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    Local socio-economy to the fore

    James Kon

    The foreign workforce in the Sultanate has been reduced to 56,216 workers in 2021, as compared to 72,713 in 2019.

    From the aspect of enforcement, both the Labour Department and the Immigration and National Registration Department (INRD) will continue to conduct operations to monitor the presence of foreign workers and take legal action against violators of the country’s laws and regulations.

    Minister of Home Affairs Pehin Orang Kaya Seri Kerna Dato Seri Setia (Dr) Haji Awang Abu Bakar bin Haji Apong said this at the muzakarah session between the Ministry of Home Affairs (MoHA) and Legislative Council (LegCo) members at the Brunei-Muara District Office yesterday.

    LegCo member Yang Berhormat Haji Abdul Hamid @ Sabli bin Haji Arsad led the LegCo delegation.

    The minister said the Labour Department and the INRD have repatriated foreign workers found guilty of breaking the law, back to their country of origin. From 2019 to 2021, some 1,637 foreign workers from Bangladesh, India, Pakistan and Indonesia were repatriated.

    On cleanliness and hygiene, Pehin Orang Kaya Seri Kerna Dato Seri Setia (Dr) Haji Awang Abu Bakar said, “We hope the wisdom behind COVID-19 of maintaining cleanliness will become the living culture of the country’s citizens and residents. However, cleanliness violations continue to occur. Up until November 2021, 599 offences on throwing rubbish were taken action on. This is an increase as compared to 504 offences in 2019.

    Minister of Home Affairs Pehin Orang Kaya Seri Kerna Dato Seri Setia (Dr) Haji Awang Abu Bakar bin Haji Apong. PHOTOS: JAMES KON
    Legislative Council member Yang Berhormat Awang Haji Abdul Hamid @ Sabli bin Haji Arsad delivers a speech
    The session in progress at the Brunei-Muara District 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 consented to the amendment for the Minor Offences Act 2021 to introduce a heftier compound fine to individuals and corporate bodies found to have thrown rubbish indiscriminately. We hope that the compound fine will help maintain cleanliness in the Sultanate.”

    In an effort to further develop the socio–economy, he shared that municipal boards and district offices will continue to explore plans that can provide assistance to micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs). In addition to the plan of providing space to do business that has been issued with request for proposal (RFP), several places have been identified for development.

    Food truck-based business activities “started since January 2022 in Bandar Seri Begawan were given an opportunity to help entrepreneurs. The initiative is also an effort to enliven Bandar Seri Begawan especially at night time”, he added.

    At the mukim and village levels, he said the economic sector was impacted by the COVID-19 outbreak. It can be seen from the income of One Village One Product (1K1P) initiative from BND802,260 in 2019 to BND710,172 in 2020 and BND556,842 in 2021. However, the average income of 19 entrepreneurs involved in the 1K1P transformation project in 2021 increased over 106 per cent with some earning as much as BND5,000 to BND7,000 a month.

    In efforts to increase community unity, he said, “The ministry continues to implement initiatives to strengthen the institution of penghulus and village heads. In facing COVID-19 since March 2020, it impacted minor plans of filling up the positions of penghulus and village heads.”

    With the challenge related to capacity limit and health protocols during COVID-19, the minister said, “The idea to explore alternative approaches as additional to the available voting methods to help smoothen the voting and selection processes of pengulus and village heads, the E-Undi application was developed and launched on October 2, 2021 and was utilised for voting and election of Kampong Kapok village head on December 12, 2021. The application made it easier for village residents to vote online and view the candidate’s information, description and manifesto.”

    He added, “We found that the application had a positive impact, with the increase in the number of participating youth who voted through the application from 30 per cent that use ballot paper to 54 per cent using E-Undi. We believe that the number will continue to increase.”

    Meanwhile, based on current data, the minister said, “From the lists of candidates for selected penghulus and village heads, candidates recommended for election and candidates in the process of recommendation show that 53-73 per cent are under the age of 50 and 38 are graduates from higher learning institutions. With the increase in the profile of candidates, we hope that penghulus and village heads can lead with more efficiency and continue to develop the socio-economy of their mukims and villages to nurture and create an integrated living community that cares about residents’ well-being.”

    For the financial year 2022/2023, he revealed that the MoHA’s initiatives and programmes will focus on strengthening the institution of mukims and villages, enhance the effectiveness of law enforcement to improve public safety and well-being and increase infrastructure to support the socio-economy.

    Before the Muzakarah session, the LegCo members viewed an exhibition set up by the MoHA and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) – Sejahtera Community, Care and Action For Strays, Love Paw Sanctuary and Paws Up – to share their roles in assisting the government and the community in addressing stray animal issues and initiatives to protect them.

