Sunday, May 19, 2024
29 C
Brunei Town

Sharpening the mother tongue

Izah Azahari

Drawing attention to a concerning trend, Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports Yang Berhormat Dato Seri Setia Awang Haji Nazmi bin Haji Mohamad addressed the increasing prevalence of ‘rojak language’ or code mixing leaning heavily towards English rather than Malay language during a Legislative Council (LegCo) meeting on March 21.

The minister noted the phenomenon becoming more accepted and normalised, finding it to be a flaw and a lamentable development.

“It is particularly disheartening when initiatives are promoted using a foreign language rather than the Malay language itself,” said the minister, adding that to allow this trend to continue would be an admission that the Malay language has lost its prestige and significance.

He called for unity in efforts to uphold the Malay language as the official language of the country, and to restore its dignity and importance.

Earlier, LegCo member Yang Berhormat Abdul Aziz bin Haji Hamdan questioned as to what the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports’ (MCYS) plans were through the Language and Literature Bureau (DBP) in empowering the use of the Malay language at the national level.

As the Constitution of Brunei Darussalam 1959 designated Malay as the state’s official language, the minister shared that the MCYS has taken several initiatives to strengthen and promote the use of Malay language in the Sultanate, primarily through the DBP as a government agency entrusted with the responsibility of ensuring the continued dignity and importance of the Malay language, working tirelessly towards the goal.

Among these efforts, the minister explained, is instilling a positive attitude to preserve, empower and make the Malay language sovereign for all levels of society; celebrating the Language Month every July; making Malay a high-status language, the language of communication and the language of expressing knowledge; and cultivating love, respect and pride of the language.

Elaborating on the Language Month, the minister said it acts as a vehicle to refresh the importance of the Malay language, involving government, non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and private companies through a national approach that echoes and invigorates the celebration.

The DBP uses various platforms such as forums, seminars, congresses, festivals, workshops, competitions and contests as a field for the dissemination of knowledge in empowering the development of the Malay language in this country with over 6,500 participants for the financial year 2022-2023.

The minister also shared that the Malay language workshop in ministries, departments and the private sector is a DBP initiative as an effort towards refreshing the Malay language to use good and correct Malay in everyday communication, both written and spoken.

“Data has shown that over the last four years there has been an increase in the Roman Malay Language Spelling Workshop by 22 per cent from departments increasing to 11 departments per year with the participation of more than 1,800 people from ministries and government departments.”

Other efforts see the DBP fostering and instilling love for the Malay language among children and teenagers through programmes such as DBP ‘Dudun’ to educational institutions and districts in 25 schools in Brunei-Muara, Tutong and Temburong districts; the ‘Mari Bercerita’ contest with more than 300 participants either solo or in groups; early literacy that has seen 1,800 recipients since it was first introduced in 2014; the Young Writers programme that guided 199 participants; and increase publication, research and documentation materials.

The DBP has also published more than 1,400 books, dictionaries, journals and magazines to spread the Malay language, as well as mini or pocket-sized books that are easy to refer to and easy to carry around that include simple Malay that can be used by tourists, and the publication of books that use the dialects of the seven ethnic groups such as story books written entirely in the Dusun dialect and other dialects.

In 2011, a lexical register comprising the languages and dialects of the seven ethnic groups was published, and it remained highly sought after. Additionally, an initiative by the DBP to promote Brunei Malay, the ‘Kenali Negara Brunei’ segment is featured on Berita Perdana at 8pm. Brunei Malay is also broadcast through Pelita Brunei and Media Permata.

In addition, the minister shared DBP’s launch of an e-Dictionary project, providing users with online access to information on Bruneian Malay as a project that is part of the DBP’s efforts to preserve and disseminate the Malay language in digital form, with e-Dictionaries and Kalinga Bahasa serving as mediums for this purpose.

