| Aziz Idris and Daniel Lim |
FOLLOWING the launch of the 1st ASEAN Rover Moot (ARM) yesterday, four contingents of over 300 Rover Scouts from several ASEAN regions were deployed to the Tutong District and Belait District.
Acting Belait District Officer and co-chairperson of the ARM in the Belait District Ridzuan bin Haji Ahmad welcomed 64 Rover Scouts.
Belait District Scouts Association (PPDB) Acting Scouts Commissioner Mohd Hatta bin Haji Suhaili, as well as commissioners and committee members of the PPDB were present to welcome the contingents to the district, as they made their first stop at the Belait District Museum.
The contingents comprised members from the Brunei Darussalam Scouts Association (PPNDB), Gerakan Pramuka Indonesia, Persekutuan Pengakap Malaysia, Boy Scouts of the Philippines, and Singapore Scouts Association.
“The moot is held to provide youth from various countries in the ASEAN region the opportunity to partake in activities that not only benefits the surrounding communities, but also help nurture the socio-culture between the countries involved in the moot,” Mohd Hatta said.
He expressed hope that participants involved in the rover moot will gain valuable experiences through interaction with one another during the activities and visits, and appreciate the surrounding environment as they make their way to various landmarks and locations in the country.
The 1st ASEAN Rover Moot, themed ‘One ASEAN, One Community in Scouting,’ is split into four components in line with the theme. They are exploration, community service, culture and environment. For this, agencies and organisations are banded together to provide experiences and activities across the Belait District.
On their first day, the participants visited landmarks such as the Oil Town in Seria and the PPDB headquarters, learning about the culture and history of each establishment.
Today, they will visit several key locations including Wasai Wong Kadir, Mendaram Besar Long House and Luagan Lalak Recreational Park to gain an insight into the rich cultural heritage found in Ulu Belait. It will also provide them a chance to explore remote areas in the Belait District.
On the last of their three-day stay, they will visit Pusat Ehsan Al-Ameerah Al-Hajjah Maryam Belait District branch and the Centre for Children with Special Needs (KACA) as part of their community service.
Meanwhile, a similar ceremony was held in the Tutong District at the Tutong Sports Complex.
Acting Tutong District Officer and co-chairperson of the ARM in the Tutong District Haji Azmi bin Haji Abdul Rahim welcomed 70 Rover Scouts from Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and Vietnam.
Haji Azmi noted that the ARM provides a good opportunity for youth to grow their confidence and helps them embrace a sense of adventure with outdoor activities.
The Rover Scouts contingents will be in the district for three-days and conduct activities at the Tasek Merimbun Heritage Park, Second Battalion Tutong Camp and Mukim Lamunin.
They will conduct research activities such as archaeology, herpetology, araneology, taxidermy, herbarium and jungle tracking while at Tasek Merimbun Heritage Park.
The Second Battalion Tutong Camp will see them focussing on physical endurance activities as they participate in orienteering and obstacle courses conducted by officers from the Royal Brunei Armed Forces.
Culture and heritage of the local ethnic communities in Tutong will be the focus for activities in Mukim Lamunin.
The contingents are expected to conduct various community services in the area and experience first-hand the way of life of past communities.
The contingents will then make their way back to the Brunei-Muara District, marking the conclusion of the visit tomorrow.
Haji Azmi presented souvenirs to representative from each contingent.
The Bulletin was able to speak to some of the participants at the Belait District Museum.
Abdullah bin Muslimin from Sabah, who is in Brunei for the first time, hoped to take in the sights and sounds of the Sultanate, and meet scouts from other countries.
“With Brunei’s rich culture and history, I hope to experience it all and be able to retell the stories to family and friends back home,” he said.
Saiful Al-Biruni from Jakarta, also here for the first time, hoped to learn more from his Rover Scout peers to further develop his skills as a rover scout.
This sentiment was also shared by Hoang Duc Lam from Ho Chi Minh Vietnam who noted that the rover moot represents a unique opportunity for Rover Scouts from across the ASEAN region to meet and participate in activities similar to an exchange programme.
He hoped to learn more from his peers, and highlighted the importance of knowledge-sharing and challenging oneself to develop various skills set.