SSEAYP 2007 - Brunei National Leader, Discussion Facilitator, Representative of Host Families and OBSC

Finally, after several weeks of uncertainty, Department of Youth and Sports (JBS) has announced this year's Brunei National Leader for this year's SSEAYP: Haji Muhammad Hafiy bin Abdullah Fung.

Haji Muhammad Hafiy was elected to the Bersatu Executive Committee earlier this year and currently holds the post of Treasurer. He previously served Bersatu as its secretary-general from 2005-2007 session. He is an ex-PY from 18th SSEAYP in 1991. He currently works as a Superintendent for the Royal Customs and Excise Department in Brunei. The Brunei National Leader 2007 will join the other nations' NLs in Tokyo for the first 34th SSEAYP COC meeting from September 5-6th

Meanwhile, Brunei will also be represented for the first time in the Discussion Program this year with the involvement of Lim Ghee Bee as Discussion Facilitator specifically in the Volunteer Activities topic.

Ghee Bee or Cheryl was a BPY from the 24th SSEAYP in 1997 and currently resides in Singapore. She is currently active in several volunteer activities in Singapore. Cheryl attended the Discussion Facilitator's 1st meeting from 6-9th August 2007 and will join the program in Tokyo on 27th October and leave the ship on 20th November in Kuala Lumpur.

(SSEAYP discussion facilitator picture taken with thanks from ASSEAY website)

As usual this year, Brunei's host families will also be represented at this year's SSEAYP. The purpose is to promote further understanding of the SSEAYP among the host families in each contry and to encourage the smooth operation of homestay program by inviting them to Japan as a token of gratitude for the years of hosting PYs in their homes. This year Brunei will be represented by Zainal Haji Jaidin of Keriam and Hajah Kartina Haji Ahmad of STKRJ Lambak Kiri. Awang Zainal has hosted PYs during SSEAYP 8 times now since 1994. He currently works as a Storekeeper Grade 2 at Universiti Brunei Darussalam. Hajah Kartina meanwhile, has hosted PYs 6 times since 1996 and is a Youth and Sports Worker at the Youth Development Centre in Lambak Kanan. Both individual's families have also been active in Bersatu's other homestay programs. The Host family representatives will fly with the BPY 2007 on the 22nd October to Tokyo and will return to Brunei on 26th October.

And finally I'm sure you'll recognise the Representative of the Alumni Association to the On Board Ship Conference (OBSC) for Bersatu....

Dr Ahmad Fakhri was elected to the Executive Committee of Bersatu earlier this year and serves as the Secretary General for Session 2007-2009. He was the Youth Leader of batch 2004 and has been active in Bersatu since leaving the ship. Dr Ahmad Fakhri works as a Medical Officer in the Department of Health Services. The OBSC representative will join the PYs on the Nippon Maru at Saigon Port in Ho Chi Minh City on 3rd December and will return to their respective countries on 14th December. The OBSC provides a venue for the alumni associations to share one another's post program projects, to discuss ongoing and prospective collaborative activities, to introduce SI to the current PYs and to prepare the publication of SSEAYP News (SI's newsletter).