Borneo Bulletin Opinions

Borneo Bulletin Opinion

Send all illegal aliens back home

Every other day we come across reports and photo-images of immigration offenders being rounded-up by authorities in the Borneo Bulletin.

Most of these offenders are people from our neighbouring countries who fail to observe our immigration rules and regulations.

Well done and congratulations to the authorities for doing excellent jobs.

As a citizen, many would agree that we do not want peaceful Brunei Darussalam becoming a haven for crime-minded foreigners or people with could-not-care attitude to the country's immigration laws.

As Bruneians, we would generally welcome foreign visitors and workers to this country as long as the requirements of our immigration laws are met.

Experiences in neighbouring countries have shown that immigration offences and the resulting unchecked stock of illegal population, unless decisively-dealt with, would pose an expensive social problem to the host country. In fact, its proliferation may pose a serious challenge to the country, national security.

Already the country's budget had been stretched in order to look after these offenders in our jails and prisons. The costs of building new prisons, funds for supervising, feeding and providing medical attention to these offenders would have to be met by the host-country. The question now is, do we need to?

Especially when such funds can be used for other more productive social activities e.g. re-training of jobless Brunei citizens, to fund hospitals to care for our elderly and so forth.

Many knows that these foreign offenders, once they are blacklisted from this country may come back again, possibly with new passports and under new identities.

This is happening now and should be eliminated. My own view is where these people are apprehended again, they should be unreservedly banned and sent back to their home country for good. We can do well without this kind of visitors.

Let the burden of funding the imprisonment of these offenders be borne by their home countries - not ours!

- Observer

Why this haste to re-open schools?

The MoE's recent decision to reopen the primary schools despite the HFMD outbreak has raised eyebrows among many parents including myself. As a parent, I am forced to express my sheer concern over the 'untimely decision' to reopen primary schools.

As per the Ministry of Health's recent communiqué, the HFMD is still active and the current situation is not stable.

It is also reported that the Ministry of Health is still receiving new cases of HFMD.

If so, on what grounds did the MoE reopen the primary schools? It is questionable as to why the MoE has excluded the kindergarten in the reopening. Is it because of the age group?

What yard stick did they use to decide that a certain age group is safer to be 'exposed' than the other?

Is MoE not aware that there are still younger children aging 6-7 in the primary level, who are of the same age group as the Kindergarten?

Isn't it true that there were also HFMD cases reported that did not fit into an age group but to a person's immune level?

I am aware that the MOE has instructed the schools to disinfect the classrooms and then to run routine medical checks on all the kids everyday.

On the latter, how could MOE expect such a specialised job to be carried out by ordinary teachers?

Are these teachersas qualified for that?

Can they really diagnose an HFMD case?

By the time they find a probable case, it would infect many innocent children.

Why do we have to face this situation? Why couldn't the MOE defer the reopening of primary schools till the situation is stable?

- Concerned Parent

Getting restless at home

First and foremost, I must commend the Ministry of Health (MoH) Brunei for having handled the HFMD outbreak so efficiently. Its quick decision to temporary shut down primary schools has successfully contained the situation.

It is more than a month now since the school shut down, and although classes have been reopened for children 6 years and above, the younger ones, namely those between four and six years are getting restless at home.

As a mother of a five-year-old child, and on behalf of a group of mothers of children in this same age group, I would like to appeal to the MoH to allow classes to start for children in this age group.

In the international schools, these children will be in the Reception level and I believe in local schools, they would be in Kindergarten 2. Perhaps MoH could enforce that these schools take measures to curb the HFMD infections by checking the temperatures, and hands and feet of all children at these levels, before they start classes each day.

And of course, parents must be reminded not to bring their children to school should the kids be unwell. Also as another measure, perhaps MoH could isolate cases, where if a certain school has a certain number of cases of HFMD, then these schools in particular will be closed for a required period. I believe for children below four years, not having to go to school does not affect them so much. But for kids older, school is an avenue for them to learn, play and socialise. Having missed school for so long, and being kept indoors is not healthy for kids this age. They need to go out, have some sun, and release that abundant energy that they have. I am sure other parents may agree with me on this. Looking forward to Reception and Kindergarten 2 classes re-opening soon.

