Other issues faced by the SMEs in Brunei are the small market size and the lack of production incentives. With our population of about 380,000 really does not make Brunei an attractive place for any production or businesses. The small market size is further aggravated by cheap competition from import and high local cost.
Of course, somebody would reply that Brunei's SMEs should not limit themselves to the domestic demand and therefore should explore the regional and even the world market. True. But in truth that is easier said than done. Heeks (1998) in his paper (click here) pointed a number of related problems. First, he pointed that Brunei is an island of wealth in the sea of local poverty, at least in Borneo island itself. But it is also true in the context of ASEAN. Brunei is the second wealthiest country after Singapore (measured by the GDP per capita) which is followed by Malaysia and then Thailand. The remaining ASEAN countries are all earning less than US$1000 per capita – they hardly can become our potential markets! Second, where regional markets exist, someone has got there first, producing high quality products at low cost, thus presenting entry barriers to new-comers especially, one that lacks competitiveness.
Now, I’m not trying to be negative but sometimes we have to be realistic. I believe, in order for our local (and weak) SMEs to take their chance in the regional market, let alone the global market, they need assistance. For example, they need to know just what types of products to produce (for e.g. products that have high import growth rates in the global market) given their capabilities. And then of course they will also need (continuous) help in the area of capacity building to increase the products’ competitiveness especially in terms of the quality. Now, my question is, have we got these in place?
OK before we go further into the discussion of providing supports for export-production, let’s first look at the supports for local production. What incentives are we giving to the local producers? You would probably be thinking of the recently reduced corporate tax. Is that enough? The corporate tax, first of all, is not payable by sole proprietorships, which makes up a large chunk of our private sector. And then there is the ‘pioneer status’ scheme, but then again does it apply to a large number of our local SMEs? Correct me if I’m wrong but I think both the corporate tax and the pioneer status scheme are more directed towards the attraction of foreign investors (which I am in support of!). Now, my question again, what then are the incentives we are giving to the local small and medium enterprises? Our SMEs don’t even have complete access to crucial information such as market demand, input costs, availability of sources of production so on and so forth! And so how do we expect our local SMEs to go abroad and compete when they are not even developed domestically.
Now, back to the issue of the small domestic market. How do we then overcome this problem? At the top of my head, we can do this in 2 ways. One, through the natural population increase, which would take AGES! And two, through migration. OK, maybe in our case, not migration per se but we need to find ways to attract foreigners to come and spend in the country. How? One, we need to increase the number of tourists coming to Brunei. The tourism department, from the looks of it, is putting a lot of effort into this. [It’s ashamed really, that the apparent lack of policy co-ordination among other departments somehow weakens the effort (perhaps another post on this one)]. Two, we can attract foreigners who have high purchasing power to come and stay in Brunei. Brunei, being a tax haven has already 'the' appealing factor for anyone to come and live in the country :). However, there is a larger policy implication which is related to another policy taboo – land and property foreign ownership. Now, I’m no expert on this but personally I don’t really see the harm in allowing foreigners, who can make ‘economic contributions’ to purchase properties for the sole purpose of occupation (see for example how Singapore is doing it). Just imagine the spin-off effects of this policy! We can expect a boom in the housing sector and the construction industry, and then of course, the increase in the demand for ALL goods and services which will have the desired direct effect on our local SMEs. Oh I can picture a shift in the aggregate demand for Brunei! (And only then we can seriously talk about providing world-class services be it in education, health etc..)
Oh dear, there’s so much to think of! I do hope I am NOT the only one thinking about this. And while thinking is good, but please for the love of Brunei, DO something about it. I will probably write more on this topic.
Salaam.
Sunday, 23 March 2008
Wednesday, 19 March 2008
New SME Financing
When I read today's news (see here and here) I thought, oohh that was fast! (i.e. the response to my previous post) haha.
It was indeed a welcoming development made by the Standard Chartered Bank to offer a collateral-free Business Installment Loan. I don't know what the interest rate is, but I suspect it would probably be as high as the risk involved. SCB is, after all a commercial bank. The detail of the financing scheme can be found here.
However, the scheme is not for start-ups. It is meant for businesses which have been up and running for at least 3 years. Therefore, I hope our local businesses will only participate when it is absolutely necessary.
The issue of start-up financing, thus still remains.
Salaam.
It was indeed a welcoming development made by the Standard Chartered Bank to offer a collateral-free Business Installment Loan. I don't know what the interest rate is, but I suspect it would probably be as high as the risk involved. SCB is, after all a commercial bank. The detail of the financing scheme can be found here.
However, the scheme is not for start-ups. It is meant for businesses which have been up and running for at least 3 years. Therefore, I hope our local businesses will only participate when it is absolutely necessary.
The issue of start-up financing, thus still remains.
Salaam.
Sunday, 16 March 2008
The Dilemma of SME Part 1
I’ve wanted to write something about SMEs in Brunei because this is another topic which I feel has not been properly addressed and where (again) policies and solutions offered are not coordinated.
I agree that the government has been very supportive in the development of SMEs but I am not convinced with the effectiveness of the given supports. Let’s go back to 30 years ago when Brunei started a SME Loan scheme for Malay citizens in the mid 1970s, known as the EDB scheme which unfortunately did not result in many success stories.
The failure of the EDB scheme to create many SMEs is mainly because it wasn’t participated by the intended recipients. (More than 65% of the loan went to non-entrepreneurs for buildings of houses which were mainly for rentals – not exactly the type of business we are looking for). Why? This is mainly because the EDB required collateral which could not be provided by any would-be genuine entrepreneur who didn’t have the means to do so. And as a result the only group that was able to apply for the loan was mostly those in the government sector, who were NOT trained to be risk-takers and to become genuine entrepreneurs.
Fast forward to today. The EDB scheme is now being replaced by a few financing schemes offered by the Ministry of Industry and Primary Resources through the Brunei Islamic Bank. While the new schemes may no longer be utilized to build rental houses, yet they pose the same constraint (or perhaps even more strict) to Brunei start-ups – the need to provide some forms of collateral in order to participate in the schemes. Well, of course I don’t expect for the money to be distributed freely to anyone who claims to be an entrepreneur but I am also positive that there are Bruneians out there who really have some viable business ideas but do not have the means to meet the banks’ strict loan scrutiny. So, where can they go for help?
