The feast of sacrifice commenced shortly after the sunat Aidil Adha prayer. His Majesty and his brother and sons conducted the sacrificial rites at the mosque’s compound. The ceremony began with the recitation of the Al-Fatihah verse led by the State Mufti, Pehin Dato Paduka Seri Setia Ustaz Haji Abdul Aziz. Subsequently, the Monarch proceeded to the slaughter area where His Majesty gave the consent for the ceremony to proceed.

A total of 14 goats and 34 cows donated by His Majesty and other members of the royal family were sacrificed in the presence of His Majesty. 7 of the goats were slaughtered at the site while the rest of the sacrificial animals were slaughtered at the Mulaut Abattoir.

The Brunei Muara District Officer, Dato Paduka Haji Mohamad Yussop handed over the meat to various penghulu mukim and ketua kampung to be distributed among 2 thousand 6 hundred and seventy less fortunate people in the district. In Tutong, 608 needy people from thirty villages received the gifts of meat that were presented by the District Officer, Awang Abdul Mutalib. The function took place at the Dewan Seri Kenangan Tutong. In the Temburong District, more

In his khutbah or sermon marking Hari Raya Aidil Adha, Pehin Dato Paduka Seri Setia Ustaz Haji Awang Badaruddin stressed that Islam advocates its followers to remain loyal to their ruler. In the context of Brunei Darussalam’s leadership, the country practices the Monarchy system; hence, the people must pay allegiance to the Monarch. According to the Pehin, loyalty to the Monarch is cemented to religious teachings which require the rakyat to be faithful to the Ulil Amri or leader. He said the sense of loyalty should prevail as long as the Monarch or Ulil Amri does not breach or disobey Allah the Almighty. In this regard, the Monarchy system which is based on Islam puts the Monarch in the highest of positions. This essence is what makes the Sultan a revered leader. In line with this concept, the ruling Monarch holds the trust for the interest of the country’s security and harmony of the people.

The Pehin went on to say, the Monarchy system for Brunei Darussalam is not new nor is it created by other people. It is rooted in the history and civilisation of the nation. Because of this, it is vital for the system to be preserved, nurtured and developed. The rakyat and citizens are responsible in protecting it from any attempts to destabilise it because it represents the symbol of their leadership. It is also the most important aspect of pride and dignity of Bruneians. He reminded Muslims against any act, expression or intention that contradicts the system. This goes true to such indecent act as writing in websites against the monarchy leadership system. Such attempt either in the form of intention, written expression or be orally expressed that could affect the status of the Ulil Amri, should be curbed and stopped at all costs, to avert those with their own agenda to take advantage of the situation for their own interest.

The Minister of Education lauded efforts carried out by the ASEAN-Committee on Culture and Information or COCI, in organising the ASEAN Youth Camp project that has been a flagship project of the ASEAN Youth Friendship Programme since its formation in 1998. The programme provides opportunities for young people to participate in a growing regional network with the aim of making a positive difference to the ASEAN region and beyond. Pehin Dato Seri Setia Haji Abdul Rahman made the remark at the opening ceremony last night of the ASEAN Youth Camp 2006. The speech text was delivered by his Deputy, Pengiran Dato Seri Setia Doctor Haji Mohammad.

Tne Minister in his speech touched on this year’s theme entitled “Adhesion: Water and the Arts”, in which he hoped that the participants will have a greater understanding of the role they can play in promoting water heritage through the arts. The minister also said that the country has witnessed many major water-related natural disasters. Some of these are linked to issues such as environmental degradation, pollution and population growth, all of which affect the nation’s access to quality water. The future of the planet, he added, is threatened by challenges posed by the poor management of a resource that many take for granted. He went on to elaborate that water plays a vital role in one’s lives. It gives life but also has the power to take life away. This was clearly demonstrated in the recent Tsunami and flash floods reported in many countries in this region. The youth, through the arts, can help play a vital role in highlighting the need to safeguard the water heritage, thus reducing problems related to the water environment.

The Minister is optimistic that over the next 12 days, the youth camp will help the participants developed a deeper awareness, appreciation and sense of responsibility for the natural environment. These goals will be achieved through activities that developed and enhanced the participant’s artistic creativity and expression using indigenous themes and natural materials found in the environment that they will be working in.

The theme “Adhesion: Water and the Arts”' is based on the civilization and culture of ASEAN which evolved through river and seas. The South China Sea, the Straits of Malacca and the Mekong River, to name a few, have played a vital role on crafting the culture of ASEAN countries. The importance of water will be expressed through various art forms by the youth and to be shared amongst them. A total of fifty young participants aged sixteen to twenty-five years are involved in the twelve-day camp. The ASEAN Youth Camp is held annually in different member countries.

Brunei Darussalam’s Ministry of Education has been working closely with the ASEAN Committee on Culture and Information in providing activities for students as part of the ASEAN awareness programme. The programme includes an annual celebration of the ASEAN Day on the 8th of August, with activities concentrated in schools and colleges, the ASEAN children’s painting competition on kindness, the ASEAN quiz, the ASEAN corner and other regional activities. Participation in these activities can lead to a greater sense of ASEAN shared values. This contributes to character building, providing a platform for all ASEAN’s youths to become more competent and caring. If ASEAN is to achieve its vision of a community, conscious of its ties of history, aware of its cultural heritage and bound by a common regional identity, then it must do a great deal more communicating and promoting that what is being presently done. There is a need for the youth to know and understand more about ASEAN, the history and cultures of its member countries and why it is relevant to their lives. Promoting awareness of ASEAN and the cultures and history of the region and its member countries has been a major concern since ASEAN’s establishment in 1967. This concern has been reiterated in almost all the major summits and ministerial meetings. Although ASEAN-COCI has responded with a number of projects addressing this challenge, the general view, however, shows that the effort has not been concerted and sustained to attain a more lasting impact, especially among the youth. There is still a great void among peoples of the region in understanding and appreciating each other’s cultures and ways of life.