Brunei govt offers scholarships to foreign students to study in Sultanate

The closing date for applications is January 17, 2014. Completed forms, together with certified copies of relevant certificates and documents, must be submitted to the Technical Assistance Division.

Application forms can be obtained from Brunei foreign missions and Brunei representatives abroad or from the Technical Assistance Division located at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade in Bandar Seri Begawan.

The forms can also be obtained online via MoFAT’s website at http://www.mofat.gov.bn/index.php/announcement.

http://www.bt.com.bn/news-national/2013/12/23/gov%E2%80%99t-offers-scholarships-international-students-study-sultanate

Brunei’s Kampong Ayer (Water Village) & Parkour

KAMPONG Ayer, or the Water Village is an area of Brunei’s capital city Bandar Seri Begawan that is situated after the Brunei Bay. 39,000 people live in the Water Village. This represents roughly ten percent of the nation’s total population. Wikipedia

http://www.bt.com.bn/golden-legacy/2011/04/25/tracing-history-todays-kampong-ayer

The Erdogani Turkish government is being tested

Ikhwanul Kiram Mashuri
JAKARTA

What I mean by Turkish Erdogani is Turkey during the reign of Adelet ve Kalkinma Partition (AKP) aka Justice and Development Party led by Recep Erdogan Tayib. The Islamist party won the election in 2002. The victory which then delivers Erdogan became Prime Minister and Abdullah Gul as President. During the 12 years of rule of the Erdogan-Gul duo, Turkey is progressing very rapidly and become the center of democracy for Muslim majority countries.

Tayeb Recep Erdogan & Abdullah Gul

Their progress, among others, can be seen in the following data. The per capita income of the Turkish people 12 years ago only 3,000 dollars, now – in the past 12 years Erdogan government – it has reached more than 14,000 dollars. For comparison, in 2004 Indonesia’s per capita income was 1,100 dollars, and then in 2012 rose to 3,592 dollars. At the end of 2014 is expected to increase approaching 5,000.

Turkish economic growth is above the average 6 percent/year in the last 12 years. Compare it with European countries that the average economic growth does not reach 1 percent. In fact, Turkey 12 years ago was dubbed by the West as a sick state, now it’s a seventh economic power in Europe. The unemployment rate is also very low. That’s why now in the streets of Ankara and Istanbul, it is easy to find immigrants of Eastern Europe who are working for their livelihood in Turkey.

With such achievements, it’s not strange when then the AKP won the elections in the last 12 years. Elections in Turkey held every four years. In the three elections the AKP always win. The victory continues to increase in every election, from only a major winner to an absolute majority.

However, ahead of the local elections on March, suddenly in last mid-December, the world was shocked by the news of the arrest of 52 people on charges of corruption. What matters were; those who were arrested by the police, among others, three ministers and two prominent businessmen who are known close to the Erdogan government. They were allegedly involved in kickbacks to win government tenders.

Supporters of AKP

News of the arrests was certainly surprised because during the Erdogan era, he is known as the most intense to combat corruption, especially against members or AKP leadership. Erdogan was furious. He calls this corruption investigation as a smear campaign, especially as Turkey will face local election. The election will be a test for Erdogan and the AKP’s popularity before next general elections in August. He asserted, he will not bow to any pressure.

Tayeb Erdogan

Erdogan Government was then doing a series of clean-up in the police body. Last week 350 police officers were laid off. Among other; head of financial crimes unit, anti smuggling unit, and organized crime unit. Previously, five senior police officers have also been fired, including the head of the unit who led the investigation of corruption and police chief of Istanbul. Until now, 700 police officers were fired. This action seems as government efforts to minimize the impact of corruption investigation.

The aftermath of the corruption scandal, three ministers resigned because their children were arrested. PM Erdogan – and President Gul – then replaced half of the members of his cabinet a few days later.

Erdogan accused there is a huge conspiracy involving foreign parties who wish to worsen the image of the AKP government ahead of local elections in March. It’s a deliberate conspiracy to create divisions amongst the ruling party. In fact, he said, they were like a state within the state.

Fathullah Gulen

Although not naming names, but the number of media mentioned; what Erdogans meant for conspiracy involving one name: Fathullah Gulen. The latter is a Turkish Muslim scholar who is now in exile in Pensylvania, USA.

Before settling in the US in 1999 for medical treatment, the man who was born on 27 April 1941 in the city of Erzurum, eastern Turkey, was an active preacher. He has toured in almost all regions in Turkey. In addition to preaching in mosques, he gave public lectures, and teaching, Gülen is also a prolific writer about various things. Numerous works have been translated into many foreign languages, including Indonesian. In addition, Gulen was established many charitable institutions, social, educational, and economic.

As Sunni scholars, Gülen has very moderate views. He upheld religious tolerance and plurality of society. He also mobilized parties for dialogue between faiths and beliefs (interfaith dialogue), in order to create world peace. He opposed violence, moreover, terrorism, on whatever pretext.

Gulen followers spread all over Turkey and from all walks of life, from ordinary people, businessmen to officials, whether in government, police, military, and within the legal apparatus. Their role is also very large on supporting AKP, the Islamist party, to win 2002 election. It’s a victory which then deliver Erdogan to became PM and AKP as the ruling party.

Gul and Erdogan with their spouses

In a sense, the role of both – Gulen and Erdogan – is very fit to fight for Islam in a secular state. They are complementary. Gulen represents ‘cultural Islam’, and Erdogan represents ‘political Islam’. They are working very nicely and then make Turkey as a developed and respected state; a secular state with an Islamic government.

