Global Voices » Noor Hidayah

Brunei joins Earth Hour for the first time

Noor Hidayah — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 23:04:08 +0000

In 2004 Brunei ranked 6th in the world for Carbon Dioxide Emission per capita. Brunei also ranked 3rd for largest passenger vehicles per 1,000 population ratio at almost 550. In addition, the United Nations Development Programme Annual Human Development Report last year listed Brunei to have a considerably high per capita consumption of energy, which was 8,842 kilowatt-hours of electricity per person. Thus, it was deemed most appropriate when Brunei decided to participate during the Earth Hour last March 28. It was Brunei's first time to join the event.

During the Friday sermon that was delivered prior to Earth Hour, the imam talked about the ecology and the need to protect it. In Brunei all the Friday sermons are the same in all masajid. Brunei Resources blogged about the sermon:

The Imam at the Kilanas Mosque struggled to read today's sermon. It must have been written in jawi and full on modern words. Today's sermon was about the ecology. I think many in the mosque must have raised eyebrows today when they left the mosque. It is not often to hear about the ecology being mentioned in Friday's sermon. But nevertheless, it is indeed interesting to hear about the ecology and the environment. We all have to be aware of the need to save the ecology and the environment.

A number of bloggers shared their enthusiasm on Brunei's participation in Earth Hour, and urged others to play their part. Aryati munirah expressed the significance of taking part in the cause:

…alone we might not leave an impact over all the pollution and global warming etc. but as a whole, I’m sure we could freaking well change, at least, something.

aish. i dont understand…how some people are so ignorant about these things. junyan was complaining to me that ‘our hometown' …was brightly lit! the whole time! :( *sighs* people, do your part…

Unfortunately, some of the popular areas around Brunei such as Gadong and Bandar Seri Begawan were seen to be brightly lit as mentioned by Haady:

Earth Hour Day is today so we went to Gadong to see what's up. We went there around 6pm and waited for 2 hours! Nothing happened. Gadong wasn't even dark as expected! A little maybe but it was not enough! So we went to check out Bandar. Bandar too didn't blackout. But there is one cafe which supported the Earth Hour Day. It's Coffeebean! I am so proud of Coffeebean for contributing in the event. Fathul said he's proud to work at Coffeebean! Hahaha. I think Brunei is not that supportive. Come on! It is just for an hour. Why is that so hard?

Coffee Bean in Bandar Seri Begawa. Photo from Haady

Teo jokingly suggested that the Electrical Services should cut off everybody's electricity supply for an hour, but was afraid that this would enrage the community:

We in Brunei, maybe a tiny country, but we can show the world that we can do something. Then, mayb the perception that people of Brunei live on pokok will be banished. Many have seen ads of this program on astro channels, but inda tahu what is that. Some are suggesting that inda payah voluntary participation, tutup aje karan 1hr, tapi ini bakal mengundang kemarahan!

We in Brunei, maybe a tiny country, but we can show the world that we can do something. Then maybe, the perception that people of Brunei live on trees will be banished. Many have seen ads of the global movement [Earth Hour] on Astro channels [TV channels provided by a Malaysian satellite TV provider], but do not know what it is. Some are suggesting that there need not be any voluntary participation. Just switch off the electricity supply for 1 hour, but this would probably make people mad!

Save earth was bothered on how one of the leading hotels in Brunei was unaware of the environmental effects of burning 4000 candles. In a forum, the blogger wrote:

Recently our country took part in the annual international earth hour event and there is one thing in particular that bothers me…Does burning 4000 candles for the event at the empire hotel actually help our earth?

burning just 1 candle especially ones made from paraffin wax actually do more harm by producing 10 times more greenhouse emission compared to turning on electrical lights. Imagine burning 4000 of these candles?

if we think that turning off the lights and lighting up thousands of candles will help change the climate, well think again. we actually do more harm.

Put science, rationality and education first. The actual idea of the earth hour event is to turn off the lights thus saving electrical energy in the process. Also, it is unnecessary to turn Earth hour into a trendy political event.

