Major General Dato Paduka Seri Haji Muhammad Haszaimi bin Bol Hassan has been appointed as the 12th Commander of the Royal Brunei Armed Forces on 1 March 2022, by the consent of His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu'izzaddin Waddaulah ibni Al-Marhum Sultan Haji Omar 'Ali Saifuddien Sa'adul Khairi Waddien, Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam.
Major General Dato Paduka Seri Haji Muhammad Haszaimi was enlisted into the Royal Brunei Armed Forces in June 1993 and undergone his officer training at the Officer Cadet School, New Zealand in 1994. Upon commission, he was promoted to Second Lieutenant where he served as an Infantry Platoon Commander at the then newly established Third Battalion Royal Brunei Land Force.
After serving as an Infantry Platoon Commander, he held several other command appointments, which include Mortar Platoon Commander, Adjutant, Infantry Company Commander and Officer Commanding at the School of Infantry. For his Intermediate Staff Course (ISC), he attended the course at the Australian Land Warfare Centre in 1999.
Major General Dato Paduka Seri Haji Muhammad Haszaimi also served as an instructor at the Training Institute Royal Brunei Armed Forces, where he instructed various career and specialist courses for both Non-Commissioned Officers and Junior Commissioned Officers.
In 2007, he attended the Australian Command and Staff Course (ACSC) at the Australian Defence College. Upon returning to Brunei, he was posted to the Ministry of Defence as the Military Assistant to the Deputy Minister of Defence in 2008.
From 2009 to 2011, he commanded the Second Battalion Royal Brunei Land Force, and in 2010, he was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel. Subsequently, in 2012, he served as the Military Assistant to the 8th Commander of the Royal Brunei Armed Forces. He then attended the Royal College of Defence Studies (RCDS) in the United Kingdom from 2012 to 2013. Upon his return to Brunei Darussalam, he was appointed as the Chief of Staff of the Royal Brunei Land Force in September 2013 and was later promoted to the rank of Colonel in May 2014.
From 2014 to 2018, Major General Dato Paduka Seri Haji Muhammad Haszaimi was appointed as the Deputy Commander of the Royal Brunei Land Force. In August 2015, he attended the Stanford-NUS Executive Development in International Management in the Republic of Singapore, and later attended the Senior Executives in National and International Security at the Harvard Kennedy School, USA in 2016.
He then assumed the appointment as Commandant of Training Institute Royal Brunei Armed Forces in 2018, and in 2019, he was appointed as Commandant of Defence Academy Royal Brunei Armed Forces.
He was promoted to Brigadier General on 24 July 2020, and served as the 11th Commander of the Royal Brunei Land Force from 30 July 2020 to 01 March 2022.
Major General Dato Paduka Seri Haji Muhammad Haszaimi was awarded The Excellent Service Medal (P.I.K.B.) in 2005, and The Most Honourable Order of Seri Paduka Mahkota Brunei Third Class (S.M.B.) in 2012 from His Majesty Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam.
On 15 July 2021, His Majesty Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam bestowed upon Major General Dato Seri Pahlawan Haji Muhammad Haszaimi the Darjah Pahlawan Negara Brunei (P.S.P.N.B.) Yang Amat Perkasa Darjah Pertama or the Most Gallant Order of Pahlawan Negara Brunei, First Class which carries the title Dato Seri Pahlawan.
On 14 June 2022, Her Excellency Halimah Yakob, President of the Republic of Singapore graciously bestowed upon the RBAF Commander with The Meritorious Service Medal (Military).
On 15 July 2022, His Majesty Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam bestowed upon Major General Dato Paduka Seri Awang Haji Muhammad Haszaimi bin Bol Hassan The Most Exalted Order of Paduka Keberanian Laila Terbilang (D.P.K.T.) that carries the title Dato Paduka Seri.
On 18 October 2022, His Majesty the 16th Yang Di-Pertuan Agong of Malaysia, Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri'ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah Ibni Almarhum Sultan Haji Ahmad Shah Al-Musta'in Billah has graciously bestowed Major General Dato Paduka Seri Haji Muhammad Haszaimi bin Bol Hassan with the Honorary Award of the Malaysian Armed Forces Order for Valour – Gallant Commander of Malaysian Armed Forces, First Degree (PGAT).
On 1st August 2024, Major General Dato Paduka Seri Haji Muhammad Haszaimi was conferred Singapore Highest Military award, Distinguished Service Order (Military) the Darjah Utama Bakti Cemerlang (D.U.B.C), (Tentera) by His Excellency Tharman Shanmugaratnam, President of the Republic of Singapore.
Major General Dato Paduka Seri Haji Muhammad Haszaimi is married to Datin Ummisyafinah binti Haji Zaini and is blessed with four children. In his free time, he enjoys reading.
