Thank you for your concern in highlighting the safety issues of Bukit Shahbandar Forest Recreation Park that requires attention, especially the condition of the slopes going downhill. The Forestry Department is well aware of the park is becoming increasingly popular amongst locals and foreigners in Brunei.

Hence, the department had been several steps ahead of concerns raised.

The department had been innovative in creating concrete steps to facilitate better trek on the first hill and subsequent hills will be further improved. Firstly, ropes have been installed at several dangerous spots along the trek and some had been already rectified.

However, due to an increasing number of joggers using the trek, it has caused immense pressure on the soil and thus degrades its optimum condition.This further leads to soil erosion, as observed.

For your information, plans to improve and upgrade the walking trek in this recreational park had been awarded to one contractor and is about to take place soon. Not only will the trek downhill be addressed, but general issues of safety in the park will been considered.

All users of the park are urged to be patient while the process of improving the park is undergoing its final discussion stages.

It is of great importance that park users obey the rules and regulations. All consideration is asked from all joggers and trekkers to only use treks that had been provided. Making new treks in the park are not only dangerous, but it also endangers the natural flora and fauna of the park.

As a frequent jogger to this park, you might have seen several improvements that had been made and introduced. However, irresponsible public had vandalised park property such as painted graffiti on new signboards, resting huts and the children's playground. Thoughtless behaviour of park-goers such as throwing rubbish inappropriately is also unsightly, unhealthy and dangerous as it attracts monkeys and monitor lizards.

The department would appreciate if all park-goers would help us to minimise such conduct in efforts to keep our park beautiful, clean and safe for all to use.

This park is an asset to our country's vision to become one of eco-tourism destination in the region. Any further enquires regarding the development of any of the department's parks, the public are welcome to write to the following email addresses

forestrybrunei@hotmail.com

or saidinsalleh@yahoo.com.

Thank you for your concern. We hope, we have been helpful in addressing matters raised.

- Haji Saidin Bin Salleh
- Director of Forestry
- Ministry of Industry and Primary Resources
- Brunei Darussalam

Thank you to Awang Rahmat bin Haji Abd Rahman on the feature titled " Another Look At Heritage Park" dated February 27, 2005.

Readers should not be mislead that a bank sponsors Tasek Merimbun Heritage Park.

This park was in fact declared as the first amongst 11 Asean Heritage Parks and Reserves declared by their respective Ministers of Natural Resources in 1984 for its unique and outstanding cultural values.

The Government of His Majesty the Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Negara Brunei Darussalam built the park's complex in 1996, in accordance to the 6th National Development Plan.

Termite attack and spider webs are challenges that we are always aware of and are currently assessing their status that may pose an immediate danger to the buildings.

Fire extinguishers are readily available, perhaps not seen and placed in strategic spots.

We had fire drill in 2003 with the kind assistants of Fire Department and we plan to have another fire drill again this year.

Members of the public should take a sensible judgment if tempted to cross the wooden plank walk to Jelundong Island.

Agreement had been discussed with relevant Government agencies to pull out the out-dated structure.

It is a blockage against a peaceful, beautiful and scenic natural waterfront.

This wooden plank walk is to be removed as it encourages a large number of visitors that causes severe impact on natives plant species, direct trampling on archaeological remnants and as well as soil erosion.

Immediate closure of this wooden plank / walk will be considered soon, should it really pose a risk to unaware visitors.

Visitors should bear in mind that Tasek Merimbun is one of the 27 unique Asean conservation areas, where minimal impacts on local environment should be practiced.

Three notice boards erected at strategic spots aim to ward off unwelcome impacts on local biodiversity such as fishing and collecting precious fauna and flora.

Please do not hesitate to contact Brunei Museums Department, Public Relations Unit at 2223195 ext 264.

We hope we will have a second look at Heritage Parks in future articles of Borneo Bulletin.

- Brunei Museums Department
- www.museums.gov.bn

I read that a big sports event will take shape in Brunei this week. It's the Hassanal Bolkiah Trophy competition for footballers below 21years of age from Asean member states.

