He said a Japanese Institute (NITE) is proposing to undertake a research and development programme with Universiti Brunei Darussalam (UBD) under his Ministry's sponsorship on biotechnology to establish the medicinal value of forest microbes.

He described Brunei's role in one of the biggest and perhaps most ambitious sustainable development programmes in the world today, the Heart of Borneo project. "It's a ‘global heritage’ and the world should respond to its needs", quoting Sir David Attenborough.

Borneo is home to over 13 primates, 350 birds, 150 reptile species and more than 15,000 species. "New species are being discovered in Borneo at in average rate of three per month. There have been 361 recent discoveries over the period of the last 10 years", he said, highlighting it as one of the most bio diverse places on the planet.

He also touched on the explosion of economic development. The trend is so strong that it has focused our minds on the need to manage more sustainably its environmental impact on a global scale.

"But Brunei, Indonesia and Malaysia plus the NGO's, diplomats, academics and corporate figures have found a common ground. We agreed on a vision for the HoB based on working together in partnership to ensure effective management and conservation to protect the Borneo's heritage forever".

"This vision is not about 'locking away' the whole area from development; it's about protecting nature in a largely forested landscape that benefits the local communities of the three Bornean nations. We are looking for sustainable development that is compatible with maintaining our forests."

"Although we have capped production, we shall continue to produce timber sustainably; and we have also identified biotechnology and tourism as major income earners and future job creators".

Dato Elj Hamdillah said in February last year, the three governments formally stated their intentions to implement this in the Bali Declaration on the HoB initiative. Brunei commits itself to the Bali declaration to including at least 60 per cent of the entire country to be managed under HoB territory. The area will include totally protected and sustainably managed forests stretching from the interior highlands to the coasts, and joined across the Sarawak border to Gunung Mulu and beyond.

On the country's initiative to promoting tourism in HoB, Dato Hamdillah said it is important that Brunei and the island differentiates itself from the regional tourism powerhouse like Singapore, West Malaysia and Thailand by embracing nature tourism supported by HoB brand as it develops its ecoaccess, eco-products, eco-accommodation and eco tour operators.

"Access to Brunei is fairly straightforward. I look forward to resumption of Brunei-Osaka flight this year and compliments Royal Brunei Airlines for the increased flights to Australia."

Dato Hj Hamdillah said we still have a lot to do in terms of packaging and marketing. Brunei is also still in the early stages of developing greenness of tourism products, facilities and infrastructure. However Brunei and Singapore can complement each other in offering regional packages, with strong foundation in the background like personal relationships among leaders, interchangeability of our currencies, convenient direct flights. -- Courtesy of Borneo Bulletin