BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN

Friday, August 6, 2010
Overseas undergraduates were reminded not to forget the morals and values that they have been brought up with in Brunei during the closing ceremony of the five-day Civic Course yesterday.

Deputy Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports Datin Hjh Adina Osman said that every individual has self-worth and students must not forget their origins when exposed to immoral activities.

“I call on you to avoid negative activities that conflict with the religious and moral values of our nation,” she said.

Datin Hjh Adina told the youths to use their freedom responsibly and maturely, as all decisions and actions had consequences, good and bad.

“This is the time of your life where you have to make choices,” she said, while mentioning the worrying problem of teenage pregnancies in Brunei, which could affect a young person’s future adversely.

The deputy minister told the youths that they had much potential and had a golden opportunity to make an impact towards the development and prosperity of Brunei in the future.

“The future of Brunei relies on human resources…We already know that our natural resources which we have relied on all this while, will not last. With this, we have to produce quality human resources,” she said.

She added: “We hope you will succeed and come back not with just a degree but more than that. The country hopes you will be a knowledgeable, skilled and successful citizen, in short, a quality citizen.”

Throughout the course, 85 students attended talks on the government system, SPN21 education system and also visits to places such as Pusat Ehsan Al-Ameerah and Brunei Shell Petroleum (BSP).

Final-year student Ching Viviyanti Ching Hasan, who is studying Modern European History at the University of Bradford, UK, said she had enjoyed the course.

“It was a good and new experience, we got to learn about customs and traditions of Brunei and understand the Malay Islamic Monarchy (MIB) philosophy,” she said.

She added: “It was beneficial because some of us have been overseas for a few years and we don’t know what has been going on in Brunei, for example the new education system, SPN21.”

Ching said that she most enjoyed visiting the Lapau as she had never seen it before and learned about court language.

BSP Scholar Muhd Shu’aib Hj Kamaludin said the course gave him “more exposure with government agencies”.

“It’s important because one day we may have to deal with them, so it’s good to know how ministries work and interact with the public,” he said.

He added: “The course also reinforces the MIB philosophy which is important as a national identity. I will bring it with me wherever I go.”

Yusma Bahrin Dato Paduka Hj Md Yusof, who had just completed his degree in Professional Broadcasting Techniques, said that he would like a longer civic course.

“There so many more places we could visit and so many more things for us to learn,” he said, adding that there was a lot of content in the course that was new to him.

He said that he enjoyed the course and found it beneficial as the scholars would get to know their country better.

The Brunei Times

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