Minister of Home Affairs Yang Berhormat Dato Seri Setia Awang Haji Ahmaddin bin Haji Abdul Rahman said he was pleased to announce the road upgrading project involving 22 locations including 10 in the Belait District, nine in the Tutong District and three in the Temburong District, has been and is being implemented since 2023 through close cooperation with the Public Works Department, Ministry of Development.
The project aims to improve accessibility, reduce the risk of disconnection during disasters, ensuring that villagers can still move and aid delivery can be implemented smoothly, he said during the 21st Legislative Council (LegCo) session on Wednesday.
Of the 22 locations, 19 locations have been upgraded, while three locations namely in the Belait and Tutong districts, will be implemented in due course.
The upgrading works on the affected roads are now not subject to flooding. With the upgrading of these roads, there has also been a significant reduction in the number of affected homes and food ration distributions.
During the recent flood in the remote areas of the Tutong District, 198 homes were affected and only 183 ration aid was distributed compared to 391 affected with the distribution of 304 food rations in 2023.
The reduction in the need for food ration distribution clearly demonstrates the effectiveness of the road upgrading project, which not only improves accessibility during disasters but also affected residents to continue their daily activities and obtain their basic needs.
The minister affirmed that the government will always monitor this matter to ensure that long-term actions can be implemented to provide well-being to the affected villagers. Apart from upgrading roads that were previously often hit by floods, other initiatives include cleaning and expanding the drainage system along the roads.
The action is not just a technical solution but a holistic approach that aims to increase the capacity of infrastructure to contain rainwater overflow effectively and efficiently. At the same time, the National Disaster Management Centre (NDMC) continuously implements briefing sessions and public awareness programmes such as the Community Based Disaster Risk Management programme, School Based Disaster Risk Management programme, Disaster Preparedness Coordinator programme and the Community Leader Programme which involves leaders at the grassroots level, school staff as well as private non-governmental organisations to ensure accurate and up-to-date information reaches
the public.
The minister added that the Sultanate experienced the northeast monsoon season with a higher than average rainfall based on information from the Brunei Darussalam Meteorological Department.
He said the country recorded 400.7 millimetres (mm) in January 2025 compared to 393mm during the same month in the previous year. in responding to a query by LegCo member Yang Berhormat Hajah Safiah binti Sheikh Haji Abdul Salam, the minister added response operations in dealing with disasters or any other incidents currently being used are guided by the National Standard Operating Procedure (NASOP).
The minister said, “Alhamdulillah, the deployment of assets and assistance from the relevant agencies has been running smoothly and according to the standards set to ensure response operations can be carried out in an orderly, fast and effective manner.”
The approach has also been used in dealing with new incidents that have occurred recently. In ensuring the delivery of assistance, the NDMC works closely with the Treasury Department, Ministry of Finance and Economy; Community Development Department, the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports; private companies and non-governmental organisations; as well as volunteers to ensure that the distribution and delivery of aid and food rations can be implemented smoothly. – FADHIL YUNUS