- A Concerned Mother

When can I claim my land?

I bought this property in 1998, eight years ago and until today I have still not received my rightful title deed to it.

I have made several approaches to the Land Office but each time I am told the original landowner has not signed the documents or something to that effect.

Can the proper authority please seriously investigate this and resolve the matter?

We want to receive our rightful title deed as we have fully paid up the purchased amount to the original owner.

Don't you agree that eight years is too long a wait especially when we have repaid all amounts upon purchase of the property?

- Confused

Don't fuss, women should not be playing football

I thought this matter, about women's sports, has been closed, and people would stop arguing, but still there are unsatisfied people, fussing around about the Authority banning women playing football.

Come on people, football is just not appropriate for women.

Stop giving the Authority a "headache" about a small matter like this. If it is banned, it is banned!

The case is closed! The Authority has more other important matters to deal with.

There was one letter, written by Discriminated Footballer posted on April 1, stating that, "you could just specify certain days for only women to use the facilities, for example the swimming pool could be only open to women on some days and the rest of the days of the week, the men can use it.

"Same goes for the fields, the stadiums could be open to women to play football on certain days, and the rest for the men."

Do you think this system would work? As far as I am concerned, teenagers nowadays are getting worse and they would not abide by the system.

It is ridiculous to compare men and women about their "aurat" in playing football, as well as other sports like silat.

It is just immature! It is like accusing the Authority of not doing their work properly.

This is Brunei! Not a western country! Brunei women from the past, from our grandmother's and even our mother's generation did not play football.

Don't you ladies want to maintain this?

Maybe that is what the Authority is trying to point out what Bruneian women should be like. If you ladies want to play football, go to another country then.

The Brunei Authority would not stop you.

You want the Authority to ban womem from playing all sports?

This would just be ridiculous and it would create more problems. It is just football.

If the Authority says no, it is a No! End of story.

- N.S

When a decoder becomes a decor

Once again, DST has demonstrated that "DST does not care" and that customer satisfaction in fact is not on their priority list.

Imagine my fury and disappointment when I turned on my TV last Saturday to find out that the Kristal Service has been discontinued!

At the very least they could have ensured every existing subscriber has migrated to Astro service, if not refunded us for that black box that is now a decoration piece in the living room.

What are we subscribers to do now? All we are told is just to wait for new Astro sets to arrive. Give us a date!

- Disappointed Patron

Potholes need to be reported says PWD

With reference to the article published in Borneo Bulletin Opinion page on Wednesday, April 5 2006 concerning the pothole repair works in Jalan Ban 1 to Ban 5, The Public Works Department wishes to thank 'Road Mender' for highlighting the matter in the Borneo Bulletin.

The Public Works Department would like to inform that it is part of the department's routine work to repair and rectify any potholes that might appear on public roads.

The repair works are carried out through term contracts managed by Public Works Department.

Hence, this department assures that the matters mentioned in the above article will be looked into and would like to advise 'Road Mender' and the public to report any complaints of potholes or damaged roads directly to the Department of Roads, PWD, Ministry of Development at Hotline No: 2382385, Fax No: 2383387 or via e-mail: dorpwd@brunet.bn.

- Director of Roads
- Public Works Department
- Ministry of Development
- Negara Brunei Darussalam

Why so difficult to get mobile phone signals in KB?

I am very frustrated with the mobile phone service in Kuala Balai housing area.

It is extremely hard to get a signal. In order to send a single message, it takes ages. Sometimes the message fails to be sent,too.

It is fine that we have a home telephone, but what do we do when important messages are sent to us, and missed.

Not only us, there are thousands of people living in this housing area feeling the same way too. We'd feel embarrassed and ashamed if this problem could not be solved in this era of technology.

We hope the authorities could do something about our difficult situation here in Kuala Balai.

- Frustrated