|     Message by YB Dato Paduka Dr Awang Haji Zulkarnain bin Haji Hanafi, Minister of Health     |

BRUNEI Darussalam together with 130 other countries across the world will join with FDI World Dental Federation (FDI) to celebrate World Oral Health Day on March 20 with the theme ‘Healthy Mouth, Healthy Body’.

A healthy mouth is an essential and integral component of general health and quality of life.

It enables people to eat, speak and socialise without pain, discomfort or embarrassment. In spite of this, most people still do not consider oral diseases to be serious health problems nor ‘worth’ investing their time and money, since they are usually neither life-threatening nor severely debilitating.

Despite advances in oral health, tooth decay has become one of the most prevalent diseases worldwide, affecting billions of people in their day-to-day lives and having a significant impact on healthcare systems.

The World Health Organization (WHO) reported that each year, millions of work and school days are lost due to poor oral health, which can have an adverse effect on economic and social impact on individuals.

File photo shows the National Oral Health Survey 2015-2017 held at a school. The survey was done in schools in August-December 2015. – MINISTRY OF HEALTH

Treating oral disease can be extremely costly and in children, this can have a negative effect on their successes later in life.

In 2012, the WHO reported that 60 to 90 per cent of school children have experienced tooth decay; 15 to 20 per cent of middle-aged (35 to 44 years) adults had severe periodontal (gum) disease; and 30 per cent of adults aged between 65 to 74 years old have lost all their natural teeth either due to tooth decay or gum disease.

In Brunei Darussalam, data from School Dental Services Division, Department of Dental Services, Ministry of Health (MoH), stated that on average a five-year-old child has four decayed/missing/filled teeth while a 12-year-old child has one decayed/missing/filled tooth.

Meanwhile, the report from the Brunei Darussalam’s Integrated Health Screening of Civil Servants 2007 to 2010 stated a high number of untreated tooth decay (59 per cent) amongst adults aged 18 to 24 years old.

Alhamdulillah, the MoH has embarked on the children phase of the National Oral Health Survey 2015-2017 and later this year, the implementation of the adult phase of the Survey.

The survey results will provide a better and updated indication of the status of the oral health of the nation which enables planners and policy-makers to plan strategically and improve on the services provided.

Working together in partnership with other stakeholders, we can achieve one of the targets of the MoH for Brunei Vision 2035 that on average, a five-year-old child has one decayed/missing/filled tooth while a 12-year-old child has zero decayed/missing/filled teeth.

The theme, ‘Healthy Mouth, Healthy Body’, aims to educate and step up the awareness in people to emphasise that good oral health goes beyond having a nice smile, as it is fundamentally intertwined with the overall physical health and well-being.

The theme is relevant to us in Brunei Darussalam as it strongly supports the MoH’s three strategic priorities: to make health everyone’s business, to enhance quality of service delivery, and to prevent and control non-communicable diseases.

Undoubtedly, good oral health care and hygiene must start in everyone, even before a baby is born. Studies have shown that pregnant mothers with poor oral health and hygienecan pose a risk to their unborn child.

Meanwhile, parental preference in infant feeding, such as breast feeding and bottle feeding, can implicate their children’s oral and overall health differently.

It has been proven that bottle feeding causes tooth decay and poor teeth arrangement in early childhood and hence, breastfeeding remains the best and recommended infant feeding.

Education is important for the parents and for all in making better choices and decisions – We all must look after our oral health and hygiene.

Oral health and overall health are closely related – primarily due to the common risk factors between them – and should be considered holistically.

Common risk factors including unhealthy diet (diets high in sugary foods and drinks), smoking or use of tobacco and other cancer causing substances, and excessive alcohol consumption are shared risks across oral disease and other non-communicable diseases like cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes and chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases.

In the case of diabetes, gum disease is considered as another complication of this disease.

Early prevention from getting tooth decay, gum disease and certain oral cancers can be done by avoiding the above-mentioned risk factors and adhering to proper oral health care by tooth brushing twice a day for two minutes with toothpaste containing 1,100-1,450 part per million (ppm) fluoride, limiting sweet food and drinks to meal times and having regular dental check-up once a year or as advised by your dentist/dental nurse.

Limiting exposure to the sun, avoiding smoking and reducing your risk of infection with Human Papillomavirus (HPV) will also help to prevent these oral diseases. The Department of Dental Services, MoH strives to enhance the quality of service delivery which is effective, efficient, responsive, affordable, equitable and accessible to all in the country, with an emphasis on oral health promotion and disease prevention.

We are committed to working together with stakeholders and strengthen the oral health programmes such as antenatal programme and Toddlers, Fluoride Varnish and Rolling Toothpaste Programme (TFRTP) which target expectant and post-natal mothers as well as parents/carers of children under five years; and Daily Fluoridated Tooth Brushing (DFTB) Programme in primary schools.

On that note, the MoH is looking forward to the continued strong support and active involvement by the various stakeholders as well as shared responsibility and commitment of all levels of the community including individuals towards enhancing the oral health of our nation.

Let us make health, including oral health, everyone’s business. Together, we will realise Brunei Vision 2035 in achieving the highest quality of life.

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|     Danial Norjidi     |

THE outgoing deputy chairman of Royal Brunei Airlines (RB) has said he considers “the people” of RB as the highlight of his time in Brunei, saying he is pleased with the airline’s progress, and has spoken in support and praise of his successor as CEO.

Dermot Mannion recently announced in a press statement that, after five years of service as Deputy Chairman of RB, he will be departing from Brunei following the completion of his term of office.

In the press statement, the Board of RB expressed gratitude to Mannion for his service and commended in particular the successful completion of the restructuring and rebranding of the airline in recent years.

Speaking to the Sunday Bulletin recently, the outgoing deputy chairman said, “It’s been a great privilege to be here and to have the great honour of serving as deputy chairman and CEO for five and a half years.”

Mannion will be succeeded in the capacity of CEO by Karam Chand, who was previously Chief Commercial and Planning Officer of RB.

Dermot Mannion and Karam Chand speaking to the media. – AZROL AZMI

“I’m delighted to introduce Karam as my successor as CEO. Karam has been with us already for three years,” said Mannion. “He’s very well prepared for the new role, and the company will move on to greater and greater things.”

Asked for his thoughts on RB’s direction, Mannion said, “I think all of our stakeholders are pleased with the progress we’ve made.

“Especially in the aircraft area, we now have a brand new fleet of wide-body aircraft and very soon we’ll have a brand new fleet of narrow-body aircraft.

“So I think the product as far as the customer is concerned, which is the most important thing, is getting better and better all the time,” he added. “That is a source of great optimism for everyone in the future.”

