Economy tumbles 9.7% in Q3

A crane is seen at the Muara port. The economy tumbled 9.7% in Q3 2013
due a decline in the performance of industry and the oil and gas sector.

Fitri Shahminan
BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN

BRUNEI’S economic output tumbled 9.7 per cent in the third quarter of 2013 due to a significant decline in the performance of both the oil and gas sector, and industry.

During the quarter, the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) was estimated at $4.66 billion at current prices, data from the Department of Economic Planning and Development (JPKE) show. This was a decline of almost two digits from the $5.16 billion recorded in the same period of 2012.

The department in its press statment did not say what sector caused the economic decline in the third quarter of last year.

However, statistics released by the JPKE show that the oil and gas sector’s economic performance in the quarter decreased 11.7 per cent year on year.

The industrial sector, weighed down heavily by a 17.2 per cent slump in mining, posted a year-on-year decrease of 9.7 per cent.

Industry’s poor performance in the third quarter followed a growth rate of 0.05 per cent in the second quarter of 2013.

The Brunei economy recorded positive performance in other sub-sectors of industry.

Construction grew 3.5 per cent year on year, followed by manufacturing at 3.1 per cent and electricity and water at 1.9 per cent.

The non-oil and gas sector, however, continued to increase economic output by 2.4 per cent year on year, the department said.

Growth came mainly from the services sector, which raised its output by 2.4 per cent after also recording an increase of 4.3 per cent year on year in the second quarter 2013.

Real estate and ownership of dwellings contributed the highest growth of 4.8 per cent year on year followed by private services with 3.6 per cent, finance at 2.8 per cent, trade 2.2 per cent, transport and communication 2.1 per cent and government services at 1.5 per cent.

The agriculture, forestry and fishery sector rose by one per cent year on year, bouncing from a decrease of 6.2 per cent in the second quarter of last year.

This was mainly attributed to the growth of the agriculture sector by 3.3 per cent after a decline of 4.1 per cent in the previous quarter.

“By expenditure approach, the decline in GDP was due to the decrease in exports of goods and services by 9.2 per cent year on year and government consumption expenditure by 0.3 per cent year on year,” the JPKE said.

“Meanwhile, imports of goods and services recorded the highest growth of 4.9 per cent followed by capital formation 4.8 per cent year on year and personal consumption expenditure 1.1 per cent year on year,” it added.

GDP is a measure of the total value of goods and services produced by a particular country within a particular period after deducting the cost of goods and services used up in the process of production.


Dipetik dari - The Brunei Times

Former bodyguard and confidant to the ex-wife of the Sultan of Brunei accused in court of stealing diamonds worth £11.6m

A former international badminton player who became a bodyguard and close friend to the ex-wife of the Sultan of Brunei abused her position to steal diamonds worth £11.6m from her “extremely wealthy” employer, a court heard yesterday.

Fatimah Lim, 35,  a Singaporean national who travelled the globe with Mariam Aziz as her personal assistant and confidant, allegedly had replicas costing £300 made of two large diamonds and placed them in the safe in her employer’s Kensington home before proceeding to sell the real stones via a London jeweller.

A jury at Isleworth Crown Court in west London heard that Miss Lim, who won a silver medal at the 2002 Commonwealth Games in Manchester, had run up debts while gambling in central London casinos with Mrs Aziz, who was married to the Sultan for 22 years before their 2003 divorce. The former air hostess, who remains on good terms with the Sultan, worth an estimated £12bn, was described by prosecutors as “extremely wealthy” in her own right.

Between May 2008 and December 2009, Miss Lim is claimed to have stolen three items of jewellery from Mrs Aziz - a bracelet containing eight diamonds worth £3.35m, a flawless 12-carat blue diamond ring worth £7.7m and a yellow diamond worth £600,000. Miss Lim denies three charges of theft.

Gareth Patterson, prosecuting, said: “It is a simple story. It is a simple, uncomplicated case of theft… In the course of her employment, [Miss Lim] would spend considerable time with Mrs Aziz at her addresses in Brunei, Singapore and London.

“Mrs Aziz came to consider the defendant as one of her most trusted employees and essentially as a friend.”

During their visits to London, the Sultan’s ex-wife was a regular visitor to two exclusive Mayfair casinos - the Clermont Club and Les Ambassadeurs - and allowed Miss Lim to become a signatory to her accounts.

In turn, the badminton player, who started working for Mrs Aziz in 2003 as her badminton coach before becoming a full-time employee, opened her own accounts and occasionally allowed her boss to gamble to use her credit facility when she had reached her own limit, receiving reimbursement afterwards.

The court heard that the bracelet, bought by Mrs Aziz, 57, from high-end London jewellers Graff, went missing after she wore it to a dinner at Les Ambassadeurs casino in Mayfair in 2008.

Mr Patterson said the bracelet had been given to Miss Lim for safekeeping during the function because it kept catching in her employer’s dress. When Mrs Aziz later looked for the jewellery, Miss Lim denied having ever received it.

The court heard that documentation to be shown to the jury would show that the diamonds in the bracelet were sold by Miss Lim to buyers in New York and Switzerland via a jeweller in London’s Hatton Garden after they were provided with false assurances that they were gifts given to her mother by Mrs Aziz.

Miss Lim is alleged to have then conducted a larger theft by winning the confidence of Afifa Abdullah, an adopted daughter of the Sultan and his ex-wife, and duping her into briefly lending her the diamond rings belonging to her mother for a property deal.

Jurors were told that Miss Lim used this opportunity to commission the cheap crystal replicas which were replaced in Mrs Aziz’s safe and the real diamonds sold to a Swiss dealer.

When the fakes were eventually discovered and Miss Lim was confronted, she sent a text to a nephew of Mrs Aziz saying: “I truly regret what I have done. I really do. Please tell [Mrs Aziz] to give me a chance to repent. I can’t be behind bars. I am the breadwinner for two families.”

The trial, which is expected to last four weeks, continues.


Dipetik dari - The Independent

Keprihatinan para pemimpin negara amat dihargai

Musibah yang melanda di beberapa kawasan negara ini termasuk banjir teruk dan tanah runtuh telah menonjolkan kelemahan-kelemahan tertentu yang perlu diperbaiki sama ada dari aspek infrastruktur, rancangan tebatan, persediaan kecemasan, bantuan bencana dan sebagainya.

Pada masa yang sama, kita tetap kagum terhadap kesediaan dan kesanggupan barisan pemimpin negara untuk 'turun padang' menyaksikan sendiri kesan dan akibat bencana alam tersebut. Bukannya mudah untuk menghadapi risiko dan meredah banjir semata-mata untuk meninjau sendiri dan berkongsi penderitaan mangsa yang terbabit.

KDYMM Sultan dan DYTM Pengiran Muda Mahkota semasa berangkat tiba di kawasan dilanda banjir

KDYMM melawat ke kawasan yang dilanda banjir dengan menaiki hovercraft

KDYMM dan DYTM menziarahi mangsa banjir

YB Menteri Pembangunan melawat kawasan yang dilanda banjir

YB Menteri Pembangunan melawat tapak dimasuki runtuhan tanah

YB Menteri Pendidikan melawat Sekolah Rendah Panaga

YB Menteri Hal Ehwal Ugama menerima taklimat di Pusat Pengurusan Bencana Kebangsaan

YB Menteri Hal Ehwal Dalam Negeri menaiki bot untuk melawat mangsa banjir

YB Menteri Hal Ehwal Dalam Negeri melawat kawasan penempatan sementara mangsa banjir

YM Pemangku Menteri Kebudayaan Belia dan Sukan menyampaikan bantuan kepada mangsa banjir

Kenyataan Media Presiden NDP berkenaan pandangan ICJ terhadap Kanun Jenayah Syariah

LIMBARUH HIJAU 28 JANUARI 2014: PARTI PEMBANGUNAN BANGSA (NDP) mengutuk sekeras-kerasnya sebarang percubaan dari mana-mana pihak sama ada dari dalam atau luar negara yang bertujuan campur tangan di dalam urusan Agama Islam di Negara Brunei Darussalam.

