|     Azaraimy HH     |

PENGIRAN Muda Mahkota Pengiran Muda Haji Al-Muhtadee Billah (PMMPMHAMB) Hospital in Tutong held Doa Kesyukuran ceremony yesterday at its Surau As-Salam to mark its 20th anniversary.

The guest of honour was Minister of Health Dato Seri Setia Dr Haji Mohammad Isham bin Jaafar. Also present were Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Health (MoH) Haji Abdul Manap bin Othman, Deputy Permanent Secretary (Professional) Dr Haji Zulaidi bin Haji Abdul Latif, directors, senior officers from the MoH as well as officers and staff of the PMMPMHAMB Hospital.

The event commenced with Sunnat prayer and followed by the recitation of Tahlil and Doa Kesyukuran.

It continued with mass Asar prayer led by Head of Religious Division Unit of PMMPMHAMB Hospital Ustaz Pengiran Haji Radiman bin Pengiran Haji Tengah.

|     Fizah HAB     |

WITH the consent of His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu’izzaddin Waddaulah ibni Al-Marhum Sultan Haji Omar ‘Ali Saifuddien Sa’adul Khairi Waddien, Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam, the Syariah Court of Brunei Darussalam announced that the country will start Hari Raya Aidiladha celebration on Wednesday, 10th of Zulhijjah, 1439 Hijrah, corresponding to August 22, 2018.

The moon sighting was verified by Chief Syar’ie Judge Pehin Orang Kaya Paduka Seri Utama Dato Paduka Seri Setia Ustaz Haji Awang Salim bin Haji Besar, and broadcast last evening over Radio Television Brunei (RTB).

The moon sightings were held at DST Headquarters in Tungku Link, Tanjung Batu and Bukit Agok in the Brunei-Muara District, Bukit Ambok in the Tutong District and Bukit Lumut in the Belait District.

The Ministry of Religious Affairs (MoRA) also held the moon sighting event yesterday at the Multaqa Hall, MoRA Building in Jalan Menteri Besar.

Attending the ceremony were Minister of Home Affairs Pehin Orang Kaya Seri Kerna Dato Seri Setia (Dr) Haji Awang Abu Bakar bin Haji Apong; Minister of Religious Affairs and President of the Brunei Islamic Religious Council (MUIB) Pehin Udana Khatib Dato Paduka Seri Setia Ustaz Haji Awang Badaruddin bin Pengarah Dato Paduka Haji Awang Othman; Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports Major General (Rtd) Dato Paduka Seri Awang Haji Aminuddin Ihsan bin Pehin Orang Kaya Saiful Mulok Dato Seri Paduka Haji Abidin; Deputy Minister of Religious Affairs and Vice President of MUIB Pengiran Dato Seri Paduka Haji Bahrom bin Pengiran Haji Bahar; Chief Syar’ie Judge and MUIB member Pehin Orang Kaya Paduka Seri Utama Dato Paduka Seri Setia Ustaz Haji Awang Salim bin Haji Besar; Syariah Court of Appeal Judge Pehin Orang Kaya Paduka Setia Raja Dato Paduka Seri Setia Haji Awang Suhaili bin Haji Mohiddin; Legislative Council members Yang Berhormat Pehin Datu Imam Dato Paduka Seri Setia Ustaz Haji Awang Abdul Hamid bin Bakal and Yang Berhormat Haji Abdul Hamid @ Sabli bin Haji Arshad; and Permanent Secretary at the MoRA Dato Seri Setia Haji Abdul Aziz bin Orang Kaya Maharaja Lela Haji Mohd Yusof – who deliberated the results of the moon sighting.

|     James Kon     |

AFTER cars and bikes, the policemen in Brunei will now be seen riding bicycles while on patrolling duty.

To start with, the Bandar Seri Begawan Central Police Station under the Brunei-Muara Police District yesterday launched the Police Bicycle Patrol at the Taman Mahkota Jubli Emas, in a bid to increase the presence of police personnel around the heart of the capital.

