KUALA BELAIT, Tuesday, 1 November 2016 – TODAY 11 Royal Brunei Navy (RBN) personnel attended the Brunei Darussalam Maritime Security Roadshow held at the Kuala Belait Convention Centre.
Present as the Guest of Honour was Awang Haji Haris bin Othman, Belait District Officer.
As an initiative to enhance the public’s awareness on Maritime Security in Brunei Darussalam, the National Security Committee from the Prime Minister’s Office invited several agencies to deliver a presentation during the roadshow.These agencies were from the Royal Brunei Marine Police (RBMP), Marine Department (MD), Land Transport Department (LTD), and Brunei Shell Petroleum (BSP) Sdn Bhd.
RBMP and MD highlighted the importance of Safety of Life At Sea (SOLAS) comprising of basic maritime safety equipment’s such as fire extinguishers, lifejacket, global positioning systems, and radio communications. They emphasised that every local fishermen or small boats residing at Kampong Air should adhere to the requirements of SOLAS to prevent possible mishaps at sea.
BSP reminded the local fishing community to avoid fishing within the 500m offshore safety zone of oil rigs and structures because it can jeopardise safety and consequently, the country’s economy. Risks of such activities include collisions between boats and people, falling objects from platforms as well as fires and explosions triggered by cigarettes and hand phones. They mentioned that any conduct of offence is liable to a fine not exceeding B$100,000 or imprisonment for not more than 10 years.
According to LTD’s statistics there are still approximately 3000 unregistered boats in Brunei Darussalam which is a government offence. They also mentioned that the license number must be imprinted on their boat according to specifications. These license numbers will assist the local maritime agencies in identifying the boats whilst at sea.
The roadshow concluded with a question and answer session, and light refreshments.
Also present during the roadshow was Commander Pg Omarali bin Pg Hj Moktar RBN, Director of National Maritime Coordination Centre, Hjh Mariani binti Hj Sabtu Acting Director of Fisheries, Dr. Haziah bin Pehin Abidin Head of Health Safety Security and Environment, Pg Abdul Salam bin Pg Abdul Ghani Acting Officer Commanding Royal Brunei Police Belait, Senior Government Officers, and registered Fishermen under Belait District.