Kenyataan ini dibuat oleh Presiden NDP, sdra Haji Mahmud Morshidi Othman berikutan laporan terkini mengenai pandangan Suruhanjaya Kehakiman Antarabangsa (ICJ) yang menyatakan bahawa langkah Negara menguatkuasakan Kanun Jenayah Syariah merupakan rangka tindakan yang mencabuli Undang-Undang Hak Asasi Manusia.

Emerlynne Gil, penasihat perundangan antarabangsa bagi Asia Tenggara dalam temubual yang disiarkan oleh ABC Radio Australia dilaporkan sebagai berkata, "ICJ telah menulis surat kepada Kerajaan Brunei untuk menekankan bahawa Kanuan Jenayah Syariah yang akan dikuatkuasakan tidak sesuai dengan undang-undang antarabangsa hak asasi manusia (yang membenarkan seks bebas, zina, sodomi, gay dan lesbian).

KENYATAAN MEDIA

Presiden, Ahli Dewan Harian dan Ahli Majlis Tertinggi Parti Pembangunan Bangsa  (NDP) serta seluruh anggota NDP yang beragama  Islam dan bukan beragama Islam tetap berdiri teguh di belakang Kebawah Duli Yang Maha Mulia Paduka Seri Baginda Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mui'zzaddin Waddaulah, Sultan dan Yang Di-Pertuan Negara Brunei Darussalam dan kerajaan Kebawah DYMM dalam mempertahankan perlaksanaan Kanun Jenayah Syariah, dalam keadaan apa jua pun.

NDP mengutuk sekeras-kerasnya sebarang percubaan dari mana-mana pihak sama ada dari dalam atau luar negara bertujuan campur tangan di dalam urusan Agama Islam di Negara Brunei Darussalam.

NDP menegaskan sekali lagi ikrarnya akan rebah bangun bersama Kebawah DYMM mempertahankan syariat Islam di Negara Brunei Darussalam.


DAULAT KEBAWAH DULI TUAN PATIK

Mahmud Morshidi Othman
Presiden NDP
Limbaruh Hijau
Spg 323, Jln Jerudong,
Brunei Darussalam.
28 JANUARI 2014M / 26 RABIULAWAL 1435H

Floods hit 6,000 residents; 1,000 houses affected

Rabiatul Kamit
TUTONG

LATEST figures from the Incident Command Post in Lamunin, Tutong, showed an estimated 871 houses were affected by the flooding and another 155 swamped with floodwater as the deluge continues to hammer the district.

As many as 5,847 residents have been affected, while 51 people were evacuated from their homes and relocated to temporary shelters.

Although floodwater level subsided slightly yesterday, many roads in low-lying areas were still submerged and inaccessible to the public, leaving residents stranded at their homes. Electricity has also been disconnected in areas where substations were damaged by the flooding.

“It’s the worst flooding we’ve experienced in years,” said the Station Commander of the Lamunin Fire Station, Yong Fook Ching.

Meanwhile, the Incident Command Post set up at the Lamunin Fire Station remains on alert as authorities carry out relief efforts around-the-clock with over a hundred uniformed personnel from the Fire and Rescue Department, Royal Brunei Armed Forces (RBAF) and Royal Brunei Police Force (RBPF).

The post also saw support from the Tutong District Office and volunteers from various NGOs, who have pooled their resources to help the flood victims.

Up to 10 vehicles and 10 boats have been deployed by the RBAF to deliver aid as well as transport residents across the floodwater.

The Brunei Times joined a military truck in the afternoon as personnel from multiple agencies worked together to hand out cooked food and water to residents in Kg Panchong.

It took several hours for the military truck to reach nearly all 38 houses in the village, where 480 locals and foreigners reside.

Grounded by the flooding, residents were seen eagerly waiting for the authorities to deliver them food rations three times a day for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Residents in a flooded house in Kg Panchong waiting for authorities to deliver food rations yesterday

Aid is crucial as many of the flood victims are facing dwindling food supplies and gas at home.

Not all residents received their dinner, however, as the food rations ran out towards the end of the delivery.

By nighttime, the military truck headed back to the Incident Command Post to report the food shortage.

It is unclear if more food rations were eventually delivered for dinner to the remaining residents in Kg Panchong.

Elsewhere in the flood-stricken district, authorities as well as volunteers travelled by boat to hand over aid to the flood victims.

According to the Tutong District Disaster Management Centre, the situation is under control as they are maintaining a high level of readiness.

The rainy season will last for a few more months as Brunei transits to the Northeast Monsoon from December to March.

Unsettled weather conditions with occasional afternoon or evening heavy showers and thundershowers are expected to occur throughout the season.


Dipetik dari - The Brunei Times

The Free Trade Agreement Of Your Nightmares

By Sean Dugan

Twelve nations, including the United States, are currently negotiating what may be the largest trade agreement ever conceived, and they’re doing under a cloak of complete secrecy. The Trans-Pacific Partnership is a free trade agreement between the nations of the United States, Canada, Mexico, Japan, Malaysia, Vietnam, Peru, Australia, Singapore, New Zealand, Chile, and Brunei (Note: as of late 2013, both South Korea and Taiwan have also expressed interest in joining). Twenty separate rounds of negotiations have been held since March 2010, and still continue today. Transcripts from these meetings do not exist and watchdog groups are growing more and more fearful of what may emerge.

Recently however, Wikileaks published two separate draft chapters from these negotiations: one on intellectual property, the other on the environment. These releases confirmed some fears – that the creation of a free trade zone is primarily for the benefit of large multinational corporations, and not for the general public.

Although the majority of the TPP is still unknown, several aspects – uncovered by the Wikileaks publications – raise suspicions. We examine only some in detail then return to the issue of the methodology employed by the Obama Administration and Congress in seeking to pass this trade agreement.

Generic Drugs and Patents

The draft chapter on intellectual property suggests terms that would allow major pharmaceutical companies to more easily obtain patents while simultaneously strengthening their current patents. However, several congressional representatives as well as Medicins Sans Frontiers and other NGOs have expressed concerns that cheaper generic drugs would be precluded by the terms of the TPP. The effects would not necessarily be felt as dramatically in the developed country signatories. Instead, a greater burden would be shouldered by nations like Vietnam whose population is dependent on cheaper but equally effective generic brands.

Notably, the United States is pushing for the following term: “Patents shall be available for any new forms, uses, or methods of using a known product; and [these] may satisfy the criteria for patentability, even if such invention does not result in the enhancement of the known efficacy of the product” (emphasis added). This language would allow for what is known as “evergreening,” a process that allows for minor alterations to “name brand” drugs and which extends the length of the patent, preserving the pharmaceutical company’s monopoly.

