By YuL hmYulz. Tuesday, October 16, 2007 3:30:08 AM
Brunei Darussalam, Royal, Celebration, Hari Raya
Bandar Seri Begawan - Nearly 30,000 people from all walks of life thronged the Istana Nurul Iman yesterday at the start of the three-day royal open house to greet Their Majesties and other Members of the royal family.
It's the joyful time of the year again when the palace is open to the public irrespective of their belief and position.
The Istana Open House is very much a part of the country's tradition, which over the years has also been a key event for tourists.
Yesterday, 29,019 (17,549 in the morning and 11,470 in the afternoon) visitors thronged the Istana to meet and greet His Majesty the Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam, Her Majesty Raja Isteri Pengiran Anak Hajah Saleha and other members of the royal family.
Also present were HRH Prince Hj Al-Muhtadee Billah, the Crown Prince and Senior Minister at the Prime Minister's Office and HRH Paduka Seri Pg Anak Isteri Pg Anak Sarah, HRH Prince Mohamed Bolkiah and HRH Pg Anak Isteri Pg Anak Hjh Zariah, HRH Prince Hj Sufri Bolkiah and Pg Bini Hjh Faizah, HRH Prince 'Abdul Malik and HRH Prince 'Abdul Mateen.
HRH Princess Hjh Rashidah Sa'adatul Bolkiah, HRH Princess Majeedah Nuurul Bulqiah, HRH Princess Hafizah Sururul Bulqiah, HRH Princess Hjh Amal Umi Kalthum Al-Islam, HRH Princess Hjh Norehsani and grandchildren of Their Majesties were also present.
Amongst the many thousands of well wishers to greet the royal family were foreigners, either residing in the country or currently visiting, who grabbed the opportunity to join the locals to meet and greet the royalty.
Shuttle buses ferried the visitors to the palace gates. Posters of proper dress codes were posted on the shuttle buses and at the entrance to the palace. Special seats were in place for elderly citizens while a booth was set up for paramedics.
Prior to exchanging greetings with the royal family, the visitors have to register their names and pass through security checks before being entertained to a lavish spread of food and drinks.
Amongst the first to exchange greetings were Pengiran-Pengiran and personnel from the Royal Brunei Armed Forces and other uniformed personnel.
In an interview with the Bulletin, a visitor, a local Chinese mother of three, said that it was her third consecutive year visiting the palace. She along with her children hoped to be able to visit and greet the royalty personally at the open house every year.
Another mother of two from Limbang, Ruyap anak Sangau, also said that ever since she and her family were aware of the Istana Open House, they have always made it a point not to miss the golden opportunity, which does not happen elsewhere. She said that she usually leaves home as early as before six in the morning just to avoid long queues at the border.
Twenty-seven-year-old Yiew Meng Hong from Sibu, Sarawak, who happens to be in Brunei coincidentally, was delighted and proud to be able to attend this rare event to get up close with the royal family, especially Their Majesties and the opportunity to visit the palace.
What came as a surprise to him and his family of seven was the sumptuous spread of buffet for visitors, which he said portrays the generosity of His Majesty.
He also said the Hari Raya card from His Majesty was something that he would treasure.
Johnny Wong, a counsellor from Sabah, travelled to Brunei by road, which took him over seven hours. A similar story is that of Bapak Ali from Indonesia who came to Brunei to experience Hari Raya in its royal splendour.
According to Wong, the officers at the palace were extremely helpful, not to mention the huge feast that awaited them, and of course, the opportunity to meet the royal family. -- Courtesy of Borneo Bulletin[/ALIGN]
By YuL hmYulz. Tuesday, October 16, 2007 2:44:55 AM
Hari Raya, Accident, Brunei Darussalam
Bandar Seri Begawan - A late afternoon accident on the first day of Hari Raya left one saloon car overturned and another badly damaged. But nobody was seriously injured.
The accident at the traffic light near the Baudar Fire Station happened at 6.30 pm, according to fire personnel who rushed to provide assistance.
One saloon car was carrying six foreigners including a Bangladeshi, four Filipino woman and an Indian man.
The car driver was believed to be giving the foreigners a lift home.
The other saloon car was driven by a local man with his family of four on their way to make Hari Raya visits to their relatives.