The new CEO of RB also spoke to the Weekend Bulletin, saying, “Most airlines went through a very difficult period when the global economy hit around the place, and people scramble and flight business gets impacted straight away when the economic climate is bad.”

“So most airlines, not us, but most airlines around the world faced the same music, and couple with the fuel price at the time was very, very high, so the airline cost was very, very high.”

“Most airlines had to make some kind of transformation and that’s what Royal Brunei did, and did very successfully,” said Chand.

“So we were able to not only change our wide-body fleet completely, brought in a very modern and efficient aircraft, retrained our people and reskilled them, went through a whole brand change and engagement.”

He highlighted how important brand engagement has been and is for RB, underlining that engaging customers, and ensuring they believe and trust their brand has been crucial.

“Even aside from the operational side, we are now spending a lot of time and effort on digital marketing. That’s the way we can make Brunei known widely. That’s the challenge we have, is that the destination awareness needs to be kept improving.

“It would really help to keep improving the destination awareness and the digital channel allows us to do that,” he said. “We are really heavily marketing Brunei and Royal Brunei Airlines to the entire world.”

He also spoke on the progress of new aircraft for RB. He shared that there are a total of seven new Airbus A320neo aircraft coming in, with the first planned for delivery in November 2017. The remaining six are expected to be delivered in 2018 – two in October, two in November and two in December.

“The good news about these aircraft is not only that they’re very, very environmentally friendly and burn less fuel, but from a customer perspective, the cabin interior has been redesigned to take into account customers’ needs,” he said.

“So the seat offering, the cabin layout, quality of air, inflight entertainment system, they’re all pretty much what is available today or next year.”

In addition, Chand said a fifth Boeing 787 Dreamliner will be added to the fleet in 2018. “We’ve taken four (Boeing 787) aircraft and they’ve been successfully flying in our network for over two years.

“There is a fifth aircraft that we take in 2018, and once that aircraft comes in that will settle our long-haul fleet.”

He also spoke on RB’s recent signing of a code share agreement with Turkish Airway, saying, “One thing that airlines are very good at doing is to collaborate with each other, and that’s what we’re doing with Turkey and one of the biggest airlines in the world, so we have a code share with them, and that will allow us to expand our network without having to place our own aircraft.

“So customers will buy an RB ticket, but the aircraft will be partially RB, and the next journey will be Turkish Airlines,” he said.

“That’s a very important part of how airlines collaborate, because it’s not always practical to go to every market, because it requires a huge amount of resources in terms of manpower, aircraft and so forth.

“So for smaller airlines, collaboration is a very, very important part of growing our network,” Chand added.

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|     James Kon     |

EIGHT hundred participants including 200 students from the Centre for Children with Special Needs (KACA) will be running for a noble cause in KACA’s ‘Run for the Kids’ on April 3 at Hassanal Bolkiah National Stadium.

The charity run is aimed at raising funds for KACA, a non-governmental organisation (NGO) that provides training and guidance programmes for children with special needs.

In preparation for the charity run, a meeting of the organising committee was held at the Hassanal Bolkiah National Stadium attended by representatives from Royal Brunei Police Force, Brunei Athletics Association, EMAS as well as the Brunei Darussalam Red Crescent Society.

During a meeting with the organising committee, Haji Abdul Alim bin Haji Othman, Managing Director of KACA, said he appreciated the contribution of participants.

Currently, a total of 556 children are registered with KACA, “and the number is growing by the year”, said Haji Abdul Alim.

The meeting in preparation for KACA’s ‘Run for the Kids’ charity run in progress. – JAMES KON

“In order to sustain the centres, which are located in Bandar Seri Begawan, Tutong and Belait, the association needs contribution from the public and raises fund-raisers like the charity run,” he added.

He also revealed that the first series of the KACA Money Saving Project 2016-2020 saw its students save up to $67,000 last year.

“One student even managed to save more than $15,000,” he beamed. “We want to instil the culture of saving among the students.”

The charity run categories are 10km open (male and female), 5km open (male and female) and 2.5km Fun Run.

The collection of the race pack will be held from March 29-31 at Room 1 of Hassanal Bolkiah National Stadium.

Participants are advised to bring their donation cards in exchange for the race pack.

Also present were spokespersons from organisers Creads Design and Printing, Syukri bin Haji Sulaiman and Dayangku Norlelawaty binti Pengiran Haji Ibrahim.

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THE Asean Economic Community (AEC) has been formally established by the countries of the Association of the Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) on December 31, 2015. But what exactly is the AEC, and what does it mean for Brunei Darussalam?

According to a press release from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MoFAT), the creation of the AEC in 2015 is simply another milestone, albeit an important one, in Asean’s journey of economic cooperation that has been going on for the past 40 years.

What started out as a group of countries in Southeast Asia trying to overcome significant political and security challenges at the time when Asean was created in 1967, has slowly evolved into a movement to transform the region into an economic powerhouse.

Today, if Asean were to be considered as a single country, it would be the 7th largest economy in the world, with a population of 622 million people. Data has also shown that the region’s gross domestic product (GDP) has nearly doubled since 2007.

Brunei Darussalam is at the centre of Asean, and our businesses here in Brunei – especially our small and medium enterprises – is where the opportunities await.

If Asean were to be considered as a single country, it would be the 7th largest economy in the world, with a population of 622 million people. Brunei Darussalam is at the centre of Asean

The next stage of integration for Asean was agreed last year through the AEC 2025 Blueprint, with the focus for Asean economic integration set out through five key characteristics

So what is the AEC? To define it, one just needs to simply remember its four important and mutually reinforcing pillars:

– Single market and production base

Under the first pillar, Asean has worked hard to improve trade and investment in the region.

The achievement of local Bruneian companies such as Sabli Foods, BMC, KTM, Tri-Sun and Hasmit Roofing are just some of the many success stories made possible through the AEC, where local companies are able to benefit from the lowering of production costs, for example through accumulation and access to cheaper raw materials, and subsequently export their goods more competitively to other Asean countries like Malaysia, Singapore and the Philippines, and even beyond.

The focus for Asean now is to further improve customs procedures and ensure that all rules and regulations are clearly published so as to make it easier for our private sectors whenever they want to import or export their goods.

– Competitive Economic Region

Asean’s efforts under Pillar 2 are aimed at improving the competitiveness not just of each Asean member state, but the region as a whole.

As a direct result of Asean’s targets and commitments under this pillar, Brunei Darussalam introduced several laws, such as the Competition Order 2015 and the Consumer Protection Order 2011.

