As I recall a few months back, there was an issue during the State Meeting regarding Free Education in Brunei that only the higher levels like Form Five or Six need to buy a few books while the other books will be provided by the Government. To me we can hardly find any Bruneian that are not able to afford.

Well let me tell you that I have four children in the secondary section from Form one to Form four. Until only last week, my children had to get all the books the teachers were asking. Some teachers wanted hard covers, while some soft covers, some small exercise books, and some big exercise books. Not all Bruneians are rich.

Frankly I had to borrow some cash from my family to see that my children get all the books. And do you know how much they approximately came to?

Believe it or not B$500.00. What is even worse is that the school that my children go to does not prepare a list of all the books needed and my child will say my Math teacher wants this, my Geography teacher wants that, and so on.

So can you imagine how hectic it is?

Each school should prepare for each class a list of books. It's the duty of the class teacher to give to his/her pupils.

So do you think education is free nowadays? Why can't Brunei be like the Arab countries where education is free not just till the University?

- PRM

The Ministry of Religious Affairs would like to refer to an article entitled "Whom Am I To Believe" by Adopting Parents which was published in last week's edition of Weekend Bulletin (29th January 2005).

For the writer's information, processing adoption cases or issuing adoption certificates is not under the Syariah Affairs Department, Ministry of Religious Affairs as mentioned.

So, in order for adopting parents to apply for an adoption or obtain an adoption certificate, they should go to the agency concerned which is the Syariah High Court, State Judicial Department, Prime Minister's Office which is located on the 3rd floor, Ministry of Religious Affairs (old building), Jalan Elizabeth II, Bandar Seri Begawan.

- Public Relations Unit,
- Ministry of Religious Affairs

On November last year, I attended the World Travel Market in London (UK). It is a travel trade show for Tour Operators, Travel Agents Journalists, etc.

The Brunei Stand was very impressive. Royal Brunei Airlines showed their new Business Class seat and the General Manager of the Empire Hotel and Country Club took a photograph of me with the Tourism Chief.

Two months on, I have just visited Brunei. The Business Class in Royal Brunei gave a comfortable journey with first class meals and cabin service.

A quick transfer to the Empire Hotel and a few days of luxurious accommodation with many activities available including a SPA and prize winning golf course.

With Borneo Tours, my wife and I saw much of the city, which impressed us including splendid mosques, museums and a new shopping mall.

As a travel writer, I do not hesitate to recommend it as an 'abode of peace' well worth visiting.

My articles in UK magazines will rate it highly. It is certainly a 'new' destination which I am sure will increase in popularity.

- Derick Megroarty, Southampton UK

Video clips from news channels all over the world of the tsunami disaster being sold for commercial profit is really despicable. Sad to say, these video clips sold in a VCD form are rapidly being circulated in Brunei.

I'm disappointed that nothing is being done about this. Yes, everybody wants to make money, but please, not at the expense of tsunami disaster victims.

These vendors are making huge profit and the money is not going to charity. It's only going to their bank. This is not about a Copyright Act, smuggling or religion problem, but it's plainly about 'human rights'. I think this is definitely not a Halal way to make money. How could we stoop this low? How would we feel if we were the ones on those videos?

Donations to those victims are pouring from all over the world even from Brunei but at the same time our shops here are selling these VCDs to make profit for themselves.

- Shocked By Insensitivity

Last weekend, we wanted to enjoy playing Radio Control cars, as it is our hobby during our free time, at a very nice new parking lot next to the municipal office at the KB district.

Suddenly the watchman at the municipal department prevented us from doing this.

Our question is why? How can we damage the road with a simple hobby?

If we cannot play at that parking lot, can you tell us where we should be playing and enjoy our Radio Control hobbies?

- Upset Serious RC racers

I am a KB resident very disappointed with the unfinished sewage system in the KB area.

Contractors just can't finish what they had promised.

The contractors should be black listed and should not be allowed to be involved in any future tender with the use of a local name.

They simply cause the road users chaos to the KB area besides inconveniency.

- Concerned Residence

I happened to be involved in a road accident on 30/3/04, in which a seven year old girl dashed across the highway on her bicycle and crashed onto my car, in which she was later discharged from the hospital safely, without any injuries.

During that time I filed a case with the police station, highway accident dept., Bandar (BSB/TR/A/179/04).

