Monday, 12th February 2007

NEWS:- Monday, 12th February 2007

Religious Ministry holds special forum to engender understanding of contents of holy verses of Al-Quran

The Ministry of Religious Affairs held a special forum last night at the Setia Ali Mosque in Muara Town. The main objective of the forum was to engender the understanding of the content of holy verses of the Al-Quran among the mosque youth and to train them in public speaking. Present were the Minister of Religious Affairs, Pehin Dato Seri Utama Doctor Ustaz Haji Awang Mohd. Zain; his deputy, Pehin Dato Paduka Seri Setia Ustaz Haji Awang Badaruddin; the Permanent Secretary, Dato Paduka Haji Abdul Rahman and the Deputy Permanent Secretary, Dato Paduka Haji Ishaaq.

The forum held in conjunction with the New Year of Hijriah 1428 discussed the content of the Al-Fatihah verse. Four youth representing the Jerudong Mosque, the Lambak Kiri Indigenous Landless Scheme’s Mosque, the Sultan Sharif Ali Sengkurong Mosque and the Al-Muhtadee Billah Mosque in Sungai Kebun were part of the forum.

It was the third of such forum, with the first held in Tutong District. The next one will take place on Friday at the Skim Tanah Kurnia Rakyat Jati Kampung Rataie’s Mosque in the Temburong District.

Placing National Flag at top of post symbolises nation’s identity and sovereignty

Placing the National Flag at the top of the post symbolises the nation’s identity and sovereignty. The Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports, Retired Major General Pehin Dato Seri Pahlawan Haji Mohammad voiced this out at the hoisting ceremony of the Giant National Flag in conjunction with Brunei Darussalam’s 23rd National Day celebration.

The giant flag measuring 12 feet by 24 feet was hoisted atop a pole, Sunday at a Square of the Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Foundation in the heart of Bandar Seri Begawan. The Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports urged the people and residents of the nation to strengthen their unity in upholding the aspiration of the National Day’s theme and patriotism. He also urged the citizens and residents to be faithful in accordance to religious principles, and to give valuable contributions to the Monarch and the nation. This year’s National Day celebration carries the theme, “Iltizam Memperkasa Keupayaan Bangsa”.

The Pehin also reminded the public that the national flags hoisted should be in good condition. Their cleanliness and true colours should be ascertained so it will not contrast to the spirit of patriotism and love for the nation. The Minister hoped that throughout the period of the celebration, all programmes be implemented innovatively and dynamically in line with the theme which stresses that serious involvement of all contributes towards achieving National Day aspirations such as producing educated, highly competitive and ambitious young generation.

At the height of the ceremony, members of the Royal Brunei Navy Force paraded in the Brunei Darussalam Giant Flag to the tune of the National Anthem as it was raised to the top of the flag post. The flag-hoisting ceremony was followed by the presentation of standard size flags and posters to Brunei’s four District Officers. The first to receive the flags was the Brunei Muara District Officer, Dato Paduka Haji Yusop bin Bakar, followed by the Belait District Officer, Awang Haji Mohammad bin Haji Abdul Rahman, the Tutong Acting District Officer, Awang Haris bin Haji Othman and lastly the Acting Temburong District Officer, Awang Haji Abduh bin Dato Seri Setia Haji Salam.

The raising of the Giant Flag marked the official raising period of national flags at private homes, buildings and government premises and of personal flags for state dignitaries throughout Brunei Darussalam.

Separate hoisting of National Flag takes place in Brunei’s four districts

A separate hoisting of the National Flag for Brunei’s four districts was also held Sunday. In the Brunei Muara District, the flag-hoisting ceremony took place at the Brunei Muara District Office in Berakas. At the event, the District Officer, Dato Paduka Haji Yusop bin Bakar distributed the national flags to the various penghulus in the district.

In Belait, the flag-hoisting ceremony took place at the Menara Cendera Kenangan Kuala Belait. The Belait District Officer, Awang Haji Mohammad bin Haji Abdul Rahman also distributed the national flags to various penghulus in the district.

Meanwhile in the Tutong District, a similar flag-hoisting ceremony took place at the open area of the Community Hall Complex. The National Flag was hoisted by personnel of the Royal Brunei Police Force. It was conducted in the presence of the Acting Tutong District Officer, Awang Haris bin Haji Othman who handed over the flags and posters to various penghulus to be distributed to residents in Tutong District.

A similar gathering was also held at the open area near Temburong’s Community Hall in Bangar. The flag hoisting was conducted in the presence of the Acting Temburong District Officer, Awang Haji Abduh bin Dato Seri Setia Haji Salam who later presented the national flags to officials representing the Royal Brunei Police Force, Royal Brunei Armed Forces, the Fire and Rescue Services and the Ministry of Health as well as to various penghulus, ketua kampungs and heads of longhouse in the district.

Efficient, secure and integrated transport system is key in hastening establishment of ASEAN Economic Community

The 12th ASEAN Transport Ministers Meeting held in Bangkok, Thailand concluded with the ministers expressing their satisfaction in the various cooperative programmes in air, land and maritime transport sectors and transport facilitation. The Ministers reaffirmed that an efficient, secure and integrated transport system is key in hastening the establishment of the ASEAN Economic Community.

The Minister of Communications, Pehin Dato Seri Setia Haji Abu Bakar led Brunei’s delegation at the regional meeting. The ASEAN Ministers agreed to intensify cooperation in enhancing transport facilitation, in promoting multi model transport infrastructure linkages and connectivity, in facilitating transport and tourism integration, in expanding liberalisation opportunities in the air and maritime transport sectors, and in realising a single air transport market in ASEAN by 2015. The call was for commitment to work closely with all relevant stakeholders and in particular, the private sector associations, the ASEAN Dialogue Partners and relevant international organisations and agencies.

The highlight of the ASEAN Transport Ministers Meeting was the signing of the ASEAN Transport Agreement. The Ministers signed two protocols namely Protocol 1, covering the Designation of Transit Transport Routes and Facilities of the ASEAN Framework Agreement on Facilitation of Goods in Transit and Protocol to implement the Fifth Package of Commitments on Air Transport Services under the ASEAN Framework Agreement on Services, AFAS. The other Protocol is to amend the 2002 ASEAN Memorandum of Understanding, MOU on Air Freight Services by ASEAN Senior Transport Officials, ASEAN Directors-General of Civil Aviation, a first step implementation towards the full liberalisation of air freight services. The next ASEAN Transport Ministers Meeting will take place in Singapore.

Get together at forging relations between orphans and community

The Brunei International Women Club held a get together with orphans in the Brunei Muara District, Sunday.

At the gathering, the wife of the Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports, Datin Hajah Saidah binti Haji Mohd. Said handed over gifts and financial contributions. It is one of the activities of the Brunei International Women Club, aimed at forging relations between orphans and the community.

The function was held at the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports.

UNISSA’s Open Day in giving information and regulation to applicants on programmes offered

The University Islam Sultan Sharif Ali, UNISSA, will start its 2007/2008 session in August 2007. Prior to this, UNISSA held its open day Sunday at the University of Brunei Darussalam.

The open day aimed at giving information and regulation to applicants on the programmes offered by UNISSA. Applicants were also given prospect on choices of programmes apart from having discussions with the UNISSA’s lecturers.

The Head Secretary of the formation of Brunei Islamic University, Doctor Hajah Masnon binti Haji Ibrahim was there to explain on the objective and programmes offered by UNISSA. The 2007/2008 session will be held at the Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddien Institute of Islamic Studies in Rimba.

END OF NEWS

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