Ministers aim to deliver better service

CABINET Ministers, deputy ministers and senior government officials who attended the 28th National Day celebrations in the heart of Brunei's capital yesterday shared areas on development their respective ministries will be pursuing throughout the year.

The common denominator gathered during the exchanges were developments that would provide better services to the nation and further contribute to socio-economic development.

Minister of Health Pehin Orang Kaya Johan Pahlawan Dato Seri Setia Hj Adanan Begawan Pehin Siraja Khatib Dato Seri Setia Hj Md Yusof said this year, his ministry is looking to improve the quality of life among the people.

"We are also looking to develop our capacity-building and to develop more experts, so we can deliver better services for the public," he told The Brunei Times.

Pehin Dato Hj Adanan said they will also be encouraging the citizens and residents of Brunei to maintain a healthy lifestyle, be more proactive, productive and active to contribute to the country's overall development.

Minister of Development Pehin Orang Kaya Indera Pahlawan Dato Seri Setia Hj Suyoi Hj Osman said the ministry is hoping to keep their promise in terms of building more houses for the public, and at the same time work on shortening their waiting time.

"Instead of waiting for 20 to 50 years, maybe (they will now wait for) 10 years at the most, (and) that's what we hope. (We are also looking) to improve the infrastructure all around the country, by hopefully building more roads and widening some," he said.

Immediately reflecting on His Majesty the Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam's titah for the National Day, Communications Minister Pehin Orang Kaya Hamzah Pahlawan Dato Seri Setia Hj Abdullah Begawan Mudim Dato Paduka Hj Bakar said the ministry is aiming to reduce the number of road accidents in the country through road safety engineering.

He also spoke on building more infrastructure and providing an efficient provision of communication services.

Pehin Dato Hj Abdullah also said the ministry will work to facilitate the rakyat and aviation industry with high-class facilities.

"We are building a new airport and what is also not visible to the public is we are rehabilitating of our runway. So this is our concentration as far as aviation industry is concerned, but beyond that we also want to facilitate the public (according to their needs)," the minister added.

Deputy Minister of Home Affairs Pehin Datu Lailaraja Major General (Rtd) Dato Paduka Seri Hj Halbi Hj Mohd Yussof said the ministry has undertaken many initiatives to date, but is currently focusing on its Excellent Village Awards campaign.

"With the Excellent Village Awards, we want to emphasise on the grassroots leadership where they should be more proactive in upholding national peace and stability," he said.

Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports' Deputy Minister Datin Paduka Hjh Adina Othman said as youth are the future of the country, they should become more dynamic and competitive. "If they have been relaxing, we want them to change their mindset and be more competitive, to know that the investment the government has made in their education has been great," she said.

"Take every opportunity to make use of it and look ahead. Think brave, think different and think big," she said.

Regarding underprivileged and less fortunate members of society who are registered with the ministry, Datin Hjh Adina said more programmes have been planned to further empower them. This will hopefully allow them to be self-reliant and less dependent on provisions given to them.

She noted that in the area of culture, the ministry realises the importance of national identity and the sense of togetherness. "Unity is very important for every nation to survive. Cultural identity is directly linked with national identity, so our people have to appreciate the culture we have," she said.

Royal Brunei Armed Forces (RBAF) Commander Major General Dato Paduka Seri Hj Aminuddin Ihsan Pehin Orang Kaya Saiful Mulok Dato Seri Paduka Hj Abidin also reflected on His Majesty's titah.

He stated that the focus of projects and developments undertaken by the RBAF will be towards achieving the 2035 National Plan and in accordance to the Defence White Paper. "So, Insya Allah, we'll ensure this to maintain the security of the nation," he remarked. The Brunei Times