THE establishment of the Royal Brunei Police Force (RBPF) Women Police Squad on August 4, 1974, began with only 30 police personnel. The numbers now have reached 805, consisting of 40 officers and 765 lower ranked personnel.

Her Royal Highness Princess Hajah Masna, Commandant of the Women Police, said this in a sabda during the 40th anniversary of the RBPF’s Women Police Squad held yesterday at the Officers Mess of RBPF Headquarters.

According to HRH Princess Hajah Masna, statistics have shown that the Women Police Squad covers almost 18 per cent of the entire RBPF, which is comparable with other police forces in the region as well as a proud achievement which shows an organised succession plan.

She also highlighted that based on the statistics from the Civil Service Department, 44 per cent of the workforce comprising officers and civil servants are women, which is an outstanding and positive achievement.

HRH Princess Hajah Masna said the growth and changes run in line with the current needs and policy of the Government of His Majesty the Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam in giving priority to the welfare and well-being of women, particularly in strengthening their contribution to economy and career.

“This was reflected in His Majesty’s titah during the 2011 Commonwealth celebration where His Majesty emphasised the important role of women in a country and without their involvement, the rapid changes and challenges of the 21st century and the future will not be achieved successfully.”

The Commandant of the Women Police also emphasised on equal opportunities in offering chances for the involvement of women in police force so as to grow progressively in line with the aspirations of the nation. She added that this can be seen in their placement and handling of main tasks such as in the Special Force, Criminal Investigation Department in investigating criminal cases as well as the Traffic Control Investigation Department where they are responsible in ensuring the safety of road users.

“I was also informed that the women police is equally important in practising community policing in the country especially in enhancing public awareness of current issues and criminal activities. This includes empowering women to come forward in assisting RBPF to prevent and combat crime, particularly in dealing with women, children and family issues.”

HRH Princess Hajah Masna pointed out that the achievements of the women police could not have been realised without the existence of a conducive work culture and suggested that the culture is one of the keys towards success and effective organisation. She also took the opportunity to congratulate the RBPF for practising a work culture that is open and embracing women police as a complementary team.

She also emphasised on prioritising the development of human resources in terms of providing lifelong learning to enhance policing duties so as to ensure that members of the women police will remain relevant and competitive.

“I believe that investment in lifelong learning will help them form into a more innovative, progressive, dynamic and responsive police force. It will enhance the community-based services, where involvement and support of the community are highly sought in contributing to peace and security of the nation, while also strengthening the camaraderie and strong cooperation among police personnel through the sharing and exchanging of experiences, knowledge and ideas. “However, in our enthusiasm in pursuing our career as a wife and mother, it is necessary for us to practise a work-life balance, and it is undoubtedly a challenging task to balance family and work, therefore the wisdom in overcoming these challenges can be recognised as an achievement for women.”

HRH Princess Hajah Masna urged all citizens of RBPF, especially women police, to maintain their dedication, enthusiasm, professionalism and appreciate the main purpose of their existence within the team. She hoped that all contributions and sacrifices of the women police would gain the blessings of Allah the Almighty.

She took the opportunity to congratulate the recipients of the awards and hoped the awards would be a key driver for those still serving in the police and the next generation. - Borneo Bulletin (17 September 2014)