His Majesty first consented to present Letters of Credence to Dato Paduka Haji Alaihuddin bin Pehin Orang Kaya Digadong Seri Lela Dato Seri Utama Haji Awang Mohd Taha, Brunei Darussalam’s High Commissioner to Malaysia; Colonel (Rtd) Pengiran Haji Kamal Bashah bin Pengiran Haji Ahmad, Brunei Darussalam’s High Commissioner to Canada; Colonel (Rtd) Nooradin bin Haji Ya’akob, Brunei Darussalam’s Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Jordan; and Haji Mahadi bin Haji Maidin, Brunei Darussalam’s non-resident Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan.

His Majesty then consented to receive Letters of Credence from the newly-appointed foreign envoys to Brunei Darussalam, Amphay Kindavong, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Lao People’s Democratic Republic; Noriki Iki, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Japan; Loan Forgeron, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of France.

Following the ceremony, His Majesty consented to receive in separate audiences the newly-appointed envoys of Brunei Darussalam.

Dato Paduka Haji Alaihuddin bin Pehin Orang Kaya Digadong Seri Lela Dato Seri Utama Haji Awang Mohd Taha, Brunei Darussalam’s High Commissioner to Malaysia, 56, previously served as the Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Communications, Brunei Darussalam.

Colonel (Rtd) Pengiran Haji Kamal Bashah bin Pengiran Haji Ahmad, Brunei Darussalam’s High Commissioner to Canada, 51, previously served as Chief Executive Officer at Royal Brunei Technical Services, Brunei Darussalam. He has also served in the Royal Brunei Armed Forces for 31 years.

Colonel (Rtd) Nooradin bin Haji Ya’akob, Brunei Darussalam’s Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Jordan, 51, previously served as the Director of the National Maritime Coordination Centre, Prime Minister’s Office, Brunei Darussalam and has also served in the Royal Brunei Armed Forces for 32 years.

Haji Mahadi bin Haji Maidin, Brunei Darussalam’s non-resident Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan, 53, previously served as a Director in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Brunei Darussalam.

His Majesty later granted separate audiences to the newly-appointed Ambassadors Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Brunei Darussalam.

Amphay Kindavong, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Lao People’s Democratic Republic to Brunei Darussalam, 49, previously served as the Deputy Director General, Asia-Pacific and Africa Department, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Lao People’s Democratic Republic.

Noriki Iki, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Japan to Brunei Darussalam, 58, previously served as the Director-General at the Tokyo Labour Bureau, Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, Japan.

Loan Forgeron, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of France to Brunei Darussalam, 62, previously served in the Audit Department, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Republic of France.

The ceremony took place at Istana Nurul Iman. - Borneo Bulletin (14 September 2014)