AGP Executive Report

Brunei Cabinet & Diplomacy: Brunei’s Sultan Ibrahim reshuffled his cabinet, appointing HRH Prince Abdul Mateen Bolkiah as the country’s chief of diplomacy and new Foreign Minister, with Erywan Yusof continuing as Second Minister of Foreign Affairs. Brunei Energy & Procurement: Brunei tenders solar for five government buildings, a sign of continued push toward cleaner power in public infrastructure. Brunei Entrepreneurship & Education: A Brunei university relaunches a start-up centre and entrepreneurship village, aiming to boost local business creation and skills. Regional Business & Trade: ASEAN diplomats visited Bangladesh’s BSEZ to explore expanding investment and industrial cooperation, including tours of manufacturing and export-oriented facilities. ASEAN Power & Green Growth: Sarawak is pushing for a unified ASEAN Power Grid framework to speed up cross-border energy integration, positioning the state as a green “battery” via hydropower. Retail Banking Trend (Vietnam): Standard Chartered says Vietnam’s retail banking is shifting from product-led sales to long-term customer value and cross-border advisory. Food & Tourism (Brunei-linked): RBC’s Singapore Food Festival runs in Brunei from June 11 to July 4, featuring 70+ dishes and an Old Chang Kee collaboration. Regional Security & Markets: Australia will decide fuel excise rebate extension early next week, as it weighs the impact of a US-Iran ceasefire deal on oil supply and prices.

Brunei Foreign Affairs Leadership: His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim reshuffled the Cabinet, appointing HRH Prince Abdul Mateen Bolkiah as Brunei’s Foreign Minister, with Erywan Yusof deputising as Second Minister of Foreign Affairs. Regional Business & Trade: ASEAN diplomats visited Bangladesh Special Economic Zone (BSEZ), signalling interest in expanding investment and industrial cooperation across the bloc. Food & Tourism Trade: Royal Brunei Culinary’s Singapore Food Festival 2026 runs June 11–July 4, featuring 70+ dishes and a collaboration with Old Chang Kee, with Singapore’s High Commission and Tourism Board supporting. Local Business Events: Miri will host the World Asia Tapas Competition, Exhibition, Festival & Seminar (June 18–21), aiming to draw about 3,000 participants and strengthen culinary tourism and business networking. Energy & Markets Watch: India stayed Russia’s No. 2 buyer of Russian fossil fuels in May, importing about €5.8bn as refiners increased crude purchases—an ongoing signal for regional energy pricing and supply chains.

Brunei Business & Tourism: Brunei-linked Sarawak is set to host the World Asia Tapas Competition, Exhibition, Festival & Seminar (WATCEFS) 2026 from June 18–21, aiming to draw about 3,000 visitors and featuring 100+ exhibitors plus international tapas contests that could feed winners into Spain’s World Tapas Championship. Retail Banking & Wealth: Standard Chartered’s retail banking chief in Vietnam and Brunei says Vietnam’s banks are shifting from product-led sales to longer-term customer value, as middle/affluent growth and cross-border needs push banks toward advisory and end-to-end support. Energy Trade Watch: India stayed the world’s No.2 buyer of Russian fossil fuels in May, importing about €5.8bn as refiners boosted crude purchases—an update that keeps global energy pricing and sanctions dynamics in focus for regional markets. ASEAN Investment Links: ASEAN diplomats visited Bangladesh’s Special Economic Zone (BSEZ), signalling interest in expanding regional investment and industrial cooperation after touring manufacturing and export-oriented facilities. Brunei Economy & Food: Royal Brunei Culinary’s Singapore Food Festival 2026 runs June 11–July 4 with 70+ dishes and an Old Chang Kee collaboration, supported by Singapore’s tourism bodies and local partners. Cyber & Consumer Risk: A Europe-focused study reports 75% of adults encountered scams in the past year, with major losses and low reporting—another reminder for ASEAN consumers and businesses to tighten fraud defenses.

