| Hakim Hayat |
BRUNEI Darussalam’s drive towards achieving food self-sufficiency and security through increasing rice production is an initiative reflective of an act that is strongly encouraged by our religion, Minister of Religious Affairs YB Pehin Udana Khatib Dato Paduka Seri Setia Ustaz Haji Awang Badaruddin bin Pengarah Dato Paduka Haji Awang Othman said during the Legislative Council (LegCo) meeting yesterday.
In his motion of thanks to 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 titah at last Monday’s opening of the 14th LegCo session, he said that fulfilment of the need for self-sufficiency in food is very much required in our religion.
His Majesty in his titah on Monday said the issue of achieving self-sufficiency in rice production in the country is a pressing matter and efforts must be taken to improve it with continuous efforts until visible results are achieved.
“I believe that His Majesty was encouraged to make this call not just in terms of his judgement on the numbers, but rather acting as a leader who would like to carry out his responsibilities as a supreme leader as well as his obligation to Allah the Almighty. Hence, it is also our obligation to work together with the government in achieving this goal,” the minister added.
The minister also touched on the matter of the management of the country’s fiscal balance in the short and long run, which he said has garnered the attention of analysts from international media and organisations who in their analytical reports and articles are predicting that Brunei will be a ‘failed state’ if it doesn’t take austerity measures, amid plunging oil prices.
Some of the articles published, he said, warned Brunei that its generous subsidy programme for its people must be reformed/brought to an end/discontinued/ cut-down for higher income groups as a starting point.
He said that these suggestions from analysts have not influenced His Majesty’s government’s stance on its subsidy programme. “Why? Because I believe that the government and His Majesty are aware that Brunei enjoys Allah the Almighty’s bounties from its own land and sea and this is due to the blessings of this country of virtue that has its foundations built strongly by His Majesty’s father Al-Marhum Sultan Haji Omar ‘Ali Saifuddien Sa’adul Khairi Waddien ibni Al-Marhum Sultan Muhammad Jamalul Alam.”
The minister went on to say that Bruneians must have the spirit of virtue and fairness, which is clearly stated in the slogan in Brunei’s flag, ‘Always in virtue with Allah the Almighty’s guidance’, which the minister said has brought about blessings to the Brunei administration.
He, however, explained that this does not imply that we have to be passive and rely heavily on the government. “The right phrase is not to rely on the government, but in my view, it is right for the people of this country to put their hopes on the government to protect and preserve their interests. So our reliance and hopes on the government here means that we are stakeholders who have the right to feel and attain a sense of belonging in this country – that is by strongly hold on to its Malay Islamic Monarchy (MIB) concept,” he concluded.