Consider the following example: Company A – a big pharmaceutical company based in the U.S. – patents a drug in 2014 that prevents a carrier of HIV from spreading it to others, making it noncommunicable. They receive a patent providing them with a 20-year monopoly, and reach profitability. However, in 2033, Company A makes a slight adjustment to the formula which does not, in any way, change the efficacy of the drug: It does not improve the drug in any way. Under the terms of the TPP’s intellectual property chapter, the company can now extend their patent for additional years. This prevents the creation of generic drugs, which are more readily accessible to poorer individuals, while simultaneously removing the ability of nations like Vietnam to change their patent structures.

Investor State Dispute Resolutions

Perhaps the most boring phrase in the history of boring phrases, “investor state dispute resolutions,” is actually terrifying both in its effects and future implications. ISDR allows corporations to sue sovereign nations, an extra-legal right that provides corporations the ability to undo democratic laws.

The recent example of Eli Lilly suing Canada is a prime example of the effects of ISDR. This past September, Eli Lilly – a global pharmaceutical company based out of Indiana – filed a $500 million lawsuit against Canada for the country’s allegedly wrongful invalidation of two Eli Lilly patents. The suit was brought under NAFTA and alleged that Canada, by invalidating the patents, had broken the terms of the treaty by unfairly treating their investment – i.e. the patents. The two patents – one for Zyprexa, an anti-psychotic, the other for Stratera, used to treat ADHD – were found to have no proven utility. Both cases were adjudicated fully within Canada’s court system. But when the Supreme Court of Canada refused to hear the case, Eli Lilly moved to have the case completely removed from Canada’s judiciary to an arbitration tribunal that will decide the case.

Here’s why this is important: If successful, Eli Lilly will have successfully bypassed Canada’s court system and removed ultimate decision-making about the granting of patents from Canada to an international arbitration group of three. A pharmaceutical company will diminish Canada’s sovereignty and subsequently open all participating nations within NAFTA to similar treatment by international corporations. Any health regulation, environmental regulation, civil rights legislation, or intellectual property decision reached via democratic processes by elected legislators could be undone. This is a substantial development under NAFTA, and the same language that allows Eli Lilly to sue Canada is being pushed by the United States for inclusion in the TPP.

Fast-Track Legislation

The most worrisome aspect of the TPP is procedural. The free trade agreement, as mentioned above, is and has been conducted in complete secrecy. But for Wikileaks publishing two chapters of the draft agreement, little would be known. Even members of Congress are being kept out of the loop. Senator Ron Wyden of Oregon introduced S. 3225 on the senate floor back in 2012, requesting that the US Trade Representative disclose TPP documents to Congress. This bill was moved to the finance committee where it has sat dormantly since the day it was introduced (May 23, 2012). That same day, Senator Wyden stated:

“The majority of Congress is being kept in the dark as to the substance of the TPP negotiations, while representatives of U.S. corporations – like Halliburton, Chevron, PHRMA, Comcast, and the Motion Picture Association of America – are being consulted and made privy to details of the agreement. . . . More than two months after receiving the proper security credentials, my staff is still barred from viewing the details of the proposals that USTR is advancing.”

The Obama Administration is seeking to fast-track the legislation through both houses of Congress. Free trade agreements are considered “congressional-executive agreements” and do not require a two-thirds majority in the Senate for validation; only simple majorities in both chambers of Congress are needed. Under the Trade Act of 1974, Congress can provide authority to the Obama Administration to fast track the agreement. The administration would introduce that agreement on the floor of both the senate and house. There would be minimal debate, no amendments would be permitted, and the bill would be voted on within 90 days.

Conclusion

There are a number of other critical concerns about the TPP that were not discussed above. These include cell phone unlocking, increased ISP liability with respect to copyright infringement, data privacy concerns, and projected impact upon American employees. It should be stressed that the most pressing aspect of the TPP is the complete lack of transparency. It is difficult for watchdog groups to examine the trade agreement if it is passed in secret. The concerns raised about the TPP are warranted and deserve a complete public and legislative vetting, not a 90-day fast tracked legislative formality.


Dipetik dari - Article 3

Concerns over Brunei's new Syariah penal code

The International Commission of Jurists says Brunei Darussalam's new penal code is a blueprint for human rights violations.

The ICJ has written to the government of Brunei, stressing that the Syariah Penal Code is incompatible with international human rights law.

ASEAN member Brunei enacted its 2013 penal code last October, scheduled to take effect in April.

The revised laws criminalise adultery, extra-marital affairs, consensual gay sex and also re-introduced the death penalty after years of an effective moratorium.

Presenter: Sen Lam

Speaker: Emerlynne Gil, international legal advisor for Southeast Asia, International Commission of Jurists

GIL: It contains several provisions, which we feel violate the obligations of Brunei under international law. It allows the imposition of the death penalty, and other penalties that constitute torture, or other cruel, inhumane or degrading treatment.

It continues to criminalise adultery, extra-marital sexual relations and sodomy, which is in violation of international human rights laws and standards. And it also discriminates against women. And finally, it violates the right to religious freedom, freedom of opinion and freedom of expression.

LAM: Is it not a fact that many Southeast Asian nations with capital punishment in their law books, rarely carry them out?

GIL: That's true. Brunei has not implemented the death penalty since 1957 and had until now, generally been viewed as having abolished the death penalty de facto. The other two countries that are viewed as de facto abolitionists, or have not implemented the death penalty for several years in southeast Asia are Myanmar and Laos.

In general, these three countries have been viewed as de facto abolitionists, but in southeast Asia, alot still retain the death penalty. You have Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam, Singapore.. so you can't really say that in southeast Asia the practice is de facto abolitionist - half of the countries in southeast Asia still implement the death penalty.

LAM: But as you pointed out, Brunei has not carried out the death penalty since 1957, so isn't that proof that the country does not favour capital punishment as a deterrence?

GIL: That's true, but what is actually of specific concern to us, is that this new law that they're enacting, firmly entrenches the death penalty in its legal system. In fact, the death penalty, the manner by which the death penalty is imposed in the new law, is stoning to death. So that's very, very concerning for us.

We were very surprised that an ASEAN member is doing this, especially at this point in time, where the ASEAN is trying to demonstrate to the international community that it is able to develop human rights standards. And this definitely is a setback, not only for Brunei, but for the entire region.

LAM: And the ICJ is also particularly concerned about what the penal code might mean for women in Brunei - why are women particularly vulnerable under this new code?

GIL: The code does proscribe that stoning to death applies, regardless of whether the offender is male or female. However, studies have shown that in countries where stoning is still imposed, women face more risks of receiving this penalty because they are most likely to be found guilt of adultery or having engaged in extramarital sexual relations. This is because of the institutionalisation of gender discrimination in the laws. Women are more likely to receive the penalty of stoning to death because for instance, there is the visible evidence of pregnancy, so because of this very visible evidence, women are more easily found to have engaged in extramarital relations, or having committed adultery. It could also be because of the difficulty in proving a rape, and prosecuting rapists. The nature of the crime which more often than not, would have no witnesses and involves only two people. So because of this, women are most likely to receive this type of penalty.

LAM: ASEAN has had a longstanding policy of non-interference in each other's affairs, and Bandar Seri Begawan or Brunei, may well see your letter as interference. Do you expect a response from the Brunei government?

GIL: We do. The ICJ always encourages dialogues with governments on these kinds of issues. We will try as much as possible to continue engaging with them, to seek a response and also not only from Bandar Seri Begawan, but also from ASEAN, to see if ASEAN can look at this issue, which is really not only an issue in Brunei, but an issue in the region.

