| Lyna Mohamad |
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 called on Bruneians to play their part in maintaining the peace and security in the country, as highlighted by 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 the recent Hari Raya Aidilfitri titah.
The minister spoke to the Sunday Bulletin on the sidelines of the special Junjung Ziarah for VVIPs, hosted by His Majesty on the first day of Hari Raya Aidilfitri at the Istana Nurul Iman.
Major General (Rtd) Dato Paduka Seri Awang Haji Aminuddin Ihsan added, “As citizens, we should be grateful that we are living in a peaceful country under the wise leadership of His Majesty, and must continuously play our roles in maintaining the peace and harmony.
“We should, as citizens, uphold His Majesty’s titah and appreciate the Malay Islamic Monarchy and its importance in holding the nation together, in order to continuously enjoy prosperity and tranquility and avoid any negative elements that could threaten the stability of the nation,” he said.
Touching on the Hari Raya sermon – where religious practice observance was cited as a must, the minister further reminded Bruneians to not get carried away by the joy of celebrating the festivities and forget their daily religious obligations.
Meanwhile, Minister of Development Dato Seri Paduka Awang Haji Suhaimi bin Haji Gafar extended his well wishes to Bruneians and residents in the country, hoping that they will enjoy a joyous Aidilfitri after a month-long of fasting.
“We should, however, also exercise temperance and practice simplicity during the celebrations, particularly water consumption and electricity use,” he added.
Legislative Council member Yang Berhormat Ong Tiong Oh expressed his gratitude at being invited to the reception, and to be afforded the opportunity to meet and greet His Majesty and members of the royal family, as well as to catch up with fellow guests.
“Traditions will never change. This is my second time to be invited to the reception and I am as honoured as ever. As for Hari Raya, we have to keep the tradition alive. The harmony between the different races and the sharing of culture is there for all to see. We always look forward to the celebrations as we get to try the different cuisines; naturally they are predominantly Malay cooking but there are different food from different villages as well,” he said.
Japanese Ambassador to Brunei Darussalam Motohiko Kato noted that for the past one year since arriving in the Sultanate, he has learnt that His Majesty is deeply respected and loved by the people.
Honoured at being invited to the special reception for the first time, he said, “This celebration is a great moment and I am very happy to share this great time with the people of Brunei, embracing the Bruneian culture and tradition, and meeting His Majesty and the royal family. As the Japanese Ambassador, I will make the best effort to encourage Japanese people to learn about this great Brunei culture.”
Charge d’Affairs at the Kuwait Embassy in Brunei Darussalam Tareq Alyassin, a fourth-time invitee to the palace reception, said, “The celebration has always been grand and wonderful, and getting the chance to experience the lively tradition and being invited to the palace to meet His Majesty and the royal family is really nice.
“The tradition back in Kuwait is almost the same, except that we celebrate for three days, while Brunei celebrates for a longer period. Bruneians visit the houses of their families and friends, which is also similar to what we have at home.”
The tradition of the palace opening its doors to well-wishers during the festivities, the envoy said, is a wonderful and very special thing as it depicts the warm ties between the royals and the people.
“I take this opportunity to wish Selamat Hari Raya to everyone and I pray that Brunei continues to prosper and remain peaceful. I also wish His Majesty and the royal family as well as Bruneians good health and prosperity,” Tareq added.