The Earth hour’s organizer actually advised not to burn candles for the event for the sake of the climate. Hopefully our country realize this the next time we participate.

Empire Hotel on Earth Day. Taken from MrPatchiomie

Brunei Resources gathered that amongst other things, one of the main aims of Earth Hour is to spread awareness on the importance of energy saving and caring for Earth:

From what I have read, the one hour switch off does not exactly save energy. But it is to raise awareness about the need for everyone to be aware of just how much we used up energy.

According to August 13th, awareness definitely reached her young ones:

What can one hour of darkness achieve, cynics ask.

A lot, I say.

At 8.28 pm it was really heartening to see my young babyfruits (nephews and nieces, aged 7 to 16) storm into the kitchen demanding all the lights to be switched off for the hour. Imagine that! Now, that kind of awareness in the young is just priceless.

The first Brunei Postgraduate Symposium

Noor Hidayah — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 20:48:31 +0000

On Saturday, 21st March 2009, the first Bruneian Postgraduate Symposium (BPS) was held at the Brunei Gallery, School of Oriental African Studies (SOAS), London. Ranoadidas elaborated on the aim of the symposium:

This academic event aimed at facilitating research discussions between different academic fields and how students feel their research will contribute to our nation’s development.

Photo from Wani Ariffin's Facebook

Also featured during the symposium were the three keynote speakers who were flown from Brunei to attend this event. They comprised of the top university officials in Brunei, namely Dr Haji Zulkarnain bin Haji Hanafi (Vice-Chancellor of University of Brunei Darussalam), Dr Hj Mohd Yusop bin Hj Awg Damit (Deputy Rector of the Sultan Sharif Ali Islamic University) and Dr Hj Supry bin Hj Awg Ladi (Head of Research at the Institue of Brunei Technology)

Ranoadidas also reported:

The keynote speakers delivered impressive speeches in highlighting the importance of research and their current efforts to improve the quality of research in their respective institutions. They were also engaged in a very interesting and stimulating dialogue with members of the audience where significant issues such as data accessibility in Brunei were raised.

Photo from Turquoise and Roses

There were 3 separate panels on that day - education, national identity and public policy. Below are the list of papers presented under each panel:

Education Panel:

Achieving a 30% participation rate to higher education in Brunei Darussalam by 2018: Are there presence of barriers to participate as perceived by Year 11 students? - Julaihi bin Mohamad, MA Policy Studies in Education, University of London

Writing in Brunei primary schools: Literacy in English in relation to cultural capital - Malai Zeiti Bte Sheikh Abdul Hamid, PhD in Education, University of Bath

Inclusive education and educational diversity: a reflection on research in Brunei - Hajah Huraini Bte POKSJDP Haji Hurairah, PhD in Education, University of Oxford

National Identity Panel:

Islam and Democracy: Paradox? - Hazwan Md Jaya, Centre for International Studies and Diplomacy, SOAS

Feels like home - Dayangku Laila Widari bte Pengiran Bahrin, Diploma School (RIBA Part II), Architectural Association, London.

Understanding the values of art history from a Bruneian perspective - Nuruljannah Binti Hj Mohd Yussof, MA in Art History, University of Wales, Aberystwyth.

Public Policy Panel:

Studies in transport geography - Sabrina Hj Mohd Daud, Dept. of Geography & Environment, LSE.

Evaluation of obesity management in primary care in England using existing survey and GP data, and identifying lessons learnt for the health care system in Brunei Darussalam - Nik Ani Afiqah Hj Mohd Tuah, Dept. of Primary Care & Social Medicine, Diversion of EPHPC, Imperial College of London

The pragmatics and neurotics of moving towards e-public sector - Farihah Hj Mohd Said, MSc Analysis, Design & Management of Information Systems, LSE

Increasing compliance at the workplace with behavioural principles - Noor Hidayah Binti Hj Osman, MSc Behaviour Analysis, Swansea University.