Then I had resigned from my employment in Brunei and was also informed at the same three a few months in advanced in writing to the officer to settle the case early.

Finally I left Brunei on 7/10/04, giving authorisation letter for the refund of my bail amount B$500.00 in one of my friend's name, as per the advice of the office, as nothing was settled that time.

Unfortunately until now, nothing is heard.

- N.V.K.SS.PRASAAD
- India (nvkssp@yahoo.com)

Sick of Whiners (Feb 3rd) makes reference to my letter (Brunei's Internet Glitches, Jan 26th) by his/her reference to Hong Kong.

My letter wasn't in the nature of a complaint about the Internet services in Brunei, hardly something I would be worried about living in HK, but rather a query as to how schools cope in using the Internet in their daily classes when there seem to be constant connection problems.

As an educator, using the Internet with students daily, I am interested.

The writer didn't comment on this.

The writer does make a reference to the service being cheaper in Brunei than in 'most places' and Brunei being very 'forward' in these things. I have no comment on this as there was no evidence presented.

I am sure that all your teachers and government workers are all computer literate and continually updated but there is a problem finding some of your school websites and online school enrolment pages.

The writer does mention that HK has a large percentage of the population without computers which would be true, which is exactly the reason why schools have them so all students have access and training.

An increasing number of jobs are finding uses for computers and people who can use them. I'm sure it is the same in Brunei as in HK.

Many of my service bills arrive via SMS or the Internet and I pay them online.

No need to waste time queuing but the service personnel in these departments need skills to process the accounts.

Anyone ordering supplies needs to record stock levels and use computers for efficient ordering.

This applies to so many areas from shops to car mechanics to hospitals to the police ordering new uniform socks.

Everyone in the country is connected to the 'system' via their smart ID card (as in Brunei) and all dealings with official departments are done through registering this ID card number in a smart reader. So in this respect, all citizens will increasingly find a need for computer skills especially as postal e-services, library, immigration and others are available with the smart card.

Service systems (electricity, sewage, water) are all monitored by computer and lists of faults and repairs recorded so that regular maintenance can be carried out to try to prevent future problems.

If cars can barcode (all the information already registered in a sticker that can't be removed) then parking attendants would simply need to scan the barcode and at border crossings a scan of the passport and the car sticker would have you through in seconds (HK - China crossing of millions per year).

Parking offenders can even receive a notice via email so that ticket can't be lost or washed away and the police have a record of the email being opened.

A reminder can be given in fourteen days and actions taken within a reasonable period.

The police can enter the details of an illegally parked vehicle into their system and send the owner an immediate SMS to their mobile phone asking them to move it and pay the instant fine, especially useful in cases of minor emergencies.

Schools can put a message on the computer and send it directly to parents' mobile telephones via SMS (every parent notified in a second) and my previous letter covered the area of homework, tutoring and lessons on the Internet.

Of course all student files are on computers and accessible to those with the passwords, as are grades, ECAs and report cards.

Whether you have one or twenty service providers is of no real interest to me, neither how 'forward' you are in 'these things'. But my original query (not complaint) still stands: what happens when the system keeps crashing?

- Still connected in the 21st Century (HK)

We learned that the Ministry of Education is planning to implement two new subjects alongside with technical subjects. These two subjects are MIB and Civics.

MIB and Civics are to be introduced to all technical institutions in Brunei. If this story is true then we, first of all, would like to congratulate the Ministry of Education, particularly the Honorable Minister of Education.

We are really eager to have these two subjects in our class. They are to an extent two great subjects to learn that would further contribute to our social development especially as citizens of Brunei Darussalam.

As we are not sure of this, we hope the Director General of Education could clarify to us.

- Anak Bangsa Brunei

Placed in Group A of the Malaysian Premier League campaign this year would surely be a high ridden task for the Brunei National Soccer squad, especially with the giants such as Kedah, last year's Malaysia Cup runners-up, and Selangor, winners of many times of the prestigious cup.

Supporters and non-supporters could see that the Wasps will still face a difficult time.

The Wasps playing Penang NTFA on Sunday would therefore be a tough one. Next week against Selangor MK Land will see another one.

What we need is a big crowd supporting our team like what we did in the late nineties.

Thanks to BAFA for making it possible this time to have the M-League matches back in the HBNS.

- Mohd SKN