Brunei 2nd UNIFIL team off to join MALCON West 2 in Lebanon

Seven officers from the Royal Brunei Armed Forces (RBAF) left Brunei Darussalam yesterday for a peacekeeping mission in Lebanon. They were embedded with their Malaysian counterparts and serve the United Nations mandated peacekeeping force - United Nations Interim Forces in Lebanon (UNIFIL). This is the second deployment for the RBAF personnel under the command of MALCON (Malaysian Contingent) WEST 2 contingent, which was formed on March 17, 2009 at Kem Batu 10, Kuantan.

Yesterday afternoon, the seven soldiers were given an official send-off ceremony held at Hangar B of the Royal Brunei Air Force Base in Rimba. In the presence of senior officers from the Ministry of Defence, RBAF officers and family members of the seven troops, Deputy Minister of Defence, Pehin Datu Singamanteri Colonel (Rtd) Dato Seri Paduka Haji Mohammad Yasmin bin Haji Umar handed over the national flag to the Brunei contingent.

Also present were Commander of RBAF, Pehin Datu Lailaraja Major General Dato Paduka Seri Haji Awang Halbi bin Haji Md Yussof, and Malaysian High Commissioner to Brunei Darussalam, Dato' Ku Jaafar bin Ku Shaari.

MALCON WEST 2, which will be stationed on the west of the Lebanon-Israel border at At Tiri for nine months, will replace MALCON WEST 1 that will complete its service on July 30, 2009. The incoming personnel had undergone three months of intensive preparation called Force Integration Training (FIT) at Kem Sungala, Port Dickson from April 30 to July 8. Their deployment with the main group comprising 150 personnel from Malaysia to Lebanon is scheduled on July 29.