Bandar Seri Begawan - Not being fully aware of the consequences and being ignorant are reasons why people tend to go and grab so-called "golden opportunities" that promise quick access to luxury, albeit with a big price to pay.

The Bulletin interviewed members of the public to find out their views and comments regarding the 41-year-old pregnant Brunei citizen who was apprehended in Australia recently for drug trafficking.

"She should be brought back to Brunei," said a 28-yearold local engineer. "Let the Brunei government decide what punishment she should get instead of letting the Australian government hand down the sentence."

He also suggested that letting her deal with her punishment here - be it a prison term community service - could be more appropriate as she is a Bruneian. "But she should be dealt with in our country," he said.
A secondary teacher, who preferred to be called Diana, said the pregnant woman could have been framed by the international drug syndicate, but added that she should have been wise enough to know that it was a con. "In other words, she might be innocent based on her condition of being pregnant," she said.

"We should not trust anyone. It could have started from `Internet exposure'. The Internet is not only associated with knowledge but also lots of negativities that come with it. It only proves that anyone can be easily lured into any type of crimes.

"We should be fully aware by now, especially when the government agencies such as the Narcotics Control Bureau are conducting regular campaigns on drug awareness. Things such as easy money to get you off poverty simply don't exist," she added.

"It is a gamble and one should know the risk of transporting some unknown packages for someone they hardly know," said another member of the public.

"Perhaps the 41-year-old woman has her own reasons. But whatever reason it may be, no one should ever trust anyone to the extent of carrying `stuff' for them.

"The latest incident should have given the public a clear idea of what is going on. Parents and guardians should give more attention to family members who show signs of going astray," he added.

"The first such incident of a Bruneian caught in South America stunned the nation," said another observer. "But subsequent arrests in China and now in Australia are clearly a cause for concern. There is a pressing need to rev up the campaign to stem the malaise." -- Courtesy of Borneo Bulletin

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written by denial , December 26, 2009

Could it be that our in house drug peddlers are not dealt with openly enough, if at all.

It is difficult to believe the drug traffickers are not aware of the death sentence that accompany such offenses.

This is indeed negative publicity but I don't see the point of painting rosy pictures for them and let alone protect their names.

However, I do support the need to bring them back into our nation.

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