EmmaGoodEgg

Yasmine The Movie

 

 

BRUNEI, BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN: Origin Films invited members of the media to Times Cineplex at Times Square for the launching of the official International trailer of the upcoming feature film, YASMINE.

This much anticipated feature film, directed by Brunei’s very first female film director, Siti Kamaluddin, is slated for general release on the 21st of August this year. It will be shown in theatres nationwide across Brunei, Indonesia and Singapore. YASMINE being the first international feature film from Brunei has gained the attention of the film world and many international media. YASMINE has been featured in the Monocle (British Magazine) and has had articles in The Guardian, The Hollywood Reporter, Screen International and many other newspapers both locally and around the region.

YASMINE has generated more interest due to its attendance in the HKTDC Hong Kong International Film & TV Market last March and Le Marché du Film’s Festival de Cannes earlier this month.

YASMINE will be released in theatres nationwide on 21st of August 2014.

Official Twitter: @yasminethemovie

Official Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/yasminethemovie

Official Instagram: @yasminethemovie Official YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/OriginFilmsBrunei

I have the privilege to introduce the full trailer here:

 

 

 

Wow. Just WOW.

And now I have a huge girl crush on the star of Yasmine, 20 year old first time actor Liyana Yus from Brunei :) Also one to watch is Nadiah Wahid, who plays Yasmine's BFF.

 

Good People, Rightly Guided

Majlis Ilmu, the Knowledge Convention took place last week. With it, the announcement by His Majesty the Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of the passing of the Syariah Penal Code Order 2013. 

Copies of the Order were made available from last week. I have been able to try to digest the same, along with reports of the various talks given. I have also managed to have a look at the Syariah Courts Evidence Order, 2001.

From what I can understand, as the Syariah Penal Code is implemented in phases, there will be two penal codes in force, side by side - The Syariah Penal Code and the Penal Code (Chapter 22 of the Laws of Brunei, hereinafter, “Cap 22”).

While Cap 22 provides for a wide variety of offences - such as offences against public tranquility, offences against the person, against property, against public administration. The Syariah Penal Code appears to confine itself to 4 main crimes overlapping with Cap 22 - these are theft, murder, rape and assault. There are also, under the Syariah Penal Code, offences such as unlawful intercourse outside marriage (zina), apostasy, false claims of zina and drinking intoxicants. Finally in the Syariah Penal Code, there is a raft of “General Offences” relating to Islam such as the offences of failing to attend Friday prayers, failing to respect the fasting month, and offences relating to the propogation of other religions.

There would then appear to be 3 classes of offences, firstly, offences solely under Cap 22, secondly, offences under the Syariah Penal Code and finally, overlapping offences. My understanding is that for the overlapping offences, there will be some administrative step taken to decide which courts - the Syariah Courts or the Civil Courts, shall have jurisdiction over an offence. This would appear to have to be dealt with by amendments to the Criminal Procedure Code.

The Syariah Penal Code states that it applies to Muslims and to non-Muslims alike, except as otherwise stated. Generally, non-Muslims may still be charged with such things as theft, murder, and assault. Non-Muslims however would not be charged for offences such as apostasy and drinking. Zina, for non-Muslims, would not be a crime so long as both parties are non-Muslim.

Clearly, what has garnered the greatest attention are the punishments for the 7 Hudud offences, for which the Syariah considers as claims of Allah and for which punishments are ordained by the Holy Quran and the traditions of the Prophet pbuh. The Hudud punishments are amputation for theft and robbery; death for apostasy, rape and zina; flogging for drinking and false accusation of zina.

What should be said is that for the Hudud punishments to be handed down, a very high standard of proof is required – either a confession made 4 times before a judge at 4 different occasions or the testimony of a number of eye witness who have themselves had to undergo a procedure to determine, not only their ability to act as a witness, but that they are “adil”, meaning that they “perform the prescribed religious duties, abstain from committing capital sins, and (are) not perpetually committing minor sins”. It would seem to me that there will be a trial, not just of the person accused, but of the accuser or witness, to determine whether they have led true and just lives.  In the absence of such proof, the court will not be able to mete out the Hudud punishment and would fine or imprison the accused instead.

