Eliminating Statelessness in Southeast Asia

ASEAN can take some reasonable measures to address the plight.

By Michael Caster

The government of Myanmar has come under fire this month following Aung San Suu Kyi’s rebuke of U.S. Ambassador Scot Marciel’s reference to the Rohingya, the estimated one million stateless Muslim inhabitants of Myanmar’s Western Rakhine State. Aung San Suu Kyi’s government refuses to fully confront the issue of the Rohingya, who have been denied equal access to citizenship since the passage of the 1982 Citizenship Law. The denial of citizenship has compounded human rights abuses, rising to the crime of genocide, according to an October study by Fortify Rights. The persecution of the Rohingya has deservedly captured increasing international attention in recent years, although greater awareness and mobilization is needed. The plight of statelessness remains a universal challenge.

Around the world, there are an estimated 15 million stateless people. According to the UNHCR, somewhere a stateless child is born every 10 minutes and within the countries hosting the 20 largest stateless populations some 70,000 stateless children are born every year. In 2014, the UNHCR announced its Campaign to end Statelessness in ten years. The same year, the Institute on Statelessness and Inclusion reported that more people in Asia and the Pacific are affected by statelessness than in any other region of the world. How ASEAN addresses this challenge will be key to achieving the UN’s objective of eradicating statelessness by 2024.

The Right to Have Rights

Hannah Arendt, in The Origins of Totalitarianism, calls citizenship the right to have rights, a sentiment which entered jurisprudence in 1958 through U.S. Supreme Court Justice Earl Warren, who wrote that the denial of citizenship is the denial of all claims to protection from any nation.

Modern notions of nationality emerged following World War I through a series of League of Nations treaties, which granted States total freedom to determine how individuals obtained or lost nationality. Such absolutism of State sovereignty changed following World War II with the realization of the degree of harm caused by discriminatory nationality laws, such as the Nuremburg Laws. This realization gave rise to Article 15 of the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights, granting everyone the right to nationality.

Also in 1948, the United Nations commissioned the Study on Statelessness, released a year later. The Study affirmed that eradicating statelessness requires that, “Every child must receive a nationality at birth” and “No person throughout his life should lose his nationality until he has acquired a new one.”

The Convention Relating to the Status of Stateless Persons, adopted in 1954, provides the legal definition of statelessness as “a person who is not considered a national by any state under the operation of its law.” The 1961 Convention on the Reduction of Statelessness followed with more guidance. However, both Conventions remain poorly ratified with only 86 and 65 state parties respectively. The Philippines is the only ASEAN country to have ratified the 1954 Convention.

The right to nationality was further codified in the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR). However, Brunei, Malaysia, Myanmar, and Singapore are not State parties. On the other hand, all ASEAN member states are parties to the Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) and the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC). Together they prohibit gender discrimination in matters of nationality, require immediate birth registration, and place an obligation on states to respect the right of the child to preserve identity and nationality.

Statelessness in ASEAN

The 2009 ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human rights (AICHR) and 2010 ASEAN Commission on the Promotion and Protection of the Rights of Women and Children (ACWC) are both mandated with developing strategies for the promotion and protection of human rights. ACWC is furthermore empowered “to advocate on behalf of women and children, especially the most vulnerable and marginalized, and encourage ASEAN member states to improve their situation” and “to propose and promote appropriate measures…for the prevention and elimination of all forms of violation of the rights of women and children.”

Stateless people are indisputably among the most vulnerable and marginalized and international norms make explicit reference to women and children’s equal right to nationality. As such, AICHR and ACWC appear to have a mandated obligation to play a leading role in the elimination of statelessness in ASEAN, especially in ensuring birth registration and the elimination of gender discrimination in nationality laws.

One of the challenges to a regional approach is the lack of a unified definition of statelessness in domestic laws. The 1954 Convention provides the legal definition but the failure to ratify or implement in domestic laws provides countries with maneuverability. The Philippines offers the best example, having enacted the Convention and definition into domestic law in 2012. Vietnam and Laos provide a definition for stateless persons but do not go as far as the Philippines in implementing protections. The refusal to implement the accepted international definition in Myanmar, for example, has contributed to the State narrative that Rohingya do not qualify for protection as stateless because they are migrants from Bangladesh.

Birth registration, a human right vital for protecting against stateless, is not equally guaranteed throughout ASEAN. Cambodia provides a best practice in birth registration campaigning. In 2000, only around 5 percent of Cambodian births were registered. The Ministry of Interior, with support from UNICEF and others, initiated a pilot program involving more than 13,000 people who had received specialized training in birth registration. Within the first ten months of the program over 7 million adults and children were registered. Subsequently birth certificates were issued free of charge within 30 days of birth and only a small fee was incurred for late registration.

However, the 1996 Nationality Law offers no definition for statelessness and ambiguity in language implies that Khmer ethnicity may be a prerequisite for citizenship. Despite birth registration campaigning, several thousand stateless people remain in Cambodia.

Prohibitive costs for birth registration, requirements for documents that are sometimes unavailable or nonexistent, and associated costs of transportation or hospital fees, contribute to statelessness as well. Such obstacles often remain even after well-meaning policies have been adopted.

In Thailand, the 2005 National Strategy on Administration of Legal Status and Rights of Persons and 2008 changes in the Nationality Law ostensibly provided undocumented and migrant children, including stateless children, the right to attend primary and elementary school. Unfortunately, transportation or uniform costs continue to make education prohibitively expensive. Similarly, according to Children of the Forest, a child protection organization that works with stateless children and trafficking victims at the Thai-Myanmar border, among the common ways that children there become stateless is that parents will leave the hospital before registration because they couldn’t afford hospital services. Failure to register at the time of birth significantly increases the burden of registration at a later date. In 2015, the Thai government reported that over 18,000 previously stateless people had been given Thai nationality over the preceding three years. However, concerns over remaining obstacles in Thailand and elsewhere remain.

