Number of jobseekers rose by 7% in December

Koo Jin Shen
BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN

MORE locals are looking for work as the number of jobseekers rose in December, according to figures issued by the Department of Economic Planning and Development.

According to JPKE, the number of unemployed locals (Brunei citizens and permanent residents) aged 17 to 59 years old had increased by seven per cent to 15,272 in December, up from 14,267 in November.

The rise in unemployment numbers is due to a large spike of jobseekers in the Brunei-Muara district. The district had seen an increase of 11.2 per cent from November to December 2014, reaching 10,309 jobseekers last month, up from 9,268.

Meanwhile, the number of jobseekers Belait had decreased by 1.3 per cent to 2,111 in December from 2,139 in November of last year. Tutong had seen a decrease of 0.2 per cent, while Temburong recorded a 0.6 per cent decline.

More than half of the jobseekers, or 8,427, were women. But the JPKE data revealed a significant rise in the number of male jobsee-kers. There was of 7.7 per cent increase in the number of male jobseekers in December compared to a 6.5 per cent increment for female jobseekers in the same period.

Fifty-four per cent of those unemployed were between 20 and 29 years old. More than 60 per cent of total jobseekers had secondary education as their highest education attainment.

JPKE said the report estimated the latest number and profile of Brunei citizens and permanent re-sidents between 18 and 59 years old currently looking for work. Further queries regarding the figures can be made to info.statistics@jpke.gov.bn and the report can be found on their website at www.depd.gov.bn.


Sumber - The Brunei Times

Perlu peka sejarah negara

Oleh Imelda Farrah Zohre HA

BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN, 25 Feb – Dalam konteks bernegara bangsa, generasi muda perlu melihat, mencontohi dan mempelajari dari sejarah lampau negara dan bangsa Brunei, kerana sejarah silam bangsa mempunyai catatan kegemilangan, kebijaksanaan, kesilapan dan kegagalan.

“Oleh yang demikian, sikap tidak peka generasi muda kepada perkara yang berlaku di masa lampau yang dilalui oleh bangsa dan negara menjadikan mereka tidak dapat mencapai kedewasaan bernegara.”

Menteri Kebudayaan, Belia dan Sukan, Yang Berhormat Pehin Orang Kaya Pekerma Laila Diraja Dato Seri Setia Haji Hazair bin Haji Abdullah, menambah sejarah negara bangsa itu perlu diketahui oleh setiap orang sebagai ‘balan’ untuk melangkah ke hadapan.

Bangsa yang tidak mempunyai catatan sejarah adalah bangsa yang sudah kehilangan harga diri dan arah tujuan dalam mengharungi arus pembangunan dunia masa kini yang penuh dengan persaingan dan cabaran, tekan Yang Berhormat Pehin ketika berucap di Majlis Pelancaran Buku dan Penyampaian Hadiah Peraduan Menulis Cerita Bergambar Sejarah Brunei yang berlangsung di Dewan Jawatan Dalam, Pusat Sejarah, di sini, petang ini.

Yang Berhormat Pehin seterusnya berkata sejarah perlu terus dicatat dan direkodkan, supaya fakta sejarah yang sahih dan benar itu dapat dimasyarakatkan, disebarkan dan diajarkan untuk kesinambungan bangsa dan tamadun Negara Brunei Darussalam, salah satu daripadanya adalah menerusi penerbitan buku sejarah seperti usaha Pusat Sejarah Brunei hari ni.

“Kita perlu terus mempergiatkan penerokaan, pencarian penyelidikan dan penulisan sejarah bangsa dan negara kerana sejarah itu sentiasa berkembang dan merupakan sebagai perjalanan bangsa, bersesuaian dengan tema majlis petang ini iaitu ‘Buku Sejarah: Menjana Masa Depan’,” ujarnya lagi.

Pusat Sejarah Brunei sebagai institusi yang bertanggungjawab menyelidik, mengumpul, menyimpan, mendokumentasi dan menerbitkan persejarahan Brunei, tambah beliau, hendaklah terus mempertingkat dan menyebarluaskan persejarahan itu.

Perkara ini tidak hanya terbatas melalui media cetak sahaja malah perlu mencari medium lain yang lebih mesra dengan orang ramai sebagai satu media baru yang bersifat inovatif dan kreatif supaya ia mudah menyerap ke dalam minda setiap lapisan masyarakat di negara ini terutama sekali generasi muda yang akan menjadi peneraju masa hadapan.

“Kita ingin melihat generasi muda berwawasan di Negara Brunei Darussalam celik sejarah dengan meminati, mencintai dan menghayati sejarah bangsa dan negara,” tambahnya lagi.

Menyentuh mengenai lapan buah buku bergambar hasil daripada Menulis Cerita Bergambar Sejarah Brunei 2014, yang dilancarkan di majlis itu, Yang Berhormat Pehin berkata bahawa penerbitan buku itu adalah satu senario yang baik dalam usaha meresapkan sejarah Brunei dengan mempelbagaikan medium dan pendekatan percetakan dan langkah-langkah itu perlu diteruskan supaya sejarah Brunei itu mudah difahami, dengan menerokai medium-medium baru yang bersifat media terkini.

“Dalam waktu yang sama Pusat Sejarah Brunei juga perlu melihat kembali atau mencari saluran dan gaya persembahan untuk menyampaikan maklumat berkenaan kepada khalayaknya dengan berkesan.

“Saya percaya ramai yang meminati sejarah Brunei ingin menatap hasil kajian dan penulisan baharu. Hasil kajian itu nanti dapat menambah kefahaman masyarakat tentang sejarah Brunei bagi mengukuhkan lagi semangat jati diri dan cintakan negara,” ujar beliau.

Sumber - Media Permata

Negara makmur di bawah sistem beraja

Oleh Siti Nur Wasimah S.

BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN, 25 Feb – Sistem pemerintahan beraja tidak menghalang kepada kemajuan dan pembangunan negara dan tidak pula mengetepikan hak-hak individu dalam kehidupan bermasyarakat dan bernegara, melalui pemerintahan demokrasi keBruneian yang bertunjang kepada syura atau musyawarah.

Berkat kepimpinan Kebawah Duli Yang Maha Mulia Paduka Seri Baginda Sultan dan Yang Di-Pertuan Negara Brunei Darussalam, negara telah banyak mencapai kemajuan dan pembangunan dalam berbagai bidang seperti dari segi infrastruktur fizikal, agama Islam, ekonomi, sosial, kesihatan, pendidikan, perindustrian dan sebagainya.

Semua pencapaian ini adalah menjurus kepada matlamat Wawasan Negara 2035 iaitu untuk meningkatkan kemahiran melalui pendidikan, meninggikan kualiti kehidupan serta kemantapan ekonomi yang dinamik dan berdaya saing dengan berteraskan konsep MIB selaras dengan status Negara Zikir.

Perkara ini ditegaskan oleh Menteri Pendidikan, Yang Berhormat Pehin Orang Kaya Seri Kerna Dato Seri Setia (Dr) Haji Awang Abu Bakar bin Haji Apong yang juga selaku Pengerusi Majlis Tertinggi Islam Beraja, Negara Brunei Darussalam semasa berucap melancarkan buku Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah: Pemimpin Sepanjang Zaman pagi tadi yang telah berlangsung di Dewan Goldstone Ballroom, Hotel Centrepoint, Gadong.

Menurut Yang Berhormat Pehin, dalam konteks Negara Brunei Darussalam institusi beraja yang diamalkan adalah unik dan berlainan dengan institusi beraja di negara lain walaupun pada asasnya dipimpin oleh seorang raja.

Sistem pemerintahan beraja di negara ini adalah bersendikan agama Islam dan merupakan cara hidup yang dihayati dengan baik dan membawa kebaikan dan kesejahteraan.

“Dengannya telah dapat membawa negara ini menikmati keamanan, keselamatan, kesejahteraan yang dengan kepimpinan Baginda Sultan telah dapat menjana perkembangan dan kemajuan negara dalam bidang politik, ekonomi, sosial dan kesejahteraan rakyat dan penduduknya, menempatkan negara ini duduk sama rendah dan berdiri sama tinggi di arena serantau dan antarabangsa.”

Menurut Yang Berhormat Pehin, penerbitan buku ini adalah sebagai usaha berterusan Majlis Tertinggi Melayu Islam Beraja dalam mendukung titah Baginda Sultan dalam mengekalkan dan mengukuhkan kedudukan Negara Brunei Darussalam sebagai sebuah negara Melayu Islam Beraja yang merdeka dan berdaulat dan sebagai sebuah negara zikir yang sentiasa diredhai dan dirahmati oleh Allah Subhanahu Wataala.

Dengan pelancaran buku ini, Yang Berhormat Pehin menyarankan agar generasi hari ini serta seluruh rakyat dan penduduk negara Brunei untuk membaharui azam dan tekad serta menghayati MIB sebagai cara hidup yang lengkap, mengekal dan mempertahankan kedudukan raja dan negara khasnya bagi kelangsungan dan ‘survival’ sistem pemerintahan beraja bersendikan ajaran Islam.

Menurut beliau, MIB adalah benteng pertahanan yang kukuh yang akan dapat menyelamatkan negara dan seluruh rakyat dan penduduknya dalam berhadapan dengan ancaman dan cabaran dunia masa ini yang kompleks, cepat berubah dan tidak dapat dijangkakan.


Sumber - Media Permata

HM pushes for entrepreneurship and economic diversification

His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu'izzaddin Waddaulah, the Sultan and
Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam, delivers his titah on the eve of 31st National
Day celebration at Istana Nurul Iman yesterday.

‘Visionary generation key in achieving National Vision 2035’

HIS Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu’izzaddin Waddaulah, the Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam, said yesterday an economy dependant on one sector is not sustainable and economic diversification is needed as preparation for difficult and unexpected times.

In the monarch’s titah for the 31st National Day, His Majesty spoke on the need for economic diversification, entrepreneurship and maintaining peace.

His Majesty stressed on the need to be prudent and making it as a culture.

“This culture is an important value that needs to be inculcated by all, especially in times of low revenue.

