How ya'll been? Great? Sorry for the late, late and SUPER DUPER late update as I am starting to get busy with my dissertation. Alhamdulillah, I have just finished my data collection for my research :) and hopefully will be able to finish the rest of the chapters by the end of august Insyallah and Amin if I finish it by then.

Anyways, I am here just to discuss about one issue in Brunei I just have read from some blog (forgot what the name of the blog is), but I am more interested on what the topic is about. It is current issue now, which is kids that are below the age of 14 are being "forced" or "asked" to do business outside their schooling hours until late midnight. This is just really, really bad parenting here. I mean, look, you have kids that are under the age of 14 doing business until late at night, yet, you really don't think about the welfare of your own children? Think about it, I know we all say "kesian" here and there, but the overuse of these words have been seen as their "benefits" to get cash to these children but ends up either being given to their brother where they are watching over them while they are doing their business. Think about it, the government has already given the public schools for free, yet still you do this to your children, if you are outside of Brunei, I don't think education is free and to the extent I can understand why children are forced to do business, but NOT Brunei, and I mean it!!

This is just really, really bad. The article I read has a lot of different comments regarding this matter and it has become one hell of a hot topic. I would like to post the comments which I think make valuable sense here, just for the sake of saving time to scroll down just to find the ones that I like, so here goes:

#1 - Wyna: Something should be set up for those people who cannot find jobs or the relevant authorities should give them some direction as to how to solve this problem I think. I pity the children but if the parents were sincere in looking for rezeki halal they should not push their young children to do it but do it themselves. Instead if the children dont make any sale the parents will scold them or scold the other people. They use their children coz they know we will take pity on them. This is wrong and should not at all be encouraged. Wallah waklam

#2 - Zulasmin Noor: There’s nothing good or bad about this. Its how you perceive it. Don’t compare your lives with these people and do not give them solutions based on your everyday life. You will never know and understand what they go through.

You want to give them a better life? Support them yourself and if you can’t, gather community support and see how that … Read Moretakes off. Don’t wait for the government and do not pity them.."kesian" is a word we often use because its safe. We say that becoz we’re humans, what comes after that, thats where god will define whether its a good or bad deed. Don’t wait for the government either, they’re just too busy and they need assistance in things like these. So you still want to make a difference?

#3 - Zulasmin Noor: Wow! I didn’t know this would bring such a big uproar. First things first, i want to know, why people like to say kesian without even lending a hand. I guess its just easy to say it but in reality, thoughts of "will i be losing anything while helping out?" comes into mind. Secondly, Do you think you can change the plight of this 8yr old and his family?

In most cases, the answer to both questions will be no. Kesian is a word which is very often used, but do we really mean it? If we were to help this kid out, what will happen to the rest of the family? One thing coming to mind, "extortion"!! Imagine this, the little one goes out with the brothers, the little one gets lots of money because everyone "kesian" him. This makes him a victim of extortion, firstly from the brothers and then from the family, we actually make his life a little bit harder because of our pity towards him. Now he’s more in a delima when he first started. While, we are feeling good because we just helped an 8yr kid while the kid is probably worried now on how to keep his riches.

Anyhow, to sum it up, if we need to help out, lets make it big and official so its worth the time for everyone, especially the unfortunate. We don’t have to wait for the government to help these poor souls out, we as a community can do it if we can AGREE to anything. I’m sure theres a lot of good souls out there to help out :) Insyallah…….you may leave a legacy of your own while doing a good deed, which may count big time on your good deeds list.

Remeber, helping out these kids with handouts will only help them temporarily. So if you do really give some s*it about these kids, make sure you’re really prepared to help the whole family, otherwise please refrain from using the word kesian because not everyone has the same fortune as us and these people exist becuase they have to play a role in the world, as how Allah has instructed them to.

#4 - Ying Fei: I blogged this topic some time ago :) Still the same, huh? I’m actually concerned about the children’s safety – they are left to cross big roads unsupervised, and it’s gets really dark at night particularly in the Kiulap area.

Also, in response to someone here saying the family may need the money: then why are the parents lurking about only to pounce on people who ask their kids to leave? Surely it is easier for an adult to arrange something less dodgy such as asking for a shopkeeper’s permission or going in him/herself. The children should be in bed at 10pm on a schoolnight, not cavorting around town in their pyjamas. I think the parents are just embarrassed to be seen in public hawking things, and for that reason… I guess they don’t need the money badly enough, do they?

By the way, to those arguing that those with negative views on this situation should instead ask themselves if they would be willing to help – that would be a valid argument under different circumstances. The government has led the charity culture in Brunei for a long time and only recently people are organising their own drives – but then the funds raised are often still meant for these government-founded charities. Private charities like SMARTER and Animal Shelter are still fairly new ideas, and they will surely agree it was a tough fight for their cause. It’s not easy for a private group to legitimately offer help to those in need, just because they’ve identified a cause.

Bambang actually contradicts himself by saying that it is up to the authorities to decide who needs what, and then finding Zul’s views of "do it yourself" and "don’t wait for the government", and later " spot on. Get it together, man.

What’s really wrong is the environment for forming charities in Brunei. People should stop turning to the government for help and instead look to their neighbours – and the government should really start making it easier for this to happen.

All of those comments above are taken from Anak Brunei

I mean when you look at it, it should be a matter that should be resolved soon. I hope before I head back to Brunei probably in November, that all of these should be minimized soon enough. The authorities should take prior action!

Well, it's just my say here and it's for the sake for the children and for their future! Who knows, what good things that may lie ahead for them if they are educated properly.