I think there's a great chance that we will be able to have some sort of communication with them. We have also circulated this letter among the ASEAN members, and also representatives of Brunei to the AICHR - the ASEAN Inter-governmental Commission and Human Rights - as well as Brunei's representative to the ASEAN Commission on Women and Children.


Dipetik dari - ABC Radio Australia

Musibah adalah ketentuan Allah SWT

Setiap manusia yang ada di muka bumi ini pasti akan mengalami ujian dalam kehidupan. Ujian hidup ini bermacam ragam bentuk dan rupanya, ada yang ringan dan ada pula yang berat.

Musibah adalah suatu kejadian yang tidak dikehendaki dan terjadi di luar dugaan manusia dan perkara tersebut sebenarnya adalah suatu ketentuan Allah kepada hamba-hamba-Nya. Allah berfirman:

“Tidak ada sesuatu kesusahan (atau bala bencana) yang ditimpakan di bumi, dan tidak juga yang menimpa diri kamu, melainkan telah sedia ada di dalam Kitab (pengetahuan Kami) sebelum Kami menjadikannya; sesungguhnya mengadakan yang demikian itu adalah mudah bagi Allah.” [Al Hadiid: 22]

Adapun musibah yang berlaku adalah kerana ketentuan Allah SWT, tetapi antara puncanya adalah akibat kesalahan manusia itu sendiri. Musibah yang terjadi mungkin sebagai satu bentuk azab dan hukuman atas kemaksiatan, kedurhakaan dan kelalaian kepada Allah SWT dan rasulNya.

Firman Allah SWT,

“Apa jua kebaikan (nikmat kesenangan) yang engkau dapati maka ia adalah dari Allah; dan apa jua bencana yang menimpamu maka ia adalah dari (kesalahan) dirimu sendiri” [An Nisa`: 79]

“Kemudian jika mereka berpaling (enggan menerima hukum Allah itu), maka ketahuilah, hanyasanya Allah mahu menyeksa mereka dengan sebab setengah dari dosa-dosa mereka; dan sesungguhnya kebanyakan dari umat manusia itu adalah orang-orang yang fasik.” [Al Maidah: 49]

Sungguhpun demikian, ada kemungkinan musibah yang berlaku itu sebenarnya ada nilai baik, kerana di sebalik keburukan terdapat hikmah atau pelajaran yang dapat kita ambil.

Firman Allah SWT,

“Dan apa jua yang menimpa kamu dari sesuatu kesusahan (atau bala bencana), maka ia adalah disebabkan apa yang kamu lakukan (dari perbuatan-perbuatan yang salah dan berdosa); dan (dalam pada itu) Allah memaafkan sebahagian besar dari dosa-dosa kamu.” [Asy Syura: 30]

“Demi sesungguhnya! Kami akan menguji kamu dengan sedikit perasaan takut (kepada musuh) dan (dengan merasai) kelaparan, dan (dengan berlakunya) kekurangan dari harta benda dan jiwa serta hasil tanaman. Dan berilah khabar gembira kepada orang-orang yang sabar: (Iaitu) orang-orang yang apabila mereka ditimpa oleh sesuatu kesusahan, mereka berkata: 'Sesungguhnya kami adalah kepunyaan Allah dan kepada Allah jualah kami kembali'. Mereka itu ialah orang-orang yang dilimpahi dengan berbagai-bagai kebaikan dari Tuhan mereka serta rahmatNya; dan mereka itulah orang-orang yang dapat petunjuk hidayahNya.” [Al Baqarah: 155-157]

Ini bermakna bahawa musibah yang menimpa juga merupakan satu bentuk ujian kepada golongan mukmin dan bisa menjadi penghapus kepada dosa-dosa yang dilakukan.

Seorang mukmin hendaklah tetap bersabar terhadap takdir Allah SWT dan bertaqwa kepada-Nya agar mendapatkan pengampunan dari Allah.

Rasulullah SAW bersabda,

“Tidaklah kelelahan, penyakit, gelisah, duka, dan kesedihan menimpa seorang Muslim bahkan sekadar duri yang menusuk kulitnya, melainkan Allah menjadikan semua itu sebagai penebus kesalahan-kesalahannya.” [Riwayat Bukhari dan Muslim]

Yang paling dituntut adalah kesedaran dan rasa insaf atas segala kesalahan yang telah kita lakukan. Di samping itu kita wajib redha dan berfikir positif kerana musibah yang menimpa itu juga merupakan penyegeraan hukuman di dunia sebagai pengganti dari hukuman yang lebih berat di akhirat.

Rasulullah SAW bersabda,

“Apabila Allah menghendaki kebaikan kepada hamba-Nya maka Dia akan menyegerakan hukuman baginya di dunia. Apabila Allah menghendaki kejelekan kepada hamba-Nya maka Dia akan menunda hukuman akibat dosanya hingga ditunaikan pada hari kiamat.” [Riwayat At Tirmidzi]

Semoga bermanfaat. Wallahu a'lam.

Chinese ships patrol area contested by Malaysia

Three Chinese ships on Sunday patrolled the James Shoal, an area also claimed by Malaysia, and soldiers and officers on board swore to safeguard its sovereignty, in the latest sign of Beijing’s territorial assertiveness in the South China Sea.

The group was made up of an amphibious landing craft, the Changbaishan, and two destroyers, state news agency Xinhua said.

“During the ceremony held in the Zengmu Reef area, soldiers and officers aboard swore an oath of determination to safeguard the country’s sovereignty and maritime interests,” Xinhua said. Zengmu Reef is the Chinese term for James Shoal.

Xinhua said the fleet commander Jiang Weilie “urged soldiers and officers to always be prepared to fight, improve combat capabilities and lead the forces to help build the country into a maritime power”.

China is in an increasingly angry dispute with its neighbours over claims to parts of the potentially oil and gas-rich South China Sea. China lays claim to almost the whole of the sea, which is criss-crossed by crucial shipping lanes.

Beijing regards the James Shoal as the southernmost part of the country’s territory.

Last March, Malaysia protested against the incursion of four Chinese ships in James Shoal, about 80 km off Sarawak on Borneo island. Chinese sailors fired guns in the air during the visit to the shoal. In April, a Chinese maritime surveillance ship returned to James Shoal to leave behind steel markers to assert its claim.

China upset the Philippines and the United States this month when rules went into force demanding fishing boats seek permission to enter waters under the jurisdiction of China’s southern province of Hainan, an area the provincial government says covers much of the South China Sea.

Vietnam, Taiwan, Brunei, Malaysia and the Philippines also claim other parts of the South China Sea. China has a separate dispute with Japan in the East China Sea.


Dipetik dari - South China Morning Post

Philippines, rebels see final peace deal in weeks

Miriam Coronel Ferrer (L), chairperson of the Philippines government negotiating panel
for peace talks with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, exchanges documents with MILF
Chief Negotiator Mohagher Iqbal, in Kuala Lumpur, on January 25, 2014

Manila (AFP) - The Philippine government and the country's main Muslim rebel group said Sunday they hoped to sign within weeks a final peace deal to end decades of deadly insurgency after clearing the last hurdle in 18 years of negotiations.

A "comprehensive agreement" with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) should be signed in February or March, Manila's chief negotiator Miriam Coronel-Ferrer told AFP, following a breakthrough announced on Saturday.

