Ministry of Health holds an Orientation and Induction Ceremony for New Local Staff at the Ministry of Health on Tuesday, 24th April 2007 at 8am located at Multipurpose Hall, Ministry of Health.
The chief guest is Yang Mulia Dato Paduka Awang Serbini bin Haji Ali, Permenant Secretary at Ministry of Health 1st Jaguh Rimba Camping Expedition
AsiaPacific Ford Dealers is organizing 1st Jaguh Rimba Camping Expedition to Ulu Kuala Belait from Saturday, 28th April until Sunday, 29th April 2007
Registration can be made from Monday 23rd April until Friday, 27th April 2007 at Primier Automobiles Sdn Bhd located at Lot 24, 35 & 36, Beribi Industrial Area 2, Jalan Gadong.
For more information please call 2441886, 2421740, 2445739, 2420498, 3333857, 3333858 or Fax at 2429331or Email premier@brunet.bn This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it First United Nations Global Road Safety Week Celebration
Ministry of communication is organising First United Nations Global Road Safety Week Celebration on Monday, April 23 at 8.45 am located at the Plenary Hall, International Convention Centre, Berakas.
Exibition is open to the members of public on Monday, April 23 from 2 pm to 5 pm and from Tuesday, April 24 to 28 from 9 am to 5 pm. Bright Ideas Workshop
LiveWire is organising Bright Ideas Workshop from Monday, April 23 to 26 located at LiveWire Centre, Bandar Seri Begawan.
For more information, please call 2220964, 2220962, 2220951 (Monday - Friday) Fax: 2220952 or email enquiry@livewire-brunei.com Winning Eleven Tournament http://www.bruneidiary.info/images/M_images/pdf_button.png http://www.bruneidiary.info/images/M_images/printButton.png http://www.bruneidiary.info/images/M_images/emailButton.png XBIZ Teamworks is organising Winning Eleven Tournament on Sunday, April 22 from 10 am to 6 pm located at the Mall, Gadong.
For more information, please call 8624186.
Oriental Food Promotion http://www.bruneidiary.info/images/M_images/pdf_button.png http://www.bruneidiary.info/images/M_images/printButton.png http://www.bruneidiary.info/images/M_images/emailButton.png Millenium Restaurant is organising Oriental Food Promotion from Friday, April 20 to 30.
$20.80/adult and $12.80/children
Brunei Goes Green On Earth Day
By James Kon
Bandar Seri Begawan - Brunei Drussalam joined millions of people around the world to celebrate Earth Day yesterday by planting 100 trees.
Through the Environment, Parks and Recreation Department of the Ministry of Development, the country celebrated Earth Day with free planting and green walks activities at the proposed Jalan Mentiri Besar Recreational Park. Present at the event was Her Royal Highness Princess Hkjah Majeedah Nuurul Bulqiah. Dato Paduka Dr Hj Mat Suny bin Hj Mohd Hussein, Acting Minister of Development, launched the tree-planting activity, which is in line with the theme of this year's Earth Day "Plant for the Planet".
Awang Hj Omar bin Hj Md Tahir, Acting Director of Environment, Parks and Recreation Department, said Earth Day is celebrated around the world on April 22 every year and is part of an initiative by the United Nations aimed at raising public awareness and knowledge on global pollution.
The acting director hoped the programme
would motivate the people to care for the environment by staying away from conducting any hazardous activities that may endanger and damage the environment. "This year's celebration focuses on climate changes attributed to the excessive emission of gases like carbon dioxide, methane, nitrogen oxide into the atmosphere from the burning of fossil fuel.
"In addition to the rise in world temperature, the changes hi climate are predicted to exacerbate the problem of drought and hot weather, shortage of water, flooding and typhoons that will have negative effects on the people and their livelihood," he added.
People should realise the worrying trend of warming and organise activities towards reducing the emission of gases that causes the green house effect, especially carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.
"And one of the ways to reduce carbon dioxide emission into the atmosphere is by planting trees. Through photosynthesis, plants and trees can reduce carbon dioxide by releasing oxygen into the atmosphere," he added.
