Singapore President Tharman Shanmugaratnam visited Brunei last week — his first overseas state visit since being elected.
Besides meeting dignitaries in the three-day affair, he took the chance to meet many Singaporeans there, including officer cadets from the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF).
Source: The Singapore Army on Facebook
The soldiers were undergoing jungle survival training.
Mr Tharman’s visit to SAF officer cadets was shared in a news release by the Ministry of Defence (MINDEF) on Thursday (25 Jan).
On that day, he journeyed to Temburong District — the country’s easternmost district, separated from the rest of the country by Malaysia.
He was accompanied by his wife, Mrs Jane Ittogi Shanmugaratnam, as well as several other Singapore politicians including Minister for National Development Desmond Lee and Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office Maliki Osman.
Source: The Singapore Army on Facebook
The SAF officer cadets were undergoing jungle confidence and survival training in Temburong, MINDEF said.
This is in preparation for their Jungle Confidence Course (JCC), the Singapore Army said in a Facebook post.
As part of their training, they did tasks such as building fires and shelters, all of which were demonstrated to the President during his visit.
Source: The Singapore Army on Facebook
Speaking to the soldiers, Mr Tharman praised them for showing professionalism and toughness amid the demanding jungle environment.
As the terrain is different from Singapore’s, such training is “invaluable” for them as it helps them grow into capable and resilient leaders, he said.
Source: MINDEF
Such training is made possible thanks to the strong bilateral relationship between Singapore and Brunei, he added.
Besides the SAF training in Brunei, both countries’ militaries conduct frequent bilateral exercises and other exchanges.
During Mr Tharman’s Brunei visit, which was from 24 to 26 Jan, he also met Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah during a welcome ceremony on 25 Jan, according to a statement from Singapore’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA).
Source: Ministry of Communications and Information via Tharman Shanmugaratnam on Facebook
The two leaders affirmed the long-standing special relationship between their countries — both are commemorating 40 years of diplomatic ties this year.
The pair also planted rubber trees by the Brunei River, said Mr Tharman on Facebook.
Source: Maliki Osman on Facebook
That evening, Mr Tharman and the First Lady were hosted to a State Banquet by the Sultan and his wife.
The SAF cadets were not the only Singaporeans Mr Tharman met during his trip.
At a reception on 24 Jan, he met about 400 Singaporeans living in Brunei.
Source: Ministry of Communications and Information via Mariam Jaafar on Facebook
The President returned to Singapore on 26 Jan, but not without having breakfast with the Sultan and visiting an Islamic Calligraphy and Arts Studies Centre in the afternoon, MFA said.
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Featured images adapted from The Singapore Army on Facebook and MINDEF.
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