IMPROVING the public service, accelerating national housing projects and strengthening religious education were among the main issues addressed in His Majesty the Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam's 64th birthday titah yesterday.

His Majesty said the public service needed to be improved, in terms of productivity and work ethics, and called for Key Performance Indicators to be implemented in a continuous manner to assess the strengths and weaknesses of the public sector.

"Through this methodology, we are able to measure to what extent can the public service carry out its responsibilities in meeting the demands of this country and the public," His Majesty said.

The sovereign further reminded that his government was working towards expediting the provision of public housing.

His Majesty said the Housing Development Department will set targets and measures to meet demand for housing, including the housing projects carried out by the Brunei Economic Development Board.

"Through effective measures, I hope the distribution of housing will be expedited," His Majesty said.

In developing a more conducive environment for investment, particularly by raising environmental conservation efforts and quality of life, His Majesty noted that the Ministry of Home Affairs is currently carrying out the Bandar Seri Begawan Development Masterplan.

His Majesty also stressed the importance of strengthening policies under the Ministry of Health, advising the health system and management, especially in the human capacity of doctors and other medical professionals, needed to be assessed.

"We do not want our hospitals to become frightening places just because the doctors always fail to provide their services," His Majesty said.

Food security, an issue which has become more prominent as of late, was also highlighted by the monarch in his titah. His Majesty called for measures to ensure that food produced locally or imported from abroad were halal, clean and safe.

Foods such as vegetables and fish, which are usually perceived to be safe, can also be contaminated with poisons or harmful preservatives, the monarch pointed out as an example.

"This becomes our responsibility to take care of it," His Majesty said.

Another challenging issue was education, which His Majesty said that it should be carried out with new and effective techniques, but not at the expense of national priorities.

This was in the same regard as religious education, a matter which His Majesty has stressed time and time again.

"We must look at primary school religious education in line with current needs (and) the need here is for Muslim children in this country to be proficient in religion," His Majesty said.

"But how can we do this? It must be through an education system that prioritises on exalting religion," His Majesty said.

"We are looking at this not for only a year or two, but for the long-term, for the survival of the race. Because a lack of religion or a weakness of religion will thrust us into disaster," the sovereign added.

His Majesty said that this was evident among youths in particular who were more susceptible to the social ills of interaction without limitations, crime and drugs. His Majesty also associated this with those imprisoned abroad after getting involved with drug syndicates.

"This cannot be taken lightly. As conscious people, we must remedy it and that remedy is religion," His Majesty added.

-The Brunei Times/Asia News Network