HIS Majesty the Sultan and Yang Di- Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam yesterday performed ‘Jenazah’ prayers (photo below) to pay his final respects to the late Pehin Orang Kaya Setia Wangsa Dato Paduka Seri Laila Jasa Haji Awang Ahmad Wally Skinner, who passed away aged 89 in the early hours of yesterday morning.

Accompanying His Majesty was His Royal Highness Prince Haji Al-Muhtadee Billah, the Crown Prince and Senior Minister at the Prime Minister’s Office.

The late Pehin Dato Haji Awang Ahmad Wally Skinner first began his service with His Majesty’s Government as a B-level clerk in 1949 and continued to hold seve-ral posts in the government as an accountant, senior accountant and the Commissioner of the Cooperation Development from 1975 up until his retirement on February 15, 1980.

From 1980 to 1982, he was brought back into service as an accountant at the Brunei Government’s agency in London on a contractual basis. He returned to Brunei in 1983 and was appointed as the Acting State Finance Officer prior to his promotion as Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Finance in 1984.

The late Pehin Dato Haji Awang Ahmad Wally Skinner later served as the Deputy Minister of Finance in 1986 and retired in March 2003.

The late Pehin Dato Haji Awang Ahmad Wally Skinner was conferred the title, Yang Dimuliakan Pehin Orang Kaya Setia Wangsa in May 21, 1996. The late Pehin Dato Ahmad Wally Skinner had also been awarded numerous state decorations and honorary medals such as PSLJ, DPMB, SMB, PJK and PKL.

He is survived by two children and seven grandchildren.

He was laid to rest at Kg Pulaie Muslim Cemetery. - Borneo Bulletin (17 May 2014)