Negara Brunei Darussalam: Socio-Economic Concerns Amid Stability and Plenty

Southeast Asian Affairs 2003, pp. 71-79 NEGARA BRUNEI DARUSSALAM Socio-Economie Concerns Amid Stability and Plenty Hamzah Sulaiman Introduction The year 2002 was a mixed one for Brunei. Politically, it was an uneventful year with a minor change in the Cabinet line-up. The economy was sluggish despite the government's efforts to stimulate growth. The international and military front had a busy schedule. Socially, negative symptoms of a coddled society were beginning to show up. A Coddled Society and Its Social Problems Without a doubt, Bruneians are well-pampered people as a result of extensive welfare services and programmes initiated in the 1950s by the monarchy and funded by the wealth derived from oil and gas. Brunei has welfare programmes from the cradle to the grave. Most Bruneians enjoy the good life without having to pay income tax. They also enjoy the guarantee of government jobs as well as free education and health care. According to the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) , Brunei was ranked thirty-sixth in its Human Development Index in 2002 and it was the highest ranked country in Southeast Asia. Education Education is free for Bruneians from primary up to secondary level. From 2003, it will be extended to the permanent residents of Brunei. Nonetheless, this generous provision of education has not been fully taken advantage of by Bruneians, as can be seen from the disappointing results of national public examinations at the primary and secondary levels. The Deputy Minister for Education pointed this out when he remarked that the results at these two levels "have yet to achieve satisfactory level".1 About half of the candidates at the lower secondary public examination and at the "O" levels failed their examinations. At the tertiary level, about 200 students were shocked to find their applications to study at the local university, Universiti Brunei Darussalam, rejected even after fulfilling the university's entry requirement. This was due Hamzah Suiaiman is the Head of the Department of Public Policy and Administration, Universiti Brunei Darussalam. 72Hamzah Sulaiman to the introduction of a new quota system on university admissions by the Ministry of Education in order to alleviate the graduate unemployment problem in Brunei. This sudden change in policy caused an uproar among the parents of affected students as the new policy was implemented without (much) public consultation. To settle the matter, the university, under the instruction of the Ministry of Education, subsequently admitted all the 200 students under a new tertiary scholarship policy. According to this new policy, full scholarships will only be given to students who had achieved excellent results at the "A" level examination. Those who met entry requirements but with less than excellent results would only get partial scholarships. Thus the ministry in effect introduced a system of full and partial scholarships for study at the local university. Previously, any Bruneian who was eligible to study at the local university would be given a full scholarship. Under the partial scholarship scheme a Bruneian student would not receive a monthly allowance and an annual book allowance. The student would, however, be exempted from paying tuition fees. Only noncitizens and citizens who did not pass the Malay Language at "O" levels would have to pay tuition fees. Land In 2002, 734 people received keys and land titles from the monarch through the National Housing Scheme. This housing scheme provides low-cost houses and land plots for landless Bruneians. In the same year, the government of His Majesty the Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam also provided monthly old-age pension (for those above 60 years old) to about 14,577 Bruneians. Health Issues Heart diseases, cancer, and diabetes were the top three killers of Bruneians in 2002. The government campaigned for healthy living and encouraged people to exercise. Monthly walkathons were organized by government ministries to drive the message to the people, especially to the small but precious workforce. A new private medical centre for heart diseases was also opened at the Gleneagles Jerudong Park Medical Centre. HIV cases were also given special attention on World AIDS Day. To date, twenty-two Bruneians had been infected by the HIV virus and 73 per cent of...