At the same time, efforts under this pillar have also been focused at developing the capabilities of each Asean member state, including Brunei Darussalam, in other areas that were targeted at improving the region’s attractiveness for trade and investment.

One good example is in the area of intellectual property rights, where Brunei has been able to learn from its Asean counterparts, as well as benefitted from the various technical assistance programmes provided by Asean’s Dialogue Partners especially in making Brunei Darussalam an attractive destination for foreign direct investment.

– A region with equitable economic development

Under the third pillar, efforts have been concentrated towards ensuring that the benefits of improved trade and investment in the region would also be equitably shared and enjoyed by the lesser developed economies, as well as small and medium enterprises (SMEs), whose active contribution provides for up to 90 per cent of total employment in the region.

Brunei Darussalam has been able to benefit from the many programmes provided for SMEs, and in particular, has relied significantly on the expertise available through the various trade and investment promotion centres, such as the Asean-Japan and the Asean-Korea Centres, based in Tokyo and Seoul respectively.

Local products have benefitted in terms of product design and packaging techniques from programmes provided for SMEs through the third pillar of AEC. PHOTOS: MOFAT

Because of this, some of our companies such as IBIC Sdn Bhd and Mustaqim Enterprise have benefitted from valuable product design and packaging techniques aimed at giving them an edge in marketing their goods abroad.

– A region that is fully integrated into the global economy

The work under the fourth pillar aims to ensure that the AEC will not be isolated, but will instead be a relevant and key player in the global economy.

In order to achieve this objective, Asean established free trade agreements with a number of countries including China, Japan, South Korea, India and Australia and New Zealand.

Because of the achievements Brunei Darussalam has made in opening up markets abroad, Bruneian companies such as Golden Corporation and Brunei Methanol Company have been successful in entering overseas markets such as Australia, New Zealand and South Korea.

Now, efforts are underway to create a single mega trade agreement between Asean member states and these existing FTA partners of Asean, through the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP).

This is expected to potentially lead to the creation of one of the world’s largest free trade areas, establishing an integrated market comprising of over three billion people with a combined GDP of about US$17.23 billion (based on 2010 figures).

What all this means for our local companies, as well as potential investors, is that doing business in Brunei will not result in dealing primarily with a small domestic market of 400 thousand, but rather having access to a much larger regional and international market.

They can instead look towards capturing the significant opportunities of Brunei being part of an integrated market such as the AEC, and all the benefits it can bring.

AEC 2025

With AEC now established, the next stage of integration for Asean was agreed last year through the AEC 2025 Blueprint.

For the next 10 years, the focus for Asean economic integration is set out through five key characteristics as follows: Integrated and highly cohesive economy; competitive, innovative and dynamic Asean; resilient, inclusive, people-oriented and people-centred Asean; enhanced connectivity and sectoral cooperation; and global Asean.

The MoFAT will be organising an outreach programme on April 2 at the International Convention Centre, to share information on the AEC as well as other key initiatives being undertaken by Brunei.

Interested members of the public are welcome to pre-register via e-mail to trade.brunei@mfa.gov.bn by March 29.

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|     Azlan Othman     |

TEMBURONG folks are waiting too long to travel by boat between the city and Bangar at the Jalan Subok terminal, says YB Awang Haji Sulaiman bin Haji Ahad.

The Legislative Council member said this was a long-standing issue faced by members of the public, including government officials working in the district.

“This also affects hospital patients being brought from Temburong to Raja Isteri Pengiran Anak Saleha (RIPAS) Hospital,” he added.

Minister of Communications, YB Dato Paduka Awang Haji Mustappa bin Haji Sirat, in his reply admitted that a reliable communication system was needed.

“However, for boat operators, it is about profits and losses. They do not see the issue in a wider perspective.

“There are five operators in the country. There are 19 boats available with two for special lease.

YB Awang Haji Sulaiman bin Haji Ahad during the Legislative Council session. – BAHYIAH BAKIR

“The operation time is from 6.30am to 5pm only. The waiting time is 45 minutes but the service is still not regular.

“We hope to discuss role of the Marine Department in ensuring that every operator adheres to the timetable.

“The Marine Department has advised government officers to hire special boats to go to Temburong. To ferry passengers to RIPAS Hospital from Temburong, the government officials could hire a special boat to replace the ambulance boat,” said the minister.

YB Awang Haji Sulaiman also asked for traffic lights to be installed in Pekan Bangar.

The minister said the move was already in the pipeline.

YB Awang Haji Sulaiman also asked on the establishment of bus terminal in Pekan Bangar and the status of its development.

The minister said a plot had been gazette for a bus terminal in Pekan Bangar.

“It will also be used as commercial and tourist centre, as well as for inter-district and inter-state services,” added the minister.

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|     Azlan Othman     |

THE restructured Royal Brunei Airlines (RB) is in a “far better” economic position, said the Minister of Development.

“Efforts are still being made to improve its service,” added YB Dato Paduka Awang Haji Bahrin bin Abdullah, who is also the Chairman of RB, in response to YB Haji Awang Ahmad Morshidi bin Pehin Orang Kaya Digadong Seri Diraja Dato Laila Utama Haji Awang Abdul Rahman at the Legislative Council Meeting yesterday.

Minister of Communications YB Dato Paduka Awang Haji Mustappa bin Haji Sirat, earlier said the prices of electronic goods sold at the Brunei International Airport were much lower than those sold in Australia and the United Kingdom.

“This is a good opportunity for operators. This is an advantage that will be pursued by the relevant government agencies,” the minister said.

The Brunei International Airport. – AZROL AZMI

Minister of Development cum RB Chairman YB Dato Paduka Awang Haji Bahrin bin Abdullah. – DEAN KASSIM

YB Haji Awang Ahmad Morshidi bin Pehin Orang Kaya Digadong Seri Diraja Dato Laila Utama Haji Awg Abdul Rahman. – DEAN KASSIM

YB Haji Tahamit bin Haji Nudin expressed concern over the losses incurred by RB from its fleet upgrade to the 757.

He said, wrong strategic planning had cost the airline and that the investments did not guarantee profits, especially with the growing number of budget airlines.

The response was that a rebranding move for the flagship carrier was necessary.

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ROYAL Brunei Airlines (RB) Boeing 787 flight number BI097 departing from Bandar Seri Begawan to London via Dubai on Friday, returned back to Brunei International Airport (BWN) due to an in-flight shutdown on one of the engines approximately one hour after takeoff.

According to a press release from RB, the aircraft landed safely and without incident.

All 213 passengers and 12 crew were safely disembarked at the terminal at 10.11pm on Friday.