This issue of the lack of availability of credits to genuine entrepreneurs and/or if you think in the reverse order, the availability of credits to non-genuine entrepreneurs to me is very much related to the issue of the wide-emerging of ‘Ali-Baba’ businesses. It works in 2 ways. On the one hand, those who are able to obtain the loans, who are mostly government servants, create businesses under the names of their wives/husbands/children while the business itself is run by some foreigners. On the other hand, those who are not able to obtain any loan seek some foreign external investors, and this coupled with the lack of proper business direction and experience, eventually results in the formation of ‘Ali Baba’ firms. This partly explains why despite the growing number of SMEs over the years, the number of success stories is paltry.
Of course the issue of ‘Ali Baba’ businesses is, to a large extent, attributable to the attitude (laziness) and the mentality of our own people (easy money). I personally feel the government’s effort in developing ‘local rakyat melayu Brunei’ to be the champions in the business sector has backfired. Despite all local privileges and the policy of local contents in almost all government projects, the locals still have not changed their position. It makes me wonder whether the very reason Brunei locals have not developed in the business sector compared to non-locals, is due to the over-protectiveness of our policies (all sorts of policies! e.g. land policy, local content, public sector jobs etc.) towards the Brunei locals. How? Those who are excluded from such ‘privilege’ policies have to work for their survivals. To most of them, forming a business IS an economic necessity. This however is not the case for the local Brunei, who have always been pampered and secured with high-paying jobs. And at the same time, those non-locals who see some business opportunities but are not in the position of setting up their own proper businesses seek the locals who are more than willing to lend their names in exchange for some business equity.
This is the real dilemma and poses a challenge to policy formulation. On the one hand, we want to help the locals. On the other hand, how can we ensure that the locals will not abuse any new given support? Nevertheless, Brunei can no longer wait and see and hope for the best. Brunei is not as it was 30 years ago. Brunei NEEDS to diversify its economy and strengthen its private sector. And the private sector needs help.
Anyway, going back to the issue of obtaining start-up credits, I personally think that Brunei should explore the idea of ‘angel investors’ or the provision of ‘seed money’ to new entrepreneurs who have no means to adhere to the collateral requirements of the existing financing schemes. Of course the risk is high but as the saying goes, No Pain No Gain! And if the government is not ready to take the risk, then how can we expect the people to take similar risk?
And at the same time, the issue of ‘Ali Baba’ businesses need to be tacked ASAP. It is simply an economic disease that needs a remedy. I must admit, it is not an easy task as it involves the changing of attitude and mindset and also requires a strong coordination from different government departments. However, as long as the mentality of ‘easy money’ exists among the locals, no matter how sophisticated the supports to local SMEs are, Brunei’s hope to create local businesses may just remain a non-achievable long-term economic goal.
I will write more on SME-related issues. In the meantime, I welcome views from everyone.
Salaam.
I agree that the government has been very supportive in the development of SMEs but I am not convinced with the effectiveness of the given supports. Let’s go back to 30 years ago when Brunei started a SME Loan scheme for Malay citizens in the mid 1970s, known as the EDB scheme which unfortunately did not result in many success stories.
The failure of the EDB scheme to create many SMEs is mainly because it wasn’t participated by the intended recipients. (More than 65% of the loan went to non-entrepreneurs for buildings of houses which were mainly for rentals – not exactly the type of business we are looking for). Why? This is mainly because the EDB required collateral which could not be provided by any would-be genuine entrepreneur who didn’t have the means to do so. And as a result the only group that was able to apply for the loan was mostly those in the government sector, who were NOT trained to be risk-takers and to become genuine entrepreneurs.
Fast forward to today. The EDB scheme is now being replaced by a few financing schemes offered by the Ministry of Industry and Primary Resources through the Brunei Islamic Bank. While the new schemes may no longer be utilized to build rental houses, yet they pose the same constraint (or perhaps even more strict) to Brunei start-ups – the need to provide some forms of collateral in order to participate in the schemes. Well, of course I don’t expect for the money to be distributed freely to anyone who claims to be an entrepreneur but I am also positive that there are Bruneians out there who really have some viable business ideas but do not have the means to meet the banks’ strict loan scrutiny. So, where can they go for help?
This issue of the lack of availability of credits to genuine entrepreneurs and/or if you think in the reverse order, the availability of credits to non-genuine entrepreneurs to me is very much related to the issue of the wide-emerging of ‘Ali-Baba’ businesses. It works in 2 ways. On the one hand, those who are able to obtain the loans, who are mostly government servants, create businesses under the names of their wives/husbands/children while the business itself is run by some foreigners. On the other hand, those who are not able to obtain any loan seek some foreign external investors, and this coupled with the lack of proper business direction and experience, eventually results in the formation of ‘Ali Baba’ firms. This partly explains why despite the growing number of SMEs over the years, the number of success stories is paltry.
Of course the issue of ‘Ali Baba’ businesses is, to a large extent, attributable to the attitude (laziness) and the mentality of our own people (easy money). I personally feel the government’s effort in developing ‘local rakyat melayu Brunei’ to be the champions in the business sector has backfired. Despite all local privileges and the policy of local contents in almost all government projects, the locals still have not changed their position. It makes me wonder whether the very reason Brunei locals have not developed in the business sector compared to non-locals, is due to the over-protectiveness of our policies (all sorts of policies! e.g. land policy, local content, public sector jobs etc.) towards the Brunei locals. How? Those who are excluded from such ‘privilege’ policies have to work for their survivals. To most of them, forming a business IS an economic necessity. This however is not the case for the local Brunei, who have always been pampered and secured with high-paying jobs. And at the same time, those non-locals who see some business opportunities but are not in the position of setting up their own proper businesses seek the locals who are more than willing to lend their names in exchange for some business equity.
This is the real dilemma and poses a challenge to policy formulation. On the one hand, we want to help the locals. On the other hand, how can we ensure that the locals will not abuse any new given support? Nevertheless, Brunei can no longer wait and see and hope for the best. Brunei is not as it was 30 years ago. Brunei NEEDS to diversify its economy and strengthen its private sector. And the private sector needs help.
Anyway, going back to the issue of obtaining start-up credits, I personally think that Brunei should explore the idea of ‘angel investors’ or the provision of ‘seed money’ to new entrepreneurs who have no means to adhere to the collateral requirements of the existing financing schemes. Of course the risk is high but as the saying goes, No Pain No Gain! And if the government is not ready to take the risk, then how can we expect the people to take similar risk?
And at the same time, the issue of ‘Ali Baba’ businesses need to be tacked ASAP. It is simply an economic disease that needs a remedy. I must admit, it is not an easy task as it involves the changing of attitude and mindset and also requires a strong coordination from different government departments. However, as long as the mentality of ‘easy money’ exists among the locals, no matter how sophisticated the supports to local SMEs are, Brunei’s hope to create local businesses may just remain a non-achievable long-term economic goal.