"We have just been discussing the next steps and our goal is to be able to get a good schedule for that," she said from the Malaysian capital Kuala Lumpur where the last round of talks was held.

"We have set a time frame of between February and March," she added.

The talks that began in 1996 with the 12,000-strong MILF are aimed at ending an insurgency in the country's south that has left an estimated 150,000 people dead since the 1970s.

On Saturday, both sides agreed on a "normalisation" deal detailing how the rebels will hand over their weapons and the creation of a security force to police what will be a self-ruled Muslim region

Both sides had previously signed deals on power-sharing, taxation and governance, but the last agreement was more sensitive because the MILF had repeatedly warned it would not lay down its arms unless other threat groups in the south were disarmed.

After the final deal is signed, President Benigno Aquino is expected to sign a "basic law" for the creation of a new autonomous region for the Muslims.

This would then be passed to Congress, and subjected to a referendum, with Aquino hoping to have it completed by the time he ends his six-year term in 2016.

Long years of insurgency have left much of the southern region of Mindanao volatile, with a proliferation of unlicensed firearms in the hands of other armed groups, including Al Qaeda-linked militants and offshoots that are opposed to the talks.

But Ferrer said that to thwart any possible armed challenges, a joint security group composed of MILF fighters and government forces would be tasked to patrol the areas to be covered during the transition phase.

"There will always be contrarians, but as far as the partnership between the MILF and the government is concerned, we have mechanisms that will allow us to address peace and order concerns more effectively," Ferrer said.

She did not specify any group, but the toughest challenge to the peace deal came in September, when hundreds of supporters of rebel leader Nur Misuari laid siege to a key southern port city, leaving more than 240 dead in three weeks of fighting.

Misuari, who remains at large, founded the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF), from which the MILF splintered in the late 1970s.

MILF vice chairman for political affairs, Ghazali Jaafar, told AFP Sunday that the rebels were "ecstatic" over the new development but said much work remained to be done.

"The next step is that we will have to talk about the final wording of the comprehensive compact agreement," he said. "Meantime, a transitional commission will have to start drafting the basic law to be sent to Congress."

He said he believed a final deal would be in place "soon" but that some members of Congress in the mainly Catholic country may oppose the agreement.

Ferrer however said the peace process was "on track" to meet Aquino's deadline.

"We believe the majority of our people and our decision- and opinion-makers are on our side," she said.

The United States, Japan and the Europan Union were also upbeat about the breakthrough, calling it a historic moment that could finally bring peace to the region.

"This agreement offers the promise of peace, security, and economic prosperity now and for future generations in Mindanao," US Secretary of State John Kerry said in a statement. - AFP


Dipetik dari - The Star Online

Kemerdekaan Menurut Islam

Salah satu hak setiap bangsa, golongan, masyarakat atau peribadi iaitu hak mendapatkan kemerdekaan lahir dan batin. Lalu, bagaimanakah kemerdekaan menurut Islam?

Sebagaimana kita ketahui bahwa Allah SWT telah menjadikan manusia sebagai makhluk yang mulia dan utama, hal ini disebutkan dalam Al-Quran surat Al-Isra ayat 70.

“Dan sesungguhnya Kami telah memuliakan anak-anak Adam; dan Kami telah beri mereka menggunakan berbagai-bagai kenderaan di darat dan di laut; dan Kami telah memberikan rezeki kepada mereka dari benda-benda yang baik-baik serta Kami telah lebihkan mereka dengan selebih-lebihnya atas banyak makhluk-makhluk yang telah Kami ciptakan.”

Kerana manusia makhluk yang dimuliakan oleh Allah SWT dan supaya tetap bisa mempertahankan kemuliaannya, maka Allah SWT memberikan berbagai hak dan kewajiban kepada manusia. Di antara begitu banyak hak manusia, salah satunya adalah hak untuk mendapatkan kemerdekaan baik lahiriah maupun batiniah.

Kemerdekaan yang dimaksud harus meliputi jaminan kepada hak-hak jasmaniah dan rohaniah, seperti kemerdekaan hidup, kemerdekaan agama, kemerdekaan harta, kemerdekaan tempat tinggal, kemerdekaan mengemukakan pendapat dan sebagainya.


Kemerdekaan Hidup

Nyawa merupakan kurnia Allah SWT yang paling bernilai yang diberikan kepada manusia. Oleh kerana itu perlu adanya jaminan hukum agar kemerdekaan dan keselamatannya bisa terjamin. Bahkan bukan hanya nyawa yang harus mendapat jaminan tapi semua anggota badan harus mendapat jaminan keselamatan dari segala hal yang akan merosakkannya.

Supaya manusia leluasa menjalankan hidupnya di dunia ini, Islam memberi aturan yang keras berupa larangan membunuh, baik bunuh diri (An-Nisa : 29) atau membunuh orang lain (Al-Isra : 33). Bagi yang melanggar larangan tersebut, hukum qisas-lah yang berlaku iaitu hukum pembalasan yang setimpal sebagai jaminan untuk menjaga nyawa manusia dari pembunuhan atau penganiayaan, namun semuanya itu tentu harus dijalankan menurut aturan hukum, iaitu melalui keputusan hakim, bukan menurut kehendak sendiri-sendiri.


Kemerdekaan Agama

Kemerdekaan agama merupakan hak azasi manusia yang sangat penting. Seorang manusia harus merasa bebas dan merdeka untuk memilih agamanya menurut kehendaknya sendiri tanpa adanya paksaan atau ancaman dari orang lain.

Bagaimana menurut Islam? Mari kita perhatikan firman Allah SWT

“Tidak ada paksaan dalam ugama (Islam), kerana sesungguhnya telah nyata kebenaran (Islam) dari kesesatan (kufur). Oleh itu, sesiapa yang tidak percayakan Taghut, dan ia pula beriman kepada Allah, maka sesungguhnya ia telah berpegang kepada simpulan (tali ugama) yang teguh yang tidak akan putus. Dan (ingatlah), Allah Maha Mendengar, lagi Maha Mengetahui.” (Al-Baqarah : 256)

Dalam ayat lain disebutkan:

“Dan jika Tuhanmu menghendaki nescaya berimanlah sekalian manusia yang ada di bumi. Maka patutkah engkau pula hendak memaksa manusia supaya mereka menjadi orang-orang yang beriman?” (Yunus : 99)

Islam memang memerintahkan agar umatnya melaksanakan dakwah iaitu mengajak orang lain untuk masuk Islam, namun dakwah tersebut sama sekali tidak boleh dilakukan dengan kekerasan, kekuasaan atau paksaan. Allah SWT telah menggariskan, dakwah itu harus dengan 3 cara yaitu : 1. Bijaksana, 2. Pelajaran dan penerangan, dan 3. Tukar pendapat atau diskusi.

Sebagaimana firman-Nya :

“Serulah ke jalan Tuhanmu dengan hikmat kebijaksanaan dan nasihat pengajaran yang baik, dan berbahaslah dengan mereka dengan cara yang lebih baik; sesungguhnya Tuhanmu Dia lah jua yang lebih mengetahui akan orang yang sesat dari jalanNya, dan Dia lah jua yang lebih mengetahui akan orang-orang yang mendapat hidayah petunjuk.” (An-Nahl : 125)

Kewajiban seorang muslim hanya sekedar menyampaikan saja, adapun mau turut atau tidaknya tergantung kepada kesedaran yang menerimanya, juga tergantung ada dan tidaknya hidayah dari Allah SWT. Salah, apabila umat Islam tidak mau mengajak dan tidak dosa hukumnya apabila yang diajak itu tidak mau menurut.