I think giving evidence is one thing, but if prior to doing so, your whole life were to be examined for the presence of “capital or minor sins”, well maybe the ability to execute any of the Hudud punishments would be almost as remote as securing a conviction for “causing death by black magic” (Section 152).  

Perhaps what may be said is that in fact, for a criminal justice system to work well, it requires perpetrators of offences to admit and to confess to their crimes as soon as possible after being apprehended. This means that victims are quickly compensated where possible and that the punishment, whatever it may be, will be swiftly meted out. In this situation, the fear is that perpetrators of crime may avoid as far as possible confessing or admitting to guilt. This may “clog” the system with undue and unnecessary delay.  

One of the criticisms of the adoption of Syariah in other countries is the difficulty that the system has in dealing with rape and other sexual offences against women. The problem is that on one hand, one must complain of a rape. On the other, rape may only be proven by the confession of the accused or of the testimony of 4 witnesses who are “adil”. In the absence of either, one is left with the admission to unlawful sex of the complainant, who may then be charged or convicted with zina.

Our Syariah Penal Code and the Syariah Courts Evidence Act appears to deal with this firstly, by providing for the possibility of convicting the accused on a non-Hudud basis, for which a sentence of imprisonment instead of death would be given, but for which there will be a lower standard of proof. Secondly, there is the ability, for the complainant, or of any person confessing to a Hudud crime, to withdraw their confession at any time before or even during punishment.

It seems to me therefore, that a great deal of thought has gone into the implementation of these laws.

Other than the major offences, Cap 22, appears still to remain in place and the civil courts appear to continue with a large amount of criminal justice work.

In so far as the “General Offences” have been put into place, it may be said that the Syariah Penal Code serves to protect the position and the eminence of Islam in the lives of the inhabitants of Brunei.

To borrow the words of the Honourable Attorney General, the new Syariah Penal Code is not evolutionary nor revolutionary, it is the product of great effort and wisdom.

Digging in the history of the last two hundred years will turn up the empty shells of a number of once beautiful, progressive and promising nations, turned for many reasons into failed or failing states. But I have faith that our good people, rightly guided may succeed to bring about the promise of justice, progress and fairness.

@emmagoodegg

MAMIL AT THE CRACK OF DAWN

Cycling has, like in the rest of the world, become big in Brunei these days. You cannot help but notice them on the road; packs of determined looking cyclists (the majority invariably men) eyes covered in fancy shades, ruffled brows riding in mini “pelotons”, recreating a stage of the Tour de France.

There is a name for them – men aged 35 and up, who have discovered the joys of Lycra. This new tribe has been dubbed ‘MAMIL’s’ or Middle Aged Men in Lycra. The ‘middle age’ in the term is rather telling. Instead of buying a flashy car nowadays no mid-life “transition” is complete without wriggling into a pair of spandex shorts and climbing onto a bespoke, upgraded and eye wateringly expensive bicycle.

I speak from experience, I fear that my beloved husband Bobby has signed up - though not for the full Lycra experience - into the sub group who ride mountain bikes on off-road trails. Weekends at the GoodEggs now consist of early Saturday night pasta festivals, and Sunday mornings up at the crack of dawn to apply sunscreen and to click off on cycle shoes for a three hour “kayuh” (“paddle” in Malay).

Although it would seem that the cost of the five carbon and alloy bicycles that now grace our store room would have depleted the children’s education fund, the total cost would appear still to be cheaper than a sports car. Or a mistress.

As I grunt at him not to wake the children, I get, “mun paham bisai dang”. Bobby is not known for his use of the vernacular. I think he may be spending too much time on this Facebook page, “Cycling Buddies Brunei”.

These days, a persons' identity is not just defined in the traditional manner - country, family, occupation, but also by the way that a person spends their leisure time. Social media has given a platform for people to group themselves around their passions and to interact with like-minded folk. There appears to be social media sites for all types. The aforesaid popularity of the Lycra clad road biking gang cannot be missed. There are groups for the rather hairier and generally Lycra-avoiding mountain bikers. For the young and urbane, there are groups who ride “fixies” a stylish subset of cyclists, whose bikes are based on the simple engineering of courier cyclists. Watch the film, “Premium Rush“ for the cultural reference.

