Monday, February 2, 2009

Floods wreak havoc in Sungai Liang




SUNGAI Liang residents in the Belait district have been hit by heavy floods, causing havoc to roads, homes and businesses, more than a week after the worst floods in 40 years affected Brunei-Muara district.

The intensity of the storm started at about 3am yesterday and lasted for nearly four hours, with many residents describing it as a rare occurrence.

The most affected places, which were nearly submerged by fast flowing water were the Mukim Sg Liang area, the Kuala Balai housing area, Seria and some other parts of Kuala Belait.

The Sg Liang residents bore the brunt of the storm due to its low lying areas, but even high grounds were inundated with fast flowing waters.

One Sg Liang resident, Hjh Hapsah, who had to be assisted by the Fire and Rescue Department described the whole situation as chaotic and alarming.

"Water was everywhere and it was flowing really fast. My car had to be pushed back by the police and firemen, who were there the whole period, as it started to drift along with the torrent of water."

"It looked as if Sg Liang was a town built into a white water river," she added.

She also praised the speedy response of the Fire and Rescue Department as well as the Royal Brunei Police Force, who helped throughout the whole ordeal, consoling and assisting the affected residents.

Some places previously safe from floods were engulfed with water almost knee deep. In Seria alone, almost 100 families were displaced by the floods.

The Community Development Department (Japem) at the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports, handed out food and blankets to the victims of Seria and Kuala Belait yesterday afternoon.

According to eyewitnesses , the Sg Liang bypass which is the only route heading towards the Kuala Belait, was cordoned off during the early hours to ensure the safety of motorists passing by. The road was only opened at 6am when the torrent of gushing water subsided.

Minister of Home Affairs Pehin Orang Kaya Johan Pahlawan Dato Seri Setia Hj Adanan Begawan Pehin Siraja Khatib Dato Seri Setia Hj Md Yusof, together with officials from the National Disaster Management Centre and the Belait District Office also visited the affected areas yesterday to ensure the well-being of the affected residents.

The thunderstorm which is caused by the merging of the La-Nina effect and the current monsoon season is expected to last throughout January to February.

Citizens laud low crime rate



THE Bandar Seri Begawan populace has expressed their satisfaction and gratitude towards the city's law enforcement efforts in maintaining a relatively low crime rate in the city.

"Brunei is a really safe place to live in," said a mother of two who opted for anonymity.

The Malaysian woman who had worked in the private sector of the Sultanate for some 20 years said that in all of her years working in the country, she has only experienced a minor case of theft where she lost a couple of cooking gas cylinders.

"I love the security here. Crime is not really a problem in Brunei," added the woman in her mid-40s.

A 35-year-old man who requested to be known only as Haji voiced similar opinions. "I go shopping with some of my doors unlocked, something I would definitely not do if I lived in some of our neighbouring countries."

The frequent visitor to Miri went on to say that the difference in crime rates between the two locations was so different that it was hard to imagine both countries being so close to each other.

"We try to avoid going out at night in Miri, especially in areas with banks, bars or clubs but I go out for leisure drives to the middle of nowhere during midnight here in Brunei," explained Haji.

Haji attributed the low crime rates in the city to the efforts of the law enforcement authorities here in the Sultanate.

"The police here are hardworking and we also have a larger police force here in relation to our population," explained Haji, also suggesting that the tight networking of the Brunei population might also have a role in this.

"Everyone knows each other so there is more risk of getting reported for crimes. Also, where can you flee after you commit a crime here in Brunei? Unlike Malaysia, where you can hide in the other states or nearby Indonesia."

Stating that there is currently no room for improvement on the security here in Brunei, Haji added that "the challenge will be trying to maintain this level of security because anything can happen, especially with the recent decline of the economy".

"Our crime rate is controlled really well. In my opinion, it is definitely better than our neighbouring countries including places like Singapore and even Australia," said a fresh graduate from Monash University, Melbourne, who is now looking for a job here in the country.

The 23-year-old who declined to be named spoke of how Brunei's upbringing could have contributed much to the lawful behaviour of the populace.

"Brunei is a dry country, with no alcohol, gambling or drugs in addition to having tough law enforcement policies. The children here grow up without any of these distractions and bad influences," said the accounting graduate, adding that the population should also be thankful for the strong financial standing of the country.

"People here are well off enough to get what they want so they have no need to resort to criminal activities," added the 23-year-old.

MinComm treads safely






IN LINE with the vision for a safety-oriented year, the Ministry of Communications (MinComm) yesterday held a walkathon at the Hassanal Bolkiah National Stadium in conjunction with the "MinComm Safety Year 2009 campaign".

The event began with an aerobics session led by Royal Brunei Police Force Training Centre personnel, followed by a 5km run for the male participants and a 3km run for the females.