Source: 2009 Bruneian Postgraduate Symposium

A student who offered to report on the event for Brunei Times (one of the local newspaper) recorded the views of some of the participants.

The symposium was an eye-opener for Siti Munawwarah Awang Tarif, who said getting a glimpse of other students' research work was informative and thought-provoking.

“Seeing other people's work and perspectives in various disciplines opened up ideas for me,” said the Masters in International Health student, and hoped that the symposium would become a regular event.

Hazwan Azri, a PhD student in Chemical Engineering, agreed, but hoped future symposiums would also include research on science and technology.

The symposium provided an oppprtunity for the Bruneian postgraduates to exchange ideas, opinions and concerns amongst eachother. Some of the frequently raised topics of discussion were on difficulties of accessing resources and data on Brunei for academic research. Turquoise and Roses wrote on the overall turn out of the event, and conveyed a message from the organising committee:

Overall, the event turned out to be a great success. It received amazing support from the keynote speakers as well as members of the general audience. This collective act of academic exploration highlighted Brunei’s burgeoning intellectual capital and this will be a worthy asset in the course of our nation’s development.

The committee would once again like to thank those who came to support the event and the hope is that next year, the symposium will be bigger and cover a wider range of academic fields.

Brunei: Who deserves the undistributed zakat funds?

Noor Hidayah — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 04:57:38 +0000

Before Brunei was swept by floods, landslides and soil erosion, the hot topic in town was the hundreds of millions in surplus of the zakat or tithe collections.

The paying of the zakat is one of the pillars of Islam. It is an act of giving up a percentage of one's wealth to one of the different categories mentioned by Allah in the Quran. It is derived from the root word “tazkiyah”, which means “purification”. Zakat is thus hoped to bring about blessings, purification of the soul and an increase in good deeds.

On Wednesday, 14th January, His Majesty the Sultan of Brunei queried the Islamic Religious Council of the balance of B$ 200 million (in 2004 alone) from zakat collections that were yet to be distributed.

Upon this public announcement of the surplus of zakat funds, it has created a form of ‘mass panic' amongst the citizens. It had led to a mass congregation of people congesting the Ministry of Religious Affairs’s office, as they all had believed that they had a share to the zakat balance. The office had then became too overcrowded, and they had to distribute the zakat application forms at the Stadium Hassanal Bolkiah.

Brunei Lifestyle managed to take a look at the zakat application form and she said:

Before filling in the form, the front page made it clear on the definitions of those who have the right to receive the zakat. It says (in Malay) the definition of a:

Fakir - Seorang Islam yang papa tidak mempunyai apa-apa pencarian atau harta atau orang yang tidak boleh mengadakan setengah daripada keperluan untuk nafkahnya dan nafkah orang-orang yang wajib ditanggunya.

Miskin - Orang Islam yang sungguh pun mempunyai sedikit harta atau apa-apa pencarian tetapi cuma dapat mengadakan lebih daripada separuh keperluan nafkahnya dan nafkah orang yang wajib ditanggungnya.

So applicants have to ensure that they are considered as a poor or it will be a sin for them to receive zakat when they know that they are not entitle to receive it. The MRA said that in 2007, about 4% of the Brunei’s population were classified poor.

Before filling in the form, the front page made it clear on the definitions of those who have the right to receive the zakat. It says (in Malay) the definition of a:

Fakir - A Muslim who has no source of income or wealth or those who are unable to fulfil half of the needs for him/herself and those of their dependents

Miskin - A Muslim who, though has a bit of wealth or source of income but could only manage to contribute for more than half of his/ her own need and their dependents

So applicants have to ensure that they are considered as a poor or it will be a sin for them to receive zakat when they know that they are not entitle to receive it. The MRA said that in 2007, about 4% of the Brunei’s population were classified poor.

