105 / 148
Stepping up vigilance on the borders
Security
Hakim Hayat
As the country ramped up its fight against the
COVID-19 pandemic that gripped the country
in early March this year, the government,
with the public’s safety in mind, ensured that
its entire machinery worked in coordination
to contain the disease in the community and
stepped-up vigilance in making sure that no
instance of breaches at its borders as travel
restrictions were imposed.
This is in line with His Majesty Sultan Haji
Hassanal Bolkiah Mu’izzaddin Waddaulah ibni
Al-Marhum Sultan Haji Omar ‘Ali Saifuddien
Sa’adul Khairi Waddien, Sultan and Yang
Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam’s titah at
the 58
th
Royal Brunei Armed Forces (RBAF)
anniversary celebration last year, where His
Majesty stressed that amid a peaceful and
harmonious environment, we must not be
complacent and remain vigilant with rapidly
evolving dynamic global and cross-border
threats.
During the course of the peak of the
pandemic in March, Royal Brunei Police Force
(RBPF) and RBAF personnel, along with health
frontliners and other enforcement agencies
united and relayed assistance and support, in
line with the whole of government approach.
Over 500 RBAF personnel were involved in
the frontline of the COVID-19 fight since the
activation of the COVID-19 Operation Room
on March 12. The RBAF COVID-19 Task Force
Support was activated on March 18 to provide
logistical and administration support to the
Ministry of Health (MoH). The task force is
responsible for providing transport services
and the coordination of human resources
and administration.
In support of the MoH’s precautionary
measures to prevent the importation of cases
into Brunei, RBAF deployed its personnel to
scan body temperatures at the Sungai Tujoh
Immigration and Customs Control Post since
late February 15.
As the COVID-19 situation gets under
control, the task force focusses on
transportation operations.
The Mobile Admin Support Team
(MAST) also helped coordinate the entry
of passengers into Brunei via land, sea and
air and logistical support to designated
self-isolation centres. The MAST was also
deployed to assist Immigration and Customs
Control Posts at Sungai Tujoh and Labu. Since
March 20, 12 tasks have been successfully
carried out.
As mosques, suraus and religious halls
across the country re-opened for Friday
Roadblocks have also been conducted to ensure that the road users adhere to traffic and road regulations,
and surveillance made in ensuring that the public adhere to the ban on mass gathering.
prayers after 10 weeks of closure, the RBAF
in collaboration with the RBPF and mosque,
surau and religious hall
Takmir
committees
also deployed its personnel to ensure the
smooth flow of congregants and welfare.
Apart from land surveillance by the
Royal Brunei Land Force (RBLF), maritime
and air surveillance by the Royal Brunei Air
Force (RBAirF) and Royal Brunei Navy (RBN),
especially in Brunei waters also stepped up
to ensure no foreign boats or ships enter.
Those found entering Brunei’s waters are
given stern warning and escorted out.
The RBPF has also stepped up vigilance
in ensuring the public adhere to orders
under the Infectious Diseases Act (Chapter
204) by conducting regular operations to
detect offenders. Roadblock have also been
stepped up in ensuring that the road users
adhere to traffic and road regulations, and
surveillance made in ensuring that the public
adhere to the ban on mass gathering.
Page 15
Borneo Bulletin, Wednesday July 15, 2020
Royal Birthday special