Pehin Dato Haji Sulaiman Bin Haji Awang Damit

Yang Dimuliakan Pehin Datu Indera Setia Major General (Rtd.) Dato Paduka Seri Haji Awang Sulaiman Bin Haji Awang Damit
Official Portrait of the 2nd Commander of the Armed Forces
2nd Commander of the Royal Brunei Armed Forces
In office 10 August 1990 – 29 September 1994
Monarch	Hassanal Bolkiah
Preceded by	Pehin Dato Haji Mohammad Bin Haji Daud
Succeeded by	Pehin Dato Haji Hussin Bin Ahmad
Personal details
Born	(1941-03-28)28 March 1941 Tutong, Brunei
Died	8 July 2016(2016-07-08) (aged 75) Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei Darussalam
Resting place	Sugan Muslim Cemetery, Tutong
Spouse(s)	Datin Hajah Noraini binti Haji Mohd Ja’afar
Children	3 sons 2 daughters
Profession	Soldier
Religion	Sunni Islam

Yang Dimuliakan Pehin Datu Indera Setia Major General (Rtd.) Dato Paduka Seri Haji Awang Sulaiman Bin Haji Awang Damit (28 March 1941 – 8 July 2016) was a Bruneian soldier who served as the Commander of the Royal Brunei Armed Forces (RBAF) from 1990 until 1994.

Biography

Pehin Dato Haji Sulaiman was born on 28 March 1941, at Kampong Keriam, in Tutong District. He receive his formal education at the Malay School in Seria from 1948 until 1952. He then pursued his studies at the Anthony Abell College, Seria, from 1953 until 1960. In 1961, he began his military training at the Federation of Malaya Military College in Sungai Besi until 1962. He also went to Overseas Joint Warfare, Old Sarum England and Royal College of Defence Studies, London.^[1]

Military services

• Platoon Commander (1963)
• Int Officer (1965)
• Adjutant (2 March 1967 - 3 November 1967)
• R Coy Commanding Officer (11 November 1967 - 21 December 1969)
• B Coy Commanding Officer (22 December 1969 - 15 October 1972)
• HQ Coy Commanding Officer (16 October 1972 - 4 March 1974)
• SO (Land) (1 January 1979 - 17 March 1980)
• Force Personal Officer (18 March 1980 - 12 July 1984)
• Deputy Commander (13 July 1984 - 30 October 1986)
• Officer with Special Studies (15 Januari 1990)
• RBAF Task Force Commander (10 August 1990)

Commander of the Armed Forces

Pehin Dato Haji Sulaiman was appointed as the second commander of the Royal Brunei Armed Forces on 10 August 1990. He held the post until 29 September 1994.^[2]

During his tenure as Commander, he oversaw further expansion of RBAF's bilateral defence ties with friendly countries. RBAF also earned its first Blue Beret in November 1992, for the participation of its officers in the United Nations Transitional Authority in Cambodia.^[3]

Diplomatic services

Upon his retirement in 1994, Pehin Dato Haji Sulaiman was appointed as Ambassador of Brunei Darussalam to Cairo, Republic of Egypt. He held the post from 7 September 1995 to 3 June 1998.^[4]

Death

Pehin Dato Haji Sulaiman died on Friday, 8 July 2016, at the age of 75. He was laid to rest at Sugan Muslim Cemetery in Tutong. He was survived by his wife, three sons, two daughters and four grandchildren.

Honours

Pehin Dato Haji Sulaiman was awarded the title of Pehin Datu Indera Setia by 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 on 3 October 1974.

Examples of local and foreign honours^[5] awarded to him;

• The first class of Darjah Keberanian Laila Terbilang Yang Amat Gemilang (DPKT).
• Darjah Panglima Setia Mahkota Malaysia (Tan Seri) – 1995.
• Darjah Panglima Gagah Angkatan Tentera Malaysia (Malaysia) – 1994.
• Knight Grand Cross of The Most Exalted Order of The White Elephant (Thailand) – 1991.
• Knight Grand Cross of The Most Noble Order of The Crown of Thailand – 1987.
• Bintang Yudha Dharma Utama (Indonesia) – 1993.
• Darjah Utama Bakti Cemerlang Singapura (Tentera) – 1994.
• Legion of Honour (Degree Commander) – Philippines – 1991.
• Order of National Security Merit Tong-ill (Korea) – 1992.

References