Gender discrimination in nationality laws is a significant contributor to statelessness. In Malaysia, although men and women confer nationality equally, children of Malaysian mothers born abroad only obtain citizenship at the discretion of the Malaysian Government. Mothers in Brunei have no right to pass nationality to their children. In a positive move, Singapore, in 2004, and Indonesia, in 2006, amended their nationality laws to permit mothers to pass citizenship to their children.

Three Approaches for the Elimination of Statelessness

The UNHCR acknowledges that some of the safeguards within the 1961 Convention have been enacted by ASEAN Member States. Still, accession to the two Conventions would provide the clearest framework for adapting national laws and policies to identifying, protecting, and eradicating statelessness within ASEAN. Although this is unlikely any time soon, there are three arguably more achievable measures that would strengthen the efforts to eradicate statelessness: empowering regional human rights bodies; emphasizing birth registration; and eliminating gender discriminatory nationality laws.

ASEAN created and empowered the AICHR and ACWC with a relatively robust mandate but they suffer from the lack of independence and weak enforcement capabilities. ASEAN’s Commitment to human rights, as expressed through the 2004 Vientiane Action Program and subsequent treaties, calls for strengthening such mechanisms.

This includes encouraging and working with States to withdraw reservations and amend laws that violate the right to nationality and birth registration, and localizing the legal definition of statelessness.

While civil society organizations are sometimes invited to regional consultations, the AICHR and ACWC remain under government authority. State representatives are largely coordinated by respective ministries of foreign affairs and not by national human rights institutions. Of course, national human rights institutions are not necessarily independent, as demonstrated in Myanmar and Thailand. However, AICHR and ACWC representatives from Indonesia, Thailand, and the Philippines have attempted to work around certain political obstacles by involving civil society and individual human rights defenders in the drafting or evaluation process, at times, and should be encouraged to do more so in terms of nationality issues.

Empowering regional human rights bodies to take a more active role in the identification and elimination of statelessness may also require the improvement of complaints mechanisms. Specifically, regional human rights bodies with a mandate over CEDAW and CRC should have specialized training and procedures for hearing complaints of arbitrary denaturalization, denial of nationality at birth or obstacles to birth registration.

The establishment of a regional human rights court would provide another forum for investigating and prosecuting the widespread or systematic arbitrary denial of nationality or grave human rights violations arising from the denial of nationality.

Registration at birth is of paramount importance. The ACWC mandate implies a role for the organization in birth registration campaigning and, in cooperation with child protection and gender experts, it should arguably take a more active role in harmonizing birth registration laws and advising campaigns throughout the region.

Drawing from Cambodia, efforts at raising awareness through television and radio should be maintained while other channels should be investigated and utilized. Public education during popular holidays would likely reach larger audiences. Because of challenges of birth registration campaigns reaching hill tribes or remote regions of Thailand, for example, efforts should be made to identify new strategies for locations or times of greatest community congregation. Registration campaigners should also concentrate around markets, where women may be likely to congregate. Campaigning should be increased around holidays when people from more remote areas are most likely to be present or when weather is more amenable to travel.

In order to address financial and administrative obstacles, a regional funding mechanism could be piloted to offset the costs of birth registration, including associated transportation costs. A period should be designated when birth registration is free, and after that waivers should be made available for the extremely poor.

There is also a role for innovative technology. Digital birth registration programs point to innovation in improving registration and archiving records.

A robust regional investigation into gender-based discrimination in nationality laws is a fundamental component of addressing statelessness. A widespread gender-based assessment of equal access to nationality should be conducted throughout ASEAN. Member states, especially Singapore and Indonesia, should work with Malaysia and Brunei to amend their Nationality Laws to abolish gender discrimination. Based on their mandates, this presents a strong opening for AICHR and ACWC involvement.

Admittedly there remain serious social and political obstacles to eradicating statelessness. Such obstacles have been reproduced through decades of structural violence and historical narratives of exclusion. The involvement of United Nations experts or foreign governments is not always greeted with fanfare. But ASEAN has made specific commitments and empowered regional bodies with a mandate to promote and protect human rights. Identifying and eradicating statelessness in ASEAN cannot be seen as a foreign imposition, as the government of Myanmar claims, but as an obligation inherent in the ASEAN Charter and within the mandate of regional bodies for the full realization of human rights for all.


Sumber - The Diplomat

Gov’t records more cases of troubled children, adolescents in last few years

BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN

THE government has recorded more cases of troubled children and adolescents over the past few years, the minister of culture, youth and sports said.

Citing data from the Community Development Department, Yang Berhormat Pehin Datu Lailaraja Major General (Rtd) Dato Paduka Seri Hj Awg Halbi Hj Md Yusof said there were 42 cases of “children beyond parental control” last year, compared to 38 in the preceding year.

In 2013, there were 27 “children beyond parental control cases”, and 37 in 2012.

In a previous report, “children beyond parental control” cases involved those below 18 years old who display behavioural problems in school or at home such as absenteeism and Internet addiction, among others.

Speaking during the National Family Day 2016 celebration meeting yesterday, the minister said there were also cases of abuse and neglect spread through social media, such as child abuse by parents who take drugs, neglect of children with special needs and abandoned babies.

