FLEET COMMANDER
Captain Sahibul Bahari bin Haji Zainal Abidin, PSC (J), PWO, SMB, PNB, embarked on his military journey on 06 November 1996, joining the Royal Brunei Armed Forces (RBAF). He was commissioned from the Royal Britannia Naval College, Dartmouth, United Kingdom, on 12 May 1998. after successfully completing his Naval Officer Cadet Course. During his early career, Captain Sahibul served as an Officer Under Training onboard KDB SETERIA. Upon completing his officer under training period, he attended the International Sub-Lieutenant Course at HMS DRAKE, United Kingdom.
Throughout his career in the Royal Brunei Navy, Captain Sahibul Bahari has held several command and staff appoinments including as Executive Officer for KDB PEMBURU, KDB SETERIA, KDB PEJUANG (2000 - 2006), KDB DARULAMAN and KDB DARUSSALAM (2011 - 2014) also as the Commanding Officer for KDB PEMBURU, KDB PERWIRA (2006 - 2009) as well as for KDB DARUTTAQWA (2016 - 2017), Captain Sahibul Bahari was appointed as Staff Officer Grade 2 Inspectorate, RBN (2009 - 2011) and became the Head of Royal Brunei Navy Inspectorate Cell (2014 - 2016). In 2017 , Captain Sahibul Bahari was appointed as Fleet Chief of Staff, and later in 2018, he was promoted as the Royal Brunei Navy Chief of Staff. He further honed his leadership abilities by attending career-specific courses such as the Command Staff Course at the Defense Academy of the Royal Brunei Armed Forces and the Executive Development Program in Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Institute of Defense and Strategic Studies, and Masters in National Security Administration from National Defense College of Philippines.
He is a qualified Specialist Communication Officer, Mine Hunting Officer, and Principal Warfare Officer, showcasing his broad expertise and skills in various naval domains. He has actively participated in various operations, including serving as the Command Team for Command Task Group Counter Piracy 151 (CTG151) in Somalia and being involved in HADR (Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief) operations in Tacloban during the Haiyan Typhoon in 2013.
Captain Sahibul Bahari was awarded several honours inclusive of the RBAF Golden Jubilee Medal in 2011,Long Service Medal in 2014 (PKL), His Majesty's Golden Jubilee Medal in 2016, RBAF Diamond Jubilee Medal in 2021, Darjah Setia Negara Brunei Yang Amat Bahagia Darjah keempat (P.S.B) in 2022 and Darjah Seri Paduka Mahkota Brunei Yang Amat Mulia Darjah Ketiga (S.M.B) in 2023.
Captain Sahibul Bahari is happily married to Haniwati binti Hj Bakar and is blessed with two daughters and two sons.
