Hakim Hayat
Physical progress must be accompanied by spiritual progress in order to fulfil the nation’s needs, said 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 in his titah from Istana Nurul Iman last evening to mark Brunei Darussalam’s 37th National Day.
His Majesty said despite a different kind of celebration this year, “we should be thankful to Allah the Almighty for His will to allow us to celebrate the occasion”.
Brunei Darussalam is witnessing a scaled-down Grand Assembly at Taman Haji Sir Muda Omar ‘Ali Saifuddien in the capital today, as a precautionary measure against the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Let us not forget that National Day is not merely a celebration, but a time to remember and to reflect on the value of independence. It is not something you can buy; it comes entirely from Allah the Almighty,” the monarch added.
His Majesty said independence has taught us a lot of things, and among them, how to develop ourselves and the nation, for instance, “from being idle to hardworking, from slow to fast, and being backward to being progressive”.
This, the monarch stressed, is the main goal that an independent nation should be aiming at.
“An independent nation should not be negligent or be slow to act because the environment is not static but ever-changing. This change is what we call progress. An independent nation must keep abreast of development in order to achieve progress,” His Majesty added.
The monarch said progress equates to physical and spiritual development, where physical development can be achieved through technology and hardwork while spiritual development can be grasped through learning and religious practices.
“This is our way of achieving independence, by generating physical development in tandem with spiritual development,” His Majesty added.
The monarch said both physical and spiritual development must go hand in hand to fulfil the nation’s needs. Thus, “we must have quality human capital that is determined and educated in worldly and spiritual aspects as well as capable in meeting all challenges”.
Before concluding the titah, His Majesty extended his appreciation to all participants and committee members who are coming together in ensuring the success of the 37th National Day celebration, as well as extended his thanks to all citizens, the public sector, security agencies, volunteers and those in the private sector and prayed for all of Brunei to remain under the protection of Allah the Almighty.