Jerudong Park: A Ground Forbidden

Previously we've seen some of the photos of now partially defunct Jerudong Park that has once become the cornerstone of this oil rich Sultanate. For the 90s generation in this quiet little state, JP was more than just amusement park; it was a place where the already tight knit community became closer together, forging a strong sense of unity and togetherness. VVhen one talks about Brunei in terms of tourist attraction, there is not so much to mention other than Kampong Ayer. Even that, some racist foreigners spat in our faces, belittling the village as nothing more than those found along the rivers of Vietnam. As a Bruneian, there's something to be learned from such scornful remarks; we the people need to think and do more to develop this tiny piece of land. Take for example Jerudong Park; if government joins hand with private companies and tourism board, that place can be fully functional for the public. I don't really think this is such a burden to the government, after all those lawmakers are the ones who beating the drums of development, calling for our tourism industry to help diversify the fuel addicted economy. By laying the groundwork for such plans, it is possible to reduce youth unemployment in this humble nation while eschewing the dependency on foreign labors.

I can't figure out exactly how it is going to be carried out but at least I have an idea of what needs to be done. VVhy not listen to the youth? Actually sit with those who are able to think things through and listen to what they have to say. They may have good ideas. They are youth and they know what young people want (minus the strip joint, booze, and drugs of course). Perhaps our youngsters may come up with suggestions, whether they're practically doable is another story. This country has MIB at the heart of its philosophy and we the young people know exactly that any entertainment involving sex and intoxicants is completely out of the equation. However, does Jerudong Park have to have those elements to make it more appealing to tourists from abroad? No. I am so proud that this country takes its belief practically serious because in other nations such as Malaysia, Islam becomes part of the political chessboard. VVell I'm not saying that the religious authority here is completely without flaw; they do come up with controversial legislation such as the dining order during the month of Ramadhan that sparked a heated debate among local community Muslims or not. And if you want to take into account their tendency to quote Surah An-Nisa Verse 59 to flex their religious authoritarian muscles; this shows that some people used religion to their advantage. VVho's to blame? Islam? Think again. As for the development, we shouldn't wait until year 2035 to begin boosting human capital and economy in this Sultanate. Our vision is now; every day! VVe wait not for year 2035 at the first place.

Unfortunately, things aren't going to change for the better just yet. The following images are taken from the no-fly zone of Jerudong Park where it is closed to the public. Take a good look at these photos. If you're like me, you may feel a surge of melancholy and sadness upon seeing the sorry state of this once great park.

Elevated view overlooking the Pony Express. Now a ghostly silhoutte of decrepitude

VVelcome to the kingdom of the dead. Beyond this bridge is the ground forbidden.

Mega dissapointment...

Being a majority Muslim country, rekindling the flames of joy in Jerudong Park is one of those alternatives for people who want to have fun with their loved ones, straight, bi or homo (just kidding). VVhat? Do you want to bring tourists to see our shopping mall? For fuck's sake man.. come on! They have even bigger ones back home and what we have in Gadong is so laughable. The Gadong Mall is only suited for us Bruneians and nothing else. People from the VVest especially are really keen on enjoying our natural forests. Instead of taking them to the ever redundant sites, why not take them to venture deep into our jungle. Perhaps we can use their expert opinions. Native population such as the Iban or Dusun people are also very helpful in this regard. They have amazing knowledge on various flora and fauna. On the other hand, Jerudong Park, if restored, is a place for them to enjoy the rest of their visit to this Sultanate. You know, it's good to have some good memories while they are here. At the moment, for fuck's sake, anyone, please change the brochure. Don't fool the patrons with images of Jerudong Park from 10, 13 years ago. By using the same promotional pamphlet for bygone era, you're cheating the customers. I thought you are Muslims. Islam strictly forbids cheating as a source of income. VVhat kind of Muslims are you? Your salary is haram by default for ignoring this little fact. YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE, BITCHES and I am not even sorry for my choice of foul language. To really get the point across, some times harshness is necessary. Simply ask yourself; what else do you think is interesting in this nation other than its oil? You know what, a lot of foreigners looked down upon us because they see us as backward and under-developed. "Being an oil-rich country doesn't mean a thing if you're so lacking in human development" said one of delegate members from Malaysia (Malingsial, whichever you prefer). The bald-headed Chinese who looked up to Bo Tak Chin is in this country for the useless Asian Summit meetings. He's partly right with what he said but just like many others, he loathes Kampong Ayer, citing the area as unhygienic. Yeah right. Malaysia is so advanced and developed but a lot of the people are so fucked up too. I don't deny that Malaysia under Najib Altantuya leadership with his 1Malaysia slogan really paced ahead of Brunei in terms of various areas of development. They have Proton, they have great artists and singers (new ones are shit but from 50s to 90s, they ruled!), and they have KLCC which, according to unconfirmed rumors, was partially financed by our very own Sultan. However, that's the thing; Malaysia has diverse economy compared to Brunei. They have tonnes of food products exported to this country but here, what do we have? I'll save that for the upcoming episode of my rants. For now, enjoy the photos of not so enjoyable Jerudong Park.

