The family of Pengiran Haji Damit dan Pengiran Maimunah (Keluarga DaMai) enlivened the Ramadhan atmosphere with a Khatam Al-Quran ceremony recently.
It was attended by DaMai family members who gathered as part of the family activity in the fasting month to further strengthen family ties. The event followed with break of fast as well as mass Maghrib, Isyak and SunnatTarawih prayers. – Lyna Mohamad
I am writing to express my concern about a growing trend in our society where individuals use the title ‘Dr’ before their names despite having obtained their doctorate degrees from online or unaccredited programmes.
While the pursuit of higher education is commendable, the increasing use of this title – particularly when not conferred by a recognised or accredited institution – is alarming.
This issue is especially troubling in professions governed by strict ethical standards, such as engineering, architecture and quantity surveying.
Many professionals in these fields are members of respected organisations responsible for upholding the integrity and quality of their professions.
When individuals who have not earned their doctorates from reputable institutions use the title ‘Dr’, it creates confusion and undermines the credibility of these professions.
Moreover, when professionals in technical fields use ‘Dr’ alongside their designations, it can mislead the public, creating a false perception of expertise or authority.
This, in turn, may damage the reputation of the professional organisations they belong to, raising concerns about membership standards and educational qualifications.
It is crucial to distinguish between those who have legitimately earned their doctorates from accredited institutions and those who have obtained degrees from questionable sources. The integrity of our professions should not be compromised for the sake of appearances.
I urge the relevant authorities, particularly the Brunei Darussalam National Accreditation Council, to look into this matter and take action against the misuse of the ‘Dr’ title. It is essential to uphold the trust and respect that these professions have built through years of education, training and ethical practice.
Concerned citizen
Some 25 orphans and 12 underprivileged families received donations during a ceremony hosted by the Brunei Malay Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DPPMB) at its office in conjunction with Ramadhan. DPPMB President Haji Abdul Hamid @ Sabli bin Haji Arsad was the guest of honour.
The ceremony hoped to be a platform to strengthen ukhuwah and empower the spirit of togetherness in charitable endeavours. – James Kon
Jerudong Park Medical Centre (JPMC) recently held a community donation drive, aimed at supporting underprivileged patients under the care of its Medical Social Work Department.
Led by JPMC’s Chief Medical Officer Dr Meera Sahib Kabeer and Acting Chief Operating Officer Bun Pei Ling as well as members of the senior management team and staff, the initiative brought together over 90 volunteers to deliver essential aid to those in need.
The donation drive reached 25 households across the Brunei-Muara, Tutong and Belait Districts, including areas in Kampong Rimba, Kampong Mentiri, Kampong Katok, Kampong Kasat, Kampong Sengkurong, Kampong Limau-Manis and Kuala Belait.
The contributions, which included essential items and financial support were provided by JPMC and donated by the staff.
Donations were selected to assist recipients with their daily necessities and to bring joy during Ramadhan and Hari Raya Aidilfitri celebrations.
Organised into five groups, the volunteers ensured efficient and meaningful outreach to all beneficiaries.
With bigger space and a modern layout designed for shoppers’ comfort, Skechers Serusop was officially launched at the bustling Serusop commercial area on Thursday.
The new Skechers Serusop concept store is a double unit store that comes with an enhanced shopping experience featuring a modern layout with improved product display.
The store includes sections for lifestyle, performance and kids’ collections, making it easier for customers to find their perfect pair of shoes. Customers can also easily find Skechers Serusop thanks to its biggest and newest Skechers LED signage at the store front.
To celebrate the grand opening, Skechers Serusop is giving away a free tumbler to the first 100 customers (while stocks last) with purchase of any footwear. In addition, there is also free live cook popcorn from 6pm to 9pm until tomorrow. The store is also participating in the Ramadhan promotion of up to 40 per cent discount until April 16.
Members of the public can also get a pair of Skechers Arm Sleeves free if they follow, post or share a story with #SkechersBrunei on social media. – James Kon
The launch of ChatGPT by OpenAI in 2022 ignited a global surge of interest in artificial intelligence (AI), placing the spotlight squarely on Large Language Models (LLMs).
This rapid advancement has extended beyond the tech giants of Silicon Valley, with governments now joining the fray to bolster national competitiveness, uphold data sovereignty, and reduce dependence on foreign AI systems.
In an Op-Ed titled An LLM for ASEAN, by ASEAN, Assistant for Research Activities at the Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia (ERIA) Satria Mahesya Muhammad highlighted this momentum in Southeast Asia.
The region’s AI market, he notes, is accelerating at an annual growth rate of 27.71 per cent (CAGR 2025–2030), projected to reach USD30.3 billion.
Yet, despite the impressive trajectory, Satria pointed out a notable gap: the absence of a truly collaborative LLM that reflects ASEAN’s rich linguistic and cultural mosaic.
