Enlisting media to push BIMP EAGA
By CT Hj Mahmod

Information Department's Director Awg Hj Bujang and Deputy Director Hj Amer Hamzah chairing yesterday's informal discussion

Representatives from local print media in discussions on the creation of the BIMP-EAGA Media Communicators Association (BEMCA)

Brunei may well establish a local Pro-Tem Committee comprising members from the government and private sector media practitioners, journalists, and communicators, as a pipeline to BIMP EAGA's economic and social development objectives.

Member countries of the Brunei-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines East Asian Growth Area realise that effective information dissemination is an essential component for BIMP EAGA's development, and thus needs the concerted efforts of the media.

This was highlighted at yesterday's informal discussion, which gathered all local print media at the Information Department.

Chairing the discussion was Awg Hj Bujang bin Masu'ut, Director of Information, together with the Deputy Director of Information Department, Hj Amer Hamzah bin Pehin Dato Zakaria, who recently represented Brunei in the Communications and Media Affairs Meeting attended by BIMP EAGA country members, in Sulawesi, Indonesia, last January 2003.

The meeting brought together a core group of journalists, communicators, and government information agencies from the participating countries to devise a strategy for creating a positive image for BIMP-EAGA.

Awg Hj Bujang reiterated the meeting's agenda that "every media sector should be involved to inform, educate, and promote BIMP EAGA's development progress as to develop not only tourism, but also socio-economic growth, as a way for trade to flourish. And with this, the media has an important role to play".

Hj Amer Hamzah, speaking on the meeting in Sulawesi, emphasised that "BIMP EAGA is trying to improve its image by asking assistance from the media". And the meeting's participants shall endeavour to exchange, publish and disseminate positive news articles relating to BIMP EAGA in general, and to the focus area, especially with their own respective newspaper, or other means of publications. "The questions are: how can the media improve BIMP EAGA's image, how can individual country media do their bit, and how can Brunei improve the image of Brunei and BIMP EAGA? For we all play a part in projecting the image of BIMP-EAGA," he added.

He explained BIMP EAGA's country members is to initiate discussions with other media members within their respective areas to obtain support for the creation of the BIMP-EAGA Media Communicators Association (BEMCA). BEMCA, said Hj Amer Hamzah, "is the linkage between all media within the region".

Courtesy of Borneo Bulletin