The bureau is also engaged in various research and documentation activities to strengthen the Malay language. These include research on the use of Malay language, Brunei Malay poems, traditional Bruneian children’s songs, and education on Kalimah Bahasa Tua, all of which contribute towards preserving and enriching the nation’s cultural heritage.

To promote the Malay language globally and ensure its accessibility to a wider audience, DBP collaborates with strategic partners abroad, including working with MABIMS and Southeast Asian Literature Council (Mastera) to further internationalisation of the language and spread its developments to the public.

The minister also voiced concern over the use of Jawi writing that is not being given adequate attention in official events organised by ministries, departments and the private sector, as Jawi writing is not seen to be affixed to stage backgrounds, banners, and posters announcing activities whether physically or virtually, stipulating that it is essential that government ministries and departments and the private sector pay attention to its use and ensure that it is appropriately incorporated into their official events and communications.

Ending his response, the minister shared that his reprimands are not directed to any particular party, but also includes reprimands and reminders to himself and the generations to come.

Wildfire in Spain intensifies

TÁBARA, SPAIN, (AFP) – Walking through the charred remains of the forested hillsides of Sierra de la Culebra that were devastated by Spain’s worst wildfire last year, Pablo Martin Pinto is blunt.

“We are moving from the era of big forest fires to mega forest fires in Spain,” said this wildfire expert from Valladolid University, warning that such vast blazes were “here to stay”.

Last year, Spain suffered nearly 500 wildfires that devastated huge swathes of land, with experts warning that such California-style blazes were likely to increase.

Although spring has only just begun, some 700 firefighters have been battling Spain’s first major forest fire which has so far burnt through some 4,000 hectares of land, forcing 1,500 people to flee. Firefighters said such a blaze was more typical of summer than spring.

“We have to learn as much as we can from what has happened,” said Martin Pinto.

If Spain experiences “another summer in which temperatures don’t fall below 35 degrees Celsius for 20 days and it doesn’t rain for four months, the vegetation will be liable to go up in flames” with the first lightning bolt, he warned.

Forested hillside of Sierra de la Culebra, Spain devasted by uncontrollable wildfire last year. PHOTO: AFP

Located in the northwestern region of Castilla y Leon, Sierra de la Culebra was ravaged by fires in June and July, with more than 65,000 hectares burnt – a fifth of the total area affected in Spain last year.

The blaze also claimed four lives. During the blaze, tractor driver Angel Martin from the nearby town of Tabara won hero status after footage emerged of him working to clear a strip of land to create a fire break.

He managed to escape but suffered extensive burns, which claimed his life three months later.

The fire damage has meant the town will lose its annual income of EUR80,000 from selling firewood, said mayor Antonio Juarez.

The fire also destroyed an area popular for hunting and mushroom gathering, and ravaged an area widely enjoyed by locals.

The forest might one day live again, but “no-one who is alive today will be around to see it”, said Juarez.

According to the United Nations (UN), more than 1.6 billion people depend on forests worldwide, with the 2015 Paris Agreement establishing a framework to halt and reverse deforestation which is advancing at a rate of 10 million hectares per year. Experts said conserving Spain’s forests is key to addressing the risk of wildfires. The forests “must be protected” by looking after the undergrowth that can generate wildfires, which will also help protect “a resource which generates economic activity”, said forestry policies director in the Castilla Leon region, Jose Angel Arranz Sanz.

And Martin Pinto advocates the creation of areas which are “more resilient” featuring a varied “patchwork landscape” made up of “wooded forest areas.. and livestock farms, interspersed with areas of scrubland”.

Where forested landscapes are more homogenous, “it really limits the ability to stop a fire from spreading”, he warned.

BHP to trial carbon capture with Chinese steel firm

CNA – Global miner BHP Group Ltd and Chinese steel company HBIS Group Co Ltd have agreed to trial carbon capture, utilisation and storage (CCUS) technologies at the Chinese firm’s steel mills, the companies said yesterday.

The project will develop and test technologies that can be integrated into steel production processes to reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, BHP said in a statement.

