COMPARED to previous years, 2009 will be equally remembered by many in Brunei Darussalam as serving several unexpected wake-up calls that were also tempered by more memorable watershed events.

As the nation geared up to celebrate its 25th National Day Silver Jubilee celebrations, which were aptly themed around the concept of a ‘Matured Nationhood’, the country’s urgency against the protracted fury of Mother Nature throughout the first quarter of 2009, being subjected to the fear of the systematic spread of the Influenza A(H1NI) virus in the second quarter, sowing the seeds of food security as its crowning moment in its third quarter and the mixed feelings brought about by the well-intentioned effort to eradicate poverty during the final part of 2009 all indeed put the private and public sectors, as well as its people through its initiation test of passage into adulthood.

The early upheavals towards the beginning of the year with the flash floods, the landslides made a fine demonstration of the fact that much more still needed to be done by the government. Bearing the brunt of Nature’s fury were the people of the country, who despite whatever the odds nature threw at them, stoically endured it all with the quiet dignity and reserved patience that characterise us all.

The world watched in dreaded anticipation as the first reports of the Influenza A(H1N1) broke out in Mexico. Within a matter of weeks, it had spread to neighbouring countries and further across the planet, just a few short months later. This time around, unlike the previous contagion outbreaks of SARS and Avian Flu, Brunei truly joined the international fellowship whose sole membership was to not be spared from the A(H1N1) virus.
But towards the half-way mark of the year, after reeling from the initial shock of the floods and A(H1N1) flu, the first proverbial rays of sun shone brightly to ripen the seedlings of the country’s very own hybrid rice brand. Laila proved to be the turning point of the year when its inaugural official harvest demonstrated that with the right will, ingenuity and hard work, any goal, target or ambition could indeed be achieved.

The joy was to be further spread to more deserving people when the country’s Zakat funds were distributed to an initial number of 4,084 heads of families in another historic bid to take another step forward into the modern 21s’ century world by ridding the country of poverty.

But whatever the hiccups and malaise that nature and life inevitably throws at us, it was invariably up to each and every single citizen and resident of Brunei Darussalam to determine how we would all be affected. By rallying together, the country once again demonstrated its total loyalty and support behind the belief that only by sticking together and doing what needed to be done, would ultimately ensure providence in this life and in the eyes of Allah the Almighty. For in the end, ‘well done’ would always be far better and, ultimately, more meaningful than ‘well said’.

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