Foreign media in awe of Brunei's royal traditions

WHILE Brunei's tourism industry is in the process of finding its footing, expect the hidden subtext of "What did the foreigners think?" to arise ubiquitously at every available opportunity.

In the case of the 32 foreign media representatives here for the royal wedding, the nation should be allowed to pat itself on the back.

Members of international press who were lucky enough to catch a glimpse of a rarely-seen face of Brunei declared that they were bowled over by the resplendence of the occasion.

This is the fifth visit to Brunei for Channel News Asia senior reporter S Ramesh, but his first glimpse into the unmatched splendour of the Bruneian monarchy's elaborate heritage and traditional protocols.

"It's interesting to witness the (rich) culture of Brunei, the way they observe a wedding in the royal family," said Ramesh, who unfortunately only touched down here hours after yesterday morning's procession in the capital.

He has, however, not yet despaired of missing "the pomp, pageantry and colours" of the wedding ceremonies, as he is charged with reporting on the presence of Singaporean Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong and his spouse at the banquet at Istana Nurul Iman this evening.

For the time being, Brunei maintains Ramesh's satisfaction with the quality of treatment and hospitality he has received on every visit here.

"When it comes to media arrangements, Brunei is first-class," said Ramesh.

The Straits Times reporter Jeremy Au Yong, 27, was up bright and early yesterday morning to catch the media shuttle bus to the Darul Karamah, and emerged spellbound by the glittering opulence of the occasion.

The 27-year-old, who was a first-time visitor to Brunei, said he found the event "very grand" and on a scale unlike anything he had ever seen before.

When asked what angle would most interest Singaporean readers, Au Yong said that his coverage would be mostly focused on the glamour aspect of the celebration: "What the bride was wearing, the grandeur of the occasion."

So it was hardly surprising that he expressed much interest in the ornate gilt chariot which transported the newlyweds about town: "The car was particularly interesting; I was fascinated!" he said with a hint of sheepishness.

Au Yong had chosen a post in front of the Lapau for the procession and endured hours in the fiery mid-day heat, troubled by speculations he had heard from locals of possible rainy weather.

"In a lot of ways, Brunei is like Singapore: it's very clean. Although there is a lack of tall buildings," he said with a laugh.

"I was expecting it to be more quiet, as I was told that it might be quite boring at night, but last night I walked out of the hotel and there were crowds of people and a big traffic jam," said Au Yong, who having originated from Malaysia was drawn to the familiarity of the pasar malam outside the Sheraton Utama Hotel. The royal wedding, he said, would be well worth tourists' time.

Malaysian photojournalist Tengku Bahar Idris, 29, who works for Agence France-Presse (AFP) reflected, perhaps with a tinge of regret, that the experience might have been different if he had been present a spectator. "But I was working," he said with a shrug.

It turned out that Bandar Seri Begawan also held the same allure for him as it did for Au Yong.