I will write more on SME-related issues. In the meantime, I welcome views from everyone.
Salaam.
Thursday, 13 March 2008
Leg Co: ..On POVERTY
I'm surprised, well actually not surprised that the issue of poverty was not heavily debated, despite HM's titah on the vision of zero poverty. Honestly, I feel really sad to hear that this issue will be tackled by yet ANOTHER poverty research. I mean, seriously... how much research do we need to prove that there ARE poor people in this rich country! And what is wrong with the research made by the UBD? Do we need to waste 3, 4, 5 more years and spend millions just to prove that there is no poverty in Brunei? I've heard about this poverty research like almost 10 years ago (if I remember, it was the year I started my first job) and until today I have not seen any national poverty-related policies besides the MUIB's zakat payment. And if there are recipients of Zakat, then surely there must be poverty..what more proof do we need?
People talk about absolute poverty vs relative poverty. For those who are not familiar with those terms, 'absolute poverty' is basically the number of people or households who cannot afford certain basic goods and services, while 'relative poverty' refers to the number of households (or families if you like) whose income falls below the national average income. So, a family of 6, earning only about $1200 a month definitely falls under the category of 'relative poverty'. They may probably able to buy the basic necessities with that income but that income surely must be below our median income.
If you ask me, I don't know what our median income is, but I suspect for a rich country like us, it should be quite high. So, my question is do we really need another research just to determine our median income? Or should we put our heads together to combat poverty NOW before it gets worse. I feel what Brunei needs actually is to form a serious national committee to address this issue.
Anyway, I don't know about you, but to me poverty issue shouldn't be under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Culture Youth and Sports alone or poverty is not all about giving welfare benefits. It needs to be addressed in a holistic manner. The fundamental issue is the gap between the rich and the poor. An increasing relative poverty means that there is an unequal distribution of income i.e. there is a large gap between the rich and the poor. Therefore our main challenge is to reduce this gap, because to me income equality = zero poverty.
This should be debated. The ways and means to reduce the gap. It is not about getting salary increments (because to me that in itself will actually result in a higher gap. Why? Because not all of the poors are employed in the government sector) it is more about formulating policies that specifically deal with the poors. For example, the national housing scheme. There should be a separate policy or separate queue (if you are trying to picture it in your head) for those who fall under the category of 'relative poverty' with its own separate terms and conditions, and prices (or no price at all!)
What about subsidies and taxes? These have been the traditional means of income redistribution. Surely, it is high time Brunei reviews its subsidies. Should those who are earning above the median income level pay the same subsidised price of rice as those earning below the median income? Now, there seems to be a serious talk about the irresponsibility of our people (who presumably think that electricity and water are their God's given rights and think that electricity probably comes from air) in paying the utility bills which is costly to the government (see here). If our people continue to be thick-headed and the government decides to reduce the various utility subsidies, then what about the poors? Now, taxes....well this is THE number one taboo in Brunei. But let's start with some form of property taxes. Number 1: tax on rental properties (to help finance the national housing scheme for the poors).
And then there is the related issue of unemployment. I wrote about this in the last post. I don't know how to further express myself but this issue NEEDS to be addressed properly. If the government can no longer afford to provide full employments in the public sector, then whether we like it or not, the government needs to do something about the wage gap because unemployment can cause poverty.
What about education? Yes, we do have the 12 year education policy, but my question is does this cover EVERYone? I'm thinking about those teenagers who got pregnant/married before they finish their 12 year education. How can we help them? How do we expect them to provide for their children if they don't have enough education. Won't it contribute to the poverty spiral?
There are more to think of! Such as how do we help the poors get out of their poverty condition? You know more in the lines of Give-a-man-a-fish-and-you-feed-him-for-a-day, Teach-a-man-to-fish-you-feed-him-a-lifetime.
Oh dear, it's almost midnight. I was supposed to have a break from 'thinking' today after submitting a chapter to my supervisor :) Anyway, the whole point of this post is to actually implore the relevant government agencies to STOP wasting time and resources 'wondering' whether or not we have poverty. Whatever poverty we have now, I think should still be manageable. So please don't wait until it gets too late.
Salaam.
People talk about absolute poverty vs relative poverty. For those who are not familiar with those terms, 'absolute poverty' is basically the number of people or households who cannot afford certain basic goods and services, while 'relative poverty' refers to the number of households (or families if you like) whose income falls below the national average income. So, a family of 6, earning only about $1200 a month definitely falls under the category of 'relative poverty'. They may probably able to buy the basic necessities with that income but that income surely must be below our median income.
If you ask me, I don't know what our median income is, but I suspect for a rich country like us, it should be quite high. So, my question is do we really need another research just to determine our median income? Or should we put our heads together to combat poverty NOW before it gets worse. I feel what Brunei needs actually is to form a serious national committee to address this issue.
Anyway, I don't know about you, but to me poverty issue shouldn't be under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Culture Youth and Sports alone or poverty is not all about giving welfare benefits. It needs to be addressed in a holistic manner. The fundamental issue is the gap between the rich and the poor. An increasing relative poverty means that there is an unequal distribution of income i.e. there is a large gap between the rich and the poor. Therefore our main challenge is to reduce this gap, because to me income equality = zero poverty.
This should be debated. The ways and means to reduce the gap. It is not about getting salary increments (because to me that in itself will actually result in a higher gap. Why? Because not all of the poors are employed in the government sector) it is more about formulating policies that specifically deal with the poors. For example, the national housing scheme. There should be a separate policy or separate queue (if you are trying to picture it in your head) for those who fall under the category of 'relative poverty' with its own separate terms and conditions, and prices (or no price at all!)
What about subsidies and taxes? These have been the traditional means of income redistribution. Surely, it is high time Brunei reviews its subsidies. Should those who are earning above the median income level pay the same subsidised price of rice as those earning below the median income? Now, there seems to be a serious talk about the irresponsibility of our people (who presumably think that electricity and water are their God's given rights and think that electricity probably comes from air) in paying the utility bills which is costly to the government (see here). If our people continue to be thick-headed and the government decides to reduce the various utility subsidies, then what about the poors? Now, taxes....well this is THE number one taboo in Brunei. But let's start with some form of property taxes. Number 1: tax on rental properties (to help finance the national housing scheme for the poors).
And then there is the related issue of unemployment. I wrote about this in the last post. I don't know how to further express myself but this issue NEEDS to be addressed properly. If the government can no longer afford to provide full employments in the public sector, then whether we like it or not, the government needs to do something about the wage gap because unemployment can cause poverty.
