| Azlan Othman |
YAYASAN Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah has reduced the quantity of dates it has purchased for Ramadhan this year, after discovering that the total number of Muslims the dates were distributed to during the holy month last year is far higher than the recipient list figure provided by the Department of Economic Planning and Development (JPKE) of the Ministry of Finance and Economy.
His Royal Highness Prince ‘Abdul Malik as Chairman of the Yayasan Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Committee of Governors highlighted this in a sabda yesterday at the launch of the distribution of the Kurma Kurnia Peribadi (personal gift of dates) for Ramadhan from 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 at the International Convention Centre, Berakas.
“In Islam, we are urged to be prudent in all aspects of life including spending to avoid wastage,” His Royal Highness said. “The same also applies to the purchase of dates, where I was made to understand that this year Yayasan has reduced its purchases of dates as the total number of Muslims receiving dates is far higher compared to the statistics provided by the JPKE of the Ministry of Finance and Economy.”
His Royal Highness said that he is pleased with the initiatives made by village heads to involve village consultative council members to assist in the distribution of the dates.
He urged village heads to ensure that workers entrusted to distribute the dates maintain proper records of the distribution to avoid wastage, also voicing his displeasure to hear boxes of dates being left at mosques without proper supervision.
“I am also disappointed to hear that boxes of dates are being placed at mosques without control or supervision,” His Royal Highness lamented. “Besides this, there are also parties who are given dates exceeding the total amount [originally provisioned]. These incidences should not happen and it must be improved immediately as it concerned with the issue of trust. Without trust, people will lose confidence on the integrity and guidelines in the distribution of the dates throughout the country.”
His Royal Highness said that he wants to see the management of Yayasan cooperate with the authorities to ensure that the distribution of the personal gift of dates from His Majesty is carried out properly and efficiently and free from the issues highlighted earlier.
His Royal Highness pointed out that this includes coming up with “guidelines or methods to distribute the dates better”, such as “through information technology”.
Yesterday’s ceremony began with the recitation of Surah Al-Fatihah led by Chief Syar’ie Judge Pehin Orang Kaya Paduka Seri Utama Dato Paduka Seri Setia Ustaz Haji Awang Salim bin Haji Besar.
This was followed by welcoming remarks from the Minister of Defence II and Chairman of the Yayasan Board of Directors, Pehin Datu Lailaraja Major General (Rtd) Dato Paduka Seri Haji Awang Halbi bin Haji Mohd Yussof, in which he highlighted that for Ramadhan this year, some 126 metric tonnes of Safawi dates – packaged in 420,000 small boxes each weighing 300 grammes – will be distributed to Muslims nationwide.
The dates, a personal contribution from His Majesty and reflecting the monarch’s concern and love for his subjects, were shipped from Saudi Arabia in eight chilled containers.
They will be distributed to every Muslim residing in the country regardless of age or nationality, including foreign workers.
Pehin Datu Lailaraja Major General (Rtd) Dato Paduka Seri Haji Awang Halbi added that since 1995 Yayasan Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah has been entrusted to manage the handling of dates and, till today, the distribution of the Ramadhan staple has been carried out with the cooperation of District Offices in the country through the village heads, while for the Royal Brunei Armed Forces (RBAF) and Royal Brunei Police Force (RBPF), the distribution is done through the officers in every branch and formation of the organisations.
His Royal Highness then presented the Kurma Kurnia Peribadi to the Commanding Officers and Commandants of the RBAF and Directors of Formations of the RBPF as well as mukim penghulus and village heads in the country.
The ceremony ended with the recitation of Doa Selamat by the Chief Syar’ie Judge.
To ensure that the Kurma Kurnia Peribadi are distributed properly and arrive in the recipients’ hands in good condition, special guidelines for their distribution have been set up by Yayasan.
Also present at yesterday’s event were Yayasan’s Chairperson and members of its Administrative Committee and Board of Directors; the Permanent Secretary and Deputy Permanent Secretaries at the Ministry of Home Affairs; Commander of the RBAF; Commissioner of the RBPF; district officers, village heads and
longhouse village heads nationwide; senior officers involved in the distribution of the Kurma Kurnia Peribadi; as well as representatives of village consultative councils across the country.