Borneo Bulletin Opinion
| Call
for security at basement parking There is no security in a leading department store in the capital. Many burglary cases in this shopping complex remain unsolved and the situation becomes worse each day. The robber had even robbed the operator at the exit booth. When a man snatched my handbag through my car window at the basement yellow zone exit while I was scanning my parking card, I immediately honked my horn nonstop and drove around the yellow zone. But I couldn't even find even one security guard. When I drove to the red zone and I couldn't still see a security guard as well. Where are the security guards? Should the relevant department help improve the security situation? - Kamariah Abdullah |
| Bad
school toilets in focus I totally agree with 'Concerned Parent' (BB, 12-4-06) regarding the cleanliness of school toilets. During the recent days, we saw that many schools in the country took the opportunity of the school-closure to clean up their premises. We, the parents hope that this does not happen only as a result of an outbreak of diseases. Schools should maintain the standard of cleanliness at all time, especially the hygiene of school toilets (which is always neglected when compared to school performance, until a crisis such as this hits us!) My children go to an established school in Bandar, which over the years has been trying to expand, improve the standard and upgrade their facilities. Those are all good, but on the other hand, the state of the school toilets is still as appalling as when I left the school almost thirty years ago. There is no hand soap (or at least until the outbreak of HFMD), some flushing systems not working, no water etc. One of my children often brings back his lunch box and water bottle home untouched for fear that if he drinks or eats he might need to use the toilet at school. He'd rather stay hungry and thirsty to avoid the 'horribly smelling toilets'. With a few thousand pupils attending the morning and afternoon sessions in the same school, we think that the school should have cleaners cleaning the toilets every hour during school time to maintain its hygiene. At the same time, the schools should educate its pupils on the proper ways of using the toilets. What better place to start learning washroom etiquette than the school itself. Of course, all parents should bear the same responsibility of teaching their children such etiquette at home too. I sincerely hope all schools will look into this matter seriously to prevent outbreak of diseases, and that MoE and MoH will enforce stricter rules upon the school authorities in order to keep the hygiene of school toilets. Let's all make the school cleaner and safer place for our future generation. - Another Concerned Parent |
| Cruel
clubbing of baby seals to provide fur for Asian markets Mr Leopold Battel acting High Commissioner in Brunei Darussalam for Canada is clearly misinformed. I am from Eastern Canada. Newfoundland, to be precise. The same location where the slaughter of 300,000 + animals is about to take place this week. These seals are hacked to death by angry men wielding spiked clubs. These hideous men bash the animal's brains in. It is NOT Humane. If you would like to see the video of the 2006 Seal Hunt that was confiscated by the Canadian Government a couple of weeks ago, please visit this website: http://stream.realimpact.net/? file=realimpact/hsus/2006sealhunt/overview_2006.wmv&type=wmv The Globe and Mail (Canada's largest and most influential newspaper) reported two weeks ago that Newfoundland is 'in the black', and is no longer in a financial deficit due to the booming oil fields offshore. This hunt is not about feeding poor unemployed men, as Mr. Leopold Battel would like to have you believe. As per the Department of Fisheries and Oceans, Minister Loyola Hearn himself said to the CBC News from St. John's, Newfoundland (just last week), this hunt is not about money or unemployment issues. It's about conservation. In actual fact, it is really about killing baby Seals so that Newfoundland can provide fur for the Asian and Russian Fur industry for 'fashion'. Fur coats and other frivolous items made from the body parts of dead baby Seals. They are utterly defenceless and innocent beings. Every single year this hunt goes on, they kill far more than their 'regulated' quotas of Seals. Every single hunt, they are over quota. How can this be if it is 'well regulated'? This year, they are reportedly already over by 1,000 animals, and the major hunt will not even start until April 12th, 2006. In 2006, the quota is 325,000 Seals.If it is a well-regulated hunt, then I ask Mr. Leopold Battel,"Why are the Sealers already 1,000 animals over quota for this year's hunt?" - Nadine Saunders - Vancouver, BC Canada, nadinemsaunders@gmail.com |
| Update
