Brunei Darussalam participated in the 20th ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on Transnational Crime (AMMTC) and Its Related Meetings, held in Makati City, Republic of the Philippines, from 19 to 21 October 2026. The Opening Ceremony of the 20th AMMTC was officiated by His Excellency Juanito Victor C. Remulla Jr., Secretary of the Interior and Local Government of the Republic of Philippines as AMMTC Leader – Philippines on 20 October 2026.
The Brunei Darussalam delegation was led by Yang Berhormat Dato Seri Setia Awang Haji Sufian bin Haji Sabtu, Minister at the Prime Minister’s Office (Security and Law), accompanied by Yang Mulia Awang Zulhusam bin Haji Abdul Samad, Permanent Secretary (Security and Law) at the Prime Minister’s Office and SOMTC Leader of Brunei Darussalam, as well as senior officials from the Prime Minister’s Office.
The AMMTC and Its Related Meetings serve as a significant annual platform for ASEAN Ministers responsible for transnational crime to discuss current crime trends and the regional security situation. The Meeting was preceded by the Preparatory Senior Officials’ Meeting on Transnational Crime (SOMTC) for the 20th AMMTC, held on 19 October 2026.
In his statement at the Plenary Session of the 20th AMMTC on 20 October 2026, Yang Berhormat Minister at the Prime Minister’s Office (Security and Law) reaffirmed Brunei Darussalam’s continued commitment to addressing transnational crime, particularly trafficking in persons (TIP), terrorism and violent extremism, money laundering and online scams, as well as illicit drug trafficking. Yang Berhormat Minister also shared Brunei Darussalam’s significant achievement of being upgraded to Tier 2 from the Tier 2 Watch List in the United States 2026 Trafficking in Persons Report, marking a second consecutive year of improvement, and expressed his confidence that the best practices shared by the Republic of the Philippines as SOMTC Lead Shepherd on TIP, and by fellow ASEAN Member States had contributed to this progress and regarded the upgrade not as an end point, but as an encouragement to do more.
Yang Berhormat Minister further stressed that the terrorist threat is no longer conventional, with the primary concern now centred on lone actors, particularly young people who become self-radicalised online. On money laundering, Yang Berhormat Minister explained that the proceeds of online scams are remitted out of the country within minutes, noting that the money now moves faster than our investigations can follow, and called for faster cross-border cooperation to trace and freeze illicit proceeds.
On illicit drugs, Yang Berhormat Minister expressed concern over attempts by syndicates to exploit Brunei Darussalam as a transit point, and reaffirmed the country’s firm and uncompromising stance against cannabis, emphasising that its growing normalisation in some countries could create a false perception among young people that cannabis is harmless, when in fact it poses serious risks to health and well-being. In concluding his statement, Yang Berhormat Minister expressed Brunei Darussalam’s support for the Joint Statement of the Meeting and its commitment to continue working closely with ASEAN Member States towards a safer and more secure region.
On 21 October 2026, the AMMTC also held consultations with ASEAN Dialogue Partners, namely the 16th AMMTC + 3 Consultation, the 13th AMMTC + China Consultation, the 11th AMMTC + Japan Consultation and the 7th AMMTC + Republic of Korea Consultation. During the consultations, Yang Berhormat Minister expressed Brunei Darussalam’s commitment to further strengthening cooperation with ASEAN Dialogue Partners, and conveyed appreciation for their support in addressing the threat of transnational crime.
While in the Philippines, Yang Berhormat Minister also held bilateral meetings with His Excellency Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution bin Ismail, Minister of Home Affairs Malaysia, as AMMTC Leader-Malaysia and His Excellency Juanito Victor C. Remulla Jr. The meetings discussed efforts to strengthen bilateral cooperation in addressing online scams, trafficking in persons, drug trafficking and other transnational crimes.
The 20th AMMTC and Its Related Meetings were chaired by His Excellency Juanito Victor C. Remulla Jr. and attended by Ministers, Heads of Delegation and Senior Officials of ASEAN Member States. The Meeting was also attended by Her Excellency Dato’ Astanah Abdul Aziz, Deputy Secretary-General of ASEAN.
News courtesy of Prime Minister’s Office
Photo courtesy of Infofoto