The launching of the patrol was officiated by Commissioner of the Royal Brunei Police Force (RBPF) Dato Paduka Seri Haji Mohd Jammy bin Haji Muhd Shah Al-Islam and witnessed by Deputy Commissioner of RBPF Dato Seri Pahlawan Haji Mohammad Irwan bin Haji Hambali; Acting Officer Commanding Police District (OCPD) of Brunei-Muara Superintendent of Police Pengiran Haji Abdul Salam bin Pengiran Haji Abdul Ghani as well as senior police personnel.

Several members of the Legislative Council and Muhd Nazrul Hadi bin Kamis, the local boy who was bestowed with the ‘Honorary Policeman’ certificate by RBPF earlier this year also attended the ceremony.

The Police Bicycle Patrol team comprises eight police personnel who will patrol around the capital on bicycle 24-hours in shifts and cover Jalan Masjid Omar ‘Ali Saifuddien, Jalan McArthur, Jalan Residency, Jalan Kianggeh, Jalan Bendahara, Jalan Sultan Omar ‘Ali Saifuddien-Jalan James Pearce and Taman Mahkota Jubli Emas.

“Actually, the bicycle patrol was in existence long ago but it became inactive over the years. The Royal Brunei Police Force has revived the system in view of the rapid developments in Bandar Seri Begawan as well as Taman Mahkota Jubli Emas,” Dato Paduka Seri Haji Mohd Jammy told the media following the launching ceremony.

“The main aims of the new system are to further increase public safety and prevent crimes. In addition, the police personnel on bicycle can present themselves as ambassadors of Brunei to foreign tourists. Any tourist needing help or information can approach them for assistance,” he said.

The personnel have designated routes, however, they could also respond to incidents close by, he added.

The commissioner also revealed that the Police Bicycle Patrol will be extended to all districts and bicycles would be provided to police posts in rural areas as well.

“With the Police Bicycle Patrol, members of the public will feel more comfortable to approach police on bicycle than those in patrol cars.

“This is because personnel on bicycle can easily stop on their track and provide assistance. This will also enhance the partnership and closeness between members of public and the police force,” he said.

During the launching ceremony, Dato Paduka Seri Haji Mohd Jammy also inspected the police bicycles and mingled with the personnel of the bicycle patrol.

|     Azlan Othman     |

BRUNEI Darussalam sees its elderly people as critical stakeholders who strive for the development of the nation, said Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports Major General (Rtd) Dato Paduka Seri Awang Haji Aminuddin Ihsan bin Pehin Orang Kaya Saiful Mulok Dato Seri Paduka Haji Abidin.

“We don’t paint a pessimistic picture of our ageing population, rather we see them as knowledgeable and experienced people working with us to realise the Brunei Vision 2035,” he noted at a forum titled ‘New Frontiers in Social Research on Ageing: Implications for Brunei Darussalam’, held at the Institute for Leadership, Innovation and Advancement (ILIA) Building of Universiti Brunei Darussalam yesterday.

“The Government of His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu’izzaddin Waddaulah ibni Al-Marhum Sultan Haji Omar ‘Ali Saifuddien Sa’adul Khairi Waddien, Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam has always been looking at national social issues including the ageing population in the context of a whole-of-nation approach.

“The National Council of Social Issues led by the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports reflects this commitment, in collaboration with other government and non-government agencies as well as relevant stakeholders,” the minister said.

“Our world today is changing fast which has led to many new emerging issues and old ones resurfacing. Like many countries, Brunei Darussalam is also experiencing growth in the number and proportion of older people in its population.”

“According to statistics from the Department of Economic Planning and Development in 2016, the age group of those over 65 is approximately six per cent of the total population, an increase by 0.1 per cent from the previous year.

“This is in line with the United Nations Development Programme’s Asia-Pacific Regional Human Development report of the same year that placed Brunei Darussalam “in the middle of transition”. The report said that the Sultanate will continue to see a large jump in the working-age population until 2020, after which the increase will slow down and move towards an ageing population. In other words, the demographic landscape of Brunei Darussalam is going to change soon,” the minister said.

“We note that often, many tend to attach a stigma in describing and categorising the growing numbers of the elderly. Moreover, we see that much of the incredibly valuable work that we are undertaking is focussing on the development of the youth, who are undeniably our important assets in building and shaping the future of our country.