All this pedal pushing can't really be a bad thing - it gets people together, out in the fresh air and living healthy lives. Bobby claims never to have seen more of the country and from so many different vantage points and perspectives. According to him anyway, as I have never seen the muddy side of a jungle trail, it has given a greater appreciation of the closeness that we in Brunei have with nature, something to appreciate and to treasure.

Given that it is a popular leisure activity, I wonder if cycling may one day be seen as a viable alternative means of everyday transportation. The heat and humidity may deter me for one, but I don’t see why it should deter many others. In other places, cycling is not just a lifestyle statement but “driven” by real economic factors such as high petrol prices, taxation and cost of parking. One could say that it is one of the best form of mass transportation. It's all about the healthy lifestyle, it's emissions-free and runs on pasta. The obvious challenges for cycling as a form of real transportation here in Brunei would be the lack of school transport as many people shuttle the children to school, shower facilities at work places and the most obvious - the lack of cycle lanes and proper cycling infrastructure. At the moment, perhaps, the message must be to cycle safe and to encourage helmets and lights where appropriate, and importantly, for motorists to accept that there are other, much less shielded road users with whom they should share the roads.

My final point is as it should be, on fashion. Beloved Bobby has recently purchased his first Lycra - a “team” jersey and some bib shorts. For the uninitiated, bib shorts comprise of a one-piece singlet - attached to Lycra shorts with padding on the rear. Unfortunately, on their own they would make even James Bond come off like Borat. I have managed so far to discourage their use, despite their obvious practicality. But of bib shorts, I shall speak no more. On colours, I would say only this - less is more. 

 

@emmagoodegg

Illustrated by Cuboi Art.

For the online version click here.

 

The Hunger Games

I was at the Ramah Mesra for Brunei Muara District last Sunday, the customary culmination of His Majesty the Sultan’s Birthday celebration.

At these events, associations, organizations, businesses and schools turn out at the “Padang” of each district and put on a display of affection and loyalty to the Ruler. The event consists of an oath taking, traditional performances, exhibitions and a tug of war competition.

Before lunch, the morning program culminates in a walk-about by His Majesty and his family among the different groups who have gathered at the Padang, organized into different tents and exhibitions.

In my mind there is no-where else in the world where a head of state, a ruler will mingle so freely, closely and openly with the community. It is a testament to the warmth and generosity, to the kind nature of His Majesty that people of all shapes and sizes, of all backgrounds and status may come and wish him well on his birthday. His Majesty descends onto the Padang with little or none of the accoutrements of state to essentially be with his people. Everyone has a chance to greet His Majesty – civil servants, business owners, police veterans, school children asking for selfies (invariably granted), bankers sweating in their suits.

It is truly a display of a special bond. We should all feel lucky to be a part of it.

Since I started (and stopped – and started) writing this column, there has been a great up-surge in social media connectivity, not just in Brunei but around the world. It is a fact of life these days that news is spread by non-traditional means. As a result many of us have had to bear witness to the ugly side of the Brunei character. Videos and commentary have circulated of people helping themselves to a large cake made available to the public at this event. It is not the fact that people help themselves to this cake, but the manner in which they have done this - descending on the cake like a cloud of locusts, without any care for manners or decorum - shoveling large chunks of cake into whatever receptacle is at hand, using paper plates, cardboard boxes,  their bare hands. Young and old pushing and shoving as if they had not eaten in days. It is a sight that will leave you open-mouthed. 

A mea-culpa on my part. I was responsible for one of the tents on Sunday. We were lucky to have had a sponsor for a large and beautiful birthday cake. We thought we were prepared - we had a chef on hand to portion the cake, take away boxes at the ready. Once the official party had moved on however, there was no stopping the free-for-all. We pleaded for calm, but the crowds had none of it. One well dressed and able-bodied man I had asked for patience even grabbed a slice of cake, licked the top and placed it back saying, “go ahead, take my share!”, all the while laughing like a hyena. What struck me was not just the ill manners of the crowd, but the mean spiritedness- absolutely not in keeping with the “mesra” of the occasion.

One must ask why have we come to this? Many people have said that even in places of great poverty and need, people do not behave in such a loutish manner.