The evening accident also caused a traffic jam that led to other road users being diverted to an alternative road. -- Courtesy of Borneo Bulletin
By YuL hmYulz. Tuesday, October 16, 2007 2:36:21 AM
Hari Raya, Celebration, Brunei Darussalam
Bandar Seri Begawan - During the month of Syawal, many Muslims open the doors of their homes to welcome all, bringing together people irrespective of creed, culture and position to participate in the joyful celebration of Hari Raya Aidilfitri.
An open house brings people together regardless of their religion, position or background.
Open houses usually come with delicacies such as local favourites "Ketupat", peanut sauce, "Rendang", "Ayam Kurma", and "Nasi Minyak".
Pengiran Hj Besar bin Pengiran Hj Ahmad, a former principal at Sekolaii Rendah Delima Sam and a Deputy Principal of Maktah Science said, "1 am so happy that all my sons, daughter, grandsons, granddaughters as well as "Cicit" are gathered today on the first day of raya.
"We normally hold an open house on the first day of Hari Raya when hospitality is extended to all and this year is merrier compared to the previous year. I've- been looking forward to the celebration since the start of the holy month of Ramadhan.
Now the month long celebrations have begun and this is my chance to meet my family members especially my grandsons and granddaughters," he added.
The open house saw family members nibbling at delicious homemade raya cookies while they mingled with each other.
Meanwhile, 83-year-old Hj Saidin bin Taram also held an annual open house on the first day of Hari Raya for his big family, distant relatives and close friends.
It is a tradition for all family members to gather at his place during the morning of the first day of raya.
He has six siblings, seven children and 17 grandchildren, most of who gathered at Hj Saidin's house to meet and catch up with all relatives during the festive event.
It was an opportunity for him to spend time with his children and grandchildren.
The open house concept is prevalent in Brunei culture especially during the Hari Raya Aidilfitri celebration. His Majesty the Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam also holds an open house for the public at the Istana Nurul lman.
A steady stream of visitors can be seen making their way to the palace during scheduled times, not only to eat and have fun, but to meet the nation's leaders.
Tourists are most welcome to such events. -- Courtesy of Borneo Bulletin
By YuL hmYulz. Sunday, October 14, 2007 9:15:13 AM
Brunei, Bandar Seri Begawan, Hari Raya
Bandar Seri Begawan - Hari Raya is a joyous celebration for Muslims that signifies the end of a monthlong fasting period.
On the first day of Aidilfitri, Muslims will hold prayers at mosques throughout the country and visit cemeteries to pay their respects to departed family members and loved ones. Upon reaching home, family members will gather for breakfast. This is followed by the noble act of asking for forgiveness from each other for any wrongdoings in the past.
Over the next few weeks, Muslim celebrants will open their doors welcoming families and friends.
The 'open house' concept brings people together regardless of their religion, position or background. This is when people put aside their differences and come together as one.
Scrumptious food and delicacies are served to guests. Favourites include ketupat and lemang served with peanut sauce, rendang and satay. These delicacies are offered at almost all open houses during Hari Raya. Other favourites include serunding (fried grated coconut), nasi kunyit (yellow rice) and chicken in spicy gravy.
During this festive season, you are bound to be invited to someone's house to join in the celebration of joy, togetherness and happiness.
"Open house", after all, is a social event in which hospitality is extended to all. -- Courtesy of Borneo Bulletin
By YuL hmYulz. Sunday, October 14, 2007 9:05:58 AM
Hari Raya
Bandar Seri Begawan - band Ketupat are synonymous with the Hari Raya celebration and this has stood the test of time. In this part of the world, one could say - what is Hari Raya without them? But not all things have remained the same, especially compared to more than 20 years ago in the pre-independent era.
In today's society, people are moving faster and everything has to go according to some kind of schedule. This has somehow made the Raya celebration less exciting.
Decorative neon lights have replaced kerosene bamboo lamps, although a modern alternative of the lamp has become available to buy nowadays. SMS and emails have steadily replaced Raya cards. People also visit their family members and friends in quite a hurry.
A long time ago, each village would celebrate Hari Raya more coercively. Each kampong would hold sonic kind `- activity; during Raya with a lot of eager villagers taking part.
Hj Al imi, the Village Head of Kg Burung Pinggai Berakr recalled how the kampong used to celebrate Raya in a more celebrative way. He said that a long time ago, it was a tradition for the village to organise mass house-to-house dzikirs, usually from the third day of Raya onwards, while visiting neighbours. He said that the activity is still practised, but by a much smaller group, mostly comprising elders.
