Day: September 28, 2022

​A variety of important information on dementia such as risk factors, symptoms or warning signs and cognitive assessment of dementia were shared with the senior citizens in Temburong District during the Community Screening for Dementia Programme, 28th September morning. The programme organised by Dementia Brunei in collaboration with the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports and the Temburong Senior Citizens Activity Centre, was held at the Bumiputera Building in Bangar Town.

 

20 members of the Temburong Senior Citizens Activity Centre attended the session. Dr. Jian Yu Lei, a Geriatric Medical Officer among other things, explained that Dementia is often misunderstood and its awareness need to be enhanced at every level of society in the country.

 

Source: Radio Television Brunei

 

 

​Persatuan Basmi Dadah or Anti-Drugs Association, BASMIDA in cooperation with Yayasan Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah and the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports held a prize presentation for the Family Drawing Competition in conjunction with National Family Day Celebration 2022.

 

35 students from Sultan Omar ‘Ali Saifuddien College won in various categories of the competition. Prizes were handed over by Awang Mohamed Santra bin Haji Bolhassan, Principal of the college. Apart from supporting the National Family Day Campaign and Whole of Nation Approach, the programme also hoped to inculcate a sense of responsibility and desire to realise the aspiration of Wawasan Brunei 2035.

 

 

Source: Radio Television Brunei

 

​Various activities were held in conjunction with Teachers’ Day Celebration 2022.

 

At Sengkurong Sixth Form Centre, the activity included a performance by the students and appreciation ceremony for two teachers who received the Excellent Teacher Award. Such an activity aimed to appreciate the teachers as well as their good deeds and sacrifices made for education.

 

In Temburong District, the activity included the nationwide religious programme for September at Piasau-Piasau Religious School in Mukim Labu. Also held was a short talk on the celebration’s theme Quality Teachers Spur Education Transformation.

 

 

Source: Radio Television Brunei

 

​Teachers or educators face numerous challenges in providing effective and quality education in the era of globalisation. Challenges such as the COVID-19 outbreak allow teachers to be more creative and dynamic in teaching and learning. The recipients of the Meritorious Teacher Award and Excellent Teacher Award shared these in an interview at the 32nd Teachers’ Day Celebration.

 

Source: Radio Television Brunei

 

In the afternoon, the conference was filled with a workshop themed “Strategies and Techniques of Formative Assessment”. It was held at the Chancellor’s Hall, Universiti Brunei Darussalam.

 

Among those present was Dr. Shamsiah Zuraini Kanchanawati binti Haji Tajuddin, Permanent Secretary for Core Education at the Ministry of Education. The workshop was delivered by Professor Emeritus Dylan Wiliam, a leading education expert in the field of Formative Assessment from London, which among others touched on sharing learning intentions to help teachers develop their daily assessments that is one of the most powerful ways to improve student learning. The conference will continue on 29th September.

 

 

Source: Radio Television Brunei

 

 

​Her Royal Highness Princess Hajah Masna binti Al-Marhum Sultan Haji Omar ‘Ali Saifuddien Sa’adul Khairi Waddien, Ambassador-at-Large at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on behalf of the Government of His Majesty the Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam attended the State Funeral of the late former Prime Minister of Japan Shinzo Abe at Nippon Budokan, Tokyo.

 

After the State Funeral, Her Royal Highness attended the Greeting Occasion with His Excellency Fumio Kishida, Prime Minister of Japan; His Excellency Hirokazu Matsuno, Chief Cabinet Secretary of Japan; His Excellency Yoshimasa Hayashi, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Japan; and Madam Akie Abe, spouse of the late former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. The Greeting Occasion was held at Akasaka Palace.

 

During the meeting, Her Royal Highness conveyed condolences on behalf of the Government of His Majesty the Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam to His Excellency Fumio Kishida, Prime Minister of Japan and Madam Akie Abe on the passing of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on 8 July 2022. His Excellency Fumio Kishida expressed the Government of Japan’s appreciation to Her Royal Highness for attending the State Funeral of the late Prime Minister. Brunei Darussalam and Japan established diplomatic relations in 1984.

 

Since then, both countries enjoy warm friendship and close bilateral relations, and have continued to work closely in various areas of mutual benefit, including trade, energy, education and connectivity. Accompanying Her Royal Highness was Yang Amat Mulia Pengiran Lela Cheteria Sahibun Najabah Pengiran Anak Haji Abdul Aziz bin Pengiran Jaya Negara Pengiran Haji Abu Bakar.