Is it a terrible sense of entitlement? That everyone should expect, nay demand their share of the cake? Is it a result of plain greed, or that “if I don’t get my share, some one else will and I will lose out”?

When I was growing up and attending weddings with my parents, we were told never to take to too much food at the buffet and never to go for seconds. Firstly, the idea was not to bring shame on your family, to act as if there was not enough food at home. Secondly, the idea was also to leave some for others.

That’s perhaps what it is, a lack of basic human dignity, a lack of appreciation of your own self and a lack of appreciation of the worth of others.

Perhaps the greatest gift that we could hope to bestow on a ruler, like a child to a parent, is to show that we can live with self-reliance, grace and dignity.  

@emmagoodegg

Illustration by Cuboi Art.

For the online version click here. 

Mari Memasak

“Srikandi” is a character of Javanese Wayang, depicting a strong warrior-woman, able to overcome her struggles, trials and tribulations.

Serikandi is the name of the catering business started by the late Dayang Sharifah Hajah Maimunah Syed Mohammad in 1984 at Kuala Belait. Born to an Arab clan in Kuala Belait in 1941, her father was Bruneian, and her mother from Singapore.

Television host, entrepreneur, writer of cookery books, mother of eight and “Mak Andam”, her story would make her seem almost an early forerunner of Martha Stewart or a Nigella Lawson, but without the eight children, and I reckon that Martha has no idea how to administer a lulur.  

My earliest memory of Sharifah Maimunah is of watching her RTB television program in the late 70’s, “Mari Memasak”, and her demonstrating the preparation of a banana fritter. Unlike some contemporary satellite channel presenters, her style was homely and engaging. Avuncular, only female.

By the way, is it my age? Why is it that current local shows are not such household names as they were then? Do you remember Ladies at Eleven? Dunia Minggu Ini? Liputan Nasional?

At the same time, she started and ran the Government Canteen in Kuala Belait in front of the St James School, then gained a contract to cater at the Kuala Belait Recreation Club. Packed lunches for oil workers were prepared and sold under the business name “Serikandi”.  The link to the oil and gas industry remains until today, with an offshore catering business backing two outlets in Kuala Belait and Kuilap. She started and kept up a business providing cakes and kueh for Hari Raya.

Then there were the cookbooks, “Selera Serikandi” was first published in 1994 and reprinted many times. It provides recipes for staples such as Rendang, Serunding, Ayam Golek, sambal goreng and hati buyah.  The second, “Selera Serikandi 2” provided recipes for cakes and dessert. 

Some would say that you couldn’t have a wedding without an Imam or a Mak Andam.  For many a Malay bride or groom, a Mak Andam is the elderly lady whose job is to make you glow. She scrubs you down with a rice flour lulur, waves the burning scented wood, maintains the behind the scenes order and generally keeps said bride or groom from bolting for the door. Mak Andams are a constant source of comfort in the heat and noise of a Brunei wedding.  For a period in the seventies, Hajah Sharifah Maimunah was lucky enough to turn her hand to this. For as much comfort as they give though I think it’s scandalous how much Mak Andams are paid. She gave it up to concentrate fully on the food business.  

To accomplish all of this, one must give credit to her industry and hard work (not to mention a supportive husband). Bear in mind at the same time she would have also raised her family of eight children. The name she chose for her business seems most fitting.

Hajah Sharifah Maimunah passed away last week; she was well loved and will be sorely missed by her husband, five sons and three daughters. 

@emmagoodegg

Photo courtesy of the late Hajah Sharifah Maimunah's family.

For the online version click here.

It's Not The Taking Part, It's The Winning Right?

There is no such thing as a “former” Olympian. Once you have participated at the Games, you are always and forever entitled to call yourself an “Olympian”.

While our athletes may not be able to say that they contended for medal places, they can say that they worked their guts out, sweated, strived and lived the Olympic ideals, all on our behalf.

Though the swimmer, Anderson Lim may have come 40 something out of 40 something, he achieved a personal best and set a National Record. The same with young Maziah in the 400-meter sprint. London skies cleared for her to not come last in her event; achieve a personal best and again set a National record.

While other countries may boast a medal contender or two, it is something almost uniquely Bruneian that we as a nation cheered ourselves hoarse on Friday night, watching a slip of a girl being overtaken on the first straight by a giantess from Jamaica, and still and quite rightly so, hold ourselves proud. My only complaint can be why did she lose the short shorts. I also wish Ak Hafiy all success in his event later on today, Saturday. 