What about education? Yes, we do have the 12 year education policy, but my question is does this cover EVERYone? I'm thinking about those teenagers who got pregnant/married before they finish their 12 year education. How can we help them? How do we expect them to provide for their children if they don't have enough education. Won't it contribute to the poverty spiral?
There are more to think of! Such as how do we help the poors get out of their poverty condition? You know more in the lines of Give-a-man-a-fish-and-you-feed-him-for-a-day, Teach-a-man-to-fish-you-feed-him-a-lifetime.
Oh dear, it's almost midnight. I was supposed to have a break from 'thinking' today after submitting a chapter to my supervisor :) Anyway, the whole point of this post is to actually implore the relevant government agencies to STOP wasting time and resources 'wondering' whether or not we have poverty. Whatever poverty we have now, I think should still be manageable. So please don't wait until it gets too late.
Salaam.
Friday, 7 March 2008
Leg Co: ..On Unemployment
I don't know whether to laugh or to cry when I read the reports (in the newspapers here and here and here) of the Leg Co Session today. It was quite disappointing really because there was nothing new. One minister asked the private sector to hire the locals, while the other asked the locals to work in the private sector. I have no problem with both suggestions. But I fail to understand why no minister was addressing the root of the problem, which to me is the remuneration gap in the public and the private sector.
The gap is huge! To know someone in the public sector, who has the same exact qualification with the same skill, is paid triple the amount one is getting in a private sector is really demotivating to anyone. I don't know about you but seriously somebody has to address this issue. As I said in my previous post it is not enough (and equally unfair) to ask the private sector raising their pay rate to the locals due to several reasons. First, our private sector consists largely of SMEs. Second, our SMEs are weak as highlighted by the Minister of the MIPR. And third, the productivity and the commitment of our locals are not exactly commendable.
Now, in my humble opinion it is inevitable and imperative for the government to intervene. Either reduce the remuneration scale in the public sector and/or prop up the remuneration in the private sector. My preference goes to the latter as I believe it would have a larger multiplier effect to the economy. Perhaps take this idea as some sort of 'employment' benefit as opposed to the 'unemployment' benefit. If you are thinking, more government spending and where can we get the fund to do this? Now, I think there is even a stronger need for the government to review the subsidy (especially the fuel subsidy :) Plus, I also think that the government would actually save by spending only some fraction supporting locals who work in the private sector as opposed to employing these locals in the public sector. And of course the direct effect it has on the private sector itself (as compared to the reduction of the corporate tax! No, I'm not going to make any comment on this one) It's a Win, Win situation, No?
With regards to the mind-set problem and the attitude of our local workers, I think the issue is not exclusive to the private sector. I'm sorry..but look at out public sector's employees! I honestly wonder how can you expect the locals to be in their best behaviour in the private sector which pays considerably less when those in the public sector are having the time of their lives and being paid more. And that is why I also think it is equally imperative for the public sector to practice a more realistic productivity-linked wage system.
Oh Well, I'm just in my own world and who am I to say. I don't even know why I'm racking my brain for this.
Salaam
The gap is huge! To know someone in the public sector, who has the same exact qualification with the same skill, is paid triple the amount one is getting in a private sector is really demotivating to anyone. I don't know about you but seriously somebody has to address this issue. As I said in my previous post it is not enough (and equally unfair) to ask the private sector raising their pay rate to the locals due to several reasons. First, our private sector consists largely of SMEs. Second, our SMEs are weak as highlighted by the Minister of the MIPR. And third, the productivity and the commitment of our locals are not exactly commendable.
Now, in my humble opinion it is inevitable and imperative for the government to intervene. Either reduce the remuneration scale in the public sector and/or prop up the remuneration in the private sector. My preference goes to the latter as I believe it would have a larger multiplier effect to the economy. Perhaps take this idea as some sort of 'employment' benefit as opposed to the 'unemployment' benefit. If you are thinking, more government spending and where can we get the fund to do this? Now, I think there is even a stronger need for the government to review the subsidy (especially the fuel subsidy :) Plus, I also think that the government would actually save by spending only some fraction supporting locals who work in the private sector as opposed to employing these locals in the public sector. And of course the direct effect it has on the private sector itself (as compared to the reduction of the corporate tax! No, I'm not going to make any comment on this one) It's a Win, Win situation, No?
With regards to the mind-set problem and the attitude of our local workers, I think the issue is not exclusive to the private sector. I'm sorry..but look at out public sector's employees! I honestly wonder how can you expect the locals to be in their best behaviour in the private sector which pays considerably less when those in the public sector are having the time of their lives and being paid more. And that is why I also think it is equally imperative for the public sector to practice a more realistic productivity-linked wage system.
Oh Well, I'm just in my own world and who am I to say. I don't even know why I'm racking my brain for this.
Salaam
Wednesday, 5 March 2008
Wish List
In light of the current Leg Co Session, below are my 'wish list' of topics that I hope the distinguished Yang Berhormats are debating:
1. Unemployment: This has been a main issue since 10 years ago which I feel has not been properly addressed with only some 'piecemeal' solutions thrown from different departments without any coordination. The demand as well as the supply sides of the issue have to be debated. The issues involving the unemployment include:
i)The conflict between local vs. foreign workers: which to a certain extent related to the attitude of local workers.
ii)The remuneration gap: And NO I don't want to hear the same proposal where the employer (the private sector) is asked to give higher wages. That, to me is NOT a solution. What can the government DO to reduce this gap?
iii)The attitude of local workers: A serious lack of commitment.
iv) The welfare and rights of workers: What more can I say?
v) The rights of employers: While employees can lodge their complaints to the Labour Department, where can employers go?
vi) The availability of jobs. Can the private sector provides 'enough' jobs?
vii) Working age: The merits/demerits of extending the pension age.
viii) Job trainings/ skills etc.
2. Social illnesses: Drugs, school-dropouts, teenage pregnancy etc. These are just at the top of my head.
3. Poverty: I cannot stress any further. His Majesty's vision of 0% poverty needs to be addressed properly. The issues related to poverty include:
i) Establishing a national poverty line - in order to measure the gap between the rich and the poor and just HOW poor are we?
ii)To go beyond the solution of providing just 'monetary assistance'.
iii) To combat social illnesses which are very much related with poverty.
iv) To review some fiscal measures i.e. tax and subsidy as the traditional means of redistributing income.
