JAKARTA (AP) – A bombmaker in the 2002 Bali attacks that killed 202 people was released from an Indonesian prison on parole on Wednesday after serving half his 20-year sentence, despite the opposition of Australia’s prime minister, who described him as “abhorrent”.
Umar Patek was a leading member of the Al-Qaeda-linked network Jemaah Islamiyah, which is blamed for the bombings at two clubs.
Indonesian authorities have said Patek was successfully reformed in prison and they will use him to influence other militants to turn away from terrorism.
The public has mostly positive views on the change to an exit and entry fee at the land border as a per-vehicle charge instead of a per-person charge.
The change was announced on Tuesday and will go into effect starting December 12. Previously, the service charge (CaP) through the exit and entry system (EES) was a BND3 fee one-way per person.
It will be changed to BND3 per vehicle with less than seven passengers, BND6 for vehicles with seven to 25 and BND10 for vehicles with more than 25.
A thief who attempted to destroy CCTV evidence by burning down the mosque in Kampong Mentiri in 2017, had his nine-year jail term reduced to seven-years-and-eight months by the Court of Appeal, citing the appellant’s guilty plea and seeing a lesser ‘intent to cause damage’ in the arson charge.
Mohd Erwan bin Manggis appealed for a lighter sentence, expressing remorse for the crime, while also saying that the punishment was too heavy. He still faces six canings.
Bandung, Indonesia (AFP) – A suicide bomber killed a police officer and wounded 10 others in an attack on a police station in Indonesia’s West Java province on Wednesday, police said.
Police have not yet determined a motive for the attack but Indonesia, the world’s biggest Muslim-majority nation, has long struggled with extremist militancy.
The blast occurred at about 8am local time during roll call at the Astana Anyar police office in Bandung, the capital of Indonesia’s most populous province.
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 continued an inspection of the Royal Brunei Police Force (RBPF) by taking a closer look at the Logistics Department at the RBPF Headquarters and at the Traffic Control and Investigation Department in Gadong on Wednesday.
His Majesty toured the logistics area housing police vehicles including patrol cars, pick-ups and inquired on the workforce numbers at the section. His Majesty then proceeded to the Quartermaster near the Police Training Centre which accommodates police force equipment, and to the vehicle workshop and inspected unused vehicles and motorcycles.
All aspects of leadership, management, administration, training and logistical capability of the Royal Brunei Police Force (RBPF) must be improved to ‘cure’ crimes committed by the police, 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 said.
His Majesty in a titah at the RBPF Officers’ Mess during a working visit to the RBPF yesterday, said many crimes are committed by the police such as bribery, gambling and breach of trust or conspiring with criminal gangs. Among them are informing of roadblock operations and raids making it difficult for enforcement officers to collect evidence, His Majesty said.
The monarch called on the RBPF to have a corporate strategic planning roadmap to drive them towards more proper policing in the future.
“I see that such a corporate strategic planning roadmap can improve all aspects of leadership, management, administration, training and logistical capability of the police,” His Majesty said.
“This should not be allowed to continue to happen as it affects the credibility of the force. The question is who is responsible to improve such weaknesses?” the monarch asked. “The answer is, it must be tackled internally as the police force is like one family whereby if one personnel is problematic, then the head of the family should tackle it.
“This means that the head is more important to make an immediate judgement. If the head or the superior does not practice cronyism and nepotism, then a solution can be found in a better and fair manner.”
His Majesty said high-ranking officers as the head of department must not abuse power and suppress their subordinates. They have no right to do so.
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 and His Royal Highness Prince Haji Al-Muhtadee Billah, the Crown Prince and Senior Minister at the Prime Minister’s Office at the RBPF Officer’s Mess. PHOTO: INFOFOTO
No officer or personnel of the RBPF should be above the law, the monarch said. “As a leader or superior, they should not protect those committing crime or conspire with them.”
His Majesty said besides mistreatment, some violate work ethics such as leaving the workplace even before the event ends and heading to the office to rest.