Unfortunately, those who have sought for this share of the surplus of zakat collections did not appear to fall under the categories of fakir, or miskin. Many of the applicants who were interviewed by Brunei Times (a local news provider) admitted that they were burdened by debts accumulated due to overindulgence. Examples were excessive credit card bills, automobile loans and personal loans. Ranoadidas was concerned about such people who were demading this share of the undistributed zakat funds:

It’s a shame (if it’s true) that the working class of our society are applying for the remainders of the unused Zakat funds (BND 200 million). Or perhaps, they misinterpreted on who are be qualified to get share of the Zakat.

According to a source, the Ministry of Religious Affairs building was packed as tons of people made their way to get hold of the application form. To make things clear, the Acting Secretary of Islamic Religious Council of Brunei, Hj Abdul Wahab, said that not all will be eligible to claim the Zakat funds and that also includes those in debt with loans. I think there’s gonna be a long debate with regards to this matter.

Senor Pablo was also unimpressed with the idea of people claiming to be part of ‘al- Garimin' category because of their huge debts that were due to this intemperance. Those in the al-Garimin category are people who are in debted according to the Syariah Law. This is one of the groups that have a right over the zakat collections. In Brunei, to qualify under this category, one has to be Muslim, without any source of income to clear the debt, and is taking debt to finance basic necessities in line with Syariah Law (Brudirect.com, 2009). Senor Pablo believed that people should learn to become independent and realistic in living within their means.

Hmmm. I dont' think it is funny to pretend you are poor and think that you can get a slice of the pie. How humiliating to read that there were some who think they come under the ‘Al Garimin' category when they drove in luxury cars… when in reality they are not poor or destitute.

What do I want my kids to learn from all these? Learn to be self-reliant, independent or as the title of the post says it… Berdikari! [Independent!]

Learning to be self-reliant and being realistic on what you can afford and what not. Be smart in making financial judgment is equally important. I guess some of us have the mentality of ‘keeping up with the Jones'. We always wanted to be above the rest. That is fine if you can handle it. There is no point in burdening one self just to keep up with others' lifestyle.

Brunei resources said that the zakat funds should be given to those who are in real need of them. He is also concerned that an unfair distribution of the remaining zakat collections may cause some Bruneians to stop paying their zakat.

In our country of plenty, there are a number of these people who need our help. The Zakat funds must be used but not to pay for those who are on debt to pay because of over indulgence but to help genuine cases. The long queues to get the assistance forms and the media coverage on the possibility that many of these in the queues are in financial trouble of their own making have not helped.

It is also worrying that I have met a number of people who used to pay their zakats are now thinking of not paying zakats anymore. They said that why should their zakat money be used to pay for those on debts because they spent money on mobile phones etc. They might as well give their zakats directly to mosques and other noble causes. These are worrying trends and may have an impact in the amount of zakat collection in the future. We certainly need to think the right usage of the zakat funds.

Asid suggested that the Islamic religious leaders and the academian should come together and have a dialogue, and conduct research to solve any future zakat related problems:

Perlunya diadakan satu perbincangan Ilmiah yg mengumpulkan Ulama2 dan cendikiawan2 bagi sama2 membincangkan permasalahan2 yg timbul daripada isu zakat ani. Kita perlu mendengar pandangan2 yg baru serta resolusi2 yg praktikal bagi menangani benda ani. Kajian2 akademik yg mendalam daripada bijak pandai akan sangat2 membantu menyelesaikan masalah2 yg timbul. Keberkesanan dan kecekapan badan yg bertanggungjawab hendaklah diberi perhatian penuh bagi sama2 mencapai dan menjunjung Titah dan Hasrat Kebawah Duli ini. Daripada pengumpulan, pembahagian yg adil dan seksama hinggalah pengagihan yg telus dan sempurna, semuanya harus dititikberatkan.

