty’s Government’s aim to provide the best training environment for all officer cadets.

The much-anticipated defence academy is set to be the new home for the instructors and cadets of the Officer Cadet School, currently based in Sungai Akar.

“The surau is designed and placed on the highest platform on site to compliment the Malay Muslim Monarchy philosophy,” the Ministry of Defence (MinDef) said in a statement.

The prayer hall can accommodate 300 people at one time. Meanwhile, the building for the academy’s headquarters primarily consist of office space and conference room.

The office space may also feature an open plan office, visitor’s lounge, duty officer’s room, enclosed officer, VIP lounge, modular room, commandant’s office, deputy commandant’s office and a conference room that can accommodate about 18 people.

MinDef said the defence academy will be the most advanced, up-to-date and relevant officer training facility within the region.

“The development of this package will form the primary concept for the Defence Academy to compliment MinDef’s vision in delivering robust, responsive and resource-efficient armed forces by attributing respect to the defence of Our Sovereignty, Our territorial integrity and by holding the constitution and the Malay Muslim Monarchy philosophy,” the ministry said.

Also present at the ceremony was directors, officers and staff from OCS and Directorate of Development and Work Services and Project Consultants. — Abdul Azim Kassim

The Brunei Times