Permanent Secretary (Community)
Dayang Hajah Nor Ashikin binti Haji Johari
Dayang Hajah Nor Ashikin binti Haji Johari began her career in Brunei Darussalam's public service in 2002, at the International Relations and Trade Development Division, Ministry of Industry and Primary Resources. In 2005, this Division was transferred to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Dayang Hajah Nor Ashikin was assigned to the Department of International Trade and appointed as Acting Director in 2013. In 2017, she was appointed as Deputy Permanent Secretary (Trade), Ministry of Foreign Affairs and National Trade Brunei Darussalam. In October 2020, she was appointed as Permanent Secretary (Community and Culture), at the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports.
Dayah Hajah Nor Ashikin holds a Bachelor of Laws from the United Kingdom. With this background, the first 15 years of her career focused on negotiating bilateral, regional and multilateral free trade agreements for Brunei Darussalam, including the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) and the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP). Having developed a specialized portfolio in negotiating investment agreements, she was also appointed to lead trade and investment negotiations on behalf of ASEAN, involving trade agreements with Japan, Australia and New Zealand. She has been invited to hold trainings and workshops by other countries, and also shared her experience as an investment treaty negotiator. Hajah Nor Ashikin has attended several training programs on dispute resolution and investor state arbitration, including at the International Law Institute and Georgetown University, Washington D.C., United States.
Dayang Hajah Nor Ashikin's duties at the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports are responsible for coordinating and managing community affairs that focus on social issues in Brunei Darussalam, in addition to the international affairs of the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports. The main stakeholders are women, children, the elderly, people with disabilities and those in need of welfare assistance, especially through the National Council of Social Issues. In addition, when Brunei Darussalam becomes the Chairman of ASEAN 2021, Hajah Nor Ashikin is also the Chairman of the Chief Senior Officer Meeting for the Pillars of the ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community which is one of the 3 Pillars of the ASEAN Community, and supervises the work of sixteen (16) groups sectoral that includes various issues. At the same time, she is also Brunei Darussalam's Senior Officer for the ASEAN committee on women, social welfare and development, culture and art, and poverty alleviation.
On top of her achievements and contributions to date, Dayang Hajah Nor Ashikin has been awarded the Beautiful Medal for Good Works (PIKB) and the Fourth Degree of Loyalty to Brunei Yang Amat Bersinar (PSB) by His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu' izzadin Waddaulah, Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam.
