Congrats to all the Graduates.

Greater transparency sought from TAP

The Employees Trust Fund (Tabung Amanah Pekerja or TAP) should exercise greater transparency in the way it conducts business to assure contributors their money is safe, said some financial planners and business executives.Contributors have the right to know the details on TAP's investments and retention policy because these affect their retirement fund, said one financial planner who is familiar with the pension fund concept.

TAP also owes it to contributors to disclose their operations cost to prevent speculations that monthly contributions are being used to pay for the salaries of the fund's employees, he said.An executive from an information technology (IT) firm said that TAP's transparency on its investments are also important so the public will understand the reasons for any drop or non-distribution of dividends.

A TAP representative, requesting not to be named, said: "We have been holding financial roadshows and basically, we have been sharing with our contributors in terms of where we invest our money."During a roadshow TAP executives usually talk to the public about their "fundamental rules".

"What happens is we tell them where we invest their money, which include fixed deposits, bonds, equities and real estate to name a few," said the TAP representative.Another financial planner said most people think they should have a retention policy, which includes how much they make and disclose it, so when everything is stated, the public will know how much will be re-distributed.

"There could be a (TAP) retention policy for all we know, but they have never mentioned one, so how would the public know about it?" he asked.He said TAP's investments are "rather unknown" because nothing specific has ever been disclosed.Another matter is how TAP does not disclose their operations costs.

"Every business has operating costs involved but, they should not get carried away with the idea of creating jobs as their salaries are based on returns of investment," he said, suggesting that TAP should disclose their costs and should work within the limit so that contributors don't end up paying for their salaries.

A business executive, who wished not to be named, agreed that the pension fund should be more transparent."The fact that it (dividends) is not pro-rated is a problem for some, which underlines why they need to be clear-cut about the investments that they participate in," he said.

Contributors are taking risks with TAP by allowing it to invest their money, but when it makes losses people don't get dividends and when profits are reaped, people don't get extra dividends, the financial planner said."They are declaring no dividends, claiming the financial crisis, but during an economic boom, how much they made through investments (is not known to the) public.

During the economic boom, dividends were not significantly increased," he said."If they don't have a policy in terms of what they are going to invest, at the end of the day it will be chaotic because everyone's retirement funds are in their hands," the business executive said.The TAP representative said that the funds will still be intact even though there are no dividends for the fiscal years 2008 and 2009.

"Decrease in returns is basically due to the global financial crisis experienced by everyone. It's not a normal crisis, but faced by all global enterprises," the official said, adding that on their website they have the rate of dividends that were increased since the trust fund's inception in 1993.

He said data shows a growth of dividends over the years and there are no fixed dividends. In 1993 it was 1.5 per cent and it increased to 4.25 per cent in 2007/8."What happens next year depends on the performance of markets, it could be higher or lower than the previous dividends.

We won't know," said the TAP representative.The financial planner added that the representation of the annual statement shows that contributors are not getting dividends from monthly contributions but only from the previous year."Representation of the statement is unclear, we are contributing monthly and even if we were getting dividends, the statement does not show," he explained.

TAP encourages anyone who has questions about the statements to approach their counters, where staff will be more than willing to help.

During TAP's appreciation night 2009 on October 3, the Minister of Energy at the Prime Minister's Office, in his capacity as the chairman of the TAP Board, said that they made the decision to not issue any dividends after taking into account the financial crisis and the global recession which have affected the performance of the fund's investments.

"The decline in investment performance for the fiscal year 2008/9 is considered out of the ordinary because all investment assets have seen a decrease due to the financial crisis," said Pehin Orang Kaya Seri Dewa Major General (Rtd) Dato Seri Pahlawan Hj Mohammad Hj Daud. He added that financial institutions all over the world were also experiencing the same situation.

Pehin Dato Hj Mohammad said that as of April this year, the performance on investments has done better as the global economy recovers from the financial crisis. (The Brunei Times)

Haj season.

How about limiting number of cars each motorist owns?

Panelists of a climate change forum yesterday suggested limiting the number of vehicles a motorist may own as one of the "green" intiatives that could be implemented in the Sultanate.

