Sulaiman Damit

In this Malay name, there is no surname or family name. The name Damit is a patronymic, and the person should be referred to by their given name, Sulaiman. The word "bin" or "binti"/"binte" means 'son of' or 'daughter of', respectively.

Yang Dimuliakan Pehin Datu Indera Setia Major General (Retired) Dato Paduka Seri Sulaiman Damit PSPNB SPMB PSM KCE GCCT
سليمان داميت
Sulaiman in 1973
2nd Commander of the Royal Brunei Armed Forces
In office 10 August 1990 – 29 September 1994
Monarch	Hassanal Bolkiah
Preceded by	Mohammad Daud
Succeeded by	Husin Ahmad
Diplomatic positions Brunei Ambassador to Egypt In office 7 September 1995 – 3 June 1998 Preceded by Mohammad Daud
Personal details
Born	(1941-03-28)28 March 1941 Keriam, Tutong, Brunei
Died	8 July 2016(2016-07-08) (aged 75) Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei-Muara, Brunei
Resting place	Bukit Sugan Muslim Cemetery, Tutong, Brunei
Spouse	Noraini Mohd Ja'afar
Children	5
Alma mater	Anthony Abell College Royal Military College Royal College of Defence Studies
Profession	Military officer diplomat
Military service
Allegiance	Brunei
Branch/service	Royal Brunei Land Force
Years of service	1962–1994
Rank	Major General
Commands	Royal Brunei Armed Forces

Sulaiman bin Damit (28 March 1941 – 8 July 2016) was a Bruneian nobleman, diplomat and military officer who served as the commander of the Royal Brunei Armed Forces (RBAF) from 1990 until 1994. He and Ariffin Abdul Wahab were the first local servicemen to be promoted to the rank of lieutenant colonel in 1976.

Early life and education

Sulaiman was born on 28 March 1941, at Kampong Keriam, in Tutong District. He received his formal education at the Malay School in Seria from 1948 until 1952. He then pursued his studies at the Anthony Abell College, Seria, from 1953 until 1960.

Military career

Early in December 1960, the local newspaper and radio station released an announcement that there was a spot available for officer cadets to train at the Federation Military College in the Federation of Malaya for two years. This was the beginning of the "three musketeers" voyage. Midway through December, 17 young men showed up for the Tasek Lama selection procedure, where they were interrogated by a panel of four officers from the Royal Federation of Malaya Armed Forces in the gymnasium of Sultan Omar 'Ali Saifuddien College (SOAS). Three people were chosen out of the seven who were shortlisted; they were Sulaiman, Mohammad bin Daud, and Awangku Ibnu. On 24 December 1960, they took their oaths before the magistrate and left Brunei the next day through Singapore.

Sulaiman (left) as the three musketeers in the 1960s

They had basic military training during their first year as junior cadets, including parade drills, weapon handling, tactics, leadership, and the military code of justice. Additionally, they received academic instruction to get them ready for GCE 'A' Levels or the Higher School Certificate. The second year of their senior cadet training was more challenging. As part of the Royal Federation of Malaya Armed Forces, the cadets were temporarily posted to a battalion at Chepa Base in Kelantan and Mentakab Base in Pahang by 4 November 1961. This allowed them to serve and gain further experience. On 8 December 1962, Sulaiman, Mohammad, and Awangku Ibnu were appointed as second lieutenants by Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddien III. The Yang Di-Pertuan Agong of Malaya officiated the event. The three cadet officers each received the promotion after successfully completing their training, with a sovereign's parade. For the three cadets, it was a crucial day, and for the BMR, it was a historic turning point. The first three local officers were given significant roles and positions over time, taking on some of the duties that had previously been performed by British Loan Service employees. In 1961, he began his military training at the Federation of Malaya Military College in Sungai Besi until 1962. He also went to Overseas Joint Warfare, Old Sarum and Royal College of Defence Studies, London.

Captains Sulaiman, Awangku Ibnu, and Mohammad, three local military officers, left in 1967 to attend a three-month advanced course on small arms and tactics at the British Army School of Infantry at Warminster. They were then expected to attach to an infantry brigade in England before splitting up and spending a month each with three different British battalions in Germany. Together with a loan service officer, Captain H. N. Houghton, the three senior local military officers were promoted to the next rank of Major on 1 July 1969.

On 27 January 1976, him alongside Ariffin Abdul Wahab were promoted by Brigadier Norman Roberts to the rank of lieutenant colonel. Colonel Sulaiman, who was elevated to the rank of brigadier general in 1986, assumed the role of Commander Task Force. He was appointed as the second commander of the RBAF from 10 August 1990 to 29 September 1994. During his tenure as commander, he oversaw further expansion of RBAF's bilateral defence ties with friendly countries. The RBAF maintained a total strength of 4,200 men in 1991 (not including reserve personnel). 1991 marked a "coming of age" for the RBAF with a major organisational structure revamp. The Royal Brunei Air Force (RBAirF), Royal Brunei Navy (RBN), Royal Brunei Land Force (RBLF), RBAF Support Services (RBAF SS), and Training Institute Royal Brunei Armed Forces (TI RBAF) were the five divisions that made up the RBAF as of 1 October. RBAF also earned its first blue beret in November 1992, for the participation of its officers in the United Nations Transitional Authority in Cambodia.

Later life and death

Upon his retirement in 1994, Sulaiman was appointed as ambassador of Brunei to Cairo, Arab Republic of Egypt. He held the post from 7 September 1995 to 3 June 1998. Dato Sulaiman died on Friday, 8 July 2016, at the age of 75. He was laid to rest at Bukit Sugan Muslim Cemetery in Tutong. He was survived by his wife, three sons, two daughters and five grandchildren.

Honours

Sulaiman was awarded the manteri title of Yang Dimuliakan (The Exalted One) Pehin Datu Indera Setia by Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah on 3 October 1974. Examples of local and foreign honours awarded to him;

National

• Order of Paduka Keberanian Laila Terbilang First Class (DPKT) – Dato Paduka Seri
• Order of Seri Paduka Mahkota Brunei First Class (SPMB) – Dato Seri Paduka
• Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah Medal (PHBS; 1968)
• Sultan of Brunei Silver Jubilee Medal (5 October 1992)
• Royal Brunei Armed Forces Silver Jubilee Medal (31 May 1986)
• General Service Medal
• Long Service Medal and Good Conduct (PKLPB)
• Proclamation of Independence Medal (1997)

Foreign

• Malaysia:
  • Commander of the Order of Loyalty to the Crown of Malaysia (PSM; 1995) – Tan Sri
  • Courageous Commander of the Order of Military Service (PGAT; 1994)
• Thailand:
  • Knight Grand Cross of the Order of The White Elephant (PCh (KCE); 1991)
  • Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Crown of Thailand (PM (GCCT); 1987)
• Indonesia:
  • Bintang Yudha Dharma Utama 1st Class (1993)
• Singapore:
  • Darjah Utama Bakti Cemerlang (Tentera) (DUBC; 1994)
• Philippines:
  • Commander of the Philippine Legion of Honor (1991)
• South Korea:
  • Order of National Security Merit Tong-il (1992)