“What is more despicable is when high-ranking officers sexually harass colleagues. This matter should not be taken lightly by the superior and should be eradicated. There is no point if one is holding a post as a security personnel but his act does not provide any safety.”
Any character deemed not good violates discipline. Discipline is a core pillar that must be adhered to. Anyone who ignores discipline must be responsible for their action and should not be compromised for judgement, the monarch said.
His Majesty cited an example where early this year, some personnel from the Marine Police comprising Police Constable to Staff Sergeant were allegedly involved in a breach of trust and abuse of power involving smuggling into the country. “Is this not violating discipline?” His Majesty asked, adding that it jeopardises the reputation of the Marine Police and RBPF in general. “In addition, the level of professionalism and integrity of the police force is questionable and affects public confidence towards the police.”
His Majesty added, “This is not a tedious issue but very serious and disgraceful. Other weaknesses or shortcomings that must be resolved include the inability to bring in benefits to police force projects costing millions of dollars although the projects have long been implemented and it is not or has not been used yet. Also a significant weakness at the moment yet to overcome is the lack of vehicles at police stations. This is undoubtedly a flaw that needs attention and action.
“The leadership in the force cannot just remain silent but needs to think and act to overcome shortcomings. Then there is a meaning that the police force has a charismatic leader.
“As a step forward, aspects of human resource planning must be updated. Planning should take into account the needs of the police force including the number of members and the need to re-evaluate the promotion system by prioritising merit. All levels must be ensured to have the ability and skills in line with current requirements. This is the main goal of the police force so that we and the nation can see it as complete and perfect.”
The monarch also said RBPF marked its 100th anniversary on January 1, 2021, and congratulated all personnel, either working or have retired, for their meritorious service.
“Looking back at 100 years of its establishment, various progress and developments have been seen including tests or obstacles. But it should not dampen their spirit.
“The police force must be steadfast and ready in facing all challenges and free against any elements that could weaken it. The police force should not turn their back on the standard operating procedures (SOPs) because if any crime or violations of security are not contained according to the SOPs, it will be a disappointment.”
His Majesty concluded his titah by saying that the police commissioner and senior officers need to think about what action should be taken on matters that have been touched in the titah and not to do matters that do not bring benefits and even outside the scope of their duties like finding the source of the information obtained.
Also in attendance was His Royal Highness Prince Haji Al-Muhtadee Billah, the Crown Prince and Senior Minister at the Prime Minister’s Office.
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 visited the Officers’ Mess of the Royal Brunei Police Force (RBPF) Headquarters yesterday.
Accompanying His Majesty was His Royal Highness Prince Haji Al-Muhtadee Billah, the Crown Prince and Senior Minister at the Prime Minister’s Office.
Upon arrival, His Majesty was greeted by Minister at the Prime Minister’s Office Pehin Datu Lailaraja Major General (Rtd) Dato Paduka Seri Haji Awang Halbi bin Haji Mohd Yussof, Deputy Minister at the Prime Minister’s Office (Civil Service Governance) Dato Seri Paduka Mohd Riza bin Dato Paduka Haji Mohd Yunos, Deputy Minister at the Prime Minister’s Office (Security and Law) Dato Seri Paduka Awang Haji Sufian bin Haji Sabtu, Commissioner of the RBPF Dato Paduka Seri Haji Mohammad Irwan bin Haji Hambali and Deputy Commissioner of the RBPF Dato Seri Pahlawan Sulaiman bin Alidin.
His Majesty delivered a titah and later proceeded for a close session meeting and concluded the visit with a luncheon.
ABOVE & BELOW: 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 and His Royal Highness Prince Haji Al-Muhtadee Billah, the Crown Prince and Senior Minister at the Prime Minister’s Office during the visit to the Officers’ Mess of the Royal Brunei Police Force Headquarters. PHOTOS: INFOFOTO
His Majesty and His Royal Highness during the luncheon
The Service Charge (CaP) will only be imposed on each vehicle travelling through all land control posts in Brunei Darussalam and not per person from December 12.
