Every year-end, something strange happens.

Roadblocks multiply. Summonses spike. Office behaviour suddenly “improves.”
KPI charts rise… but sincerity quietly falls.

It made me wonder:

Are we doing the right thing because it is right -
or because someone is watching?

Episode 5 of MIB Management 101 explores ihsan -
The excellence that begins when supervision ends.

A value our nation speaks about, but our workplaces rarely practice.

It starts with a funny traffic-light story.

It ends with a mirror held up to all of us.

👉 Read: “Ihsan at Work — The Excellence We Lose When No One Is Watching.”

☕ KopiTalk with MHO | MIB Management 101

 

Episode 5 — Ihsan at Work: The Excellence We Lose When No One Is Watching

“Ad-dāʾimūna al-muḥsinūna bi-l-hudā — Always render service with God’s guidance.”

 

A Traffic Story We Laugh At… Until We See Ourselves in It

I once heard a story that made everyone laugh - the kind of laughter that conceals a small sting of truth.

A driver ran a red light and got pulled over. The annoyed police officer asked:

“Inda nampak kah lampu merah atu tadi?”

The driver replied, with the honesty that only panic can produce:

“Nampak tuan… tapi saya inda nampak tuan.”

He saw the red light.

But he only obeyed when he saw the enforcer.

Before we judge him, we should recognise that many of us buckle our seatbelts only when we spot a roadblock ahead. Not because it’s safer, but because there’s a uniform watching.

This is not just a traffic story.

It is a story about us.

And this is where the conversation on ihsan begins.

 

The KPI Culture: When Numbers Become More Important Than People

If you observe closely, a strange pattern emerges in many countries — not just ours.

At year-end, enforcement activities suddenly surge. More stops. More summonses. More "visibility."

Are officers insincere? No. Many serve with genuine dedication.

But systems can shape behaviour more than sincerity can. When performance bonuses depend on KPI numbers, organisations begin to chase targets, not purpose.

Roads become places to meet quotas — not necessarily to save lives.

This is the quiet, uncomfortable truth of modern management:

When KPI becomes king, conscience becomes optional.

That is why the Islamic tradition emphasises something far deeper - a value that cannot be monitored, measured, or manipulated. Ihsan.

 
Ihsan — The Excellence That Comes From Within

The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ described ihsan in the famous Hadith of Jibril:

“To worship Allah as though you see Him; and if you cannot see Him, know that He sees you.”

In simple terms: Do the right thing even when unseen.

Ihsan is not about perfection.

It is about presence - the awareness that every action carries weight, even if no one records it.

However, the Prophet ﷺ also warned us about the opposite of ihsan - riya’. The danger of doing good for the wrong audience.

He said that the thing he feared most for us is riya’, the minor shirk, when good deeds become mere performance.

Actions that win praise here but earn nothing there.

This should concern us not out of fear, but out of self-awareness - because without ihsan, sincerity becomes the first casualty of ambition.

 

The Quiet Strength of Unseen Goodness

A person of ihsan works differently.

Their effort doesn’t rise when the boss arrives and collapses when the boss leaves.
They don’t wait for CCTV to behave.

They don’t save their best efforts only when someone is evaluating them.

They work with the dignity of someone who knows that Allah sees what HR doesn’t.

Yet, we know the reality in many workplaces. Some people intentionally dim their light:

“Jangan tah luan labih-labih… inda jua kana puji, inda jua naik gaji.”

It becomes a survival mechanism.

A shield.

A quiet resignation.

And yet, this mindset slowly kills organisations from within. It destroys spirit, discourages initiative, rewards mediocrity, and over time, creates an environment where sincerity is punished and hypocrisy is incentivised.

Ihsan is the antidote.

It turns routine into purpose.

Work into service.

Service into ibadah.

 

The Brunei Context: A Negara Zikir Without Ihsan?

Living in a Negara Zikir should mean more than remembering Allah in rituals — it should mean remembering Him in decisions, in service, in leadership.

