l Azlan Othman l
His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu’izzaddin Waddaulah ibni Al-Marhum Sultan Haji Omar ‘Ali Saifuddien Sa’adul Khairi Waddien, the Sultan and Yang di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam, visited the Unified National Network (UNN) building in Jln Sumbiling in the capital on Thursday and expressed his concern about the mismanagement of the organisation, its Bruneianisation programme, and internet speed.
UNN, which is fully owned by the Brunei government under Darussalam Assets (DA) Sdn Bhd and was established on December 4, 2018, to provide digital telecommunication services in the country.
The company took over all telecommunication and network services assets in Brunei, including Telekom Brunei Sdn Bhd (TelBru), Data Stream Technology Communication Sdn Bhd (DST), and Progresif Cellular Sdn Bhd (PCSB) on September 1, 2019.
The consolidation of the network infrastructure of these telecommunication companies caused confusion among the telco staff and the public, leading to many questions about the benefits of the initiative and its impact on the cost of services offered to consumers.
The issue of management has been regularly raised since the establishment of UNN, with concerns about the fate of the telco staff, who fear that over 500 local staff will lose their jobs as UNN will only retain the necessary staff. Those who are less required will be absorbed into other special schemes to quit voluntarily and seek jobs elsewhere. Vacant positions will then be offered to foreigners, who are considered more skilled. There are also concerns about the executive management at UNN, which is mostly monopolised by foreign talent.
In response to these issues, His Majesty expressed his intention to find out more about the facts without being influenced by efforts or intentions to hide the truth. He also questioned the performance of foreign workers and their personal interests versus the development of UNN. Furthermore, he highlighted complaints about the level of internet speed and the frequent avoidance of UNN to overcome cable theft issues.
His Majesty also said that some members of the public even described UNN as “Useless National Network”.
His Majesty also noted that the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) investigated UNN’s difficulties regarding its level of service, but due to the departure of an officer, who returned to their home country along with their spouse. The Chief Financing Officer’s departure from DA Sdn Bhd also sparked speculation that he was avoiding investigation and had received a salary equivalent to a Minister’s salary.
An audit of several telecommunication companies under DA Sdn Bhd, including UNN, was ordered in July 2022, but the Chairman of DA Sdn Bhd obstructed the Audit Department from carrying out the audit, triggering assumptions that the Chairman’s action was aimed at covering up problems in companies under DA Sdn Bhd. His Majesty expressed concern about these negative developments, which invite speculation on the abuse of power and finance.
His Majesty emphasised that the executive post is normal to be held by foreigners due to its specialised factor, but effective planning relating to the transfer of knowledge to local talents should be made.
In conclusion, His Majesty posed several questions and inquired about UNN’s auditing, the extent of development between management executives and local workers, UNN’s plan on Bruneiansation in management, and DA Sdn Bhd & UNN strategic plans in the short, medium, and long term.
More details on Friday’s Borneo Bulletin
