BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN, 31 OCTOBER 2026 – The Civil Service Forum 2026 was held at the Musyawarah Hall, International Convention Centre (ICC), Berakas, in conjunction with the 33rd Civil Service Day 2026. Themed “Civil Service Transformation, Upholding His Majesty’s Aspirations”, the forum highlights the role of the Civil Service in supporting His Majesty’s vision and leadership by strengthening governance, improving service delivery and driving transformation to build a more progressive, agile and responsive Civil Service that meets Brunei Darussalam’s evolving needs and future challenges.
The forum also supports this year’s Civil Service Day theme of “Upholding Leadership and Royal Sovereignty: Driving a Transformative Civil Service” which reflects the leadership, vision and guidance of His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu’izzaddin Waddaulah, Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam. The forum emphasised a transformation rooted in the national philosophy of Melayu Islam Beraja (MIB) and the strategic goals of Brunei Vision 2035. The forum served as a platform for high-level dialogue, focusing on the crucial roles of strategic leadership, good governance, innovation, and capability development in forging an agile, future-ready civil service.
Yang Berhormat Dato Seri Setia Awang Haji Nazmi bin Haji Mohamad, Minister at the Prime Minister’s Office (Civil Service Governance), graced the event as the Guest of Honour. The forum commenced with welcoming remarks delivered by Yang Mulia Awang Ajman bin Haji Meludin, Permanent Secretary (Civil Service Governance) at the Prime Minister’s Office, followed by a keynote address presented by Mr. Looi Teck Kheong, President of the Singapore Chapter and Global AI Ambassador Singapore, Republic of Singapore, entitled “Beyond Automation: AI as the Catalyst for a Trusted and Transformed Public Service”.
The forum continued with a panel discussion moderated by Dr. Hazri bin Haji Kifle, Vice-Chancellor of Universiti Brunei Darussalam, featuring Yang Dimuliakan Pehin Orang Kaya Seri Kerna Dato Seri Setia (Dr.) Haji Awang Abu Bakar bin Haji Apong, Mr. Looi Teck Kheong, and Professor Emeritus Dato’ Seri Dr. Ir. Zaini bin Ujang of Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Malaysia.
The discussion highlighted approaches, best practices and strategies to strengthen governance and leadership, advancing digitalisation and innovation, as well as fostering a high-performance organisational culture. The forum also emphasised the importance of continuous learning, competency development and cross-agency collaboration in improving government service delivery.
The event drew a wide audience of stakeholders, including senior government officials and representatives from non-governmental organisations (NGOs), government-linked companies (GLCs), and higher education institutions.
The hosting of this Civil Service Forum underscores Brunei Darussalam’s unwavering commitment to fostering a resilient, innovative, and transformative civil service that will successfully drive the nation toward Brunei Vision 2035.
