Brunei welcomes this year’s International Day of Families themed ‘Families and Demographic Change’, sharing the current information about demographic trends, and their impact on family institutions.
This includes issues on ageing and inter-generational solidarity; which would facilitate analysis of its impact on family life and provide recommendations for more responsive family-oriented policies to address the needs of families worldwide.
Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports Dato Seri Setia Awang Haji Nazmi bin Haji Mohamad shared this in a message to mark the international days of families celebrated every May 15.
In his message, the minister said the Sultanate is not left behind in celebrating Family Day through the National Family Day celebration marked on the first Sunday of May carried out since 2012 at the national level.
For this year, he shared that a Majlis Kesyukuran and recitation of Surah Yaasiin ceremony was carried out on May 13 and the National Family Day 2023 was celebrated on May 7.
The minister highlighted that the National Family Day theme ‘Keluargaku Harapanku’, with this year’s focus on ‘Bruneian Core Family Values: Caring, Loving, Respecting and Being Responsible’ is very apt.
The Bruneian core family values will inculcate good attributes such as taking care and being considerate towards basic needs of the family; loving them to nurture a harmonious family life and prevent neglect; being respectful of each other to promote a consensual family life; and taking responsibility for every family member so that no family member is left behind, either in good or bad times. He added that the focus of this year’s celebration is part of the government’s efforts, in collaboration with the private sector, non-governmental organisations, schools, and institutions of mukims and villages, to instil these Bruneian core family values from the early education stage so as to ensure its effectiveness and impact.
He highlighted that the government has and will continue to strive to formulate strategies, policies and programmes according to the passage of time and according to the needs of the current situation.
“As such, with the consent of 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, Plan of Action on Family under the National Council of Social Issues has been reviewed for the term 2023-2027. This Plan of Action will become a reference on strategies, policies and programmes for more comprehensive actions that need to be taken by government and non-government agencies towards increasing the unity and well-being of family institutions in this country,” said the minister.
The minister stated that the Plan of Action on Family 2023-2027 will also be aligned with the Brunei Darussalam Social Blueprint in which the family institution has been identified as one of the main focus areas.
“Peace, justice, understanding tolerance, love and prosperity in a family are the essence of a family ‘Sakinah Mawaddah Warahmah’. This is our shared desire and responsibility,” he said.
The minister hopes that all stakeholders, from ministries and government departments, private sector, associations, institutions, penghulu, village heads and grassroots leaders, to continue to give commitment and integrated cooperation to mobilise Family Day events at the national, district, mukim or village levels or at levels of organisation, association, society or their family groups.
“Indeed, the institution of a happy family is important to the development of the country because a happy family guarantees the continuity of future generations of the country.
With that, our common hope is that all families will be happy, healthy, trustworthy and responsible to each other, as well as society in general,” said the minister.
“With this continuous effort and cooperation, may we continue to progress in peace for our monarch, country, nation and religion under the protection of Allah the Al-Mighty as a nation that is Baldatun Tayyibatun Wa Rabbun Ghafur,” he added.