Putting in place the legislation on the number of cars could be done, as it is one way of reducing greenhouse gas emissions, said Dr Hjh Sainah Hj Saim, one of the panelists of the forum entitled "Towards a Strategy on Climate Change: How can Brunei Contribute?"

There is "an abundance" of vehicles in Brunei, thus the need to devise alternative means of transportation as public transport is not regularly used by many Bruneians, said Dr Hjh Sainah, senior lecturer and programme leader of public policy at Universiti Brunei Darussalam.

"Carpooling concept is also difficult to implement," she said in the forum, which was moderated by Haslina Taib, chief executive officer of BAG Networks."We need to see what we have and what we don't have before introducing a policy," she added.

There should be a link and supporting mechanism in having a "green policy framework" and "green growth framework" that focus on environmental and economic sustainability, she said.

Brunei is active in preventing climate change, but it is a challenge to continue taking further steps to address climate change concerns, she said. The lecturer also pointed out that local companies are not performing well when it comes to waste management, such as practising the 3Rs concept of reduce, reuse and recycle.

"Being aware of climate change issues is not enough, education must be able to change people's mindset, and create a change in habits and norms," said Dr Hjh Sainah.Lim Boon Teck, corporate sustainability manager of HSBC Brunei, said that Brunei should start conducting research on forests, as data gathered from this area would fit into policy changes.

"We know very little how it (forests) would impact Brunei and Southeast Asia," he said, adding that the country would have a better idea of tackling climate change from research. "Our survival depends on what we do from now onwards. Take action now because time cannot wait," he added.

Dr Suphachol Suphachalasai, an economist at the Asian Development Bank (ADB), said that identifying strategies would require thinking about the interests of the people. "How would they be affected by climate change?" he asked.

Brunei should start collecting data and begin a monitoring process on what can be improved, and share the information with the public, he said.Organised by the Brunei Economic Development Board in partnership with the British High Commission in Brunei and the ADB, the forum was aimed to promote greater awareness of climate change issues and provide guidance in implementing sustainable development.

The forum was conducted to mark ADB's first regional study on the economics of climate change, which stated that Southeast Asia is one of the world's most vulnerable regions due to its long coastlines, high density of population and heavy reliance on agriculture, natural resources and forestry. About 100 officials, members of the private sector and students attended the forum. (The Brunei Times)

Workhard.

Milestone as Brunei produces first batch of dental therapists

Dental hygienists cum therapists are being trained "to address the huge dental decay and gum disease burden amongst the population of Brunei Darussalam".

Pehin Orang Kaya Indera Pahlawan Dato Seri Setia Awg Haji Suyoi bin Haji Osman, Minister of Health (MoH), said this as he spoke at the Inaugural Convocation Ceremony for Diploma in Dental Hygiene and Therapy yesterday.

"This truly is a giant leap for the Oral Health Services in the country because for the first time the Ministry of Health is able to produce our own local dental hygienists who are capable of meeting the high standards that are set by King's College, London, which is an internationally renowned institution for dental education," the minister said.

"This is a significant first step towards being self-reliant in producing dental therapists to meet our dental human capital target.

"This strategy is in line with the policy of the Ministry of Health, which is to increase the accessibility and availability of oral healthcare to all Bruneians, with emphasis on education and prevention.

"It also meets one of the Dental Department's main goals of optimising accessibility of Oral Health Services to the community, as clearly spelled out in the Oral Health Agenda 2008-2012," said the minister.

The ceremony was held by the Department of Dental Services, Ministry of Health, and took place at the Dewan Utama of the Royal Brunei Polo & Riding Club in Jerudong, and saw eight graduates receiving their Diplomas for Dental Hygiene and Therapy after completing a three-year course, which was organised by the Department of Dental Services with the cooperation of King's College in London.

The Minister of Health was the guest of honour at the event. Also present were Deputy Minister of Health, Pehin Orang Kaya Pekerma Laila Diraja Dato Paduka Haji Awang Hazair bin Haji Abdullah, Dato Paduka Haji Abd Salam bin Abd Momin, Permanent Secretary at the MoH, and Haji Daud bin Haji Mahmud, Permanent Secretary, Higher Education, Ministry of Education.

