|    Fadhil Yunus    |

DPMM FC maintained their unbeaten start in the AIA Singapore Premier League after holding Albirex Niigata (S) to a goalless draw at the Jurong East Stadium in Singapore last night.

The Gegar Gegar men climbed to the top of the Singapore Premier League for at least 24 hours with seven points after three matches and it is also their third clean sheet this season.

DPMM FC had to play with ten men for more than half an hour after fullback Najib Tarif was sent off for a second bookable offence.

It is the first time in 94 matches that Albirex Niigata (S) have not scored in successive matches though they kept their unbeaten record at the Jurong East Stadium.

The visitors wasted little time to underline their attacking threat after Hendra Azam attempted a speculative effort from the centre circle during kick-off, which ended in Albirex shot-stopper Kengo Fukudome making a routine save.

The hosts came close to open the scoring after Naruki Takahashi connected to a decent cross from captain Kyoga Nakamura but DPMM FC goalkeeper Wardun Yussof made the save.

DPMM FC were awarded a free-kick as a consequence of clever play from Andrei Varankou who instigated a foul from an Albirex player. Hendra curled the subsequent free-kick but only straight to Fukudome.

Nakamura’s free-kick was cleared by DPMM FC centre back Charlie Clough and the loose ball fell for Daizo Horikoshi who ballooned his effort wide.

DPMM FC were down to ten men after fullback Najib Tarif was given his marching orders for a second bookable offence in the 53^rd minute. The fullback appeared to charge into Horikoshi who had broken away from a counter.

The visitors were inches from conceding a penalty after Ryo Nakano was tripped outside the box.

Albirex defender Kodai Sumikawa sent a low cross into the box but good defending from Charlie Clough prevented Horikoshi from inviting danger into Wardun’s goal.

Hiroyoshi Kamata orchestrated the move with good ball control before space opened up for Albirex but Nakamura sliced his shot wide much to the relief of the visiting defence.

The hosts were dispossessed as Azwan Ali Rahman picked up the pieces before driving forward in the Albirex midfield. He found Varankou who attempted to curl his effort beyond Fukudome but the lack of power enabled the goalkeeper to gather the ball with ease.

Albirex midfielder Kaishu Yamazaki was afforded space to take a free hit but he dragged his shot wide as DPMM FC again were let off the hook. There were chances for a winner on both ends of the pitch deep into injury time.

Abdul Mu’iz Sisa floated in a good ball into the box which was not far away from Razimie Ramlli for DPMM FC while Yoshikatsu Hiraga could not get sufficient power to trouble Wardun from a Nakamura curled cross.

|     Aziz Idris     |

MINISTER of Culture, Youth and Sports Major General (Rtd) Dato Paduka Seri Awang Haji Aminuddin Ihsan bin Pehin Orang Kaya Saiful Mulok Dato Seri Paduka Haji Abidin urged youth in the country to venture into entrepreneurship and not just wait to secure white collar jobs.

The minister made this remark when he officiated the opening of youth-led Bercuts Barbershop in Jerudong yesterday.

He observed that it is high time our youth learn entrepreneurship skills and start businesses that would create jobs for themselves and other youth.

“I urged more youth to contribute to the development of the country through various fields such as entrepreneurship. This will help create jobs for locals,” he said.

Founder of Bercuts Barbershop Haji Izaz Fahad bin Haji Bahrein started from humble beginnings, cutting hair for his siblings and relatives with zero experience. A trip to Bandung, Indonesia during his discovery year opened his eyes into the world of entrepreneurship.

“I saw many Indonesian youth having their own small businesses, especially the barbershops. I saw the tenacity, the grit and basically do what is required to survive attitude no matter what. That drew my attention. That made me jealous. I wanted that as well,” he explained.

Immediately after graduation, he went to the London School of Barbering, UK to pursue his master’s degree and at the same time, became Brunei Hall’s resident barber.

Once back in Brunei, he converted the family’s cathouse into a small barbershop and things took off from then. He hired local staff to conduct his business.

Among the services offered by Bercuts Barbershop include male haircuts and beard trims, hot towel shave and students haircut. Every customer will also receive complementary drinks and light bites.

The minister alongside Haji Izaz and family members marked the opening of Bercuts Barbershop with a ribbon cutting ceremony.

The minister also had a hair trim by Haji Izaz in show of support.

BANK Islam Brunei Darussalam (BIBD) yesterday gave out BND75,000 in its second quarterly and fourth monthly prize presentation for its BIBD’s Aspirasi Reward Programme.

The prizes included two quarterly prizes of BND25,000 and 10 monthly winners of BND2,500. These winners were chosen from customers who subscribed to BIBD Aspirasi since its launch last year until December 9, 2018.

Held at the BIBD Kiulap Branch, the prizes were handed over by guest of honour Deputy Managing Director Hajah Noraini binti Haji Sulaiman.

