Public continue to throng cinemas

CINEMAGOERS and movie buffs remain unfazed in light of the Influenza A (H1N1) outbreak despite constant reminders by the Ministry of Health to avoid crowded areas, said a cinema supervisor.

Azhar Ridzuan, who works at The Mall Cineplex, said that there has been no decline in attendance compared to school holidays of previous years.

"Especially since Transformers 2 and Ice Age 3 just came out," he said.

"It is as if there is nothing going on and everyone is just enjoying their holidays, everyone is still coming here and almost no one is wearing masks," he added.

When asked why people are not heeding the advice of the ministry, the cinema supervisor replied that such a response is expected.

"Everyone, especially the school students want to enjoy their holiday. Who wants to stay home for three weeks doing nothing?"

Azhar said the cinema receives about 3,000 visitors on a weekday with an additional 20 per cent increase during weekends.

One such cinemagoer was Ziki, a 22-year-old student who arrived from the United Kingdom for his summer holidays three weeks ago.

"I have been anticipating this movie (Transformers 2) ever since the first one came out," he said, adding that this was a rare opportunity to watch the film while socialising with his friends and family before returning to the UK.

"I am a little worried, but then again there are more things to be worried about especially since so many have been cured from the disease," added Ziki.

He said that he was trying to make use of every opportunity to meet up with his friends here as he only comes back to Brunei once a year.

"I am not going to waste my holidays by sitting at home doing nothing, I can do that back in Liverpool," he joked.

Yvonne Hui begged to differ as her experience at the cinema has made her more aware of the dangers and prevalence of the pandemic.

The 26-year-old accountant said that she was reluctant to watch the movie at first but her boyfriend was passionate and had already bought tickets. "I did not want to turn him down and disappoint him," she said, adding that she was quite surprised at the number of people who turned up for the 7.20pm show.

"The cinema was packed, I could not see an empty seat from where I was sitting and no one was wearing masks," she explained.

The accountant however said that her paranoia stood in her way of enjoying the movie. "I keep thinking to myself what if the people around me or my boyfriend were infected, it was really stressful," she said.

"After this experience, I no longer want to attend any function involving large number of crowds," added Hui.

She said that this was a reflection of how well the people in Brunei respond to advices or orders from authorities.

"This is something that is hard to understand, there has been constant reminders to protect ourselves and avoid crowded places but these reminders are falling on deaf ears," she said.

Hui used herself as an example, "If I had not come here personally to experience the paranoia, I would still be brushing off such reminders. We can only hope that others who are here feel the same as I do."

Minister of Health Pehin Orang Kaya Indera Pahlawan Dato Seri Setia Hj Suyoi Hj Osman said that the ministry has already seeked cooperation from all cinemas to help spread information and remind patrons to avoid such areas if they are unwell.

He assured that the ministry would take additional action to further establish cooperation with such cinemas in light of the new information. - Melvin JongThe Brunei Times