After planting the trees, the acting minister of development joined some 100 staff from the Ministry of Development for a green walk around the proposed Jalan Mentiri Besar Recreational Park.
Through the Earth Day message, it is hoped the local community will also bear the responsibility of caring and preserving the environment from pollution. -- Courtesy of Borneo Bulletin Get Set For Thrilling Finding Nemo Shows
By P Marilyn
Bandar Seri Begawan - The long wait is finally over. Starting tomorrow, Finding Nemo will be performing at the National Indoor Stadium.
Tickets will be available for sale at the stadium from 1pm tomorrow. Ticket prices for the day shows are $19, $29, $49 and $100 while for the evening shows are $29, $39, $69 and $150.
For further information about the show and sale of tickets call 8197000 or 2453388.
The arrival of the skaters and crew over the weekend has keyed up many children who have been waiting anxiously for the show. The last Disney on Ice performance was in 2005 featuring the Princess Classics.
This time, the little fans are up for an exciting comical adventure, which takes them into the underwater environment of the vast ocean life.
Unlike the previous Disney on Ice shows, Finding Nemo is unique in that it features a digital projection screen that hangs at the backdrop displaying actual three-dimensional stills from the movie to give audience a more realistic underwater atmosphere.
Aided by dozens of handmade costumes that turn 40 skaters into schools of fish and other creatures, and props that include a more than 40-foot-long whale that swallows Marlin and Dory, the ice show re-creates even, major scene of the film.
The show is set to steal the hearts of the audience, as the ocean is brought to life in a creative spectacle of colour, Filled with abundant sea life swimming across the ice. -- Courtesy of Borneo Bulletin Minister To Observe Disaster Management In Singapore
By Amin Hosni
Bandar Seri Begawan - Pehin Orang Kaya Johan Pahlawan Dato Seri Setia Awang Haji Adanan, Minister of Home Affairs, left for a working visit to Singapore yesterday to lead a delegation of senior officers from the Ministry of Home Affairs, Fire and Rescue Services Department and National Disaster Management Centre (NDMC). The visit is from April 23-24 2007.
TI e delegation includes Haji Md Mandi bin Pehin Orang Kaya Di Gadong Seri Diraja Date Laila Utama Haji Abdul Rahman, Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Home Affairs, and Awang Yahya bin Haji Abd Rahman, Acting Director of Fire and Rescue Services.
They will take closer look attire Incident Management System (ICS) at the Disaster Management Centre, Singapore. The delegation will also observe the capability and training facilities at the Singapore Civil Defence Academy to upgrade the human resource, especially in the Fire and Rescue duties. This includes upgrading the effectiveness and professionalism, as well as the skills of Brunei's own Fire and Rescue Services Department.
The delegation will visit facilities at communication centres, especially at the Ministry of Home Affairs and Public Defence Team Headquarters.
The minister will meet with Associate Professor Ho Peng Kee, Acting Minister of Home Affairs of Singapore.
-- Courtesy of Borneo Bulletin Special Passes Issued To 14 Foreign Workers In Tutong
By Liza Mohd
Bandar Seri Begawan - Fourteen special passes were issued by the Belait Immigration Enforcement Section during an operation targeting a retail store and a house construction site in Tutong.
At the construction site, the officials issued special passes to five Indonesian workers, one of whom is suspected of breaching the work pass stating that he works as a welder. He was ordered to go the Belait Immigration Enforcement Section office for investigation under Section 15(1) of the Immigration Regulation. He could face a compoundable fine of $600 or be brought to court.
In a separate inspection, the officials issued nine special passes to Indian, Indonesian and Filipino workers for further clarification of their work passes.
These foreign workers failed to furnish the authorities with photocopies of their passports containing immigration endorsement passes. In relation to this, employers are urged to provide their workers with photocopies of valid documents for inspection.
The operation codenamed "Bongkar 44" and led by a Senior Immigration Officer was aimed at detecting offenders and ensuring that foreign workers abide by the immigration laws.
