Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports Yang Berhormat Dato Seri Setia Awang Haji Nazmi bin Haji Mohamad yesterday outlined progress achieved in the past four years during the 20th session of the Legislative Council (LegCo).
The minister said 862 out of 1,965 (over 40 per cent) individuals registered at JobCentre Brunei have secured employment. From this figure, 39 per cent or 337 individuals, received assistance from the Community Development Department (JAPEM), the Zakat, Wakaf and Baitulmal Affairs Department, and Yayasan Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah (Yayasan).
Yang Berhormat Dato Seri Setia Awang Haji Nazmi said 160 individuals registered under JAPEM are engaged in entrepreneurial activities while 209 aid recipients have joined training and capacity-building programmes conducted in collaboration with Darussalam Enterprise (DARe) and the Youth Development Centre (PPB).
The minister said 77 families living in hardship or affected by mishaps have received temporary housing assistance. The Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport (MCYS) also collaborated with the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), the Ministry of Development (MoD), the Zakat, Wakaf and Baitulmal Affairs Department, and Yayasan to build and repair 68 houses since 2020.
Yang Berhormat Dato Seri Setia Awang Haji Nazmi said with the amended Old Age and Disability Pensions Act, individuals receiving two assistance – old age pension and persons with different abilities (OKU) allowance – increased from 152 to 728. Of the 5,900 OKU allowance recipients, 1,200 also received care provider allowance.
The minister also noted an increase in youth engagement with over 50,000 participants in capacity-building programmes. There was a four-per-cent increase in engagement activities led by the youth as well as 30-per-cent rise in business start-ups by youth generating income amounting to BND930,000.
Yang Berhormat Dato Seri Setia Awang Haji Nazmi said 13 youth are engaged in agriculture, cultivating 55 hectares of land to help increase rice production by 208.28 tonnes valuing over BND550,000.
The minister noted that there has been a 22-per-cent increase in national athletes with over 800 athletes participating in capacity-building programmes annually. Achievements include 13 elite athletes securing 18 medals – five gold, five silver and eight bronze – in various regional and international competitions.
Yang Berhormat Dato Seri Setia Awang Haji Nazmi said there had been an increase in community capacity-building activities benefiting over 156,000 participants since 2020.
Some 8,925 materials and reference sources covering language, literature, Jawi script, heritage, culture and history were published. Of the publications, 63 per cent were published by the Language and Literature Bureau, 23 per cent from the Brunei History Centre and 14 per cent by the Museums Department.
The minister also noted that the 40th National Day celebration saw over 41,000 participants, highlighting unity, patriotism and support for Malay Islamic Monarchy (MIB). – Rokiah Mahmud