Accommodation has been provided to affected passengers. RB is focusing on rescheduling flights and rerouting passengers on affected flights to ensure that they arrive at their final destination.

Some flights have been cancelled and rescheduled as a result of the aircraft engine shutdown. (see table)

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|     Izah Azahari     |

THE 12th Legislative Council (LegCo) Meeting yesterday saw questions pertaining to the provision of budget allocation for the Fruit Industry in Brunei Darussalam as well as the Traditional Herb Research Centre which was raised by Legislative Council Member, YB Awang Haji Ramli bin Haji Lahit.

Answering the Legislative Council member was YB Dato Paduka Awang Haji Ali bin Haji Apong, Minister of Primary Resources and Tourism, who explained that the provision of $40,000 is mainly for research for support-staff services of fruit physiologists to carry out research work on physiology and agronomy, growth level research, pollination and fruit formation, including the control of quality and results.

Meanwhile, on the subject of the Traditional Herb Research Centre in Sinaut which has been allocated a total of $384,600 it is to carry out Research and Development (R&D) activities on potential herbs for traditional medicine and food supplements. Therefore, said the minister, the strategies relating to fruits and herbs are currently still in the stages of evaluation by the ministry, and the ministry is focusing more on high-productivity activities that can generate export.

“A total of 40 hectares of the Bio-Innovation Corridor (formerly the Agro Technology Park) area will be tendered to the public to create a proposal on what fruit crops they can develop and generate to increase production and, if possible, for export,” added the minister.

YB Dato Paduka Awang Haji Ali bin Haji Apong, Minister of Primary Resources and Tourism during the Legislative Council Meeting. – BAHIYAH BAKIR

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|     Nuri Sufri     |

HUNDREDS of Bruneians with glow sticks and candles joined 178 countries and territories in the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) ‘Earth Hour’ campaign organised by Earth Hour Brunei to raise awareness and address the issue of climate change yesterday night, which was held by the fountain at the Yayasan Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah (Yayasan) Complex in Bandar Seri Begawan.

At 8.30pm, Wu Chin, Earth Hour Brunei Celebrity Ambassador; along with individuals; communities; and organisations joined the campaign with a 10 second countdown and lights in the surrounding vicinity were switched off in a bid to make a difference in saving the environment.

“We are here to make an impact; we are to save the environment; save the wild animals and most importantly we are doing this for our next generation for the next hundreds of years,” Wu Chun said.

“We want everyone to live on this planet without worrying about the environment and global warming, so it is important for each and every one of us to change our bad habits such us never switching off the lights, always using air conditioning and television,” he explained.

The Earth Hour Brunei campaign is supported by the Energy and Industry Department at the Prime Minister’s Office; Ministry of Home Affairs; Ministry of Development; Tourism Development Department; Municipal Departments of Tutong and Temburong; Yayasan Complex; Fitness Zone; Armtrix Enterprise and Acoustic Studio.

Wu Chun marking a spot on the world map during the Earth Hour event

Participants holding up the Earth Hour logo candles during the Earth Hour event yesterday

Members of the public that are supporting the Earth Hour event last night. PHOTOS: AZROL AZMI

A family taking part in the Earth Hour event last night

A run was also organised by Fitness Zone in collaboration with Armtrix Enterprise, Yayasan and Heroes Event Management, where up to 100 participants joined the run around the Yayasan Complex.

On the sidelines, the Acoustic Studio performed a busking session where a large crowd gathered to cheer on the musicians. A Panda was also spotted wandering the area as well as a local vendor from the Tutong District selling local made products.

Speaking to the Sunday Bulletin, the Public Relations Manager of Acoustic Studio said, “This is the second time we have performed for Earth Hour and we are grateful to be here to support an amazing campaign.”

A total of 200 people joined the campaign in support of saving the environment.

Earth Hour was initially launched in 2007 as a “global moment of solidarity for climate action and comes only months after governments agreed a new global climate deal”, according to a statement by the WWF, and it is marked as the “world’s largest grassroots movement for the environment”.

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|     Danial Norjidi     |

THE proposed budget for the advancement of the National Development Plan for the 2016/2017 financial year is $700 million, with projects set to be assessed closely on their importance, effectiveness and potential contribution to the country and its people.

The National Development Plan (NDP) was discussed yesterday at the Legislative Council Meeting, with the Minister at the Prime Minister’s Office and Minister of Finance II, YB Pehin Orang Kaya Laila Setia Dato Seri Setia Awang Haji Abdul Rahman bin Haji Ibrahim delivering an opening statement.

The minister noted that the 2015/2016 financial year marked the fourth year that the 10th National Development Plan was implemented.

“Alhamdulillah, most of the projects planned under the 10th NDP have been carried out according to schedule, in addition to several other projects that were also implemented based on needs and priorities.”

The minister said that, so far, of the 567 projects that have been approved, 378 (67 per cent) have been completed, a total of 18.7 per cent of the projects are in progress and some of them are expected to be completed by the end of the 10th NDP.

The Minister at the Prime Minister’s Office and Minister of Finance II, YB Pehin Orang Kaya Laila Setia Dato Seri Setia Awang Haji Abdul Rahman bin Haji Ibrahim. – BAHYIAH BAKIR

Meanwhile, 7.4 per cent are in the offer stages, while 21 projects (3.7 per cent) are in the design stages, with the remainder still in planning.

Projects that need to be postponed to the next NDP will have their importance and priority reassessed, the minister said.

“What is expected from this implementation is to support the development of economic activity in the country aside from preserving the prosperity and welfare of the community, including in opening employment opportunities for locals.”

Continuing, the minister noted that the 2016/2017 financial year is the last year for the implementation of the 10th NDP.

He highlighted that as the 2016/2017 financial year sees Brunei Darussalam expected to face an economic situation more challenging than previous financial years, the budget for the progress of the NDP will also be limited.

Thus, the government will give more attention and focus to designing and implementing projects that will support the theme of the state budget, which is to strengthen the country’s economic climate and the budget’s focus that has been set while taking into consideration the government’s fiscal sustainability.

“In researching the plan for each project to be implemented, priority will be given based on public necessity,” he said. “In this case, each ministry is also required to consider value-for-money and cost-effectiveness in assessing each project to be implemented.”

He asserted that this is important to ensure that the government’s financial resources are used more productively and based on a clear outcome and to control any form of waste.

“Towards this, every ministry and government agency is encouraged to evaluate the feasibility of implementing and financing some projects through Public Private Partnership (PPP), corporatisation of relevant government agencies or commercialisation of some activities in a relevant government agency.”

