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TWO youth activists were awarded the Pingat Indah Kerja Baik (PIKB) or Excellent Service Medal by His Majesty’s government yesterday for their leadership and contribution to youth issues. Khairunnisa Ash’ari, 28, and Iswandy Ahmad, 31, were recognised for their advocacy in environmental issues and HIV/AIDS awareness respectively, making them among the youngest recipients to receive the PIKB medal. HRH Prince Hj Al-Muhtadee Billah, the Crown Prince and Senior Minister at the Prime Minister’s Office, presented the duo with the honorary medals during a ceremony at Istana Nurul Iman yesterday. “It’s pretty exciting. Honestly I did not expect to get it. I’ve always assumed it was for government servants,” said Khairunnisa, who founded the environmental NGO, Green Brunei, in 2012. “It’s quite empowering being acknowledged as youth volunteers.” She said she…

THE president of Green Brunei said the non-government organisation will be organising a Heart of Borneo Youth Seminar to bring together youth participants from the region to discuss the challenges and opportunities of the Heart of Borneo initiative to promote sustainable development. The seminar, organised in partnership with the Ministry of Primary Resources and Tourism, will be held from July 8 to 10. Green Brunei president Khairunnisa Ash’ari told The Brunei Times that climate change will be one of the core topics in the seminar. “The seminar will provide a platform for youth from Brunei and around the region to learn and share their ideas with fellow participants on, not just the issue of conservation, but also how Heart of Borneo (HoB) can contribute towards national development including identifying economic…

DESPITE many cleaning campaigns conducted by government and non- government agencies as well as the Kampong Ayer residents, floating rubbish still remains an eyesore at Brunei’s iconic water village. A senior citizen from Kg Saba Darat B, Hj Matassan Kassim, reminisced the good old days when plastic bottles and plastic bags did not litter the waters. “We used to always swim in the water as that was our method of taking a bath. We never had showers in our toilets. In the 1950s, there were only be glass bottles (and nobody threw them out as) we would take the initiative to collect and sell to local companies for extra income,” the 80-year-old said. “It wasn’t until the 1980s when rubbish comprising mostly plastic bags and bottles really started showing on…

CHARGING shoppers for using plastic bags is seen as an unfeasible option for commercial establishments to take. In an interview with The Brunei Times, Martinah Hj Tamit, head of the Environmental Planning and Management Division under the Ministry of Development said that charging the use of plastic bags to customers will not deter Bruneians from continuing its usage. “For example, if we charge 20 cents per bag, Bruneians will still be willing to pay for the plastic bags and use them when they shop,” she said. This, she added, will result with only a limited impact towards ‘reducing waste generation in Brunei’ and ‘does not serve the purpose of reducing the amount of plastic bags or plastic waste in Brunei.’ She went on to say that however she was not…

IN AN aim to promote the awareness of the growing issues concerning improper waste management and the degradation of the environment, Green Brunei held the ‘Waste 2 Art Exhibition’ yesterday at Freshco, Batu Satu. According to a press release, the exhibition involved the submission of artwork from students under three categories: Category ‘A’ was colouring competition for primary schools, Category ‘B’ was painting competition for secondary schools, and Category ‘C’ was sculpting competition for sixth form and tertiary schools. The winners were announced at the closing ceremony in the afternoon of the same day where the guest of honour, Martinah binti Haji Tamit, Head of Environmental Planning and Management Division under Department of Environment, Parks and Recreation of the Ministry of Development, presented the prizes to the winning students and…

BRUNEIANS should use electricity and water economically and efficiently at home to reduce their monthly utility bills instead of waiting for the government to raise rates or cut subsidies to control energy and water consumption, said a leader of an environmental NGO. Green Brunei’s community engagement director, Khairunnisa Ash’ari(pic), said choosing energy saving and even solar-powered technology can help mitigate the effects of climate change. “Choosing (these alternatives) always begins with small steps that lead to waves of action. Remember that climate change is a cross-boundary issue, so we need everyone to contribute solutions,” she said. Speaking to The Brunei Times, Khairunnisa said more efforts should put in to reduce wastage in the country. “Lights and air-conditioning left on when there’s no one in the room is a common habit…

FIVE students from Universiti Brunei Darussalam yesterday handed over 1,707 books of different categories including fiction, history and children’s books to the community libraries of the Senior Citizens Activity Centre (PKWE) in Lambak Kanan and ‘Mukim Buku Rimba’ (MBR). The books were contributed by Green Brunei Eco Drive and Singapore Brunei Youth Leadership Exchange Programme (SBYLEP), as well as members of the public during a nine-day collection period, according to a press release from the Brunei Youth Council. The ‘MBB Book Donation’ project was conducted by the students as part of their Community Outreach Programme activity under the Brunei Youth Council in order to add reading resources to the two libraries. “Both facilities, which opened recently, cater to the community, especially the elderly. It is hoped that the project could help…

BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN, 30 Mac – Lima orang pelajar Universiti Brunei Darussalam (UBD), semalam, telah menyerahkan buku-buku sumbangan kepada Pusat Kegiatan Warga Emas (PKWE) di Lambak Kanan dan juga di Mukim Buku Rimba, Kampung Rimba. Buku-buku berkenaan telah disumbangkan oleh Green Brunei Eco Drive dan SBYLEP serta orang ramai yang telah dikumpulkan dalam jangka masa sembilan hari. Menerima buku-buku berkenaan bagi pihak PKWE ialah pengurusnya, Haji Mohd Hussin bin Haji A Yusof dan ahli-ahli PKWE, manakala itu, bagi Mukim Buku Rimba, sumbangan diterima oleh penjaganya, Dayang Halimah binti Haji Awang Lajak dan Pegawai Perpustakaan, Ketua Unit Pinjaman Perpustakaan Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka, Dayang Norhasinah binti Haji Moksin. Menurut kenyataan yang dikeluarkan, Kempen Sumbangan Buku MBB telah berjaya mengumpulkan sejumlah 1,707 buah buku pelbagai kategori termasuk fiksyen, sejarah, buku kanak-kanak dan…

GREEN Brunei is inviting parents of children aged between 14- and 18-years -old to register their children for the first Climate Camp that will run from April 4-6. The three-day, two-night camp will be held in Sumbiling Eco Village, Temburong, according to a press release. The campers will enjoy fun and educational activities in an eco-friendly natural environment. Campers will learn about the many plants and insects found in and around the camping site, eat locally sourced food and practise recycling and composting. The camp will be facilitated by members of Green Brunei and the local Iban community from Sumbiling Eco Village. The campers will be able to learn more about climate change through discussions and activities by Climate Reality leaders trained by former United State Vice President and environmentalist…