Ride the pony, baby! I'm a wild stallion between your legs, bitch!

I used to love this one as a kid! The good old Tele Combat.

Volcano grows cold.. Carbonic explosion, the universe bond.

Some Americans associated the number 13 with bad luck. VVell, this is much worse than just bad luck.

Mount Sinai...

Just like Arcadia Ship from the sucky Resident Evil films, this is but an empty promise.

Same angle? Lol

You can't see me!

A building that once housed some of the most awesome arcade games is nothing but a relic of debacle.

VVhen I took this photo, two guys were having a conversation to kill their time.

The magnitude of this madness is supreme...

I can make this vending machine disappear.. tadaaa! And it's gone.

Care for some toilet humor?

This is not 28 days later; this is a regular sight, everyday!

Don't get mistaken; I love my country. I love my Sultan. I love my Bruneian Malay people. I love this peace and tranquillity. But there are some assholes in this country who don't give a fuck about us little people. They will not listen to us because we are a nobody. VVe have no page-long titles before our actual name. Not all of us Bruneian Malays are born with fucking silver spoon in our mouth. And I am not even from a wealthy family. The shit about this country is the tendency to dismiss ideas, to shut down arguments, to supress truth, and to incarcerate those who speak it. I care about the well being of my people, our family institution. I wish there are more people like me who see through this thing with truth as a pair of glasses. VVe are going nowhere if we keep on practising this incestuous nepotism in the system while ceaselessly fellating on red tapes. VVho else is going to develop this country if not for Bruneians? Are we going to let others from thousand miles away to take over and enslave us? Has our government gone soft? You speak of youth to not be choosy when looking for jobs; easy for you to say! If we continue to perpetuate this blind sycophantic culture, our country will implode from within. VVe, as I said before, are going nowhere. If you only care about counting your money in bed every time you wake up each morning, then you won't know what the word 'struggle' truly means. Perhaps it doesn't even exist in your vocabulary because your skull is too thick by now and your heart is weighted down by countless amount of papers that you so craved. Shame on you!! VVe are Bruneians by our own right.

VVhen Tourists are Cheated: Jerudong Park [A Ground Forgotten]

I've been wanted to write about this particular topic for quite a while but I didn't manage to find the time. Nevertheless, the time is now!

For tourists visiting this country in a hope to explore the so called 'kingdom of unexpected treasure', what is the first thing you see on the pamphlet that promotes this country as a tourist attraction? Kampong Ayer? Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddien mosque? Definitely. However, there is always this image of local Bruneian family going together to an amusement park called Jerudong Park. You go there, expecting to see the Brunei's version of Disneyland but only to find yourself lost in a zombieland that you can't even believe it exists in the first place!

I tried to get a hold on some pictures from Jerudong Park debut run back in 1997. Shown below are some photos that I managed to capture during my visit to this once glorious amusement park that is not amusing at all these days.

The glass diamond that once sat so deeply in the hearts of many Bruneian family is nothing but memory now.

An epitome of desolation, Jerudong Park buries with it the hopes and happiness of many Bruneians who feel betrayed when this tourist attraction goes bust. The sole brainchild behind this landmark abscond with some twenty six billion Brunei dollars. Everyone in Brunei, worldwide perhaps, knows who he is so I won't mention him by name. For those who don't, safe to say that he's the brother of our beloved Sultan. That's the thing; he had a vision to develop Jerudong from a quiet little tight knit community into a flamboyant ground made to amuse even the poorest of souls who came to visit this now sorrowful monument of unexpected failure.

The LGBT-friendly arch welcoming you to Jerudong Park Playground, with horse head signifies the royal family's interest in polo.

There used to be a couple of horses in Jerudong that people can ride and take photographs. As a small kid living a few inches away from the Equator, seeing horses is really amusing in itself that unknowingly, they too have to go when this park met its fate some time after the millennium. One big mistake that the creator of this place overlooked is the fact that they did not charge fees to the public for entering Jerudong Park. VVell, everybody loves freedom but when it comes to amusement park, you had better think twice of not charging people. Think about the maintenance, the salary of those employed in this business. At the height of Amadeo scandal, Jerudong Park lost a lot because people can go in and out of the park free of charge. Attendance began to rapidly decline following the decision to ticket the entrance and rides. This should have been done from the very beginning for Satan's sake!! VVhen people are so used to have freebies, they'll spit on your palms when you try to make them pay.