He said that, taking into account the budget priorities and focus, the proposed budget to progress the NDP for the 2016/2017 financial year is $700 million.

“This provision is to finance 196 projects under the 10th NDP, which will be and are currently under implementation,” the minister explained.

From this provision, a total of 21.4 per cent has been allocated to facilitate business, 14.2 per cent to increase the country’s productivity, 13.1 per cent for capacity building and developing role models, and the remaining 51.3 per cent to preserve public welfare.

The minister went on to detail the budget allocation in accordance to key sectors, beginning with the social services sector, which has been provided the largest allocation of $178.4 million (25.5 per cent). This sector includes projects in education, health, housing and human resources, the minister explained.

Next is the transport and communications sector, which has been provided $153.3 million (21.9 per cent).

Third is the trade and industry sector, which has been allocated 134.7 million (19.3 per cent) for the implementation of several economic projects that have been identified to support the efforts of diversifying the country’s economic activities and resources.

A total of $133.4 million (19.1 per cent) has been allocated for the sector of public facilities, such as the provision of clean water supply, sewage treatment, improving water drainage systems including for flood control, as well as the provision of electricity.

Another sector is that of security, which includes subsectors of the Royal Brunei Armed Forces and Royal Brunei Police Force, and has been provided $28.9 million (4.1 per cent).

Meanwhile, the Public Building sector has been allocated a total of $25.1 million (3.6 per cent), with emphasis given to repair and maintenance work of infrastructure and government assets.

In the sector of science and technology, research and development and Innovation, $22.5 million (3.2 per cent) has been allocated. This sector, among others, includes provisions for research and development under the control of the Brunei Research Council.

The eighth and final sector mentioned was that of information and info-communications technology, for which $17.7 million (2.5 per cent) has been allocated to implement e-Government projects that will be able to help enhance the level of service efficiency and cost-effectiveness. This also includes a priority to strengthen system integration.

“Up to 15 March 2016, the actual expenditure of the National Development Plan for the 2015/2016 financial year has amounted to $694.6 million, which is close to 70 per cent of the provided allocation,” the minister said. “The NDP expenditure for 2015/2016 is expected to increase to $800 million by the end of the financial year.”

“To ensure that implementation and expenditure for NDP projects is carried out according to schedule and the approved provisions, the involved parties will continue to monitor closely as well as introduce and implement measures to further improve the implementation of these NDP projects.”

To support national development efforts, the Department of Economic Planning and Development (JPKE) will continuously review the suitability of the planned projects to contribute sustainably and effectively towards the country’s socioeconomic growth.

He explained that this includes a number of things, first of which is that each project undertaken must be based on the prepared annual provisions.

Next is that the projects that are to be carried out must be assessed in terms of actual needs and priorities and the potential outcomes. This includes providing permanent, quality jobs to locals and government revenue.

Thirdly, proposed expenditure for each project, including the scope and specification work, should be studied thoroughly to avoid wastage and losses in government spending.

Also, attention should be given to increasing department accountability and integrity in financial management by ensuring payment processing is efficient and orderly.

Fifth is for continuous research on projects that are planned prudently so that projects that are not needed or are not a priority are cancelled to make way for new quality projects that are more important to support the Brunei Vision 2035.

The post $700M proposed for 10th NDP appeared first on Borneo Bulletin Online.

|     Nazurah Noor & Nur Basitah Raduan     |

THE Shell Eco-Marathon (SEM) began in 1939 at a Shell research laboratory in the United States as a friendly wager between scientists to see who could get the most miles per gallon from their vehicle.

The winner of that contest barely achieved 50 mpg (21 km/l), and from these humble origins, a more organised competition evolved. In 1985 in France, Shell Eco-marathon as we know it today was born.

In April 2007, the Shell Eco-marathon Americas event was launched in the United States, and in 2010, the inaugural Shell Eco-marathon Asia was held in Malaysia, up until 2013. Since 2014, the event has been held in Manila, Philippines, which will continue to host the event until 2016.

SEM has been offering youth unique opportunities to develop new approaches to smarter mobility by providing them a platform to work on energy efficient solutions in a very practical way.

The recent SEM Asia held in Manila saw an array of innovative entries that came in various shapes, colours and sizes.

For Team Universiti Teknologi Brunei’s One-U, the Electrical Engineering students were working on the electrical part of their vehicle to ensure the motor controller and other electrical components were in great shape.

Once passed, Pahlawan II went on track for the Prototype Battery-electric category challenge with much hope. However, Lester Ong Kai Xiang was unable to finish 10 laps within 29 minutes. According to Lester, it was down to the motor, “We made it on track after passing the technical inspection. However on the track, the vehicle was not producing enough speed. After a few runs around the track, it seemed that there was a problem with the motor controller and realised that it has blown.”

Teams queueing to get a valid run on the track

Team Universiti Teknologi Brunei’s One-U with their Prototype Battery-electric debutant, Pahlawan II

Brakes being inspected before going out to the track

UBD’s Team GenNext Pejuang pose with their Prototype Hydrogen Fuel Cell vehicle, Nakhoda

He added that time and resources were also limited, “We only had 30 minutes to go back and make our next attempt. We tried resourcing from other countries’ teams, however only one had the same specifications as ours and they were about to go make their runs too.”

Team Universiti Teknologi Brunei’s One-U only managed one attempt on the track for the mentioned category. As first-timers, the team are proud that they have managed to come this far and finally realise their participation in the competition. They are motivated and encouraged to come back stronger next year.

As for Universiti Brunei Darussalam’s (UBD) Team GenNext Pejuang, they didn’t manage to get a valid run from the two attempts that they made on the track. The disappointment was felt amongst the whole team as they have worked on the car for such a long time and they felt that they have let down the people supporting them in Brunei.

However, team manager Zhafri also pointed out, “But with this kind of motivation itself, it will drive the team to become a greater contender in the next SEM. The valuable experience that we have learned from the past seven days will be remembered in order to improve, be better prepared and not to repeat the mistakes that we’ve encountered in this year’s SEM.

“I am happy with the team’s team spirit as they show no sign of giving up until the very end, the teamwork quality and fluidity as every problem we encountered we have sorted it out together. I am also happy that the team is committed and shared the same passion throughout the entire project and this event.”

The experience and knowledge the teams gained throughout their journey was also valuable despite not achieving a placing in the competition.

They were able to share ideas and broaden their network with other student teams from the region. Their journey was not limited to just the seven days of their stay for the competition but in fact a year to put everything together in place. The SEM Asia project emphasised on innovation and supports youth development.

The competition challenges student teams from around the world to design, build and test ultra energy-efficient vehicles which means one that can travel the furthest with the least fuel.