“Even though the parties concerned have carried out their role and responsibility in bringing these offenders to court and provide protection to the children involved, it was found that reactive measures alone will not be able to curb social ills that are increasingly challenging these days,” he said.

YB Pehin Dato Hj Awg Halbi said it is timely that the National Council on Social Issues give direction on the National Family Day observance this year, which will be reviewed by focusing on family values. “Thus the celebration this year has been reviewed to ensure effectiveness and its objectives can be achieved, especially among the targeted families.

“Given the social ills arising from the national issue of weak family institutions, the responsibility in addressing issues early and immediately should be shared,” added the minister.

YB Pehin Dato Hj Awg Halbi said groups and individuals should collaborate and work together to prevent social ills.

“The National Family Day is one mechanism that can be used to reflect the involvement and commitment of all layers of society, including the private sector through its corporate social responsibility,” he continued.

The minister went on to say that activities and programmes for this year’s National Family Day needs to be strengthened by taking into account social issues and how the family institution can contribute in achieving Vision 2035.

Brunei will mark National Family Day on May 1 with the theme ‘Visionary Family’ retained for another year, with the motto My Family, My Hope.

“Among the objectives of the celebration is to improve and strengthen the welfare of families through efficient and effective programmes to produce an enriched society.”

The meeting at the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports discussed preparation and plans for this year’s celebrations across all four districts.

JAPEM said this year’s celebration will focus on religious activities in honour of the Islamic month of Rejab.

National Family Day is celebrated every first Sunday of May since its inception in 2012 to highlight the importance of a strong family institution. - Rafidah Hamit


Sumber - The Brunei Times

Divorce rate among Bruneian Muslims on the rise

Izzati Jalil
BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN

THE rate of divorce among Muslim Bruneians after ten years or more of marriage is on the rise, read the latest statistics from the Syariah Courts.

Statistics released on December 21, 2015, showed that 494 Muslim couples filed for divorce in 2014, an increase from 469 in 2013.

Out of the number of divorce cases in 2014, 155 of them were couples that had been married for ten to 19 years.

The statistics also showed that 81 divorce cases were from couples that had been married for more than 20 years.

These divorce cases were more prevalent among men aged between 30 to 39 and women aged between 25 to 34.

Acting Assistant Director of Islamic Da’wah Centre (PDI) Ustaz Hj Abd Aziz Hj Abd Kahar, also a marriage counselor at the centre, urged married couples to keep their romance alive and to maintain household responsibilities to keep their marriage intact.

He told The Brunei Times that marriage is a relationship in which one’s weaknesses are balanced by their partner’s strengths, in line with the Quran.

Ustaz Hj Abd Aziz noted that the rise in divorce is alarming and attributed this to irreconcilable differences as well as the neglect of responsibilities and provision of nafkah (sustenance).

“Most that seek counseling had poor financial knowledge and had neglected their (marriage) responsibilities,” he said.

He said couples with domestic conflicts that arise from constant disagreements should not just ‘settle’ for a divorce, but should instead put their differences aside, empower each other and seek marriage counseling.

The marriage counselor added that couples must be committed to meeting each other’s needs to build a lasting and happy marriage.

One such need is romance, he explained.

“The problem is that within the first few years after the wedding, the romantic flames that burned so brightly during engagement (burns out). It is important that even after marriage, husbands still do what they did when they first (marry). Same with the women,” said Ustaz Hj Abd Aziz.

“Help your spouse clean the house. Remind each other why you got married in the first place and, most importantly, respect (each other),” he said.

He went on to say that divorce trends have been heavily influenced by changing social norms.

“Women these days are less reliant on men for their financial stability, and there is also far less social stigma today about ending a marriage,” he said.

He urged couples who are looking to get married to attend post-marriage courses as this could help strengthen their marriage and reduce the number of divorces nationwide.


Sumber - The Brunei Times

Hampir semua sasaran MDGs dicapai

Oleh Sim Y. H.

BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN, 2 Mac – Negara Brunei Darussalam hampir mencapai kesemua lapan Matlamat Pembangunan Milenium (MDGs) yang disasarkan yang mana Brunei telah berjaya untuk menghapuskan kemiskinan yang melampau, penyakit-penyakit berjangkit telah berjaya ditangani serta negara terus memperbaiki kedudukan ekuiti secara progresif.

Di samping itu, peluang-peluang pendidikan disediakan bagi pelajar-pelajar lelaki dan perempuan pada setiap peringkat dan wanita kini mempunyai tahap penyertaan dalam tenaga kerja yang tinggi serta jumlah bagi menjawat jawatan kanan di sektor awam juga meningkat.

Pada masa yang sama, Negara Brunei Darussalam juga merupakan di antara kumpulan negara yang menguruskan sumber asli dan alam sekitarnya selaras dengan prinsip pembangunan mampan.

Perkara itu dinyatakan oleh Timbalan Ketua Pengarah Jabatan Perancangan dan Kemajuan Ekonomi (JPKE), Haji Abdul Amin bin Haji Hashim dalam kata alu-aluannya di Majlis Penandatanganan Kontrak Perjanjian Perkhidmatan Bagi Penyediaan Laporan Ketiga Matlamat Pembangunan Milenium (MDGs) Negara Brunei Darussalam yang berlangsung di Hotel Badi’ah, Bandar Seri Begawan, hari ini.

Hadir di majlis berkenaan bagi menyaksikan penandatanganan itu ialah Pemangku Ketua Pengarah JPKE, Pengiran Hajah Rosnah binti Pengiran Haji Damit.