4. Last but certainly NOT the least, BRUNEI's Future:
i) After Oil....What?
ii) Oil Fund to provide for the future. If BIA is doing this, where DO we stand at the moment? How secure is our future? How long can the fund sustain Brunei in the event oil runs dry (This can happen, No?)
iii) Pension schemes: Is TAP enough? How can we eradicate poverty if there is not enough money to provide for the daily expenses, once out of work. What is the merit/demerit of re-introducing a (NOT SO LAVISH) pension scheme. What is the possibility for the 'employer' to increase its contribution. BUT bearing in mind the capability of the current 'weak' private sector. How can the government assist the local workers in the private sector in the provision of a secure future.
iv) What about some form of a National Insurance for every working Bruneian? What happens if accidents occur, death etc?
Oh the list goes on!
But then these are just a mommy's wish..and we'll see how the session goes.
Salaam.
1. Unemployment: This has been a main issue since 10 years ago which I feel has not been properly addressed with only some 'piecemeal' solutions thrown from different departments without any coordination. The demand as well as the supply sides of the issue have to be debated. The issues involving the unemployment include:
i)The conflict between local vs. foreign workers: which to a certain extent related to the attitude of local workers.
ii)The remuneration gap: And NO I don't want to hear the same proposal where the employer (the private sector) is asked to give higher wages. That, to me is NOT a solution. What can the government DO to reduce this gap?
iii)The attitude of local workers: A serious lack of commitment.
iv) The welfare and rights of workers: What more can I say?
v) The rights of employers: While employees can lodge their complaints to the Labour Department, where can employers go?
vi) The availability of jobs. Can the private sector provides 'enough' jobs?
vii) Working age: The merits/demerits of extending the pension age.
viii) Job trainings/ skills etc.
2. Social illnesses: Drugs, school-dropouts, teenage pregnancy etc. These are just at the top of my head.
3. Poverty: I cannot stress any further. His Majesty's vision of 0% poverty needs to be addressed properly. The issues related to poverty include:
i) Establishing a national poverty line - in order to measure the gap between the rich and the poor and just HOW poor are we?
ii)To go beyond the solution of providing just 'monetary assistance'.
iii) To combat social illnesses which are very much related with poverty.
iv) To review some fiscal measures i.e. tax and subsidy as the traditional means of redistributing income.
4. Last but certainly NOT the least, BRUNEI's Future:
i) After Oil....What?
ii) Oil Fund to provide for the future. If BIA is doing this, where DO we stand at the moment? How secure is our future? How long can the fund sustain Brunei in the event oil runs dry (This can happen, No?)
iii) Pension schemes: Is TAP enough? How can we eradicate poverty if there is not enough money to provide for the daily expenses, once out of work. What is the merit/demerit of re-introducing a (NOT SO LAVISH) pension scheme. What is the possibility for the 'employer' to increase its contribution. BUT bearing in mind the capability of the current 'weak' private sector. How can the government assist the local workers in the private sector in the provision of a secure future.
iv) What about some form of a National Insurance for every working Bruneian? What happens if accidents occur, death etc?
Oh the list goes on!
But then these are just a mommy's wish..and we'll see how the session goes.
Salaam.
Friday, 29 February 2008
Our Story
My mother passed away when I was 16. I was lost but I grew up then and there. I have 2 younger sisters, at that time they were 14 and 10. I didn't know what I should do. While my friends my age were playing beauty and experiencing teenagehood, I experienced life. We were never spolit. After my mother passed away, my father was the sole bread-winner. We made do with what we had but never asked for more. And that has always been my principle in life.I never regret any of those things. Infact, I'm thankful because it taught me one great thing in life. To be Independent.
People said I was lucky because I had 'the brain'. I always came top in my class, from my kindergarten year until I graduated. Was it luck? No, it was hard work. When my mother passed away, I studied extra hard. I promised myself, one day I would provide my children what my parents could not provide us. That was my motivation.
I met my husband in the UK. He's not from a wealthy family. When we graduated in 1998, Brunei economy was badly hit by the Amedeo collapse. Employment was scarce. Again people said I was lucky because I found a job even before I graduated. I don't think it was luck. I worked for it. Having a First Class Honours certainly had the advantage. Offer of jobs came knocking on my door. To this day, I'm thankful.
But my husband, along with a thousand other graduates, were stuck. There was no employment. My huband managed to find employment in one of a private firm. But after a few months, the firm went down and had to cut its cost. One of the redundants was my husband. He waited for new jobs openings. An offer for a teacher's post in one of a government institution came. But he turned it down. Not because he was choosy. But because he was not trained to be a teacher and he said he did not deserve it.
Then one day, he said God gave me a well-functioned brain and 2 arms. Why should I wait for a job, when I CAN do a job. He decided he wanted to do a free-lance service. At that time, no body supported him. People thought it a better idea for him to just wait for a job. So, he asked for my help. I lent him some money to buy a computer and a printer.
Alhamdulillah, a family of a family heard he was doing some free lance work for a small fee. He asked my husband to give him some proposals for a house project. He loved it and my husband got his first client. Others heard. And a few came knocking on my husband's door.
After about a year in my new job, I was asked to further my study. We wanted to get married but we didn't have the finance. My husband obviously could not take up any personal loan. I went to do my Masters, my husband's business took off. After 3 months leaving Brunei, my husband called me and told me the good news. He made a tidy sum of money for us to get married when I finished my study. We got engaged while I was in the UK (i.e. I was not present when his family came). I worked hard on my Masters. First, I wanted to finish as early as I could and at the same time I was also preparing for my wedding. I had no one to depend on to. My sisters were still young and I didn't want to burden my father. So, in between studies, I planned my wedding.
I came back, earlier then the date my course actually end. We got married 4 weeks later. A year and a half later, we had our first girl. It was joy! When she was four months old, I was promoted. Luck? No. I worked hard in what I did. While many of my colleagues turned down some of the 'difficult' assignments, I came forward. I never see it that way though, I always say it was 'rezki Allah Taala'. A gift to my baby.
A year and a half later, our second girl arrived. Another gift from God. When she was 6 months old, I was offered to further my study. I wanted to turn down. I didn't want it. I wanted to spend time with my babies. But it also made me realized that probably 'the further study' actually came along with the promotion that I received so early in life. So, that became my responsibility.
I couldn't afford to bring my family along. My husband tried to get a scholarship to further his study. But NO. He was too old for it. I went mad thinking of leaving my 2babies. But my husband was my strength. He was very supportive. Never once he said No or asked me to think about it. He told me Fi Sabilillah. God has given me 'the brain' it would be selfish of me not to make use of it and in time will help to develop the country. Don't worry about OUR children, he will take care of them. And this is why I declare him the MOST UNDERSTANDING HUSBAND in the whole wide world :)
I came to England. Alone. It was crazy. A young mother being apart from 2 young adorable babies. The guilt I felt consumed me. I couldn't work properly. I broke down several times. I broke down in front of my supervisor when he said 'family is the most important thing in life' and asked me to be stong. I was thankful for his kind understanding. He didn't pressure me during my first year and helped me in whatever he could.