Brunei-linked business & economy: Brunei’s Royal Culinary (RBC) and the Singapore High Commission-backed Singapore Food Festival 2026 runs June 11–July 4 in Bandar Seri Begawan, featuring 70+ dishes and a collaboration with Old Chang Kee—another cross-border push for tourism and local spending. Energy & trade: Asean diplomats visited Bangladesh Special Economic Zone (BSEZ), including Brunei, to explore expanding investment and industrial cooperation, with tours of manufacturing firms and talks on incentives and connectivity. Regional business ties: Sarawak is floating plans for future trade and tourism offices in China, explicitly comparing models like Singapore’s “Statos” and Brunei’s “Statob,” as it seeks deeper China-linked investment and education partnerships. Finance & risk: Malaysia’s central bank, the World Bank and UNDP BIOFIN launched a nature-risk assessment report, urging financial institutions to better price nature-related risks and opportunities. Sports tourism: Labuan’s Super Novice 4X4 Challenge 2026 (40 competitors) is set to draw participants from Labuan, Sabah, Sarawak and Brunei, adding another event to the region’s tourism calendar.

Brunei Energy & Renewables: Brunei’s Department of Energy has opened a tender for five grid-connected solar installations on rooftops and carports at government buildings in Muara, with design, build, operation and maintenance included; bidders can collect documents until June 9 and apply by June 23. Entrepreneurship & Innovation: Universiti Brunei Darussalam (UBD) relaunched its Start-Up Center and Entrepreneurship Village to help students, alumni and young entrepreneurs turn ideas into viable businesses through support programmes and resources. Regional Trade & Investment: ASEAN diplomats visited Bangladesh Special Economic Zone (BSEZ), signalling interest in expanding investment and industrial cooperation, after touring manufacturing sites and discussing incentives and infrastructure. Air Connectivity for Business: Sarawak highlighted demand for the Guangzhou–Kuching direct Batik Air route, saying stronger connectivity boosts tourism, trade and investment; the service began March 17. ASEAN Economic Dialogue: APEC’s China Studies Scholars Forum in Guangzhou brought together 100+ experts from 16 APEC economies, focusing on shared development challenges and opportunities. Cyber & Consumer Risk: A Europe-focused study reports 75% of adults encountered a scam in the past year, with major losses and low reporting rates—an issue relevant to regional financial resilience.

Brunei Energy & Renewables: Brunei’s Department of Energy has issued a tender for five grid-connected solar installations on rooftops and carports at government buildings in Muara, with design-build-operate-maintain responsibilities and a June 23 application deadline. Entrepreneurship & Innovation: Universiti Brunei Darussalam (UBD) relaunched its Start-Up Center and Entrepreneurship Village to help students, alumni and young entrepreneurs develop, test and scale new ventures. Government Leadership: Brunei’s cabinet reshuffle saw Prince Abdul Mateen appointed Foreign Minister, a notable shift given his new portfolio and the ministry’s long history in trade and diplomacy. Regional Investment Links: ASEAN diplomats visited Bangladesh Special Economic Zone (BSEZ), including tours of manufacturing firms, and discussed expanding industrial cooperation and investment incentives—Brunei among the delegations. Trade & Connectivity: Sarawak’s push for stronger China ties includes a proposal for future trade and tourism offices in China, while Batik Air’s Guangzhou–Kuching direct route is cited as boosting tourism and business exchange. ASEAN Policy: ASEAN adopted a Declaration on the Right to a Safe, Clean, Healthy and Sustainable Environment, with the key next step now being implementation.

