Safiah: Reform is Imperative to Realize Vision 2035

(Bandar Seri Begawan, 6th) As Brunei steadily advances toward the “Brunei Vision 2035”, the efficiency of public services and the nation’s capacity to address social challenges remain at the core of national development.
In a speech delivered at the second session of the 21st Legislative Council Meeting this Monday, Legislative Council member Yang Berhormat Hajah Safiah binti Sheikh Haji Abdul Salam emphasized Brunei’s urgent need to strengthen institutional reforms, enhance accountability mechanisms, and formulate more inclusive strategies to comprehensively improve the people’s well-being.
In the face of declining public sector effectiveness, rising social dependency, and increasingly severe social problems, she put forward several concrete suggestions aimed at strengthening government institutions and ensuring no citizen is left behind.
Hajah Safiah pointed out that public service is not just a policy executor; rather, it is “the government’s window to the people and the core driving force of national administration”.
She warned: “If services cannot be delivered efficiently and swiftly, no matter how well-designed the policies are, the benefits cannot truly reach the people... The public may consequently feel disappointed.” Therefore, she called on public service units to uphold the highest standards of efficiency, integrity, and competitiveness.
She cited the 2023/2024 Public Sector Performance Assessment (3PSA) results, stating that only two government agencies (4%) received the “very good” four-star rating, while over half (26 agencies, 54%) were rated “needs improvement”, the lowest level.
She questioned whether relevant entities had evaluated the reasons for declining performance and the effectiveness of current strategies, and whether there was already a clear action plan to ensure public services reach an excellent level by 2035.
While acknowledging the government’s ongoing efforts to strengthen public services, Hajah Safiah cautioned that public service modernization efforts must bridge the gap between “sound policy design” and “actual public experience”.
She pointed out that citizens are frustrated by lengthy administrative processes, difficulty accessing information, and unfriendly physical and digital service systems (especially for vulnerable groups).
She proposed four major reform focuses to improve the effectiveness of Brunei’s public services and better meet public needs:
1. Civil Service Work Culture Reform: Promote the concept that “civil servants are helpers—serving the people with dedication and responsibility.”
2. Strengthen the 3PSA Assessment Mechanism: Promote regular “health checks” across agencies, implement productivity and outcome-based performance tracking, and establish a public institutional performance dashboard.
3. Empower Key Agencies: Enhance the roles of the Service Management Bureau and Civil Service Institute, making them the guardians of service excellence.
4. Promote Inclusive Digital Services: Ensure public service digitization is “friendly, inclusive, simple, and easy to use,” suitable for all societal strata.
She expressed support for the government’s implementation of “results-oriented” performance assessment and stressed the importance of transparency mechanisms.
“Introduce mechanisms centered on public feedback to make the voices of the people the main basis for service policy improvement,” she said.
She added, “We must recognize that not all citizens assess policy through documents—many more assess by their counter experience, digital platforms, and channels of communication.”
She emphasized that all reforms should be promoted with “one voice, one system, one heart.”
Hajah Safiah cited the “Brunei Social Blueprint,” noting that as of April 2024, there were over 10,000 recipients of monthly assistance in the country, of which 73% are physically healthy and able to work. This reflects a deeper structural issue.
“This dependence... involves not just insufficient income, but also childcare, transportation, and the lack of work skills.” She warned that long-term social vulnerability can also foster detrimental mindsets and values.
She questioned whether current social welfare mechanisms truly help people achieve upward mobility, or merely meet short-term survival needs.
She called for an upgrade of the National Welfare System (SKN) to “SKN 2.0”—a more responsive and integrated digital platform:
· Establish social profiles based on income, skills, and work willingness
· Set up a social mobility dashboard for real-time tracking
· Launch flexible employment programs, prioritizing assistance for women, single mothers, and people with disabilities
In addition, she called for greater authority to be given to the **National Council on Social Issues (MKIS)** as the national coordinator of social policies, and for deep public and private sector involvement.
She suggested MKIS be responsible for coordinating the implementation of SKN 2.0, promoting digital community engagement, and establishing “Empowerment Centers” (offering training, employment counseling, and childcare services).
Meanwhile, MKIS should regularly publish social transparency reports and implement a “graduation model” to help beneficiaries gradually achieve self-reliance, including measures such as wage subsidies, microloans, and savings plans to reduce long-term dependence on government assistance.
Hajah Safiah also expressed concern over a series of alarming social statistics:
· Former inmate recidivism rate up by 14.6%
· Among drug offenders, 60% are repeat offenders, 52% unemployed
· 1,127 cybercrime cases recorded in 2022
· From 2019 to 2023, HIV/AIDS cases surged by 91-98%, mostly occurring among men
· Out-of-wedlock births among Malay Muslims increased by 72%
· Cases of parental neglect rising
She stressed that to address these trends, unified and cross-sector strategies must be adopted:
“We urgently need to integrate social interventions, implement civil and Islamic law, mobilize grassroots leaders (village and community heads), the public, and approaches that uphold the Malay Islamic Monarchy (MIB) values, to face these challenges together.”
Finally, Hajah Safiah emphasized that building an “Excellent Bruneian Nation” (Bangsa Brunei Cemerlang) is not idealism, but a realistic goal that must be achieved via national mechanisms.
She asserted that “Vision 2035” must be realized through all agencies formulating integrated policies and implementing services within a transparent, inclusive, and efficient timeline, with ongoing monitoring of social gaps.
She also expressed her confidence in the “Wawasan Office” (Pejabat Wawasan) under the Prime Minister’s Office, describing it as a key institution for coordinating national policies and visions.