However, if the Religious Department has realized that there are many neglected wives and children in Brunei and the drastic effects which result form it, I wonder up to now, why the authorities have not enforced the Family Law which protects Muslim women and children that has long been granted by His Majesty, i.e. in august, 1999. It is only natural for him to come out and give his side of the story, as I am sure, in some cases husbands are not to blame when a marriage breaks down. However, the harsh truth remains that children are the ones who suffer most when parents divorce. What Fair Deal argues pales in significance considering the emotional pain we go through. I say this because my own parents marriage has broken down and I have to cope with a father who is not only an alcoholic, but also a womanizer.
Life can be a living nightmare.
Though laying blame on either parent hardly makes things any better. Hence, a concerted effort form the relevant authorities to introduce a comprehensive marriage counseling course for new couples, widen help available to children of divorced parents and more importantly, punish severely those who neglect to support their children, would be very much appreciated. Di Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam is to be commended on his Teacher s Day Titah in which His Majesty outlined the new direction education in Brunei should take. Having done this, the relevant education authorities should now consider improving the quality of learning and education by having a normal school week of 5 consecutive days rather than the present split weekend. This would allow students and teachers the proper rest and time for study and relaxation.