But life was shit for me. I asked one of my bosses as to the consequences of me quitting my study. He told me it would give a bad impression on me and on the department. To console myself, I prayed for God's strength. I prayed for His help. And thought if God brings you to it, surely God brings you through it.
My prayer was answered. My husband's business took off really well. He expanded. And managed to save quite a sum of money. The intention was for him to come to the UK and further his qualification. At the same time, there was an opportunity to buy a piece of land. Again the dilemma. In the end, we bought the land from the saving and there was some left for his study. However, it was not enough to finance a 2 year course in the UK. I came back and went to the bank. I took up a loan to partly finance my husband's study. We agreed that the loan was for a 'life investment'.
Then God even answered my prayer, the Government reviewed the terms for the In Service Traning Scheme. It was such relief! I thank whoever it was doing the review. With the extra money, I could provide a nice home for my children and could even futher helped my husband. (I thank the government for providing me and indirectly, my husband to further our education - the new scheme really managed to kill 2 birds with 1 stone). Had I known the scheme would be reviewed, I wouldn't take the loan. But we didn't have the time to retun the money back. It has now become our 'emergency fund'.
We sold our cars. We sold some of our furniture (we didn't have many anyway, our landlord was SUPERB). We returned the amah. I talked about this in my previous post. Our decision not to bring an amah. Well, because we couldn't afford it. Bringing 1 would mean we would need an extra room. The rent here in the UK is crazy. Besides, the house here is not that big. It's manageable. And the children go to school and are only home in the evenings. I can cook (edible lah hehe) and my husband and I share the housework.
Before coming to England, financially we're OK. Besides the loan I took for the financing, we are debt-free. Not even a credit card loan. We have a few credit cards which we used solely for travelling. We ALWAYS pay what we owe once we're back (And to this day, I don't understand why my bank raises my limit every year! I hardly use it hehe). My husband's companies are also DEBT-FREE. A good Chinese friend told him 'If You Can, Avoid Hutang. Never Hutang'. In fact, MANY companies and individuals owe my husband.
I save 30% (besides TAP) of my salary for the rainy days, for the children's education and for our retirements. I still think it is not enough. I hyperventillate thinking about our future. We share our daily expenses; the bills, the grocery etc. We always live within our means. That's our principle. At times, of course we wanted to treat ourselves. But only if we have the extra money. If not, it's not the end of the world. We don't have a Mercedes or a BMW not even a Tag Heuer let alone a Rolex. Our priority in our shared life has always been the children's education. We know for the fact that we cannot depend on anyone but ourselves to provide good education. We never know what the future will bring us. If our children are bleesed with intelligence and good brains, Insya allah maybe some financial help would come. But until then we will never know and have to prepare ourselves.
Our next priority is to build a house. I know we will need some financial help on this one. But my husband says, "If We can, we don't have to". Insya Allah, I believe him. Niat, Usaha and Tawakkal. But even if we have to, we know our limit.
The reason I'm writing this and telling you our boring life story is because I want to share our principles in life. NEVER live beyond your means. NEVER depend on Others. And there is NO such thing as LUCK. A little help along the way are God's blessings but NEVER Expect More.
I don't mean to say that these principles are the best and for you to follow. I don't even think we are a very good example. I would LOVE to hear more advise on how to have a better life and a secure a better future.
Salaam.
People said I was lucky because I had 'the brain'. I always came top in my class, from my kindergarten year until I graduated. Was it luck? No, it was hard work. When my mother passed away, I studied extra hard. I promised myself, one day I would provide my children what my parents could not provide us. That was my motivation.
I met my husband in the UK. He's not from a wealthy family. When we graduated in 1998, Brunei economy was badly hit by the Amedeo collapse. Employment was scarce. Again people said I was lucky because I found a job even before I graduated. I don't think it was luck. I worked for it. Having a First Class Honours certainly had the advantage. Offer of jobs came knocking on my door. To this day, I'm thankful.
But my husband, along with a thousand other graduates, were stuck. There was no employment. My huband managed to find employment in one of a private firm. But after a few months, the firm went down and had to cut its cost. One of the redundants was my husband. He waited for new jobs openings. An offer for a teacher's post in one of a government institution came. But he turned it down. Not because he was choosy. But because he was not trained to be a teacher and he said he did not deserve it.
Then one day, he said God gave me a well-functioned brain and 2 arms. Why should I wait for a job, when I CAN do a job. He decided he wanted to do a free-lance service. At that time, no body supported him. People thought it a better idea for him to just wait for a job. So, he asked for my help. I lent him some money to buy a computer and a printer.
Alhamdulillah, a family of a family heard he was doing some free lance work for a small fee. He asked my husband to give him some proposals for a house project. He loved it and my husband got his first client. Others heard. And a few came knocking on my husband's door.
After about a year in my new job, I was asked to further my study. We wanted to get married but we didn't have the finance. My husband obviously could not take up any personal loan. I went to do my Masters, my husband's business took off. After 3 months leaving Brunei, my husband called me and told me the good news. He made a tidy sum of money for us to get married when I finished my study. We got engaged while I was in the UK (i.e. I was not present when his family came). I worked hard on my Masters. First, I wanted to finish as early as I could and at the same time I was also preparing for my wedding. I had no one to depend on to. My sisters were still young and I didn't want to burden my father. So, in between studies, I planned my wedding.
I came back, earlier then the date my course actually end. We got married 4 weeks later. A year and a half later, we had our first girl. It was joy! When she was four months old, I was promoted. Luck? No. I worked hard in what I did. While many of my colleagues turned down some of the 'difficult' assignments, I came forward. I never see it that way though, I always say it was 'rezki Allah Taala'. A gift to my baby.
A year and a half later, our second girl arrived. Another gift from God. When she was 6 months old, I was offered to further my study. I wanted to turn down. I didn't want it. I wanted to spend time with my babies. But it also made me realized that probably 'the further study' actually came along with the promotion that I received so early in life. So, that became my responsibility.