But if we are honest, bureaucracy sometimes holds more influence than spirituality. A form stamped with sincerity or with indifference still looks the same.

So ihsan becomes the missing ingredient — the quiet value that no SOP can enforce.

In Brunei’s context, ihsan looks like:

• Serving with warmth, not cold protocol.

• Completing tasks properly even when nobody checks.

• Rejecting misuse of power even when no one will know.

• Choosing fairness even when pressured to bend.

His Majesty often reminds public servants that sincerity and discipline are the foundation of trustworthy governance. Ihsan is the inner engine that turns those reminders into reality.

 

When Ihsan Spreads, Culture Changes

The beauty of ihsan is that it does not need campaigns, slogans, or posters.
It grows quietly.

When one person practices it, others notice.

When a team practices it, the environment softens.

When an organisation practices it, politics fades and purpose returns.
People feel safer.

Decisions become clearer.

Meetings become less theatrical.

Work becomes meaningful again.

Ihsan is contagious — not loudly, but deeply.

 

Closing Reflection: The Question Ihsan Asks of Us

We like to believe we are honest, responsible, and ethical — but much of that depends on whether someone is watching.

Ihsan invites us to a higher standard.

A quieter standard.

A more sincere standard.

• Compliance becomes conscience.

• Procedure becomes purpose.

• Work becomes worship.

It shifts everything:

And it leaves us with a simple but unsettling question:

Do we stop at the red light because it is red — or because someone is watching?

In the end, Ihsan is choosing what is right even in moments no one will ever remember — except the One who sees all.

 

📖 KopiTalk with MHO — reflections brewed gently, with honesty and heart.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Brunei’s unemployment rate might be down, but not everyone’s celebrating.

Officials speak of progress. Jobseekers speak of exhaustion. Somewhere between the two lies the real story of unemployment in Brunei.

By Malai Hassan Othman

The Department of Economic Planning and Statistics (DEPS) reported that unemployment dropped from 5.1% in 2023 to 4.7% in 2024. Officials are calling it progress, pointing out stronger hiring in the private sector and successful programs like JobCentre Brunei and the i-Ready apprenticeship scheme. 

However, job seekers and others on the ground are responding with scepticism. Many say the numbers don’t match their reality - they’re dealing with months of job applications that go unanswered and temporary gigs that don’t lead to permanent positions.

During the 2025 Legislative Council session, the Minister at the Prime Minister’s Office and Second Minister of Finance and Economy, Dato Seri Setia Dr Awang Haji Mohd Amin Liew bin Abdullah, shared that the overall unemployment rate for those aged 15 and older is now at 4.8%. 

But he warned that the government “must not get too comfortable.” He noted that job growth mainly came from a 4% increase in private-sector jobs, which now make up about 70% of Brunei’s workforce. 

He mentioned that over 1,600 job openings were available through career fairs and training partnerships last year, leading to several hundred successful job placements. 

At the launch of Jelajah Kerjaya 2025, Dato Amin Liew said more than 500 positions were filled in last year’s fair, highlighting that the platform connects job seekers with real opportunities through partnerships between the government and industry.

Still, youth unemployment is a big concern. The Labour Force Survey 2024 showed that although the overall rate dropped, youth unemployment actually rose to 18.3% from 16.8% the year before. 

Average monthly earnings also took a hit, dropping from BND 1,758 to BND 1,686, with over a quarter of workers putting in more than 48 hours a week, many in low-paying or temporary roles. 

Analysts describe this situation as a misleading calm: the overall rate might look better, but lots of people are still underpaid, overworked, or not working in jobs that match their qualifications.

When you look at the region, Brunei’s unemployment numbers still lag behind its neighbours. Malaysia’s youth unemployment rate was 10.8% in 2024, and Singapore’s was at 6.6% - both lower than Brunei’s 18.3%. 

Economists say this gap points to deeper issues: slower private-sector job growth, limited industry diversity, and a mismatch between education and job market needs that hasn’t been fully addressed.

The government has invested over BND 20 million each year since 2018 into initiatives like JobCentre Brunei and the i-Ready program, stabilising spending at about BND 19 million a year. 