The colored glass that stood the test of time, a silent witness to joy and blunder of Jerudong Park

It's embarrassing. It's totally embarrassing. As a Bruneian I feel deeply embarrassed to see foreigners bringing their kids to Jerudong Park. Like I said earlier, those tourists are cheated by our government who continues to neglect the cry of little people of trying to restore Jerudong Park to its former glory. Do they not contradict themselves talking about developing tourism industry in this oil rich Sultanate, while they don't even lift a fucking finger to change the pamphlet showing Jerudong Park from 10, 13 years ago. It's still the same image. Tourists see this and they thought it is for real. VVhen they come to JP, all they see is shit! If you're Bruneian and don't even feel embarrassed by this fact; blade to your throat and calmly greet death...

Effigy of the Forgotten...they were designed to smile at you all the time.

It is sad. It is so disappointing to realise how far back has JP regressed in recent years. Yes. That's all I can think of; how disappointed we are with the current state of this place that we used to frequent every weekend with friends and family. This used to be the place where Bruneians can truly look forward to when spending their time with loved ones. Clearly it promotes a vibrant lifestyle of spending money in your own country while attracting tourists from abroad. Talk about killing two birds with one stone. Then again, people like me are a nobody. VVho the fuck is going to listen to what I have to say, right?

The terminal: where train used to take people across the park. VVhat's left of it now is beyond bullshit...

The late Michael Jackson made his debut in this country at JP Amphitheater, attracting thousands of people from across the borders who came to see his performance. Although I wasn't able to go there myself, friends who did told me of how great it was. Even to this very day, majority of Bruneians who attended the glamorous event considered the concert as the greatest memory of Jerudong Park. As kids, we tried all sorts of ride and attractions available in the park while Los del Rios 'Macarena' was playing in the background followed by Gala 'Freed from Desire' and KRU 'Fanatik'. Those are the good times that only happened once in a lifetime. Kids nowadays won't understand shit about how great it was back then. They're too busy fiddling with iPhone and Samsung tab.

Surely not the best colors that you shine!

Most of the rides have been dismantled and sent to somewhere we know not. It's a sad fact that we can't no longer play water log, Pony Express, the Game Arcade and all those fun rides. VVhen the management was faced with internal difficulties, employees slowly began losing job and they ventured into other, more stable opportunities. JP quickly disintegrated from within. Its scars bled heavily, flooding the streets with hopelessness and sorrow.

Not like it was 13 years ago. Still, people have nowhere to go.

Ugly. Totally ugly.

I can't even remember what this was.

I stop my rants for now. I let the pictures do the talking from here.

A miniature light house in what used to be a pool of water for remote controlled boats

Abandoned in neglect and decrepitude

Bumper car! A silent blasphemy of our tourism industry

A grave with different view...

This pneumatic stegosaurus puppet is no longer functioning.

Up close and personal.

Det som en gang var.

This used to house the pirate's treasure where people lined up to take photos with friends and family.

A family of three strolling through the park.

VVe came, vve savv, it dies

You're just contradicting yourself; this is the development you're talking about...

Here stood the Sky Tower where people can see the rest of the surrounding village in Jerudong. Now, this is but a tower of nonexistence.

Berating Life

Hey guys and assalamualaikum to my Muslim brothers and sisters. Happy Eid Mubarak to you all.

VVhen was the last time I posted something on this blog? Damn I could not care to remember now. Anyway, I landed a job earlier this year and quit after five months of working with the company. A friend of mine chose to stay and work there because he's posted at a different department than I was. Being a reporter is challenging and fun. You get to attend events and meet people. Seeing myself as an introvert, I thought I gave it a shot. You know, trying to fight my introversion. Somehow, the more I tried to fight it, the more withdrawn I become. I wanted to stay for a year but something made me unhappy and I decided to resign halfway through. Like this friend once said; everyone can write but not everyone can become a reporter. You're goddamned right.

