The Ministry of Culture, Youth, and Sports (MCYS) established a dedicated project team on January 30, 2024, responsible for reviewing the strategic objectives, scope of development, operational funding, and long-term sustainability of the Persons with Disabilities (PWD) Complex Building. This team has held discussion sessions to prepare reports, plans, and long-term strategies covering physical development components, management, financing, and the targeted social impact, said Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports Yang Berhormat Dato Seri Setia Awang Haji Nazmi bin Awang Haji Mohamad.

He said this on the last day of the First Meeting of the 22nd Session of the Legislative Council (LegCo) in response to question raised by LegCo member Yang Berhormat Hajah Rosmawatty binti Haji Abdul Mumin on the current status of the construction of the PWD Complex Building.

The project for the construction of the PWD Complex Building, he shared, “has been underway since 2011 as a strategic initiative to provide centralised facilities for non-governmental organisations representing and supporting PWDs in Brunei Darussalam.”

Since then, he said, “several discussions and coordination efforts have been carried out involving the MCYS, the Public Works Department, and the Council for the Welfare of Persons with Different Abilities (MKOKU) to examine the building plan, technical requirements, facility needs, operational costs, and the financial implications of the project.”

To strengthen the development planning, in line with international best practices, he shared that the MCYS has conducted several overseas visits and studies to examine and exchange views on best practices implemented by other countries.

The findings from these visits are being used as references for designing an inclusive framework, operational funding, facility management, and an integrated empowerment approach for the PWD community.

Yang Berhormat Dato Seri Setia Awang Haji Nazmi said, “It is important to emphasise that we have also learned from the experiences of other countries. Perhaps in 2011, there weren’t many lessons to be learned, but as of 2025-2026, there are many lessons that we can consider and take into account.”

He added, “Essentially, any government project of this scale requires a detailed review, particularly focusing on cost-benefit analysis and the changing ecosystem over time. Therefore, the preparations made in 2011 will undoubtedly have changed, as the current ecosystem is not the same as it was in 2011.”

He iterated that the MCYS is committed to ensuring that the project is carried out with careful planning, effective governance, and strong collaboration with all stakeholders so that the net benefits can be enjoyed comprehensively and sustainably by the PWD community in Brunei Darussalam.

(news source: Borneo Bulletin; pic source: Info Foto, Jabatan Penerangan)