Swearing-in ceremony for new cabinet ministers before His Majesty the Sultan
Aswearing-in ceremony for Brunei’s new cabinet took place on Thursday in the presence of His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu’izzaddin Waddaulah, Sultan and Yang DiPertuan of Brunei Darussalam held at the Istana Nurul Iman.
The monarch recently announced a cabinet reshuffle which saw the appointment of some new ministers and deputy ministers including naming Brunei’s first female minister.
The sworn-in marked the new cabinet’s national duties and responsibilities for a term of four years from 2022 until 2026.
Also in attendance at the ceremony were His Majesty’s sons, His Royal Highness Prince Haji Al-Muhtadee Billah; the Crown Prince and Senior Minister at the Prime Minister’s Office; His Royal
Highness Prince ‘Abdul Malik; and His Royal Highness Prince ‘Abdul Mateen.
Also present was Her Royal Highness Princess Hajah Masna, Ambassador At-Large at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The ceremony commenced with the letter of appointment read by Yang Amat Mulia Pengiran Penggawa Laila Bentara Istiadat Diraja Dalam Istana, Pengiran Haji Alauddin bin Pengiran Paduka Tuan Pengiran Haji Abu Bakar, the Grand Chamberlain.
First to be sworn-in was His Royal Highness Prince Haji Al-Muhtadee Billah ibni His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu’izzaddin Waddaulah, the Crown Prince, Senior Minister at the Prime Minister’s Office.
Followed by Yang Berhormat Pehin Orang Kaya Laila Setia Bakti Di-Raja Dato Laila Utama Haji Awang Isa bin Pehin Datu Perdana Manteri Dato Laila Utama Haji Awang Ibrahim, Special Advisor to His Majesty and Minister at the Prime Minister’s Office.
The ceremony then continued with the rest of the members of the cabinet;
Yang Berhormat Pehin Udana Khatib Dato Paduka Seri Setia Ustaz Haji Awang Badaruddin bin Pengarah Dato Paduka Haji Awang Othman, Minister of Religious Affairs.
Yang Berhormat Pehin Datu Lailaraja Retired Major General Dato Paduka Seri Haji Awang Halbi bin Haji Mohd Yussof, Minister at the Prime Minister’s Office.
Yang Berhormat Dato Seri Setia Doctor Awang Haji Md Isham bin Haji Jaafar, Minister of Health.
Yang Berhormat Dato Seri Setia Doctor Awang Haji Mohd Amin Liew bin Abdullah, Minister at the Prime Minister’s Office and Second Minister of Finance and Economy.
Yang Berhormat Dato Seri Setia Awang Haji Erywan bin Pehin Datu Pekerma Jaya Haji Mohd Yusof, Second Minister of Foreign Affairs.
Yang Berhormat Dato Seri Paduka Awang Haji Ahmaddin bin Haji Abdul Rahman, Minister of Home Affairs.
Yang Berhormat Dato Seri Paduka Doctor Awang Haji Abdul Manaf bin Haji Metussin, Minister of Primary Resources and Tourism.
Yang Berhormat Dato Paduka Awang Haji Muhammad Juanda bin Haji Abdul Rashid, Minister of Development.
Yang Berhormat Datin Seri Paduka Doctor Dayang Hajah Romaizah binti Haji Mohd. Salleh, Minister of Education.
Yang Berhormat Pengiran Shamhary bin Pengiran
Dato Paduka Haji Mustapha, Minister of Transport and Infocommunications.
Yang Berhormat Awang Haji Nazmi bin Haji Mohamad, Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports.
Moreover, seven deputy ministers were also sworn-in, starting with Dato Seri Paduka Awang Haji Matsatejo bin Sokiaw who was appointed at Deputy Minister, Department of Energy in the Prime Minister’s Office.
Awang Mohammed Riza bin Dato Paduka Haji Mohammed Yunos, Deputy Minister at the Prime
Minister’s Office.
Dato Paduka Awang Haji Sufian bin Haji Sabtu, Deputy Minister at the Prime Minister’s Office.
Retired Brigadier General Dato Seri Pahlawan Awang Haji Abdul Razak bin Haji Abdul Kadir, Deputy Minister of Defence.
Awang Haji Khairuddin bin Haji Abdul Hamid, Deputy Minister of Finance and Economy.
Pengiran Hajah Zety Sufina binti Pengiran Dato Paduka Haji Sani, Deputy Minister of Finance and Economy.
Lastly, Pengiran Dato Seri Setia Haji Mohd. Tashim bin Pengiran Haji Hassan, Deputy Minister of Religious Affairs.
Present to bless the ceremony was Yang Berhormat Pehin Datu Seri Maharaja Dato Paduka Seri Setia Doctor Ustaz Haji Awang Abdul Aziz bin Juned, the State Mufti.
Also in attendance was Yang Berhormat Awang Haji Ahmad bin Pehin Orang Kaya Laila Setia Bakti Di-Raja Dato Laila Utama Haji Awang Isa, the Attorney-General.