Our Olympians achieved what they had set out to, that is, to do better than they had swum or run in the past.  Maziah beat her own personal best by 4 seconds, running the fastest sub minute 400 meters for a Bruneian female athlete. So long as they strived, got their guts out and moved the human condition that tiny bit forward, we can say that they have accomplished something.

In contrast, we have the disqualification of 8 female doubles badminton players for match fixing.  It seems all four teams connived to lose a game, in order to ensure a comparatively easy quarterfinal.

Where one team is looking to throw a game, it can be regarded as a lucky upset, but if both teams are trying to lose, it is much harder to hide things. The resultant farcical matches had spectators jeering.

But then, we see gamesmanship at all levels in other sports, teams always look to gain an advantage, even if it means, “taking your foot off the pedal”. You do see in international competition, football teams fielding weak sides in the round robins, once the next round has been achieved. It makes strategic sense in a competition to play for the long game. After all, “if you want to make omelets, you have to break eggs”. 

Some of the disqualified teams acknowledged that what they had done was wrong and that they had not lived up to the Olympic ideal. The disqualification would seem to me to be correct. At the very least the players owed it to the public to deliver a performance.  How could you claim the title of an Olympian, if when called to do so, you fail to give anything but your best?

A comparison of the two, in the end illuminates to me the Olympic spirit: the plucky little girl running not to be last and a nation’s pride, and a world number one, looking to lose for the sake of a medal.   

@emmagoodegg

Photo from The Guardian.

For the online version click here.

The Nature Of Loss And Sacrifice

On Friday evening as the nation was preparing for the first day of Ramadan a national tragedy unfolded on Facebook timelines and twitter feeds, whatsapp chats and texts. The tragedy was a Royal Brunei Armed Forces Bell 212 helicopter that crashed in the rural district of Kuala Belait that evening.

14 army cadets and officers were reported to be involved, and throughout the evening we read of those that have passed, those found and those unaccounted for. As I sit here writing this article on a somber Saturday morning, the crash had taken the lives of 12 cadets and left only two survivors.

An army career, with its prerequisite training is not for the faint hearted. I believe that the young men and women of the Brunei Army who were passengers of that fateful flight would have been prepared for any eventuality as par for the course in their line of work. This is why you join the army. The tragedy is not just the loss of so many young men and women but that this had occurred in peacetime during what appears to have been a routine training sortie.  

It is will perhaps give Ramadan a greater poignancy this year, while Ramadan is a time of reflection, prayer and thanksgiving, we may also wish to think about the loss and sacrifices that have been suffered by others in the service of our nation.

Al fatihah.

@emmagoodegg

For the online version click here.

The Great Balancing Act

Friday was my 4-year old daughter’s last day at kindergarten. The teachers had organized a pirate themed end of term party to celebrate. Early that morning, this working mother, who had not sorted out her daughter’s pirate outfit, grabbed a black scarf from her drawer and tied it on her daughter’s head for some pirate pizzazz. To be honest, my daughter ended up looking more like Ibu Fitri from Palembang than Izzie from “Jake and The Neverland Pirates”. Unable to attend the party due to work, I had reports that some of her classmates came to school sporting pirate vests, swords and eye-patches. Arrrr… My daughter brought “Pirate Pizzas” that had been made by the helpers, (as opposed to sandwiches and sushi lovingly made by the maternal kitchen goddess that we are all supposed to aspire to). I try you know, and I am gutted that I missed my daughter’s last day at Kindy. That unfortunately, is the price to be paid by a working mother.

The challenge of being a working mother got Cherie Blair, wife of former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair, in a bit of hot soup last week. Speaking at Fortune’s Magazine’s “Most Powerful Women” Event at Claridges she said “yummy mummies” who give up work and put all their effort into their children are making a dangerous mistake. Mrs. Blair, a barrister and mother of four, urged all women to remain self-sufficient. 
 She further said: “Every woman needs to be self-sufficient and in that way you really don’t have a choice - for your own satisfaction; you hear these yummy mummies talk about being the best possible mother and they put all their effort into their children. I also want to be the best possible mother, but I know that my job as a mother includes bringing my children up so actually they can live without me.”

