Brunei's Local News - Brudirect.com

Bandar Seri Begawan - "It's so frustrating. In fact, I find this quite ridiculous," said the young lady from Singapore after making her third trip round the corner for a smoke that night.

She and her friends were sitting in a cafe in Brunei and she was enjoying it all except, of course, for the forced interruption for a cigarette that brought about the need for a dash into the night.

And after she had done that three times she was feeling rather harassed.

But she had enjoyed her stay in Brunei very much. After the hectic life she lived in Singapore, Brunei was a paradise of peace and tranquility.

She felt so much at home here. No doubt, there were minor irritations, like, for example, this one.

"Where's the yellow box?" she had asked when

she stepped into a cafe a week ago when she first arrived in Brunei.

"What yellow box?" her friends had responded looking puzzled.

And she went on noting the blank look on her Brunei friends: "In Singapore about 20 per cent of the total seating space can be designated as a smoking zone in cafe. And that is marked by a clear yellow line. Within that box smoking is allowed. It is very popular with outdoor cafes. It seems to work out alright so far."

She looked at her friends in disbelief that they were unaware of this. Surely there should be a smoking area. That was only reasonable.

"Oh, no, we have no such rules here. But it would be good to have one, though," a Bruneian friend commented.

"Yes, indeed," added another local young man. "A cafe owner friend tells me that his business has dropped by 20 to 30 per cent, if not even more ever since the blanket smoking ban in eating places mid this year."

The discussion was turning out to be interesting. Some others in the cafe who heard it were also beginning to listen.

"Pardon me for interrupting. But, yes, I am all for moderation. I agree that smoking is not a good thing. But a sudden ban is hardly desirable. I think we should follow the Singapore example," added a friend who happened to be at the next table.

That seems to be the general opinion of the people in Brunei: Yes, we support the ban but let there be moderation.

Meanwhile, the young Singapore lady had once again disappeared into the darkness. No doubt, she was enjoying another brief puff just round the corner. -- Courtesy of Borneo Bulletin