Five months passed and here I am; return to square one. Unemployed. At the moment, my best friend Aduka and I are applying for any available post both in private and government sectors. Fuck it I mean, let's face it. This is the time where degree holders are scattered everywhere like municipal waste. Just think about that. In Malay, cuba bayangkan sedang orang macam kami ni, degree holders, pun susah cari kerja, apa lagi yang cuma sampai menengah lima or PMB. Mampuslah jawabnya. Sikit sikit cakap 'para belia janganlah memilih kerja'. Yeah right. Fucking 'A'. You received 20 to 40 thousand dollars a month, of course you won't understand what we've been through. You do not have to pay for your electricity bills, your car expenses. You even have a driver ready to take you wherever you want to go. I am not solely putting the blame on those asswipe government officials, but the least they can do is approach the youths in person and find out what their stories are. Only then will you understand. Alas, if we say something that goes against their so called norms, we'll be labeled as 'outlaws'.

VVhat are their norms? This applies largely to those in government sectors, ranging from directors to its lowest subordinates. You see, there is this invisible red tape or glass ceiling if you will that prevents the effective flow of information and command throughout the entire government system. One of the first norms in this nepotistic system is the ability to not question the authority. Yes. Not to question the authority. Anyone who does will again be labeled as 'outlaws'. Actions will be taken in various forms both discreet and official. It always sickens me that whenever us young people defy and question the authority, they will always, always respond with 'You are too young, you do not know anything!'. Yeah right. So what, do we have to wait until we are 90 years old and wear fucking diapers to even know anything? Fuck them. They are afraid of us. They afraid of people who are actually able to think beyond the designated, ever-inculcated mischievous paradigm of theirs. Now this is where it gets interesting. VVe, people like us, take not everything at face value. VVe questioned things. VVe don't just simply accept things the way people want to have it shoved down our throat. This is what we need. VVhy? People like us have seen how authority can misuse, embezzle and abuse the power given to them. They silence you. They quote a verse from Al-Quran so that we, being Muslims, will not be able to argue any further. You see, there is nothing wrong with the religion itself. Islam and especially Al-Quran repeatedly reminds its believers to think wisely with their heads; read Al-Quran and discover things that are in line with its prophecies. However, some assholes preferred to take Al-Quran, hadiths (traditions and life of Muhammad Sallalahu Alaihi Wassalam) and sunnah to their own ends.

Take for example this verse from Surah An Nisa (The Women): "O ye who believe; obey Allah and obey the Messenger and those in authority among you. And if you disagree over anything, refer it to Allah and the Messenger, if you should believe in Allah and the Last Day. This is the best way and best in result". From what I have observed in this country that holds MIB as its core philosophy, this verse truly does apply not just to Muslims in this nation, but to all who believe in Allah. Again, I will neither reject nor deny this verse for what it stands for. My point is, government officials repeated this verse time and time again to instill the subliminal sense of blind obedience among this country's Muslim populace. VVith that being said, it simply tries to lead you to believe that whatever wrong things they do, you should not criticise or ask questions because they are those in authority. Fucking pathetic.

Then we have this so called religious officers who are superhuman they can see almost every single mistake that you do simply by observing your clothes and your hair. More so annoying than the abusive, tyrannically incestuous authority, these religious officers have come to us and denounce us because of what we wear, rather than we think and what we are capable of. A friend of mine has long hair, the other guy is smoking. This officer approaches the two who have just finished praying at a mosque and starts talking about how bad their image is. He first targets the cigarette smoking man (The X-Files, anyone?), claiming it as un-Islamic. After minutes of heated exchanges, a woman wearing short skirts and tight fitting t-shrit passes by the three. The cigarette guy simply asks the religious man; do you see that? Why do you not come up to her and speak to her about how irreligious her dress is? The pathetic religious man simply replies 'that's different'. The cigarette guy begins arming himself with munitions of counter argument berates how hypocrite he is for being double standard; no, there is nothing different about it. If you really are doing His service, you would've come up to her and give her some advice, tell her to not wear such revealing clothes in public, if you are sincere to begin with. The man now apparently running out of ideas, begin to use MIB instead as a weapon but to no avail. He switches the topic from religion to racially motivated comment, citing the duo as not fitting with the concept of Malay people. Seeing this as an easy opening, the two return fire, claiming that it has nothing to do with Malay because minutes ago, he enthusiastically talks about how smoking is un-Islamic with utter religious fervor. As a last ditch effort by the loser, he simply said "kids nowadays are stubborn" before leaving them, apparently scarred with his own shameful defeat.

That is not the first. Perhaps I've posted on this blog before about how our colleagues in university, especially the Sufi-wannabes vehemently berated us for the clothes we wear and the music we listened to. This goes on without saying that we are not anywhere better than anybody but you got to think; if people truly hate you for what you look like? Are you really the problem at all? Just because you don't look like them, dress like them, think like them, speak like them, fuck like them, then you are considered an outcast?