Also present to call on the draw for the quarterly and monthly winners was Dean of Faculty of Economic and Islamic Finance, UNISSA Dr Abdul Nasir bin Haji Abdul Rani as member of the BIBD Shariah Advisory Body along with other BIBD personnel.

|     Fizah HAB     |

THE Hadfa Garden Lighting Festival 2019 opens its door to the public at the Hadfa Garden in the Agriculture Development Site Phase 4, Rimba Horticulture after its launching ceremony last night.

Chairman of the Brunei Malay Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DPPMB) and Legislative Council member Yang Berhormat Haji Abdul Hamid @ Haji Sabli bin Haji Arsad, the guest of honour, launched the month-long festival.

Organised by the Malay Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DPPMB) in collaboration with Hadfa Garden and supported by Higher Hotel, the event aimed to encourage tourists to visit the country, and to draw locals as part of the school holiday activity.

It also serves to provide exposure and showcase flowers available at the garden as well as to provide an opportunity for the DPPMB members to carry out business activities at the event by selling food and beverages as well as other fun games and activities for the visitors to enjoy.

Members of the public can visit the Hadfa Garden Lighting Festival 2019 until April 15.

Tickets can be purchased at the entrance of the Hadfa Garden.

|     Lyna Mohamad & Ak Zaki Kasharan     |

A REHEARSAL for the first Brunei Darussalam International Kite Festival 2019 was held at the Taman Mahkota Jubli Emas in Bandar Seri Begawan yesterday.

The festival will be held tomorrow.

Minister of Home Affairs Pehin Orang Kaya Seri Kerna Dato Seri Setia (Dr) Haji Awang Abu Bakar bin Haji Apong and Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports Major General (Rtd) Dato Paduka Seri Awang Haji Aminuddin Ihsan bin Pehin Orang Kaya Saiful Mulok Dato Seri Paduka Haji Abidin were present.

Organised in conjunction with the 35th National Day Celebration by the Brunei Darussalam Kite Association (PEKIKIK) chaired by its President Haji Maidin bin Haji Ahmad.

A total of 34 countries will be participating in the festival.

The festival will also display a kite exhibition as well as food and drink stalls.

|     Aziz Idris     |

THREE Bruneian women have been nominated for the Southeast Asia Woman of the Future Awards. The three who have been shortlisted are Dr Noor Affizan Rahman, Najaa Halbi and Supna Rania Karwanamurthi.

The Southeast Asia Woman of the Future Awards is an award ceremony which aims to build a platform to showcase regional emerging leaders who are tomorrow’s game-changers. They are celebrated for their ability to disrupt stereotypes and drive positive impactful change.

Dr Noor, a consultant ophthalmologist at the Ministry of Health, has been shortlisted for the Community Spirits and Public Service Category for her continuous work as a public speaker and advocate for personal development and social contribution focussing on empowering the youth.

Najaa, a petroleum engineer and the planning manager for East Asset Brunei Shell Petroleum, has been shortlisted for the Professions Category with almost 10 years of industry experience in the Upstream business. She is also in the final year of completing her MBA.

Supna, who has been shortlisted for the Entrepreneur Category, is the co-founder and Managing Director of Flux OS Sdn Bhd which aspires to be the leading well servicing and drilling company in the region.

This year’s winners will be announced at a gala dinner on March 21 at the Hilton Hotel in Singapore.

The Woman of the Future programme supported by the British government can encourage, motivate and provide role models to inspire and empower women. Its aim is to process create a global community of supportive and collaborative women.

British High Commissioner to Brunei Darussalam Richard Lindsay and his spouse Xanthe Lindsay hosted a reception at his residence for the three women.

The British High Commissioner said, “The Woman of the Future Awards are a recognition of the great achievements of women across Southeast Asia. It is huge testament to women in Brunei that there are three finalists amongst those from the continent. It is also a great opportunity to celebrate the many other women in so many sectors of society in Brunei who are doing so much to shape the future.”

The reception was an opportunity to celebrate women’s achievement and was also an opportunity to start the conversation on women empowerment and about what can be done to create a more gender balanced community which was the theme of this year’s International Women’s Day.

Participants from different sectors including entrepreneurs and representatives from government and private sectors and NGOs were also present.

|     Hakim Hayat     |

A FOREIGN national remains missing while another passenger sustained injuries following a mishap between two passenger boats at the Brunei River yesterday.

The accident occurred near the Raja Isteri Pengiran Anak Hajah Saleha Bridge, according to the Royal Brunei Police Force (RBPF).

One passenger boat was carrying three foreigners while the other had two passengers who are reportedly unharmed.

Police in their statement did not disclose the nationalities of the foreigners. According to initial reports from the Fire and Rescue Department, the missing passenger is believed to be a Nepalese.

Search and rescue operations involving the Marine Police, Fire and Rescue Department and personnel from the Kampong Ayer Police Station are underway.

Police said the missing passenger was not wearing a life jacket and urged the public to relay information or suspicious discoveries around the vicinity to the police hotline 993 or the nearest police station.

|     Lyna Mohamad     |

THE Japanese Embassy in Brunei Darussalam hosted a farewell ceremony for the Bruneian students participating in the ASEAN + Timor-Leste Youth Leader Exchange on Friday.