In addition to the walkathon, a collection was also set up for the Palestinian Humanitarian Fund and there were also activities such as a safety exhibition conducted by the ministry's departments, a charity bazaar and entertainment for children.

Earlier this month, MinComm announced that safety concerns will be taken more seriously and the ministry is now gearing up towards a safety-oriented year following the number of accidents which have occurred in the transport sector throughout 2008.

"The ministry is giving serious attention towards the issue of safety and will stress (the issue) not only in the workplace but also among operators, users, staff and the public," said Deputy Minister Dato Paduka Hj Yusof Hj Abd Hamid, who also participated in the walkathon.

Present for the walkathon yesterday was the Minister of Communications, Pehin Orang Kaya Seri Kerna Dato Seri Setia Hj Abu Bakar Hj Apong.

MinComm senior officers and staff also joined in the walkathon, including Permanent Secretary Hj Alaihuddin Pehin Orang Kaya Digadong Seri Lela Dato Seri Utama Hj Mohammad Taha and Deputy Permanent Secretary Abdul Mutalib Pehin Orang Kaya Seri Setia Dato Paduka Hj Mohd Yusof.

Also present were officers from DataStream Technology (DST), Telekom Brunei (TelBru), B-Mobile and the Kg Lambak Mosque Takmir Committee.

E-payment to spur businesses



IMPLEMENTING an electronic payment system in Brunei would complement its e-government and e-business initiatives, facilitating and reducing transaction costs, as well as providing more entrepreneurship opportunities, said a foreign expert.

Electronic payment is a prerequisite for e-government initiatives to take off and should be considered as a flagship project which affects government-business-public relationship, said Dr Yeoul Hwangbo, an e-government professor at the E-Government Technology Authority Body (EGTAB).

He told The Brunei Times that Internet payment is important for e-government and e-business initiatives as e-government services require safe e-payments on the Internet and the government would not be able to provide electronic transaction services to its citizens and businesses without the system.

Dr Yeoul said that the system would allow users to reap greater benefit with less effort, adding that it would be more convenient for individuals to pay bills using their personal computer and the relevant government agencies are able to collect money efficiently and within a short time.

This would also create new business opportunities, he said, adding that even newspaper companies have the potential to sell its digital products (information) to people using e-payment. "E-payment is not a new emerging phenomenon, but it is a popular business tool for many countries," added the South Korean expert.

He said that a number of processes must be taken into account to implement the system, including developing an e-payment regulatory framework such as law, order, policies and guidelines, as the first process. The next step is to design an inclusive e-payment system and establishing public-private partnership (PPP), he said.

Engagement with the private sector has been an integral feature of government use of information communication technology (ICT), he said. Brunei's private sector can provide upfront funds for constructing infrastructure and facilities, while the government must set up regulations, policies and guidelines to protect consumers, he added.

"Public-private relationships have broadened from the acquisition of products and services such as mainframe computers which governments themselves could not provide, to services such as the operation of computing facilities direct to end users of government services."

Dr Yeoul said that the integration of government services with non-government activity can leverage on existing infrastructure and existing patterns of citizen and business interactions.

He said that security has always been a major issue when dealing with online transactions. "To ensure the system is fool-proof, cyber security measures, with particular emphasis on digital signature and public key infrastructure, should be reinforced."

Public key infrastructure should be established to provide more secure services for citizens and businesses, he said, adding that it should meet the security requirements of authentication, integrity and confidentiality.

In addition, other security measures should be considered, such as personal computer security software to be provided by the e-payment agencies such as banks, prevention software to ban keyboard hacking, data and privacy protection policy and password.

New building to house Smarter, Baca children




THE Society for the Management of Autism Related Issues In Training, Education and Resources (Smarter) may expect to have a new building by April this year.

This was disclosed by the society's president, Malai Hj Abdullah Hj Malai Othman in an interview with The Brunei Times yesterday.

He said that the new building located at Kg Jerudong has a price tag of $1.9 million.

According to Malai Hj Abdullah the new buildingwhich will also accommodate members of the Brunei Autism Centre for Adults (Baca), will provide more space for the members. The number of children registering with Smarter has been increasing rapidly, he said.

"We need to cater these children with better place and facilities as to improve their academic standard in order to meet the current requirements," he added.

He said the decision to have a bigger building to cater for the society's growing needs was made after receiving registration from children who were diagnosed with autism by the Child Development Centre (CDC).

"We could not reject the registration even though our space is getting limited now and we were trying our best to support the needs of these children," he said.

Malai Hj Abdullah added that it was their responsibility to assist these special children to be successful in the future.

He also pointed out that the involvement of parents is the most fundamental factor in building up their children's future.

He said that some shop lots at the new building will be rented out to various entreprises such as restaurants, furniture shops, car workshop, air-con service and others sat an affordable price.

The rents will be used to cover some of the annual payment of the loan used to purchase the building.

"All shops will be named after Smarter in order to strengthen the credibility of our society," he said.

