President Tarman Shanmugaratnam was in Temburong, Brunei this afternoon to visit Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) cadets undergoing training. He was joined by Jane Ittoogi Shanmugaratnam, Minister of National Development Desmond Lee, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office, Second Minister of Foreign Affairs and Second Minister of Education Dr. Maliki Osman, and Minister of State for Education and Human Resources Gan Sioh Phan. He was accompanied by government officials and others. Parliamentarians Maryam Jaafar and Zulkarnain Abdul Rahim, Major General (MG) Chief David Neo and other senior SAF officers.
During his interaction with the troops, President Thurman praised the cadets’ professionalism and toughness displayed in the harsh jungle environment.
President Thurman told the cadets that training in a terrain different from Singapore’s is invaluable in helping cadets develop into competent and resilient leaders, and that this is a strong link between Singapore and Brunei. This is possible only through bilateral relations, he said.
Singapore and Brunei share a long-standing and close defense relationship. In addition to training SAF troops in Brunei, the SAF and Brunei Armed Forces also interact through frequent bilateral exercises, professional exchanges, visits, and mutual participation in courses. These interactions increased professionalism and strengthened ties between the two militaries.
