There are so many abandoned buildings for which time has stood still in our beautiful capital city, Bandar Seri Begawan.

We hope the authorities would do something about bringing them back to life.

They are like ghosts standing out of place in the sunlit streets adding an unwanted greyness to our otherwise colourful city.

There are a few buildings that I counted. One building is half done, so huge and ugly sitting next to Tamu Kianggeh, a hotel at the back of Pusat Belia in Kg Berangan, there is also a flat opposite the Tamu Selera in Bandar.

These buildings that are left behind are so ugly. No one seems to care about the image they portray.

Is there any security guard posted there to stop unhealthy elements from living in them?

These empty and half completed buildings look so scary and who knows there might be some strange people living inside. Anyone could even be hiding inside as entering these buildings is so easy.

I have heard lots of rumours about some of them too. How much of them is true I don't know but they are vary unsavoury to hear.

For example, a thief breaking in, stranger staying inside one at midnight, a car parked out there with people inside at night were some that I have heard. Shouldn't the owners of these buildings be fined or told to pay penalty every three to six months for neglecting their buildings?

They should be fined for spoiling our capital's image.

What made the owner to be so irresponsible not to continue? If they can't, bring down the building totally. The government should fine them heavily too for abandoning the building and make them look like haunted buildings in the middle of our small capital.

The owners should either renovate or demolish within a certain period with proper proposal from a construction company, or else if no action is taken, after the grace period the land should be forfeited to the government.

This action can be a warning to irresponsible owners and bring extra income to the government. Brunei Government may be generous but gaining extra income from these irresponsible owners is not a had idea.

Of course, there are many other buildings/ houses left abandoned in other areas, but I believe the abandoned buildings shouldn't be tolerated in our capital city.