Attracting more Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in the non oil-and gas sector, improving the environment for investment and entrepreneurship, ease of doing business, providing physical infrastructure and empowering human capital are just some of the things that can be done to redouble efforts towards economic diversification.

His Majesty earlier this year consented to the amendment of the miscellaneous licence to expedite the process of business licensing.

“Alhamdulillah, I was informed that with the amendments, the Business Licence is now available in one day only. In addition to that, the application and approval for company registration can also be done online. I hope this opportunity will be fully utilised by our young generation,” he said.

Private sector workforce was also mentioned by His Majesty in his titah as another need that must not be ignored.

“The government has provided the policies and programmes to equip the local workforce with the skills and abilities needed, but not many are competing to grab these opportunities,” he said.

“Why is this happening? Perhaps they have not been able to escape the shackles of their comfort zones, where many are still too hopeful of getting jobs in the government,” His Majesty said, adding that this issue must be solved.

The theme for this year’s national day remained ‘Generation With a Vision’.

The monarch said the continuation of the theme is appropriate because the reality is that we are still implementing efforts to realise the Brunei National Vision 2035.

To succeed, our next generation must be visionary by equipping themselves to face future challenges.

His Majesty said one of the future challenges was to maintain peace.

The monarch added the peace that the nation enjoys is a gift from Allah SWT.

“With this peace, we can live with comfort and are able to formulate and implement these plans to reap its rewards in the form wealth and prosperity,” he said.

Still touching on peace, His Majesty stressed that maintaining peace is the responsibility of all and that the responsibility does not only lie with the enforcement agencies. The public must give full cooperation, he said.

Drug abuse was cited by the monarch as one of the dangers that can jeopardise the country’s peace and safety.

“In this context, government agencies, members of the public, parents, schools, non-governmental organisations and grassroot leaders must be united in inculcating awareness and in doubling their efforts to fight against “drug abuse,” he said.

He added, “Education both at homes and schools must not be neglected because education, especially religious education, is the foundation of strength”.

The monarch said peace is closely related to economic progress.

He said, “We are exposed to strong competition in the context of globalisation, cyber communication and innovation.

“The competition is broad and takes the shape of free trade, foreign direct investments, the human resource market, entrepreneurship development and online communications.”

His Majesty said, “Due to this, we need to have a high level of competitiveness that can be achieved through values, attitude and a way of thinking that will make us independent and self-sufficient without depending on any assistance.

“For that, we must quickly change and adapt so that we will not be left behind.”

In concluding his message, His Majesty expressed his appreciation and gratitude to members of the 31st National Day executive committee, participants and staff involved in making the celebration a success.

He also expressed gratitude to all levels of the civil service, including those working abroad and security forces as well as those serving in the private sector.

“With doa (supplication), may we and our country always be safeguarded and protected by Allah SWT,” he said.


Sumber - The Brunei Times

Graduates call for job generation, versatile education system

Khai Zem Mat Sani
BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN

MORE employment opportunities and a more versatile education system to make them adaptable and competitive in the job market are what the Bruneian graduates aspire for as they continue to enjoy the country’s independence and witness its march towards further development.

Speaking to The Brunei Times on the eve of the 31st National Day, most of those interviewed agreed that employment generation is one the issues which authorities should seriously consider.

Roseraghadah Mohammad, 23, said that Brunei should create more job opportunities to meet the demands in the future.

The Universiti of Brunei Darussalam (UBD) graduate from Kg Rimba said, “Unemployment is one of the issues that we heard a lot nowadays, job fairs were held often but still, it is an issue that we cannot avoid from time to time. More students graduates, more students stop from studying, but jobs are hard to get.”

The UBD sociology graduate is still looking for a job, a year after completing her studies.

Meanwhile, Wardi Wasil from Kg Tanjung Bunut suggested that in order to overcome the unemployment problem, Brunei should develop more industries.

Wasil is a UBD graduate of English Literature but now working for a law firm.

He said, “We should have more industries that can make Brunei not rely on oil and gas. More industries equal more employment opportunities, economic diversity and also becoming a self-reliant nation.”

The Department of Economic Planning and Development reported in a September 2014 report that there was a decline in unemployment rate in the country.

The number of unemployed locals (Brunei citizens and Permanent Residents) aged 18–59 years old decreased to 11,469 from 11,546 last May 2014 which is 0.7 per cent.

Aside from what they perceived as lack of job opportunities, the youth is also calling for a nire versatile and flexible education system in the Sultanate which will render the graduates more skilled and more competent.

Some youth find it hard to find a job as they fail to meet the company’s requirements.

A graduate student of Jefri Bolkiah College of Engineering (MKJB), Sainul Hj Kipli said that in terms of education students should be more versatile in order to have wider skills.

He said, “Most of the time we are only focusing on theory. We need to focus on practical use to really understand how theory really works.”

“It’s good to know that the Ministry of Education or The Energy Department at Prime Minister’s Office (EDPMO) is now giving chances to young people in Brunei to learn more about the skills through entering the technical schools such as MKJB, MTSSR, and Polytechnic and so on. However, most graduates still only have certain skills.”

“As tomorrow will be our 31st National Day, we are talking about “Generasi Berwawasan” This is a good start and a good platform, for all youth in Brunei. We are now focusing on the Wawasan 2035.”

He added, “By the end of the day, we cannot rely on other countries to make things for us. For example, if it is possible, we can have our own car production line, made in Brunei. This can be make profits for the country, instead of just relying on our oil and gas production. We don’t know how much time we have relying on that production.”


Sumber - The Brunei Times

Dirgahayu Hari Kebangsaan Negara Brunei Darussalam ke-31

US warships heading to Singapore amid regional disputes

USS Freedom, the US Navy's littoral combat ship (file photo)

The United States says it will deploy four warships designed to fight in coastal areas to Singapore by 2018, further expanding US military presence in Southeast Asia.

Up to four littoral combat ships (LCS) will be sent to Singapore on a rotational deployment as part of the US Seventh Fleet ships, Rear Admiral Charles Williams confirmed on Tuesday.

“We envision four ships here by May 2017 to sometime in 2018... but I think what you have is that by 2018, four LCS ships will be rotationally deployed here to Singapore,” Williams added.

The group of vessels will replace the USS Freedom, the United States’ first littoral warship sent to Singapore in April 2013. The warship recently ended an eight-month duty in the region.

The rotational deployment of the warships comes as Washington embroils itself over issues in Southeast Asia, including those with China and North Korea.

US drills in Southeast Asia

The United States has held numerous joint military drills with regional allies in Southeast Asia despite criticism by China and North Korea.

On February 4, South Korea and the US launched a three-day joint naval drill amid tensions on the Korean Peninsula.

The US also staged military drills with the Philippines in the South China Sea in May last year. Under a new accord, the Philippines would give the American military greater access to bases across the Southeast Asian nation.

The US has participated in other joint drills with regional nations, including Japan, Bangladesh, Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand.

Experts believe Washington’s efforts to increase its presence in the region are aimed at containing China and North Korea.

US dispute over China claims

The US State Department said in a recent report that China's sovereignty claims in the South China Sea were both unclear and inconsistent.

Meanwhile, China has called on Washington to stay out of regional disputes and not to take sides.

China has frequently warned the US to be cautious in its words and actions with regard to territorial disputes involving China and its neighbors.

Beijing claims sovereignty over almost the whole of the South China Sea, which is also claimed in part by Brunei, Vietnam, Malaysia, Taiwan and the Philippines. The waters are believed to sit atop vast reserves of minerals, oil and gas.

US conflict with North Korea

Earlier this month, North Korea test-fired a new anti-ship cruise missile and the United States started a three-day joint naval drill, which involves a US nuclear-powered submarine.

North Korea has denounced the US for conducting military drills in the region, calling them provocative rehearsals for invasion. Pyongyang said it will take every measure to demonstrate its might as long as threats from the US persist.

The United States has been involved in several disputes with North Korea, mainly over its nuclear program.

North Korea tested nuclear devices in 2006, 2009 and 2013. It has been the subject of UN sanctions over its nuclear and missile tests.

Pyongyang has since ruled out any resumption of negotiations with the United States, promising to respond in kind to any US aggression, whether with conventional, nuclear or cyber forces.


Sumber - PressTV

China Nixes South China Sea Discussions at Defense Meeting

Once again, China is trying to block multilateral discussions over the South China Sea.

By Shannon Tiezzi

According to a report from IHS Jane’s, China’s delegation is refusing to allow the South China Sea issue to be put on the agenda for an upcoming defense minister’s meeting. Specifically, Jane’s reports that China “declined the proposal by ASEAN countries to have the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC) and the Code of Conduct (COC) in the South China Sea on the discussion agenda of the ADMM-Plus meeting.”

The ASEAN Defense Ministers Meeting Plus (ADMM-Plus) brings together defense ministers from the 10 ASEAN member states as well as eight other countries: Australia, China, India, Japan, New Zealand, Russia, South Korea, and the United States. The grouping has met twice to date – in Vietnam in 2010 and again in Brunei in 2013. The 2015 edition will be held in mid-November in Malaysia.

The ADMM-Plus grouping previously avoided the contentious topic of the South China Sea disputes, a decision that seriously undermined the group’s avowed commitment to practical cooperation on maritime security issues. At the 2013 meeting, however, ADMM-Plus did discuss using “practical measures” to reduce tensions and prevent conflict in the South China Sea.

Recently, the ASEAN-only equivalent (ADMM) has also shown more willingness to discuss the issue. At the May 2014 ADMM meeting, the defense ministers discussed “approaches for further enhancing cooperation to reduce tension in view of the recent developments in the South China Sea.” ASEAN has also begun pushing more seriously for a conclusion to negotiations with China over a Code of Conduct (CoC) for the South China Sea.

Last week, according to IHS Jane’s, the ASEAN counties came to the ASEAN Defense Senior Officials’ Meeting Plus (ADSOM-Plus) with a proposal for discussing the CoC as well as the existing Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DoC) at the ADMM-Plus meeting this November. In addition to the continuing need for negotiations over the CoC, there have recently been disagreements over how to interpret the existing DoC – whether, for example, the Philippines violated the DoC by filing an international arbitration case against China (as Beijing has claimed) or whether China is in violation of the DoC with its land-reclamation activities in the South China Sea (as the Philippines argues). Jane’s reports that China’s delegation rejected the ASEAN proposal – meaning if China has its way, the South China Sea issue won’t be under discussion at ADMM-Plus this November.