The Indonesians won the inaugural competition in 2002.

I just can't wait to watch it as I have known that our beloved ruler, His Majesty the Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam has been the prime mover of the competition.

In fact the project was the brainchild of His Majesty with a noble intention to promote integrity among the youths of Asean via sports.

So, win or lose is not the essence of the game but the desire to see the Asean youths being united as one whole.

Come on people. Let's join hands to make this dream a reality.

His Majesty has done so much locally, regionally and internationally to promote unity and harmony. Take your families too to strengthen family bonds and at the same time to give support to our young national players.

Indeed, our moral support will make all the difference.

As always, the government has been generous to offer entry free of charge.

We must strive to make the Hassanal Bolkiah Trophy the most coveted trophy and one of the major international events in the football calendar.

- FootballFan

I went to Electrical Services Department at the old airport bill payment counter on February 12, 2005.

The clock showed 11.00 am and there were not many people at the time.

Before making the payment, I requested them to print out my bill again as I hadn't take my bill along. After that, I went to the ticketing machine to get my ticket before queueing up to pay the bill.

My ticket number was 44 and number 39 was being served at that time. Only one lady was serving at the counter.

I became really impatient as it took the cashier more than 25 minutes to serve this single customer.

My turn came only at 11.45 am.

- Disgruntled Client

It has been five months since the PMB exam in 2004. Many secondary school teachers were appointed by the Examination Department of the Ministry of Education, to invigilate the exam in various government and private schools, and also to mark exam papers as well.

However, we teachers would like to ask the ministry about the payment for our invigilation and marking allowances which have not been released until now.

We had made numerous queries about this from the Examination Department, but we were not given any explanation as to why the allowances have not been released.

When we called to inquire, they only promised to call us back but they never did.

So the relevant authorities, can you kindly shed some information to us teachers about this issue?

For your information, teachers invigilating the O-Level and A-Level exams have already received their allowances way back in December 2004, itself.

We would appreciate it if our allowances could be released without further delay.

I am sure that many teachers are eagerly waiting for your explanation.

- Teachers-Want-To-Know

I would just like to offer my thanks to the technical staff at e-speed in their recent assistance in troubleshooting my Internet connection.

I have read so many letters in these pages that are critical of the service in general that I felt it was only right to give some praise where it is due.

I found the people I dealt with to be polite, patient and efficien.

- JC

I would like to offer an opinion regarding JPD vehicles (car) in Brunei such as in year 2005. First of all why do the authority from JPD, still use old vehicle rules?

"Can authorities of JPD make some new vehicle rules or upgrade existing ones such as regarding rules using " tinted glass on cars".

And lastly a question for authorities of JPD, how many percentage of the population is affected by skin cancer?

- Awang Upgrade

I was driven out of exasperation (to put it mildly) to write about the traffic chaos and more caused by the closure of the Jerudong and Tungku Link highways on Wednesday March 2 for the Le Tour de Brunei.

What on earth possessed the police and other relevant authorities to close off the highway for more than 3 hours, particularly without sufficient notice? Many motorists like me were caught by surprise and therefore greatly inconvenienced by the ill-planned operation.

I was on my way to the Airport, but fortunately as it turned out, not to catch a flight, for I would surely have missed it.

A journey that would normally have taken not more than 20 minutes took in excess of one hour!

I am not against the Tour de Bunei. On the contrary, I support any such endeavour that brings good publicity to our country and boost the local tourism industry.

But surely, the police and other relevant authorities could have provided ample and repeated warning of the event and consequent highway closure, to allow motorists to make the necessary alternative arrangements?

Considering the major traffic disruption that should have been anticipated, the warnings should have been carried over the media at least one week prior to the event and repeated continuously up to the day itself. In addition, large signboards could have been erected along the highway carrying the same notice/warning.

I hope that the relevant authorities would take these suggestions into consideration and make sure such traffic disruptions will not occur again without warning.

- Concerned Motorist