Turut hadir ialah pegawai-pegawai kanan kerajaan serta ahli-ahli Focal Points MDGs yang telah dilantik dari pelbagai agensi kerajaan yang berkenaan.

Haji Abdul Amin dalam kata alu-aluannya turut menyatakan bahawa Brunei juga melihat dirinya sebagai sebahagian daripada kerjasama global dalam pembangunan dan kerjasama sokongan teknikal bagi manfaat negara-negara yang kurang membangun.

Di samping itu, Brunei juga terus melabur dalam sumber manusia negara termasuk dalam sains dan teknologi untuk mengekalkan momentum pembangunan negara.

Pada masa yang sama, beliau menyatakan adalah amat penting bagi semua pihak untuk menggandakan lagi usaha hasil daripada pencapaian yang sedia ada supaya akan mampu untuk meningkatkan lagi pencapaian itu dari segi kualiti pembangunan sosioekonomi.

Majlis diteruskan dengan penandatanganan kontrak perjanjian di antara kerajaan Kebawah Duli Yang Maha Mulia Paduka Seri Baginda Sultan dan Yang Di-Pertuan Negara Brunei Darussalam dan perunding yang disyorkan oleh Program Pembangunan Pertubuhan Bangsa-Bangsa Bersatu, PT Asia Strategik, Indonesia.

Menandatangani bagi pihak kerajaan ialah Haji Abdul Amin dan bagi pihak PT Asia Strategik ialah Dr Staish Mishra dengan penandatanganan itu disaksikan oleh Pengiran Hajah Rosnah.

Penandatanganan itu menandakan permulaan penyediaan Laporan Ketiga bagi Negara Brunei Darussalam mengenai Pelaksanaan MDGs Pertubuhan Bangsa-Bangsa Bersatu.

Selepas majlis penandatanganan berkenaan, seminar telah dijalankan oleh Dr Satish Moishra bagi mendapatkan pemahaman yang lebih baik mengenai proses-proses yang diperlukan dalam penyediaan laporan berkenaan.

Seminar itu juga sebagai satu forum bagi membincangkan dengan lebih lanjut lagi perkara-perkara berkaitan perkembangan dan isu-isu yang dihadapi oleh Focal Points MDGs dalam pengumpulan data dan maklumat MDGs yang berkaitan dengan agensi kementerian masing-masing.

Negara Brunei Darussalam telah mencapai hampir kesemua sasaran MDGs dan Laporan Negara Ketiga itu adalah sebagai susulan kepada laporan MDGs pertama dan kedua yang masing-masing telah diterbitkan pada 2005 dan 2010.

Laporan ketiga itu merupakan laporan terakhir bagi menilai pencapaian dan pengalaman negara dalam MDGs yang akan menjadi satu tanda aras sebagai persediaan negara menghadapi Agenda Pembangunan PBB Pasca-2015.

Laporan MDGs itu akan merangkumi pelbagai petunjuk pembangunan dan akan digunakan semasa Sidang Kemuncak Ketua-Ketua Negara, PBB pada September 2015.

Sasaran MDGs pada 2015 adalah berasaskan kepada Deklarasi Milenium yang telah dipersetujui oleh 189 buah negara-negara anggota PBB semasa Perhimpunan Milenium pada September 200.

Lapan sasaran atau matlamat pembangunan yang digariskan oleh PBB adalah membasmi kemiskinan dan kelaparan, mencapai pendidikan rendah yang sejagat, meningkatkan kesaksamaan jantina dan memperkasakan wanita, mengurangkan mortaliti (kematian) kanak-kanak, memperbaiki kesihatan ibu bersalin, mencegah HIV/AIDS, malaria dan penyakit lain, memastikan alam sekitar yang mantap serta mewujudkan perkongsian global untuk pembangunan.


Sumber - Media Permata

One autism case filed every week

Rachel Thien
BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN

THE Child Development Centre records one new case of autism among children aged two and above every week, said its community paediatrician.

Dr Hj Saquib Jalees said the centre had diagnosed 340 individuals with autism in 2012, but the number increased by 105 within two years.

One in every 1,000 individuals are autistic based on the sultanate’s population, he told The Brunei Times.

“This is the current prevalence and this is alarming. These do not even include other disabilities referred to CDC,” he said.

Up until April 2014, the centre has 445 registered autistic patients. Out of that number, 353 are males.

Dr Hj Saquib said there are over 4,000 cases of children with special needs nationwide, with more than 3,000 active cases.

“This means they are still coming for follow-ups, assessments and therapy. The patients are more of males, whether it is autism or learning disabilities,” he said.


What is autism?

According to Dr Hj Saquib, autism is the impairment of social and communication skills with inflexible behaviour.

He said there is no test for autism. “It all lies on clinical judgement and assessment from the CDC doctors and therapists. This is governed by how much experience and education they have in the field”.

Autism is a broad spectrum disorder, and in untrained eyes, many will see it as normal, he explained.

Dr Hj Saquib said even though no one is able to pinpoint what causes autism (nature or nurture), one thing they know is that some individuals are born with certain genetic make-up, which is triggered by the environment.

This means it could be through genes and the environment interaction, he said.

“However, no one has the answer yet. One thing for sure is that if it is genetic, the child’s environment is what will cause him to act out. If the affected gene is not there, whatever environment the child has around him will still encourage him to talk and socialise,” he added.


Watch out for the red flags

Dr Hj Saquib said in nations like the US, autism awareness in some states are good, and primary healthcare doctors do a screening test in children if they notice any red flags before two years of age.