The competition has given the students a platform to explore and experiment with technology and fuels to develop creative and innovative mobility solutions.

In their SEM Asia journey, students have had to exercise their leadership and teamwork; and apply their technical, problem solving, communications and self-reliance skills.

The competition has also encouraged the students to plan and execute their projects efficiently in terms of time and cost; and innovatively.

This is in line with Brunei Vision 2035 to build highly skilled and educated individuals. Brunei has been active in sending student teams to the competition since 2011.

There were over 100 car entries from across Asia and the Middle East. SEM is an opportunity for the teams to break down cultural barriers and learn from one another, so there’s an element of collaboration in addition to the technology innovation fostered which is equally important to address.

More than just a competition, SEM Asia is a celebration of innovation and technology as well as an educational platform for local and foreign visitors alike to realise that shaping a sustainable energy future starts with initiative and collective effort. Members of the public can follow the journey of both teams through their Instagram accounts @ubdsem and @itb.sem.

The post Bittersweet ending at SEM Asia 2016 in Manila appeared first on Borneo Bulletin Online.

CHUNG Hwa Middle School (CHMS), BSB the first Microsoft Showcase School in the country recently welcomed Teacher Engagement Manager for Asia Pacific, Felicia Brown who was accompanied by two local Microsoft representatives Danial Azizan Henry, SMB Lead and Dayangku Ashidayu binti Pengiran Haji Ali, Program Manager, Microsoft in Education, Brunei.

Brown was received by school principal Kho Guik Lan, deputy principal Beh Hai Yau and assistant principals Tan Been Tiem and Sim Man Ling.

Kho highlighted how the school adopts innovative technologies that aid teaching and learning. “We need technology in every classroom because it is the lens through which we experience much of our world,” said Kho.

The school has installed all Microsoft tools in the classroom, especially Windows 10, Office 365, OneNote, Staff and Class Notebook, Skype in the classroom, Skype in Business and Sway OneDrive.

“CHMS is eager to achieve more with Microsoft.  We are keen on strengthening our partnership and providing a promising future for our students,” she added.

Felicia Brown with Principal Kho Guik Lan, and other members of the school Management team and Mi-crosoft Brunei representatives

Students participating in an ICT integrated lesson. – PHOTOS: CHMS

Felicia Brown accompanied by Principal Kho visiting the School Legacy Gallery

Brown said the visit was a thrilling experience.

“It is amazing to see CHMS demonstrating 21st Century skills in their classrooms, where teaching, innovation and technology go hand in hand,” said Brown. “Being very passionate about education, it is encouraging to see Microsoft technologies practised in the school. “

The guests then visited the Legacy Gallery that highlights the history of the school.

Integrating technology in teaching doesn’t happen only in primary and secondary classrooms of CHMS. The tour of the facilities routed towards Kindergarten section, where little learners satiate their curiosity with technology integrated lesson.

Enjoying a virtual visit to the zoo, the tiny tots were practising inquiry-based education that allowed them to develop the much needed skills of today’s world.

The school management also briefed the visitors on the ‘Redefining Learning Conference’ that is to be held on March 18-19.

Day 1 will focus on how to ‘Teach with Technology’ with tools such as Microsoft Encoder, Office Mix and a Web based program Class Dojo.

Meanwhile, day 2 will feature the most awaited session ‘We are Education Changemakers!’ that will concentrate on the education transformation at CHMS, BSB.

The post Microsoft program manager visits CHMS appeared first on Borneo Bulletin Online.

|     Khal Baharulalam     |

THE sounds of classical music resonated through the Jerudong Park Colonnade last night during the Musique Symphonique concert which was the final event of the Alliance de France’ Francophonie Week 2016.

The seven-day festival has attracted many people to the French-themed events.

The final live music concert featured performances from The Expression Music, The Sequence Hot Band of Darussalam, and a guest artiste from Canada, Melanie Gall.

The event also saw the attendance of Deputy Permanent Secretary (Tourism) at the Ministry of Primary Resources and Tourism, Wardi bin Haji Mohammad Ali, and French Ambassador to Brunei Darussalam Loan Forgeron.

The lucky dip for the grand prize, a ticket to Paris, was also held.

Deputy Permanent Secretary (Tourism) at the Ministry of Primary Resources and Tourism, Wardi bin Haji Mohammad Ali (Centre), French Ambassador to Brunei Darussalam Loan Forgeron (Left) at the Fran-cophonie Week 2016 at The Colonnade, Jerudong Park Playground last night

One of the performances last night

Members of the public at The Colonnade, Jerudong Park Playground. – PHOTOS: BAHYIAH BAKIR

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|     Fizah HAB     |

WITH the theme “Cuti-Cuti Makan and Have Fun”, the Brunei Food Festival this year is equipped with fun games and entertainment for the whole family.

The event will take place this Wednesday at the Indoor Stadium in Berakas.

“We would like to create more fun at the food fest, so not only can people enjoy the cuisine offered, at the same time they can also enjoy the school holidays with some exciting activities lined up for the seven-day event,” explained one of the organisers from Star Bugs Event Management.

Among the activities prepared for children include cupcake-decorating, marshmallow dips and décor, kids and buns as well as Cosplay and mascots in line with this year’s fun theme.

Among the event’s highlights will be a magic show performed by a guest magician – who will also act as a stage comedian – that would surely entertain and attract a big audience to visit the festival.

One of the upcoming event’s highlights – a Food Fest Lucky Draw – has some exciting prizes up for grabs. – FIZAH HAB

A stage drama depicting the legends of Brunei will also be performed by Putra Seni group.

The organiser also highlighted the Food Fest Lucky Draw promotion, with exciting prizes up for grabs such as electronic appliances, special vouchers and many more.

The event is endorsed by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MoHA) and supported by the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports (MCYS) with Borneo Bulletin as the media partner.

The post ‘Cuti-Cuti Makan and Have Fun’ – Brunei Food Festival at Indoor Stadium begins Wednesday appeared first on Borneo Bulletin Online.

|     Wani Roslan     |

THE Mabohai Shopping Complex in partnership with Astera Consultant and the Women Graduates Association of Brunei Darussalam (PSW) celebrated Women’s Day yesterday with the theme “Celebrating Women” and a series of activities held on its event stage.

The guest of honour was Hajah Noridah binti Haji Abdul Hamid, the Acting Director of Community Development.

The celebration’s main highlight was a forum on ‘Women’s Contribution to Development’ moderated by Pengiran Hajah Zabaidah binti Pengiran Haji Kamaludin, President of PSW, while the other panellists were Datin Paduka Hajah Suraya Noraidah binti Abdullah and Hajah Mordiah binti Haji Jakia.