APEC Scholars Forum: More than 100 experts from 16 APEC economies, including Brunei, met in Guangzhou to discuss China’s development and a shared Asia-Pacific future ahead of November’s APEC meetings. ASEAN Investment Push: ASEAN diplomats visited Bangladesh’s BSEZ, touring factories and discussing ways to expand regional investment, industrial cooperation and connectivity, with Brunei among the delegation. Brunei Business & Innovation: UBD relaunched its Start-Up Center and Entrepreneurship Village to help students, alumni and young entrepreneurs turn ideas into viable businesses. Brunei Energy & Renewables: Brunei’s Department of Energy issued a tender for five grid-connected solar installations at government buildings in Muara, covering design, build, operation and maintenance, with applications due June 23. Regional Trade & Diplomacy: Australia’s Commonwealth trade ministers met in Melbourne to stress open, rules-based trade and fuel resilience amid Middle East-driven supply risks. Sports Tourism (Labuan): Labuan’s Super Novice 4X4 Challenge kicks off with 40 competitors from Labuan, Sabah, Sarawak and Brunei, featuring seven stages over three days.

ASEAN Investment Push: ASEAN diplomats visited Bangladesh Special Economic Zone (BSEZ), touring factories like Singer Bangladesh and Art Nature, and discussed expanding regional investment, industrial cooperation, and connectivity—Brunei included in the 18-member delegation. Brunei Energy & Renewables: Brunei’s Department of Energy opened a tender for five grid-connected solar installations at government buildings in Muara, covering design, build, operation and maintenance, with applications due June 23. Brunei Entrepreneurship: Universiti Brunei Darussalam relaunched its Start-Up Center and Entrepreneurship Village to help students, alumni and young entrepreneurs develop and scale viable businesses. Regional Policy & Trade: Australia’s trade and investment ministers met in Melbourne, stressing open, rules-based trade and fuel resilience amid Middle East-driven supply risks. Nature Finance in Malaysia: Bank Negara Malaysia, the World Bank and UNDP BIOFIN launched a report on assessing nature-related financial risks and opportunities, urging stronger risk management across the sector. ASEAN Environment Rights: A new ASEAN declaration on the right to a safe, clean, healthy and sustainable environment is moving toward implementation via a regional plan of action. Labuan Sports Tourism: Labuan’s Super Novice 4X4 Challenge kicks off with 40 competitors from Labuan, Sabah, Sarawak and Brunei, featuring seven stages over three days.

Brunei Energy & Renewables: Brunei’s Department of Energy has issued a tender for five grid-connected solar installations on rooftops and carports at government buildings in Muara, with design-build-operate-maintain responsibilities and a June 23 application deadline. Entrepreneurship & Innovation: Universiti Brunei Darussalam relaunched its Start-Up Center and Entrepreneurship Village to help students, alumni and young entrepreneurs develop and scale business ideas. Government & Diplomacy: Sultan Ibrahim’s cabinet reshuffle saw Prince Abdul Mateen appointed foreign minister, a move that keeps Brunei’s international engagement in the spotlight. Digital Economy & Payments: Visa expanded Adeline Kim’s role across Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand, while appointing Serene Gay to lead value-added services across Asia Pacific. Regional Business Links: Sarawak floated plans for future trade and tourism offices in China, and highlighted demand from a new Guangzhou–Kuching direct flight. ASEAN Connectivity & Security: Seventeen countries launched a defence initiative to protect critical underwater infrastructure, including Brunei. Regional Finance: Allianz Global Investors is in exclusive talks to buy UOB Asset Management, potentially valuing the unit up to S$600m. Food & ESG: Malaysia’s i-FB food bank push is inviting more corporate partners to cut food waste and support vulnerable communities.

Cybersecurity & Business Resilience: Fortinet launched a Singapore cloud PoP to bring network detection and response closer to customers across ASEAN, aiming to cut alert overload and improve visibility across hybrid and cloud environments. Energy & Renewables (Brunei): Brunei’s Department of Energy opened a tender for five grid-connected solar installations at government buildings in Muara, covering design, build, operation and maintenance, with applications due June 23. Entrepreneurship (Brunei): Universiti Brunei Darussalam relaunched its Start-Up Center and Entrepreneurship Village to help students, alumni and young entrepreneurs turn ideas into scalable ventures. Regional Payments & Finance: Visa expanded Adeline Kim’s role across Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand, while appointing Serene Gay to lead value-added services in Asia Pacific. ASEAN Connectivity & Trade: Sarawak highlighted demand for direct Guangzhou–Kuching flights, saying stronger air links can boost tourism, investment and business exchanges with China. Geopolitics with Economic Impact: The Philippines protested China’s deployment of a floating “structure” at Scarborough Shoal, raising concerns it could support an island base. ASEAN Security of Undersea Assets: Seventeen countries launched GUIDE to protect critical underwater infrastructure, including Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand.

