On 27th July 2005, I rushed my son to Accident and Emergency Department in Raja Isteri Pengiran Anak Saleha Hospital around 9.00pm and waited till about 2am when he was admitted to the ward due to an asthma attack and very high fever.

As soon as we arrived, I told the counter staff that my son needed urgent attention as he has got asthma and high fever.

And I also told them that when we come with this type of emergency we do not need to queue but are usually directed to the nebuliser section.

But they said I have to wait for my turn.

The condition of my son was getting worse so while I did the registration my husband went to one of the doctor's rooms and asked for the doctor's help and to check for himself my son's bad condition. Seeing my son's condition, the doctor immediately ordered a nebuliser and an injection.

An X-ray was taken and he was also given oxygen.

However while my son was receiving oxygen he complained of a headache, numbness of his hands and feet and that his vision was getting blurry.

I felt his forehead and body and found that he was warm.

I asked for them to check his temperature but I was told that the thermometer was not available!

I was really angry but still controlled myself.

However, a male nurse who was at the scene was quick to assist us. To my pleasant surprise a thermometer was brought and medicine was given to my son, very fast.

He also comforted the child encouraging him to relax until he was moved to the ward at 2am.

In my opinion, the Accident and Emergency Department needs staff with the right attitude, professional, and responsible and mainly those who are capable of providing comfort and those who would help save people's lives?

We would like to express our sincere gratitude to the medical staff who helped us get through that day with caring treatment, especially to the doctor and the nurse who comforted my son.

- Haji Mohamad and Hajah Ajijah, BSB

Several months ago, I was in Bulgaria and Greece and posted letters and post cards from both countries to Brunei, UK and NZ.

All the mail arrived within 5 to 7 days. Later I went on to USA.

After posting letters and cards from there to the same countries, I found that the mail took at least 6 weeks to arrive here.In fact I was back in Brunei long before my postcards came.

My daughter who lives in US often sends me mail-usually with high value postage stamps, so it isn't a lack of stamp value that is at fault.

Her mail always takes at least a month to get here - so it isn't the Brunei Postal Services that is at fault.

- ML

Finally, someone has opened this topic. I have long waited for this but I just came to know of this when my friend told me about an interest in SPCA.

I'm totally in it! If you must know, I'm a 100% animal lover, I don't mind any animals - even extinct animals I would care for, if they were in need.

There are lots of animal lovers out here and they have often wondered how to care for all the animals in need here.

Therefore I'm writing here to give my opinion, and I hope people will hear me out!

I read the last opinion, which said, "We need a caring person to start Brunei's SPCA", but here's the question, where and when?

So that we (ready to volunteer members of Brunei's future SPCA) could plan and organise our next move.

If an SPCA is formed will we be allowed to receive donations instead of waiting for sponsors.

Like me, I'm from MD and would be glad to volunteer to help out for SPCA and I hope I'll not be alone in this enthusiasm.

We must officially open this SPCA so that people will know and join this organisation and definitely know that we animal lovers are serious about what we are talking.

If there is any relevant "website", as an animal lover I want to check it out because I don't know the address - I'll be waiting!

- Ameng, MD.

I refer to the Victimised SME's opinion on the 30/07/05 issue and will show full support for what has been said, as it has happened to our company as well.

While public servants have been told at high levels to do away with bureaucracy and red tape to help SMEs, sometimes this advise does not seem to be followed.

Instead, the situation we feel is getting worse. Never have I heard before of files repeatedly misplaced and lost from Government Departments!

In this scenario errant staff must be repeatedly reviewed to beef up efficiency and avoid bureaucracy and red tape, so that our country can progress.

Public officials dealing with SMEs must realise how importance SMEs are for the economic development of the country, and that they will not block their development and advancement, but instead, will help them to get started and assist them along the way to thrive as soon as possible.

After all, the role of public servants is to serve the public. They must serve diligently and efficiently.

- Disappointed Local SME

Of genetics and houseflies

It would be lovely to have in the BB Weekend an additional column on 'How kids sees it' for parents to share the experiences they have withtheir children.

I was having a chatting to my 7 years old boy when he asked me about the mole below my lips, in local Brunei Malay mole is " tahi lalat " directly translate in English "housefly s**t".

He claimed that when I was at his age that I had surely eaten a housefly!

"Babah masa damit makan lalat kah?"

Battling the difficulty in explaining about genetic inheritances I told him that it was there when I was a kid and showed him that he too has got a very small one too below his left eye.

- SuperDad

As someone who has the misfortune to live next to the car park , opposite the royal regalia museum, I would really like to ask the relevant authorities if anyone actually listens to the musicians who perform before inflicting them on the public?

While some can sing, many seem to make as much noise as possible.

The resulting "music" usually end up in blood curdling screams.

All this at the highest of decibels of course.

While I am happy to see people enjoying themselves, I believe the Royal celebration should be done in a dignified manner, not with raucous rock music.

- Sleepless In Bandar

This is in response to Helpless Customer's letter posted in Weekend Edition dated August 6, 2005 concerning "faulty" modem.

With the limited information provided by the writer, we cannot at this stage verify that the faulty modem was supplied by JTB or a built-in modem in the writer's PC.

Therefore we seek his/her cooperation to contact the undersigned directly to assist us in our investigation.

In a related matter, we would like to take this opportunity to thank "Irked Customer" (BB July 20, 2005) for contacting us directly which help to smoothen our investigation.

- Adri HM Arshad
- Corporate Communications
- Jabatan Telekom Brunei
- Tel: 2384888
- Email: jtbpr@brunet.bn

As an animal lover, I wholeheartedly agree with Hjh NA, KB (BB 30 Jul) and Be Kind To Animals (BB3 Aug).

How do we go about setting up an animal shelter or the SPCA? If it is non-govt, who is wealthy and generous enough to donate a plot of land?

And who will construct a building?

As for the staff, I'm pretty sure from the opinions published recently we have plenty of people who will volunteer to help out.

All animal lovers in Brunei will be most grateful if our government is 'prihatin' enough to help in this matter.

I'm sure we don't want the animal shelter/SPCA set up for only a few months and then to deteriorate as the Malay saying 'hidup segan mati tak mahu' as what seems to happen to some associations, etc.

We are dealing with lives here (eventhough it is those of animals) so we have to make it work seriously.

I hope after reading all the opinions published, the concerned authority will come forward with a proposal for the SPCA in our beloved Abode of Peace.

- Waiting To Be A Volunteer, Jln Muara