Also present were director generals, directors, chief executive officers, senior officers, graduates and their families.

"The treatment of tooth decay in children can now be carried out by dental therapists and the majority of gum diseases can be treated by dental hygienists," said the minister.

"It is more cost effective to train dental hygienists/therapists rather than dentists to provide simple treatment for dental caries and periodontal disease, which are the major oral health needs of the population here," the minister said.

The minister also revealed that there are presently nine trainees in the second cohort who are undergoing the same training and are set to graduate next year.

"Further intake of candidates into the training programme will continue in the future with the recruitment of 10 trainees per year in order to meet the targeted ratio of dental therapist to population aged 18 years and under at 1:800."

According to the minister, as this is the estimated dental manpower required to meet the oral health needs of Brunei's younger population, the initiation of "this innovative programme is fully justifiable not only from the health perspective but also from the social point of view".

"It is important to remember that such local training opportunity will undoubtedly attract others who are looking for careers in dentistry and therefore will provide our youth with more career choices and offer them an excellent opportunity to be associated with the health profession."

The minister then spoke of how "the Dental Department must ensure its sustainability including the availability of various essential resources, finance, manpower, related infrastructures and equipment" now that the training programme has started.

"One option is of rendering the training programme to be more cost-effective is to consider collaboration with other institutions in the country such as the Institute of Medicine, UBD."

The minister also spoke of "the possibility of further developing and advancing the local training programme in the future", where having local training facilities available would allow a flexible training protocol to be "incorporated into the core curriculum so that various training options may be made available to cater to the training needs of the other categories of operating and non-operating dental ancillaries".

"In addition, once the training programme is firmly established, the option of admitting international students, especially those from the Asia-Pacific region, may be explored," added Pehin Suyoi.

"This will enhance the spirit of mutual cooperation between the Asean countries and will definitely raise the status of Brunei Darussalam as a centre for academic excellence and as a direct contributor to oral health in the region and internationally." (Borneo Bulletin)

Focus.

Bring glory to country

His Royal Highness Prince Haji Sufri Bolkiah, the president of the Brunei Darussalam National Olympic Council (BNOC), yesterday urged the national athletes representing the country at Friday's 3rd Asian Indoor Games to make full use of the chance given to them to compete in the 10-day event in Hanoi, Vietnam.

"The athletes should make full use of the chance since an opportunity like this would not have occurred if not for hard work and sacrifice," said His Royal Highness. "This is the best time to bring glory to the country, create a name (for yourself) and open opportunities in the future.

"Everything that is needed by an athlete to succeed is provided free of charge and there is a big possibility that Brunei is the only country in the world (that does this)," he added.

He made the comments during a flag handover ceremony at the Hassanal Bolkiah National Stadium in Berakas where he presented the national flag to the national contingent's chef-de-mission Mariam Ulat.

The Sultanate will be represented by 13 athletes competing in three sports: billiards, pencak silat and wushu.Wushu is a surprise inclusion in the list after initial reports by the Department of Youth and Sports stated that the country will only compete in billiards and pencak silat at the Games.

Though the Games have been held for three times, this year will mark the country's first appearance at the event and His Royal Highness acknowledged the importance of yesterday's function.

"This is another important day in the development of sports in the country because national athletes will compete in the Asian Indoor Games for the first time," said the president.

"I wish to congratulate the athletes that have been chosen and my message is always work hard, remain focused and take care of your health, because those three things are important to achieve success.

"We have to understand that this flag handover is not just a routine ceremony because the flag is the country's symbol that all authorities have to respect (and) the athletes' glory is the country's glory," he added.

His Royal Highness Prince Haji Al-Muhtadee Billah, the Crown Prince and Senior Minister at the Prime Minister's Office, is the Sultanate's only representative in billiards, with 10 athletes flying the flag for the country in pencak silat and two in wushu.