Japanese Ambassador to Brunei Darussalam Motohiko Kato was present.

The ambassador gave an overview of what Japan has to offer in terms of its energy-saving and green technologies, making it the third-largest economy, despite having no natural resources.

“I hope that you will see, learn and gain as much knowledge as possible, to share with the people here,” he said.

Group leader Awangku Abdul Azim bin Pengiran Yusof referred to the bilateral relations between Brunei and Japan, as “profoundly reshaping communications, infrastructure, economies and the goals of Brunei Vision 2035”.

“Its transformative technology spurs innovation, facilitates trade and commerce, and enables the flow of information in public interest. We are about to open a door that will lead to even greater innovation and choice, laying the path to Vision 2035 – the greatest potential unifying force for Brunei,” he added.

He said that their participation will help to promote mutual trust and understanding among the people of both countries as well as promote global understanding of Japan’s economics, society, politics and foreign policy across ASEAN.

“Our aim is to further empower youth and give them a deeper understanding about ASEAN and its role in our society,” he said.

Under JENESYS 2018, the ASEAN + Timor-Leste Youth Leader Exchange is composed of promising university graduate students from ASEAN member states and Timor-Leste, with the participation of 10 students from each country.

The main objective of this programme is mainly to provide an opportunity to develop young leaders who can solve ASEAN’s problems over the coming 10 years.

To achieve the realisation of the ASEAN Community Vision 2025, four sub-themes are set in this programme, where each participant will visit one of distinctive regional areas in Japan and learn about Japan’s experiences and technologies related to the assigned themes. They will also discuss with the members about their applications in ASEAN region.

The distinctive regional areas are Food Tourism (Hokkaido Prefecture – 22 students), Disaster Prevention (Miyagi Prefecture – 33 students), History and Environment of Manufacturing (Aichi Prefecture – 22 students) and Historical Heritage (Okayama Prefecture – 33 students).

On the first two days of the programme, the group will participate in the orientation programme and theme-related lectures Observations in Tokyo, and will move to local areas where they will visit theme-related facilities, participate in school exchanges and experience homestays.

Other activities include creating videos at a workshop to share the experiences gained in the programme, as well as a reporting session on the outcome.

|    Fadhil Yunus    |

DPMM FC head coach Adrian Pennock heaped praise to his charges after his side held Albirex Niigata (S) to a goalless draw in the AIA Singapore Premier League at the Jurong East Stadium in Singapore on Friday.

“I can’t praise (the players) enough. We know it was going to be difficult. They haven’t lost here since 2015. They’re (Albirex) a very good side,” said Pennock in a post-match interview with the Singapore Premier League.

The Brunei-based outfit were handicapped at a numerical disadvantage for more than half an hour after fullback Najib Tarif was given his marching orders for a second bookable offence.

DPMM FC performed admirably in defence as they withstood the Japanese onslaught and preserved their third successive clean sheet.

“We had that battle and we had to dig in. I just can’t praise them enough. It’s absolutely fantastic. To have seven points out of three games I’m very pleased with that,” the head coach continued.

The former Gillingham head coach welcomed the challenge of returning to contention for the league title, having been out of the running at an early stage last season.

“I would love to be up there. Why not? We haven’t played everybody this season obviously it’s very early days.”

He added, “I think after 10 games, you’ll find out who’s going to be up there or not. We give ourselves good opportunities. We come here to a very difficult place and to get three clean sheets on the spin is fantastic.”

The players have been in high spirits and Pennock reiterated the good atmosphere within the squad.

“We left five to six players at home and they’re all a part of it. We’ve got a great togetherness at the football club and we got to keep the pressure on.”

DPMM FC will not be back to competitive action until April 7 against Tampines Rovers at home and Pennock is eager to build on their momentum.

He said, “My only problem is we haven’t got another game for three and a half weeks. It’s a shame that we can’t continue this. But they deserve a little break and hopefully they’ll be ready for the next game.”

|     Lyna Mohamad     |

MOHD Shukri Ramlee received the first prize of 100,000 miles while Hock Lai Poh, claimed the second prize of 50,000 miles during the prize presentation of Royal Skies One Million Miles promotion for February at the Royal Brunei (RB) Customer Service Centre of the RB Plaza in the capital yesterday.

Meanwhile, Noor Zainatun Zainuddin, Paul Booth and Sylvia Lim Ngah Hui won 20,000 miles each and remaining winners Ken Lu Koh, Zulliza Muhd, Alizul Cheepin Lim and Helen Ruth Milner won 10,000 miles each.

Royal Skies (RS) members who converted their bank points from Bank Islam Brunei Darussalam, Standard Chartered Bank or Baiduri Bank to a minimum of 5,000 miles from November 1, 2018 to February 28, were eligible for the monthly lucky draw promotion.

