What I have learnt

My apologies to regular readers. Ever since my trip to Singapore and coming back and the publication of my book, The Golden Warisan, I have not had much time to devote to updating the blogsite.

The Singapore trip was very informative. A group of us went to visit the various agencies looking after planning and land issues in Singapore. Under the Singapore e-government projects, there are three information hubs which everyone in the Singapore government agencies can access to. The most important is the People Hub where the records of everyone in Singapore is stored. Data regarding personal information are kept there and Singaporeans as a rule do not have to fill in forms but merely indicating their IC, whatever system in the government service can already locate their full name and updated address. Similarly for issues with regard to land and planning, a Land Hub is used to keep records of land registers etc. The visit to Singapore was basically to see the Land Hub and also the various systems that go with it. We do hope to implement this and make life easier for everyone.

The MOD Customer Day is on for the entire week. We made the exhibits more interactive and related towards what MOD and its agencies services. We have a seven storey tall scaffolding for adventurers to do absailing and also flying fox. There is also a mini wall climbing. You can visit all the services as well as see our new MOD Garden complete with a relexolgy path. You can drop into my office while you are there and get my new book (facebook news).

Publishing and marketing books is what I have learnt the hardest way. When I was completing the book, I look at a number of options. One was to use an international publisher and pay for all their services or use a local publisher such as Dewan Bahasa. With either one, I don't have to do anything but just receive royalties. The international one would be good - international exposure but would make the book horrendously expensive for local readers. The DBP option is good too as DBP takes care of everything. I decided to do my own publishing and printing and my own marketing. I am glad I did it my way. Now I know about publishing and printing and I have now contacts with the leading bookshops in Brunei. And I can charge my own low prices as I know what the bottom line is.

Just to update you with regard to The Golden Warisan Volume 1, the books are now available at Best Eastern (since Sunday) and Bismi bookshops (starting today).

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