He added that with full support from the parents and public, this project will succeed for the benefits of the children's future.

He also disclosed that Smarter will conduct various activities to raise its fund which include a charity concert, hill challenge and campaigns to name a few.

Malai Hj Abdullah said Smarter could not depend solely on donation when they could generate their own income if they work together as a team.

He said that with the income earned, they would have better options to generate more in order to improve the standard and capability of Smarter for their sake of its members.

One of the parents, Hj Khamis Hj Rashid told The Brunei Times that he was glad that his son is a member of Smarter as the society provides him with knowledge and skills. He that after being informed by the CDC that his son has autism at the age of two, he did not lose hope, instead he went on to figure out how to give the best for his son.

"Smarter has given us a lot of help and motivation for our son," said the 43-year-old father. He also hope that he could spend more quality time with his son.

Fisheries Dept's contribution to GDP increases




THE Fisheries Department yesterday announced that its contribution towards the nation's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) has increased in line with the country's vision of diversifying the economy from hydrocarbon resources.

Director of the Fisheries Department at the Ministry of Industry and Primary Resources (MIPR) Hjh Hasnah Ibrahim disclosed this at the closing ceremony of the Fisheries Carnival 2009 where she also emphasised that the contribution is attributed to the output of the nation's fisheries industrial operators, who has fulfilled its main role as the catalyst in the industry's growth.

Due to this achievement, Hjh Hasnah said that it is vital for all industry operators affiliated with the fisheries sector to keep up the momentum for sustainable growth. She also added that the Fisheries Department will always be available to assist the operators in their endeavours.

"The 2009 Carnival has done astoundingly well in attracting people. With more than 16,000 (visitors), this is a big achievement," she said, adding that more than $127,000 in profits has been generated from all the activities.

"The carnival was held to promote fisheries products and gives the SMEs (small medium enterprises) a chance to interact with potential business partners or buyers," said Hjh Hasnah.

"Those who has not achieved profit expectations, do not give up. There will be another chance next year," she added.

Hjh Hasnah also said that the Fisheries Department is open for more ideas and opinions with regards to next year's carnival or any upcoming promotion plans.

The Fisheries Carnival was held for four days and ended yesterday.

More than 77 participants ranging from SMEs to boat operators showcased their products mainly consisting of seafood. A wide variety of live fishes, both saltwater and freshwater, were also available for consumers to choose from. A live turtle display was also held to enhance awareness on these majestic creature's plight.

The carnival was held at the Main Fish Landing Complex in Muara.

Brunei gets 17th place in e-Government




BRUNEI Darussalam has moved up to the 17th position out of 198 countries for the e-Government country ranking in the "Improving Technology Utilisation in Electronic Government around the World 2008" report by the Governance Studies of the Brookings Institution.

This has been a big leap for the country which was placed at 28th position in 2007.

The study reviewed the current condition of electronic government and made practical suggestions for improving the delivery of information and services over the Internet.

The rankings are decided on the basis of 18 different features. According to the report, points are awarded to websites that have the following features: publications, databases, audio clips, video clips, foreign language access, not having ads, not having premium fees, not having the user fee, disability access, having privacy policies, security policies, allowing digital signatures on transactions, an option to pay via credit cards, email contact information, areas to post comments, option for email updates, option for website personalisation and PDA accessibility.

Brunei scored 41 per cent in the study, an increase from 36.5 per cent that had put Brunei in the 28th position in 2007. Brunei has done reasonably well in terms of online services where it scored 50 per cent, 100 per cent in publications and databases respectively. However, the research also showed that Brunei has weak points or shortcomings in privacy policy where it scored 25 per cent, and zero per cent in security and disability accessibility. These shortcomings need to be overcome for future e-Government initiatives.

According to the study, the most highly ranked e-government nations are South Korea (securing the 1st position for the second consecutive year), Taiwan, the US, Singapore, Canada, Australia, Germany and Ireland.

Singapore, which was placed 4th, is the top rank country among Asean nations with 53.1 per cent, dropping down two places from its 2nd position (54 per cent) in 2007.

Singapore was placed among the top four as it scored 100 per cent in privacy policy and security policy, 97 per cent in publications, 67 per cent for databases, 63 per cent for online services and 10 per cent in disability accessibility.

Other Southeast Asian countries ranked above Brunei include Malaysia at 11th place with 42.8 per cent, a significant leap from its 25th position in 2007.

Malaysia scored 75 per cent in its online services, 88 per cent in publications, 50 per cent in data bases, 75 per cent in privacy policy, 50 per cent in security policy and 38 per cent in disability accessibility.

Cambodia is placed at 70th position with 33 per cent, moving up 17 places from its position in 2007.

Philippines is at 89th position with 31.3 per cent, Myanmar at 93th position, Thailand at 138 position, Laos and Indonesia at 151 and 175 positions respectively.
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