Present at the ceremony were RB People and Public Relations Manager Fung Siew Mun and RB Loyalty Manager April Chu.

|     Danial Norjidi     |

THE topic of career pathways for local contract teachers was discussed during the afternoon session of the 15th Legislative Council (LegCo) meeting yesterday.

LegCo member and Penghulu of Mukim Bokok Yang Berhormat Haji Emran bin Haji Sabtu asked whether the Ministry of Education (MoE) has any plans to have local contract teachers be made into permanent teachers or if it has any other initiatives on offer to retain them to serve and work in the ministry.

In response, Minister of Education Yang Berhormat Dato Seri Setia Awang Haji Hamzah bin Haji Sulaiman said, “Since the first intake of local teachers contracted in 2018 and the second intake in 2019, Alhamdulillah 200 English and Mathematics teachers have been placed in government secondary and primary schools across the country.”

“During their placement in schools, these local contract teachers have followed continuous professional development to improve the quality of teaching and learning as well as their professionalism as educators.”

The minister highlighted that in order to ensure that teachers’ quality is at a high level, the MoE has implemented a more detailed and comprehensive process for selection and recruitment of local contract teachers to ensure that the selected teachers not only have the qualifications but are also genuinely interested in being teachers.

He said that local contract teachers will be assessed through the Teacher Performance Appraisal (TPA).

“Only local contract teachers who meet the required level of TPA assessment will be considered for posts as teachers in the MoE,” he added

He then proceeded to share the career pathways for those who have reached this level.

For local contract teachers who have a teaching qualification or initial teaching programme, they will fill available established posts. In the meantime, the MoE also encourages local contract teachers to currently have a teaching qualification to apply for the positions advertised, even during the contract period, subject to the terms of the post.

Meanwhile, to provide alternative routes for local contract teachers who do not have the teaching qualifications or the initial teaching programme, the MoE will enable them to apply for a Masters of Teaching programme at Universiti Brunei Darussalam to obtain the certificate or qualification, added the minister.

|     Rokiah Mahmud     |

THE Government 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, always gives priority and attention towards ensuring that the less fortunate in the country, including victims of natural disasters and fires, are given access to comfortable temporary shelter.

This was stated by Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports Yang Berhormat Major General (Rtd) Dato Paduka Seri Awang Haji Aminuddin Ihsan bin Pehin Orang Kaya Saiful Mulok Dato Seri Paduka Haji Abidin, while responding to a query by Legislative Council (LegCo) member and Village Head of Kampong Masjid Lama, Pekan Muara, Sabun and Pelumpong Yang Berhormat Pengiran Haji Mohamed bin Pengiran Haji Osman @ Othman at the LegCo meeting yesterday.

The minister added that the ministry together with its strategic partners also helps construct permanent housing for the victims.

He said that when it comes to providing permanent houses, the process involves coordination with various parties including the Ministry of Development (MoD) to expedite the disbursement of housing aid under the Housing Focus Group (HFG) for each case.

Referring to the information shared by the HFG committee, the minister revealed that a total of 1,526 government assets such as vacant flats, barracks and houses have been earmarked to be used as assistance for agencies that require them, especially for emergency cases.

The minister also said assistance for the construction of houses also involves the Law and Welfare Division under the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), which acts as secretariat for the housing aid construction provision action committee for the poor and destitute.

“This project is carried out in collaboration with the MoD, Ministry of Religious Affairs, Ministry of Home Affairs, and MCYS,” he said. “The project is fully funded by the Brunei Islamic Religious Council (MUIB) through tithe (Zakat) collections, and victims of natural disasters and fires given priority to this aid.

“The project secretariat also works together to obtain temporary shelter for the victims while they wait for (the processing of) the permanent housing assistance.”

The minister said that in the past 10 years, MUIB had carried out construction, repair works and purchased a total of 103 houses for recipients comprising Asnaf Fakir Miskin (poor and destitute) individuals in the country.

He added, “The MCYS at the same time also helps out in the construction of permanent housing for victims of natural disasters and fires as well as the less fortunate via the Community Development Department (JAPEM), together with its strategic partners such as Yayasan Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah and the Royal Brunei Armed Forces and other volunteer groups.”

Under such initiatives, 16 houses have been built and repaired in the past five years. In 2019, the MCYS is aiming to construct two houses for the underprivileged. The minister also highlighted that assistance provided by the government last year for 1,637 people affected by fires, floods, strong winds, landslides and collapsed houses totalled almost BND350,000.

|     Hakim Hayat     |

THE Ministry of Religious Affairs (MoRA) yesterday tabled a proposed total budget of BND265,496,950 for the new financial year 2019/2020, a 10 per cent increase from its 2018/2019 budget as it strives to ramp up Islamic education in the country.

At the sixth day of the 15th Legislative Council (LegCo) meeting yesterday, Minister of Religious Affairs Yang Berhormat Pehin Udana Khatib Dato Paduka Seri Setia Ustaz Haji Awang Badaruddin bin Pengarah Dato Paduka Haji Awang Othman in his budget read-out underscored the ministry’s commitment in ensuring optimal use of budget to support its core businesses of Islamic education, Dakwah and Islamic propagation, Islamic law, social security and also management and administration.

