Bandar Seri Begawan - Malaysians residing in Brunei Darussalam were urged to uphold firmly the principle of loyalty toward the monarch and the nation as outlined in `Rukun Negara` or National Principles.
This was stated by the Malaysian High Commissioner in Brunei Darussalam Dato`Ku Jaafar Ku Shaari in his welcoming speech during a reception yesterday held in conjunction with Yang Di-Pertuan Agong`s birthday celebration
"I would like to remind Malaysian on the importance of the monachy institution in the administrative system of the country. As a Malaysian, we must possess the vital principle of loyalty to the monarch and the country as outlined in `Rukun Negara`," he said.
"By firmly upholding the principle, then our country will continue to enjoy peace and unity.
"We must always be aware of outsiders who will be taking the opportunity to remove the solidarity of the nation. We must not neglect our current situation and we must continue to foster the spirit of unity among us to be even stronger," he said.
The Malaysian high commissioner also reminded the Malaysian community in the Sultanate to keep up the good image of Malaysia by following the law and regulations, as well as the culture of Brunei.
During the reception, children from the Malaysian community sung a number of patriotic songs. This was followed by a recital of the Rukun Negara oath.
Dato`Ku Jaafar Ku Shaari then presented prizes for the Agong`s Trophy badminton tournament.
In the men`s category, winning the Agong`s Trophy was Persatuan Warganegara Malaysia. Second place went to the team from Persatuan Kebajikan Melayu Sa-Malaysia and third place to Suruhanjaya Tinggi Malaysia team.
Meanwhile, in the female category, Persatuan Warganegara Malaysia emerged as champion, Suruhanjaya Tinggi Malaysia team in second place and Persatuan Kebajikan Melayu Sa-Malaysia`s team in third.
The highlight of the reception was the signing of the Agong`s birthday card by invited guests.
Putting down the first birthday wish were Dato`Ku Jaafar Ku Shaari and his spouse, Datin Zakiah Dato Hj Alias. ( By James Kon & Yusrin Junaidi)
Source: www.brunei-online.com (June 8, 2008)
