On the road at the corner of the Hostel of Sekolah Vokasional Nakhoda Ragam there is a patch of lush greenery sprouting.

Actually it is a neglected pothole filled with water and is now even sprouting greenery that looks just like paddy.

This is definitely not a small problem we are facing; it is a problem that hostel occupants have put up with for some time now.

It may not be the main road leading to the school but it is a road used daily by students who live in the hostel. This road corner lies on low land and has a drain clogged with vegetation- it looks like a small paddy field and when it rains heavily, it turns into a water hole.

We would greatly appreciate if authorities would inspect this badly neglected patch of road and repair it for us.

There is a definite need for action here.

As I mentioned earlier, this problem has been stretched out for years.

The only action taken was early this year was after the road became impassable with the water level rising high.

One side of the pavement was knocked down for the water to flow out.

That was a clever move and we thank you. But it is not enough. Although the water level lessened, it doesn't mean it's not there.

How would you feel if the roads to your workplace becomes like ours, with watery cracks? Hopefully this will become an eye opener.

- Rawry

In response to Annoyed Customer's suggestions on "Call to make bill payment system easy" published in Borneo Bulletin Weekend dated July 16, 2005.

JTB takes pride as being one of the first government departments to promote electronic payment using credit cards,

Like any Brunei government agency that is focusing on implementation of e-government projects, JTB is currently embarking on the phase two of the e-government project.

This includes the online payment system as suggested by Annoyed Customer. In this initiative of e-payment, inter-operation among JTB, the banks and other relevant government agencies will be required. With the availability of online payment, our valued customer's transactions can be done with a click.

In the meantime, JTB would also like to thank Annoyed Customer for bringing to our attention with regard to his/her experience in Post Office's and JTB's Counters.

In addition to working together with Post Office, JTB will also streamline our counter processes so as to ensure that our valued customers will not encounter a similar situation as described by Annoyed Customer.

- Corporate Communications,
- Jabatan Telekom Brunei,
- Tel: 2384888,
- e-mail: jtbpr@brunet.bn

First of all I would like to thank MOE for replying my opinion on BB dated 18/06/2005.

After inquiring, I realise I have some misunderstandings regarding the assignment of teachers to teach subjects in government primary schools. After clarification from my brother who is a retired government teacher and my daughter's English teacher, I finally understood that it was not MOE, which assigns teachers to teach the different subjects in school.

MOE is only responsible in training and posting teachers to schools and it is all up to their respective schools' authority to assign them to different subjects and classes in schools. After I had a private meeting with my daughter's English teacher, I came to understand the difficulty of her situation.

Had I known the truth earlier, the tone of my opinion would have been totally different. This teacher admitted she did not have any credentials in English language. She was a university graduate in the Malay language stream with good credentials in Malay medium subjects.

Somehow, when she was posted to teach, she had been assigned by her GB to teach English, which was not her field of expertise, much against her will and expectations as her GB said that as a teacher she must be able to teach all subjects.

So this teacher has had no choice at all. I really sympathise with her and feel sorry that I blamed her in the first place.

I hope MOE would take note of this situation. The school authority must make it a point to assign English stream teachers to teach English-medium subjects and Malay stream teachers to teach Malay-medium subjects and not the other way round.

After reading the reply from MOE, I had no doubt about MOE's credentials with regards to selecting and training of teachers. I understand that MOE frequently holds training workshops from time to time and also design courses to help upgrade the teachers.

This is very good indeed as it shows the continued efforts of MOE in improving the education in the country. I also have no doubt with the quality of the teachers trained by MOE. I believe they all have their own areas of expertise and they should be placed within and not outside these areas.

May I offer another suggestion for improving English education?

In my personal view, I believe all pre-graduates and teachers reading a degree course, with major in English language should be send to study English for at least a year in an English-speaking country like UK, Australia or Canada so they can fully immerse themselves in learning English in an English-speaking environment which will greatly enhance their language skills and certainly contribute to quality of English education in Bruneian schools.

Anyway, these students and teachers are be bonded with the government after completion of study, unlike the government scholarships offered for other university courses which do not require the recipients to be bonded for work after completing their study. So what has the government to lose?

I hope MOE will take my opinion as a constructive suggestion.

- Concerned Parent

Last month, the LCD of my hand phone was broken and I decided to get it repaired at a Phone Repair Services somewhere at Batu Satu shopping complex.