This is only going to contribute to regional perceptions that China is effectively stonewalling CoC negotiations. There’s some truth to this. I’ve argued before that China has little to gain from a CoC that would effectively restrict its ability to bolster its claim to the maritime features it already controls. China sees itself as playing catch-up in the South China Sea – belatedly undertaking actions (from oil drilling to land reclamation and construction) that other claimants have benefited from for years. Thus Beijing is unlikely to agree to a CoC that seriously impinges of its freedom of action in the South China Sea. To quote the general refrain from China’s Foreign Ministry whenever concerns are brought up: “China has indisputable sovereignty over [insert maritime feature] and the adjacent waters. Relevant activity by the Chinese side is within its sovereignty.”

On a broader level, China is resolutely opposed to what it calls “internationalizing” the South China Sea issue. Discussing the problem in any multilateral forum goes against China’s wish to keep the South China Sea disputes solely in the bilateral domain. China has even balked at talking about the South China in discussions with ASEAN as a whole — discussing a potential CoC in a room with the U.S., India, and Japan is especially galling to Beijing.

The Jane’s report is not surprising, then, but it is disheartening. There’s little hope for ADMM-Plus to make good on its 2013 commitment to explore practical means for reducing South China Sea tensions if the CoC can’t even make it on the agenda.


Sumber - The Diplomat

YAM files for appeal

YANG Amat Mulia Pengiran Muda Abdul Mu’min will be appealing against his eight weeks jail term after the High Court yesterday granted the application for leave out of time to appeal.

On February 3, senior magistrate Hj Nabil Daraina PDH Badaruddin sentenced the defendant to eight weeks in jail after the defendant pleaded guilty to the charges of providing false information to the police, driving while under disqualification and for driving without insurance on November 19, 2014.

The defendant was given two weeks to file in the notice of appeal.

The case was subsequently brought up to the High Court for defence counsel Balendran Balasingam of Ho & Siong to apply for leave out of time to appeal.

At the High Court yesterday, Justice Dato Paduka Hairol Arni Hj Abd Majid heard the application from defence counsel Balendran and allowed the defendant to appeal against the sentence and further ordered that the notice of appeal should be filed in within the week. The court further allowed the defence counsel’s application for a stay of execution pending the appeal.

During the proceedings, Deputy Public Prosecutors Hjh Anifa Rafiza Hj Abd Ghani and Dk Siti Nurul Fairuz Pg Rosli did not raise any objection on both of the defence counsel’s application.

The court also granted the prosecution’s application for the defendant to be released on bail set at $10,000 and one local surety pending the appeal hearing at the High Court.


Sumber - The Brunei Times

Brunei’s Vision 2035: Can It Achieve Food Self-Sufficiency? – Analysis

Can Brunei feed itself? Can Brunei’s Vision 2035 that was introduced in 2008 during the global food crisis stimulate its food and agricultural production?

By Jonatan A. Lassa

One of the aims of Brunei’s Vision 2035 is to improve the Sultanate’s rice self-sufficiency rate to at least 60 per cent by 2015. Since the country needs no less than 35,000 tonnes of rice per year, it needs to secure domestic production of no less than 21,000 tonnes a year by 2015. Unfortunately, five years since the launch of Vision 2035, its total production in 2013 reached only 5.3% (1,850 tonnes). Therefore, it is very unlikely for the country to achieve its 2015 target. Can it achieve its goal of reaching 60% rice self-sufficiency in the long run?

Vision 2035 was drafted and launched in the middle of the food crisis in 2007/2008 when some of the exporting countries shut down their exports which triggered a rush towards food self-sufficiency among some importing countries including the Brunei Sultanate. The objective is to reduce dependency on rice imports. Brunei still enjoys over 90% of export earnings from the oil and gas sector. However, the recent collapse of oil price – which reached its lowest point at the end of 2014 – may strongly justify the Sultanate’s statement in 2008: “The attitude of completely relying on dollars to fill stomachs is no longer relevant with the emergence of this crisis.”

Long term decline in rice yield

For those who have been observing the trend in food production in ASEAN and Brunei in particular, the Sultanate’s Vision 2035 can be seen as a very bold statement without a clear route. However, with a land area eight times that of Singapore’s and with a total population less than a tenth of Singapore’s, there is a possibility of achieving a certain degree of food self-sufficiency.

Rice yield in Brunei is the lowest in Southeast Asia. During 2000-2009, its rice yield average was 0.73 tonnes per hectare. In fact, in the first anniversary of the announcement of the vision statement, the country’s rice yield reached its lowest point in history (0.51 tonnes per ha in 2009). During the British colonial period, especially in the 1970s, rice yield reached its peak at 2.9 tonnes per ha in 1975.

During 1973-1975, Brunei’s rice yield was much higher than Thailand’s (2.16 tonnes per ha) and the rest of Indo-China including Vietnam (1.74 tonnes per ha). However, as the rice yield in Indo-China led by Vietnam gradually increased since the early 1990s to above two tonnes per ha, Brunei’s rice yield dropped to an average of 1.65 tonnes per ha during late 1970s till late 1990s, reaching its lowest yield at 0.53 in 1999.

There has been an indication lately of a marginal recovery of Brunei’s rice yield to slightly above one tonne per ha in 2013. The annual rice yields of Vietnam and Indonesia have reached subsequently above 5.5 and 6.2 tonnes per ha. By a modest account, Brunei still has the potential to increase its yield – learning from Central Kalimantan (Indonesia) where the rice yield can reach 2.8 to 3.2 tonnes per ha.

The agriculture and food sector’s share of GDP is still less than 1% and employs less than 14,000 people (about 3.3% of the total workforce in 2012). Of the total 5,600 ha agricultural land, the total area for rice is 1800 ha (as of 2013). It still has the potential to expand its rice area.

New agricultural initiatives

Under Vision 2035, the government has recently launched innovative agricultural initiatives. This means development of infrastructure, new land expansion, adoption of new rice hybrids, development hydroponics/aqua phonics technology, and improvement in post harvesting technology. By improving production infrastructure, adopting the best rice variety that can yield more than 3-4 tonnes per ha, Brunei’s policymakers seem to be content with the possibility that it can achieve 20% self-sufficiency rate very soon, at least on paper. In fact, the government has claimed that it has been implementing the plan to increase yield between 3.8-8.7 tonnes per ha.

The Vision 2035 strategic plan has been incorporated into the 10th Brunei National Development Plan (2012-2017). Pehin Dato Hj Yahya, the minister in charge of agriculture, recently announced the establishment of a modern rice-milling facility in August 2014 with annual production capacity of 5800 metric tonnes of rice. This is seen as progress, and in the right direction. In the event of a shortfall, the government will be supported by technology and expertise from Malaysia.

The extent to which this food self-sufficiency drive will be successful is, however, unclear. All remains to be seen in the next few years. The good news is that the optimism is still high as very recently the government proudly presented that its poultry industry has produced an output that is ‘near self-sufficiency’. In addition, some anecdotal data suggests that seafood products and tropical vegetables have reached 60-80% self-sufficiency. However, the pursuit of self-sufficiency in the livestock (e.g. beef and goats) and rice sectors may not be easy.

There seems to be no fiscal constraint to finance Brunei’s food and agriculture infrastructure. The challenge is how to make the rice-producing industry and livestock sector not only profitable to the local farmers but also sustainable by incentivising food production in Brunei in efficient and effective ways. Arguably, it would be more profitable and sustainable to have a modest self-sufficiency policy target between 25-50%. This can be pursued by introducing a high yielding rice variety, complemented by a strategy of diversifying the sources of food imports.


Sumber - Eurasia Review

64 kes denggi dilaporkan

BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN, 16 Feb – Sejumlah 64 kes penyakit demam denggi talah dilaporkan sejak Januari hingga 13 Februari.

Jumlah tersebut adalah tinggi berbanding dengan tempoh yang sama tahun lepas di mana hanya 16 kes sahaja yang dilaporkan. Bagaimanapun situasi ini adalah masih terkawal.

Kementerian Kesihatan dalam satu kenyataan di sini berkata, dalam pada itu, jumlah kes demam denggi di sepanjang tahun 2014 ialah 436 kes, berbanding dengan 416 kes bagi tahun 2013.

Penyakit demam denggi adalah sejenis penyakit bawaan nyamuk Aedes yang mudah membiak di dalam takungan air sama ada di dalam atau di luar rumah.

Antara tempat takungan air yang menjadi tempat pembiakan nyamuk Aedes ialah pasu-pasu bunga, longkang-longkang yang tersumbat dan botol-botol plastik dan bekas-bekas tayar yang digunakan sebagai gubahan landskap; di dalam tempat-tempat takungan air yang tidak tertutup rapat seperti tangki air, baldi, tajau dan sebagainya serta sampah sarap yang boleh menakung air seperti tin-tin kosong, bekas-bekas tayar yang terbiar, botol-botol kosong dan bekas kotak makanan.

Kenyataan itu berkata, antara tanda-tanda jangkitan penyakit denggi termasuklah demam panas, sakit kepala, ruam kulit, sakit otot dan sendi serta sakit di bahagian belakang kelopak mata.

Ada kalanya pesakit boleh juga mengalami tanda-tanda yang lebih teruk seperti sakit perut, mual dan muntah serta masalah pendarahan.

Bagi mencegah dan mengawal penyakit ini, orang ramai dinasihatkan supaya sentiasa memeriksa dan menjaga persekitaran kebersihan rumah dan bangunan masing-masing untuk memastikan tidak ada tempat atau bekas yang boleh menakung air dan menjadi punca pembiakan nyamuk Aedes.

Menghapuskan tempat-tempat pembiakan nyamuk Aedes dengan membuang takungan air dan mencuci bekas-bekas tersebut dengan bersih untuk memusnahkan sisa-sisa telur nyamuk. Ini adalah kerana telur-telur nyamuk boleh bertahan di tempat yang kering selama enam bulan dan sebaik sahaja telur-telur tersebut terdedah kepada air, telur-telur nyamuk boleh menetas dalam masa tujuh hari.