During the operation, 31 foreign workers from India, Indonesia, Malaysia and Philippines, were inspected. -- Courtesy of Borneo Bulletin
Reply #176 TheHawk's post
Ani nda bulih miss ni ....;Pmembawa anak sedara meliat...
http://forum.cari.com.my/images/common/sigline.gif
http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b351/holmes15/tech/newsig.gif Originally posted by TheHawk at 24-4-2007 07:51 AM
Finding Nemo Disney on Ice
Finding Nemo Disney on Ice will be held from Tuesday, April 24 to 29located at the Indoor Stadium, Hassanal Bolkiah National Stadium,Berakas.
Tickets are availa ...
ni aji...ani fea kan amend sikit....
sal tadi fea kan membali kan tickets for my niece n nephew...went to supasave gadong....kali NADA LAGI BEJUAL TIKET AH!!!
membari hot jua tu....
ada small A4 sign saja saying all tickets now sold only at QAF BMW showroom and Indoor Stadium.....
:@:@:@
last2, suruh my sister ke Indoor Stadium to get the tix.....menyusahkan banar..... Call To Improve Taxi Service
By Rosli Abidin Yahya
Bandar Seri Begawan - Services offered by pirate taxis or "teksi sapu" provide stiff competition and cause big losses to registered taxi drivers in Brunei-Muara District.
It is time for members to rise up to the challenge and seek immediate and long-term solutions in combating the long-standing problem of pirate taxis, said the newly elected president of Brunei-Muara Taxi Drivers Association (BMTDA), Hj Bakar Hj Hamdan.
"First of all we must improve our services. By doing so I believe the public will go for legal taxis instead of `teksi sapu'," he told the Bulletin yesterday.
`Teksi sapu' refers to private vehicles used to transport passengers for a fee and without permits issued by the relevant authority.
Asked if the piracy problem could be solved if relevant agencies beefed up enforcement, he said it would help a lot, but it is not as easy as it looks.
"Even if the enforcement is good, since the service provided by legal taxi drivers is still poor, the public still prefer to use `teksi sapu'.
"We must be ready to admit that we need to improve our services too," he said. He admitted that even if they improve their services, some commuters prefer to use pirate taxis as they offer cheaper fares.
"Some pirate taxis use old vehicles to pick up regular customers and do not mind being paid much lesser.
"They can afford to do that as they don't pay instalments and do regular maintenance," he said.
Hj Bakar said on behalf of members, he thanked the relevant agency for allowing their taxis to operate beyond the seven-year age as long as the vehicles passed technical inspection.
Taxi owners last year called for a review on the reduction of taxi permit to seven years, arguing that the new regulation would cause many taxi drivers to quit their profession as they could not afford to change their taxis that often.
The imposition of the rule could have grounded many seven-year-old taxis as owners could not afford to replace their vehicles. -- Courtesy of Borneo Bulletin Improving Medicine Use In Hospitals
By Suria Rina PHA
Bandar Seri Begawan - The Ministry of Health, through the Drug Advisory Committee, is committed to rationalise the use of drugs and lessen the cost of keeping enough supply of drugs for the public, a ministry official said yesterday.
Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Health Dato Paduka Awg Serbini bin Haji Ali spoke during the workshop on "Strengthening Drug & Therapeutics Committee to Improve Medicine Use in Hospitals".
"The World Health Organisation, in line with its medicine strategy 2004-2007 has been vigilantly working to ensure that medicines are used in therapeutically sound and cost-effective way in an effort to enhance, improve and promote rational drug use practices in the Sultanate.
"Over the past decades, we have experienced great advances in the development of medicines and treatment of medical conditions.
Over the years, as we use and benefit from using these drugs to treat these conditions, we would have to deal with the problems associated with it.
"According to the Report of Essential Drug Monitor, irrational use of drugs in hospitals in developing countries is a major problem and little has been published on how to improve it.
"In many hospitals, the selection process for anti-microbials often does not follow an evidence-based methodology and anti-microbials are often over used, producing an environment conducive to the development and the spread of Anti-Microbial Resistance (AMR).
"It has been estimated that in the USA, 10.8% of the hospitals' in-patients suffer from Adverse Drug Reactions (ADR), at an annual cost of between $1.4b to $4b and ADR are between 4th and 6th most common cause of death.
"Meanwhile in our country, last year 24 cases of ADR have been reported and no death has been attributed to it," the guest of honour said.