 

 

Source: Radio Television Brunei

​The poor and destitute asnaf in the country continue to receive attention from the Brunei Islamic Religious Council, MUIB towards alleviating their life burdens. A presentation of Capital Tithe Distribution was held for the purchase of a boat, engine and trailer for 5 asnaf.

 

The presentation was made by Awang Haji Abdul Aziz bin Haji Akop, Acting Secretary of MUIB. The $40,610 for the purchase of the equipment was from the MUIB Poor and Destitute Asnaf Tithe Money Collection. The function took place at Salar Industrial Site in Jalan Muara. It is hoped to boost the spirits and efforts of the recipients to be more determined in improving their living standards for the better.

 

 

Source: Radio Television Brunei

Economic and environmental changes occurring around the world today, has the potential to and is already affecting many aspects of education landscape. These have raised serious concerns that these changes will adversely affect education. Therefore, teachers should continue the momentum of transforming education to ensure schools, teachers and students are well-prepared for any eventuality. Speaking during the Teachers’ Day Conference 2022 in conjunction with the 32nd Teachers’ Day Celebration, Yang Berhormat Datin Seri Setia Doctor Dayang Hajah Romaizah binti Haji Mohd. Salleh, the Minister of Education emphasized that teachers also need to be resilient and stay committed for the future of students and youths.

 

Yang Berhormat added, the transformation and innovation are mutually inclusive; they need to go hand in hand and be evident at every level. While schools are putting more emphasis on blended teaching and learning these recent years, the ministry, among many others, has developed and successfully administered the Student Learning Survey.

 

The highlight of the conference was the presentation of a Keynote Address entitled: “Why Formative Assessment Should Be a Priority for Every Teacher and Every School” by Professor Emeritus Dylan Wiliam from University College London, United Kingdom. With the theme, “Building a Resilient Education Ecosystem”, the conference is joined by some 500 teachers and educators from various levels of education. The conference acts as a platform for academics and researchers to discuss research findings as well as best practices in all aspects to build the capacity of the education system.

 

 

Source: Radio Television Brunei

​Dikir recitations continue to resound at all mosques, suraus and religious halls nationwide to express love towards Prophet Muhammad Sallallahu ‘Alaihi Wasalam. The Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports and its departments held a Dikir Ceremony in conjunction with the Maulidur Rasul Celebration. The ceremony was held on 27th September night, at Ar-Rahman Mosque, Kampong Tanjung Bunut.

 

Present was Yang Berhormat Dato Seri Setia Awang Haji Nazmi bin Haji Mohamad, Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports. The ceremony continued with the presentation of endowment for the mosque.

 

The Prime Minister’s Office and its departments also held a similar ceremony. Among those present was Awang Haji Azman bin Haji Abdul Rahim, Acting Director of Radio Televisyen Brunei. It was held at Masjid Universiti Brunei Darussalam.

 

A similar ceremony was also held by the Tutong District Religious Affairs Office at Kampung Kupang Mosque. The delegation was led by Awang Haji Azman bin Haji Musa, Chief Religious Officer of Tutong District.

 

 

Source: Radio Television Brunei

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) says it welcomes the U.S.’s role as an important partner but Washington should respect the existing regional architecture.

Bruneian Lim Jock Hoi, the bloc’s current secretary-general, said at a recent event at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) in Washington D.C., that while the U.S.’s presence in the ASEAN region is important, it “should complement existing regional architecture that is open and inclusive.”

Its most senior official took part in a special discussion about the U.S-ASEAN partnership, hosted by the CSIS on Monday as its “inaugural” ASEAN Leadership Forum.

ASEAN is marking the 45th anniversary of its relationship with Washington this year.

“Peace and stability has always been a primordial concern of ASEAN since it was founded in 1967,” Lim emphasized.

U.S.-led initiatives such as the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF) could provide opportunities to ASEAN countries, he said, but they “have to be in line with ASEAN’s outlook [on the] Indo-Pacific.”

“We stress, among others, ASEAN centrality, openness, transparency, inclusivity, making sure that all relevant actors in the region are included,” Lim said.

U.S. President Joe Biden announced in May the launch of the IPEF which comprises 13 nations but not China and which has been criticized by Beijing as a U.S. tool “to coerce regional countries.”

The U.S. continues to be the largest source of foreign direct investment in ASEAN and the second largest trading partner, with bilateral trade reaching U.S.$364 billion last year.