There is a need for a conference that could bring together Islamic religious leaders and academian to discuss the problems that arise due do this zakat issue. We need to listen to new ideas and perspectives, and develop practical solutions to handle this matter. A comprehensive and thorough academic research from the learned will be very beneficial in assisting the problems that may emerge. The effectiveness and efficiency of responsible organisations should become a key concern, so that they could become collaborators in achieving and fulfilling His Mesjesty's decree. From the collection, a fair allotment, to the distribution that is transparent and impeccable; everything should be focused upon.

The paying of the zakat is meant to bring about blessings, a purification of the soul and a way of increasing one's deeds. It allows us to narrow the gap between the rich and poor, and help those who may not even have the luxury of having a proper home or a proper meal. Thus, these basic ideas need to be communicated amongst the muslim citizens in Brunei, so that they could appreciate the function and the contributions of the zakat system. Bruneians also need to learn to become independent, and to live within their means as to not bury themselves in debts due to their overindulgence. Also, to overcome any possible zakat related problems in the future, a dialogue should be held amongst the different Islamic religious leaders, academian and the organisations that handle the zakat funds.

Brunei after the floods: A time of loss and prayers

Noor Hidayah — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 22:20:16 +0000

For the past week or so, Brunei has been experiencing some of the worst heavy rains and floods. This continuous downpour has not only lead to floods, soil erosions and landslides, but it has also taken the lives of two people. Brunei Lifestyle blogged about this incident:

The first death was that of a 46-year-old woman who was trapped under the debris of mud and concrete as her house at Kampong Madang in Berakas was affected by a landslide. The news report said that she was fast asleep in her bedroom when other occupants in her house heard a loud bang from the woman’s bedroom which was located at the back of the house. The occupants tried to pull her out of the room but failed. Police report said that this occurred at around 10.45pm on Tuesday night.

Two hours later, a 19-year-old woman was trapped in a drain when she was on her way home. The reports said that the woman and her father were trapped in their car as they tried to reach their home at Kampong Katok in Gadong. The woman insisted to walk home which was only about 600 meters from where they were trapped. The father was trying to stop her as the current was very strong and the water was rising very fast. The father said her daughter slipped to a drain and he tried to pull her out with the help of passers-by. They failed as the woman’s pants got caught to the grill and the current was strong that she drowned.

She also posted pictures of the skies. This is one of them:

Islam is a religion that is well rooted in Brunei. It has been the predominant religion of Bruneians for many generations. Therefore, it is only natural when some have decided to view the recent weather condition with a spiritual outlook. Arab Families encourage us to use this time to reflect, and to increase our prayers and supplications:

Untuk renungan kita bersama,

Berdoalah kita semoga Negara kita terhindar dan semoga kita semua terhindar dari pelabagai musibah dan bencana alam, Amin!!! Seperti mana yang kita semua ketahui dan lihat baru baru ini keadaan hujan dan banjir kilat di sana sini maka berdoalah kita semua, sesungguh nya doa adalah senjata orang2 Mu'kmin.

Hendaklah selalu berdoa kepada Allah SWT supaya kita terus diberi rahmat, nikmat serta pertolongan Allah SWT terutama apabila berhadapan dengan ujian sebagini. Ibnul Qayyim berkata, doa adalah saranan paling kuat untuk mencegah musibah dan mencapai apa yang diinginkan.

Doa adalah satu bentuk ibadah kepada Allah SWT. Menurut al-Asqari, doa adalah permohonan kepada Allah SWT supaya Dia mendatangkan sesuatu yang bermanfaat dan menjauhkan daripada segala bentuk kemudaratan.

Firman Allah SWT yang bermaksud:

“Apabila manusia ditimpa kesempitan, dia berdoa kepada Tuhan-Nya, dalam keadaan bersungguh-sungguh untuk kembali kepada-Nya. Kemudian apabila dia dianugerahi dengan nikmat daripada-Nya, dia lupa doa yang dipohon kepada Tuhannya sebelum itu dan dia menjadikan untuk Allah gandingan untuk menyesatkan (manusia) daripada jalan-Nya.” (Surah al-Zumar, ayat 8).