But despite this hefty investment, the results have been disappointing. Internal reviews in 2020 showed that only about one in three i-Ready participants landed permanent jobs. 

Employers were often found to be using the program to fill temporary roles with subsidised labour instead of keeping trainees on. 

So, much of the funding ended up going toward short-term assistance rather than lasting jobs. 

Many i-Ready participants say this trend continues, describing their experience as “experience without exit,” while others admit they’re back on the job hunt soon after their contracts wrap up.

Some job seekers voiced similar frustrations in public discussions, noting that job fairs can create buzz but don’t always lead to long-term gigs. 

One commenter said it felt “encouraging at first, but many of us go back to the same job search once the event ends.” 

This perspective was polite yet honest, indicating that what seems promising on the surface doesn’t always result in solid outcomes.

The Centre for Strategic and Policy Studies (CSPS), Brunei’s national think tank, has consistently called for deeper, more meaningful reforms - not just short-term fixes, but real solutions to tackle unemployment at its roots. 

This includes aligning university and technical education with industry needs, promoting local hiring in the private sector, reducing the pay gap between government and private jobs, and diversifying the economy beyond oil and gas. 

CSPS also suggested that the government gather clearer data to identify who is unemployed, underemployed, or working part-time out of necessity. 

They recommended stronger connections between education and jobs, better incentives for employers to hire locals, and more transparency in assessing government programs. 

The think tank even proposed exploring new ideas like a fairer national minimum wage or testing a basic income scheme to help job seekers stay afloat while looking for stable work.

Several thoughtful voices in the public have echoed these concerns, pointing out that Brunei produces thousands of graduates each year but offers only a limited number of stable, long-term jobs. 

One netizen noted gently that “it’s getting harder to find permanent jobs because many roles only last a year or two before being replaced.” 

This sentiment reflects a growing public understanding that a serious alignment between training, industry demand, and job creation is long overdue.

For now, the official message continues to swing between optimism and caution. Each year follows a familiar pattern - progress is announced, complacency is warned against, mindsets are urged to change, and diversification is stressed. 

As many Bruneians would say, “tahun-tahun sama saja pantunnya” - year after year, it’s the same old promises and reminders. Online, a young graduate shared a similar feeling, saying that talks about unemployment “sound the same every year,” indicating that many are quietly hoping for not just new plans, but real results they can see in their daily lives.

Among everyday Bruneians, confidence in the job market remains shaky. Many take the latest figures with “a pinch of salt,” as one observer put it. 

They see the unemployment rate going down, but not the lines outside the JobCentre. They hear about success stories, but not enough to feel like things have really changed. For them, true progress isn’t just a number on paper; it’s about finding steady jobs, building careers, and providing for their families without relying on temporary solutions.

A young graduate who finished an i-Ready placement last year put it simply: “We don’t want sympathy. We just want work that matters - something that lasts.”

The government insists that reforms are in the works and that meaningful change takes time. 

But until policies turn into real, lasting jobs, the gap between the official narrative and everyday life will keep testing public trust. 

In a country aiming for the goals of Wawasan 2035 - to be educated, skilled, and prosperous - the challenge isn’t just to lower unemployment; it’s to restore hope that every effort and every dollar spent leads to work that truly matters. (MHO/11/2025)

 

NDP Dalam Politik MIB: Angin Yang Tidak Kelihatan, Tetapi Sentiasa Dapat Dirasakan

Dalam perjalanan panjang saya meneliti dan menulis tentang politik Brunei, saya sering kembali kepada satu hakikat yang saya rasa sejak dahulu tetapi jarang saya lafazkan:

Politik di Brunei hadir seperti angin - tidak kelihatan, tetapi sentiasa dapat dirasakan.

Ungkapan itu pernah diluahkan Allahyarham Yasin Affendy, pengasas dan Presiden pertama Parti Pembangunan Bangsa (NDP).

Kata-katanya ringkas, tetapi sarat pengalaman, luka sejarah, dan cinta yang tidak pernah luntur terhadap tanah air.

