Cuti-cuti LCCT or not solo in Begawan

Wednesday, December 15, 2010

Cuti-cuti LCCT or not solo in Begawan

Assalamu ‘Alaikum,

Cuti-cuti LCCT or not solo in Begawan

We almost had a chance to experience a stay in the miniature room hotel next to the terminal but it didn’t turn out to be as it was chocful with foreign tourists. The flight to Bandar Seri Begawan was delayed to the next morning and we reckoned rather than make the long trip back home we would rough it out in the world’s best low cost carrier’s hotel. The kids were game for anything, but it wasn’t like the KLIA airport stay when Gulf Air delayed their flight to Bahrain once upon a time ago; instead of taking the lift from the departure hall to our room this time the hotel would have been a fairly brisk walk away.

We took a cab back home and returned at 3 am to catch the early morning flight to Brunei. Papa was an invited Moderator in an Islamic Finance Conference in Bandar Seri Begawan, the kids on school holidays and Mama was on a much deserved vacation. Being a Moderator in a Conference is not unlike being appointed a prefect at school; you’re just too long in the tooth to be invited as speaker or panelist.

It’s been a while since Papa was last in Brunei. Many things have changed since I was here last with a group of pioneering Islamic bankers helping the Bruneians set up their first Islamic bank. They are now a force to be reckoned with, marching with confident strides as an integral part of the world push on Islamic finance. By coincidence we were in the same hotel Papa used to stay in the Gadong central district. We were met at the airport by an old Bruneian pal who was a participant in the very first Islamic Capital Market course conducted by Papa’s company almost a decade ago. He looked fit, taking time off from a mosque organised football event to meet an old pal from Kuala Lumpur. The Conference was held at the sprawling Empire Hotel and Country Club complex. It was well attended and lively discussions were held on how to propel Brunei’s Islamic finance further. Papa could get used to this new job as Moderator, spicing expert panelist comments with your own takes and stories to keep the audience engaged in the discussions at hand. Sensitivities abound of course but insyaAllah diplomacy in public speaking is now second nature to this seasoned warhorse.

Papa made an interesting connection with the pal’s cousin who’s a specialist on a certain part of China. This country is now very much in our periscope insyaAllah. With the world’s imagination caught on halal hubs, halal finance is really an integral element of this phenomenon. Our lively private discussions on halal matters somehow focused on stunning of chickens before they are slaughtered, and how this practice is strictly prohibited in Brunei. Papa worry about jurisdictions that still allow this practice. I’m no expert on the matter but I have always understood that slaughtering animals the Islamic way is biologically all about removing as much blood as possible from the animal’s body; for in the blood is the pool of all manner of viruses and potential diseases. In the Islamic way of slaughtering which studies have also indicated to be the most painless way to kill animals, the aorta and the vein at the front of the neck are cut, whilst at all times maintaining the back of the neck intact. The logic is obvious; when the aorta and the vein are cut, blood gushes out; the brain which now lacks blood sends a message to the body via the nerves in the back of the neck, which is still intact, to send it as much blood as possible. The blood of course could not reach the brain and keep gushing out of the cut aorta. Thus delivering a healthy bloodless animal or one where maximum blood has been drained. Now if you allow the animals’ brain to be stunned before it is slaughtered you wonder about the brain’s capacity to send messages to demand more blood from the body when the neck aorta and vein are cut. The dead animal probably still carries with it a substantial amount of diseased prone blood. We hope the decision to allow stunning has nothing to do with acquiescing to western beliefs that Islamic slaughtering is cruel; one tires of such actions and decisions and wonder when we will have full trust in the rulings of our religion and Maker.

It is now past dawn of our final day in Begawan. The kids had a good time at Jerudong Entertainment Park last night and Mama has bought all the fridge magnets required for Che’ Yu and the gang. We will head home later today insyaAllah. The new year looks exciting and promising insyaAllah. It looks more and more our rizq is to be searched beyond home shores.

Wassalam,

Zahid

Note : Cuti-cuti LCCT = holidaying in the Low Cost Carrier Terminal - a take on cuti-cuti Malaysia, a campaign for domestic holidays

          Not solo in Begawan -  word play on the classic Indonesian oldie Bengawan Solo

          rizq - Allah's allocation for the individual