The shop owner told me that the LCD for my phone was below B$100 and it has to be ordered from somewhere.

I felt happy to get it repaired at that shop because it was the only shop that offered me a low price and she said she will call me when they finish the repairs.

A few day later, she called me with unexpected rise in the fee for repairs.

She said the price was B$375 for the LCD and not below B$100. I told her not to repair it because it was too expensive for me and that I will collect my hand phone the very next day.

200 The next day, I went to collect my hand phone. But the worker told me, that the Shop Owner was out at that time and I decided to go to the Shop again on the next day because the Shop Owner kept my hand phone.

On the next day, again, the Shop Owner was out. A few days later, the Shop Owner called me to inform that they had done the repairs, despite me telling them not to.

They kept on reducing their fee but why must I pay anything when I specifically told them to stop the job.

- "Disappointed Customer"
- Brunei/Muara

Enjoying extended coffee breaks

Adding to my dissatisfaction with the public service system, I see workers taking extended lunch or tea breaks to either sit down to chitchat longer or to run personal errands.

Needless to say, this reduces productivity and stunts the growth of the public sector.

I'm familiar with this issue as I live near a popular teatime restaurant in Gadong where it is impossible to find a parking space around 3pm and many of the cars parked there belong to government departments.

It seems to me that these people like to work in a relaxed manner and that it's ok to do things the same way that it has been done before.

Brunei may have great infrastructure like top class roads and buildings in most areas however if the people do not have a mentality to match, it may not bode well for the future economic .

Another issue I want to raise is the fact that some drivers in Brunei hardly use signal lights. Car manufacturers might as well sell signal lights and horns as an optional accessory as drivers here hardly use their signal lights when they need to make a turn.

If one were to horn someone while driving they would understand it, as one wants to pick a fight with them - so might as well not include that too!

Brunei's car population, as recently reported in the newspaper, is quickly catching up with its human population.

However their driving skills still leaves a lot to be desired. Brunei may have shiny new cars in the latest models on the roads but what is the use when some drivers are so very careless.

- Disgruntled Teen, Gadong

I received a call from a bank here one day regarding a job application I had made.

The caller asked me a certain question which I admit I had a hard time finding an answer.

I should have apologised because at the time I received their unexpected call, I was attending to a priority.

Then I inquired about the position offered because I needed to be updated on it since it was five weeks since I applied for the job.

Soon I realised that caller had become quiet while I was talking. I thought the caller must have been digesting what I've been saying.

Suddenly, I heard the caller complaining to a random person in the background.

I was appalled to hear the caller complaining about me and I actually heard everything the caller said!

Without realising that I overheard the conversation, the caller asked me again the question I had already answered.

Clearly, I already answered the question though the caller missed it as the caller was audibly engaged in conversation with a third person.

So, I had to repeat myself eventually.

Such unprofessional behaviour will set anybody's tempers rising.

Now, I'd think twice before being part of this bank because my perception of it has totally changed.

- Disappointed Applicant

We refer to your article 'Trial Adjourned due to Air-Con Problem' by Rol Ezam published in the Borneo Bulletin on July 19, 2005.

We are the contractor maintaining the air conditioning system for the High Court Building.

On July 18, 2005 we were carrying out upgrading work to the air conditioning system in the building. This work was planned and approved on June 6, 2005. In the process, there was interruption to the air conditioning for the said courtroom. This probably caused discomfort to the proceedings in the courtroom. The air conditioning system for the building was operating normally on that day. We apologise for any inconvenience caused.

- Borneo Air Conditioning & Engineering Sdn Bhd

I have been to many countries and through many airports and sadly though I'd say that our airport trolley is the worst.

Not only is it very hard to pull out from its park, but it also looks ugly and not a welcoming sight for tired passengers arriving in the country.

Sometimes I have to press the handle really hard to get it moving.

It does not fit the description of an airport trolley of a great nation like ours at all.

- Unhappy Traveller

We signed up for E-speed in April 2004 and was told that the monthly telephone charge of BND13.00 would be waived but we have been charged monthly for more than a year now?

We have approached the personnel involved and were told that they are aware of this problem.

My question is how much longer do we await Telekom to reimburse us these charges and why is it taking so long for this matter to be resolved?

- Irked Customer