The Daily Brunei Resources

To mark the 60th anniversary celebrations, Borneo Bulletin digs deep into its archives to show its readers how Brunei has evolved over the decades featuring photos and news of the years gone by. Here is this week's news from the past. +++++ This picture shows the Labi Road just below the point where it terminates at Mile 21¼ at Bukit Teraja SERIA (November 19, 1956) - An oil exploration access road, which cost the British Malayan Petroleum (BMP) Company a total of $3.4 million to build, has been purchased by the Brunei Government for $344,000. Known as the "Labi Road", it is 21¼ miles in length and traverses some of the most difficult country in the area, from Bukit Puan on the Belait River to Bukit Teraja, a picturesque hill 1,000 feet above sea level from which it is possible to see Seria's flares glowing on the horizon. A BMP Company engineer told The Bulletin that work on the road commenced in August 1952 and it was not until December 1954...

To mark the 60th anniversary celebrations, Borneo Bulletin digs deep into its archives to show its readers how Brunei has evolved over the decades featuring photos and news of the years gone by. Here is this week's news from the past. +++++ APRIL 23, 1955 - Photo shows District Officer of Belait, Pehin Orang Kaya Shahbandar Haji Ahmad bin Daud performing one of his "happiest duties" in his entire Government service. He is handing over to 80-year-old Che Fatimah binte Alin her first pension payment at the Government Malay School in Kuala Belait. Looking on are the venerable Penghulu of Kuala Belait, OKSP Setia Di-Raja Abang Bujang, himself an old age pensioner, and Pension Officer Inche Yahaya bin Taha. Pictured below are some of the 79 Malay and Chinese old age pensioners of Kuala Belait awaiting their turn to receive their first payment. -- Courtesy of Borneo Bulletin -- +++++

Permanent Secretary of Culture, Youth and Sports, Hj Mohd Rozan (L) presents a prize to Eunice Lo Ying Ci from Chung Ching Secondary School, Seria, for winning the essay writing competition held by Mekar Magazine yesterday at the Language and Literature Bureau's Balai Sarmayuda in Berakas. Pictures: BT/Saiful Omar Bandar Seri Begawan, 25 November 2012 - BRUNEI may face a situation in the future where young people today grow up to be ineffective communicators if they continue with the habit of writing of typing incorrectly as a result of the tendency to use shortened words on social networking sites and text messaging. To counter the onset of this dire situation, today's students need to use the Malay Language correctly and should be avid readers, said Hj Mohd Rozan Dato Paduka Hj Mohd Yunos during the Mekar / Juara Writing Competition Prize Giving Ceremony for primary and secondary students yesterday. The permanent secretary at the Ministry of Culture, Youth an...

Awg Hj Mohd Rozan bin Dato Paduka Hj Mohd Yunos, Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports, receives the resolution from Dyg Haidahtul Aleeyah of SR Tumpuan Telisai . Kuala Belait, 23 November 2012 - The World Children's Day celebration, organised by the Community Development Centre (JAPEM) with the theme "Appreciate Our Voice", concluded yesterday at the Belait Convention Hall with the presentation of outputs from participants and a resolution presentation by a participant representative. The guest of honour at the event was Awg Hj Mohd Rozan bin Dato Paduka Hj Mohd Yunos, Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports, who also presented tokens of appreciation and certificates to sponsors and facilitators as well as forum participants. The forum resolution was delivered by Dyg Haidahtul Aleeyah binti Abdul Rashid, a Year Six excellent student from Tumpuan Telisai Primary School, who later handed the resolution to the g...

This is another article about the past in Brunei from Haji Mohd Daud bin Abd Rahman published in Borneo Bulletin on 5th November 2012:   +++++   AB Suhaili, an accordian player performing in 1959. (Photo: Haji Mohd Daud Abd Rahman) Reflecting on the music and the entertainment scene of the yesteryears, youths in Brunei started getting into modern music in the late 1950s. However, the traditional musical instruments and Bruneian songs that have been passed down to our generation by our elders were not forgotten. In 1959 and 1960, Bruneian youngsters were already forming bands under the influence of famous bands such as The Beatles and the Rolling Stones. In 1959, these youths started to play in bands for wedding receptions, birthdays and anniversary parties. Rayuan Irama Band, 1968. (Photo: Haji Mohd Daud Abd Rahman) During that time, most of the songs had classic and slow rhythms which were favoured by the elders. There was also the 'Bintang Radio' comp...

Together with the world, Brunei celebrated Children's Day on 20th November 2012. The event was opened officially by the Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports who spoke about concerns of abuse and threat to children. Here is Brunei Times news report about the Children's Day celebrations in Brunei:- +++++ Kuala Belait, 20th November 2012 - A CURRENT phenomena of unlawful treatment of innocent young children who are abandoned and are unable to fend for themselves was highlighted as a cause for concern by the Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports (MCYS) during the Children's Day celebration yesterday. Therefore, it is with much hope that the world wide celebration, would serve as a reminder for people to realise their mistakes and halt any unlawful actions that threaten children's rights, said Yang Berhormat Pehin Orang Kaya Pekerma Laila Diraja Dato Seri Setia Hj Hazair Hj Abdullah. More so for parents as they play an integral role in shaping their children's f...

In 1954, Kuala Belait and Seria were considered as British Borneo's wealthiest area. The Borneo Bulletin recently did a reprint of a 1954 article about these two areas: +++++ DECEMBER 4, 1954 - These two special aerial pictures of (below) the oil town of Seria and (above) the commercial centre of Kuala Belait in Brunei State give a comprehensive idea of British Borneo's wealthiest area. Aerial photo of Seria in 1954 (Photo: Borneo Bulletin) The blocks of gleaming white buildings seen in the pictures are the recently completed Bazaars of Seria and Kuala Belait, which serve a population whose monthly pay packets run into many millions of dollars. Aerial photo of Kuala Belait in 1954. (Photo: Borneo Bulletin) Recognised by all business houses in British Borneo as the best trading area in this region, these two towns situated within seven miles of each other are today witnessing unprecedented expansion and modernisation as more roads are built, swamps reclaimed and ...