Incidentally the term “yummy mummy” conjures an image of a design obsessed woman, thin, coiffed and be-heeled, carting her brand-attired toddler to endless expensive lunches. I should say this though, most yummy mummies are stay-at-home mums, but not all stay-at-home mums are yummy mummies.

Stay-at-home mummies all around the United Kingdom (and the world) saw red over their chai lattes and a slew of responses from all and sundry on on-line newspaper articles and their comment boxes denounced the elitist Cherie and sought to provide their views on this oft debated issue for women – should women put their children before career?

Before getting everyone’s knickers into a twist, I think the message Cherie was trying to get across is that young girls shouldn’t grow up thinking the only option in life is to look good in order to ensnare Prince Charming who will then take care of them until the end of days. To put it simply, what Cherie was trying to say is that how can we expect our daughters to aspire to a good education and a career if we as mothers have opted out and chosen to stay at home?

Then there was the article written by Anne Marie Slaughter in the Atlantic Magazine that sought to expose the lie that women can “have it all”. An intellectual giant, a Princeton Professor of Law no less, who has served as senior aide to Hillary Clinton, Slaughter says that only if you are boss of your own schedule can you really achieve any meaningful life-work balance. For most women and men its not so easy to close the shop when the school nurse rings to tell you your child has a temperature. Slaughter resigned at the high point of her career as Clinton’s aide in order to spend more time with her teenage sons. The message she is sending young women is clear, that a career is an asset, but motherhood is an imperative. I do sympathize with this; I also imagine most working mothers who have fulfilling careers can’t wait to rush home at the end of the working day.

It is also a matter of personal choice and circumstances and seeking balance.

In Brunei it is heartening to see figures indicating our lady folks preference to work as a means of being self-sufficient. Deputy Minister of Culture Youth and Sports YB Datin Paduka Hjh Adina was in the news reporting how Bruneian women now earn on average the third highest income in the world. Since 1971, the participation of women in the labour force has jumped from 20 per cent to 58 per cent in 2010. Women make up about 50.4 per cent of the civil service.

Admittedly life in Brunei is not the same as life in the United Kingdom, given the cost of living here, it is perhaps easier for a woman in Brunei to pursue a career as well as to have a family life.

YB Datin Adina went on to say that with the increase in working women, men would also need to adjust their expectations and also learn new skills. And that parenting responsibilities should be shared by both mother and father. Well said YB.

While Anne Marie Slaughter’s tale struck a chord in many working mothers, perhaps Cherie was a little harsh on the young women of this generation. It can also be said that the young men of this generation recognize that bringing up children nowadays is not solely the responsibility of the wife. At least in Brunei, most women I know are yummy mummies, working or otherwise, and are very much aware of living a balanced and fulfilled life. It may not be easy but perhaps we should all, both men and women, view a work life balance as imperative.

 @emmagoodegg

Illustration by Cuboi Art.

For the online version click here.

Island Living

Lonesome George, the world’s last Galapagos Tortoise, died last Sunday at the Galapagos Islands National Park. He was believed to be about 100 years old. There will be an autopsy to determine the cause of death, but it is believed that Lonesome George died of old age. Obviously taking your time and eating your greens has its benefits.

He was discovered in 1972 in Pinta, Ecuador when the world thought giant tortoises to be extinct, and despite the best efforts of conservationists be bring in mates from other species of tortoises Lonesome George, like his namesake George Michael, remained a confirmed bachelor and failed to leave offspring. The lone tortoise became a symbol for the Galapagos Islands and for endangered species. Thankfully not every endangered species’ story has to end as Lonesome George’s did.

Islands around the world often have unique species that live there and nowhere else. Islands cover only about 3 percent of the entire planet, but is home to 20 percent of known species and 50 percent of endangered species. The Galapagos, a group of volcanic islands in the Pacific Ocean, are well known for inspiring Charles Darwin to develop his theory of evolution and natural selection from what he observed there.

