Rokiah Mahmud
Three newly appointed members of the Legislative Council (LegCo) spoke to the Bulletin following the swearing-in ceremony at the Department of Councils of State.
LegCo member Yang Berhormat Pehin Orang Kaya Johan Pahlawan Dato Seri Setia Haji Awang Adanan bin Begawan Pehin Siraja Khatib Dato Seri Setia Haji Mohd Yusof said matters such as poverty and unemployment have become national issues which need to be addressed.
Yang Berhormat Pehin Orang Kaya Johan Pahlawan Dato Seri Setia Haji Awang Adanan said some of these matters will be discussed during the session according to its priority.
“We acknowledge that there are people living in poverty as well as those facing hardships.
We need to find ways to improve their living conditions so that they will not depend heavily on assistance. We can also assist them to generate an income. If they succeed, they will eventually contribute to the community in the future.”
Touching on unemployment, Yang Berhormat Pehin Orang Kaya Johan Pahlawan Dato Seri Setia Haji Awang Adanan said that the matter has been a national issue. Some graduates, especially those with higher educational qualifications who either graduated locally or overseas, or those who came from technical institutions and colleges, are still seeking employment.
“One way is through diversification of employment or creating more job opportunities.”
Other areas may be by attracting foreign investment into the country. This, he said, will create more employment for the locals as the investors will expand their business. Certain changes also need to be taken such as matching their qualifications according to the industry or market needs.
Earlier, Yang Berhormat Pehin Orang Kaya Johan Pahlawan Dato Seri Setia Haji Awang Adanan expressed his gratitude to His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu’izzaddin Waddaulah ibni Al-Marhum Sultan Haji Omar ‘Ali Saifuddien Sa’adul Khairi Waddien, Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam for appointing him as LegCo member. He said he will carry out the duties entrusted to him.
Newly appointed LegCo member, Village Head of Kampong Sengkarai in Tutong District Yang Berhormat Abdul Aziz bin Haji Hamdan also expressed his gratitude to His Majesty.
Yang Berhormat Abdul Aziz said that he will be do his best to tackle and address issues faced by the people. Being one of the excellent youth recipients in 2021, Yang Berhormat = Abdul Aziz is certain that his appointment will inspire youth to contribute to the country.
He also shared that a series of muzakarah sessions will also be carried out with government ministries and departments to discuss matters pertaining to current issues.
Meanwhile, LegCo member Yang Berhormat Chong Chin Yee also expressed her gratitude to His Majesty for the appointment.
As one of the youngest members, she will focus on current affairs and obtain feedback from the public.
She has also created her own website which will serve as a medium for youth to share their concerns.