He hoped participants could identify medicine use problems and come up with strategies to improve them.
The Chairperson of the Organising Committee for the Workshop, Director of Pharmaceutical Services, Ministry of Health, Dyg Aminah Hj Md Jaafar, said there have been many medical advances in the treatment of diseases.
However, the irrational use of medicines in healthcare settings to treat these ailments is a major cause for concern in many countries.
This is because irrational medicine use can lead to serious healthcare problems that can result in increased morbidity, mortality, costs and the emergence of resistance to treatment.
"An effective system needs to be in place to both formulate and promote rational drug use practices.
"This includes the establishment of a Drug Committee which forms an essential component of a health care organisation's drug selection and use programme.
"In the Ministry of Health, Brunei Darussalarn, the task is entrusted to the Drug Advisory Committee (DAC) and its technical subcommittee, the Drug & Therapeutics Committee (DTC)".
She hoped participants would strengthen the function or existing committees, and develop an effective work plan in meeting the objectives of the workshop.
It was attended by representatives of the World Helath Organisation Western Pacific Regional Office, Dr Budiono Santoso, Regional Advisor in Pharmaceuticals, Deputy Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Health Awg Yusof bin Amba, local surgeons, doctors and pharmacists, and guests from six Asean countries. -- Courtesy of Borneo Bulletin Call To Combat Rise In Insurance Fraud
By James Kon
Bandar Seri Begawan - The industry and the regulator must take a firm stand to combat the rise of insurance fraud as it poses a serious risk to all financial sectors in many jurisdictions and can be perpetrated by both consumers and providers.
Awang Hj Mohd Rozan bin Dato Paduka Hj Mohd Yunos, Deputy Permanent Secretary cum Acting Director of Financial Institutions Division, Ministry of Finance, yesterday spoke at length on ways to combat fraud at the opening ceremony of the Insurance Claims and Fraud Investigation workshop at the Ministry of Finance building.
-The concept of fraud is that of obtaining gains through misrepresentation and poses a serious risk to all financial sectors in many jurisdictions and can be perpetrated by both consumers and providers. In the insurance sector, it is more often than not, that fraud occurs in the form of fraudulent claims, either staged or inflated, which affect the financial position of an insurer.
To compensate for this, insurers must raise premiums and these results in higher costs for policyholders. However, this is not to say this in the only method that fraud can take place in the insurance industry. Unauthorised (or unlicensed) agents who prey on the insuring public may abscond with their ill-gotten premiums and leave them unwittingly unprotected," he said.
In combating insurance fraud, the guest of honour highlighted the introduction of the Insurance Order 2006 and Insurance Regulations 2006 in March last year by the Ministry of Finance. They are applicable to both domestic general and life businesses. The introduction of these legislations is part of the ministry's ongoing effort in enhancing supervision of this sector in line with international best practices.
"Another key objective of these legislations is to ensure that our insurance companies remain financially strong, so that the interests of the public as policyholders are properly protected. In turn, it is hoped that this would encourage the general public to also embrace insurance as a key component of their long term financial plans, be it for protection or investment," said Awang Hj Mohd Rozan.
He said insurance fraud is difficult to quantify as much of it is undetected but it is however recognised as a widespread threat to the industry. Recognising the significance of the issues, international organisations have addressed this in their own capacity. Meanwhile, motor vehicle and fire claims have increased by more than 50 per cent year on year.
"Claims growth in Brunei at the end of 2006 was B$72.5 million. More than half the claims were life insurance. In non-life, motor claims have increased by 54.9 per cent year on year and amounted to B$18.3 million and fire claims increased by 56.8 per cent year on year and amounted to B$4.6 million."
"It was reported recently that the number of road accidents in the first quarter of 2007 was 583 and fatalities increased from seven in 2006 to 16 persons so far in 2007. The Fire and Rescue Department recorded more that B$1.3 million in damages caused by fires in the first quarter of 2007," he said adding, "Statistics such as these reinforce the need for the various parties to come together in ensuring that safety guidelines are met More Young Lives Lost On The Road
By Sonia K
Bandar Seri Begawan - Calling the rising number of road fatalities in Brunei a very worrying situation, Her Royal Highness Princess Hjh Masna yesterday said young road users are the ones that are most at risk from road accidents.