A step in this direction has emerged through AI Singapore’s (AISG) Southeast Asian Languages in One Network (SEA-LION) model – a multilingual LLM benefiting from open-source contributions.
However, as Satria noted, funding and technical development remain largely centralised in Singapore.
According to the ERIA One ASEAN Start-up White Paper 2024, Singapore’s investment in localised LLM development reportedly totals SGD70 million – a demonstration to its AI ambitions.
In comparison, Europe’s multilingual LLM efforts are often driven by collective contributions – a hybrid of university-led initiatives, private-sector partnerships, and European Union (EU)-backed funding.
Satria contended that ASEAN should embrace a similar model, advocating for a regional LLM built by and for the region – one that ensures inclusive participation and represents the linguistic and cultural diversity of all 10 member states.
WHY ASEAN NEEDS ITS OWN LLM
LLMs are sophisticated AI systems trained to understand and generate human-like responses.
At their core, they rely on deep learning models – particularly transformer architectures – trained on immense datasets ranging from online texts to code and digital media.
These models enable natural language processing, pattern recognition, and content generation across various formats, from simple sentences to images, sound and video.
However, many of today’s widely used LLMs – such as ChatGPT and Meta’s LLaMA – are primarily trained on English-dominated Internet data, with the language accounting for nearly half (49.2 per cent) of the training corpus.
Satria believes this heavy skew places non-English-speaking regions, particularly Southeast Asia with its 700 million people and over 1,200 native languages, at a disadvantage.
Research indicates that low-resource Southeast Asian languages are poorly handled by existing LLMs, leading to inaccuracies and confusion between similar languages like Bahasa Indonesia and Melayu.
These models also struggle with “code-mixed” language – the informal blend of English, local dialects, and national languages common in the region.
Furthermore, the Assistant for Research Activities highlighted that AI language bias remains a growing concern.
A report by Singapore’s Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) on AI safety revealed that nearly half of AI-generated English responses exhibited bias – with this figure rising to two-thirds when assessing regional languages.
This suggests that without intervention, AI systems risk reinforcing linguistic inequities and misrepresenting cultural nuances.
ASEAN’S JOURNEY TOWARDS AI SELF-RELIANCE
To bridge this gap, both multilingual and monolingual LLMs have been emerging across Southeast Asia.
SEA-LION, for instance, has been trained on 980 billion tokens across several regional languages, including English.
On a national scale, Vietnam’s PhoGPT and Indonesia’s Sahabat-AI – trained on 102 billion and 50 billion tokens respectively – have demonstrated promising results in localising AI.
These models incorporate local linguistic quirks, slang and cultural references often overlooked by mainstream models. Yet despite these gains, ASEAN’s LLM development remains fragmented.
Challenges include disjointed data governance, varying degrees of AI readiness among member states, and the absence of a unified AI roadmap.
By contrast, the EU has adopted both national and supranational strategies. EU-funded projects like EuroLLM, TildeLM and OpenEuroLLM aim to strengthen underrepresented languages through cross-border collaboration.
Nationally, Estonia has developed open-source language models in partnership with Meta, while France has committed EUR109 billion to advance its AI ecosystem.
TOWARDS A SHARED REGIONAL VISION
While AISG’s efforts have laid a strong foundation, ASEAN’s next step must be more ambitious. A regional AI research hub, backed by pooled financial and human capital, could act as the backbone for collective innovation.
Such a centre would facilitate the development of high-quality, multilingual datasets and enable meaningful collaboration across borders.
A critical element of this initiative would be the establishment of an ASEAN Language Repository – a central, open-access platform to collect, preserve and share structured linguistic, domain-specific and multimodal datasets.
This repository would serve not only as a resource for training LLMs but also as a vital instrument in preserving the region’s linguistic heritage.
Given that the bulk of AI expertise and infrastructure lies within the private sector, ASEAN must actively cultivate robust public–private partnerships.
While partnerships with established tech giants like Nvidia, Microsoft, Google and Amazon are valuable, ASEAN should also deepen ties with leading Asian firms such as Alibaba, Baidu, NEC, SoftBank and Naver.
Broader engagement with countries like the United States, China, Japan and South Korea – combined with deeper integration into Asia’s start-up ecosystem – could unlock vital investment and knowledge-sharing opportunities.
Such collaborations would bolster regional capacity to innovate while ensuring ASEAN maintains agency in its AI future.
As LLM development becomes increasingly central to AI progress, ASEAN must rise to the challenge.
A regional approach – built on cooperation, cultural sensitivity, and mutual investment – is vital not just to protect digital sovereignty but also to ensure inclusive technological advancement.
By investing in a collective AI research hub, building an ASEAN-wide language repository, and embracing both regional and global partnerships, the bloc can build LLMs that speak not only the languages of its people, but also their stories, contexts and identities.
In doing so, ASEAN won’t just join the global AI race – it will help shape it. – Izah Azahari
With Hari Raya just a few days away, many have already begun planning open houses to welcome family and friends.