Kemerdekaan Harta

Baru terasa hidup merdeka dan tenteram hati apabila memiliki harta yang dijamin oleh aturan atau undang-undang. Sepi dari pencuri, sunyi dari perompak merupakan harapan semua manusia terutama yang memiliki banyak harta.

Oleh kerana itu Islam memberi aturan yang berat dengan cara menjatuhkan hukuman potong tangan bagi setiap pencuri yang memenuhi syarat-syarat potong tangan. Maksudnya tiada lain agar keselamatan harta dan kemerdekaan memiliki harta yang menjadi harapan semua bisa terwujud.

Begitu pun Islam mengajarkan umatnya, bagaimana cara memiliki dan mencari harta. Seorang muslim dilarang untuk mencari harta dengan cara menipu, korupsi, mencuri dan lain sebagainya. Secara umum diterangkan oleh Allah SWT dalam Al-Quran surat Al-Baqarah ayat 188 :

“Dan janganlah kamu makan (atau mengambil) harta (orang-orang lain) di antara kamu dengan jalan yang salah, dan jangan pula kamu menghulurkan harta kamu (memberi rasuah) kepada hakim-hakim kerana hendak memakan (atau mengambil) sebahagian dari harta manusia dengan (berbuat) dosa, padahal kamu mengetahui (salahnya).”

Kemerdekaan Mengemukakan Pendapat

Kemerdekaan mengemukakan pendapat dalam Islam dikaitkan dalam saling menasihati yang merupakan pokok agama Islam. Nabi Muhammad SAW berkata bahwa Agama adalah Nasihat, termasuk nasihat kepada pemimpin kaum muslimin.

Sabda Nabi Muhammad SAW, “Jangan melarang seseorang memberikan hak kepada manusia untuk mengatakan kebenaran jika dia mengetahuinya.”  Dilihat dari apa yang dicontohkan Nabi Muhammad SAW terlihat bahawa Islam adalah agama yang menjunjung tinggi mengemukakan pendapat.

Pada zaman khalifah Umar bin Khattab, ada seorang wanita yang menyampaikan pendapat pada khalifah dengan menolak pendapat khalifah, dan Umar sebagai khalifah tidak melarang wanita tersebut mengeluarkan pendapat.

Bagaimana dengan amalan kebebasan berpendapat umat muslim saat ini? Di negara demokrasi, sebahagian umat Islam memadukan ajaran Nabi Muhammad SAW tentang kebebasan berpendapat dengan demokrasi. Padahal sungguh berbeza kebebasan pendapat pada demokrasi dan kebebasan pendapat dalam Islam. Dalam demokrasi semua hal dapat diperdebatkan, dalam suatu forum mengemukakan pendapat seseuatu yang haram dalam agama boleh diputuskan sah dilakukan, dan sebaliknya sesuatu yang halal dapat menjadi haram.

Berbeza dalam Islam, mengemukakan pendapat, bermusyawarah hanya boleh untuk urusan yang mubah. Sedang sesuatu yang sudah ditetapkan hukum syara' tidak diperbolehkan untuk diperdebatkan, diundi dan diputuskan hasil akhirnya dengan suara terbanyak. Sedangkan masalah teknologi Islam menyuruh umatnya untuk menyerahkan pada ahlinya.

Hal ini berdasar dalil Al-Quran,

“Dan hendaklah engkau menjalankan hukum di antara mereka dengan apa yang telah diturunkan oleh Allah dan janganlah engkau menurut kehendak hawa nafsu mereka, dan berjaga-jagalah supaya mereka tidak memesongkanmu dari sesuatu hukum yang telah diturunkan oleh Allah kepadamu. Kemudian jika mereka berpaling (enggan menerima hukum Allah itu), maka ketahuilah, hanyasanya Allah mahu menyeksa mereka dengan sebab setengah dari dosa-dosa mereka; dan sesungguhnya kebanyakan dari umat manusia itu adalah orang-orang yang fasik.” (Al-Maidah : 49).

Namun perlu diketahui bahwa kebebasan berpendapat tidaklah bersifat mutlak tanpa batasan. Kebebasan ini tetap mempunyai batasan-batasan, antara lain:

• Didasarkan atas iktikad yang baik dan niat yang tulus.
• Tidak boleh ditujukan untuk menjatuhkan pihak lain, membuka aib-aib orang lain, memprovokasi dan mengadu domba, atau sekadar untuk mencari populariti.
• Tidak bertentangan dengan asas-asas ajaran Islam.
• Hendaknya disampaikan dengan akhlaq (etika) yang baik.

Kemerdekaan Bertempat Tinggal

Dalam Islam setiap orang memiliki kemerdekaan bertempat tinggal dan menjadikan tempat tinggalnya itu sebagai kawasan peribadinya. Allah SWT berfirman,

“Wahai orang-orang yang beriman, janganlah kamu masuk ke dalam mana-mana rumah yang bukan rumah kamu, sehingga kamu lebih dahulu meminta izin serta memberi salam kepada penduduknya; yang demikian adalah lebih baik bagi kamu, supaya kamu beringat. Maka sekiranya kamu tidak mendapati sesiapa (yang berhak memberi izin) maka janganlah masuk ke dalam rumah itu sehingga kamu diberi izin; dan jika dikatakan kepada kamu "baliklah", maka hendaklah kamu berundur balik; cara yang demikian adalah lebih suci bagi kamu; dan (ingatlah) Allah Maha Mengetahui akan apa yang kamu lakukan.” (Al-Nur: 27-28).

Demikianlah sedikit mengenai kemerdekaan menurut ajaran Islam. Semoga bermanfaat.


Dipetik (dengan ubah suai) dari - Dawaihati

NDP Menyusuri Sungai Hantar Bantuan Banjir

TUTONG , 23 Januari 2014 : Kejadian hujan berlarutan sejak bulan Disember tahun lepas hingga kini   telah menyebabkan beberapa buah mukim di negara ini telah mengalami banjir dan tanah susur. Antara daerah yang terjejas terus ialah daerah Tutong yang melibatkan beratus-ratus buah rumah di mukim-mukim Tanjung Maya, Ukong dan Lamunin terlibat dalam kejadian banjir itu.

Kerja-kerja memunggah barang-barang bantuan sedang dilakukan sebelum dihatar menggunakan bot ke kawasan-kawasan terjejas. Timbalan presiden NDP Saudara Hj Juneed Ramli (berbaju jeket coklat) sedang membantu kerja memunggah sementara Ketua Biro Penerang Saudara Ahnad Hj Timpus menyambut punggahan ke atas perahu.

Rombongan NDP yang diketuai oleh Presiden Parti Tuan Yang Terutama  Sdra. Mahmud Morshidi memulakan misi menghantar bantuan barangan makanan kepada mangsa-mangsa banjir di daerah Tutong dalam siri  amal ke  beberapa buah kampong yang terlibat dalam banjir berkenaan dengan menaiki dua buah boat sambil membawa sumbangan barang-barang keperluan harian untuk diagih-aghkan kepada penduduk yang terlibat banjir khususnya ahli-ahli  NDP serta jiran-jiran mereka.