"As we know, every year more than one million people are killed and 50,000 others are injured or handicapped as a result of road accidents. Total fatalities are the highest when compared to other causes of death such as chronic diseases. The facts also show that more than 40 per cent of the deaths recorded consist of road users below 25 years old,- said Her Royal Highness, who is also the Patron of the Brunei Darussalam Road Safety Council, in a sabda during the First United Nations Global Road Safety Week at the International Convention Centre yesterday. Even though there is a slight reduction in the number of road accidents in Brunei compared to previous years, it is still considered high compared to other countries.
In the first three months of this year alone, there were 16 deaths caused by road accidents. This is a very worrying situation because jt (death rate) has
increased more than 100 per cent compared to seven during the same period last year, said HRH. According to statistics from the Land Transport Department, more than 170.000 vehicles have been licensed and are active in the country. Every year, some 12,000 more vehicles are registered.
In realising this, concerns and steps from various sectors are needed and more so from road users themselves. HRH urged them to be tolerant, responsible and practise road safety.
To reduce the number of accident cases, some of the aspects that should be given special attention include education, sufficient infrastructure, legislation, implementation of laws and regulations that are more effective, campaigns to increase discipline on the roads and use of helmets and seat belts. These need to be organised continuously by relevant authorities, said HRH.
Besides these, international cooperation is also vital in assisting the efforts of our Road Safety Council through the sharing and exchange of information on successful strategies and programmes that have been implemented in other countries, said HRH Princess Hjh Masna.
On that note, the main goal for our Road Safety Council is to bring down Brunei Darussalam's death rate caused by road accidents to a minimum and on level with developed countries and in line with the aims of the United Nation's resolution, added Her Royal Highness.
The targets for road safety must be quantitative with its achievements measured and valued. Therefore, it is important for us to gather yearly information and analyse the said targets. These results can be used to get information to carry out further actions more effectively, said HRH.
HRH also said that currently, Asean countries including Brunei are carrying out Asean Road Safety Strategy and Action Plan for five years from 2005 to 2010. The Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) is also playing its role in discussing issues on road safety to encourage its members to shape an overall strategy and action plan.
The event began with a welcoming remark by Dato Paduka Haji Yusof bin Haji Hassan, Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Communications, who is also the Chairman of the Brunei Darussalam Road Safety Council.
Her Royal Highness also presented prizes to the winning schools that took part in the pilot Brunei Shell Petroleum Road Traffic Game.
It was held on March 18 at the newly built Brunei Shell Petroleum Road Traffic Game Park at the Oil and Gas Discovery Centre (OGDC) in Seria. -- Courtesy of Borneo Bulletin Egg Shortage Triggers Price Hike In Belait District
By Liza Mohd
Bandar Seri Begawan - What is happening at the egg farms? Why is there an egg shortage which is causing the egg prices to rise?
These questions were brought up by residents in Belait District amid a shortage of eggs at retail and department stores.
Several residents told the Borneo Bulletin that the egg supply is scarce throughout the district. To add salt to injury, some retail owners arc allegedly taking advantage of the situation to gain extra profits.
Eggs are normally sold in trays of 30, but are now sold in a plastic pack of ten eggs which costs $1.80. A tray of eggs used to cost just $4.50. Retail store owners allegedly refuse to sell the eggs in trays of 30 and instead sell the eggs in separate plastic bags to gain more profit.
Meanwhile, department stores have a limited supply of 30-egg trays. Customers who are "late" miss out on buying the eggs.
Shoppers who need eggs to make cakes and dishes for weddings and major events expressed their dissapponintment that the shortage was affecting their preparations.
The egg shortage is faced not only by the department and retail stores. Some residents claimed that there is also an egg shortage at egg farms. They claimed that they were unable to buy more than 30 eggs at a time, causing an inconvenience to those in the food business and others who need more than that amount. The residents are urging the relevant authorities to identify the cause of the egg shortage, which they claim is occurring frequently. -- Courtesy of Borneo Bulletin Spotlight On Safety, Health At Workplace
By Lyna Mohamad
Bandar Seri Begawan - Acting Minister of Home Affairs Pehin Orang Kaya Dewa Pahlawan Dato Paduka Hj Dani Hj Ibrahim yesterday highlighted that in the face of globalisation and rapid advancement of technology, it is imperative that Asean must not be left behind.
