Eid Mubarak!
May the Blessings of Allah
Fill Your Life With Happiness
And Open All the Door of Success
Now and Always.
Selamat Hari Raya Aidil Fitri, Maaf Zahir dan Batin.
Terkasar Bahasa, Tersinggung Perasaan, diPohonkan Kema'afan.
Salaam.
Tuesday, 30 September 2008
Saturday, 27 September 2008
RBA And.....
...One angry employee ( BB Opinion 24 Sept 2008):
Salaam.
What's happening with our national carrier?
Where is our national carrier Royal Brunei Airlines heading?
A few months back, I remember they were boasting about the arrival of their new airplanes, the Boeing 777. But the new airplane is nowhere to be seen.
All that is left are the old Boeing 767s with seats, which in my opinion, is worse than a budget airline.
I do not see any major improvement as yet. First, the gone B777 deal and this year, the hope of getting merit increments and bonus for staff look bleak with nothing so far.
Unfortunately for those who resigned, the employer's TAP contribution is also affected from the employee's end of service benefits.
In its commercial side, I see failures especially in the decision-making. I have been in the sales and marketing industry and I personally think their commercial department needs a major overhaul putting those specialising in that field rather than putting a pilot or engineer instead. I guess, they just have the wrong people for the wrong critical positions.
Salaam.
Wednesday, 24 September 2008
Liveable City
When I was reading this article, I can’t help thinking about Brunei’s Vision to be among the world’s top 10 countries in terms of GDP per capita and quality of life. So, I wonder whether Brunei (or any part of it) will one day ever make into the top 10 liveable cities in the world. According to Monocle, the ingredients to be a liveable city are:
“a mix of shops and services within walking distance, a good transport interchange within close proximity, green space as part of their residence, a good park with a body of water for a refreshing plunge nearby, independent businesses as a key feature of the community, a sense of security (police on the beat or a Japanese-style police box in their neighbourhood), excellent coffee (Melbourne's Fitzroy and St Kilda and Sydney's Potts Point frequently came up as neighbourhoods that had the ideal mix of restaurants, cafés and street life) and finally a little bit of grit and surprise.”
Judging from the latest result which saw many of the European cities topping the list, it looks like we still have a looonnnggg way to go.
Salaam.
“a mix of shops and services within walking distance, a good transport interchange within close proximity, green space as part of their residence, a good park with a body of water for a refreshing plunge nearby, independent businesses as a key feature of the community, a sense of security (police on the beat or a Japanese-style police box in their neighbourhood), excellent coffee (Melbourne's Fitzroy and St Kilda and Sydney's Potts Point frequently came up as neighbourhoods that had the ideal mix of restaurants, cafés and street life) and finally a little bit of grit and surprise.”
Judging from the latest result which saw many of the European cities topping the list, it looks like we still have a looonnnggg way to go.
Salaam.
Tuesday, 23 September 2008
Are We THAT Thick?
After reading the Brunei Times’ piece on ‘Mobile Phones as a symbol of social standing’, the first thought that came to my mind was just how thick we Bruneians can be. In this holy month, I know I shouldn't be having any negative thought but I’m seriously frustrated! But I honestly lost my head when I read a 36-year old civil servant admitted that “his eyes are closed when he pays for a new phone”. O Dear! What is wrong with us?!
[Let me Breathe…]
I don’t know how these people can afford to constantly buy the latest phones. But I suspect credit, be it credit card or bank loan, is the main mode of payment.
Well, I came across an article in Slate that talked about the role of credits in our everyday lives. It was interesting the way it likened credit to a leverage i.e. power that allows you lift a heavy stuff. In this case, credits make everything appear so cheap. Or another way of seeing it, without credit, things look expensive.
Don’t get me wrong, I am not totally against credit cards or even personal loans. There are times, especially when we are travelling, credit cards will come in very handy. Or for when budget is tight and your freezer suddenly dies on you, then the personal loan that is being offered in the shops, can help save your life. But to use credits just to prove that you have a high salary or to have the latest mobile phone or camera that even can rival James Bond’s is beyond me! It’s even worse if you are buying a new phone at the expense of your child’s school fee.
In these last few days of Ramadhan, I can imagine the ‘eyes-turn-blind’ shopping frenzies are at their peaks in Brunei.
This can lead to a disaster, not only to the poor (or shall I call ‘thick’) person’s life but also to the health of the economy. In fact, I believe this is also another culprit that contributes to the increasing number of claims of being ‘poor’ in Brunei.
So I say, please…… whoever or whichever authority is looking into the credit policy in Brunei, to look into this seriously. It is high time we put a credit rating system in place. What I mean is that you can’t just allow any Tom, Dick and Harry that has a blue payslip enters into a credit contract without a thorough check on his financial background.
Everyday in the news, we hear about ‘credit crunch’ happening globally that has even put those giant corporations down on their knees and even collapse. It all started from careless and inappropriate lending. Anyway, it probably is still a foreign term in Brunei, so let’s keep it that way.
Selamat Menyambut Hari Raya Aidil Fitri. Spend Wisely!
Salaam.
[Let me Breathe…]
I don’t know how these people can afford to constantly buy the latest phones. But I suspect credit, be it credit card or bank loan, is the main mode of payment.
Well, I came across an article in Slate that talked about the role of credits in our everyday lives. It was interesting the way it likened credit to a leverage i.e. power that allows you lift a heavy stuff. In this case, credits make everything appear so cheap. Or another way of seeing it, without credit, things look expensive.
Don’t get me wrong, I am not totally against credit cards or even personal loans. There are times, especially when we are travelling, credit cards will come in very handy. Or for when budget is tight and your freezer suddenly dies on you, then the personal loan that is being offered in the shops, can help save your life. But to use credits just to prove that you have a high salary or to have the latest mobile phone or camera that even can rival James Bond’s is beyond me! It’s even worse if you are buying a new phone at the expense of your child’s school fee.
In these last few days of Ramadhan, I can imagine the ‘eyes-turn-blind’ shopping frenzies are at their peaks in Brunei.
This can lead to a disaster, not only to the poor (or shall I call ‘thick’) person’s life but also to the health of the economy. In fact, I believe this is also another culprit that contributes to the increasing number of claims of being ‘poor’ in Brunei.
So I say, please…… whoever or whichever authority is looking into the credit policy in Brunei, to look into this seriously. It is high time we put a credit rating system in place. What I mean is that you can’t just allow any Tom, Dick and Harry that has a blue payslip enters into a credit contract without a thorough check on his financial background.
Everyday in the news, we hear about ‘credit crunch’ happening globally that has even put those giant corporations down on their knees and even collapse. It all started from careless and inappropriate lending. Anyway, it probably is still a foreign term in Brunei, so let’s keep it that way.
Selamat Menyambut Hari Raya Aidil Fitri. Spend Wisely!
Salaam.
Sunday, 14 September 2008
ALMOST THERE
This is just a quick post. I’ve been busy in the past weeks to finish my work. Alhamdulillah, the first draft is now ready. So I just have to wait and see what the supervisor says. If it goes well then this heavy burden (of 3 and a half years) will finally be lifted off my shoulders (I mean this literally and metaphorically!). In the mean time, Ramadhan Mubarak!
Salaam
Salaam
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