“But, we also need to acknowledge and attach the same importance for the development of our ageing population. We recognise that the knowledge, experiences and skills of the ageing population are valuable and irreplaceable. These are the real vital assets for the social progress of Brunei Darussalam, he noted.

“We have established Bestari Community Centre and Senior Citizens Activity Centre to establish a knowledge-based network between the young and the elderly. There is much potential for this and we hope to expand it further with the involvement of other stakeholders,” he added.

“The Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports, supports those in the ageing population to develop an active, contributing and healthy lifestyle through arts and sports. We also encourage them to be volunteers and take care of each other.

“All these efforts are continuous in nature. Our main hope is that whatever programmes and activities that are being undertaken, with collaborative efforts of everyone, will have a lasting impact on the future of our country. This is where the importance of this forum lies,” the minister added.

Meanwhile in his welcoming remarks, Director of Centre for Advanced Research (CARe) at UBD Associate Professor Dr Hoon Chang Yau said the ageing of the population looms large as a social challenge in Asian societies.

“Japan was the first country that started to feel the pressure in East Asia, and in the coming decade, other countries in the region such as Taiwan, China, Korea, Singapore as well as Brunei Darussalam will all face similar challenges.

“The elderly population in Brunei Darussalam is projected to increase by 7.8 per cent in 2021. This will qualify Brunei as an ageing nation where older persons are in excess of seven per cent of the total population.

“Population ageing is poised to become one of the most significant social transformations of the 21st Century, affecting nearly all sectors of society, including labour and financial markets, the demand for goods and services such as housing, transportation, healthcare and social welfare as well as family structures and intergenerational ties,” he noted.

Meanwhile, quoting UN’s World Population Prospects (2017 revision) in her paper presentation, Director of the Malaysian Research Institute on Ageing, Universiti Putra Malaysia Professor Dr Tengku Aizan Hamid said that Brunei’s population aged 65 years or above will double from seven per cent to 14 per cent in less than 15 years (2023-2036).

“While adding years to life is now a certainty, societies in the region are still adapting to the implications of rapid ageing and longevity. Social research is not only needed for evidence-based policymaking, but also to understand the multi-faceted consequences of ageing societies on the individual, family and community issues on poverty and social protection, health and long-term care, intergenerational relationships, housing and living arrangements as well as work and retirement.”

BY COMMAND of His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu’izzaddin Waddaulah ibni Al-Marhum Sultan Haji Omar ‘Ali Saifuddien Sa’adul Khairi Waddien, Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam, it is hereby announced that His Majesty has consented to the appointments of several senior officers.

Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Religious Affairs Roslan bin Haji Taja’ah has been appointed as Permanent Secretary at the Prime Minister’s Office; and Deputy Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Defence Pengiran Hajah Zety Sufina binti Pengiran Dato Paduka Haji Sani as Permanent Secretary at the Prime Minister’s Office.

The date of appointment for said officers are effective from today.

BOSTON (AP) – Personal home robots that can socialise with people are starting to roll out of the laboratory and into our living rooms and kitchens. But are humans ready to invite them into their lives? It’s taken decades of research to build robots even a fraction as sophisticated as those featured in popular science fiction. They don’t much resemble their fictional predecessors; they mostly don’t walk, only sometimes roll and often lack limbs. And they’re nowhere close to matching the language, social skills and physical dexterity of people. More details in Monday’s Borneo Bulletin.

BEIUS, Romania (AFP) – They may feel aggrieved at not obtaining an official seal of approval, but traditional Romanian dressmakers are riding a wave of demand for their folk designs after a top fashion house inadvertently showcased their craft. Clothes makers from the northwestern Bihor region were more than a little bemused when they got wind of a 2017 Dior collection. More details in Monday’s Borneo Bulletin.

LONDON (AP) — A British conservation charity says record-breaking temperatures have encouraged a rare flock of Andean flamingos to lay eggs for the first time since 2003. The Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust says six of the exotic birds laid nine eggs, all of which were infertile. The charity’s reserve in Gloucestershire in southwest England then gave the Andean flamingos eggs from near-relatives, Chilean flamingos, to look after. More details in Monday’s Borneo Bulletin.

