Bahrain King Receives 10th Para Brigade's Maroon Beret

KUALA LUMPUR, May 2 (Bernama) -- The Ruler of Bahrain, King Hamad Isa Al Khalifa, was Monday conferred the Maroon Beret and Honorary Airborne Wing of the 10th Paratrooper Brigade (10th PARA) by the Malaysian Armed Forces (ATM). The placing of the beret and airborne wing was carried out by ATM chief General Raja Mohamed Affandi Raja Mohamed Noor and witnessed by Defence Minister Hishammuddin Hussein. The special ceremony that took place at Dataran Perwira Tentera Darat of the Sungai Besi Perdana Camp here was also attended by Army chief General Zulkiple Kassim, Air Force chief General Affendi Buang and Navy chief Admiral Ahmad Kamarulzaman Ahmad Badaruddin. King Hamad’s visit to Malaysia, which began Sunday until May 3 at the invitation of Yang di-Pertuan Agong Sultan Muhammad V, is the first to be made by a Ruler of Bahrain since the two countries forged diplomatic ties in 1974. Earlier, the King also witnessed a tactical demonstration mounted by 25 officers and 850 ATM personnel of various ranks. Meanwhile, Zulkiple said the Maroon Beret and Airborne Wing is the highest honour of the 10th PARA Brigade and 62 highest military and government leaders had been conferred with the honour, so far. “We are proud that the Ruler of Bahrain, King Hamad, has accepted the honour as a symbol of friendship between the two countries,” he said. -- BERNAMA