The year 1999 was a big year for Brunei as it became host to a big multinational sporting event for the first time, the SEA Games. Despite its limited manpower and facilities, the country gave its 110% and delivered a successful and memorable event, true to its mantra “Brunei Yakin”. The year ended with a bang with an elevated sense of confidence among the country’s population that Brunei can take on anything despite its size. With a spirit at level high, the country didnt let the Y2K scare hamper its preparation to successfully host yet another major multinational event, the APEC 2000 Leaders’ Summit which saw the country’s first US Presidential visit. 2001 was announced as the Visit Brunei Year as the country was working at full steam to showcase to the world what it has to offer and boost its international standing.

What an eventful three years it was. In all the excitement, the population was all the time oblivious of the fire that burned a large hole in the country’s wallet, the moles that burrowed an enormous tunnel through the country’s money vault. $15B of the country’s money vanished like a fart in the wind, even a million tourists coming to Brunei could not come close to replenishing 1% of that amount. Even with the legal action taken against the Chairman of the Brunei Investment Agency (BIA) responsible for emptying the country’s coffers, life for most Bruneians seemed to still be business as usual. This was simply because what $15 billions mean did not register in the minds of most Bruneians, who have never even handled hundreds of thousands, millions, let alone, billions. As long as no money was missing from their personal wallets and bank accounts, the scandal has no impact on them, so they thought. Besides, the Chairman of BIA in question, after a lengthy and costly trial, agreed to return all his assets to the state. As far as the public was concerned, everything was water under the bridge, and life went on as usual.

19 years on, my niece, who was born in 2000, showed me her selfie with the individual. She, and perhaps pretty much most of the generation Z’ers, have no idea about the backstory. Even if they stumbled upon the story on the net, they could not relate much to it. Their parents and grandparents have moved on, have not talked about it, so why should they dwell on it.

It is really not uncommon for white-collar crimes to be forgiven and forgotten, for the lack of violence and bloodshed involved. Murders and gruesome crime scenes will stick more in people’s minds, but siphoning money..not so much. You also won’t see white-collar criminals sobbing or looking remorseful during trial. They are only sorry for being caught. Just look at Ramzidah, who is currently on trial, she still held her head up high, even smirking at times. I don’t think there is an iota of regret in her. Since its a “victimless crime”, there are no victims’ faces to haunt their days and nights. Well, there are victims actually, their image. Sure, Ramzidah and her sidekick may be able to wiggle their way out from lengthy prison terms, but having to part with her hundreds of Chanel and Dior handbags should be punishment enough for her. Just saying…

For those who are currently following the trial of Ramzidah and are appalled by what she had done, what if I say that there was a local thief who stole 6 times the amount that Ramzidah took, like 15m x 6 = 90 millions and made a run for it by leaving the country. Yes, I am talking about Haji Awang bin Kassim. Haji Awang was BIA Deputy Managing Director, as well as the Private Secretary and right hand man of the BIA Chairman. Before he got such cool sounding posts, Haji Awang, hailing from Kg Ayer and the son of a kacang kuda (chickpeas) vendor, was just a clerk at the Ministry of Finance. To think that his humble beginnings will shine through and make him a modest person, one couldn’t be more wrong.

Then 51 year old Haji Awang had been on the run since 1998 and remained at large for quite sometime until he was nabbed by the Philippines police in October 2000 and got his ass sent back to Brunei. In the midnight operation, Haji Awang was driving home after having dinner at a Manila restaurant when his car was stopped gangster style. He was grabbed out of his car, got blindfolded and taken to a police facility, before being put on a plane back to Brunei 3 days later. He didnt get to pack his toothbrush. After arriving in Brunei he was produced before the court the next day. I wonder if they let him shower. Back in the Philippines, his Filipino wife was wondering what took him so long to get home and later thought that something bad had happened to him. Yes lady, bad things happen to bad people too.

At the Jerudong Prison, donning prison clothes and sleeping on a rock-hard pillow, no ladies, no sports cars, no bling-bling, Haji Awang was undeterred, still maintaining his “millionaire” persona. Perhaps he was confident that, regardless of a potential jail time, he would eventually walk out of prison still a millionaire, with the many millions waiting for him, in some suitcases somewhere. In prison, the government, who he stole the millions from, still provided him with meals and medication (he was suffering from diabetes and high blood pressure). How ironic….

In November 2000, Haji Awang was released from remand on his own bond for a staggering sum of $50m. One of the bail conditions was for him to report to the Anti Corruption Bureau main office twice a week (which his lawyer later negotiated down to just once a week). Obviously the money he used to pay out the bail was the BIA missing money. Knowing how arrogant Haji Awang was, he wanted to show that $50m was nothing to him. But in doing so, he actually took the money out of hiding.

Haji Awang kept a larger chunk of the misappropriated money, so he got the most media coverage. But, lest not forget, there were other BIA officers who, like Haji Awang, became instant millionaires. They made themselves believe that they can keep the money because the millions were given to them as gifts. So they too lived like kings, built large mansions, without any sense of guilt at all.  Had it not been for the government’s campaign writing to each one of them urging them to return the money, they perhaps couldn’t have been bothered to come forward.