language in Ugama textbooks I went to Ugama school in the 1980s and had some difficulty understanding the Bahasa Melayu used in some of the textbooks during those days (especially in subjects like Tarikh and Tauhid). Today, I have three kids attending Ugama school and much to my disappointment they are using the same textbooks that I used two decades ago! I was confident that religious knowledge taught in Ugama schools would instill strong religious foundation in students. It is not merely for the sake of passing examinations. Religious Schools and the Ministry of Religious Affairs should know better of the role of being "Khalifah" in the spreading and teaching of religious knowledge. School children nowadays use modern (simple and straight forward) language. Please consider reviewing the language (kuno) used in the textbooks to avoid confusion amongst children, for better transmission of knowledge by ustaz and ustazah, and for the convenience of parents having to explain further to their children (should children not understand the teachers who are merely "reading" the textbooks). - Worried and Concerned Parent |
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Surprised with 10yr-old parking
ticket |
| Tempt
cyclists to keep off the main roadway My intent was to try and highlight the small measures that can produce large results. To make cycling safer, it is better to get the cyclists off the road! What I mean by that is for them to use the clean, puncture resistant and clear route on the safety/hardshoulder. To make this an attractive proposition then a little work needs to be done. Frequent travellers to Europe will be familiar with the ripple effect applied to the white lines that mark the edges of the roadway. This small and cheap modification has saved an untold number of lives. Here in Brunei it would also reduce the number of accident. The effect of the rumble zone is to draw the driver attention back to the matter in hand. Once the tyres mount the white line the heavy rumble sound created diverts the attention away from the distraction and back to the road in time to take avoiding action. Accidents, grass cutting and loose material from lorries cause the safety/hardshoulder to become littered with puncture making material. The effect is two fold. Firstly cyclist soon learn to ride on the main part of the carriageway and put themselves in harms way whilst reducing their exposure to punctures. Secondly the attraction of cycling is soon tempered by the constant stream of puncture and we then lose these cyclists. Now we have the cyclists off the main roadway we need to tempt them to stay there. The next problem they encounter is the cateyes/reflective markers between the white lines at the junctions. We only need a gap of one metre and we can stay off the roadway. The cheap removal of a few of these hazards would produce a safer road. Given a small budget, the above improvements would produce a safer road for all users. The upgrading of the white lines would give an instant payback in the reduction of accidents, whilst producing a safe cycle lane. If the road way was cleaned around the scene of an accident and the hardshoulder occasional swept, then clean surface would tempt cyclist out of harms way. The removal of a very limited number of catseyes would make crossing junction on/off ramps so much safer. If I had the details of the minister to forward this to I would very happy to do so. I would also be more than happy to meet with the authorities and lobby for the improvements. "Happy Cyclist" yes, I'm now 51 and cycle 50km+ a day. - Vince McHale |
| Annoyed
at Astro's erratic service I am a subscriber of Kristal Astro for many years and have never owed a single cent on my subscription. I have been encountering problems watching my favorite series drama nightly after 1.30am for the past few weeks. A few weeks back I saw the notice saying that maintenance is on going - but is the maintenance taking a month plus? I complained to 151 the operator claimed maintenance was still on-going and Kristal Astro is not sure when the maintenance would end. My question, is Kristal Astro going to compensate us the subscribers for such interruptions? I understand maintenance is a must but for the past one months plus. Come on, the monthly fees we are paying is not cheap. There should be another pay TV operator, to balance the situation. For the fee we are paying, we should be getting a good service and minimal interruption even though its in the early hours. This is a 24 x 7 pay TV isn't it ? - Feeling Cheated |
| How
about a mobile phone loan? I would like to thank Baiduri Bank for providing the Computer Loan. It is not impossible now to get one expensive laptop, especially for a UBD student like me. I was just wondering, how about a Mobile Phone Loan? - 914 |
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