    Permanent Secretary (Security, Welfare and Law) at the MoHA Mohd Amir Hairil bin Haji Mahmud, Permanent Secretary (Municipal and District) at the MoHA Salminan bin Haji Burut, Deputy Permanent Secretary (Municipal and District) at the MoHA Abdul Walid bin Haji Matassan, Acting Deputy Permanent Secretary (Safety and Welfare) at the MoHA Azmi bin Haji Hafneh, heads of departments and senior officials were also present.

    Hundreds of rodents found inside Family Dollar facility

    WEST MEMPHIS, ARKANSAS (AP) – More than 1,000 rodents were found inside a Family Dollar distribution facility in Arkansas, the United States (US) Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced on Friday as the chain issued a voluntary recall affecting items purchased from hundreds of stores in the South.

    A consumer complaint prompted officials to inspect the West Memphis, Arkansas, facility in January, the FDA said in a news release. Inside the building, inspectors said they found live rodents, dead rodents in “various states of decay”, rodent feces, dead birds and bird droppings.

    After fumigating the facility, more than 1,100 dead rodents were recovered, officials said.

    “No one should be subjected to products stored in the kind of unacceptable conditions that we found in this Family Dollar distribution facility,” said Associate Commissioner for Regulatory Affairs Judith McMeekin.

    The FDA said it is working with Family Dollar to begin a voluntary recall of affected products.

    Those products include human food, pet food, dietary supplements, cosmetics, medical devices and over-the-counter medications that were purchased in January or February from Family Dollar stores in Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri or Tennessee.

    In a news release, Family Dollar listed the 404 stores that may have sold products from the contaminated facility.

    The company said it “is not aware of any consumer complaints or reports of illness related to this recall”.

    The FDA said food in non-permeable packaging “may be suitable for use if thoroughly cleaned”.

    Regardless of packaging, all drugs, medical devices, cosmetics and dietary supplements should be thrown away, officials said.

    “Family Dollar is notifying its affected stores by letter asking them to check their stock immediately and to quarantine and discontinue the sale of any affected product,” the company said.

    The Family Dollar logo seen on one of its variety stores in Canton, Mississippi. PHOTO: AP

    Serbian ambassador falls to his death

    LISBON, PORTUGAL (AP) – Serbia’s ambassador to Portugal has died after falling from a cliff in a seaside scenic spot north of the Portuguese capital, local authorities and the Serb Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Friday.

    According to Portuguese media, Serb diplomatic personnel who were with Oliver Antic in the Boca do Inferno viewing point, near the town of Cascais, alerted authorities early on Friday afternoon.

    Maritime police and firefighters pulled Antic out of the water alive, but resuscitation efforts were unsuccessful, the Correio da Manha news website reported.

    A statement on the Serb ministry’s website said that Antic had died “as a result of an accident.” The statement said that Antic was “an excellent professor, great patriot and a lawyer with a sharp mind and sharp words.”

    Police following up on MP phone hacking allegations

    SINGAPORE (CNA) – Home Affairs Minister K Shanmugam has asked the police to follow up with Member of Parliament Sylvia Lim (WP-Aljunied) regarding her claim that she had received a threat warning from Apple stating that her iPhone could be the subject of hacking by state-sponsored attackers, the Singapore Police Force (SPF) said yesterday.

    This is because the allegation is “very serious” and has potential implications on national security, the SPF said in a statement, noting it had written to Lim to advise her to file a police report.

    “Alternatively, if she does not wish to file a report, she can hand over her phone to the police, so that a forensic examination can be conducted,” it added.

    Lim said in Parliament on Friday that she had received the threat warning from Apple, and asked for confirmation that her phone had not been hacked by Singapore’s state agencies. She added that the tech company said this threat was “likely to be so because of who I am individually or what I do”.

    Shanmugam responded then by stating that Lim’s phone had not been hacked by state agencies.

    The SPF said yesterday that the Home Affairs Minister had also directed the police to engage a commercial organisation with expertise in this field to conduct the examination.

    MP Sylvia Lim. PHOTO: CNA

    Protests grow in Puerto Rico amid demands for higher wages

    SAN JUAN, PUERTO RICO (AP) – Shrill whistles mixed with drums, tambourines and the clacking of spoons on pots as public employees shut down streets in Puerto Rico’s capital on Friday to demand better pay and pensions.

    The crowd shimmied and clapped as demonstrators held up signs reading, “Fair wages now!”

    It’s a call that has echoed across Puerto Rico in recent weeks as government employees and supporters take to the streets, emboldened by thousands of public school teachers who abandoned classrooms in early February to demand raises and better pensions.

    Protests have multiplied and the unrest is posing one of the biggest challenges for Governor Pedro Pierluisi a year into his term.