Membuang sampah sarap secara kerap dan teratur terutama sekali sampah sarap yang boleh menakung air, sentiasa menjaga dan memastikan kebersihan persekitaran dan segera mendapatkan rawatan di pusat-pusat atau klinik-klinik kesihatan yang berdekatan jika mengalami tanda-tanda penyakit seperti yang nyatakan itu.


Sumber - Media Permata

Cameron in deal to extend British troops' stay in Brunei

The stationing of UK troops in Brunei also allows them to undertake extreme environment training.

Prime Minister David Cameron (R) and the Sultan of Brunei, Hassanal Bolkiah (L) shake hands after signing
a defence cooperation agreement between the United Kingdom and Brunei following talks at Chequers,
the prime mininster's residence near Aylesbury, north west of London

Britain will continue to station troops in Brunei for a further five years to help maintain the armed forces' permanent presence in South Asia, Downing Street has said.

Prime Minister David Cameron renewed the long-standing agreement during a meeting with the Sultan of Brunei at Chequers.

The stationing of UK troops in Brunei also allows them to undertake extreme environment training.

Following the meeting this morning, a No 10 spokeswoman said: "The Prime Minister welcomed His Majesty the Sultan of Brunei to Chequers this morning. They agreed to renew a long-standing agreement to station UK troops at a garrison in Brunei for a further five years.

"The PM noted that the garrison enables the UK to provide a permanent presence in South Asia while also providing an opportunity for British forces to undertake extreme environment training."

The UK has had a contingent of Gurkhas in Brunei since 1962 and there are currently around 2,000 personnel based in the country.

Following Bruneian independence in 1984, Britain agreed to continue to station an infantry battalion in the Sultanate, a deal which is renewed every five years.

The garrison includes a resident infantry battalion - currently the First Battalion, Royal Gurkha Rifles, Training Team Brunei, which provides training to members of the British Armed Forces, and a small number of British loan service personnel who serve with the Bruneian Armed Forces.

Mr Cameron also discussed action against Islamist extremists with the Sultan of Brunei during the talks.

"It is absolutely clear that what we need to be doing around the world is working with other countries to tackle this growing threat from Islamist extremists and their poisonous ideology wherever we find it," said the spokeswoman.

Asked whether the weekend's events made Mr Cameron regret his decision to commit UK military forces in Libya in 2011, the Number 10 spokeswoman said: "This was a country where people were being oppressed by a dictator, where they were not able to pursue their aspirations and have their voice heard for a democratic and peaceful Libya.

"The actions we took there and the decision to intervene was an international one."

Libya is currently engulfed by political uncertainty and violent power struggles, with the unrest seen as the worst since the overthrow of Muammar Gaddafi in 2011.

Sir Richard Dalton, a former British ambassador to the country, said IS has established a presence in the country following the "disappearance of legitimate authority".

However, he stressed the scale of IS's influence appears to be "limited" and played down the possibility of the militant group building a power base similar to those it established in Syria and Iraq.

Bishop Angaelos, general bishop of the Coptic Orthodox Church in the UK, condemned the brutality as "plunging the world back into a medieval time".

The Archbishop of Canterbury called the beheading of Christian hostages in Libya by Islamic State (IS, or Isis), shootings in Denmark and a suicide bombing in Nigeria "terrible cruelty".


Sumber - Telegraph

US Navy intel officer says China gearing for war

SAN FRANCISCO — China is flexing its muscles and preparing for military conflict in Asia, the outgoing intelligence chief of the US Navy’s Pacific Fleet recently warned.

The warning came amid Beijing’s feverish reclamation efforts in disputed reefs and islets in the South China Sea that analysts said could be converted into naval and air force bases to project its military might and dominate China’s smaller neighbors.

“The strategic trend lines indicate the Communist Party of China is not only ‘rejuvenating’ itself for internal stability purposes, but has been and continues to prepare to use military force,” Navy Capt. James E. Fanell said during a speech January 31 before more than 100 guests, including several admirals, at Pearl Harbor.

The straight-shooting intelligence officer, who is retiring after more than 28 years in the Navy, said it would be unwise for the United States to ignore or paper over the warning signs of China’s increasingly aggressive behavior.

“…[L]et’s not deceive ourselves. The evidence I’ve been chewing on over the past 15 years is overwhelming,” Fanell said in a blunt warning first reported by the Washington Beacon. “Beijing has prepared for military action and [Chinese] President Xi Jinping’s ‘China Dream’ has a defined timeline to reach this ‘rejuvenated’ end state.”

Fannel urged his fellow intelligence officials to present honest assessments of the danger posed by China’s growing military power, an oblique reference to what officials consider as numerous U.S. intelligence failures in assessing China’s military build up over the last few decades.

‘Tell the truth’

“The challenge, as I have seen it, is for intelligence professionals to make the case, to tell the truth, and to convince national decision- and policy-makers to realize that China’s rise, if left unchecked or undeterred, will necessarily disrupt the peace and stability of our friends, partners, and allies,” he stressed.

“We should not have to wait for an actual shooting war to start before we acknowledge there is a problem and before we start taking serious action,” Fanell added.

According to the career intelligence officer, China’s Communist Party is pursuing plans that “stand in direct contrast to espoused US national security objectives of freedom of navigation and free access to markets for all of Asia.”

For instance, Fanell observed that the Chinese navy is taking steps to achieve strategic objectives that include the restoration of what Beijing says is “sovereign maritime territory,” specifically thousands of square miles of water inside the so-called first island chain — a string of western Pacific islands near China’s coasts stretching from Northeast Asia through the South China Sea.

Pivot to Asia

He said the Obama administration’s so-called pivot to Asia, a policy of shifting forces to the Asia-Pacific region, is a good first step to counter the challenge of China.

“But it must be backed up with a real, tangible deterrent force and we must stand up to Beijing’s propaganda and bullying campaign, especially those that come at the expense of our allies and partners,” he said.

Fanell said the “rebalance” features the shift of some troops, naval and air forces to the region, but it has been inadequate due to sharp defense cuts under the Obama administration and continuing US military commitments in the Middle East.

Veteran China watcher

A native Californian, Fanell is a graduate of San Diego State University in 1985 with a degree of history and political science and the University of Hawaii with an M.A. in history in 1997.

Fanell has had extensive experience serving in the Pacific, giving him a profound insight into the changing dynamics of how the region’s navies operate. In 1991, he was named one of the first China maritime watch officers by the Joint Intelligence Center, Pacific. And from 2005 to 2006, he studied China’s naval operations as a national security affairs fellow at Stanford University’s Hoover Institution.

Fanell’s provocative comments about Chinese maritime assertiveness — especially against the Philippines, Vietnam and Japan — have stirred an international controversy that led to his being shelved for a while from his top intelligence job.

For instance, Fanell recently asserted that China now has eight military installations on seven reefs in the Spratly Islands being claimed by the Philippines.

China, he pointed out, “is challenging other nations’ rights under the rubric of “what’s mine is mine, and we’ll negotiate what’s yours.”

He branded as “outright Chinese aggression” Beijing’s 2012 seizure of Scarborough Shoal (Bajo de Masinloc), about 137 miles off Palauig town in Zambales, after a tense standoff with the Philippines.

Reclamation frenzy

Japan Military Review, a defense magazine based in Tokyo, observed that China’s reclamation frenzy in disputed reefs and islands in the South China Sea was part of Beijing’s plan to use them as its “first island chain,” intended to contain U.S. military facilities in Australia.

Citing a blueprint drawn by the Ninth Design and Research Institute of the state-run China State Shipbuilding Corporation, the report said that the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) plans to build both naval and air force bases on the six islands and reefs under its control in the South China Sea.

Already, China is said to be constructing an airfield on Johnson South Reef, known in the Philippines as Mabini Reef, in which the Philippines said about 10 hectares (about 25 acres) has been reclaimed in what it fears China would transform into a military base.

Johnson South Reef, which is also being claimed by Vietnam, was the scene of a bloody confrontation in 1988 that resulted in the death of 70 Vietnamese and the sinking of two Vietnamese boats and the Chinese occupying the reef.

Apart from Mabini Reef which also features a three-storey concrete building ringed with gun emplacements and a helipad, the other reefs being developed by China are:

*Mischief Reef – a three-storey concrete building ringed with five octagonal concrete structures. It has search lights and radar.

*Cuarteron Reef – a permanent reef fortress, supply platforms, and naval and anti-aircraft guns. An airstrip is reportedly being planned.

*Fiery Cross Reef – A marine observation station designated in 2011 as “main command headquarters” equipped with surface and air search radars and armed with at least four high-powered naval guns.

*Gaven Reef – a permanent reef fortress, supply platforms an harbor for navy patrol boats.

*Subi Reef – a permanent reef fortress and supply platforms that can house troops, has a helipad and is armed with four twin-barrel 37mm naval guns. Also houses a Doppler weather radar.

China already maintains a military outpost in Woody Island in the Paracels. Vietnam and Taiwan are contesting the island, which currently has a population of more than 1,000 and features an artificial harbor capable of docking vessels of up to 5,000 tons and an airport with a 2,700-meter runway capable of handling fighter aircraft.

Philippine security expert Rafael Alunan, a former cabinet member in the Cory Aquino and Ramos administrations, said China’s ultimate goal is to deny the United States unrestricted passage in the South China Sea.

Alunan is convinced that China’s assertiveness in disputed areas reflects its intentions of making “vassals states” of South China Sea rim nations, adding tension in a region that, he said, has become a flashpoint for armed confrontation.

‘Game changer’

Former National Security Adviser Roilo Golez has warned about the dangers posed to Philippine security and ASEAN regional stability should China establish a military installation capable of holding warships and fighter aircraft in Mabini Reef.

The Annapolis trained Golez said a Chinese base in the area could be a “game changer,” because it would allow Beijing to intimidate countries that have competing claims in the disputed areas.

Golez said because of its strategic location, a base in Mabini Reef would allow China to hit at targets in the entire Philippines, Singapore, most of Vietnam, part of Malaysia, part of Indonesia and the whole of Borneo.