Traditionally, Raya visits required no formal invitations – just a simple phone call or text message to let the host know of an impending visit.
Guests are received warmly and served an assortment of Raya cakes, biscuits and canned beverages, without the need for elaborate buffet spreads.
Over time, the question “Bila open house?” has become a common conversation starter, often carrying an unspoken expectation that hosting an open house is the norm.
However, not everyone has the means to cater to 100 or 200 guests. Those who are well-off may be able to afford live cooking stalls serving murtabak or sizzling noodles, but others may feel pressured to match such lavish hospitality.
This expectation can sometimes overshadow the true essence of Hari Raya. We should normalise the idea that Raya visits should not be limited to large open house events.
Hari Raya is, at its core, about strengthening relationships, seeking forgiveness and reconnecting with family and friends we rarely see.
Whether through grand celebration or simple home visits, the spirit of the occasion should remain one of warmth, inclusivity and togetherness – without unnecessary social pressure.
Md Aidil Fitri
ISLAMABAD (ANN/DAWN) – At least five members of a family were killed and three others were critically injured on Thursday when a jeep plunged into a ravine in the Kotkay area of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Shangla district amid slippery conditions and heavy rain, according to officials.
Alpuri Station House Officer (SHO) Mohammad Arif Khan told Dawn.com that a family was heading towards Peshawar to see off one of their relatives to Saudi Arabia.
“When they reached the Kotkay area of Alpuri, their car skidded off the road and plunged into the ravine, resulting in five deaths and three injuries,” Arif said, adding that all eight casualties belonged to the same family.
Rasool Khan Sharif, a spokesperson for Rescue 1122, told Dawn.com that after receiving an emergency call, their team reached the location and moved three bodies and five injured to District Headquarters Hospital Alpuri.
According to the SHO, two of them succumbed to their injuries on the way to the hospital.
He stated that five individuals were dead and three were injured in the incident, with the cause of the fatal accident appearing to be heavy rain and a slippery road.
SHO Khan said that the family hailed from the Pishlor area of Martung Tehsil.
He identified the deceased as Mohammad Salman, Rehmatullah, Amir Sohail, Mohammad Faisal and Afzal Khan.
He said he was present at the district headquarters hospital organising the transfer of the bodies to Pishlor while the injured were taken to Swat’s Saidu Teaching Hospital as their condition was critical.
JAKARTA (ANN/THE JAKARTA POST) – Mount Ibu in North Maluku erupted on Wednesday, spewing hot lava and a massive plume of smoke and ash 1,000 metres high, according to an official.
The volcano, located on Halmahera Island, erupted at 9:45 p.m. eastern Indonesia time, releasing hot glowing lava 300 metres above the summit.
An official at Mount Ibu’s monitoring post, Axl Roeroe, said the volcano also spewed a thick grey ash column that traveled eastward and reached a height 2,300 m above sea level.
“Seismic data recorded a maximum amplitude of 14 millimetres, with the eruption lasting one minute and 15 seconds,” Axl said on Wednesday, as reported by Kompas.
He said the noise of the eruption was heard at the observation post, located in Gam Ici village, around 9 km from the volcano.
No new evacuation order has been issued, but visitors and locals have been instructed to vacate a zone 4 to 5 km from the peak. Authorities also urged people to don face masks and protective goggles in case of volcanic ash rain.
Authorities have maintained Mount Ibu’s status at Level III siaga (watch), the second-highest of the four-tier volcano alert system.
Mount Ibu is one of the most active volcanoes in the country, erupting around 1,000 times in January alone.
A massive eruption that took place on Jan. 16 prompted the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) to evacuate dozens of residents from six villages located within a radius of 6 kilometres from the summit.
Eruptions elsewhere
The day before, Mount Ile Lewotolok in Lembata regency, East Nusa Tenggara (NTT), erupted 179 times, emitting loud growling and booming sounds.
An official at the volcano monitoring post, Stanislaus Ara Kian, said the eruptions lasted between 27 and 225 seconds, with seismic readings ranging from 17 to 38 millimetres.
Stanislaus said Mount Raung’s status remained at Level II waspada (advisory) and urged the public to avoid all activities within a 25 km radius of the summit.
Authorities also advised residents of the villages of Jantona, Lamatokan, Todanara, and Amakaka – located at the base of the 1,523-metre volcano – to stay vigilant for falling rocks and volcanic landslides.
Residents living near rivers originating from Mount Ile Lewotolok were advised to remain alert for potential lahar flows, particularly as the rainy season continues.
Last week, a massive eruption also occurred at Mount Lewotobi Laki-laki in NTT, prompting authorities to raise the alert status to the highest level and evacuate around 5,000 people from villages within 8 km of the summit.
Domestic and international airlines were forced to cancel numerous flights to the nearby island of Bali as the volcano released ash clouds that reached over 8 km into the sky.
The eruption also caused a local farmer to sustain serious burns. He passed away on Thursday after undergoing medical care.
