His Majesty orders Board Of Inquiry to probe tragic trip

Bandar Seri Begawan - His Majesty the Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam has ordered the establishment of a Board Of Inquiry (BOI) to investigate the tragic incident in Sungai Balung, Tawau, Sabah, where two Universiti Brunei Darussalam (UBD) students lost their lives while on a study expedition last week.

In a press release, the Prime Minister's Office said that the BOI will be chaired by Dato Paduka Awg Hj Abdul Wahab bin Juned, Deputy Minister at the Prime Minister's Office.

The BOI members will include the Permanent Secretary at the Prime Minister's Office or the representative, Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Health or representative, Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Development or ,representative, Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Communications or representative, Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Industry and Primary Resources or representative, Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Home Affairs or representative, a representative of the Attorney General and Commissioner of the Royal Brunei Police Force or representative.

The scope of the BOI's work will involve investigation to identify the cause of the incident, and to suggest steps to improve overseas study trips organised by Bruniean universities, higher learning institutions or academic institutions.

In the incident in Sungai Baking, a group of UBD students was swept away by a sudden surge in the river current last Friday. Initially, four of the students were reported missing, but two were later found alive.

The bodies of the two other missing students were found on Saturday and Sunday, and brought back by Bruneian authorities to Brunei for burial.

--Courtesy of Borneo Bulletin