MoH suffering growing pains

On the 25th National Day of Brunei, my editors tasked me to write a feature on Brunei's Healthcare.

It was one of my firsts features so I got advice from a number of editors on what I needed to do. I set up interviews which did not pull through. I asked for stats which did not exist at the time.

In the end I learned how important research can be to a writer. This feature was based more on research and past stories than interviews and fresh statistics. It opened up a new world of possibilities for me and changed how I would approach writing stories from then on.

Always do as much research as you can.

Travel ban to control H1N1 not an option

Many Bruneians were in a state of panic during the Influenza A H1N1 epidemic in 2009. Parents were concerned, with rightful reasons, for the safety of their children. 

The Ministry of Health was doing a good job containing the disease and quarantining those infected. They also put in place many preventive measures but the people wanted to safeguard the health of their loved ones even more.

Ideas were thrown around and some suggested travel bans for people leaving and coming into Brunei. The ministry said this wasn't feasible and did not elaborate much into the matter but I think it was clear to many why this was not an option.

Low quality of Interner services not worth its price

Brunei's Internet has improved drastically over the past decade but it still lags behind most of the countries in the Southeast Asian region. In this story, gamers complained about the cost of internet and how it falls short back in 2009. 

HM, Asean leaders visit Green Growth Exhibition

I don't get awestruck or star struck easily but it was quite an experience seeing so many world leaders at the same place and the same time. This was during a tour organised by the Koreans for the world leaders, or in this particular case Asean leaders, on the sidelines of the Asean-Rok summit in 2009.

It's also quite disheartening when you realise many of these leaders are now facing trials for corruption and the lot. Problems of the rich and famous?

HM happy with progress in Asean-South Korea ties

Brunei Keen on ICT ties with Korea

Musical performance sets tone for Asean-Korea summit

When you are sent overseas for coverage, you are expected to produce stories even when there is not much going on. On this uneventful day during my coverage in Jeju, South Korea, I stumbled upon a poster regarding a Asean-Korean traditional music orchestra.

I sat throughout the orchestra without much assurance that there were any Bruneians participating. Imagine my relief when I approached the conductor and was directed to the Brunei section. I had fun interviewing them and was even happier that I met my story quota for the day.

HM in S Korea for Asean-Korea summit

When we are sent overseas to cover His Majesty, we are told to liaise and work closely with Brunei's Information Department. They essentially become your best friend during these times.

The Info Dept will inform us of His Majesty's itinerary and provide information and even transport to and from the locations where the Sultan will be at. They also inform us on the procedures and protocols that we need to be aware of.

I touched down at Jeju in the afternoon of the day His Majesty was expected to arrive. The Info Dept told us (me and other journalists from Brunei) to meet at the lobby of their hotel at 8pm. Fortunately for me, Jeju isn't that big of an island so their hotel wasn't too far from mine.

We were at the airport at around 9pm and the Sultan arrived a little later. We took notes and pictures of what was happening at the scene, waited for His Majesty to finish his rounds at the airport, before returning to our respective hotels to start writing our stories.

I remember finishing my stories at around 1am on my first day in Jeju. This wasn't too big of a problem back then as The Brunei Times had an off stone of 2am. Plenty of time for the editors to close their page.... right?

Asean-CEO summit discuss ways to overcome global economic meltdown

Journalists are expected to look for their own stories when there are no assignments, the same is expected of us when we are on an overseas coverage.

My main objective when covering the 2009 Asean-RoK summit was to report on what His Majesty, the Sultan of Brunei, was doing and who he met with. But when the Sultan takes a break. it doesn't mean that we get to rest or explore Korea... It just means we have to look for other stories.

You can be creative when it comes to looking for your own stories. I wrote a piece at the same event where Bruneian musicians participated in a traditional music orchestra on the sidelines of the summit.

The story below was more straightforward where businessmen and industry players from Asean and Korea gathered to brainstorm and discuss ways to improve the global economy.

HM calls for more Asean-Korea effort

I covered the ASEAN-ROK summit that was held at Jeju Island in June of 2009. It was one of my first major overseas assignment so I wasn't sure what to expect at the time.

Things did not kick off on the right foot as, upon reaching Korea, I was informed my registration wasn't properly done. This meant that I had to spend half of my first day there re-registering and making sure all my paperwork was in order. Thankfully the media liaison (from the Brunei High Commission in Korea) and the representatives from the Information Department provided much help.

I have a number of interesting stories and experiences from this coverage which I will post over time. So keep checking back for more content.

In this particular news report we see His Majesty, the Sultan of Brunei, express satisfaction on then relations with Korea, in addition to dropping hints on areas of future cooperation. It has been ten year since and it's interesting to note what sort of developments have taken place since.

Brunei's first H1N1 casualty is girl aged 12

Hold the presses... I've never actually said that ever in my eleven years as a journalist. We just call the office and say, "Don't close the pages first. I have news".

You know its something significant when your source, in this case a senior government official, calls you on your mobile at 10pm.

"Please prepare for a press conference at 12am at NDMC (National Disaster Management Centre) headquarters." This was during the peak of the Influenza A H1N1 outbreak in Brunei so everyone already knew what it was about.

The press conference lasted only for about fifteen minutes but that was all it needed to wake the Sultanate up. H1N1 has taken a life in Brunei.

Shape up, Unissa's reputation is in your hands

This is a continuation on my previous entry, touching on His Majesty, the Sultan of Brunei's surprise visit to Unissa.

As you can see from the pictures posted, His Majesty had some harsh words for the education institution. Our duty as journalists is to report what we see and hear and leave the decision making to the readers. We report so our readers can make an informed decision on what to believe.

Unissa, as can be expected, wasn't too happy with the story. At first they asked a lecturer there, who happened to be a former classmate, to give me a call. She said the story should have been more positive. I told her I only reported what I heard and saw. The last thing I would do was put words in HM's mouth.

Her seniors then called The Brunei Times and my editors defended me. In the end a meeting between The Brunei Times and Unissa was held. They could not point out anything wrong with the story but they still wanted the last say. Their final complaint was that a non-Muslim should not be allowed to cover anything that has to do with the religion.

But all I did was quote the Sultan...

HM wants a 'pure Islamic university'

The newsroom is usually empty in the mornings as most reporters are out on the field getting their stories. A reporter will however always be assigned to be on standby for emergencies. This was one such instance.

I was minding my own business in the office, probably checking my emails and definitely not watching Youtube, when the office phone rang. It was the Information Department and His Majesty, the Sultan of Brunei, has decided to pay a surprise visit to the Sultan Sharif Ali Islamic University (UNISSA). Usually we will try to assign three or four reporters for royal events but I was the only one available at the time.

So I had to rush to the event alone... without photographers or senior reporters. But I got the coverage, pictures and a few stories to show for it. The senior editors and upper management seemed happy with the coverage to the point where I was summoned to office of the general manager where he complimented me on my work. I treated myself to ice-cream that night.

MoH confirms first H1N1 case in Brunei

I covered the Health beat during my first few years as a reporter in Brunei. I enjoyed working the beat but covering the H1N1 outbreak of June 2009 was probably the most stressful experience I had as a reporter.

I was getting tip offs from my sources about potential outbreaks (many of which turned out to be false alarms) every other hour. The Ministry of Health would call me daily to warn that they will take "appropriate actions" if any of the stories were untrue and the office pressured me for the latest updates at every opportunity.

Any slip up would have ended my career as a journalist but proper journalism training, a strong team of editors and fact checking all the info I got kept me out of trouble.