At the press conference yesterday
held for their visit to Brunei, the administrator for this year's SSEAYP
programme, Toshio Kuzuma, highlighted the significance of the ASEAN-Japan
relationship.
"I believe that we can
evaluate the high importance of building ties between ASEAN and Japan based
upon the illustrious history and continuation of this programme. ASEAN and
Japan share a codependent relationship," he said.
Twenty-eight Bruneian
participants are taking part in this year's programme. The Bruneian national
leader and the assistant youth leader also shared their experiences of the
programme which has spanned over 40 days so far, taking participants to Japan,
Vietnam, Thailand, Singapore and Indonesia.
"It has been an overwhelming
experience," said Assistant Youth Leader, Hjh Siti Zahara Hj Murni.
"The highlight so far has been my homestay with a Muslim family in
Vietnam. I previously was not aware of Vietnam's Muslim community and the
issues they face."
The Brunei youth contingent also
benefited greatly by participating in the Youth Leader Summit in Japan
according to the Brunei contingent's National Leader, Hj Mosli Hj Abdul Hadis.
"The summit gave our youth
the opportunity to participate in a cross-cultural discussion where they were
able to learn and see things from a different perspective."
Echoing this sentiment, Youth
Leader Muhd Zainul Ashyraf Hj Hussin said that their contingent has "grown
tremendously and made leaps in personal development" after experiencing
homestays in multiple regional countries.
Hj Mosli added the Bruneian
contingent also had the opportunity to meet with prominent people such as the
governor of Jakarta and the deputy speaker of the Regional House of
Representatives for the DKI Jakarta Province.
After arriving at Muara
yesterday, the SSEAYP contingent was divided into 11 groups to make institutional
visits around the Sultanate including The Brunei Times office, the Youth Centre
and the Board of Economic Development Board (BEDB).
The youth contingent will be
meeting His Majesty the Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam today
at the Istana Nurul Iman as part of their four-day visit in Brunei.
In addition to their audience
with His Majesty today, the SSEAYP contingent will have their homestay matching
ceremony at the indoor stadium to allocate participants with their foster
parents.
The annual youth programme fully
funded by the Japanese Government was created in 1974 and participated by
Brunei since 1985. The purpose of the programme is to promote friendship and
mutual understanding among youths of Japan and Southeast Asian countries.
The Fuji Maru will set sail to
its final port of call, Tokyo in Japan on December 6 and is scheduled to arrive
on December 13.
AARON ALWINES
The Brunei Times
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