HIS Majesty the Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam together
with Her Majesty Raja Isteri Pengiran Anak Hajah Saleha met thousands of
Bruneians in the United Kingdom yesterday in a gathering at the Hilton on Park
Lane Hotel, London.
During the meet-and-greet event, His Majesty delivered
a titah expressing concern over several issues relating to students on
government scholarships.
The monarch questioned some of the students’
commitment as well as loyalty to the government and country, drawing attention
to those failing in their studies, students who change courses and scholarship
recipients requesting to be released from their bond in public service.
“All of these have the potential to jeopardise the
government’s plan,” said His Majesty, noting that such issues remain prevalent
among students despite frequent reminders and encouragement.
His Majesty emphasised that Brunei needs well-educated
citizens with strong leadership and ethics in order to achieve the government’s
objective of producing the human resources that are required by the nation.
The monarch also commended the Multiple Mini-Interview
that was introduced by the Ministry of Education this year in a bid to root out
unpatriotic students.
Under the new initiative, candidates for government
scholarships are assessed in terms of academic achievement as well as their
commitment and loyalty to the country. The Multiple Mini-Interview aims to
ensure that “only truly worthy” students are granted government scholarships.
His Majesty added that the ministry should monitor the
types of courses that candidates have applied for in order to avoid a mismatch
between educational skills and workforce needs.
“Some students have deliberately chosen courses which
are not offered in local universities in order to apply for scholarship to
study abroad,” said the monarch, pointing out that the education-workforce
mismatch is one of the contributors of unemployment.
An estimated 18,000 youth in Brunei are unemployed
including those with higher education. From 2001 to 2011, the number of
jobseekers with higher education has doubled from 470 to 968.
To curb rising employment figures, His Majesty
announced the establishment of a special body tasked with preparing the
country’s human resource planning policy. The body will serve as a platform for
the ministries and private agencies to provide estimates of their required
workforce.
The monarch also wanted a new scholarship policy to be
put in place to ensure that the students are worthy recipients of government
scholarships.
To wean off dependence on the government for
employment, the students were encouraged to be entrepreneurial. His Majesty
also advised them to remain steadfast when faced with negative influences in
the form of religion or ideology.
“There was news of a student who adopted a particular
ideology to the extent that the student has abandoned his family and country
for decades,” said the monarch.
His Majesty prayed for Bruneian students to be
protected from such occurrences, explaining that it is important for the
students to adhere to the pure teachings of Islam and to follow developments in
the homeland, particularly on measures to implement the Syariah Penal Code
Order.
After the titah, the monarch presented the Universiti
Brunei Darussalam (UBD) Chancellor’s Scholar to two top PhD students.
The recipients of this year’s prestigious scholarship
award were Hj Abd Hanif Dato Paduka Hj Mahadi, a PhD student in Inorganic
Chemistry at the University of Oxford, and Siti Nornadhirah Hj Amdani, who will
be pursuing a PhD in Obstetrics and Gynaecology at the University of Oxford.
During the gathering, Their Majesties also received a
pesambah from the president and vice president of the Brunei Students’ Union in
the United Kingdom and Northern Ireland respectively.
Their Majesties then met approximately 2,600 citizens
and residents of Brunei, comprising students, government officials on duty and
on courses as well as those who were on vacation in the United Kingdom and
Ireland.
Also present were His Royal Highness Prince Mohamed
Bolkiah, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Her Royal Highness
Pengiran Anak Isteri Pengiran Anak Hajah Zariah.
Other members of the Royal Family in attendance were
His Royal Highness Prince ‘Abdul Malik; His Royal Highness Prince ‘Abdul
Mateen; Her Royal Highness Princess Fadzilah Lubabul Bolkiah and Her Royal
Highness Princess Hajah Amal Nasibah. Prior to the meet-and-greet event, Their
Majesties attended an afternoon tea with officers from the Brunei High
Commission in London and several students who achieved excellent results.
RABIATUL KAMIT
The Brunei Times
Business & Investment Opportunities
Saigon Business Corporation Pte Ltd (SBC) is incorporated
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