Gifts galore from various communities

GIFTS from people belonging to all walks of life, including prison inmates, were presented to His Majesty the Sultan and Yang-Di Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam as the monarch walked among his people in the Tutong District yesterday.

As the monarch met and greeted the people of Tutong, groups of people presented a number of gifts specially prepared for His Majesty. One of the first the monarch received was a Gasing (spinning top) crafted by the inmates of Maraburong Prison, Tutong, using skills taught by the prison department staff there.

Hamdani Mohd Salleh, one of the prison wardens, said that the spinning top was made from Kayu Impas, a durable type of wood while the string was made from timbaran, a species of plant found in locally. "It took the inmates one month to finish this," he added.

He said that while the prison's department had gave the directive to produce the piece, the inmates had gladly worked and are grateful to have the piece presented to His Majesty. "We (The Prison Department) are also happy to be here," he said.

Another work of inmates was a tongkat (cane) made from the sweet smelling Kayu Cendana, handcrafted by the inmates of both Jerudong and Maraburong Prison. The piece was commissioned by CityNeon Sdn Bhd and was presented to His Majesty near the end of the meet-and-greet session.

"The tip and handle is made from ivory provided by the Department of Museums," said Nabil Fikir Hj Mahrub, who added that he believed the ivory was properly obtained and approved by the Museums Department for the piece. "We are working closely with the Department of Museums and the Prisons Department to provide an opportunity to the inmates to give back to the monarch," he said, adding he believed the Sultan, in previous titahs, had emphasised forgiveness. He added this was also how their company tried to give back to the country.

Other minority communities were also given an opportunity to present gifts. Hj Rafi Hj Shafiullah, an Indian who had lived and worked in Brunei for the past 27 years, and his friends from the Indian Association in Tutong presented a gold and crystal Quran stand to His Majesty.

The piece was commissioned from leading Indian businesses in the country, said Hj Rafi.

From the Chinese community, an eight pound cake was presented, and ceremonially sliced with a long blade by His Majesty. "This is from all the Chinese in Tutong," said Yong Tian Jiao. She said the decorations and icing on the cake represented Chinese symbolic images for long life, health and good fortune.

A Chinese teacher at the Tutong Chung Hwa school, she said that the cake was made to show the love of the Chinese community towards the Sultan.

Near the end of the visit, during the Royal Santap in the Tutong Community Hall, a pesambah from the people of Tutong was presented by the representative of all Kampongs and Mukims, the acting district officer Hj Muhd Suffian Hj Bungsu.

An ancient heirloom kept by elders of Mukim Ukong, a Sulang(container) over a hundred years old was presented to His Majesty. "It is an authentic bronze container made by Bruneians," said Hj Omar Abdul Aziz, the Penghulu of Mukim Ukong.

"It's used to store all sorts of things, from herbs to rice," he said, "Back then, there were no refrigerators, it was used for preserving things for about a week because the inside was cool," he said. Hj Omar said that while the piece was from Mukim Ukong, adding that the gift was on behalf of all the residents in the Tutong district. The Brunei Times