Rombongan tersebut turut disertai oleh TYT. Timbalan Presiden Sdra. Juned Ramli, ahli Lembaga Penasihat Sdra. Hj. Ismail Hj. Ibrahim, ahli Majlis Eksekutif Pusat Pg. Nuurul Azadah Pg. Dato Hj. Abu Bakar, Sdra. Cikgu Hj. Mohd. Ali bin Hj. Mohd. Yusof serta beberapa orang ahli Majlis Tertinggi .

Dua buah perahu yang disewa khas yang  membawa rombongan dan barang-barang bantuan yang bertolak dari pengkalan dekat  Kampong Penapar  Mukim Tanjung Maya menuju ke Kampong Ukong menyusuri Sungai Tutong. Sepanjang perjalanan itu  rombongan NDP dapat meyaksikan rumah-rumah yang ditenggelami air terutama yang didirikan di tebing sepanjang laluan.

Persinggahan pertama ialah di rumah salah seorang ahli Lembaga Penasihat Sdra. Abdullah Bohjau bin Bundan yang rumahnya juga turut dimasuki air. Menurut beliau rumah itu jarang-jarang mengalami banjir demikian tetapi banjir kali itu paras air sungai di situ tinggi dan lambat turun. Memandangkan rumah beliau berkeadaan demikian, penyerahan  bantuan dilakukan di rumah Sdra. Binchin bin Bundan salah seorang ahli NDP.

TYT. Presiden semasa majlis penyerahan bantuan itu terlebih dahulu mengucapkan terima kasih kepada tuan rumah kerana kesudian beliau membenarkan rumahnya digunakan sebagi pusat sementara pengagihan bantuan.  TYT. Presiden seterusnya melahirkan simpeti kepada mangsa-mangsa banjir  yang selalu ditimpa musibah berkenaan. Kedatangan rombongan NDP itu adalah atas rasa menzahirkan setiakawan dan melaksanakan tanggungjawab amal dan sosial NDP kepada yang terlibat sama ada ahli NDP atau bukan ahli atas dasar peri kemanusiaan.

TYT. Presiden seterusnya memaklumkan bahawa misi bantuan kedua akan menyusul lagi selepas ini kerana kesukaran untuk mendapatkan boat yang akan di sewa membawa bantuan.

Beliau juga menyentuh akan kejadian banjir yang sering melanda kawasan berkenaan dengan menyeru kepada pihak yang berkenaan supaya melihat jalan keluar yang panjang, bukan hanya sekadar membuat lawatan dan memberikan bantuan berulang-ulang apabila berlaku musibah berkenaan. "Kita amat perihatin dan sedih apabila melihat keadaan banjir berkenaan yang menjejaskan produktibiti penduduk apabila tanaman mereka musnah, ikan-ikan di kolam lepas keluar" Beliau seterusnya menambah " Mengingatkan musibah sebegini sering melanda kawasan ini, kita dalam NDP telah  mengusulkan dalam Kongres Agung Tahunan Ke-3 pada tahun 2008 supaya pihak kerajaan menangani masalah ini secara menyeluruh. Selain itu NDP juga melalui Kongres Agung Tahunan seterusnya juga mengusulkan  supaya menjadikan kawasan berdekatan sekitar Ukong dijadikan ladang rumbia yang akan dikenali dengan nama Lembah Ukong"

NDP akan berterusan  mengawasi perkembangan banjir yang melanda di situ khususnya dan di mana mana kawasan jua di negeri ini serta cuba memberi bantuan bagi meringankan bebenan yang ditanggung oleh mangsa banjir

Sumbangan tersebut dilakukan atas kesungguhan dan keprihatinan ahli NDP melihat kesusahan yang ditanggung oleh mangsa banjir.

Diakhir lawatan TYT mengucapkan terima kasih kepada ahli-ahli rombongan  yang turut bersama-sama dalam membantu meringankan bebenan mangsa banjir.

Brunei’s labour growth seen slowing

Al-Haadi Abu Bakar
BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN

THE growth in Brunei’s labour force is expected to slow down in the next five years, a report from the International Labour Organisation (ILO) shows.

In the ‘Global Employment Trends 2014: The Risk of a Jobless Recovery’, ILO forecasts Brunei’s labour force annual growth rates to be at 1.46 per cent between 2015 to 2020, slower than the 1.88 per cent between 2010 to 2014.

Brunei joins ASEAN member countries that will see a slowdown in projected labour growth.

The report said that the labour force growth for Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia and the Philippines will continue to grow relatively rapidly at above 1.5 per cent per year, while countries such as Myanmar, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam will face a notable slowdown in labour force growth to less than 1 per cent per year.

“Such disparity in labour force growth and diverse employment opportunities within the region, in addition to considerable income differences, among others, leads to both push and pull factors for workers to move across borders,” ILO said in the report.

The report added that improved labour market information systems, a cross-country skills recognition framework and job placement mechanisms at the country and the regional levels would benefit both the economies and the workers within the ASEAN sub-region.

The report also revealed that the region faces high risks of natural disasters which in turn pose risks on sustaining livelihoods and employment.

In 2012, almost half of the 15 most risk-prone countries were found in Southeast Asia and the Pacific region, the report said.

“This poses additional challenges of being prepared at the policy, institutional, community and individual levels to cope with the livelihood consequences during and after the natural disasters,” the report said.

The 2014 Global Employment Trends report offers the latest global and regional information and projections on several indicators of the labour market, including employment, unemployment, working poverty and vulnerable employment.

The study said that global unemployment rates continue to rise despite modest growth in the world economy, with about 202 million people worldwide reportedly unemployed in 2013, an increase of close to five million from 2012.

In Southeast Asia and the Pacific, economic and labour market developments face considerable risks from the faltering global economy, the report added.

ILO in the report said the ASEAN Economic Community 2015 will present both opportunities and challenges for member countries in terms of growth prospects across different sectors, shifting trade patterns, the need to nurture comparative advantage within each country, skills mismatches and their implications for the labour market.

“In particular, a freer flow of labour is envisioned within the ASEAN community, signalling both new opportunities and challenges for jobseekers,” the report said.


Dipetik dari - The Brunei Times

Gov’t, MILF start ‘last round’ of peace negotiations in Kuala Lumpur

By Nikko Dizon

MANILA, Philippines—The government and the Moro Islamic Liberation (MILF) began on Wednesday what could be the final round of negotiations between the two panels should they agree on the last annex that would make up the comprehensive peace agreement aimed at bringing an end to the decades-long war in Central Mindanao.

On the table of the 43rd exploratory talks in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, is the normalization annex, the last of the four annexes that would comprise the Final Peace Agreement between the government and the MILF.

The normalization annex deals with the overall security in the new Bangsamoro that would replace the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM), where the Moro rebels are expected to lay down their arms.

The peace agreement with the MILF is one of the cornerstones of the Aquino administration, and the Moro rebels themselves have said they want a peace deal before President Benigno Aquino III completes his term in June 2016.

“It is not farfetched that during this 5-day session, we will be able to settle all the remaining outstanding issues on the Bangsamoro Waters and Annex on Normalization that block our way to conclude the talks and eventually sign the comprehensive peace agreement (CPA) very soon,” said MILF chief negotiator Mohagher Iqbal in his opening statement on Wednesday.

But Iqbal remained cautious. He said that even if a comprehensive peace agreement was signed, it would be the “Exit Agreement that will formally terminate this negotiation.”

“(It) will only happen if the two parties satisfactorily complied with their part of the deal; in addition, not until after the Third Party Monitoring Team (TPMT) and the two parties and the Malaysian facilitator finally certify that both parties have fully complied with their obligations in the negotiation,” Iqbal said.