He said there are red flags for parents to look out for when their child is around 18 months old. The red flags include:

• If the child is not babbling at eight or nine months;
• If the child does not respond, has not much eye contact and is very aloof by the time he turns one;
• Speech delay (which is the main reason they receive referrals)

The community paediatrician said children with autism do not play with store-bought toys. They generally play with objects, whether it is a pencil, spoon or beads, he said.

If they play with toys or objects, they will place them and arrange them in lines, he added.

“Their behaviour is not flexible and will throw tantrums when disturbed. So if parents notice their child is sitting in one corner and is not bothered about disturbing people around him, then something is not right,” he said, adding a child should always be interactive and not be in their own world.

Dr Hj Saquib said anyone can refer a child to the CDC. The best thing is for parents visit their general practitioner and get a referral if they noticed any of the red flags.


Late intervention

The community paediatrician said late intervention will not be effective. “The outcome will be limited when you start therapy late. The earlier, the better and that depends on CDC and parents.

“It all depends on parents’ awareness on autism to determine how early they can detect it in their child,” Dr Hj Saquib added.

He said when parents are in denial and later realise their child is autistic and brings them for intervention, it may be a little too late.

“Before the child goes to school at the age of five, you need to sort out his needs such as being toilet-trained, social interaction and speech,” he said.

Dr Hj Saquib said some parents are not comfortable labelling their child, while some want to categorise their child to receive benefits.

“If the child is registered and labelled autistic, then every year, he or she will be able to receive $1,000 as kurnia from His Majesty. In addition, after the age of 15, he or she can receive $250 as allowance from the social welfare disability fund for the rest of his or her life,” he said.


Message to parents

Dr Hj Saquib said parents should look out for signs and symptoms of autism, and also always make time for their children.

“Do not allow them to play with gadgets all the time. The gadgets do not help the children learn much. If you give them proper toys, they will feel it, and can acquire skills because it is three-dimensional.

“For example, if they hold an apple, they will know what it is because they can see, touch, smell and taste it. The same apple shown in an iPad will not demonstrate the same results. The child may know it is an apple only from its colour and shape,” he said.

He urged parents to interact with their autistic child whenever they are at home.

“Communicate with them nicely. When you involve them, it breaks their aloofness,” he said.

Dr Hj Saquib said if parents suspect their child has problems in speech or social interaction, they should seek help and also improve their child’s social environment.


Refer your child to the CDC

Dr Hj Saquib said it is best to refer a child with autism symptoms to the centre for assessment and diagnosis.

He said most of their autism referrals are aged two years and above, but they generally limit treating them at the age of 15 or 16.

“Currently, we are working on manpower and resources to support the increasing figures. We have the team to provide the assessment and diagnosis, but we are working on resources to increase post-diagnosis therapy and intervention,” he added.


Sumber - The Brunei Times

Brunei berpotensi jadi contoh pembelajaran pendidikan pra-sekolah

Oleh Normazlina M.D

BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN, 6 Mac – Pendidikan awal Kanak-kanak akan memberi kesan positif kepada kemajuan pembelajaran pelajar-pelajar secara amnya dan seterusnya akan membantu mempertingkatkan pencapaian sistem pendidikan negara.

Di samping itu, ianya akan mencapai objektif-objektif sosial seperti pengurangan kemiskinan, mengelakkan penderaan kanak-kanak.

Ke arah mencapai wawasan negara 2035, pelbagai inisiatif telah dikendalikan oleh Kementerian Pendidikan, termasuklah menjalankan kajian pendidikan awal kanak-kanak (Early Childhood Care Education) yang dimaksudkan dengan mengambil seorang pakar yang mempunyai pengkhususan dalam pendidikan awal kanak-kanak.

Yang Berhormat Awang Haji Zulkipli bin Haji Abdul Hamid (gambar bawah) semasa sidang Majlis Mesyuarat Negara ke-10 petang tadi telah menyuarakan mengenai status kajian yang dibuat oleh Kementerian Pendidikan mengenai Pendidikan Awal Kanak-Kanak (Early Childhood Care Education) yang dilaksanakan dan seterusnya bertanya mengenai persediaan awal kementerian itu bagi memastikan pelaksanaan sokongan-sokongan yang dibuat dalam kajian berkenaan dibuat dalam masa yang terdekat serta perancangan/tindakan lain Kementerian Pendidikan bagi memperluaskan lagi pendidikan awal di negara ini.

Menteri Pendidikan, Yang Berhormat Pehin Orang Kaya Seri Kerna Dato Seri Setia (Dr.) Haji Awang Abu Bakar bin Haji Apong menjelaskan bahawa di negara ini, pendidikan kanak-kanak berumur lima tahun di peringkat Pra Sekolah telah mula disediakan oleh pihak kerajaan pada tahun 1939 secara percuma.

Walau bagaimanapun, pendidikan kanak-kanak lima tahun ini tidak diwajibkan sepertimana Akta pendidikan 2003, tetapi diwajibkan pada kanak-kanak berumur enam tahun menurut Perintah Pendidikan Wajib 2007 dan pihak kerajaan telah menyediakan kemudahan untuk persekolahan kanak-kanak berumur lima tahun, dengan penyediaan pra-pra sekolah di 120 buah sekolah rendah.

Mengenai hasil dapatan kajian yang dijalankan oleh Konsultan dari International Child Resources Institute (ICRI) California, Amerika Syarikat yang memakan masa tujuh bulan yang bermula pada bulan September 2013 dan dijangka akan berakhir pada bulan April 2014, Yang Berhormat Menteri telah mengongsikan beberapa dapatan awal daripada kajian pihak konsultan.