Minister at the Prime Minister’s Office Pehin Datu Lailaraja Major General (Rtd) Dato Paduka Seri Haji Awang Halbi bin Haji Mohd Yussof announced the updates through the Exit and Entry System (EES) at the COVID-19 Steering Committee press conference yesterday.
The minister said, “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, the COVID-19 Steering Committee would like to announce that the Ministry of Finance and Economy through the Royal Customs and Excise Department updated the service charge payment rate through the Exit and Entry System, whereby now BND3 is charged for one-way, for everyone travelling through the land control post in Brunei Darussalam.”
Outlining the updated CaP rate where the rate for a passenger vehicle with less than seven people including the driver, he said a fee of BND3 per vehicle will be charged for a one-way trip. Passenger vehicles with more than seven to 25 people including the driver, such as vans or minibuses, will be charged BND6 per vehicle for one-way travel.
Passenger vehicles with more than 25 people including the driver such as buses will be charged BND10 per vehicle for a one-way trip.”
Minister at the Prime Minister’s Office, Pehin Datu Lailaraja Major General (R) Dato Paduka Seri Haji Awang Halbi bin Haji Mohd Yussof. PHOTO: JAMES KON
For commercial vehicles not requiring inspection through an x-ray machine, a fee of BND6 will be charged per vehicle for one-way trip. Commercial vehicles needing inspection through an x-ray machine will be charged BND10 per vehicle for one-way trip, the minister said.
A service charge will be levied on all vehicles passing through all land control posts in Brunei Darussalam regardless of where the vehicle is registered, whether it is Brunei Darussalam registration or foreign registration, he said.
The service charge will be waived for pedestrians and vehicles such as bicycles, motorcycles and vehicles owned by the Government of Brunei Darussalam or foreign governments for official use, vehicles owned by an officer of the Government of Brunei Darussalam or foreign governments to carry out official duties, vehicles owned by Royal Brunei Armed Forces, vehicles such as ambulances, firefighters, police and vehicles used for funerals as well as vehicles used by individuals under Diplomatic Privileges (Vienna Convention) Act (Chapter 117) and Consular Relations Act (Chapter 118).
Minister of Health Dato Seri Setia Dr Haji Mohd Isham bin Haji Jaafar and Acting Minister at the Prime Minister’s Office and Minister of Finance and Economy II Dato Seri Paduka Haji Khairuddin bin Haji Abdul Hamid were also present at the press conference.
Meanwhile, members of the public planning to cross the border on or after December 12, 2022, but have already made the CaP earlier through EES, will be refunded by the Royal Customs and Excise Department.
To ensure a smooth travel across the border through the land control post, members of the public are advised to make registration, application, and payment of service charge through EES system (https://login.bdnsw.gov.bn/ees/user/login) and obtain a QR code early before starting the trip.
A 20 years’ jail sentence with two canings remains untouched as the Court of Appeal dismissed both the offender’s application and the Public Prosecutor’s recently.
President of the Court of Appeal Justice Michael Peter Burrell who heard the cross-application with Justices Michael Lunn and Conrad Seagroatt, concerns the case of Kasim bin Omar.
Kasim had pleaded guilty to causing the death of his five-month-old daughter, grievous bodily harm and failing to report the death to police, resulting in his sentence being handed by the High Court on March 18, 2021.
The appellate court thought that Kasim’s 20 years jail sentence was correctly decided as it was “within the band of the worst type of case” and noted “the need to protect society and reflect public abhorrence”.
The Public Prosecutor’s appeal for more canings was also dismissed by the appellate court on finding it although to be on the lower end, it is “within the acceptable range”.
DPP Hajah Suriana binti Haji Radin assisted the court as respondent and represented the Public Prosecutor as the applicant in the cross-application.
The story began in December 2017 with the premature birth of the victim, who suffered from complications since.
Kasim said that he often felt resentful at having to look after the victim and do household chores, while Siti Norzalia cared for their other children.
On May 29, 2018, the five-month-old victim woke up crying, as she needed a diaper change.
Enraged, Kasim took the victim to the bathroom, where he threw her onto the floor.
