Brunei's First Army Recruits

The first batch of 60 Brunei recruits, who form the nucleus of the new Brunei Regiment, is seen here on arrival in Kuala Lumpur in this May 31, 1961 file photo
Brunei's first recruits for new army get big welcome

KUALA LUMPUR, June 10, 1961 - The 60 Brunei Malay recruits who form the nucleus of the proposed Brunei Regiment arrived here last week for training in Port Dickson.

The recruits are mostly students who had just left school.

The recruits told the Bulletin they considered themselves fortunate and honoured because they would be the first soldiers of Brunei's own army.

The 60 men were chosen out of the 102 who applied to join the Brunei Regiment.

A Malayan team led by Major Mohamed Shariff bin Ahmad, recruiting officer of the Federation of Malaya Regiment, had gone to Brunei to pick the men.

Major (Dr) G A Lopez, who examined the recruits in Brunei, told the Bulletin: "They are all physically fit. They are the best of those who applied."

The recruits will be trained in Port Dickson for six months after which they will be attached to various Malayan units for some time.

- Courtesy of Borneo Bulletin -

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