Jerudong: The 13th East Asia Security Outlook (EASO) Seminar, held in Jerudong, focused on the challenges and externalities associated with economic connectivity and development in Borneo. The seminar highlighted the interplay of major regional projects and power interests with issues such as migration, environmental degradation, and transnational threats. It was organized by the Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Institute of Defence and Strategic Studies, Ministry of Defence.
According to Radio Television Brunei, Yang Berhormat Pehin Datu Lailaraja Retired Major General Dato Paduka Seri Awang Haji Halbi bin Haji Mohammad Yussof, Minister at the Prime Minister’s Office and Second Minister of Defence, attended the seminar. The event served as a platform to facilitate dialogue on the strategic landscape of East Asia and its adjacent regions. It aimed to enhance engagement among defence and security officials on regional defence, strategic, and security-related matters.
During the seminar, Professor Ooi Keat Gin from the Academy of Brunei Studies, Universiti Brunei Darussalam, delivered a keynote address. He discussed Borneo’s historical marginalisation and its re-emergence as a crucial nexus in Southeast Asia. The seminar also featured presentations from nine speakers representing leading institutions, contributing to the discourse on regional security and development issues.