Pertama, melalui kajian itu, Negara Brunei Darussalam mempunyai potensi untuk menjadi contoh kepada negara-negara lain di rantau ini, dari segi proses pengajaran dan pembelajaran di pendidikan Pra-sekolah.

Kedua, kajian juga menunjukkan lebih ramai guru-guru Pra Sekolah diperlukan untuk dilatih jika pendidikan kanak-kanak seawal 3-4 tahun ditawarkan kepada semua sekolah di negara ini.

Ketiga, kajian menyarankan Unit Pemedulian dan Pendidikan Awal Kanak-kanak untuk membangunkan dan mengimplementasikan kurikulum tersendiri yang berjenama Brunei dengan berlandaskan Melayu Islam Beraja dengan menyesuaikan kurikulum yang disediakan dengan keperluan relevan dalam konteks budaya dan pendidikan di negara ini.

Keempat, kajian juga menyarankan untuk meluaskan lagi penawaran latihan di peringkat universiti dan menubuhkan pusat-pusat latihan di negara ini, termasuk latihan dalam talian yang akan diiktiraf oleh institusi-institusi atau badan-badan ternama antarabangsa.

“Dalam masa yang sama, tanpa menunggu hasil kajian ini, adalah menjadi hasrat dan tanggungjawab Kementerian Pendidikan untuk terus berusaha memantapkan kapasiti tenaga pengajar yang mengajar kanak-kanak berumur lima tahun di kelas pra sekolah pada masa ini,” jelas Yang Berhormat Menteri Pendidikan.

Di samping itu, Yang Berhormat Menteri Pendidikan juga mengongsikan beberapa perlaksanaan program yang dibuat oleh Kementerian Pendidikan dalam mengusahakan Pendidikan Awal Kanak-Kanak.

Antaranya ialah Program Pembangunan Guru sentiasa dijalankan oleh Unit Pemedulian dan Pendidikan Awal Kanak-Kanak dengan menggunakan tenaga kepakaran tempatan dalam pendidikan awal kanak-kanak.

Selain itu, Kementerian Pendidikan juga menghargai khidmat sukarelawan terdiri daripada belia yang sedang menunggu keputusan peperiksaan di peringkat ‘O’ dan ‘A’ level dalam membantu guru-guru Pra Sekolah dengan mengikuti latihan pendidik dan dibantu oleh guru-guru Pra Sekolah, yang telah dapat membantu keperluan kanak-kanak dari segi sosial, dan emosional.

“Selain membantu guru-guru darjah bagi kelas-kelas biasa, para sukarelawan juga membantu menjaga keselamatan kanak-kanak yang mempunyai keperluan khas dengan memberikan perhatian yang diperlukan oleh kanak-kanak berkenaan.”

Tempoh jangka panjang pula ialah penyediaan program bagi meningkatkan pendidikan pra sekolah melalui latihan dalam perkhidmatan pengkhususan pendidikan terawal kanak-kanak turut dijalankan dan pembentukan kerangka kebangsaan yang berkualiti bagi pemedulian dan pendidikan kanak-kanak berumur 0 hingga 5 tahun telah bermula sejak akhir tahun 2012.

Sumber - Media Permata

ASEAN to sign new declaration on protecting women and children

Quratul-Ain Bandial
BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN

ASEAN leaders are expected to sign a new declaration on the elimination of violence against women and children after a committee met in Kuala Lumpur on Wednesday to finalise the draft.

The draft declaration will contain commitments to build adequate national welfare systems and legislation to protect women and children against violence in times of disaster, migration and labour, among others.

The declaration, which will be submitted to leaders this October at the ASEAN Summit in Brunei, will also include provisions on cyber pornography and cyber bullying.

Datin Paduka Hjh Intan Hj Mohd Kassim, Brunei representative and chairman of the ASEAN Commission on the Promotion and Protection of the Rights of Women and Children (ACWC), said it would be an enhancement to the declaration made in 2004.

"With the signing of the declaration, we hope that there will be more effort expended to protecting the rights of both women and children in ASEAN countries," she said at the conclusion of the meeting.

"Everybody should play a role in eliminating violence against women and children, and we hope that all countries and civil societies will support this declaration."

Datin Paduka Hjh Intan said ACWC would conduct a survey on cases involving violence against women and children in ASEAN countries.

"It is a project that we intend to implement within five years to know and understand the impact of violence on our children and women."

ACWC also submitted 10 proposals for funding by the European Union to improve the condition of women and children in Southeast Asia.

ACWC was inaugurated on April 2010 and comprises 20 representatives from 10 ASEAN countries.

Dipetik dari - The Brunei Times

NGOs urge Brunei to draft Child Protection declaration

Quratul-Ain Bandial

BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN

A COALITION of non-government organisations (NGO) from the Philippines has urged Brunei as ASEAN chair, to draft a declaration advocating the elimination of violence against children that will include special protection for children on the Internet.

The draft declaration would also include provisions that require Southeast Asian countries to improve domestic labour laws and eliminate child labour.

Under the cyberspace provision, the declaration would oblige member states to combat the use of technology to sexually exploit children, and support educational measures on these dangers.

The draft stated that governments should encourage the ICT industry to undertake research on protective hardware and software solutions and fund worldwide education campaigns on safe use of technology.

The ASEAN Commission on the Promotion and Protection of the Rights of Women and Children (ACWC) is in the process of drafting a declaration on the elimination of violence against women and children, but the Philippine NGO Coalition emphasised that children required a different level of protection altogether.

