| Danial Norjidi |
AS PART of efforts to continue reaching out to residents of villages in the country, the Information Department carried out its ‘Personal Contact’ programme yesterday at the residence of the Village Head of Kampong Labi II.
According to a press release, this is one of the ongoing activities of the Information Department, through its Belait District branch, in an effort to further forge collaboration in community affairs.
The delegation from the Information Department was welcomed by the Village Head of Kampong Labi II as well as Village Consultative Council (MPK) members. The delegation was led by Acting Director of Information Mawardi bin Haji Mohammad accompanied by several officers and staff from the department’s Belait District branch.
The Personal Contact programme, under the department’s work strategy of face-to-face communication, aimed at enhancing ties between the government and the people.
The press release explained that this programme is a platform for conveying government policies and intentions and to foster unity in society, towards love of religion, king and country. It is also conducted as a way to learn about issues and opinions, suggestions that require attention and action by the relevant stakeholders in the government.
Additionally, it was mentioned that the development and advancement of mukim and village, especially places and products to be introduced to the public, within the country and overseas, can be promoted through the Kenali Negara Kitani (KNK) column published in Pelita Brunei.
Among what was shared from the MPK and village residents were issues pertaining to cleanliness, facilities, infrastructures, economic issues and public welfare. Also shared for the villages was how to deal with the spread of false news or information.
Through the programme, the department introduced and familiarised regarding the Information Department’s mobile application ‘InfoDeptBN’ and also explained the procedure to download the application through the Google Play Store for Android and the App Store for iOS users.
The programme is the foundation of the department to provide official information on government policies and meaning of the government so that all members of the community understand, support and appreciate them in an effective way, not only through briefings and dialogue sessions but also through visits, based on suitability.
The press release goes on to note that the programme reaching out to the public in a face-to-face manner is still relevant in this sophisticated era because it is more personal and allows for more effective interaction and can also provide goodwill. Thus, good relations between civil service and the community will bring prosperity and harmony for the community and country. It was highlighted that this is very important in maintaining unity in community life.
It was also stated that programmes such as this will be able to foster a spirit of togetherness and responsibility towards the country and inculcate a close relationship between the government and the people.
The press release added that the Information Department can be found on social media on Facebook at Jabatan Penerangan Jabatan Perdana Menteri; on Twitter via @infodept_bn; and on Instagram via @infodept.bn.