The 2007 SEA Games silver medallist Norleyermah Hj Raya will compete in the triple event with her sister Norleyharyanti and Nurul Aimi Amalina Zanidi, while the only other female pencak silat exponent, Siti Zuliza Omar, will take part in the tanding event.

Hj Md Khairul Bahrin Hj Duraman will compete in the solo event while Freedy Asnrul Choo, Khuzaiman Ahmad, Mohamad Amali Hj Abd Malik, Mohd Kifli Hamzah and Pg Khairul Bahri Pg Ali Umar will compete in the tanding event.

Wushu will be represented by Faustina Woo Wai Sai and Lee Ying Shi.

With all of the pencak silat athletes involved in the Gold Project programme, the team's manager said he had high hopes for them.

"They are all from the Gold Project so there is no bronze or silver (on our mind), all our targets are gold," said Pg Karim Pg Hj Matassan. Including Mariam, the full contingent of 24 is made up of among others 13 athletes and three coaches. (The Brunei Times)

Great encounter...great comeback as well.

Artist at work...saucy nando!

Getty Images

Salam, good day. What a wonderful morning after a great night of football! Liverpool FC with their worst start of the season has silenced the severe critics they had after thumping Manchester United 2-0 at Anfield. Injury doubt Fernando Torres scored the opener twenty minutes after the interval, collecting his ninth of the season. David Ngog hit the second goal in the stoppage time. With Steven Gerrard sidelined due to a groin problem, the Reds doesn't seem looking for his service though. In other results; Bolton 3-2 Everton, Manchester City 2-2 Fulham and West Ham 2-2 Arsenal:)

It's getting worst.

Labuan Quits Borneo Games Football Event Dropped

Bandar Seri Begawan - The football event for the third Borneo Games 2009 to be held in Brunei Darussalam at the end of next month has been dropped after the Federal Territory of Labuan suddenly withdrew its participation.

Despite having already agreed to take part during the head of delegates meeting for the 3rd Borneo Games at the Hassanal Bolkiah National Stadium on Oct 10, the Federal Territory of Labuan sent a letter stating its non-participation.

The letter did not state any reason for the withdrawal. After the news in the last meeting that the Brunei Darussalam Football Association had been suspended by FIFA, Malaysian teams from Sabah and Sarawak had declined although the Borneo Games has no affiliation with AFC or FIFA.

With only Brunei and Kalimantan participating in the football event, it does not have the mandatory three teams to compete. Without football, this year's Borneo Games will comprise nine sporting events badminton, lawn bowling, cue sports, gasing (top spinning), hockey, athletics, pencak silat, sepak takraw and tennis.

Athletes from Sabah, Sarawak, the Federal Territory of Labuan, Kalimantan and Malacca, the host of Sukma 2010, and host Brunei will be contesting in nine events. (Borneo Bulletin)

I wish so...insya Allah.

Bumper fruit harvest this season

According to John Keats, one of England's' greatest poets, autumn is a season of mists and mellow fruitfulness.

Brunei has its season of fruits and this year, we seem to have a bumper crop. The trees are laden with rambutans, taraps, longans and durians.

Fruit season is also a time when mums, dads and the kids pile into their Kijangs or Avanzas and head off for a few hours of fruit picking on their lands or in the jungle, where there is an abundance of fruits ripe and ready for picking.

When roadside fruit stalls spring up every few hundred yards along Brunei's major roads, you know it's fruit season in Brunei. The local fruits are succulent, nutritious and delicious. Health food never tasted so good.

Everyone has their own favourite fruit, but there is no doubt that durian, "the king of fruits", is Brunei's favourite. It has a special place in the hearts (and stomachs) of a great many Bruneians. The seeds of the durian can also be eaten, but you must cook them first. We had a durian at home yesterday. I hope to be able to move back into my house in a couple of days!

My personal favourite is the rambutan or hairy fruit. They seem to be extra juicy this year. My wife told me that the seeds can be eaten raw.

After eating one, I decided to check that out. According to Wikipedia, the seed is mildly poisonous when raw, but can be eaten when cooked. Well, so much for that! I hope I last long enough to see this article in print. (Borneo Bulletin)