The victim’s head hit the floor and she appeared to stiffen for a while before her cries resumed. Kasim picked up the infant and cleaned her. He brought her back to the bedroom, where he threw her down again, causing her head to hit the bed frame. He left the victim to cry alone.
After several hours, Kasim unsuccessfully tried to feed the victim, who was quiet and inactive by then. The couple tried performing CPR on the victim, but she was not breathing. When Siti Norzalia suggested that they bring the victim to the hospital, Kasim disagreed, as he feared being suspected of child abuse.
Kasim said that he would bury the victim, and his wife agreed. However, in the early hours of the following day, instead of burying the victim, the couple wrapped the body in plastic and clothing, placed in a container and then inside a bag.
They carried the bag to the back of the house, where it was put into the storeroom. The couple told family members that they had given up the victim for adoption.
The victim’s death was only discovered about a year later, on September 12, 2019, when Siti Norzalia’s mother lodged a report on spousal abuse, after noticing a bruise on her daughter’s eye. She also informed the police that her daughter had been giving conflicting accounts, as to the whereabouts of the victim.
Police arrested Kasim, who led them to the victim’s body in the storeroom at the back of the house in Kampong Salambigar.
In 2022, the Brunei International Airport (BIA) recorded an encouraging growth in air traffic arrivals and departures. In referring to air traffic statistics received from January to October 2022, flight activity recorded 4,732 movements compared to 2,135 in 2021 within the same period.
The movement of passengers also recorded a steady growth with a total of 375,417 passengers compared to 36,107 the previous year.
This was underlined by Minister of Transport and Infocommunications Pengiran Dato Seri Setia Shamhary bin Pengiran Dato Paduka Haji Mustapha in his message in conjunction with International Civil Aviation Day.
In his message, the minister added that cargo transportation recorded as much as 9,235 tonnes in the first 10 months of 2022 with a growth rate of 16.3 per cent equivalent to 1,296 metric tonnes compared to the previous year for the same period.
Among the other achievements from the civil aviation sector this year is the signing of the Comprehensive Air Transport Agreement between the Association of Southeast Asian Nations member states and the European Union (ASEAN-EU CATA) during the 28th ASEAN Transport Meeting in Bali, Indonesia on October 17.
This CATA is the first block-to-block agreement in the world between ASEAN member countries and Europe to further strengthen air links between ASEAN member countries and Europe.
Royal Brunei Airlines airplane at Brunei International Airport. PHOTO: BAHYIAH BAKIR
The agreement is expected to support the recovery of the civil aviation sector by reviving connectivity between the two regions with a potential of 1.1 billion people by facilitating business interaction, trade and tourism.
The International Civil Aviation Day is celebrated every December 7 since 1994 to commemorate the establishment of International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).
The theme ‘Advancing Innovation for Global Aviation Department’ has been maintained from 2020 to 2023.
Air transportation plays a vital role as a catalyst to social development and generate Brunei Darussalam’s economy.
The Ministry of Transport and Infocommunications (MTIC) in collaboration with various agencies is working to prioritise safety and the well-being of airport users while at the same time enhance public confidence level through innovative and technological projects parallel to the country’s vision to be a smart nation.
ICAO along with its member countries and the aviation industry in the last few years have been actively supporting the recovery of the transportation sector through several innovative initiatives following the global impact and effect of COVID-19.
Innovation in terms of providing services is one of the catalysts towards recovery and growth in this sector.
The Brunei Darussalam aviation sector also could not escape from this matter with BIA witnessing an increase in demand for cargo airspace for import and export following the addition of air cargo operation at BIA.
Brunei as an ICAO country member through the Department of Civil Aviation under MTIC supports ICAO in the implementation of Council Aviation Recovery Task Force (CART) guidelines for mitigation measures to reduce health risk for passengers and workers at the airport. Such guidelines will improve public confidence, airport workers, global supplies network and the government.
Towards the goal of providing the best service to all passengers throughout their journey, the Department of Civil Aviation together with stakeholders will continue to work together to comply with the safety and security standards of civil aviation as well as strive to ensure the comfort and smoothness of flight processes as a whole.
