Bruneians applaud monarch's decision

MOST Bruneians yesterday lauded His Majesty the Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam's decision to push back all events and ceremonies planned to mark His Majesty's 63rd birthday celebrations, in the wake of the Influenza A (H1N1) outbreak.

"Safety first," said Edi Farhan, owner of Omic Enterprise, who fully agreed that His Majesty's decision was the best option for the entire country.

"Now that the situation has already gotten out of hand, it is no longer safe to be out for a celebration as the virus could easily spread in crowded places," he said.

"I would not want to risk my life by attending such celebrations during these troubled times," added Edi, before stating that he personally felt it would be more appropriate to temporary put off any events or activities during this time to help prevent the spreading of the infection.

26-year-old Hisyammudin Ali echoed similar sentiments.

He praised the actions that has been taken by the relevant authorities in controlling the situation. "I think that it is good that the authorities have postponed the events," he said.

"I know that such yearly events mean a lot in our country, but health and safety is the main issue," he added.

Hisyammudin said that the decision to postpone the celebrations is also an indication of how much the government cares about the country's well being, adding that it was also a good step to control the pandemic that is inflicting the nation. Jimmy Lee, 25, said such an outcome was predictable and is "definitely for the best".

"We are talking about the safety of thousands of lives, more importantly the safety of His Majesty... This is hands down the best option," he said.

Lee said that he was disappointed and it would be unfamiliar for the entire country to not celebrate such an anticipated event but expressed relief at His Majesty's decision.

"We could have just protected hundreds or thousands of people from getting infected," he said.

A civil servant officer who wished to remain anonymous, said that she also felt saddened upon hearing the news but agreed that it was for the best.

"Such steps are necessary to further prevent the spread of H1N1 in the region and this is a sign of how serious the pandemic in the country is," she said, adding that people have only started to take heed of the Ministry of Health's call to take precaution against the virus after the death of the 12-year-old girl.

"Now that the number of cases has reached more than 100, I think people are finally taking notice of the immensity of the situation and all of a sudden face masks and hand-sanitisers are flying off the shelves," she said. The 22-year-old civil servant further mentioned that with such news, it has also prompted her to take extra precaution such as wearing face masks and avoiding places such as Gadong and Kiulap.

"I don't think it's a good idea to have mass gatherings right now, but I wonder when the celebrations will be held," said Student Graduate Ali Hj Saffruddien.

He said that people have to be made more aware about the seriousness of the viral outbreak and not be ignorant about how easily it spreads.

"While people should not panic and over-react with the first sign of a cough, I think they should also not be so relaxed about it. They should also immediately get themselves checked if they develop any symptoms," he said.

Ali added that the postponement was a sign of the government's commitment to eradicating the virus in the country and while it was rather unfortunate, he believes it was inevitable. (Staff Reporters)

The Brunei Times

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