Our very own Borneo has plant and animal species you can’t find anywhere else on Earth. We share the Heart of Borneo, a 220,000-km² region in the mountainous centre of the island, with an estimated 10 primate species, over 350 bird species, and 150 reptiles and amphibian species. At least 15,000 plants, of which 6,000 are found nowhere else in the world, thrive in swamps, mangroves, lowland and forests of the island.

Borneo has been an interest of scientists for over 150 years, and has played a key role in the discovery of evolution. Notably, Alfred Wallace’s theories of natural selection were inspired by his travels on the island in the 19th century. Wallace was a contemporary of Darwin, his travel journal was published in a massive tome entitled, “The Malay Archipelago”.

Since that time, scientists have busied themselves discovering and naming new species, and they will continue doing so for decades to come - if the forests are not wiped out by deforestation. The island of Borneo has lost approximately half of its forest cover in the past 50 years to oil palm plantations, pulp and paper, logging, and fires. Our wildlife is amongst the most besieged in the world.

A Reforestation Project in Sabah serves a number of threatened species in Borneo, amongst others the Borneo Pygmy Elephants and Clouded Leopard. There should be global awareness, cooperation and action on an international level to stop species loss and deforestation.

It is all too easy to forget the importance of wildlife in our urbanized life, but take for example the tiny bee. Farmers depend on them to pollinate crops. If crops are not pollinated, they don't produce fruit and vegetables. Almost 70% of everything we eat is either fruit and veggies or their by-products. Without the simple bee there would be starvation on a global scale.

Indeed, islands can act as a real world Research and Development lab for discovering and ensuring the survival of threatened species. There are plenty of new threats on the horizon, like climate change, invasive species and habitat loss. These are the challenges we need to engage in if we are going to help other species avoid Lonesome George’s fate.

@emmagoodegg

Photo from the Brunei Times.

For the online version click here.

Cool Runnings

If I owned a DVD store, (which I don’t, and if I did it would be closed by now, but that’s a different story) the weekend of the 27 July 2012 at the start of the Summer Olympics I’d have these 3 movies on a special promo; Chariots of Fire, Cool Runnings and Munich. All three movies share the same Olympic theme.  I’d do it simply to participate as best I can towards a world event.  Even more so because my country is not only participating in the Opening Ceremony by taking part in the traditional march past, but will also be sending possibly 3 athletes, which includes for the first time, a woman, 19 year old 400m athlete Maziah Mahusin.

Out of the 3 movies, Cool Runnings is a favourite of mine and embodies the true spirit of the Olympic games.  A Jamaican bobsled team taking part in the Winter Olympics in Calgary 1988 is inspiring in its simple message.  An endeavour undertaken to be among the world’s best.  It doesn’t matter that your country is one of those whose athletes reign supreme, or those that are prop up the bottom of the results table, the Olympic games is not all about the medals, but it about participating and experience, striving for excellence in whatever you do.

Our athletes will most likely find it difficult or impossible to meet Olympic qualifying standards, given their lack of international experience. But the I.O.C. has long granted participation under special conditions to athletes from developing nations.

According to Wikipedia in 1988 Brunei’s first participation in the Olympic games was limited to the Opening Ceremony Parade with the lone official but no athletes.  It wasn’t until the 1996 Games in Atlanta, USA that Brunei started competing in Olympics, and then every games since (except for 2008) then with a single athlete.  In Athens 2004, Jimmy Anak Ahar competed in the 1500 meters and finished last.  Time Magazine has a wonderful story from 2004 on the ‘finished but not beaten’ participants of the 2004 Olympic games in Athens and stressed that the Olympics is not just about large countries with juggernaut proportioned sports institutions churning out platoons of medal winners, but the fact that small nations can turn out and strive to be the best that they can be. Times found greater dignity in the unfancied athlete doing his best than in the sometimes shady world of win at all costs. 

The other thing about the Olympics is that it is a great celebration of sporting diversity, athletes come in all shapes, sizes, forms, races and nationalities, all with essentially the same purpose, to do their best.

The best thing for us in competing is the human development, because no matter our results, we would have sent our boys and girls to do their best. It is the simple fact that they have devoted themselves to doing something well that is a shining beacon to future generations to excel. 

I think we should therefore take pride in our own Olympians, they just go to show that just because we are small, it doesn’t mean that we can’t strive. 

@emmagoodegg

Photo from Time.com

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