In a letter addressed to Datin Paduka Hjh Intan Hj Mohd Kassim, Brunei's representative to ACWC, the coalition said there should be a separate declaration addressing the rights of children, in line with the United Nations (UN) Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC).

"Violence against children by itself is complex and multi-dimensional, and if merged with the issue of violence against women, there is the strong likelihood that crucial considerations will be diluted in both sectors, thereby defeating the entire purpose of protecting women and children from all forms of violence," read the statement signed by Rowena D Cordero, convenor for the Philippine NGO Coalition on the UN CRC.

"There are various forms of violence affecting children wherever they are from their homes to the communities and even in cyberspace that need very specific measures."

The coalition said the UN Global Study on Violence Against Children provides "strong and persuasive evidence" on the vulnerability of children in different settings, and that a declaration specifically addressing this is an appropriate response to the study.

"An [ASEAN] declaration will set the standards for child protection in the region. ASEAN members, being signatories to the UN CRC, must be committed to taking forward the recommendations of the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child," said the coalition.

The Philippine NGO coalition added that any drafting of a potential declaration should include civil society organisations, taking into consideration the different situations of children in each ASEAN country. "We must include children, themselves being rights holders, in the discussion," said the coalition in a statement.

"We recognise the initial efforts of ACWC in involving the civil society in its processes ... It is our most ardent manifestation that ACWC strongly consider the above recommendations from the civil society so that the end result is an ASEAN Declaration to Eliminate all Forms of Violence Against Children."

Dipetik dari - The Brunei Times

Taskforce tingkatkan kualiti kesihatan kanak-kanak ditubuhkan

Oleh: Hajah Siti Zuraihah Haji Awang Sulaiman

BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN, Ahad, 12 Mei. - Dalam usaha mempertingkatkan kualiti kesihatan kanak-kanak di negara ini, Kementerian Kesihatan telah menubuhkan 'Taskforce' Permakanan untuk ibu, anak-anak damit dan kanak-kanak yang bertindak meneliti dengan lebih lanjut hasil dapatan kaji selidik status Kesihatan dan Permakanan kebangsaan.

Taskforce tersebut akan mengenalpasti, memantau dan melaksanakan pelan-pelan tindakan yang strategik untuk mencegah faktor-faktor risiko kesihatan agar tahap kesihatan akan lebih berkualiti, generasi pada masa akan datang akan lebih cergas dari segi mental dan fizikal, aktif, produktif dan dinamik bagi kelangsungan dan kemantapan sosio ekonomi negara di masa akan datang.

Demikian dijelaskan oleh Menteri Kesihatan, Yang Berhormat Pehin Orang Kaya Johan Pahlawan Dato Seri Setia Awang Haji Adanan bin Begawan Pehin Siraja Khatib Dato Seri Setia Awang Haji Mohd. Yusof pada Kem Keluarga Sihat Ibu dan Anak sempena Hari Jururawat Antarabangsa 2013 hari ini.

Menurut Yang Berhormat, ibu-ibu dan kanak-kanak merupakan teras pembangunan negara yang mana kesihatan golongan ini akan turut mempengaruhi dan memberi impak yang besar kepada kesihatan, perkembangan fizikal dan mental, kecergasan dan sosio-ekonomi negara di masa akan datang.

Oleh itu jelasnya, adalah tidak wajar untuk kita memandang sambil lewa dan ringan sahaja akan penjagaan kesihatan golongan kanak-kanak ini kerana mereka ini adalah sebagai asset negara yang sangat bernilai yang bakal penerus generasi di masa akan datang.

Yang Berhormat menambah, jururawat dan bidan juga diharap agar tidak jemu-jemu atau 'kelanguan' malahan melipatgandakan lagi usaha dan terus kreatif dan innovatif dalam memperkesankan lagi perkhidmatan, di samping berusaha memberi kesedaran kepada masyarakat mengenai betapa pentingnya menghargai dan memeduli kesihatan ibu-ibu dan anak-anak damit.

Dalam masa yang sama ujar Yang Berhormat, ibu bapa juga harus memainkan peranan masing-masing dalam menjaga, memelihara dan memata-matai kesihatan anak damit dan kanak-kanak termasuk membawa mereka ke Pusat-pusat dan Klinik-Klinik Kesihatan mengikut perjanjian untuk mendapatkan vaksinasi, pemeriksaan kesihatan dan tumbesaran, nasihat dan tunjuk ajar mengenai permakanan anak damit, amalan penyusuan susu ibu dan lain-lain masalah kesihatan yang perlu diambil perhatian.

"Ibu bapa tidak sepatutnya lalai dengan kewajipan ini walau bagaimanapun sibuk sekalipun dengan urusan kerja atau urusan-urusan yang lain. Ini adalah semata-mata bagi memantau anak damit biskita mengikuti pemeriksaan kesihatan dan perkembangan mereka sehingga meningkat dewasa", jelas Yang Berhormat pada acara yang berlangsung di Sekolah Rendah Perpindahan Kampung Lambak Kanan.

Selain itu jelas Yang Berhormat, ianya juga dapat mengesan lebih awal sekiranya ada terdapat tanda-tanda awal penyakit-penyakit berjangkit mahupun tidak berjangkit atau factor-faktor risiko agar dapat dirawat dan dikawal sebelum ianya akan menjadi lebih kompleks dan kronik yang boleh menjejaskan kesihatan anak-anak damit dan seterusnya membebankan ibu bapa dan keluarga.