While breaking down the ministry’s budget allocation, the minister disclosed that Islamic education will be given the biggest allocation – about 70.6 per cent of the total proposed budget including development budget for MoRA. “This should be seen as an actual and clear sign that the government is committed to continue support our national education policy and philosophy that does not set aside Islamic learning and education, in shaping an educated and pious generations for today and tomorrow. MoRA has a big responsibility in ensuring its success.” he added.

The minister said the efforts include ensuring that Islamic education remains relevant by offering the most defined response possible to the country’s development and also the success of the generation that follows the Islamic education stream. “This requires realistic thinking and attitude by relevant parties involved in education planning.”

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’s continuous concern for the development of Islamic education in the country is also very much admired and appreciated, the minister said.

A special addition of staff in Arabic schools and Institut Tahfiz Al-Quran Sultan Haji Hassanal has been approved and in the process of being filled in.

MoRA’s Mosque Construction Fund programme has also helped the ministry support the government’s policy of fiscal consolidation, the minister said, as BND7.5 million was collected between June 2015 – December 2017, where BND6.56 million has been utilised to build mosques while the rest of the donated monies were used to renovate three mosques.

The minister also informed that its five-year plan (2018-2022) to build more mosques using BND18 million from the Mosque Construction Fund programme has been approved and is awaiting open-tender offerings for its first mosque in the plan in Kampong Junjungan.

|     Azlan Othman & Rokiah Mahmud     |

GOVERNMENT scholarship students who are bonded are not allowed to work outside the country. They are only allowed to work either with the government or private sector in the country.

However, the matter will be further reviewed for reducing the unemployment rate among Brunei graduates, Minister of Education Yang Berhormat Awang Haji Hamzah bin Haji Sulaiman said at the Legislative Council (LegCo) meeting yesterday.

He was responding to a question by Legislative Council (LegCo) member Yang Berhormat Khairunnisa binti Haji Ash’ari on reviewing bonds for overseas graduates so that they could work abroad if not offered employment in the country.

She added that the chances of these graduates getting job offers overseas were high.

Yang Berhormat Khairunnisa said it brings benefits to the government if the bonded students are able to work overseas and a loss to the nation if they are unemployed for a longer period.

On a similar issue echoed by LegCo Yang Berhormat Siti Rozaimeriyanty binti Dato Seri Laila Jasa Haji Abdul Rahman, the Minister of Education said to break the bond, there must be a win-win solution benefitting the nation and the student.

The government invests a lot of money in awarding the student with an overseas scholarship. The nation is also encouraging the students to venture into entrepreneurship to assist the economy using facilities available in the country.

|     Azlan Othman     |

THE Ministry of Education (MoE) has been allocated a proposed budget of BND735,331,970 for the financial year 2019/2020.

This consists of a total of BND510,541,710 for staff salaries, BND224,810,200 for recurring expenses, and BND19,582,660 for development expenditure, Minister of Education Yang Berhormat Dato Seri Setia Awang Haji Hamzah bin Haji Sulaiman disclosed when going through a lengthy budget proposal for the ministry on the sixth day of the 15th Legislative Council meeting yesterday.

“The progress of a nation depends on its education. If the country’s education is excellent, so will its people because they are sowed by knowledge,” he said, thanking 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’s government for prioritising education every year despite the challenging economic situation.

“The ministry, therefore, supported the budget theme for this year, ‘Investment Towards the Future’, as investments in education are prerequisites for a prosperous nation and the people’s progress.”

The minister highlighted that these investments have begun to reap positive results, with the country showing great results for the 2018 academic year.

In the Primary School Assessment (PSR) examinations for example, government school candidates who achieved A-C grades in five subjects have increased by 10.03 per cent from 2014, since the inception of the Lower Education Initiative and Secondary Education Initiative.

For the GCE ‘O’ Levels, 36.69 per cent of candidates earned at least five ‘O’ levels, the highest achievement Brunei has seen so far.

For the GCE ‘A’ Level, 75.55 per cent school candidates earned three ‘A’ levels, an increase of 5.49 per cent from 2017, the highest in five years.

Meanwhile, at the higher education level, Universiti Brunei Darussalam (UBD) was ranked 349th globally under the QS World University Ranking, with Universiti Teknologi Brunei (UTB) placed 442nd in the same index.

These improvements provide the MoE the encouragement to continue its work to improve the standard of education in the country and raise the quality of students. It aims to do so by spending prudently and implementing education programmes through cost-effective steps, while delivering maximum results.

Toward this end, the minister pointed out, the ministry has devised the Strategic Plan 2018- 2022, which consists of three strategic objectives: transforming existing human resources to a culture-based achievement; providing equal and equitable access to quality education; and enhancing accountability sharing with stakeholders in the development of teaching and learning.