BEIRUT (AFP) – At least 53 civilians, including 28 children, have been killed in a fierce bombardment on Friday that targetted rebel-held areas of northern Syria, a war monitor said, updating an earlier toll. In a new toll on Saturday, the war monitor said 41 civilians, including 25 children, were killed in the rebel town of Orum al-Kubra in Aleppo province while 12 civilians, three of them children, died in Idlib. More details in Monday’s Borneo Bulletin.

Bucharest (AFP) – Tens of thousands gathered on Saturday in the Romanian capital Bucharest for a second straight day after more than 450 people were hurt and around 30 arrested in a huge anti-corruption protest. Police came in for criticism after they used water cannon and tear gas on Friday to disperse protesters calling on the leftwing government to resign. More details in Monday’s Borneo Bulletin.

ABDUL Muim bin Haji Yuzaini was the champion of the open category in the Mountain Bike Racing competition held yesterday morning in conjunction with His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu’izzaddin Waddaulah ibni Al-Marhum Sultan Haji Omar ‘Ali Saifuddien Sa’adul Khairi Waddien, Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam’s 72nd birthday celebration. More details in Monday’s Borneo Bulletin.

Dementia is a disease rather than a natural part of ageing, said Vice-President of support group Demensia Brunei Irnawati binti Haji Mahir, during a recent forum titled ‘New Frontiers in Social Research on Ageing: Implications for Brunei Darussalam’ at the Institute for Leadership, Innovation and Advancement (ILIA) building at Universiti Brunei Darussalam (UBD). More details in Monday’s Borneo Bulletin.

FOUR BHSc (Medicine) students from Universiti Brunei Darussalam (UBD) in collaboration with the Raja Isteri Pengiran Anak Saleha (RIPAS) Hospital Blood Donation Centre collected 41 pints of blood from donors who visited the Times Square Shopping Centre yesterday through a project, titled UNIT (Understanding Need of Individuals with Thalassemia). More details in Monday’s Borneo Bulletin.

The Museums Department announced that there will be no entry charge to visit the Regatta Exhibition 2018 being held in conjunction with His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu’izzaddin Waddaulah ibni Al-Marhum Sultan Haji Omar ‘Ali Saifuddien Sa’adul Khairi Waddien, Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam 72nd birthday celebrations. The exhibition is being held at the Dermaga Diraja’s ‘C’ Gallery in the capital, and carries the theme ‘Sungai Brunei – Penghubung Budaya Warisan Brunei or Brunei River – Connecting Brunei Cultural Heritage.’ More details in Monday’s Borneo Bulletin.

The annual boat race competition, the Brunei Darussalam Regatta 2018, was injected with that extra bit of excitement with His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu’izzaddin Waddaulah ibni Al-Marhum Sultan Haji Omar ‘Ali Saifuddien Sa’adul Khairi Waddien, Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam’s participation in a special boat race category in the afternoon. More details in Monday’s Borneo Bulletin.

RISHIKESH, India (AFP) – Fifty years after the Beatles came to India, the bungalows where the Fab Four lived, the post office where John Lennon sent Yoko Ono postcards and the giggling guru’s house are all in ruins. Maharishi Mahesh Yogi’s ashram, where the world’s most famous group sought refuge and spirituality in 1968 and wrote much of their seminal ‘White Album’, fell into disuse in the early 2000s. More details in Tuesday’s Borneo Bulletin.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Florida (AP) — Embarking on a mission that scientists have been dreaming of since the Sputnik era, a NASA spacecraft hurtled on Sunday toward the Sun on a quest to unlock some of its mysteries by getting closer than any object sent before. If all goes well, the Parker Solar Probe will fly straight through the wispy edges of the Sun’s corona, or outer atmosphere, in November. In the years ahead, it will gradually get within 3.8 million miles of the surface, its instruments protected from the extreme heat and radiation by a revolutionary new carbon heat shield and other high-tech wizardry. More details in Tuesday’s Borneo Bulletin.