Dalam ungkapan itu tersembunyi falsafah besar: di Brunei, kekuatan politik tidak diukur pada suara lantang, tetapi pada budi yang ditanam dan meninggalkan bekas.

Kebenaran itu jelas dalam seluruh susunan politik MIB kita.

Politik Brunei tidak bising.
Tidak berbalah.
Tidak mengaum di jalanan.

Namun ia tetap hidup - di dalam hati rakyat, antara titah dan teguran Baginda Sultan, dan pada hubungan enam abad yang mengikat raja dan rakyat.

Dalam NDP, kita selalu mengatakan bahawa raja dan rakyat tidak tidur sebantal, tetapi mimpi mereka tetap sama.

Mimpi tentang keamanan.
Mimpi tentang kesejahteraan.
Mimpi tentang negara yang terus berkat dan dihormati.

Raja dan rakyat tidak berkongsi tempat tidur, tetapi berkongsi tujuan.

Dan sebagaimana selalu diingatkan Baginda Sultan - raja dan rakyat berpisah tiada.

Itulah akar ketenangan Brunei.

 
1. Politik MIB: Suara Halus Dalam Adab dan Hikmah

Politik Brunei bergerak dalam garis halus yang menuntut adab dan hikmah.
Suara rakyat hadir dengan tertib.

Teguran hadir dalam bahasa yang sopan.

Inilah politik berhemah — sebuah budaya yang lahir daripada adab Melayu, dituntun oleh agama, dan disantuni oleh kepimpinan berjiwa rakyat.

Namun di sebalik kesantunan itu, wujud fenomena lama—fobia politik.

Ramai takut tersilap langkah, risau dianggap melampaui batas, bimbang menjejaskan keluarga dan masa depan.

Seolah-olah politik itu racun, bukan amanah; seolah-olah politik itu pertempuran, bukan jalan memperbaiki kehidupan.

Fobia ini lahir daripada sejarah panjang, sensitiviti budaya, dan anggapan bahawa politik itu sempit, kotor, dan harus dijauhi.

Padahal dalam kerangka Negara Zikir, politik bukan medan cacian tetapi ruang untuk berkhidmat, menyempurnakan amanah, dan menabur bakti dengan adab.

Dalam dua dekad saya bersama NDP — satu-satunya parti politik berdaftar di Brunei — saya sering ditanya:

Mengapa wujud parti politik di Brunei?
Apa gunanya jika tidak berada di Majlis Mesyuarat Negara?
Mengapa terlibat apabila negara berada di bawah Undang-undang Darurat?
Bukankah ini sekadar membuang masa?

Soalan-soalan ini bukan sinis, tetapi lahir dari kekeliruan senyap — generasi yang masih mencari tempat moral politik dalam kerangka MIB.

Namun saya percaya:
Ketertiban bukan alasan untuk membisu.
Ia adalah cara kita menjaga kehormatan negara.

 
2. Pelopor NDP: Generasi 60-an Yang Kembali Dengan Hikmah

Ketika NDP ditubuhkan, sebahagian besar pelopornya ialah aktivis politik 1960-an— termasuk ahli Partai Rakyat Brunei (PRB) yang pernah melalui zaman getir dan diharamkan, ketika negara berada di persimpangan jalan: antara memilih jalan merdeka dengan acuan sendiri atau menyertai jalur pembentukan Persekutuan Malaysia.

Mereka generasi yang pernah berdiri di antara idealisme dan sejarah.

Namun Brunei — dengan kebijaksanaannya — tidak memanjangkan dendam.

Jika Brunei negara yang berdendam, mereka tidak akan diberi ruang kembali berkhidmat.

Tetapi Brunei memilih jalan rekonsiliasi.

Negara tidak menutup pintu, bahkan membuka ruang baharu — bukan untuk kembali menentang, tetapi untuk kembali membangun.

Allahyarham Yasin Affendy melangkah masuk semula dalam politik bukan sebagai pembantah, tetapi sebagai penyembuh.