    Legislators are the only public workers who have an automatic cost-of-living increase for their salaries. Most of the US territory’s other public employees have not gotten pay raises in more than a decade – sometimes two – as the cost of living has risen and the island has suffered a lengthy economic crisis and a government bankruptcy in the aftermath of deadly hurricanes, earthquakes and the pandemic.

    Power and water bills are nearly 60 per cent higher in Puerto Rico than the United States (US) average. Groceries are 18 per cent more expensive than on the mainland, although healthcare and housing costs, among others, are lower, according to the island’s Institute of Statistics.

    Public employees march to demand better salaries, adequate pensions and better employment conditions in San Juan, Puerto Rico. PHOTO: AP

    How to organise kid memorabilia

    Nicole Anzia

    THE WASHINGTON POST – From the moment you bring a new baby home, the amount of stuff in your home seems to increase tenfold. And many of those items have memories or emotions attached to them, making it difficult to part with them, even when they’ve been outgrown or forgotten. One minute you’re contemplating whether to keep your baby’s first hat and shoes; later, you’re wondering whether a book or a painted ceramic animal deserves to be preserved for the next 25 years.

    Determining which cards, photos, certificates, uniforms, pieces of art, trophies and schoolwork to keep – and making those choices without the foggiest idea of what your child will deem special and cherish as an adult – is mentally exhausting. If you’re not keeping up with those decisions all along, though, your house will be overrun.

    But who should decide what’s remarkable and worth remembering.

    Many parents and their adult children eventually face these questions. Here’s how to sort through all of the stuff – and the emotions that go with it.

    LESS IS MORE

    If you are the parent of a young child, take time now to sort through pieces and get ahead of the problem. Designate a plastic bin or several sturdy boxes for memorabilia, then label them. Items don’t need to be arranged perfectly or even in chronological order. Resist the urge to toss every piece of paper your child brings home into the box. Set parameters for what you will hold on to, and when you’re on the fence about something, err on the side of tossing it.

    Some people save a curated collection of art and schoolwork from their child’s elementary years. Others keep report cards, school pictures and favorite toys or stuffed animals. And still others might only hold on to items from special events and family trips. Label whatever you keep with your child’s name and age. There is no rule about how many keepsake boxes are acceptable per person, but be realistic about what will be a tolerable amount when it comes time to pass the items along to your child.

    REASSESS AND CULL

    Determining what to keep and what to toss isn’t something you do once. Store boxes in an accessible location, so you can easily add items or revisit them for further paring down. A piece of artwork your child made in kindergarten may not seem as extraordinary when compared with the pieces they created in fifth grade.

    After some time passes, you may also decide you are content with taking a photo of an object rather than keeping the original. Going through the items you’ve saved will jog your memory about people and places you may have forgotten and could spark ideas for a special gift or project. It’s also fun to look through keepsakes with your children once they’re a little older.

    GET CREATIVE

    There are so many ways to preserve, transform and organise memorabilia. One recently popular idea is to turn a collection of T-shirts into a cozy quilt. Jerseys or medals can be mounted and framed, then put on display. Important letters or postcards can be turned into a keepsake book. And if prom dresses, letter jackets or high school and college sweatshirts are well-preserved, they may end up as something the next generation of teenagers sees as being vintage or cool.

    There are specialty products for organising and protecting ticket stubs and playbills, and there are companies that will turn children’s artwork into adorable books or framed mosaics.

    Not only does the finished product take up much less space than the originals, but the book is also something that can be enjoyed by family members. Photographs can be scanned and sent to family members electronically, eliminating the need to hold on to bulky photo boxes and albums.

    DISCUSS EARLY AND OFTEN

    When your adult child moves out, remind them of the items you’ve held on to for them. Gauge their interest in keeping the memorabilia and any other special possessions, heirlooms or valuables well in advance of when you plan to hand them off.

    People often resist thinking or talking about huge life transitions, and it’s difficult to make these plans years in advance. Frequent communication is key. If parents feel certain that their son will want his childhood piano, but he has no interest in having it, then it’s good for everyone to know, so the piano can be rehomed instead of taking up space. Likewise, if parents know their daughter wants to keep a dollhouse she was given when she turned eight, they won’t give it to a neighbour’s child.

    AGREE ON WHAT AND WHEN

    Above all, stay flexible. It’s rare that everything goes according to plan or that parents and children agree on what to keep and when pieces should be handed off.

    Parents may need to downsize, or they may experience a medical issue that requires them to move. Adult children may also decide to take a hiatus from work to travel, or they might not have the space to accommodate the keepsake boxes and furniture they hoped to inherit.

    Ultimately, it’s about compromise and accepting the imperfect reality of everyone’s lives. But try to remember that important memories will endure, regardless of whether you still have the physical reminders of them.

