The Daily Brunei Resources

The Brunei Times on 30 January 2014 had this report about Brunei: ++++ by Fitri Shahminan BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN Thursday, January 30, 2014 - BRUNEI’S economic output tumbled 9.7 per cent in the third quarter of 2013 due to a significant decline in the performance of both the oil and gas sector, and industry. During the quarter, the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) was estimated at $4.66 billion at current prices, data from the Department of Economic Planning and Development (JPKE) show. This was a decline of almost two digits from the $5.16 billion recorded in the same period of 2012. The department in its press statment did not say what sector caused the economic decline in the third quarter of last year. However, statistics released by the JPKE show that the oil and gas sector’s economic performance in the quarter decreased 11.7 per cent year on year. The industrial sector, weighed down heavily by a 17.2 per cent slump in mining, posted a year-on-year decrease of 9.7 per cent.

If you just take a glance at these stamps from my collection, you would not have noticed anything different. Just ordinary used Brunei stamps. They are old though. The 1 cent was issued in 1908 and the 5 cent was issued in 1916. Look closely. Look at the postmarks. Now you can see. The 5 cent stamp was postmarked Labuan on 9 November 1922. The 1 cent was postmarked Kingstown on 6 September 1910. You all know where Labuan is. Kingstown? That's somewhere in the West Indies. Theory? Probably the stamps when affixed to the envelope escaped from being postmarked in Brunei but when it landed in Labuan, the postmaster there affixed the cancellation so that the stamp can not be used. Similarly with the Kingstown postmark. The other interesting bit was that someone in Brunei wrote a letter to someone in Kingstown. If the stamp can talk, what interesting tales can it have.

Some of my photograph collections of Maulidur Rasul processions in the 1950s and 1960s in Bandar Seri Begawan and Seria.

This 1749 map shows Brunei (circled red) as Borneo to differentiate it from the Island of Borneo (Isle de Borneo). Brunei was generally known as Proper Borneo in many maps around those periods. The more the mappers know of a place, the more detailed the maps are for that particular place. Hence Borneo is properly shown together with Labuan Island just off the coast of Brunei. Tanjung Baram was known but someone would have to tell me what happened to Bacasa or Canciran both very near Brunei in this map.

Haji Mohd Rozan bin Dato Paduka Haji Mohd Yunos, the Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports, delivering his speech at the opening of the Asean Child Protection Training Programme. – JAMES KON Story by James Kon Posted date: January 07, 2014 In: Headline, National THE Government of Brunei Darussalam is committed to ensuring that children-related issues are given high priority in the national agenda because they are important assets of the nation, some of whom will become future leaders. Several policies and programmes are in place to promote and protect the rights and well-being of children in the country. Brunei’s high commitment to protecting the nation’s children was highlighted by Haji Mohd Rozan bin Dato Paduka Haji Mohd Yunos, the Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports in a speech at the opening of the Asean Child Protection Training Programme held at Star Lodge Hotel yesterday morning. Hj Mohd Rozan, who is also Head of t

Story by Rabiatul Kamit BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN Tuesday, January 7, 2014 PARENTS were urged to take formal procedures in adopting children to deter mistreatment and neglect, following the recent death of a three-year-old toddler at the hands of her adoptive parents. Children adopted without the involvement of relevant authorities are more vulnerable to mistreatment and neglect, as such cases remain unreported, said Hj Mohd Rozan Dato Paduka Hj Mohd Yunos, Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports (MCYS). Hj Mohd Rozan drew attention to a high-profile court case involving a married couple, Muhd Firdaus Hj Hamid and Masnani Hj Masri, found guilty of fatally abusing their young adopted daughter within a few days of her informal adoption last September. “The difficulty is that sometimes nobody knows about the abuse until it’s too late,” said the permanent secretary. He added that measures in formal adoption procedures were in place to detect child mistreat

This photo is from the Brunei Annual Report 1954 showing Seria Town. Some of the shops remained till today.

The caption for this postcard reads: Seria Town in the 1950s / Pekan Seria di sekitar tahun 1950an (Source: Photo from National Archives Centre)

The caption for this postcard reads: Scenic aerial view of Bandar Seri Begawan in the 1970s / Pemandangan Bandar Seri Begawan dari udara dalam tahun 1970an. This is part of a series of 9 postcards issued by the Brunei National Archives in 2012. The series showed selected old photographs that are kept at the National Archives building next to the Legislative Assembly building. (Source: Photo from National Archives Centre)

The Kajang-roofed Lapau building that was used on the occasion of the Silver Jubilee of Sultan Ahmad Tajuddin on 22 September 1949 (Photo: Postcard from National Archives Centre)

I am sometimes surprised to see old photos and what it shows. This one is taken from 1975 when the Brunei Postal Services Department was operating a Mobile Post Office. Does anybody remember?

I bought the following photograph quite a while ago. What attracted me was that these four people took a photo in front of a road Jalan Masjid. This road does not exist anymore but if memory serves me correctly and my theory is correct, this road should be the current Jalan Elizabeth II in front of the General Post Office. The mosque known as Masjid Kajang was built somewhere at the carpark area of today's TAIB Headquarters in Bandar Seri Begawan.

One of the troupes that followed the procession in conjunction with the observance of the Prophet's birthday around the 1960s. (Photo: Postcard from National Archives Centre)

The hearth mat braiding artwork made from pandan or screw pine leaves became a part of the women's activity around Kampong Ayer in the 1940s. (Photo: Postcard from National Archives Centre)