“The ministry will design and implement a comprehensive human resource development strategy to cover every level of education – primary, secondary, technical and vocational, university – and this will cater to the officers and staff of the ministry,” he said.

“This will involve the implementation of capacity-building programmes, human resource competency, energy resource management system and evaluation systems.”

Yang Berhormat Dato Seri Setia Awang Haji Hamzah also outlined projects that will be implemented in the financial year 2019/2020 under these strategic objectives.

These include continuing the project to bring in experts and skilled teachers for the Literacy and Numeracy Coaching Programmes; deve-lopment of competence and assessment framework for teachers and leaders for primary, secondary, special education, technical education and vocational education; reviewing the recruitment and selection of teachers; reviewing and expediting the process of placement of teachers’ positions; implementation of training programmes to build competency based on competence; and assessment of manpower and additional staff deployment to schools.

The minister said that under objective two of providing equal and equitable access to quality education, the ministry will carry out a few steps.

“The first is to enhance the quality of early childhood education. The second is to strengthen the delivery of basic education, which is primary and secondary education,” he said. “This will cover the development of student learning proficiency, enhancement of curriculum, strengthening assessment, provi-sion of adequate education infrastructure and provision of ICT services for education.

“The third step is to improve the quality of post-secondary education and broaden access to it. The fourth step is for students who are at risk and underprivileged to be given priority attention by the ministry.

“The final step is to improve life-long learning by developing a framework, guidance, and providing entry into lifelong learning programmes.”

To achieve these goals, the minister said that major projects will be implemented for the financial year 2019/2020, namely curriculum revisions which will look at the development of literacy standards for Malay Language, Science, Digital and Finance to respond to the needs of the Fourth Industrial Revolution; and the implementation of Students Assessment Tracker to assess students’ skills in primary and secondary levels in reading, writing, numeracy and science.

These projects will also include the provision of intervention programmes based on assessment to support School-Based Assessment (SBA) and Students Assessment Tracker (SAT) at primary and secondary schools; enhancing safety and health in educational institutions with comprehensive maintenance implementation through the Facilities Project Management; implementation of the Nutrition Programme under the Hope Programme; availing the services of the Centre of Excellence (COE) to students with special needs; and improving networking and ICT connectivity in schools.

The minister also shared projects under the 2019/2020 plan, which include technical and vocational education scholarships; Science College Project in Kuala Belait; upgrading of the government school network infrastructure and national education management system; reconstruction of Sultan Hassan Secondary School in Temburong; construction of additional buildings at Menglait Secondary School, Sultan Abdul Bubin Primary School in Sungai Besar, Bendahara Sakam Bunut Primary School, Batu Marang Religious School, Orang Kaya Setia Bakti Kilanas Primary School and Sengkurong Primary School.

Under the third objective of the Strategic Plan, which is to enhance accountability sharing with stakeholders with regard to teaching and learning, the minister said that the MoE’s main focus for the financial year 2019/2020 is to strengthen engagement with stakeholders internally and externally by reviewing the existing education structure and administration to create more effective execution and monitoring of education plans.

The initiatives planned for this purpose, he said, will “enhance collaboration and strengthen integration with parents and guardians, communities, other ministries, government agencies and NGOs, as well as relevant international organisations”.

“Key projects to be undertaken under objective three are the development of a comprehensive educational data management system using big data and business intelligence, to make data usage easier for students, teachers, school leaders, parents, the ministry, government agencies, the community and the various stakeholders,” he said.

Other projects to be carried out include the implementation of the AgroBiz Project, a joint venture agricultural project between  Institute of Brunei Technical Education (IBTE) and LiveWIRE Brunei; an international joint venture with 24 Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organisation (SEAMEO) Regional Centres; sharing of Programme for International Students Assessment (PISA) study outcome 2018; and development of an online payment system for the payment of fees for examinations such as the GCE ‘O’ and ‘A’ Levels.

“These three strategic objectives of the MoE are designed to enable the ministry to lead the development of our generation to be ready to weather the effects of the Industry 4.0,” the minister said.

|     James Kon     |

THE search and rescue operation for the Nepalese man who fell into the Brunei River near the Raja Isteri Pengiran Anak Hajah Saleha Bridge continued yesterday.

The man was reported missing after he fell into the river on Friday.

The Fire and Rescue Department personnel from the Diving Unit and Sungai Kebun Fire Station are conducting the search operation for the missing man.

Commanding Officer of ‘D’ Operation Branch Senior Superintendent of Fire Rescue Abdul Hadi Zulfadli bin Haji Yahya said the man was thrown into the Brunei River after two boats collided.

Another passenger sustained injuries on his right finger.

An Incident Command Post has been set up at the Sungai Kebun Fire Station.

The Fire and Rescue Department reminded the public, especially boat operators, tourists, fishermen and passengers of boats, to always wear life jackets and switch on a light while at night and during bad weather.