South China Sea Tensions: The Philippines released new satellite-linked images of six newly identified structures and objects at Scarborough Shoal (Bajo de Masinloc/Huangyan Island), including suspected antennas, a floating structure, a cylindrical object and buoys, as Manila monitors a mobile makeshift structure with occupants—while China rejects the claims and reiterates “indisputable sovereignty.” Brunei Energy & Renewables: Brunei’s Department of Energy has issued a tender for five grid-connected solar installations at five government buildings in Muara, covering design, build, operation and maintenance, with applications due June 23. Brunei Entrepreneurship Push: Universiti Brunei Darussalam relaunched its Start-Up Center and Entrepreneurship Village to help students and young entrepreneurs develop and scale ventures. ASEAN Sports Rights: Laos became the eighth ASEAN country to secure FIFA World Cup 2026 broadcast rights, with matches free on LaoTV; Brunei remains among nations still finalising deals. Regional Business & Connectivity: Sarawak highlighted demand for direct Guangzhou–Kuching flights, while Sarawak leaders also discussed hybrid “petro-electro” energy and hydrogen plans. Payments Leadership: Visa expanded Adeline Kim’s Asia Pacific role across Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand, alongside a new appointment for value-added services. Undersea Security: A 17-nation GUIDE initiative launched in Singapore to strengthen cooperation on protecting critical underwater infrastructure, with Brunei among Southeast Asian participants. Food Rescue Partnerships: Malaysia’s i-FB food bank plan is inviting more industry and NGOs as strategic partners to cut food waste and support vulnerable communities.

Brunei Energy & Renewables: Brunei’s Department of Energy has opened a tender for five grid-connected solar installations at five government buildings in Muara, covering design, build, operation and maintenance, with applications due June 23. Entrepreneurship & Innovation: Universiti Brunei Darussalam relaunched its Start-Up Center and Entrepreneurship Village to help students and young entrepreneurs turn ideas into viable businesses. Cabinet & Diplomacy: Sultan Ibrahim’s cabinet reshuffle is making waves, with Prince Abdul Mateen appointed foreign minister—an unusually high-profile move for Brunei’s diplomacy. Food Security & Partnerships: Government is inviting more firms and NGOs to join the Ihsan Food Bank (i-FB) initiative, positioning food rescue as both ESG action and community support. ASEAN Connectivity: Sarawak’s Guangzhou–Kuching direct flight is drawing strong demand, with the minister citing benefits for tourism, trade and investment—relevant for Brunei-region business links. Regional Security Cooperation: Seventeen countries launched a new underwater infrastructure defence exchange framework, including Brunei, to protect critical cables and energy links. ASEAN–China/US Shift: A survey finds ASEAN stakeholders still prefer China over the US as a strategic partner, driven by economic presence and trust. South China Sea Tensions: The Philippines protested China’s deployment of a floating “structure” at Scarborough Shoal, while Japan also criticised Beijing for actions that it says worsen tensions.