That’s why, the news of the arrest of the people close to Erdogan replied by the dismissal of about 700 high-and medium-sized police officer is shocking. Moreover, behind all of it, then the news about the outbreak of a joint cooperation between Erdogan and Gulen camp emerged. According to some observers, this split is a tough test for Erdogan and the AKP and more danger than demonstrations organized by the secular-liberal in June last year.

It’s not actually known for certain as to what really happened between these two charismatic figures. However, we expressed deep concern with what is happening in Turkey today. Moreover, the split between the two Islamic leaders will surely weaken the Islamic-leaning government. We worry about the slogan; that Muslims are, indeed, hard to unite.

Republika
14 January 2014

http://www.republika.co.id/berita/en/resonance/14/01/14/mzc7sy-the-erdogani-turkish-government-is-being-tested

Zero dollar for TKI

Nasihin Masha
JAKARTA

She declined to be named. Her skin was white. Her face is oval. Her chin is hanging. Her hair is well groomed and healthy unraveled. She is tall. But she was always crying, also always refused to be interviewed. A group of journalists who came in migrant (TKI) shelter in the Indonesian Embassy in Kuala Lumpur was not successfully interviewing her. However, the TKI, all women, in the shelter whispered that the woman from North Sulawesi was a victim of human trafficking. She is also the neatest and not mingles with others. The average of the other women did not appeal in appearance: on their clothing, skin, hair, face as well. One of them came from West Nusa Tenggara. She is illiterate. And she was always holding her baby with great affection. She claimed to be a victim Bangladeshi man.

Lisa Bonat

We can display longer stories of the heroes of our foreign exchange. The six million workers abroad is a big number to build terrible stories. Their treatment was similar to the treatment of villagers toward their chicken; on morning, opening the cage, on noon avoiding them for not entering the house, on afternoon to guarding them to go back into the cage. Never feed them. But we always take the eggs for our lunch, slaughtered during Eid, or to sell it when we needed money. That’s us. It’s the story of Lisa Bonat, and now Wilfrida case will be coming.

Wilfrida

Their contribution to our foreign exchange formally recorded Rp80 trillion per year.

Jumhur Hidayat

However Jumhur Hidayat, head of BNP2TKI, estimated it that the figure could reach Rp120 trillion. This is not a small figure. Of course we like to compare it with our export earnings. Well, the income from our migrant workers was without investing at all. Even the overseas agents must pay Rp20 million per TKI to agents in Indonesia. Instead they are giving money. Not to mention the double impact of these migrant workers. Per migrant workers could feed four family members, educate their children, building kiosks for families left behind, and so on. But how much is their country give to them? Do not be surprised. True. Zero dollar. BNP2TKI budget per year is only Rp250 billion. Everything used to pay the agency staff salaries and operational. There was no funding for training and such. Protection budget is only Rp200 billion in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. It was for the whole world budget. It was just sort of escrow if there is an extraordinary event plus for salaries and operational.

As a result, our workers do not have sufficient stock of skills, language, knowledge, legal awareness, and confidence. We also cannot protect and provide security for them. We release them in the country like releasing the chicken in the wilderness. Most could evolve into a partridge, able to fly agile, lean, and fly enough to save themselves when there is a dog or a tiger hunting them. But some of them trapped into delicious meals. As the Latin saying, man is a wolf to [his fellow] man. Most of our workers tortured, raped, enslaved, and even traded and used as prostitutes. Even more ironic, due to the lack of state support against them, some of them have been traded since from Indonesia. Value per head could be over Rp20 million. They are the undocumented or illegal migrants. It’s a trade and human slavery in modern times. State witnesses it all brightly. The state knew and understood it. But the state is silent, and its officials have been part of it. It’s not much different from the era of slavery in the Dutch colonial period, when the Indonesian people traded up to Suriname.

The Indonesian woman, when they went abroad, they have been married or with children. Some were unmarried. Have we ever imagined, how do they feel when they came home with another child, as the result of rape and child prostitution? They are children born as results in a foreign wilderness. They are not ready to thrust it in their village realities. Villagers living in the community system are different from the urban individualist. So the horrible series become an opportunities for crazy men crazy when they arrived at the airport. The bandits of trafficking were ready to buy the children. Together with a military general, Jumhur form a foundation to accommodate the children. If migrant workers are pregnant, the foundation is ready to accommodate up to childbirth. Up to now there are about 50 children. But others are stuck on children trafficking. The mafia is crazy. There were among those who came to the foundation and offer price of Rp 50 million per child.

Of course there are many migrants’ success stories, fortunate’s, and glorious life. We sometimes touched on them when met at the airport in Hong Kong, Singapore, or Dubai. These women of the village are often showing off his skills in front of us to speak loudly. They talk in English, Arabic, or Chinese. They are the chicken that turned into a partridge. Departing only with Indonesian language skills, they are now fluent in foreign.

The story of the former TKI who successfully self-employed are also not few. But the question was not about their accountability and fighting spirit in their ability to change fate, but we question the state role on their treatment. It’s not just a matter of humanity, but national pride. Just as the word of Jumhur as; economically illogical, socially inhuman. That is our treatment for TKI.

Republika
13 January 2014

http://www.republika.co.id/berita/en/resonance/14/01/13/mz9v1q-zero-dollar-for-tki