“So, it can threaten all our vital military installations, including installations we can make available under EDCA,” he added, referring to the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement which seeks to bolster U.S.-Philippine security cooperation by allowing America to station troops and operations on PH territory.


Sumber - Inquirer Global Nation

Judge: Beijing lost that power after signing pact

By Loshana K Shagar

KUALA LUMPUR: China has no historical claim to the South China Sea, as it gave up that right when it became a signatory to the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), according to a Philippine Supreme Court judge.

Justice Antonio Carpio said when a country became a signatory to the UNCLOS, it gave up historical claims in exchange for an exclusive economic zone (EEZ), comprising 200 nautical miles from a country’s coastline.

“Even if they were not signatories, there is no historical proof that they have owned most of the areas they are claiming, such as the Scarborough and Spratly Islands.

“In ancient Chinese maps dating back to the Song and Qing dynasties, the southernmost territory of China has always been Hainan Island, with its ancient names being Zhuya, then Qiongya, and thereafter Qiongzhou.

“However, in more recent maps, the border has extended to a line of nine dashes, looping down to about 1,800km south from Hainan Island, almost near Sabah,” he said when delivering a lecture on the South China Sea dispute at the Raja Aziz Addruse Auditorium here on Friday.

The event was jointly organised by the Bar Council, Universiti Malaya and the Philippine Embassy.

The Chinese government has staked its claim to 90% of the South China Sea, including the Spratly Islands, an archipelago of 750 islands and reefs near the Philippines.

The Philippine government, in response, presented a series of ancient maps which show that islands such as Scarborough were marked as Philippine territory long before it appeared in Chinese maps.

Carpio is visiting Asean countries to deliver a series of lectures on the dispute. Malaysia is his first stop.

“We have filed a territory dispute over China’s claims with the United Nations, and are waiting for a tribunal to decide on the arbitration case.

“Once the tribunal provides its ruling on the matter, we expect China to abide by it, even if they are not participating in the case before the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague,” said Carpio.

The UN tribunal is expected to provide a ruling on the case late this year or early 2016, but Carpio said that would not end the dispute involving the South China Sea, which is either partially or wholly claimed by the Philippines, China, Brunei, Taiwan, Malaysia and Vietnam.

“I think world opinion will be on our side and I don’t think any country in the world can for long violate international law especially if there’s a ruling by a competent international tribunal.

“If the Philippines wins its case and China refuses to comply with the ruling, we will petition a United Nations council every year until China complies with the decision,” added Carpio.


Sumber - The Star Online

Brunei urged to increase private sector participation

Leo Kasim
BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN

BRUNEI must increase participation of the private sector in its economy by encouraging a “more level playing field” within the economy for state-owned enterprises and private entities, a senior official from the World Trade Organisation (WTO) said.

In her concluding remarks, Mariam Md Salleh, the chairperson of the WTO’s trade policy review body, who is also the Malaysian Ambassador to the WTO, said that Brunei needs to promote a more business-friendly environment for increased private sector involvement in the economy.

She said this during the third trade policy review for Brunei last Tuesday. The country had its second review in 2008 with members calling for increased independence from oil and gas at that time.

According to the WTO, the trade policy reviews are exercises mandated by the organisation in which trade policies of member countries are evaluated at regular intervals with the frequency of review depending on the country’s size.

During the review, she said that members of the WTO encouraged Brunei to reduce remaining restrictions and barriers to foreign direct investment in order to increase private sector participation in the economy which remains limited.

The chairperson added that despite the global economic crisis, macroeconomic indicators for the country remained “sound” with a low inflation rate, strong fiscal position and current account surplus.

However, Brunei was encouraged to accelerate its pace of economic diversification away from hydrocarbons in light of current low global oil prices, she said.

She added that in terms of improvements, members praised the country’s reforms made in areas such as customs procedures and legal frameworks in areas such as business environment, financial services, fisheries and intellectual property.

The chairperson said that members also called for more transparency in sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) measures such as the halal certificate and establishment of the National Standards Council.

“Member raised a number of questions and requested Brunei Darussalam to make further efforts to enhance transparency and notifications in the elaboration and implementation of technical regulations and SPS measures,” she said.

She also said that the members encouraged Brunei to complete additional legislation on competition, while promoting greater transparency of government decision making on trade policy matters.

 The chairperson said that Brunei was advised to increase foreign investment in agriculture to help meet its self-sufficiency targets and for energy subsidy reforms to “reduce the distortions affecting Brunei’s efforts at diversifying its economy”.

The Sultanate must also complete “additional legislation on competition” and improve the transparency of government decisions on trade policy matters, she added.

In the services sector, the chairperson said, Brunei was encouraged to increase its commitment to the general agreement on trade in services.

The chairperson also said that the tourism, telecoms, construction, finance and transportation industry were highlighted for their particular potential for growth and diversification of the country’s hheconomy.

She added that overall, the review was “positive” with Brunei reducing its average most favoured nation applied tariff from 4.8 per cent in 2007 to 1.7 per cent in 2014 after having liberalised its trade regime.

The chairperson also said that members noted Brunei’s use of trade agreements to deepen its integration into the global economy. Additionally, the country has never used trade remedy measures or has been subjected to WTO trade dispute proceedings, she added.


Sumber - The Brunei Times

‘Still no justice’ in the Bangsamoro lands

At the Senate investigation, MILF chief peace negotiator Mohagher Iqbal enumerated some of the injustices wrought against Moros throughout history.

By DEE AYROSO

At the Senate hearing on the Mamasapano operations on Feb. 12, Mohagher Iqbal tried to give a brief picture of why the Moro people have turned to armed struggle.

“We were the first ones to become victims,” said the MILF leader, in response to Senator Allan Peter Cayetano’s statements blaming the MILF for the conflict in Mindanao.

Iqbal said that after Moros fought should-to-shoulder with Christians against the Japanese colonizers in World War II, the government has passed many oppressive laws, such as the Quirino-Recto colonization of Mindanao, which treated the island as “colony.” He said the government thought of “the ultimate solution to the Moro problem” by settling people from Luzon and Visayas to Mindanao.

In 1968, there was the Jabidah Massacre, where Moro youths recruited to reclaim Sabah were gunned down in Corregidor Island, after some tried to report to higher ups about hardships in their covert training.

Iqbal said the incident was an “eye-opener” for many Moros. Then a student in Manila, he joined demonstrations, including the nine-day protest in Malacañang, to seek justice for the victims.
 Moro leaders led by Cotabato governor Datu Udtug Matalam formed the Mindanao Independence Movement. In turn, Christians formed the “Ilaga,” a vigilante group, which was responsible for killing “tens of thousands of Moros,” Iqbal said.

“The Moros saw that the fight was not fair,” Iqbal said. And this was the turning point, when Moros took up arms. The secessionist Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) was formed in 1969 by Nur Misuari.

During martial law, various massacres were committed by the Philippine government through its military, and Iqbal enumerated some of them at the senate hearing:

“On June 19, 1971, there was the Manila massacre, with 70 dead; on Oct. 24, 1971, 66 were dead in what was Magsaysay in Lanao (del Norte); in Taktako, four were killed on Nov. 22, 1971; in Pata island massacre, February 1981, there were 2,000 dead, but according to government there were only 750 dead; Patikul (Sulu) massacre, Oct 1977, 600 dead; and there were also those killed in Malisbong, Palimbang, Sultan Kudarat, more than 1,000, women, children, the elderly.”

“Up to now there is no justice,” Iqbal said.

“We organized because it was not a fair match,” Iqbal said. “It would be on the same level if we use arms,” he said.

The MILF was formed in 1978, dissatisfied with the MNLF’s peace talks with the Marcos regime.

The MNLF later signed a peace agreement with the Corazon Aquino government. Later, in 1997, the MILF also entered in its own peace agreement, this time with the Ramos administration.

Seventeen years later, the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (Cab) was signed with the Philippine government under President Aquino.

The Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) broke away from the MILF in 2012, to continue the armed struggle for secession.


Sumber - Bulatlat

Brunei ranks 121 on Press Freedom Index

Quratul-Ain Bandial
BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN

BRUNEI dropped four spots to rank 121 out of 180 countries on Reporters Without Borders’ 2015 World Press Freedom Index which was released yesterday.

According to the annual report, Brunei scored 36.76 out of a possible 100 (100 being the worst) on the index, indicating a “difficult situation” for media freedom.

Countries with a score between 35 to 55 points are labeled as in a “difficult situation”, while scores of 55 and above are described as a “very serious situation”. However, Brunei fared the best among ASEAN countries, with no Southeast Asian nation ranking in the top 100 of the World Press Freedom Index. Thailand came second in ASEAN (ranked 134) with a score of 40.07, followed by Indonesia (138), Cambodia (139), the Philippines (141), Myanmar (144), Malaysia (147), Laos (171) and Vietnam (175). The index ranks the performance of 180 countries according to a range of criteria that include media pluralism and independence, respect for the safety and freedom of journalists, and the legislative, institutional and infrastructural environment in which the media operate.

Top of the list, are three Scandinavian countries – Finland, which has been in first place for five years in succession, followed by Norway and Denmark. At the other end of the scale, Turkmenistan, North Korea and Eritrea, in last place, were the worst performers.

“The 2015 World Press Freedom Index highlights the worldwide deterioration in freedom of information in 2014. Beset by wars, the growing threat from non-state operatives, violence during demonstrations and the economic crisis, media freedom is in retreat on all five continents,” Reporters Without Borders said in a statement yesterday.


Sumber - The Brunei Times

Brunei Darussalam’s renewed focus on alternative energy

Plans to revive a stalled renewable energy deal between Brunei Darussalam and neighbouring Sarawak that would see hydropower exported from the Malaysian state to the Sultanate have thrown a focus on its efforts to increase renewable energy sources.

Bruneian officials confirmed at the end of January that they would soon be receiving the business plan and details of a proposal to jointly develop hydroelectric dams in northern Sarawak, with a 40km power transmission line to Brunei Darussalam. This forms part of a wider plan to reduce the Sultanate’s reliance on fossil fuels by increasing its solar capacities and creating feed-in tariff mechanisms.