Renewables & Energy: Brunei’s Department of Energy has issued a tender for five grid-connected solar installations at five government buildings in Muara, covering design, build, operation and maintenance, with applications due June 23. Entrepreneurship Push: Universiti Brunei Darussalam relaunched its Start-Up Center and Entrepreneurship Village to help students, alumni and young entrepreneurs turn ideas into sustainable businesses. Digital & Innovation Ecosystem: Brunei also moved to advance Digital Brunei 2030 through a national event aimed at accelerating the country’s digital growth agenda. Government & Business Leadership: Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah announced a cabinet reshuffle, appointing Prince Abdul Mateen as foreign minister—an unusual move with clear succession planning implications for Brunei’s leadership pipeline. Regional Connectivity: A Guangzhou–Kuching direct flight is showing strong demand, with Sarawak’s transport minister citing benefits for tourism, trade and investment—relevant for Brunei firms eyeing regional China links. Undersea Security: Seventeen countries, including Brunei, launched a framework to protect critical underwater infrastructure, supporting safer subsea energy and telecom networks.

Conservation Tech: A new Soundscape Baselines Project is using bioacoustics to track whether forests’ living “rhythms” stay intact, since satellites and carbon accounting can miss changes under the canopy—pilot sites include Brunei and other countries. Food Security & ESG: Brunei’s government is inviting more firms and NGOs to join the Ihsan Food Bank (i-FB) food rescue push, positioning it as a structured way for businesses to meet ESG goals while cutting food waste and aiding vulnerable communities. Regional Security: Seventeen countries, including Brunei, launched GUIDE in Singapore to improve cooperation on protecting critical underwater cables and energy links, with a focus on shared principles and faster incident response. Royal & Policy Shift: Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah announced a major Cabinet reshuffle, appointing younger sons Prince Abdul Malik (PMO) and Prince Abdul Mateen (foreign minister), plus new coordinating portfolios as Brunei plans ahead. Payments Leadership: Visa expanded Adeline Kim’s Asia Pacific role across Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand, while appointing Serene Gay to lead value-added services for the region.

Brunei Cabinet & succession planning: Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah announced a major Cabinet reshuffle, appointing Prince Abdul Mateen as foreign minister and Prince Abdul Malik as Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office, alongside new coordinating roles to strengthen policy delivery under Wawasan 2035. Undersea security for trade: Brunei joined a 17-nation initiative launched in Singapore to protect critical underwater cables and energy links, with the GUIDE framework aimed at shared principles and better incident response. Digital economy push: Brunei convened a “Digital Brunei 2030” dialogue to move from planning to measurable outcomes, building on connectivity, digital payments and national digital identity. Consumer & SME trade push: Brunei’s CFTE33 Consumer Fair & Trade Expo returns June 24–28 at the ICC, featuring business matchmaking and dedicated MSME pavilions plus Thailand and India showcases. Payments leadership in the region: Visa expanded Adeline Kim’s role across Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand, while Serene Gay was appointed Head of Value-Added Services for Asia Pacific. Regional business context: International tourism rose 2% in Q1 2026 despite Middle East disruptions, a reminder of how travel demand can stay resilient even when costs and flight capacity shift.

Cabinet reshuffle and succession planning: Brunei’s Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah announced a major Cabinet overhaul, appointing younger sons Prince Abdul Malik (Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office) and Prince Abdul Mateen (Foreign Minister), while creating new coordinating minister roles and restructuring the Primary Resources and Tourism portfolio into the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry—moves widely read as preparing the next generation amid global energy-market pressure. Digital economy push: The Ministry of Transport and Infocommunications held a Digital Brunei 2030 dialogue to turn the national digital roadmap into measurable, citizen-focused outcomes, building on connectivity, digital payments and national digital identity. Trade and consumer business calendar: Brunei’s CFTE33 Consumer Fair & Trade Expo is set for June 24–28 at the ICC, with business matchmaking and MSME, Thailand and India pavilions. Regional undersea security: Seventeen countries, including Brunei, launched GUIDE, a voluntary framework to share best practices and improve early warning for threats to subsea telecom and energy cables. Sports tourism in Labuan: Labuan will host its first-ever international 42km full marathon as part of the Pearl of Borneo Marathon 2026, aiming to boost the duty-free island’s events and running tourism. Film release with Brunei in the first wave: China’s box-office hit “Dear You” is rolling out internationally from June 18, with Brunei among the initial territories.