Safety aspect still a major concern in Brunei

(THE BRUNEI TIMES)Most villages in Brunei have difficulties handling safety issues including fighting against crimes, said the secretariat of Excellent Village Awards.

Ahmad Fazil Zakaria, a project officer of the One Village, One Product initiative, said many residents faced problems communicating with their village heads when it came to reporting crimes and welfare issues.

Safety is one of the six judging criteria for the Excellent Village Awards.

The safety aspect was added after His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu’izzaddin Waddaulah, the Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam last year called for the improvement of villagers’ safety through a plan or strategy to prevent and stamp out illegal activities.

During the Excellent Village Awards last year, the monarch had raised his concerns in view of the increasing number of crimes in many villages.

In a recent interview on the sidelines of a briefing for Tutong villages, Ahmad Fazil said most village heads and village consultative council (MPK) members are still experiencing issues in becoming a focal point for residents to communicate and share their problems.

He said safety was only emphasised during the third edition of the Excellent Village Awards last year. The awards were introduced in 2008. “In the past, the safety aspect was there, but it was categorised under religion. The role of the village heads and village consultative councils in ensuring safety was rather small at the time. It is only this year that safety is a major criterion.

“We are still in the learning stage. In the future, I’m sure the villages will improve the quality of safety,” he added.

The other criteria for the Awards criteria are economy, religion and social integrity, education, management and administration, as well as cleanliness and harmony.

Ahmad Fazil said safety is not limited to criminal activities as it includes the way villagers handle situations such as natural disasters and damage to properties with their village heads and MPK members.

The project officer reminded grassroots leaders to ensure their residents are active in participating activities that promote safety. “The judges want to know whether the villages have their own safety bureau or neighbourhood watch team. We will find out whether the village heads or MPK provided proper scheduling activities that urge residents to conduct night patrols.

“We also want to find out the impact of the activities on society – whether the activities have solved problems such as crime rates in the area. We want to see the updated criminal record of the village from year to year,” added Ahmad Fazil.

He explained that safety bureau members as those consisting of village consultative council members, while the neighbourhood watch team collaborates with the Royal Brunei Police Forces (RBPF) as they were selected by the police.

According to a press statement from the Tutong District Office, 30 MPKs across the sultanate have been selected to compete in the semi-finals of the Excellent Village Awards in November.

It added that 12 village consul-tative councils will represent Brunei-Muara district in the semi-finals, four from Tutong district, eight from Belait and six from Temburong.