It is good that the National Day theme is geared towards reminding Bruneians to be Self Reliant. A nation that does not rely on government handouts will progress.

We cannot continue the way we have done all these years before and since Independence.

While it has been just generous of His Majesty's government to provide so much for us - free education and health, heavily subsidised-to-the-point-of-almost-free petrol, water, electricity, sugar, rice, a massive public workforce, allowances for the over 60's etc, etc, has made much of the population complacent to a point that they expect handouts from the, government as a Right!

We need to wake up to the fact that we live in a very sheltered environment here in Brunei that does not exist anywhere else in the world (apart from countries like Kuwait, perhaps, who has a similar government handout system in place).

We need to realise that this cannot continue forever - the oil income will not continue for ever at the rate we are wasting our resources.

Let us be more mindful of what has been provided for us. Even if medicine is free, let us not waste it by throwing away medicines we do not use. You are throwing away the government's money, which in the end belongs to the nation and ultimately us all.

Let us not waste our water or electricity. Report leaking pipes and get them repaired.

Let us learn to be more self-reliant and depend more on ourselves.

Let us get out of the mindset of expecting the government to provide for everything.

We need to have a good work attitude and work as if we are working for ourselves, then perhaps as government employees, we will be less complacent at work,

Perhaps there will be less late arrivals to work and early departures from work.

Perhaps then we will have people manning the counters of government departments all the time during work hours, instead of being cloistered somewhere else on a half hour or more coffee-break (several times a day).

Perhaps then we will have pleasant faces to greet us when we go to various government departments to sort out our matters.

Perhaps there will be more efficiency and less wastage, our letters and applications will not get lost or misfiled. Perhaps then we will have more and more successful local entrepreneurs in the private sector, especially in the large enterprises.

Perhaps then we will progress and become a developed nation.

The government has worked hard and spent billions to bring Brunei to the stage of a developing nation. All of us, from the all the way from the very Top Down have to spend and work wisely for the sake of our abode of peace.

We need to lose the mentality of expecting the government to provide us with everything.

The oil revenue will not last forever, especially with our growing population. We need to lose the attitude of "We are Bruneian. This should be free, that should be free, I should not have to pay for this, and the government charge is $100!

Can't you give me a discount for Hari Raya?"

Let us live within our means and not try to outdo our neighbours, buying brand new elaborate furniture, fancy cars, than our wages can tolerate.

- Orang Yang Insaf

This is in response to the announcement of the new mobile phone service provider in Brunei. The consortium of QAF Comserve Sdn Bhd and Telekom Brunei Bhd is great news for us to celebrate.

Count me now as No. 1. I welcome the new mobile phone service provider. I am waiting for the new SIM card to be out in the market.

- Vash Stampede

I'm writing because I am disappointed at some classrooms decorated to the minimum looking dull and unwelcoming in a school in the capital.

It even has very limited toys for upto15-16 students to share and is not up to the standard. As parents we are wondering if this is what we are paying for?

- Disappointed Parent

We are sure that most people have heard how bad a state our Tasek apartment was in.

There are no security guards, no lift is working, burglars have broken in, no maintenance and the list goes on. We have reached the edge of our patience. The more we tolerate the situation, the more we seem to get ignored!

We've tolerated so much that the relevant authority says a certain aspect of maintenance such as lawn mowing and security guards are not important, as other houses are not given these privileges.

These are just a few problems that we face since we have been living here. What upset us most is since the flood affected us recently, January 6, 2005; our 12th floor apartment has been left with no elevator at all.

It is bad enough that we have been told to wait for more than a year for the other lift to be repaired (just leaving us with one small lift-barely enough for four people) since the beginning of last year - but nothing seems to be done and the relevant authorities keep saying that they are waiting for the allocated budget.

Now, both lifts are not working and still the same answer is given to us.

The same fate has befallen our water pump, which has not been repaired for the past two years.

The same answer is given and no repair is done to solve the problem.

If the budget was such a problem, why bother renting this building out in the first place?

It's time some action was taken to stop the inconvenience we tenants face.

We have little children, as well as mothers-to be living here in this apartment who have no choice but to walk up those stairs up and down everyday.

- Neglected Tenants, BSB

Did anyone notice the frequency in which boxes and other luggage get torn, dented or broken into? I am sure when I checked them in at the airport in perfectly good condition until they arrived here in Brunei.

They must take extra care in handling them as you can tell they were thrown or handled very roughly when the luggage is dented here and there.

Recently I just had my brand new Samsonite bag dented in two places. I couldn't believe it.

- Disappointed Traveller

Referring to a problem I encountered at the clinic in Rimba, I wish a long-term solution could be found for it.

I had a disappointing encounter at the Unit Kesihatan Hospital Rimba. I just went there for the first time with my grandmother, as she didn't have transport to go there. I haven't gone there before and therefore didn't even know how and where to take a number and so on.

All I knew was that there was a box to put the card or identity card (IC), or to take a number.

There were a lot of counters and Counter 2 had the label "early check-ins". I thought it was a place for patients to check-in before they were called to queue for a number. This made me more confused.

What I am most frustrated about is that one of the receptionists blamed me for not asking. I do admit that I was wrong but they did say the place to take a number, labelled "registration".

All I knew about a place we went for registration was a place to get a new form etc.

They should tell the public, that patients must take their number at the same place they are required to get registered. If so, I wouldn't have been confused.

- Confused And Frustrated

Just recently I went to Kuala Belait Telecoms to pay some of my bills. There was a lot of people queuing and waiting for numbers to be called wanting to pay bills or to enquire something at one part of the counter.

For your information there are two counters on the left and the right side of the building.

But what I'm not satisfied about was that one part of the counter seemed to be empty with no customers while JTB employees who are working at that counter were seen having nothing much to do as no customers were queued up at their counters.

Shouldn't all counters be given different types of service instead of just attending to one type of service?

This could really save time and customers will be also satisfied with the service.

Hopefully the relevant authorities will take this matter seriously.

- JTB Customer

Referring to the article requesting HND classes in Kuala Belait by Aba, which appeared on the January 8, 2005 edition of the Weekend Borneo Bulletin Opinion, we thank you for your suggestion to open up HND classes in Kula Belait.

It is the plan of the Department concerned to upgrade the existing technical/ engineering colleges, with the aim of expanding the type and level of programmes offered.

However before any new courses are introduced, a thorough needs analysis is required and detailed planning is required to ensure quality and effective teaching and learning.

Physical resources such as training equipment needs to be in place as well as qualified and experienced human resources.

In order not to place the KB or Temburong students at a disadvantage, ITB at the moment does provide hostel accommodation as well as transport to and from the institute.

Should you need any clarification, please contact the ITB Student Welfare Officer, who would be happy to assist you.

- Department of Technical Education,
Ministry of Education