HER Majesty Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands and her entourage visited the Brunei Museum yesterday, and toured the ‘Borneo Culture in Brunei and Dutch Collections’ exhibition, which is currently on display in the museum.

His Royal Highness Prince Haji Al-Muhtadee Billah, the Crown Prince and Senior Minister at the Prime Minister’s Office, and Her Royal Highness Paduka Seri Pengiran Anak Isteri Pengiran Anak Sarah accompanied the Queen of the Netherlands during the visit.

Her Majesty Queen Beatrix, HRH the Crown Prince and Her Royal Highness Paduka Seri Pengiran Anak Isteri Pengiran Anak Sarah also witnessed a signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Department of Museums, Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports and Tropenmuseum, The Royal Tropical Institute (KIT), Amsterdam, the Netherlands.

Among Queen Beatrix’s entourage on the visit to the Brunei Museum included HRH Prince Willem-Alexander, the Prince of Orange, the Crown Prince and HRH Princess Maxima.

Also present during the royal visit were the Minister of Energy at the Prime Minister’s Office, Pehin Datu Singamanteri Col (Rtd) Dato Seri Setia (Dr) Awg Hj Mohd Yasmin bin Hj Umar; Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports, Pehin Orang Kaya Pekerma Laila Diraja Dato Seri Setia Awg Hj Hazair bin Hj Abdullah, and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade II, Pehin Orang Kaya Pekerma Dewa Dato Seri Setia Lim Jock Seng.

On the signing of MoU, signing on behalf of the Government of His Majesty the Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam was the Director of Department of Museums, Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports, Awg Bantong Antaran, and on behalf of the Government of the Netherlands was the Director of Tropenmuseum, the Royal Tropical Institute (KIT), Amsterdam, the Netherlands.

Among the objectives of the MoU was to enhance cooperation between the two museums in areas beneficial to both institutions.

An exhibition titled ‘Borneo Culture in Brunei and Dutch Collections’ is now open to the public following the state visit of Her Majesty Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands to the Brunei Museum. The exhibition is the product of the collaborative efforts between the Brunei Museums Department and Tropenmuseum, Royal Tropical Institute (KIT), the Netherlands.

Amongst the items that are on display are some rare books, old maps and objects that links Brunei Darussalam and the Netherlands, especially on the local Borneo culture around the years 1870-1940.

It will be on display for two weeks, open daily (except during the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) birthday celebration). Opening hours are: 9am – 5pm from Sunday to Thursday, 9am to 11.30am and 2.30pm to 5pm for Friday and 9.45am to 5pm for Saturday. - Borneo Bulletin (22 January 2013)