Nabi Muhammad SAW bersabda yang bermaksud:

“Doa itu bermanfaat terhadap kejadian yang sudah berlaku atau kejadian yang belum berlaku. Oleh itu, wahai hamba Allah, hendaklah kamu berdoa.” (Diriwayatkan oleh Ahmad, Ibn Majah dan lain-lain)

For all of us to reflect

“Prayer is beneficial towards something that has already happened or something that is yet to happen. For that, oh Allah's servants, you should pray.” (Narrated by Ahmad, Ibn Majah, and others)”

Let us pray that our country and all of us are to be protected for all types of tribulations and natural disasters, Amin! As we all know, we have been experiencing rain and flash floods so let us all pray, for it is the number one weapon for the Muslims.

We must be consistent in our prayer to Allah so that we will always be blessed and be given help from Allah especially at times like these. Ibnul Qayyim said, prayer is most effective in preventing harm and achieving what is desired.

Prayer is a form of worship to Allah. According to Al-Asqari, prayer is a plea to Allah so that He will provide us with something that is beneficial, and to protect us from all forms of harm.

Allah said:

“Now [thus it is] when affliction befalls man, he is likely to cry out to his Sustainer, turning unto Him [for help]; but as soon as He has bestowed upon him a boon by His grace, he forgets Him whom he invoked before, and claims that there are other powers that could rival God - and thus leads [others] astray from His path. Say [unto him who sins in this way]” (Surah Al Zumar: 8)

The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said:

”Prayer is beneficial for something that has already happened or something that is yet to happen. For that, oh Allah's servants, you must pray.” (Narrated by Ahmad, Ibn Majah, and others)”

Turquoise and Roses also urged her readers to pray for the Bruneians whose homes may have been destroyed by the floods and landslides.

But most importantly, pray tonight for your fellow Bruneians whose homes are destroyed by flood and landslides.

Brunei: The ‘Ali Baba’ syndrome

Noor Hidayah — Sun, 14 Dec 2008 22:40:19 +0000

Businesses are consistently popping up at different corners of Brunei. Before you know it, we’d be getting a new restaurant, a new cupcake business, a new singer, or a new shopping mall, to name a few. In addition, a significant number of these businesses are owned by the Malay Bruneians - the dominant ethnic group in the country. This just proves to show that the Malays are not lacking in financial resources to start up a business, nor the capabilities to become entrepreneurs. Unfortunately, despite the favourable rise in the local businesses set up by the Malays, a majority of them are not run by the owners. Rouge economist referred this as the ‘Ali Baba’ syndrome:

Take the ‘Ali Baba’ syndrome in the business sector for example. We want to be rich easily and quickly. Instead of genuinely running a business, we sell or rent out our permits and licenses to foreigners. As a result, the number of Brunei malays who have become true entrepreneurs that we can be proud is less than the ten fingers in our hands as compared to the number of business establishments (especially ‘kedai runcit’, barbershops and tailor shops). [‘Kedai runcit’ is a name for convenient store]

Photo by Anak Brunei

The Brunei government is actively making incentives to diversify its economy, and in developing its human capital. However, incentives, plans and ideas will not lead to advancement if the human capital fail to progress. A possible cause for this resistance to further development in the economy is the Bruneian culture itself. Rouge Economist used the example of the work attitude of the Bruneian Malays at the workplace:

Another example relates to the work attitude of the Brunei malays. The five-tea-break-a-day routine becomes the culture in the government sector. The attitude of ‘karang tah’ [translation: “Maybe later”, or “I’ll do it later.”] has lost the government millions of dollars in terms of productivity and even revenue-generation. As a result, the government sector, which is the first employment choice of any Brunei malay, is slow, inefficient and backward so much so that it can take weeks to send a letter within one tiny district, and months for the results of a few applications. (Come on! What is our population again?)

Therefore, it is important for Brunei to focus on creating an effective environment that could induce productivity amongst the Malays, and the Bruneian workforce in general. As development will only be a distant dream if the people behind these economic entities fail to progress.