Time to start swinging, Brunei

DEAR Editor,

Something really saddens me about Brunei.

First, I am not Bruneian, but I love this country; always have. I cannot even begin to tell you why; the kindness of its people, notwithstanding.

That said, I fear for the future of this country. All the signs are in place to tell me that a disaster is awaiting the Abode of Peace.

The country is running out of oil, which has served as the backbone of its economy for generation. But you don't need to wait for ten or more years to be struck by the violent reality that is likely to follow; Brunei's oil production used to be largely light crude; it didn't matter much that Brunei didn't process its own oil then; but now, that the dark crude is on the rise, and the light crude is already depleting, and knowing that Brunei doesn't process its own oil, well, you do the math; Brunei is already losing its competitive edge as far as the oil market is concerned.

But that aside, the problem is multifaceted and compounded. Now the buzzword in town is new economic models, economic diversity and so forth, and the biggest of them all is the Masterplan.

To begin with, I think Brunei is trying to start a bit too late developing these economic alternatives. Small business can afford planning months in advance, but large conglomerates would have to do their homework years in advance.

Now imagine a whole country, which has been reliant on one single product for decades, and that product is no more in the matter of years. And yet Brunei is in the brainstorming stages to find an alternative? I am sorry, but I don't see how this could possibly work, without a worst case scenario written all over it.

Still, even if we submit that rash, last minute planning (and believe me ten years in the history of nation is a last minute thing), then at least let's do it right.

We keep hearing about models, the Dubai Model, the Singapore Model, the whatever model, and all we see is more of the same, projects that costs the country an arm and a leg, with no measurable outcomes.

Of course, it's easy to come and say: a German company is designing this project, or a British company is doing the initial assessment for this venture; but neither the Germans, nor the British or even the Norwegians are able to set a long term vision for Brunei but Brunei itself.

Please Brunei, take time to read and learn about such devastations that befallen others before you, from Central America, to Asia to Africa, to the Middle East.

Time is running out so fast. As an American Muslim leader Malcolm X once told his people: "It's time to stop singing, and start swinging."

You have to activate all of your energies and I don't mean seminars where teachers talk endlessly about leadership or whatever; enough with conceptualising the problem — and work as hard, as fast, yet as calculating as possible, before you end up reminiscing on the good old days.

Please don't dismiss my warning; your country is too precious to be dismissed.

BMMR

Kuala Belait