I couldn't afford to bring my family along. My husband tried to get a scholarship to further his study. But NO. He was too old for it. I went mad thinking of leaving my 2babies. But my husband was my strength. He was very supportive. Never once he said No or asked me to think about it. He told me Fi Sabilillah. God has given me 'the brain' it would be selfish of me not to make use of it and in time will help to develop the country. Don't worry about OUR children, he will take care of them. And this is why I declare him the MOST UNDERSTANDING HUSBAND in the whole wide world :)
I came to England. Alone. It was crazy. A young mother being apart from 2 young adorable babies. The guilt I felt consumed me. I couldn't work properly. I broke down several times. I broke down in front of my supervisor when he said 'family is the most important thing in life' and asked me to be stong. I was thankful for his kind understanding. He didn't pressure me during my first year and helped me in whatever he could.
But life was shit for me. I asked one of my bosses as to the consequences of me quitting my study. He told me it would give a bad impression on me and on the department. To console myself, I prayed for God's strength. I prayed for His help. And thought if God brings you to it, surely God brings you through it.
My prayer was answered. My husband's business took off really well. He expanded. And managed to save quite a sum of money. The intention was for him to come to the UK and further his qualification. At the same time, there was an opportunity to buy a piece of land. Again the dilemma. In the end, we bought the land from the saving and there was some left for his study. However, it was not enough to finance a 2 year course in the UK. I came back and went to the bank. I took up a loan to partly finance my husband's study. We agreed that the loan was for a 'life investment'.
Then God even answered my prayer, the Government reviewed the terms for the In Service Traning Scheme. It was such relief! I thank whoever it was doing the review. With the extra money, I could provide a nice home for my children and could even futher helped my husband. (I thank the government for providing me and indirectly, my husband to further our education - the new scheme really managed to kill 2 birds with 1 stone). Had I known the scheme would be reviewed, I wouldn't take the loan. But we didn't have the time to retun the money back. It has now become our 'emergency fund'.
We sold our cars. We sold some of our furniture (we didn't have many anyway, our landlord was SUPERB). We returned the amah. I talked about this in my previous post. Our decision not to bring an amah. Well, because we couldn't afford it. Bringing 1 would mean we would need an extra room. The rent here in the UK is crazy. Besides, the house here is not that big. It's manageable. And the children go to school and are only home in the evenings. I can cook (edible lah hehe) and my husband and I share the housework.
Before coming to England, financially we're OK. Besides the loan I took for the financing, we are debt-free. Not even a credit card loan. We have a few credit cards which we used solely for travelling. We ALWAYS pay what we owe once we're back (And to this day, I don't understand why my bank raises my limit every year! I hardly use it hehe). My husband's companies are also DEBT-FREE. A good Chinese friend told him 'If You Can, Avoid Hutang. Never Hutang'. In fact, MANY companies and individuals owe my husband.
I save 30% (besides TAP) of my salary for the rainy days, for the children's education and for our retirements. I still think it is not enough. I hyperventillate thinking about our future. We share our daily expenses; the bills, the grocery etc. We always live within our means. That's our principle. At times, of course we wanted to treat ourselves. But only if we have the extra money. If not, it's not the end of the world. We don't have a Mercedes or a BMW not even a Tag Heuer let alone a Rolex. Our priority in our shared life has always been the children's education. We know for the fact that we cannot depend on anyone but ourselves to provide good education. We never know what the future will bring us. If our children are bleesed with intelligence and good brains, Insya allah maybe some financial help would come. But until then we will never know and have to prepare ourselves.
Our next priority is to build a house. I know we will need some financial help on this one. But my husband says, "If We can, we don't have to". Insya Allah, I believe him. Niat, Usaha and Tawakkal. But even if we have to, we know our limit.
The reason I'm writing this and telling you our boring life story is because I want to share our principles in life. NEVER live beyond your means. NEVER depend on Others. And there is NO such thing as LUCK. A little help along the way are God's blessings but NEVER Expect More.
I don't mean to say that these principles are the best and for you to follow. I don't even think we are a very good example. I would LOVE to hear more advise on how to have a better life and a secure a better future.
Salaam.
ASEANPreneurs Youth Leaders Exchange
I thought I'd post this now. Got an email from the University of Singapore this morning asking to help publicise their event which is opened to ALL University Undergrads of ASEAN Nationality.
So dear UBDians/ITBians, this is a very good opportunity for you to show the world what we are made of ! :) and of course for you to network, to make new friends etc.
I used to participate in events like this when I was at UBD (that was AGES ago! when I spent about 2 months living and studying at the NUS, participating in a student exchange programme) and yes, I made many friends, learnt new things, exchanged a lot of ideas and enjoyed every minute of it!
So, now is your turn...Enjoy!
The deadline is actually on 2nd March 2008 but applications can still be accepted until 28th March. Good Luck!
(To Janaki, thanks for visiting my blogsite and many thanks for the invite! But I don't think I'm qualified hehe :) All the best and good luck!)
Anyway, here's some info:
We're from National University of Singapore and would like to call for applications for the inaugural ASEANpreneurs Youth Leaders Exchange 2008. This will be held in Singapore from 15-20 May 2008.
So dear UBDians/ITBians, this is a very good opportunity for you to show the world what we are made of ! :) and of course for you to network, to make new friends etc.
I used to participate in events like this when I was at UBD (that was AGES ago! when I spent about 2 months living and studying at the NUS, participating in a student exchange programme) and yes, I made many friends, learnt new things, exchanged a lot of ideas and enjoyed every minute of it!
So, now is your turn...Enjoy!
The deadline is actually on 2nd March 2008 but applications can still be accepted until 28th March. Good Luck!
(To Janaki, thanks for visiting my blogsite and many thanks for the invite! But I don't think I'm qualified hehe :) All the best and good luck!)
Anyway, here's some info:
We're from National University of Singapore and would like to call for applications for the inaugural ASEANpreneurs Youth Leaders Exchange 2008. This will be held in Singapore from 15-20 May 2008.
The National University of Singapore (NUS) Entrepreneurship Society (NES) has founded an online student network called ASEANpreneurs to promote entrepreneurship in the ASEAN region. Below is a synopsis of who they are and the flagship programme that they will be organizing, the ASEANpreneurs Youth Leaders Exchange 2008.
ASEANpreneurs Youth Leaders NetworkThe ASEANpreneurs Youth Leaders Network (AYLN) is a student organization dedicated to promoting entrepreneurship in the ASEAN region. It serves as a platform for budding student entrepreneurs from ASEAN countries to network, share ideas and knowledge, and to collaborate and learn from each other. Some of the network's activities include organizing the flagship Leaders Exchange and the upcoming Conference, dissemination of entrepreneurship information, news and initiatives in the form of quarterly newsletters. Membership is open to university undergrads of ASEAN nationality.