Electricity Exports

Tapping Sarawak’s considerable sustainable energy resources offers a shortcut to raising renewable energy’s contribution to the Bruneian economy, which has been dependent on gas to generate electricity. Sarawak has the goal of reaching installed hydropower capacity of 20,000 MW, and previous bilateral discussions have proposed the export of some 150 MW to Temburong.  The Sultanate could also position itself as a hub to further export power across the region.

A study, conducted under a memorandum of understanding between Sarawak Energy Bhd, Brunei Darussalam’s Prime Minister’s office and the Department of Electrical Services (DES), was completed five years ago.  Under the proposals, the first phase of power exports would move from Tudan to the Sultanate via a border point at Sungai Tujuh. Limbang, where a 200MW hydroelectric dam project is under review, was suggested for the second phase.

The proposal highlights the rising need to increase renewable energy’s role in the Sultanate. In a report from 2013, Minsoo Lee, the Asian Development Bank’s (ADB) senior economist in the Macroeconomics and Finance Research Division pointed out that the Sultanate had spent $470m in fuel subsidies two years earlier, which amounted to more than $1,000 per person.

“For Brunei, the benefit of these projects is that the country will be getting power from renewable energy,” the Minister of Energy at the Prime Minister’s Office, YB Pehin Dato Yasmin Umar, said, adding that it would conduct its own due diligence before investing in the project.

The Energy Plan

Although unable to reach the ASEAN bloc target of renewable energy accounting for 15% of collective energy supply by 2015, the government has made some inroads. In its March 2014 “Energy White Paper”, the Energy Department at the Prime Minister’s Office (EDPMO) laid out the goals of reaching 124 GWh of renewable power generation by 2017 and 954 GWh by 2035.

So far, Brunei Darussalam has very little renewable generation, consisting mainly of a small solar power plant that produces about 1.7 GWh a year.  The country lacks hydropower, a main source of alternative energy.

To meet this target the EDPMO is planning to introduce a feed-in tariff to encourage investment in renewable energy systems. The policy should help to spur development of distributed solar generation within the country and enable homeowners with installed solar panels to sell their excess electricity back to the government.

The government is planning to take a leading role in identifying land for utility-scale solar projects and developing a waste-to-energy project using municipal solid waste. The project is expected to generate 10-15 MW of power.

It also laid out plans for a 45% reduction in energy intensity from a base of 390 tonnes of oil equivalent per $1m of GDP in 2005 to 215 tonnes of oil equivalent per $1m of GDP by 2035 to promote sustainable development.  Part of the reason behind its bid to reduce energy intensity is to meet an anticipated rising demand from a high-value downstream oil and gas sector and other economic activities.

Choosing a Path

Despite the potential for renewable energy growth, critics say deeper reform is needed to encourage greater investment in the sector. Milo Sjardin, head of Asia-Pacific Bloomberg New Energy Finance, told local media in August that the Sultanate must first reduce subsidies to achieve efficient use of energy before making costly investments in renewable energy.  “It does not make sense ... Brunei should start with energy efficiency because PVs can’t compete yet,” he said.  However, he believes that by 2030, when the cost of PVs is expected to drop 25%, investing in the technology will be more viable.

Indeed, while an abundance of fossil fuel reserves has kept energy in good supply and affordable, economic and environmental goals demand a shift to alternative sources of energy. To ensure ambitious goals are met, departments could work closer with the private sector and investment authorities to encourage the growth of new plants and initiatives.


Sumber - Oxford Business Group

NDP Mengucapkan Takziah di atas Kembalinya Mursyidul Am PAS Tuan Guru Datuk Nik Abdul Aziz bin Nik Mat ke Rahmatullah

Presiden , Ahli Majlis Tertinggi dan seluruh Ahli Parti Pembangunan Bangsa (NDP) merakamkan ucapan takziah kepada keluarga Allahyarham Tuan Guru Datuk Nik Abdul Aziz bin Nik Mat dan kepada seluruh Pimpinan serta ahli Parti Islam Semalaysia (PAS) di atas kembalinya Mursyidul Am PAS Tuan Guru Datuk Nik Abdul Aziz bin Nik Mat ke Rahmatullah pada 9.40 malam ini.

Perginya beliau merupakan satu kehilangan seorang Tokoh Ulama dan Politik yang disegani dan turut dirasai oleh pimpinan dan seluruh Ahli NDP.

Semoga roh Allahyarham Tuan Guru Datuk Nik Abdul Aziz bin Nik Mat dicucuri rahmat dan ditempatkan bersama para syuhada.  Amin... Al-Fatihah.

ASEAN Eyes Closer Military Ties in 2015

The grouping is mulling new defense initiatives under Malaysia’s chairmanship.

By Prashanth Parameswaran

As I have written before, Malaysia’s chairmanship of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) this year will be a busy one. In particular, 2015 is a critical year for regional-community building and economic integration because of the formation of the ASEAN Community as well as the expected completion of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP).

That doesn’t mean we won’t see progress on the defense side of things in 2015. We are still in the early stages of things in this realm as a flurry of meetings take place in the first quarter that culminate with the ninth ASEAN Defense Ministers Meeting (ADMM) in Langkawi in March, followed by other critical engagements in the rest of the year. But there are already signs of what we might expect.

A good preview came earlier this week at the 12th ASEAN Chiefs of Defense Forces Informal Meeting (ACDFIM) in Kuala Lumpur. Jane’s Defense Weekly, along with other regional news outlets, reported that Malaysian CDF general Zulkifeli Mohammed Zin, speaking as host of the meeting, said that he and his counterparts were mulling several proposals to deepen defense collaboration. These included formalizing the ACDFIM, integrating CDFs from the broader ASEAN Defense Ministers Plus (ADMM-Plus) umbrella into dialogues, and expanding current bilateral exercises into multilateral ASEAN ones.

While these measures are not entirely new and will require formal approval, they are promising for those who follow ASEAN closely. Formalizing ACDFIM after over a decade is not just a formality if it means equipping it with a secretariat and facilitating an expansion of its role to include information sharing as well as perhaps even building a database of sorts, as preliminary reports are suggesting.

Expanding dialogues to include CDFs from ADMM-Plus – which includes all ten Southeast Asian countries as well as Australia, China, India, Japan, New Zealand, South Korea, Russia and the United States – is a move that has been contemplated for a while, as I have pointed out before, and it makes sense. That forum is where a lot of the action has been happening of late, and it would be the next logical step in the broader ASEAN plan to integrate major powers into an ASEAN-centric regional architecture and give the grouping a greater voice.

Similarly, few would disagree with the idea of more multilateral exercises. Indeed, in spite of various lingering concerns, the trend in ASEAN as well as Asia more generally is already firmly in this direction, both in terms of greater regional coordination as well as connecting previously separate issue areas. Last year, Singapore set up an Information Fusion Center and Regional Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief Center in Changi. More broadly, the ASEAN Regional Forum will hold the first iteration of a major disaster relief exercise (DiREx 2015) in May this year and planning has already begun for a ADMM-Plus combined field training exercise on maritime security and counterterrorism in 2016. ADMM-Plus includes six areas for collaboration – humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, military medicine, maritime security, peacekeeping operations and humanitarian mine action – but measures are being taken across them as well to promote synergies.

There could be more far-reaching measures forthcoming in 2015, some of which have been discussed privately among senior defense officials. For example, Malaysia wants greater cooperation between ASEAN militaries for humanitarian and disaster relief efforts. In that vein, a Joint Declaration on the ASEAN Ready Group may be signed this year. Malaysia is also keen to discuss setting up a joint peacekeeping team, along with greater defense industry collaboration. Seasoned observers know that both those ideas have been floated in the past and have met some resistance, so it will be interesting to see what ends up happening. Other countries have also have broached several interesting ideas, with Thailand’s proposal for setting up a regional center for military medicine being just one of them.

It is still not clear how much of this will translate into reality or when this will take place. But as Malaysia continues its work as ASEAN chair for the rest of 2015, it is important to recognize that the community-building agenda includes not only the much-discussed ASEAN Economic Community, but a Political Security Community as well which could see new initiatives broached. And even if the headlines are dominated by U.S.-China dynamics or the South China Sea yet again, it is worth paying attention to the incremental efforts being taken or mulled both privately and publicly to build habits of cooperation that are the very foundation of defense collaboration.


Sumber - The Diplomat

Dialog kupas sejarah Brunei

Oleh Mohamad Asyramisyanie

BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN, 10 Feb – Pusat Sejarah Brunei dengan kolaborasi Maktab Sains Paduka Seri Begawan Sultan (MSPSBS), hari ini, telah mengadakan dialog bagi mengupas dan membincangkan beberapa topik sejarah dalam kesultanan Brunei yang menjurus kepada unsur politik, kepemimpinan dan semangat nasionalisme.

Dialog yang berlangsung di Dewan Auditorium MSPSBS di Berakas itu dihadiri oleh Pegawai Sejarah Kanan, Ketua Bahagian Penyelidikan dan Dokumentasi Pusat Sejarah Brunei, Hajah Fatimah binti Asgar, para pegawai Pusat Sejarah dan penuntut-penuntut.

Pemangku Pengetua MSPSBS, Dayang Zabaidah binti Tuah ketika menyampaikan ucapan berkata agenda utama projek di antara Pusat Sejarah dan maktab berkenaan adalah untuk mengenalkan, mendedahkan dan menerapkan sejarah negara kepada masyarakat sebagai saranan di masa hadapan.

Menurutnya, projek seperti ini akan dapat melatih dan mendidik pelajar untuk membuat penyelidikan secara bersendirian mahupun berkumpulan dan sekali gus meningkatkan kemahiran bertutur, membuahkan idea dan keyakinan diri para peserta apabila berhadapan dengan orang ramai.

“Dengan adanya inisiatif sebegini, ia akan memberikan kesan positif kepada pelajar dan belia untuk menambahkan ilmu pengetahuan khususnya sejarah negara kita dan secara tidak langsung menanamkan semangat patriotisme dan perasaan kecintaan kepada negara di hati mereka,” ujarnya lagi.