Sebagai angin yang senyap tetapi menggerakkan bangsa.

Perjuangan itu diteruskan oleh rakan seperjuangannya,
Saudara Haji Mahmud Morshidi Othman, pengasas utama dan Presiden kedua NDP — juga aktivis era 60-an.

Beliaulah yang merumuskan falsafah parti:
“Gerakan dakwah yang berpolitik, dan politik yang berdakwah.”

Inilah falsafah yang sejiwa dengan Negara Zikir — politik yang mengajak kepada kebaikan, menghindar kemungkaran, dan menjaga kesejahteraan rakyat dengan tertib.
 

3. Politik Sebagai Adab, Amanah dan Ihsan

Dalam sistem MIB, politik bukan medan perebutan kuasa.

Ia adalah hubungan amanah antara raja dan rakyat.

NDP memahami hal ini sejak awal.

Sebab itulah NDP tidak memilih jalan konfrontasi.

NDP memilih jalan adab — kerana adab itu sebahagian daripada amanah negara.

Dasar perjuangan NDP sejak 2006 menekankan:

• taat setia kepada Sultan sebagai Ulil Amri
• keadilan dan ihsan
• syura dan musyawarah
• kesedaran politik yang damai
• dakwah bil hikmah
• politik yang menghubungkan, bukan memecahkan

Dalam Negara Zikir, amanah adalah ibadah — dan politik, apabila dilakukan dengan hati yang bersih, menjadi amal salih.
 

4. Gagasan Mufti: Negara Ini Berdiri Atas Sedekah

Mufti Kerajaan, Yang Berhormat Pehin Datu Seri Maharaja Dato Paduka Seri Setia Dr. Ustaz Haji Awang Abdul Aziz Juned pernah menyatakan bahawa:
Brunei ini ditanai dengan sedekah.

Pendidikan, kesihatan, keselamatan, subsidi — semuanya sedekah negara kepada rakyat.

Namun sedekah tidak boleh berjalan sehala.

Rakyat juga mempunyai ruang membalas — bukan melalui harta semata-mata, tetapi melalui:

• masa
• tenaga
• fikiran
• khidmat

Dan bagi sebahagian daripada kita, politik ialah bentuk sedekah yang paling senyap — tetapi paling tulus.

 
5. Peranan NDP: Politik Berhemah Dalam Negara Zikir

Di sinilah peranan NDP terserlah.

NDP bukan ditubuhkan untuk melawan kerajaan, tetapi untuk menjadi jambatan —
menghubungkan suara rakyat kepada negara dengan adab.

NDP menjadi rumah kepada rakyat yang ingin menyumbang melalui jalan sah dan tertib.

Parti ini wujud bukan untuk menjerit, tetapi untuk mendengar;
bukan untuk menghasut, tetapi untuk memujuk;
bukan untuk membakar sentimen, tetapi untuk membawa pencerahan.

Inilah politik berhemah Brunei —
politik yang tidak bergelanggang maki hamun, kutuk-mengutuk atau perli memperli,
tetapi politik yang memperbaiki, mendidik, dan memakmurkan.

 6. Penutup: Masa Depan Politik Beradab

Sesudah dua dekad dalam parti ini, saya semakin yakin bahawa politik Brunei bukan politik yang membisukan rakyat.

Ia adalah politik yang mendidik rakyat untuk bersuara —
dengan adab, dengan tertib, dengan hikmah.

NDP telah memilih jalan itu sejak awal:
jalan bakti,
jalan amanah,
jalan ihsan,
jalan yang selaras dengan ruh Negara Zikir.

Akhirnya, politik bukan tentang siapa paling lantang,
tetapi siapa paling ikhlas.

Dan dalam diam itulah angin politik Brunei terus bertiup —
tidak kelihatan, tetapi sentiasa dapat dirasakan.

Selama angin itu berhembus, selama itulah NDP akan berdiri sebagai saksi bahawa politik beradab masih hidup, masih subur, dan masih menjadi ibadah senyap tetapi bermakna. (MHO/11/2025)