    JKR addresses water bill technical error

    Rokiah Mahmud

    The Public Works Department (JKR) announced that there has been a technical error involving water billing dates printed.

    The error on the date does not indicate the real water usage, it added.

    A press statement from the department stated that water bills affected were commercial complexes and its vicinity including Jalan Gadong, Batu Bersurat, Kampong Kiulap, Kampong Pengkalan Gadong, Kampong Menglait, STKRJ Kampong Rimba, Jalan Gadong, Kampong Kiarong, Kampong Kiulap, Jalan Kumbang Pasang, Kampong Tungku and Kampong Bebatik Kilanas.

    New water usage for this month will be included in the next billing date, said the JKR.

    The public can contact the Water Service Department, Jalan Tasek Lama, via appointment booking made through QueUp app or e-mail watercustomersvs@pwd.gov.bn.

    Notorious eyecare fraudster nabbed third time

    NEW YORK (AP) – A notorious fraudster convicted a decade ago for cheating online eyeglass customers and harassing some of them with grisly threats was arrested on Friday for a third time after resuming internet-based criminal behaviour soon after getting out of prison nearly two years ago, a prosecutor said.

    Vitaly Borker, 45, of Brooklyn was charged with two counts of wire fraud and aggravated identity theft. At an initial appearance in Manhattan federal court, he was ordered held without bail as a danger to continue defrauding people if he is free while awaiting trial. Defence attorney Dominic Amorosa said in an email that Borker will plead not guilty if he is indicted on the charges.

    The latest charges against Borker accuse him of continuing fraudulent tactics in selling eyeglasses to online customers. Some claims were similar to charges in the previous two cases against him, alleging he advertised discounted designer sunglasses and eyeglasses but often delivered shoddy, used or counterfeit products. A criminal complaint said he began defrauding customers after he was moved from a prison to a residential reentry centre in June 2020 after completing most of a two-year prison sentence he received in April 2019.

    At that sentencing, Judge Paul Gardephe said that in over two decades as a judge and prosecutor he had never seen someone return “so quickly to exactly the same crime after doing four years, a harsh sentence.”

    The Ukrainian immigrant violated terms of his release by resuming fraud after serving a four-year prison sentence for harassing customers from 2007 to 2015.

    Each of two counts of wire fraud carry the maximum potential of 20-year prison terms while a conviction for aggravated identity theft would require Borker to serve a mandatory two-year prison sentence in addition to any sentence on other charges.

    Leverkusen stunned by late Mainz fightback

    MAINZ, GERMANY (AFP) – Bayer Leverkusen’s push for a Champions League place suffered a jolt when Mainz scored two late goals to snatch a 3-2 win in the Bundesliga on Friday.

    Leverkusen remain in third place in the table with 41 points, 11 behind leaders Bayern Munich and seven clear of Leipzig who currently occupy the final qualifying spot for next season’s Champions League but have a game in hand.

    Leverkusen opened the scoring in the 35th minute through Czech striker Patrik Schick who now has 20 league goals for the season.

    Schick, however, was later forced off the pitch with an injury at the start of the second half. Aaron Martin levelled for Mainz shortly before the hour mark but Lucas Alario restored Leverkusen’s advantage in the 74th minute after being set up by Moussa Diaby.

    Mainz refused to give up and levelled for the second time in the 84th minute through Dutchman Jean-Paul Boetius with Denmark’s Marcus Ingvartsen hitting the shock winner with two minutes left.

    Vietnam’s daily COVID-19 infections hit record 42,439 cases

    HANOI (XINHUA) – Vietnam registered an all-time record number of daily COVID-19 infections on Friday, with 42,439 cases, an increase of 6,239 cases from Thursday, according to the Ministry of Health.

    The new infections, logged in 63 localities nationwide, included 42,427 domestically transmitted and 12 imported.

    The Vietnamese capital Hanoi remained the locality with the highest number of infections on Friday with 4,549 cases, followed by the northern Vinh Phuc province with 2,158 cases and the northern Quang Ninh province with 2,018 cases.

    The infections brought the country’s total tally to 2,685,463 with 39,358 deaths. Nationwide, as many as 2,261,180 COVID-19 patients, or 84 per cent of the infections, have so far recovered. More than 190.2 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines have been administered in the country, including 173.5 millions shots on people aged 18 and above, said the ministry.

    Vietnam has by far gone through four coronavirus waves of increasing scale, complication, and infectivity. As of Friday, it has registered nearly 2.68 million locally transmitted COVID-19 cases since the start of the current wave in April 2021, according to the ministry.

    A student gets her temperature checked. PHOTO: XINHUA
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    Borneo Bulletin is the leading English daily in the country. It was first published by Brunei Press. Today, Borneo Bulletin has become the foremost source of information on local and foreign affairs, and the region’s business news.

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