"With the many things that have changed, there is a need to prepare ourselves to keep abreast with all these changes - economically and socially," he added.
The acting minister said this during the opening ceremony of the 8th Asean OSHNET Coordinating Board Meeting that the nation is hosting at the Rizqun International Hotel in Gadong.
"We Asean countries are striving for all our economic and social development for the well being of our people and for the attainment of the Asean economic integration.
"In this respect, the Initiative for Asean Integration (IAI) not only provides the framework for regional integration but also contributes towards closer regional integration in a knowledge-driven economy, which in turn will generate economic growth in the region."
Pehin Dato Paduka Hj Dani further pointed out that towards achieving this goal, possessing modem techniques and up-to-date equipment and machinery are not enough, as every establishment should also have a group of productive and competitive workforce.
Being productive and competitive nowadays, however, may not be adequate as the issue of safety and health in the workplace for workers increasingly plays a crucial role.
An accident-free environment does not occur by chance or by luck. It requires the constant attention of all parties or stakeholders to play their part and to set the right culture at the workplace.
"Stakeholders - such as workers, supervisors and managers or employers - must take greater ownership for their safety and health in the workplace.
"They must also possess basic competencies in workplace safety and health to enable them to recognise potentially hazardous situations, exercise their responsibilities and carry out their roles in creating a safe working environment."
Workers - particularly those involved in high-risk undertakings - must develop a keener sense of responsibility and ownership for their own safety in their workplace so as to ensure that they can stay safer and healthier, the acting minister added.
Although Brunei Darussalam presently does not have a formalised OSH Act as well as OSH standards, this does not mean that the nation does not practise or heed to the matter.
The chief guest said the ministry - through the Labour Department - will be holding an OSH Awareness Day on May 5 to commemorate 'World Day for Safety and Health at Work' as designated by the International Labour Organisation as well as the Labour Day on May I.
This main objective of the event is to inculcate OSH awareness and mindset amongst stakeholders and to evolve a safety culture at the workplace. -- Courtesy of Borneo Bulletin Carelessness Causing Accidents
By James Kon
Bandar Seri Begawan - Carelessness was singled out as the main reason for road accidents in the country.
According to Dato Paduka Hj Md Yussof Bin Hj Md-Hassan, the Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Communications in his capacity as the Chairman of Brunei Darussalam Road Safety Council, "The main cause of road accidents from the 2006 statistics was carelessness. The definition of the word carelessness however is very subjective yet meaningful.
"It is applicable and appropriates in the sense that road accidents to a larger extent can be avoided as carelessness seems to be the key problem area."
In his welcoming remarks to the first United Nations Global Safety Week Seminar at the International Convention Centre, he said, "Enforcement agencies have noted that cases of traffic light violation, speeding in controlled areas, overloading and improper packaging of commercial and heavy vehicles, use of hand-phone while driving, improper usage of roads like at roundabouts are much to blame."
He highlighted, "In Brunei Darussalam, the death toll due to road accidents dwindled from 38 in 2005 to 32 in 2006. However, being a country with a relatively small population, these figures make us more wary of the imminent situation we are in from a road safety point of view."
He added, "Culminating from the efforts by Brunei Darussalam Road Safety Council, many positive actions have been taken to formulate ways and means of improving road safety in the country.
"Providing quality road infrastructure, rules and regulations, carrying out enforcement, promoting vehicle safety practices and approvals via technical and non-technical consideration as well as related safety measures seem incomplete however without total commitment and cooperation from all road users in the country."
He pointed out that Brunei Darussalam Road Safety Council has taken the imitative to organise this seminar with a view to highlight road safety issues by inviting distinguished speakers from relevant agencies in the public and private sector as well as from abroad.
He said, "We believe and hope that this seminar will reach out to our road users, especially the young ones.