ASEANpreneurs Youth Leaders Exchange 2008The ASEANpreneurs Youth Leaders Exchange (AYLE) is a week-long exchange programme organized by ASEANpreneurs, bringing together student leaders and entrepreneurs from all ASEAN countries. Hosted in each country on a rotating basis, this event provides an opportunity for delegates to visit ASEAN countries to learn about their economic development and localized entrepreneurial culture. Some of the programme components include student paper presentations, panel discussions with prominent regional entrepreneurs, workshops, visits to successful local startups and dialogue with distinguished local leaders. Application is open to university undergrads of ASEAN nationality.To apply for this programme, please visit www.aseanpreneurs.org
So yea, hope you can do a blog post on this and encourage many Bruneians to apply and participate in the Exchange. Of course, you're invited to do so as well =)
Thank you!
Regards,
Janaki
PR Director
ASEANpreneurs
So yea, hope you can do a blog post on this and encourage many Bruneians to apply and participate in the Exchange. Of course, you're invited to do so as well =)
Thank you!
Regards,
Janaki
PR Director
ASEANpreneurs
Thursday, 28 February 2008
Spoilt and Shameless
My blood boils when I read Mr BR's post on What Would Superman Do?. Not because I am angry at him but because I deeply share his sentiment. I still cannot fathom why our people can be so irresponsible, shameless and so selfish. It makes me so sad to think that after 24 years of independence, we are still unable to stand on our own 2 feet and still need the government to do basically everything for us! I call it the Third World Mentality. You know why? In the developed countries, people are so independent. Their self dignity and pride are strong. They don't ask for help easily because they take pride in what they do. Often you see people in wheel-chairs and people who are pysically less fortunate are doing what normal people do and as efficient. We have a lady - an undergraduate students' secretary- in our department who has lost 1 leg. One day, I was looking for a printer cartridge and it was in the last drawer of a file cabinet. Instead of telling me where it was, she went to the cabinet, with her crutches, and bended down to get the cartridge. I was surprise! I quickly went to her and obviously offered my help and you know what she said with her smiling face, "It's OK...Thank you...". Gosh!
Now, look at our people! God has given each one of us a brain, 2 arms and 2 legs, and WHY oh WHY are we acting like some helpless creatures in this world? Where is our self dignity ? Before I read Mr BR's post (I suggest you read it too!) I was discussing with my husband regarding the irresponsibility of our people. Someone we know who has been fortunate enough to get one of the houses in the Rimba Housing, apparently has not been paying the government. Both husband and wife are working with only 1 child to support. Furthermore, they have a rental house somewhere in Brunei which is being rented. I mean WHAT are they thinking?! What is worse, because of their irresponsibility and their selfish act (please see my previous post on this), the person who acts as their guarantor is now being burdened. The last we heard, the poor guarantor had received a few warning letters. AND these sad (good-for-nothing) couple just duh! I believe this is NOT an isolated case because a couple of years back, during a dinner at the Istana, I was fortunate or rather unfortunate to hear the gruesome tales of our people not paying their debt, have mountains of debt and on and on from officers from various government departments.
And we are not only talking about housing payments (which is a major issue) but also on things as mundane as paying the rent for wedding clothes (baju pengantin). Just a few days ago, my sister who is about to have her baby shower (Mandi Berlawat) told me that she was shocked that her i.c was being asked by the shop from which she is renting her baju. Simply because the shop assistant told her that there have been MANY cases where people just don't bother to pay and obviously never return the attires. GOD!
What is WRONG with us, people? I am really-really sad. For a Muslim and a wealthy country and not to mention a caring government, what MORE do we want? Honestly, I have a headache thinking about this..and I think I better stop here before I develop a migraine.
Mr BR was nice (presumably subtle) to title his post as 'What Would Superman Do' because I don't think we need a superman, as it will make matters even worse, what we need and deserve is for someone to give us a hard KICK in the b*tt.
Salaam.
Now, look at our people! God has given each one of us a brain, 2 arms and 2 legs, and WHY oh WHY are we acting like some helpless creatures in this world? Where is our self dignity ? Before I read Mr BR's post (I suggest you read it too!) I was discussing with my husband regarding the irresponsibility of our people. Someone we know who has been fortunate enough to get one of the houses in the Rimba Housing, apparently has not been paying the government. Both husband and wife are working with only 1 child to support. Furthermore, they have a rental house somewhere in Brunei which is being rented. I mean WHAT are they thinking?! What is worse, because of their irresponsibility and their selfish act (please see my previous post on this), the person who acts as their guarantor is now being burdened. The last we heard, the poor guarantor had received a few warning letters. AND these sad (good-for-nothing) couple just duh! I believe this is NOT an isolated case because a couple of years back, during a dinner at the Istana, I was fortunate or rather unfortunate to hear the gruesome tales of our people not paying their debt, have mountains of debt and on and on from officers from various government departments.
And we are not only talking about housing payments (which is a major issue) but also on things as mundane as paying the rent for wedding clothes (baju pengantin). Just a few days ago, my sister who is about to have her baby shower (Mandi Berlawat) told me that she was shocked that her i.c was being asked by the shop from which she is renting her baju. Simply because the shop assistant told her that there have been MANY cases where people just don't bother to pay and obviously never return the attires. GOD!
What is WRONG with us, people? I am really-really sad. For a Muslim and a wealthy country and not to mention a caring government, what MORE do we want? Honestly, I have a headache thinking about this..and I think I better stop here before I develop a migraine.
Mr BR was nice (presumably subtle) to title his post as 'What Would Superman Do' because I don't think we need a superman, as it will make matters even worse, what we need and deserve is for someone to give us a hard KICK in the b*tt.
Salaam.
Friday, 22 February 2008
So You Think You Can be like Dubai?
"My Grandfather rode a camel, my father rode a camel, I drive a Mercedes, my son drives a Land Rover, his son will drive a Land Rover, but his son will ride a camel"
Sheikh Rashid, the previous ruler of Dubai.
Well, a couple of years back (actually for all I know, we still think we can be like Dubai) there were talks about following Dubai's model to development. Nothing wrong with that - as long as we talk, the talk and walk, the walk. Anyway, I found this interesting Harvard paper 'Dubai Strategy: Past, Present and Future' which to me gives a good crash course on Dubai's development. Have a read, it's only about 9 pages long (minus the graphs) but really it tells the goods and the bads, which can be very interesting lessons.
Salaam.
P.S. Thank you all for your comments/views on my previous posts. I will get back to them once I've handed my chapter to my supervisor.
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