Dialog bertajuk “Pendudukan Tentera Jepun di Brunei Darussalam 1942-1945” itu menampilkan tiga ahli panel yang terdiri daripada para pelajar maktab iaitu Dayang Aimi Iffah Radhiah binti Abdullah Zulhilmi, Dayang Nur Nadhirah Noor binti Hanizam dan Awang Arif Azhan bin Besar, serta dipengerusikan oleh Dayang Nor Amirah Aziyah binti Hasdy.

Sejurus selepas sesi dialog, majlis turut menyaksikan tayangan video Pendudukan Tentera Jepun di Brunei 1942-1945 diikuti dengan sesi soal jawab dan rumusan yang disampaikan oleh Haji Muahimin bin Haji Mohamed.

Tetamu kehormat seterusnya menyampaikan sijil kepada barisan pelajar Tingkatan 6 yang terlibat dalam projek dialog sejarah itu.

Projek dialog ini diadakan dalam tiga fasa secara berperingkat bermula fasa pertama hari ini diikuti dengan fasa kedua pada 10 Mac 2015 dengan tajuk “Perang Kastila” dan fasa ketiga pada 26 Mei 2015 dengan tajuk “Kenali sejarah kitani”.


Sumber - Media Permata

What Is The ASEAN Community 2015? – Analysis

The ASEAN Community is to be established this year. ASEAN should convey, very early in the new year, a coordinated message on what exactly the ASEAN Community 2015 is and what the people can expect come 31 December 2015.

By Raman Letchumanan

Many people have a vague idea of what the ASEAN Community 2015 (AC15) is all about and how it benefits or impacts them. The lack of clear coherent messaging by the authorities leads some to benchmark the AC15 with the European Union (EU), while others have the impression the AC15 is all about the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) which invariably gets the most attention in public discourses.

ASEAN must make a concerted effort to convey in specific quantitative, if not qualitative, terms what it had planned to achieve and how well it is doing, regularly throughout the year. Otherwise the public who are being primed to expect “delivery” of the AC15 on 31 December 2015 will be greatly disappointed if they are anticipating a Cinderella-like transformation on that day. ASEAN, under Malaysia’s Chairmanship, has a heavy transformative agenda this year, namely (i) delivering on the AC15 (ii) designing the post-2015 agenda which spans a decade to 2025 and (iii) hopefully reviewing the ASEAN Charter which was due in 2014. This commentary deals with the first task.

Framing ASEAN Community 2015 (AC15)

The ASEAN Leaders have declared that the 2009-2015 Road Map consisting of the three Community Blueprints – Economic (AEC), Political-Security (APSC), Socio-Cultural (ASCC) -shall form the basis of the overall ASEAN Community (AC15). Of course, the ASEAN Charter and other subsequent key initiatives would also define the AC15. By focusing on the broader goals, objectives, strategies, and targets set in these instruments, the contours and key markers of the AC15 can be easily framed, both in quantitative and qualitative terms as appropriate.

However, assessing the establishment of AC15 based on the implementation of the 1000-odd mostly operational actions – which at recent count by authorities averages 90% – is just not right nor valid. The achievement of regional and national development goals is a combined effort from all sources particularly national efforts; it is certainly not only from the Blueprint’s regional actions which is just a drop in the ocean.

Describing AC15 as “work-in-progress” so early in the year seems apologetic and back-tracking. Indeed the successes so far should lay the foundation for future work on ASEAN community building, while learning from failures and what works and what doesn’t.

Building the foundation: Prosperity, peace and people

The AEC is on track to eliminate tariffs on almost all goods by the end of the year. However, the share of the intra-ASEAN trade in total GDP (2009-2013) has been stuck at about 24%, even lower than the previous corresponding period. While intra-ASEAN investment (2009-2013) has increased, the rate of increase is less than for extra-ASEAN. AEC is not fully utilising its own single market and production base.

More work needs to be done on trade facilitation, expedited uniform customs clearance, removal of non-tariff measures, and facilitated movement of skilled persons. The Open Sky policy has clearly benefitted the people resulting in a dramatic increase in air travel, physically bringing ASEAN people closer for meaningful interaction and regional integration.

The fact that ASEAN has been a relatively peaceful region compared to the rest of the world should score high for APSC. The Preah Vihear Temple, Sipadan and Ligitan Islands, Pedra Branca, and even development issues such as the Malayan Railway Land deal between Malaysia and Singapore have shown the States’ maturity in using bilateral, regional and international mechanisms to resolve disputes amicably while accepting the verdicts gracefully.

Such multiple channels of dispute settlement should be pursued concurrently for the South China Sea disputes.

ASEAN has also been affected by terrorism and transnational crimes. Ensuring a drug-free ASEAN by 2015, on hindsight, is way off the mark, but with recent record-breaking seizure of illegal drugs, coordinated enforcement, and severe penalties we should be moving steadily towards that goal. The ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights is already operational, and more needs to be done on human rights protection.

Surprisingly, ASCC gets the least attention though the issues are all about the people and their daily lives. It is making its mark on disaster response, becoming more resourced, capable, and confident and being recognised as the essential first responders in the region. The ASCC is already operating on the basis of higher targets than that of the UN Millennium Development Goals (MDG Plus).

The region has well-coordinated response mechanisms for pandemics based on the experiences of SARS and Avian Influenza. The haze situation is still hazy, dictated by the vagaries of weather, but countries are responding through well-coordinated regional and national mechanisms through legislation, enforcement, and preventive activities on the ground.

AC15: Measuring and communicating progress

Contrary to its name, the AEC Scorecard is just a monitoring and compliance tool of agreements and actions which, though necessary, does not articulate the impacts and benefits of the AEC. However, to its credit, communications such as the AEC’s 2014 publication; AEC 2015: Thinking Globally, Prospering Regionally setting out key messages and explaining clearly the impact of the AEC, quoting real examples of how businesses and people have benefitted, should be ratcheted up this year.

The ASCC has developed its own comprehensive Scorecard based on key impact indicators related to the ASCC Blueprint goals, strategies and targets. It should now work on those agreed indicators and quickly publish the 2015 ASCC Scorecard Report which should give a clearer perception of what the ASCC, and consequently the AC15, is and how it has impacted the people.

Diverse voices speaking as one

Malaysia and the ASEAN Secretariat should lead and coordinate the framing, scoping, delivery of targeted information, and assessment of the AC15. Only recently the ASEAN Secretariat has opened a tiny window on AC15 on their website; the Malaysian website could be more than an event management site.

The wide-ranging multifaceted efforts of community building should be properly classified into clusters, subjects, or thematic areas targeting the main interest groups – businesses, intellectual community, and the general public – for a year- long constructive discourse on the AC15. Greater use of social media should make these platforms fully interactive to generate interest, engagement, discussion, feedback and effective participation.

Malaysia could emulate the well-structured communication strategy of its National Transformation Policy for AC15. All other member states should equally do so, for example, pitching AC15 on their national commemorative events such as Singapore’s SG50.

ASEAN may well engage relevant stakeholders for working level interactions during its over 1000 official meetings this year; and all these meetings should singularly focus on generating key outputs and messages for AC15, and planning for the post-2015 agenda.

In other words, ASEAN should seriously start implementing the ASEAN Communication Master Plan which has elaborated in detail what should be done for communicating AC15 – beginning right now.


Sumber - Eurasia Review
ek

Arms Race Coming in Asia?

Disputes in the South China and East China Seas could trigger vast military spending

The East and South China Seas face the possibility of a growing arms race between Japan, China and other countries, according to a new policy research paper released by the S Rajaratnam School of International Studies in Singapore.

The paper, A Tale of Two Conflicts, written by Ian Forsyth, an analyst at the US Pacific Command in Hawaii and a visiting fellow at the school, states that “if Japan’s relative military capability is what makes China more cautious in regards to Japan than with Vietnam or the Philippines, then in theory, the only solution to prevent a major conflict is a high quality military, which could doom the region to an ongoing arms race of quality to balance China’s quantity.”

Indeed, Japan has already embarked on a major enlargement of its coast guard – its de facto navy – to meet the Chinese challenge.

China’s modern economic and military rise has been meteoric in historical terms, in reality not beginning before Deng Xiaoping opened the country to the west in the 1970s.  Its expansionist policies in the East and South China Seas date even later than that. As Forsyth points out, “As if in tandem with one another, the rise of tensions in the East and South China Seas has been capturing headlines [only] since 2009.”

Despite its post-WWII pacifist constitution, Japan, as he writes, is a much more formidable military opponent than either Vietnam or the Philippines, both of which have collided with China over resources in the South China Sea.

“The commonalities and differences between these two regional disputes reveal much about which dispute is more likely to erupt into conflict and if conflict were to erupt, which dispute would prove more catastrophic,” the policy paper notes. “The presence of an intense anti-Japan nationalism in China points to the East China Sea being more likely to erupt into conflict than the South China Sea disputes.”

Despite that, Japan’s comparative military prowess plus a seemingly unshakable military alliance with the US that goes back decades, “imposes a sobriety on China’s decision-makers, making that region less likely to erupt into conflict than the South China Sea dispute.”

The fact is that the countries of Southeast Asia, particularly as their economic status has improved, have been arming themselves to the teeth for decades, although size along keeps them from matching either Japan or China,

Vietnam, as Forsyth notes, “has only a respectable military force,” with just 20 ships, 10 amphibious craft and three submarines. Its air force consists of 418 attack aircraft; 160 support craft; and 30 helicopters. In an effort to bolster Vietnam’s defense capability, in October 2014, the US relaxed its arms embargo on Vietnam, which has been place since 1984.

The Philippines armed forces are perhaps even less impressive than Vietnam’s, with 20 ships and 10 amphibious craft as well as just 10 trainer aircraft but no combat planes, 32 support craft and 88 helicopters, most of them Vietnam War-era Huey helicopters. However, Manila expects to increase its defense budget by 81 percent from 2011 by 2017.

In contrast, Japan’s military is an order of magnitude greater than either Vietnam’s or the Philippines’ with three helicopter carriers, 42 destroyers, six frigates; and 16 submarines.Its air force includes 510 combat aircraft, 260 of them fighter jets.

