I am amazed over the years of reading these letters, at the number of times Internet server problems are mentioned.

I have lived in HK for four years and have never encountered a problem. It is always fast, I have never been cut off and a connection takes just minutes to initially obtain.

How do schools in Brunei function with such problems? Here every teacher has a computer connected to the Internet on their desk and every classroom has a computer connected to a projector fitted in the ceiling.

All the computer labs are connected and as an English teacher I am required to use IT at least 25% of the time in my teaching. My students are regularly on the web making use of sites on grammar, pronunciation or news articles.

Homework is often posted on the school Intranet site and students often submit homework via the Internet. I can prepare work in the staff room and save on the server and open it in the classroom.

All student marks can be saved on the server and printed on report cards and notices can be sent around the school from anyone's desk via the computer. Students regularly present IT projects in class, which they open from their files on the server.

During the SARS crises when some schools were closed, lessons were available from teachers on the Internet as was tutoring and homework.

I really wonder how schools must cope there when the system is always crashing, slow or simply not working. It seems that someone simply introduces a 'new' system, which everyone subscribes to which then fails and they then introduce another 'new' system. Some people have a problem with Spam but you seem to have a problem with scam! If that happened in HK you would simply go to another company and the previous service provider would go bust.

- 100% Connected in the 21st Century

I've just been to the Ministry of Youth and Sports 'family' section. I met an officer and asked her why the process of my 'adoption certificate' has come to a standstill.

She said her department had taken all the necessary action and has delivered all the relevant documents to the Syariah department.

The officer then gave me another set of copies for me to hand personally to the Syariah department.

Then I went to the Syariah department and was surprised to be told that they have not received anything from the 'family' section.

The lady officer from the Syariah department said that they couldn't do anything if they say they have not received anything.

Who should I believe?

The family section or the Syariah department. But for sure, either one of them or both of them are not telling the truth, otherwise I would have got my adoption certificate already.

- Adopting Parents

I read with horror a news report featured in the Borneo media, dated January 25, 2005, about alleged cruelty inflicted upon the long-tailed macaque by chopping its hand off. We proclaim ourselves caring and civilised people, ready to achieve developed nation status by 2020.

And yet we have among us one example of a despicable, evil and very sorry excuse for a human being who could bring upon oneself to perform such an act on a defenceless animal.

I appeal to you to apply the full letter of the law in taking action against this person.

I quote from Article 37 of the Malaysian Wildlife Conservation Enactment 1997, which states: "Reckless injury or killing of animal.37.

Any person who does any act with such recklessness that he should have foreseen that the injury or death of an animal might occur as a result of such act commits an offence, if a protected animal is injured or killed as a result of such act, and shall be liable on conviction, if the animal is an animal listed in Part I of Schedule 1, to a fine of twenty thousand ringgit or to imprisonment for two years or to both, or, if it is any other protected animal, to a fine of ten thousand ringgit or to imprisonment for one year or to both."

Too often we read about issues like this, followed by a response from the responsible agencies to "take action".

But then we never hear about it again.

I therefore call on you, in the spirit of accountability and transparency, and as an example to all who think that this kind of behaviour is acceptable, to provide a public and open account of action to be taken, including provisions which will be taken to ensure the health and well-being of the injured animal.

- Rebecca D'Cruz,
- Kuching, Sarawak,
- Malaysia

I was returning from Miri a few days ago when I needed to use the toilet on the Brunei side. Being a Bruneian I was horrified to see the state the toilet was in. It was in the most sorry of state you can imagine.

I cannot understand why the bathroom at Sg. Tujuh checkpoint was in such a bad shape.

Those who have not seen it must indeed take a look at it.

Sg. Tujuh is the entry point to Brunei for visitors from neighbouring countries and it surely is a very smelly welcome we are offering them.

This toilet has definitely not been maintained for a very long time.

It is unhygienic and disgusting. To the people responsible for maintenance of this place, please clean it up so as not to embarrass our beloved country. Another thing I couldn't help noticing was the big spotlight that's left on during daytime.

Isn't it a waste of electricity to leave the lights on in broad daylight?

On the subject of toilets, I do not know how many of us realise the sorry state the bathrooms at RIPAS hospital are.

I once visited a relative who was warded at RIPAS Hospital and needing to use the toilet. While I was there I entered this pitch-black toilet, with no light and with a simply terrible stench.

How can this happen in a hospital in our country? The obvious disgust and discomfort we put our patients through is simply inexcusable. It would no doubt worsen their health.

I hope the relevant authorities will take immediate actions on this.

- AT

Can someone put the KB town clock right, please?

If it does not work then it should not be there in the first place.

- KB Resident

I really can say that an ATM machine located at Kg Serusop shopping area is not safe and private at all for users. People pass behind the ATM users very frequently and very close to the user. It would be advisable to relocate the machine to a more secure place and add safety features to it.

As a customer I'm not comfortable with its present location. Please take actions.

- Scared User

Nowadays as I commute from BSB to KB daily, I notice a lot of grass cutting activity carried out by contractors near the highway. The worrying aspect here is that the workers are not wearing reflector vests while working along the highway.

They could very well be knocked down anytime.To makes matters worse, they sometimes take a break - sitting on the grass just a few metres from the highway.

They do not seem to realise that it could be very dangerous. Please relevant authorities, make our roads safer by taking some actions.

- Human Protector

We would like to refer to the two articles entitled 'Take the errant workshop to task' and 'Plea to take action against errant workshop' both written by "Very Frustrated" in the BB's January 12, 2005 and January 22, 2005 respectively.

In fact we have responded to similar issues raised by 'Annoyed and Annoyed 2' through the Borneo Bulletin September 22, 2004 about a messy workshop. We have asked for the complainant to come forward to lodge complaints so that it could be immediately attended to.

Without the exact location of the premises, we cannot take action on the said workshop.

Until now the complainants have not come forward to us. As far as the Town and Country Planning Department is concerned, we welcome "Very Frustrated" to come to our department and we would be very pleased to help solve the problems.

- Commissioner,
- Town and Country Planning

Browsing through old newspapers the other day at the BSB public library, I interestingly came across this article published on the Opinion page August 4, 2004 regarding "Protective gear to handle radioactive material by Concerned Relative".

It is quite shocking to learn that such things have happened. Handling Radioactive Materials without having protective gear?

We all know what Radioactive Materials are don't we? No wonder "Concerned Relative" was concerned! If I were "Concerned Relative" knowing any friends or relatives of mine was doing that, I would not only be concerned, but I would panic.

It's a shame that relevant authorities were unable to shed some light as to how safe these materials being used are, and the dosage of exposure.

Interestingly, why aren't the employees being properly protected when they handle such high risk material?

Maybe even they themselves don't know the dangers of being exposed to radiation and yet they are allowed to use Radioactive material without being protected with the necessary protective gear.

- Radioactive Archivists