China’s has remained ASEAN’s number one trading partner for 13 consecutive years, according to the Chinese government’s Information Office. Trade between China and ASEAN reached U.S. $544.9 billion in the first seven months of this year.

“We see both are important for ASEAN. We hope that both major powers discuss constructively in order to make the region more conducive to trade and investment and create opportunity for all of us,” the senior official said.

ASEAN’s neutrality

ASEAN’s leadership so far has been careful not to take sides in the U.S.-China rivalry in their backyard, said Kasit Piromya, former foreign minister of Thailand who has been active in ASEAN political circles.

“ASEAN should continue to maintain dialogue partnerships with both, reflecting that ASEAN is friendly and cooperative with all,” he said.

Officials from both ASEAN and the U.S. are working on the establishment of a so-called Comprehensive Strategic Partnership later this year. It is unclear how far-reaching the new form of partnership will become but the U.S. “needs to think more and do more” in terms of working with ASEAN, in Kasit Piromya’s opinion.

“I don’t think that the U.S.-ASEAN relations have matured because there is no common base or foundation as such, unlike the U.S. relations with Japan, South Korea and Taiwan which are based on democracy,” he said.

“There seems to be no sense of real purpose and enthusiasm on the part of the U.S. side to really forge a more intensive and robust relationship with ASEAN in spite of the Indo-Pacific strategy and IPEF,” the former top Thai diplomat said.

Critics say that the ASEAN’s centrality was overlooked and bypassed when the U.S. put more efforts into other regional groupings such as the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue, or the Quad, that also includes Australia, India and Japan.

ASEAN was also not alerted or informed in advance of the setting up of AUKUS, the trilateral security pact between Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

These Indo-Pacific security groupings are widely seen as countering China’s rising influence and assertiveness in the region.

“The U.S. has not fully utilized the inherent belief and desires of many of the ASEAN member states for its continued presence in the region,” Kasit said, adding: “Washington cannot fail to realize that all the countries in the region are afraid of China.”

South China Sea disputes

The U.S. has provided over U.S. $12.1 billion in development, economic, health, and security assistance to Southeast Asian allies and partners, including the members of ASEAN, since 2002, according to a U.S. State Department fact sheet.

“The United States supports the international rules-based order in the South China Sea, and in close cooperation with our allies and partners, the United States promotes a free and open Indo-Pacific in which the freedoms of navigation and overflight are enjoyed and respected by all states in accordance with international law,” the fact sheet reads.

China and several ASEAN member states hold conflicting claims over parts of the South China Sea but Beijing’s claims are the most expansive, up to 90% of the sea.

There was only a brief reference to the South China Sea disputes in the ASEAN secretary-general’s speech at CSIS on Monday, when Lim Jock Hoi listed maritime security as one of the challenges that the region has been facing “for the longest time.”

“Efforts towards the conclusion of the Code of Conduct on South China Sea, one [that] is mutually acceptable to all parties concerned, [have] effectively and consistently been pursued,” said Lim without mentioning the United States.

Some analysts believe that policy differences between ASEAN members in dealing with South China Sea issues led to a divisive approach to the role the U.S. could play.

The U.S. Navy, and maritime forces from the ten ASEAN countries held the first ASEAN-U.S. Maritime Exercise in Thailand in 2019 but the drills have not occurred again.

China has been warning against what it sees as “interference by external actors” in South China Sea disputes.

“Sometimes, the U.S. has come across as a little too keen to help, prompting concern among some claimants that it might inadvertently trigger an escalation of tensions or an unwanted incident in the South China Sea that Southeast Asian countries will have to bear the brunt of,” said Elina Noor, Director of Political-Security Affairs at the Asia Society Policy Institute in Washington D.C.

Noor said that the U.S. side could try to “have more effective communication and coordination with Southeast Asian partners so that their presence and shows of force don’t trigger misunderstanding.”

“ASEAN does not have common foreign policy goals, so member states have their own say regarding maritime cooperation,” said Nguyen The Phuong, a Vietnamese defense analyst.

“Some want more cooperation [with the U.S.], some want less.”

“There are also opinions that those countries which wish to cooperate more with the U.S. in the field of maritime security could set up a smaller group, unofficial of course, within ASEAN to bolster their cooperation,” he said.

In May, President Biden announced a new Indo-Pacific Partnership for Maritime Domain Awareness (IPMDA) that would provide better access to space-based, maritime domain awareness to countries across the region.

“It’s new, but a rising cooperation area,” said the Vietnamese analyst.

 

 

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