The Japan Coast Guard, the country’s de facto navy, has been building up its capability for the long-term defense of the contested Senkaku islets, which the Chinee call the Diaoyus. The Coast Guard’s budget was increased by 5.5 percent in 2014 in a bid to meet the Chinese challenge. That budget augmentation will pay for10 large patrol vessels plus two vessels capable of carrying helicopters which will be renovated by the end of fiscal 2015. Four of the new vessels are scheduled to enter service in 2014.

To respond to what could be “more urgent situations,” the coast guard also plans to build an additional six large and four medium-sized patrol boats, and to upgrade two existing vessels capable of carrying helicopters to back up the special unit.

“In sum, Japan’s military and coast guard forces pose a much greater threat to the Chinese military than Vietnam or the Philippines. “

In the middle of this is the United States military, which has forcefully said it would help to defend the islets.

“Beijing is on notice that an attempt to acquire the Diaoyus/Senkakus by force could mean a fight not only with Japan and its modern navy, air force and coast guard, but with the U.S. military as well,” Forsyth writes. “Compounding this is the fact the US has forces stationed throughout Japan that can be rapidly mobilized in the event of a Sino-Japan conflict.”

The US commitment to the Philippines is somewhat more equivocal. The country is in the middle of renegotiating a status of forces agreement now that would provide a clearer arrangement between the two.  Nonetheless, as Forsyth points out,  the Philippines alliance with the US is less foreboding to Beijing.

What is clear is that the disputes in both areas will be resolved via formal adjudication of maritime and sovereignty rights although “given the political realities of the region, particularly in China, this is virtually impossible. As such, the most that can be expected at this point is baby steps of conflict prevention and conflict de-escalation. The commonalities between the disputes provide certain limited opportunities to cultivate a foundation for conflict prevention in both regions.”

The local parties themselves need to drive the effort to cool the situation “Among the steps both South and East China Sea claimants could take are Incidents at Sea Agreements, particularly between China and Japan. Another is the establishment of hotlines. Malaysia and Indonesia have one, and Japan has one with Russia and South Korea.”

In 2006 Tokyo and Beijing reached consensus in principle on establishing such a communications line, but it wasn’t until November last year that State Councillor Yang Jiechi held talks with visiting National Security Advisor of Japan Shotaro Yachi in Beijing and drafted a four-point communiqué, which among other things, revitalized the prospects of an active hotline between the two governments in the case of an emergency.

“Japan has responsibilities as well. Tokyo should refrain from taking unilateral steps to solidify its sovereignty claims, such as deploying JSDF personnel on the islands, constructing a port of refuge for fishing boats, upgrading the islands’ lighthouse, or deploying civil servants to manage and preserve the islands’ forestry endowment or survey its marine resources,” Forsyth writes., “Furthermore, Tokyo should integrate the ‘differing positions’ point of the communiqué into its official vernacular regarding the Diaoyus/Senkakus.”

That could act as a de facto dispute acknowledgement without losing face, paving the way for bilateral negotiations and even commencing legal actions. Both could also stipulate that regardless of sovereign title, the Diaoyus/Senkakus do not generate an exclusive economic zone for either.

“This issue must be handled distinctly from demarcation of the sea and from the issue of sovereignty of the islets. While it is not likely that neither the East China Sea nor the South China Sea will witness the best of times in the near future the nature of the conflicts does not preclude preventing the worst of times. However, all parties involved must labour to prevent the worst of times from coming about.”


Sumber - Asia Sentinel

The Vilification of Muslims

Alliance of Christian, Jewish and Hindu Fundamentalists

by DEEPAK TRIPATHI

The recent attacks at the Charlie Hebdo satirical magazine’s office and a Jewish store near Paris have sparked another round of explosive debate about Islam and Muslims. The actions of Cherif and Said Kouachi were condemned. How the two brothers born and raised in France became radicalised was discussed in newspapers and on airwaves. Their existence on the fringes of French society and previous encounters with the law, already on record, were highlighted. Belgian police subsequently carried out operations in Verviers and other parts of the country.

Competition among Western leaders to rush to Paris to mark the tragic events was intense. The British Prime Minister David Cameron and his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu appeared particularly exercised. Stakes are high for Cameron and Netanyahu in coming elections in Britain and Israel respectively. The French presidency was not keen on Netanyahu visiting the country, but he turned up anyway.

Reminding the world of his Christian faith, David Cameron condemned the “fanatical death cult of Islamist extremism” and insisted: “You cannot appease them; they hate our democracy, our freedom, our freedom of expression, our way of life.” Netanyahu was not going to be left behind. Describing the attacks as brutal acts of savagery, he insisted that radical Islam knew “no boundaries” and the response had to be international.

Reminding his audience yet again that Israel had experienced similar attacks and that he knew the pain, Netanyahu said: “The terrorists want to destroy our freedoms and our civilization … we can defeat this tyranny that seeks to extinguish all our freedoms.”

Some commentators have pointed out the inherent bigotry and duplicity of this rhetoric. Chris Hedges, in a piece on Truthdig.com, said that the Charlie Hebdo shootings were neither about free speech nor radical Islam. Rather, the killings represented the fury of those hopeless, brutally controlled and mocked by the privileged.

The latest vilification of Muslims and their faith is the result of an old alliance of fundamentalist Christians and Jews for at least a century, certainly since the beginning of the Anglo-French project to create what became Israel in 1948. In the post-9/11 era, the trend to caricature Muslims has become more sweeping and venomous. Muslims all over the world are facing a sustained attack.

Had the Palestinian scholar Edward Said, author of the acclaimed book Orientalism been alive, he would have described it as a new form of Orientalism which imagines, emphasises, exaggerates and distorts, and is solely directed against Muslims everywhere. The rise of the Hindu nationalist BJP to power in India, a secular country of more than a billion people and nearly 150 million Muslims, represents the entry of a new player in this alarming reality. Not even a year in office, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government has already started to fiddle with the Indian constitution.

The terms “secular” and “socialist” are being removed from the preamble in government publications, without the required legislative approval for which the BJP government does not have sufficient strength. Leading government ministers and party allies have begun to openly suggest that the plan is to do away with the term “secular” from the constitution altogether, some claiming that India was never a secular country. Paranoia and religious zealotry are on the ascendancy.

The leader of the self-styled World Hindu Organisation, Pravin Togadia, absurdly laments that the population of Hindus in India is only 82 per cent. Togadia says he would not let this number decline to 42 in a few years, because “then their property and women will not remain safe”. He is determined to push the Hindu population up to 100 per cent.

Hindu women married to Prominent Muslims are accused of committing “love jihad” and demands are being made that their husbands convert to Hinduism. Walking in the corridors of power, if not occupying seats, are people who would make India a monolithic Hindu theocracy, a distorted mirror image of Saudi Arabia.

India’s vice president Hamid Ansari, a career diplomat before taking up his current post in 2007, was recently hounded by right-wing supporters and sympathisers of Modi’s government. As President Pranab Mukherjee took the salute during India’s Republic Day parade on 26 January, Ansari and several ministers in Modi’s government stood at attention, as the protocol requires.

Only the vice president was singled out for “insulting the national flag” and attacked by chauvinist Hindus in vehemently abusive terms. This against someone who had served as India’s ambassador in countries including Australia, Afghanistan, Iran and Saudi Arabia, and at the United Nations and, from 1980 to 1985, was Chief of Protocol in the Indian foreign ministry.

As part of the concerted drive against Muslims, a number of myths are being perpetuated by chauvinists and should be critically examined. Two myths stand out in particular. One that only Muslims (the world over) are violent – all others are doves of peace. Second that India’s 82 per cent Hindus face a demographic threat from Muslims.

Now, let us look at some of the facts. Traders from what is Damascus today started visiting India in the eight century. Sufi pacifism came to India much before. Muslim invasions began in the early eleventh century. Muslims and Christians of modern India have descended from those who adopted other religions for a variety of reasons – love, allurements, coercion or oppression, no less under the brutal Hindu caste system for centuries.

First Christians were believed to have landed on the coast of southern India in the year 52 AD when St Thomas is said to arrived in Kerala. It has taken almost fifteen centuries for the Muslim population of India to reach 14 per cent. Any talk of Hindus declining by 20 per cent, and Muslims rising, is therefore disingenuous and anti-intellectual.

Let us also examine the claim that only Islam and its followers are violent; others are fountains of peace. The history of wars between Christians and Muslims from the late eleventh to the thirteenth century took numerous lives. Legend has it that Pope Urban II told his followers it was right to kill non-Christians in defence of Christianity and those who die for their faith would occupy a chosen place in heaven.

Christian crusades were extraordinarily brutal and led to Muslim wars. In his war against the United States, Osama bin Laden’s rhetoric was strikingly similar, as is the rhetoric on the extremes of other religions in modern times. Conflicts in the Balkans and the Greater Middle East are as much local as led by Western military powers. One only has to look at those extremes with sincerity.

Let us see examples of some more fallacies, perpetuated by the appeal to popular opinion, ignorance or blind religious chauvinism. One is that Hinduism is a religion of peace. Not always. Those who killed thousands of Sikhs in India after Prime Minister Indira Gandhi’s assassination by two Sikh bodyguards in 1984 were not Muslims, but Hindus. And at the time of partition of British India in 1947, Hindus, Muslims and Sikhs committed unspeakable atrocities on each other, killing more than a million and displacing many more.

Wars in Indo-China and elsewhere in southeast Asia involved Buddhists and Christian colonial powers – French, British and Dutch. Let us ask ourselves who continues to persecute Rohingya Muslims in Burma (Myanmar) which is 80 per cent Buddhist? And where does the responsibility lie for the civil war in Sri Lanka following decades of discrimination of Hindu and Muslim Tamils by the Buddhist Sinhala majority that led to the Tamil rebellion and the rise of Tamil militant groups after the 1983 anti-Tamil riots?

When the fog of hatred is thick and the lust to have it all becomes uncontrollable, it is difficult to recognize that humans throughout history have shown extraordinary capacity to harm fellow humans. No one comes out better in this.


Sumber - CounterPunch