SINGAPORE, 17 - 20 September 2019 - The 8th ASEAN Navies Young Officers’ Interaction (8th ANYOI) was held at Singapore City, Republic of Singapore from 27 – 20 September 2019. It was attended by 27 delegates from all ASEAN countries. Representing the Royal Brunei Navy (RBN) was Lieutenant Muhammad Hakim bin Haji Basman, RBN, Gunnery Officer KDB BERKAT and Lieutenant Junior Grade Mohammad Ikhwan bin Haji Junaidi, RBN, Executive Officer KDB MUSTAED.
The program commenced with a welcoming dinner reception and icebreaking session hosted by Colonel Ng Xun Xi, Head Naval Intelligence of the Republic Singapore Navy (RSN) at Peach Garden, Thompson Plaza for all the ASEAN delegation. In his opening remarks, he stated the importance of developing regional cooperation, by exchanging views and ideas amongst young leaders to further enhance defence diplomacy and maritime security among ASEAN Navies and exchange information, share experiences as well as to learn best practices from each other.
The delegates had the opportunity to visit the Changi Naval Base (CNB) including Information Fusion Centre (IFC), Regional Maritime Security Centre (MARSEC) hosted by the RSN which aims to facilitate maritime information sharing and collaboration between its partners. The activities around CNB also includes a tour around RSN training facilities, Full Mission Ship and Fire Fighting Damage Control simulators and concluded with a visit to their Navy Museum.
Additionally, the delegation also attended a lecture at S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS) with a topic of ‘Importance of The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) to ASEAN Member States’ presented by Robert Beckman, Head of Ocean Law & Policy Programme Centre for International Law from National University of Singapore (NUS). He highlighted how UNCLOS protects the sovereignty and national interests of ASEAN members and in what way the ASEAN members play a critically important role in negotiating the regimes governing archipelagic states and straits used for international navigation.
The delegations also had the opportunity to visit to URA City Gallery, Maritime Experiential Museum, The Port Operations Control Centre and a visit to Littoral Mission Vessel (LMS) RSS FORTITUDE at Tuas Naval Base.
ANYOI was an initiative from the resolution of the 7th ASEAN Chiefs of Defence Forces Informal Meeting in Hanoi in 2010 which has the objectives for the ASEAN Navies’ young generation to meet, share ideas, exchange information, and strengthen friendship and diplomatic ties for future collaboration activities in diverse naval units across ASEAN.