He thinks that this is mainly because, compared to the past, families are now living dispersedly, especially due to the availability of national and private housing development areas. This is perhaps making it a bit harder for people to come together for Raya.
He added that it is important to preserve and promote activities such as this, which in a way will help with solidarity and at the same time enliven the spirits of family and camaraderie, as well as the celebrative atmosphere overall.
Hjh Salmah Hamid, in her late 80s, is currently taking this opportunity to sell Ketupat casings. She told the new generation to take heed of the new food, which contain ingredients and preservatives that are not only fattening, but also hazards to health.
These days, there are so many varieties of food, mostly industry-based processed ones, like chocolates, sweets, even biscuits and cakes, which contain ingredients that may be harmful if taken excessively.
Kids nowadays take them in gluttonous amounts. That is why we see youths and teenagers susceptible to diseases, she added. So she reminded everyone, especially the kids, to be more cautious of what they eat nowadays, especially given the many readymade cakes and biscuits being sold.
She said that her family also used kerosene bamboo lights during Raya and there were fewer varieties of fireworks, aside from the homemade bedil or firecrackers.
Meanwhile, former nurse Hjh Saritah Hj Suhaili, 50, said that back in her younger days, kids were often seen walking from house to house and those streets were packed with groups of merry children on their way to visit homes.
She also said that Brunei did not have as many TV programmes, therefore kids used to go out more. Now, with the many channels available on television, kids are often stuck at home waiting for their favourite shows to come on.
With the rise in the standard of living in Brunei, there are more cars, too. As such, "You will no longer see so many people walking by the roads." She is however pleased, as this means less hazards and accidents.
Hjh Pasah Abdullah, a stall owner, said that this year's preparation was as usual and not out of the ordinary for her.
She added that she still had to do some last minute shopping for biscuits, although her daughter has been helping her a lot in preparing most of the food, much like how Hjh Pasah used to help her mother in her younger days. -- Courtesy of Borneo Bulletin
By YuL hmYulz. Sunday, October 14, 2007 9:03:01 AM
Britain, Hari Raya, Brunei Darussalam
Bandar Seri Begawan - The British High Commissioner to Brunei Darussalam, Mr John Saville, sends his greeting to the people of Brunei.
In his message, he said, "On behalf of my family and staff at the British High Commission. I would like to express my very best wishes to all Muslims in Brunei at this special time.
"I am always so impressed with the very strong traditions of hospitality and sharing here, expressed by the custom of open houses for Hari Raya.
"Attending these and celebrating together will, I know, help strengthen further the close friendship and understanding which both our countries have enjoyed for so long. Selamat Hari Raya Aidilfitri Maaf Zahir dan Batin."
Meanwhile, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown also sends his greeting to Muslims all around the world for Aidilfitri. "I am delighted to send my warmest wishes to our Muslim communities for the forthcoming celebration of Aidilfitri.
"1 know that the holy month of Ramadan has an important and special meaning for the many and diverse Muslim communities all over the world. The period of daily fasting gives you a time to reflect on your lives and faith.
"This celebration is also important for everyone in our country as it reminds us all of our shared obligation to help those less fortunate than ourselves.
“Islamic art, science, philosophy and thought have enriched our lives over many centuries. And in Britain, of course, our Muslim communities make a huge contribution to all fields of our national life and the United Kingdom's prosperity.
"This is something we can all be proud of. With best wishes at this special time, Eid Mubarak," said the British PM. British Foreign Secretary David Miliband also sends his greeting: "I am pleased to send you my best wishes for the joyous occasion of Aidilfitri.
"I am aware that for Muslims all over the world, it is a day of celebration, fellowship, brotherhood and unity - a day to be thankful for the good things that we receive and for our friends and family.
"The two million Britons who follow the faith of Islam remind me that we are part of a global family. We are linked by more than simply citizenship or religion or geography.
"We are linked by our shared values and the challenges we face together. And so Aidilfitri is also an opportunity for me to remember the friends and relationships we have across the Muslim world.
"On behalf of all my colleagues in the Foreign Office, I would like to wish you Eid Mubarak," said David Miliband in his message. -- Courtesy of Borneo Bulletin
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