Aside from sharing about women’s achievements, it also touched on problems that women face in a workplace. There is also currently an online survey on harassment in the workplace (ttp://goo.gl/forms/iVWa25ytbJ) that all women are invited to partake in.

Guest of honour in a group photo with some of the event’s participants yesterday

Hajah Noridah binti Haji Abdul Hamid, the Acting Director of Community Development, presenting prizes to the colouring competition’s winners

Forum on ‘Women’s Contribution to Development’. – PHOTOS: WANI ROSLAN

In an interview, Pengiran Hajah Zabaidah underlined that the forum’s objectives of the forum included raising awareness and providing information to the public how much women in Brunei have contributed to the development.

The event was enlivened with a series of activities, including a workshop by Charis Decoupage, a colouring competition for mom and child, a ‘Henna’ demonstration from Nana Zee, as well as several booths that were set up throughout the celebration.

The guest of honour also presented prizes to the colouring competition’s top three winners, who respectively were Wang Toh Yiong (mother) and Tiong Ing Hoe (child), Ngu Mee Ling and Wong Teck Soon, and Marini Mohd Hassan and Noor Mohd Asa.

The post Celebrating Women at Mabohai Shopping Complex appeared first on Borneo Bulletin Online.

|     Achong Tanjong     |

MINISTER of Education YB Pehin Orang Kaya Indera Pahlawan Dato Seri Setia Awang Haji Suyoi bin Haji Osman yesterday launched the 4th Brunei Darussalam Cuboree in conjunction with celebrations of 100 years of Cub Scouts in Scouting at the National Scout and Activity Training Centre in Gadong.

The event was organised by the Brunei Darussalam Scouts Association in cooperation with the Department of Co-Curriculam Education, Ministry of Education.

In his speech, the minister noted the Cuboree theme ‘Start from Us’ is very significant in education – especially when it involves admission from primary school pupils – which is meant to instill knowledge, life skills and build discipline and moral values that should be taught to them at a young age.

He said, students who are educated at an early age will have huge impact when they grow up.

Minister of Education YB Pehin Orang Kaya Indera Pahlawan Dato Seri Setia Awang Haji Suyoi bin Haji Osman being introduced to contigent leaders from Malaysia (pic above) and the minister meeting junior scouts at the event launch yesterday (pic below)

Children staging a traditional dance performance. – PHOTOS: ACHONG TANJONG

Besides bringing useful experiences and skills, co-curricular activities such as the camp could raise awareness among students on real life environment, he added.

The minister also congratulated the leadership of the Brunei Darussalam Scouts Association and Department of Co-Curriculam Education for their effort in organising the Cuboree and realising the objective of the Ministry of Education in producing students who are not only knowledgeable but also responsible, sustainable and always ready to contribute towards the development, harmony and stability of the nation.

The event was joined by over 400 junior scouts, including those from Perak, Selangor, Terengganu, Johor, Sabah, Sarawak and Labuan, the seven states of Malaysia; as well as two observers from Singapore.

The Cub Scouts is one of the divisions of the World Organisation of Scouts Movement. Members comprise scouts aged between seven to 11-years-old.

The Brunei Darussalam Scouts Association through the World Organisations Scouts Movement has planned various activities that are in line with the current development of children of today.

At the event, the minister also presented Brunei Scouts Association Friendship Award to six recipients.

Present at the event were Permanent Secretary (Core Education) at the Ministry of Education Dr Hajah Romaizah binti Haji Mohd Salleh, President of Brunei Darussalam Scouts Association Dato Paduka Dr Awang Haji Idris bin Haji Abas, Commander of the Royal Brunei Armed Forces Pehin Dato Pekerma Jaya Major General Dato Paduka Seri Mohd Tawih bin Abdullah, Director of Department of Co-Curriculam Education under the Ministry of Education Pengiran Suhaimi bin Pengiran Haji Bakar, contingent leaders, teachers and parents.

The post 4th Brunei Darussalam Cuboree launched appeared first on Borneo Bulletin Online.

|     Syazwani Hj Rosli     |

THE 3rd White Cane Charity Run 2016 yesterday raised $13,000 for the purchase of equipment for the visually impaired.

Organised by the Brunei Darussalam National Association of the Blind (BDNAB) in collaboration with the Department of Co-Curriculum Education of the Ministry of Education (MoE), the run which took place at the Indoor Stadium of the Hassanal Bolkiah National Sports Complex saw the participation of more than 1,200 people.

The run started at 6.30am with an aerobics session prior to the flag-off of the six race categories by the guest of honour, YB Pehin Orang Kaya Indera Pahlawan Dato Seri Setia Awang Haji Suyoi bin Haji Osman, the Minister of Education.

The six race categories were the 10-kilometre male open, 10-kilometre female open, five-kilometre male open, five-kilometre female open, Fun Run and Special Needs People.

In the 10-kilometre male open race, Yong Khong Wei emerged as champion with Faizal bin Haji Ahmad and Ian Bickle coming in second and third place respectively.

YB Pehin Orang Kaya Indera Pahlawan Dato Seri Setia Awang Haji Suyoi bin Haji Osman, the Minister of Education officiating at the flag-off of one of the race categories of the 3rd White Cane Charity Run 2016 yesterday

YB Pehin Orang Kaya Indera Pahlawan Dato Seri Setia Awang Haji Suyoi bin Haji Osman, the Minister of Education, and a participant in a wheelchair during the 3rd White Cane Charity Run 2016 yesterday

The Minister of Education congratulating Razali Sabli who came in first place in the five-kilometre male open race

The Minister of Education with Nikmatul Fatinah who won the five-kilometre female open race. – PHO-TOS: SYAZWANI HJ ROSLI

In the 10-kilometre female open race, the champion was Yvette JM Kortekaas, followed by Norhaffyzah binti Lamat.

Razali Sabli won the five-kilometre male open race, while Muhd Qamarul Ariffin bin Hifni came in second and Haji Jupli bin Haji Pangis came in third.

In the five-kilometre female open race, Nikmatul Fatinah binti Haji Awang Ismail won the gold medal, while Dawn Lovell and Ling Deyuan came in second and third respectively.

Also present were Pengiran Dato Paduka Haji Bahrom bin Pengiran Haji Bahar, Deputy Minister of Education as well as senior officials from the MoE, Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports and Ministry of Home Affairs.