The public can contact the fire and rescue emergency line on 995.

|     Azlan Othman & Aziz Idris     |

SEVERAL areas in the Brunei-Muara District experienced localised hazy conditions due to bush and forest fires yesterday.

The fires were scattered mostly in the Rimba area, Lambak Kanan and some at the Muara-Tutong Highway near the Berakas Forest Reserve.

Meanwhile, thick smog has blanketed areas around the Tungku Link yesterday with forest fires raging in areas near Universiti Brunei Darussalam (UBD), Universiti Teknologi Brunei (UTB) and around Rimba.

The UTB contacted by the Sunday Bulletin said their Health, Safety, Security and Environment (HSSE) Department had sent precautions via email to its staff and students on the forest fire near the campus, urging them to take precautionary measures during their stay at the campus.

They had also put up a health advisory.

Photos of forest fires near the two institutions went viral yesterday. Fire engines from the Fire and Rescue Department were seen at the scene dousing the forest fire which spread to a wider area.

Members of the public complained about the smell of the burning forest and dusts that settled at their housing compounds and cars. “My car is covered with dust which also entered my housing scheme. Such condition was even reported from the capital yesterday,” Iman from Kampong Jangsak said.

Meanwhile, the Department of Environment, Parks and Recreation (JASTRe) in a press release said the Fire and Rescue Department was monitoring the fire situation.

The public can report about incidences of bush and forest fires to the Fire and Rescue Department on hotline 995.

The department also advised the public to refrain from open burning and other similar activities that may worsen the haze conditions during the dry period.

The department also referred to a video of a forest fire spread through social media, said this incident did not happen here.

The Fire and Rescue Department stated that it is an offence to disseminate unverified information, especially if it is fake and fabricated and causes anxiety under the current law of the Public Order Act, Cap 148 Section 34 which states that whoever either orally or in writing or in any way, distributes misleading reports or makes false statements that can cause anxiety among the public is liable to imprisonment of three years and a fine of BND3,000.

The Fire and Rescue Department advised the public not to spread any videos related to bush or forest fires. For information on bush and forest fire the public can contact the Public Relations Department on 2380402/409 extension 111 during office hours.

Statistics of bush and forest fires received by the Fire and Rescue Department from January – March 15 indicate that 214 calls have been received in the Brunei-Muara District, 89 in Tutong, 161 in Belait and one in Temburong.

A forest and bush fire gutted a house in Kampong Madewa on February 14 while on February 17 damaged an empty and old house in Kampong Terunjing Baru.

An investigation revealed the fire was due to abandonment.

The Fire and Rescue Department urged the public not to carry out open burning to clean the area for cultivation, at homes or other areas such as construction sites that may be vulnerable and can cause a major fire and destroy property.

One should also put out cigarette butts.

Hunting enthusiasts or those conducting activities or recreation in forests, should avoid lighting fires.

If fires are lit, the fire and ashes should be completely doused before leaving the area.

Picnickers were also urged to douse fires lit by them before leaving. Drivers were also requested to reduce the speed limit when crossing the road near a forest fire area, as the smoke can reduce visibility and cause an accident.

The public was also urged to put out minor bush fires along the roadside taking care of their safety first.

Meanwhile, JASTRe stated that the Pollutant Standard Index (PSI) readings recorded from all the air quality monitoring stations (Particulate Matter 10) in the four districts were relatively higher than normal, from ‘Good’ to ‘Moderate’ level especially in the evening.

The PSI readings recorded yesterday (as of 5pm) for Brunei-Muara District was at 63; Belait District, 21; Temburong District, 38; and Tutong District, 21.

PSI reading below 50 is Good. PSI between 50 and 100 is Moderate.

The Ministry of Health advised the public that at moderate PSI readings (between 50 and 100), minor health effects such as cough, eye irritation and runny nose may be experienced and children with asthma, lung and heart diseases advised to reduce outdoor physical activities.

More information on PSI readings is available at www.env.gov.bn.

The public will be kept informed of the air quality situa-tion through Radio Television Brunei stations and the JASTRe website.

The Fire and Rescue Department is closely monitoring the fire situation.

The public is advised to report immediately any incidences of bush and forest fires to the Fire and Rescue Department at the hotline 995 and Darussalam hotline on 123.

The JASTRe can also be contacted on 2241262 ext 4405 during office hours.

For weather information and forecasts, the public can visit the Brunei Darussalam Meteorological Department’s website www.met.gov.bn.

The Ministry of Health will continue to monitor the haze and will provide information to the public from time to time.

Further information can be obtained by calling Darussalam hotline 123 or visiting the Ministry of Health’s website.

|     James Kon     |

THREE Bruneians are bound for Japan as research students after successfully obtaining scholarships from the Japanese Government.

Aimi Asilah binti Haji Tajuddin will be pursuing a PhD in Chemical Engineering Research at Tsukuba University.

The other two students will be taking their Master’s Degrees – Muhammad Adam bin Ismail in Organic Geochemistry at Hokkaido University and Muhammad Ashyiq Naszri bin Masri in International Relations at Waseda University.

