Monday, March 3, 2008

Dear neighbour...

We have a problem when you decide to 'be-unun.' I understand that keeps the mosquitoes away, well... they enter our house instead. The smoke from your unun smells dreadful, and it gives us headaches. Maybe my baby too. She can't speak yet, but she does cry. We really like you as our neighbour, but how we wish you can tone it down, or find alternative means to shoo away those mosquitoes. I hope you'll understand.

Regards,
your neighbour

P.S. Not a threat, but for your kind thought.

Under the Emergency Order 1998 (Penal Code Amendment), Section 278 open burning is punishable with fines up to B$2,000, if causing pollution to the atmosphere.

Minor Offence Act (1972, c 77): under section 6, setting fire to any material to the annoyance to the public is an offence.

(source: http://www.env.gov.bn/link/domestic/case%20studies/national%20haze%20action%20plan%20of%20brunei%20darussalam.htm)

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I wonder how we be honest and tell our neighbour without causing any ill feelings. I'm asking for help from the Department of Environment, Parks and Recreation along with Radio Television Brunei to remind the public how a nuisance be-unun can be to neighbours and the environment. Tell them too (again), it's punishable by law. If there's evidence of health effect, by all mean bring the Health Department along in the promo team. Please please pretty please.

2 comments:

The World According to Twinkle said...

Neighbours-o-neighbours....take them or leave them. Neighbours could be a source of pleasure and they can be a pain in the neck too!! Its hard to have neighours and to be neighbours ourselves too.

I am very anti-social by nature and I don't really know my neighbours very well. Yes, i do say hi and all that but that's the most of my interaction. However, i try to substitute my "lack of being neighbourly to the joneses" by being sensitive to other peoples needs. I don't do open burning, I don't pollute the environs with noise, trash, smoke and all that jazz.

I am sure its difficult if you know your neighbours and they do annoying things. How do you tell them???

At the end of the day, it boils down to you, yourself and yours. What kind of person are you???!! Are you by nature considerate or selfish??? Open burning is by law a big no-no in Brunei and yet people still do it!! Its not that they are not aware of the fines and the harm..blah-blah-blah...its a matter of "they want to burn for whatever reasons which translate into me-me-me"!! I rest my case...What we need to teach society is not about laws, fines and punishments but to embrace empathy and generousity of spirit.

Anonymous said...

Sadly, such thing as open burning has become a habit. You are right there Twinkle. These are ignorant and selfish people. We have so many laws with severe punishments but at the end of the day, people still commit the offence. Someone (like the JAPEM people there) should teach these ignorants a lesson - I say bring them to justice and show the them to the Hall of Shame.