The post White Cane Charity Run raises $13,000 appeared first on Borneo Bulletin Online.

|     James Kon     |

SINCE 2015, United Agri-Fishery Market Sdn Bhd, a company set up by Taiwanese nationals, has invested about $1,000,000 at the Tanah Jambu Agricultural Development Area to produce watermelons, sweet melons and cherry tomatoes for the local market.

The farm sits on a 25.3-hectare site leased from the Department of Agriculture and Agrifood (DAA) and has 20 greenhouses, each 40 metres long.

The farm harvests two varieties of watermelon and sweet melon. Due to limited production, the produce is only available at Warisan Utama Jaya Emporium and Supermarket at Jalan Muara.

Two Taiwanese agriculture experts from United Agri-Fishery Market, Yang Jui-Lin and Bob Hsieh, are in Brunei Darussalam to try to expand the production of the fruits and vegetables.

Watermelons produced on the farm. – PHOTOS: JAMES KON

Sweet melons grown in a greenhouse

Cherry tomato plants in a greenhouse

Recalling their move to invest in Brunei, they said they saw that there was a lot of land here and felt that there was an opportunity for the growth of agriculture in the country.

With the support of the Brunei Economic Development Board (BEDB) and DAA, they set up the farm at Tanah Jambu Agricultural Development area.

Since last year, the farm started producing limited amounts of Taiwanese melons amounting to 500kg per harvest (50 days) and distributed them to supermarkets.

The farm also has to import high quality Taiwanese soil to neutralise the acidic soil found at the farm in order to plant the cherry tomatoes and sweet melons.

With the success of growing Taiwanese watermelons, sweet melons and cherry tomatoes as well as the possibility of growing other varieties of vegetables and fruits, the company is hopeful of increasing its production.

However, the useable flat land is limited due to the hilly jungle areas located at the back of the farm.

In addition, the farm is plagued by monkeys that have caused damage to the crops.

There has also been no water supply to the farm for about a month and the farm currently relies on water from a stream in the hilly jungle to keep the plants moist.

Despite the challenges, the two men said they hope that their determination will pay off in the future and help increase local production of high quality fruits and vegetables to cater not only for the local but also overseas markets.

The post Taiwan firm’s $1 million investment bears fruit appeared first on Borneo Bulletin Online.

AS THE world celebrated Earth Hour on March 19, it was a great reminder how far we have come in creating awareness on the effects of climate change.

It is not about turning off the lights for an hour, instead a call for humanity to contribute towards climate change within their own power and capacity.

From rising sea levels to increasing global temperature, the climate crisis has resulted in many tragedies around the world. These include Typhoon Haiyan in 2013, which was the strongest tropical cyclones ever recorded, killing over 6,000 people in The Philippines.

Just last year, Iran reported a deadly heat index of 73 degrees celcius.

The impact of climate change is beyond human tragedies in affected areas; destruction of crops and climate migration can also have an effect in other countries.

Khairunnisa Ash’ari and Norazwan Anarul, the first Climate Reality leaders from Brunei

However, all is not lost. Advancement in green technology and sustainable practices are the key to protecting our future generation.

More countries have begun to change their policies to address climate change through limiting or stopping coal production and increasing the use of renewable technologies.

This is the topic that has dominated conversations during the Climate Reality Project Training in Manila last week.

Attended by over 700 individuals from 58 countries, the training focused on the realities of climate change around the world. It also highlighted solutions that countries can adopt to solve the climate crisis.

Led by former US Vice President Al Gore, the three-day training aims to equip participants with the necessary knowledge and skills to communicate the science of climate change to the public.

The Climate Reality Project is a diverse group of passionate individuals who come together to help solve the greatest challenge of our time.

They consist of cultural leaders, marketers, organisers, scientists and storytellers who are committed to building a better future together.

Attending the three-day training were Khairunnisa Ash’ari and Norazwan Anarul from Green Brunei.

The duo will join ranks with over 3,000 climate reality leaders from all over the world to conduct Acts of Climate Leadership as a follow up of the training.

The post Building the case for climate action appeared first on Borneo Bulletin Online.

|     Izah Azahari     |

A NUMBER of thoughts, suggestions and recommendations were raised in the aspect of tourism which should be looked into and deeply refined as pointed out by YB Awang Haji Mohd Shafiee bin Ahmad, a Legislative Council (LegCo) member and the Village Head of Kampong Lumut 1 in Mukim Liang, during his adjournment speech at the 12th LegCo Meeting yesterday.

He said that pertaining to the issue of developing the Brunei’s tourist destinations, there are many interesting locations in the Belait District that showcase nature and can be explored, in addition to other popular destinations.

YB Awang Haji Mohd Shafiee later added that it would not be impossible to attract local and foreign tourists to visit the country if this can be worked on through a public-private partnership (PPP) with an appropriate added value, which will contribute to the country’s economic growth.

Also discussed was the ‘Generation with a Vision’ that are lucky to be given adequate education and other facilities by the government compared to those before them.

YB Awang Haji Mohd Shafiee bin Ahmad, Legislative Council member and the Village Head of Kampong Lumut 1 in Mukim Liang. – DEAN KASSIM

“Today’s generation should have high commitment… or restrain themselves from the current developments of globalisation,” he said. “The country needs a visionary generation that is dynamic and competitive, as well as striving to be more committed in realising the national Vision 2035.”

Furthermore, the LegCo member urged for a more conducive platform to give appropriate opportunities to develop, to complete the youths with secular and religious knowledge accompanied by a mentorship that builds them up, and aid youths to develop so that they could become successful.

In the aspect of pro-business government policy, he stated welcomes it is welcomed but also hopes for a change in the mindset of public service staff who tend to customers as the business climate in Brunei has now changed with most being conducted online easily and in accordance with the aspirations of today’s youths.

He also urged for an ‘Ease of Doing Business’ plan with constructive guidance, appropriate financial aid that needs to be given when needed to ease the development of the youth in business, as well as continued relevant courses from time to time to equip them to become successful entrepreneurs.

“We need to start it now if we want to watch the Brunei youth succeed… as Rome was not built in a day,” he remarked.

Meanwhile, the LegCo member commended the government, especially the Community Development Department (JAPEM), Brunei Islamic Religious Council and Yayasan Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah, for keeping up with its social commitment in aiding and extending assistance to those who are less fortunate, despite the country’s economic constraints.

“At the same time, we hope that the mindset of individuals in need of assistance can change and they strive to become independent, generating income through small businesses, and to not rely heavily on assistance from others.”

The final issue that he looked into was national security, commending the Royal Brunei Police Force (RBPF) for reactivating the Neighbourhood Watch programme as well as Mukim and village consultative councils throughout the country that have received positive response.

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