"Only with continuous and total commitment and diligence of everyone, can we make a positive difference". -- Courtesy of Borneo Bulletin Brunei Steadfast Supporter
By Azlan Othman
Bandar Seri Begawan - Commonwealth Secretary-General Don McKinnon lauded Brunei Darussalam's commitment and sustained links to the body and said the Sultanate has always been a good supporter of Commonwealth from the time it became a sovereign and independent state.
He told the Bulletin that Brunei has contributed much to the Commonwealth and has been a steady and committed Commonwealth player. He was granted an audience by His Majesty the Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam and was hosted to a luncheon by His Royal Highness Prince Mohamed Bolkiah, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, and HRH Pg Anak Isteri Pg Anak Hjh Zariah.
According to the Commonwealth Secretariat website, His Majesty and McKinnon spoke about Brunei's support of the Commonwealth's technical training programme, the Commonwealth Fund for Technical Cooperation (CFTC), which is administered by the Commonwealth Secretariat. The CFTC promotes capacity-building for government officials of member countries in various areas of socio-economic and political development.
The secretary-general also briefed the Sultan on the Commonwealth Connects programme to narrow the gap between member countries which have access to information and communication technology and those which do not. He also updated the monarch on the upcoming Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Uganda in November. Discussions also focused on trade and development and the challenges faced by small states in the face of climate change.
The secretary-general, who is on a Southeast Asian tour, will pay an official visit to Malaysia on April 25-26.
He also met Pehin Lim Jock Seng, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade II, as well as Minister of Finance II, Pehin Dato Haji Abdul Rahman Haji Ibrahim.
"I highlighted on the projects that we are currently involved with Brunei. For instance, there are about 300 Bruneian nationals that have benefited through Commonwealth assistance for the last five years. Commonwealth assistance to Brunei is worth nearly one million pounds. At the same time, Brunei has also given us a large amount of money in the last five years.
"We have taken a recent view of Brunei's aquaculture industry and have made recommendations to make it more competitive. We have been helping Brunei to overcome the vulnerability of a small state. We are doing more to the small states than any other international organisation," he said.
Elaborating on the vulnerability of small states, he said Brunei is one of the 32 small states in the Commonwealth. Small states are mostly island states with low population.
"A small state has its own vulnerability. They have peculiar issues which only they can deal with. A lot of work that the Commonwealth does for small states is like how a country manages those vulnerabilities such as population, disasters, education (like lack of teachers) and the sort of alternative economic activities that a small state may need like IT.
"Brunei is a wealthy state with a very high per capita income. The oil revenue is spread to the people in the country. We can learn a lot from Brunei too," he said.
McKinnon added that in addition to aquaculture, they are also working on projects like Commonwealth programmes on natural disasters, management and risk reduction, and development projects for the SMEs.
"We have been asked to assist in building capacity at the Brunei Musetuns, civil service institute and streamlining issues on HIV/AIDS," added McKinnon.
On the issues to be discussed during the forthcoming CHOGM in November in Uganda, the second time in four years, he said at the last leaders and heads of government meeting in Malta, they touched nn major projects namely, to reduce digital divide, economic benefits of Commonwealth memberships and increasing Commonwealth memberships as it didn't have any new member since 1995. Leaders wanted to know whether the body should open to new memberships as seven countries want to become members, he said.
In Uganda, we will touch on the international trade and outcome of the Doha development round of talks.
Asked about Brunei's chances of hosting CHOGM in the figure, he said hosting it is a major exercise but Brunei has hosted APEC and Asean summits. Commonwealth consists of 53 countries and hosting CHOGM, it is not like APEC where fewer heads of states will convene, requires big security. For Commonwealth, 3,000 people, including 1,000 journalists will convene, he said and added that after Uganda, Trinidad has volunteered to host the next CHOGM.
Continuity is the main challenge for Commonwealth to remain relevant to the members today, said the secretary-general. -- Courtesy of Borneo Bulletin Computers & Book Fair
Pengiran Muda Al-Muhtadee Billah College is organising Computers & Book Fair until Thursday, April 26 at 8 am located at Pengiran Muda Al-Muhtadee Billah College, Jalan Pasar Baharu, Gadong