Government chief negotiator Miriam Coronel-Ferrer took note of the “telltale signs” of the anticipation that this would be the last round of exploratory talks—from the presence of the media, Presidential Peace Adviser Teresita Quintos Deles and presidential spokesperson Edwin Lacierda, members from the civil society, as well as senators and congressmen.

The normalization annex includes the following components: socio-economic; transitional justice and reconciliation; and security, according to Ferrer said.

The security aspect, she said, would involve the disbandment of private armed groups, the decommissioning of MILF combatants and weapons, and the redeployment of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) from or within the Bangsamoro as the security situation improves.

“Foremost expectation is the end to the armed conflicts in Muslim Mindanao, and a halt to the recurrence of violence involving the various armed groups,” she said, adding that this has also been the expectation of areas surrounding the Bangsamoro such as Zamboanga City and the rest of the Zamboanga peninsula, North Cotabato, and Lanao del Norte.

“We take special note of Zamboanga City, which has yet to fully recover from the trauma resulting from the siege launched by a faction of the Moro National Liberation Front.  In this regard, we ask the MILF leadership to ensure that their ranks refrain from any provocative acts that generate distrust among the populace,” Ferrer said.

Iqbal said the Bangsamoro Transition Commission (BTC) would finalize the draft of the Bangsamoro Basic Law by April and submit it to the Office of the President (OP) in May.

The OP would transmit it to Congress as an urgent bill, Iqbal said.

“I trust that the collective wisdom of Congress will ensure the passage of Bangsamoro Basic Law very smoothly,” Iqbal said.


Dipetik dari - Inquirer Global Nation

The financial rewards of a royal family

Just what are the financial benefits of having a royal family? Nash Riggins investigates…

By Nash Riggins

It can’t be denied that, ever since the signing of the Magna Carta, the prolific royal families of Europe have struggled to cope with the incessant dissent of republicans and dwindling planes of public support. A mere 12 European monarchies have survived the new millennium, and several of those (such as François Hollande’s status as Co-Prince of Andorra) are merely a nod to ceremony. Yet for those few royal lines still sewn into the fabric of their respective societies, an increasingly convincing case can be made that the costly presence of these archaic leaders is an invaluable financial asset for taxpayers.

In recent years, Europe’s monarchs have started to open up quite a few opportunities economically. In the UK, where Elizabeth II has enjoyed 61 years and counting on the throne, this argument is tested on a regular basis. Broadly speaking, around 70 percent of Britons agree the house of Windsor’s continued shows of extravagant pageantry serve some sort of purpose. Just under one in 10 would see the monarchy eradicated, viewing the nation’s royal hijinks an embarrassing waste of cash in an era of financial instability.

Queen Elizabeth may be expensive to keep, but the financial rewards
of having a monarch make her a good investment for the taxpayer

It’s not hard to see where they’re coming from. Every year, UK taxpayers dish out £40m to keep the Royal Family looking immaculate – meaning the Queen costs the public around 62p per person per year. Given the huge financial returns Elizabeth and her brood wrangle back into the country, 62p is a hell of an investment.

A bump in tourism

According to PwC, the British Royal Family rakes in a whopping £107m per year through tourism and memorabilia sales in London alone. Nationwide, researchers estimate a windfall of up to £620m. As Elizabeth’s grandchildren continue to fill their diaries with juicy public engagements, that income is starting to swell further still. The arrival of Prince William and the Kate Middleton’s baby, for example, gave UK retailers a £243m bump in sales – including an extra £62m on celebratory booze, and £80m on royal souvenirs. Republicans argue that boost could have been easily replicated were the country to host more global gatherings, such as the summer Olympics. They’re absolutely right. Yet royals don’t merely give the public excuses to spend; they also single-handedly attract new business into the country.

In 2007, economists at the University of Tilburg conducted a study to determine the financial impact monarchs have had on a country’s GDP. According to Harry van Dalen, who oversaw the research, nations stand to gain up to one percent in annual economic growth by maintaining a royal presence. That’s because, not only do long-standing royal households help to build an aura of leadership stability for a country, but they also serve as more evocative ambassadors to the up-and-coming economies across the Middle East and Southeast Asia.

Dutch divinity

For the Netherlands in particular, the royal house of Willem-Alexander appears to garner an exceptional level of respect and adoration from the international community. Monarchs in Brunei, Thailand and the gulf states roll out the red carpet for the King, viewing his presence as an ode to these up-and-coming leaders’ rightful place at the ‘big boy’s table’. Dutch firms ride the King’s coattails all the way. Oil giants like Royal Dutch Shell (part-owned by the Royal Family) and Unilever have secured quite a few lucrative deals in developing royal nations – adding an estimated €5bn to the Dutch economy. Bearing in mind the fairly frugal Willem-Alexander costs the Netherlands around €100m per year, his retainer appears to be well worth its weight in oil contracts.

The royal house of Willem-Alexander is estimated to bring as much as €5bn to the Dutch economy

Domestically, Europe’s constitutional monarchies contribute substantially to the branding power of local businesses. In a 2004 study conducted by Harvard Business School, researchers found European businesses profit endlessly from royal endorsements. The various charitable endeavours of royals also encourage corporations to act more responsibly and engage in sustainable community regeneration schemes. Almost 3,000 organisations across the globe list a member of the British Royal Family as their top patron, inspiring the public to raise an estimated £1.4bn per year in donations. It’s difficult to quantify the social impact of such widespread philanthropy; however, it’s not quite so difficult to imagine how that must help to maintain the sterling brand reputation of Britain’s royals – which is worth £26bn per year, according to Brand Finance.

Falling empires

Not every royal house of Europe enjoys the near-universal popularity Queen Elizabeth has worked to build. Earlier this year, King Harald V barely survived a parliamentary vote to abolish Norway’s constitutional monarchy in favour of a republic. Nearly 40 percent of Norwegian MPs have confessed to seeing no real net benefit to Harald’s presence – and with the world’s biggest sovereign wealth fund tightly under their control, it’s not hard to see why.

The Scandinavian state emerged largely unscathed from the global financial crisis, and boasts some of the highest employment figures in Europe. Royal souvenirs hardly line the shelves of Norwegian airports, and Harald’s royal palace in Oslo brings in far fewer tourist dollars than that of Sweden’s Carl XVI Gustav in Stockholm. If the value of Norway’s monarchy as a brand continues to plummet, King Harald won’t be so lucky the next time parliament questions his costly presence. Meanwhile, the stocks of Europe’s other royal houses are going nowhere but up.

Earlier this year, King Willem-Alexander delivered a powerful address to the Dutch people. He dutifully informed them the welfare state of the twentieth century was dead and gone – and in its place, a “participation society” has emerged. The Dutch people must take responsibility for their own future, the King proclaimed, and create their own financial safety nets. As the Dutch economy continues to contract, that may be easier said than done. Yet something about the monarch’s grim message seems more meaningful coming from his royal lips, rather than those of one of the country’s dime-a-dozen career politicians. Perhaps that’s because Willem-Alexander not only talks the talk – but can actually walk the walk. Today’s European monarchs may not be able to behead their competition, but they can certainly make tangible financial contributions that provide their nations with a sustainable economic advantage. So, while it may not be cheap to drape them in furs, it’s certainly worth the cost.


Dipetik dari - European CEO