Terdahulu dalam ucapannya, Yang Berhormat menjelaskan bahawa Negara Brunei Darussalam dengan pendekatan sistem kesihatan yang komprehensifnya telah dapat mencapai dan menepati sasaran yang ditetapkan oleh Pertubuhan Bangsa-Bangsa Bersatu di bawah Matlamat Pembangunan Milenium yang berkaitan dengan kesihatan.

Walaubagaimanapun ujarnya, kita tidak sepatutnya berasa 'complacent' atau berpuas hati akan pencapaian Matlamat Pembangunan Milenium yang berkaitan dengan kesihatan yang dimaksudkan.

Sehubungan itu tambah Yang Berhormat, Kementerian Kesihatan akan terus berusaha meningkatkan dan memperkukuhkan lagi sistem pekhidmatan dan penjagaan kesihatan ke arah yang lebih berkualiti dan lebih efektif pada masyarakat di Negara ini.

Dalam hubungan ini jelasnya, kerjasama dan perasaan tanggungjawab semua lapisan masyarakat terutama dalam kalangan ibu bapa dan penjaga kanak-kanak adalah sangat penting dalam menjaga dan memelihara kesihatan anak-anak masing-masing, di samping mengambil langkah-langkah pencegahan dan pengawalan apa jua jenis penyakit.

Dipetik dari - Pelita Brunei

BRUNEI dan pencapaian Millennium Development Goals

Brunei attains almost all MDGs: minister
By Siti Hajar

A little over a decade ago, almost 200 countries joined forces and agreed upon a set path to overcome the most distressing issue that many nations are facing: poverty. The realisation to address this agenda brought with it what is now known as the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) that are hoped to be fulfilled by the year 2015 through quantified goals and targets.

Being a blessed country with resources that can provide for all, Brunei Darussalam, a signatory to the MDGs has been considered very fortunate, and this is reflected in the achievements that have been made in actualising a significant majority of the MDGs with commendable efforts from the various government ministries responsible for the welfare of the country's people.

The Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports, Pehin Orang Kaya Pekerma Laila Diraja Dato Seri Setia Awg Hj Hazair bin Hj Abdullah stated this during an event marking Universal Children's Day, yesterday, at the Dewan Muhibbah of the Brunei-Muara District Office in Berakas.

The minister in his opening speech said that the Abode of Peace "has achieved almost all of the Millennium Development Goals" that have prioritised children and their rights to life, health, education and shelter, which he considers as "the main agendas". He emphasised that securing the future for the country's children is part-and-parcel of efforts to ensure sustainable development.

"Helping children reach their full potential also means investing in the very progress of humanity, for it is in the crucial first years that interventions make the biggest difference in a child's physical, intellectual and emotional development," he said. "And investing in children means achieving development goals faster, as children constitute a large percentage of the world's poor."

Alleviating millions out of poverty would mean tackling the concern at its grassroots level and the 189 countries agreed to sign the United Nations Millennium Declaration in September of 2000, which dictated eight Goals that could potentially improve the living standards of scores around the world and such goals include eradicating extreme poverty and hunger, achieve universal primary education, promote gender equality and empower women, reduce child mortality, improve maternal health, combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases, ensure environmental sustainability and developing global partnerships for development.

The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) explains that though the Goals are for all humankind, the biggest beneficiaries once the MDGs are met will be next sets of generations as six of the eight Goals are targeted for the future of children regardless of creed, race, gender, age or social standing. Meeting the goals, says UNICEF, "is most critical for children" because children "are most vulnerable when people lack essentials (such as) food, water, sanitation and healthcare. They are the first to die when basic needs are not met".

Outlining the Sultanate's progress in meeting the MDGs that are in direct relation to children, Pehin Dato Hj Hazair stated that there has been a reduction in the country's infant mortality rate from 10.3 for every 1,000 births in the year 2000 to 6.1 in 2010; that 95 per cent of children in the country have been vaccinated against communicable diseases; and that 99 per cent of Brunei's children have had the opportunity to attend primary school. The rate of literacy among children stood at 96.4 per cent in 2009.

When considering the amenities, facilities and provisions that are being given to children in Brunei in comparison with other developing countries whose governments are finding it challenging to overcome obstacles that are compromising the welfare of their younger generation, Brunei's children, said the minister, "should be made aware of how fortunate they are", as the Government of His Majesty the Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam constantly provides attention to their general wellbeing even before birth, through medical healthcare for pregnant mothers through to their age of maturity in terms of virtually free education.

Families living with financial difficulties, said Pehin Dato Hj Hazair, are also being taken care of as the government through the Community Development Department under the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports ensures adequate finances to meet their educational needs through the government's allowance programmes.

"The government's effort is to ensure that all children are given the opportunity to acquire education to be able to become the country's future leaders," he said.

Complementary to the incentives that have been put in place, the government also takes into account the legal aspects surrounding the threats faced by children, including the Women and Girls Protection Act, Children and Young Persons Order 2006, Islamic Family Order 1999, Unlawful Carnal Knowledge Act and the Trafficking and Smuggling of Persons Order 2004 as means "to protect children from various forms of violence, mistreatment and exploitation".

Universal Children's Day was the product of the General Assembly's recommendation on December 14, 1954 by Resolution 836(IX) for all countries to institute a Universal Children's Day to be observed as a day of worldwide fraternity and understanding between children. The resolution recommended that the day to be observed as a day of activity devoted to promoting the ideas and objectives of the Charter and the welfare of the children of the world.

November 20 was then pegged as the day to celebrate the world's children, as it marked the adoption of the Declaration of the Rights of the Child in 1959 and the Convention on the Rights of the Child in 1989.

Dipetik dari - Borneo Bulletin Online, Rabu, November 23, 2011