By James Kon
Congratulatory messages from leaders around the world have been pouring in for His Majesty the Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam on the occasion of His Majesty's 61st birthday, since late yesterday evening.
Heading the long list of congratulatory messages from the region are His Majesty Yang Di-Pertuan Agong of Malaysia Al-Wathiqu Billah Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin Ibni Al-Marhum Sultan Mahmud Al-Muktafi Billah Shah, the 13th Agong of Malaysia, Dr H Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, President of Republic of Indonesia, Mr S R Nathan, President of Republic of Singapore, Datin Laila Utama Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, President of Republic of the Philippines, Mr Choummaly Sayasone, President of People's Democratic Republic of Lao, and Senior General Than Shwe, the Chairman of State Peace and Development Council of Myanmar.
Other leaders around the world who delivered their congratulatory messages to His Majesty include General Perves Musharraf, President of Islamic Republic of Pakistan, Dr A P J Abdul Kalam, President of India, and Prof Dr Iajuddin Ahmed, the President of the People's Republic of Bangladesh.
Other leaders include Mr Lee Hsien Loong, the Prime Minister of Republic of Singapore, Mr Bouasone Bouphavanh, Prime Minister of People's Democratic Republic of Lao, Mr Shaukat Aziz, Prime Minister of Islamic Republic of Pakistan, and Dr Fakhruddin Ahmed, Chief Advisor to the Caretaker Government of the People's Republic of Bangladesh.
Meanwhile, foreign ambassadors to Brunei Darussalam also sent congratulatory messages on behalf of their home countries to His Majesty the Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam on the occasion of His Majesty's 61st Birthday.
Mr Itsuo Hashimoto, the Japanese Ambassador in his congratulatory message said, "On behalf of the Government of Japan and the Japanese Citizens residing in Brunei, I would like to extend my sincere congratulations to His Majesty the Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam on His Majesty's 61st Birthday.
"His Majesty's visit to Japan last month was a landmark for the friendly and cooperative relations between Japan and Brunei. This successful visit by His Majesty was a symbolic one in terms of the enduring friendship between our two countries," said Mr Hashimoto.
In another congratulatory message Mohamad J A Hashim, the newly-appointed Ambassador of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in his congratulatory message said "On behalf of the Custodian of the two Holy Mosques, King of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, King Abdullah Al-Saud and His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, Sultan bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud, all the royal family members, government and People of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, I am very honoured to express my sincere and warmest congratulations to His Majesty the Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam on the auspicious occasion of His Majesty's 61st birthday.
"We also rejoice in the favourable development of the bilateral relations between Brunei Darussalam and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia over the recent years in developing the promotion of mutual understanding, mutual respect, and beneficial pragmatic co-operations in various fields."
- Borneo Bulletin
(15th July 2007)