Japanese Ambassador to Brunei Darussalam Motohiko Kato hosted a send off ceremony for the three students at the Japanese Embassy in Brunei Darussalam on Friday.

The ambassador said, “I hope that they will have a very fruitful time and be a bridge of friendship between Japan and Brunei Darussalam.

“I also hope that they will encourage more Bruneians to study in Japan, especially with the recent commencement of Royal Brunei Airlines’ direct flights to Japan.”

He also told the recipients, “Japanese companies are not only recruiting young Japanese people, but also foreigners. I hope that you can work in Japanese companies, which can be a great advantage for your future.”

The Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) of Japan offers scholarships to international students who wish to study graduate-level courses at Japanese universities as research students under the Japanese Government (MEXT) Scholarship Programme.

The scholarship programme aims to foster individuals who will become bridges of friendship between the grantee’s country and Japan, as well as contributing to the development of both countries and the rest of the world.

In an interview, Aimi Asilah said, “I chose to study in Japan because it’s related to my research on hydrogen energy.”

Muhammad Adam said, “It wasn’t easy to find the course that I will be taking, but then the opportunity presented itself, through the scholarship from the Japanese Government.”

Muhammad Ashyiq Naszri told the Sunday Bulletin, “I chose Japan because it ranks very high in my course on international relations.”

The three also conveyed their gratitude to the Japanese Government for offering the scholarship with the cooperation of Brunei Government. The Embassy of Japan in Brunei Darussalam will be accepting applications for the Japanese Government (MEXT) Scholarship Programme 2020 around the end of April.

|    Fadhil Yunus    |

BRUNEI Darussalam under-23 national team endured a heavy 6-0 defeat against Vietnam under-23 team in their opening Group K game in the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Under-23 qualifiers at the My Dinh National Stadium in Hanoi on Friday night.

The youthful Wasps have shipped 19 goals in three games against the 2018 runners-up with the other meetings being played at the Southeast Asian Games in 2013 and 2015.

The Golden Dragons broke the deadlock in the 11^th minute after Ha Duc Chinh nodded home an inch perfect cross from Do Thanh Thinh.

Vietnam’s mazy dribbler Truong Van Thai Quy darted into the box and produced a cutback but the goal-scorer sliced his shot wide.

Huynh Tan Sinh met a cross from Trieu Viet Hung with a header but the ball struck the base of the post before the rebound was turned in by Nguyen Thanh Chung.

Do Thanh Thinh nearly added his second assist of the game after his cross found a teammate whose improvised volley rattled against the post.

Vietnam’s Doan Van Hau’s swerving cross into the box found Ha Duc Chinh but his header narrowly missed the target and into the side-netting.

Team captain Nguyen Hoang Duc dragged his effort wide after a ball which was cleared half-heartedly by a Brunei defender fell kindly into his path.

Vietnam threatened with a couple of shots that bounced off the Brunei’s rear-guard like a pinball machine but third time the charm when Dinh Thanh Binh smashed home a low drive.

Vietnam defender Ho Tan Tai brilliantly skipped his marker before forcing a strong pair of hands from the Brunei goalkeeper with a curled effort.

Trieu Viet Hung perfectly placed his shot home to resume their attacking intent after being set up by a teammate who effortlessly danced into the Brunei backline.

The Southeast Asian powerhouses were awarded a penalty after Muhammad Wafi bin Aminuddin brought down a Vietnamese attacker, an offence which warranted a straight red card. Huynh Tan Sinh tucked home from the spot for the fifth goal of the game.

There was still time for a sixth as the rampant Vietnamese converted their second penalty through Nguyen Quang Hai deep into stoppage time.

Brunei will meet Thailand, who are fresh from a 4-0 victory over Indonesia, today and will conclude their campaign against Indonesia on Tuesday.

|     James Kon     |

A HOUSE at No 49, Simpang 657, Jalan Wasan, Kampong Bebuloh was gutted by a fire on Friday night. The house owner, Damit binti Haji Bustan said no one was injured in the incident.

An emergency call was received at 10.03pm and three fire engines and 10 firefighters from Pengkalan Batu Fire Station rushed to the scene, a Fire and Rescue Department (FRD) press release stated.

The team led by Assistant Superintendent of Fire and Rescue Haji Hassan bin Haji Jamudin, who is also Commander of Pengkalan Batu Fire Station, doused the fire in under five minutes. The firefighters used three jet hoses and water from a nearby fire hydrant and fire engine tanks to douse the flames.

Commanding Officer of Operation ‘F’ branch Superintendent of Fire and Rescue Haji Nordin bin Haji Buntan and Public Relations and Administration Officer, Station Officer Pengiran Haji Ali Abdul Rahman bin Pengiran Haji Halus were also present.

The FRD requested the public to switch off electrical appliances when not in use.

All electrical wiring work must be performed by licensed companies, while lighters, matches and other combustible materials should be kept out of children’s reach, the FRD added.