I would like to pose a few questions for who ever it concerns about immigration and labour issues.

Has there been a recent change in laws allowing foreigners to work in our country without proper legal documents or permits?

Can foreigners just waltz past the borders with an approved stamp of a Visiting Pass to "visit" when they are actually working?

The reason for asking these questions is because there are people like that coming into our "Abode of Peace" and taking jobs that rightfully belongs to the privileged locals and those who have earned the PR status.

We still have people fresh out of universities and vocational education institutions that are jobless and still looking, yet these people just come in and get jobs so easily.

It is not as if we've got an excess number of jobs here, is it?

This is not some angry or bitter complaint directed at anyone, but merely voicing out information. Such incidents are happening in our country.

What is worse - these people (let's face it, everyone seems to know everyone here) actually assume that we are a useless and good-for-nothing (harsh but true) lot.

While we are being encouraged to build our nation in every way we can there is a lack of opportunities around and while we cope with that, now this bigger problem of having to 'compete' with foreign visitors who have no legal permit to work here, is unfathomable.

I am aware of the Hotline to report such cases to the Immigration Department if ever we come across them.

However, I am also aware of several occasions where no action was taken after we made such reports.

The bottom line is, what gives these foreigners the right to walk into our country and work without a Work Permit while we have our own qualified prospects that are still struggling to find jobs?

Please do a check on this. These people are everywhere.

- UnProtected, BSB

Green Brunei?

That could be the joke of the millennium.

We were indeed once a so-called Green Jewel, with legendary greenery covering most of the sultanate.

That was the time when the air was pure and the skies were an unbelievably beautiful hue.

The words Green Jewel is only good for advertising our country for what it once was. Now to find a tree to illustrate that phrase one may have to comb down forests in neighbouring states.

For, today a huge love of concret, glass and bricks have superseded our priorities.

Now who wants a lush green cool atmosphere? One could easily turn on the aircon and forget about the natural wealth we have been bestowed upon.

Who wants those trees? Their thick branches seriously obstruct the scorching sun anyway - making us forget our country could easily bring forth Southeast Asia's first desert. That would be a first, wouldn't it? We could go down in the Guinness book of records, too.

Wow lots of publicity.

Now who wouldn't want that? A desert would be just the thing. Then we would be nearer to the arid lands in atmosphere, too. As the new habit goes - cut those green monsters down and chuck in a palm tree to make believe until we truly make our country into one of the desert lands.

Who wants Oxygen from trees? An industrious entrepreneur with high connections can easily mint some money with man-made oxygen bars. Now that could be the next in thing.

Development at its best.

Of course no need to care about the fauna and the flora, they are things of an undeveloped era.

One could make them up if one wants them - plastic trees are more than readily available. Those horrible chirpy creatures called birds - who misses them? Can be found in the museum, though. The stuffed ones in the natural history section. I guess that's quite enough - the children can learn from there, if they need to.

So much so a Kampong in Beribi - once named after a natural lake is now as we speak losing its very identity. The whole area is being filled up with truckloads of sand while every bit of lush greenery surrounding it is being systematically destroyed.

Who cares about the neighbours who live there? Most of them who even built or bought those houses for the tranquil atmosphere now don't need to look at those green trees anymore. Now they have the foreign workmen to leer at them instead. Of course most home owners would soon leave that place, but then who cares?

Development is here in concrete.

No need to bring any laws to preserve the little bit of greenery we have. No need to enforce laws on house builders to maintain a minimum amount of trees and greenery in accordance with a Green Law. That's only suitable for those crazy countries who insist that our world is not going to be green forever if we cut down those trees. Our land needs to be 'developed', and development means concrete and cement and more cement.

So clean....Not even a blade of grass.

Hurrah for the future of glistening white buildings.

- Green Monster

The Department of Drainage and Sewerage of Public Works Department would like to refer to the letter from "Concerned Residents" entitled "Improve Sewage System in KB" (BB Opinion Page, 5 February 2005).

Further to an earlier letter to the Borneo Bulletin, this Department wishes to advise "Concerned Residents" that the balance of the work left unfinished from the previous sewerage contracts has now been re-tendered and is currently awaiting award of contract.

The Department regrets the inconvenience caused to the local residents by the damaged road surfaces and wishes to assure all parties that road surfacing work will be done as soon as practicable under the new contract.

In the meantime, the Public Works Department in Kuala Belait had temporarily filled in the damaged road surfaces with stone base materials to reduce the inconvenience.

- Director of Drainage and Sewerage,
- Public Works Department,
- Ministry of Devbelopment,
- Negara Brunei Darussalam

A week ago, a friend of mine complaining of bad pains in the lower abdomen area, was taken to the Kuala Belait Hospital for urgent attention.

After a few hours of observation, my friend was diagnosed of having "Urinary Infection" and was sent home with medication.

Two days later, the pains worsened.

My friend couldn't stand up nor walk.

She was rushed back to see the same foreign doctor at the Kuala Belait Hospital.

After further observation, the said doctor then informed that my friend's Appendix had burst and recommended an emergency operation after several 'negotiations'.

Needless to say, my friend could have died from the burst Appendix.

What I would really like to know now is, do these 'Doctors' have any experience or are they here just straight out from Medical School?

- MCL, KB

Currently, in Kuala Belait, the King Kau Associations is conducting demolishing operations at their Building on Jalan Pretty and Jalan Bunga Raya.

Apparently, road users are having difficulty in turning out from Jalan Pretty onto the main road of Jalan Bunga Raya. It poses a danger to motorists as the construction work blocks the view of motorists coming from the other end of the main road.

Could the relevant authorities look into the safety aspect of road users by either blocking the road out from Jalan Pretty or setting up a side mirror to view the motorists coming from the other end - opposite the road near Court Furniture?

- Concerned Public, KB

I would like to offer my appreciation and full support to some organisations in the private sector for their best efforts at creating online customer services especially in Internet banking and enrollment and other online services.

I hope they will continue efforts to enhance their online services from not just viewing account balances on the web browser but also provide online payment to other private and public sectors such as DST for instance where we can pay our telephone bill or Kristal Astro by just a few mouse clicks.

I hope those who have not yet developed online customer services will follow the same footsteps. Good work guys.

- Online Us

On February 27, 2005 at 12:36pm while driving along the Jalan Muara Roundabout, I was suddenly stopped by a motorcycle (not a police motorcycle) coming from Berakas by placing his motorcycle on the middle of the road.

Soon, a convoy of motorcycles passed by followed by some vehicles.

I could see these motorcycles were escorting a wedding convoy.

To my understanding, only the police have the power to regulate and stop traffic on a public road. The actions of these motorcyclists not only could cause congestion but also could lead to accidents.

I believe the action of these motorcyclists was illegal.

I hope the police send out a warning to such people to stop such irresponsible action and seek permission from police or advice on any assemblies on public roads.

- Concerned Motorist