Plans to set up army 4th battalion in the pipeline

BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN

Monday, March 15, 2010

WORKS on the military camp in Temburong district in turning the facility into the Fourth Battalion is currently in the pipelines, according to a Legislative Council (LegCo) Member.

According to a report by Radio Televisyen Brunei (RTB) last night, Deputy Minister of Defence (Mindef) YB Pehin Datu Singamanteri Colonel (Rtd) Dato Seri Paduka Hj Mohammad Yasmin Hj Umar said this in response to a question raised by Temburong District representative YB Sulaiman Hj Ahmad, a village chief at Belingos regarding the establishment of a proposed military-based Tietary Education Campus during the sixth session of LegCo on Saturday.

"The planning and evaluation in regard to the establishment of the fourth Battalion will be included in the new Defence White Papers which is expected to be published in 2011," said the deputy minister.

He added that there is a "high possibility" that these future plans for Pengkalan Bangar will also be included in the ministry's mid-term planning between the period of five to 10 years.

Meanwhile, YB Pehin Dato Hj Mohammad Yasmin's response to the construction of the Tietary Education Campus, which according to YB Sulaiman is included in the final plan for Temburong District is "not in Mindef and Royal Brunei Armed Forces (RBAF) plans", RTB said.

The council member said that according to the draft plans, if Pengkalan Bangar were to be moved to Labu, it is only then that ministry can consider to remodel the area into the campus. He assured that these transfer of services will be examined in detail. "However, at the moment, RBAF does not have permanent plans to transfer Bangar," said Pehin Dato Hj Mohammad Yasmin. The Brunei Times