Brunei & Singapore to Plan More Broadcasting Projects

IZZAN KASSIM

BRUNEI-MUARA, Sunday, November 16, 2014 - BRUNEI and Singapore plans to engage in more activities together as a means to strengthen bilateral ties and reach a wider audience, specifically youths.

During the 24th Joint Technical Committee Meeting, which took place over a two-day period, several issues on cooperation in the field of broadcasting and information were discussed.

The Permanent Secretary (Media and Cabinet) at the Prime Minister’s Office, Hj Mohd Rozan Dato Paduka Hj Mohd Yunos, highlighted some of the issues discussed during the meeting.

Concerning the high demand to watch highlights of S-League matches locally, Hj Mohd Rozan said that he welcomed the proposal to send a production team from Radio Televisyen Brunei (RTB) to Singapore for coverage of the sports.

Additionally, a production crew is also set to take part in preparation for the 2015 South East Asian (SEA) Games, which will be held in Singapore, to prepare the state broadcasters for coverage of the 2019 SEA Games to be held in Brunei.

The permanent secretary also urged RTB to study the ‘Over the Top’ (OTT) service used and shared by Mediacorp Pte Ltd, to meet the country’s technological potential in the near future.

Hj Mohd Rozan thanked Mediacorp and the Singapore Media Academy for accommodating RTB personnel for work attachments next year.

He told the participants that he was pleased about the progress in preliminary discussions between PMO, Information Department and Singapore’s Ministry of Communications and Information, and that he hopes it would enhance the bilateral cooperation and increase understanding.

The permanent secretary also said that he would like to see radio programmes continue between the radio stations. He said, “(the) initiative allows us to enrich and further promote the usage of our mother tongue, the Malay language”.

Meanwhile, Singapore’s Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Communications and Information Aubeck Kam also noted that both countries are trying more creative ways to engage audiences, share best practices, and address common challenges.

Kam also urged the information and policy officials present to look into other areas for opportunities to collaborate.

Referring to Hj Mohd Rozan’s speech the previous day on communication during disaster management, Kam said he also regarded this as an important area of focus, mentioning the critical role broadcasters and information officers play to keep citizens informed in a timely manner.

The permanent secretary said that Singapore would be happy to share its experiences and learning points with Brunei, as it has conducted such exercises previously.

Kam also said that both sides have agreed to explore training opportunities and work attachments for both English and Malay Translators, as translation is an important area that requires a specialised skill set, language competency.

He mentioned several areas of collaboration and exchange in the area of information, such as the proposal to hold a journalist visit programme in Singapore in the middle of next year, as well as start regular information officers exchange programme, to share best practices and learn from each other.

Broadcasters need to reassess their programmes, said Kam, suggesting the incorporation of more elements of social media to meet the changing media consumption habits of audiences from both countries.

Last night, a Joint Variety Show co-production of Radio Televisyen Brunei and Mediacorp Pte Ltd, the Rapsodi, was held at the Jerudong Park Ampitheatre.

The show carried the theme Inspiration of Music (Inspirasi Muzik) to reflect the commitment in broadcasting cooperation for the past 24 years.

The Brunei Times

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