HBIS will also pilot test options to use captured CO2 to produce saleable products and to store CO2 in waste slag, BHP added.

BND500 million budget for 211 projects

Rokiah Mahmud

An allocation of BND500 million has been provisioned for 211 projects including 28 new ones approved under the 11th National Development Plan (RKN 11) for the financial year 2023-2024.

Minister at the Prime Minister’s Office and Minister of Finance and Economy II Yang Berhormat Dato Seri Setia Dr Awang Haji Mohd Amin Liew bin Abdullah said this in his budget deliberations for the RKN 11 at the 19th Legislative Council (LegCo) session yesterday.

Yang Berhormat Dato Seri Setia Dr Awang Haji Mohd Amin Liew said that the extension of the RKN 11 until the end of financial year 2023-2024 enables ministries to complete projects still being implemented, as well as review the new projects applied for the RKN 12.

The minister added that the ability of ministries in implementing the projects also depends on several factors such as initial work like the determination of design requirements, adjustment of sites, preparation of project documents and coordination of shared-projects.

Among the approved new projects, he added, include projects with a high impact that could increase the contribution of gross domestic product (GDP), projects that could contribute to digital transformation towards increasing the country’s innovation as well as increase job opportunities among locals.

Projects under the priority sectors including agrifood and development sectors have also being identified to generate more economic activities and spin-offs.

From the BND500 million budget that has been provisioned, BND174.7 has been provided for the security sector; BND108.5 million for the social service sector; and BND105.6 million for public utilities sector. Transportation and communication has been allocated BND57.3 million; industry and commerce sector BND20.3 million; public buildings sector BND14.6 million and the miscellaneous sector including finance completed projects but have outstanding has been provided a budget of BND9.8 million. Information and communication technology sector (ICT) has been allocated BND6.2 million; science and technology, research and development and innovation BND2.9 million and the human resources development sector BND130,000.

In terms of allocation of budget according to progress of the projects, BND368.1 million has been provisioned to finance ongoing projects; BND82.1 million for projects in tendering phase; BND31.3 million provisioned for projects still in the design and planning phase, and BND14.7 million for the payment of penultimate payments claims; retention money and others specifically for projects that have been completed, and BND3.8 million provided for ‘Gagasan’ savings.

Out of the 211 projects under the RKN 11, 45 projects have been completed physically, but financing is still needed to cover a number of payments including consultants, final claims, retention money and others.

Minister at the Prime Minister’s Office and Minister of Finance and Economy II Yang Berhormat Dato Seri Setia Dr Awang Haji Mohd Amin Liew bin Abdullah during the 19th Legislative Council session. PHOTO: INFOFOTO

Among the projects completed are the Sultan Haji Omar ‘Ali Saifuddien (SHOAS) Bridge; upgrading works at Jalan Perindustrian Serasa heading to Pulau Muara Besar bridge; the construction of Muara – Tutong Highway Flyover Kampong Lugu intersection; Kampong Lumut Sewerage Scheme Flood Retention Ponds Scheme; improvement of Bru-HIMS system; and the construction of Sultan Hassan Bangar Secondary School.

In addition, 75 projects are currently being carried out, including projects under education infrastructures – the construction of Universiti Islam Sultan Sharif Ali (UNISSA) and Universiti Teknologi Brunei Phase 4 – School of Applied Sciences and Mathematics.

The construction of these infrastructures aim to provide better learning facilities and opportunities for students in the Sultanate.

The budget allocation for RKN 11 also focusses on agriculture, agrofood and fisheries projects such as building additional irrigation schemes for rice cultivation areas throughout the Brunei-Muara District to support rice production, increasing vegetable production using high technology to generate GDP including electrical supply to Tungku Agrotechnology Park and Kampong Batumpu; livestock development plan to generate production including electricity supply agricultural development area Phase 1, Belait District and central laboratory programme for research, analysis, and reference for livestock diseases.

Among the projects in the stage of implementation are opening sites for aquaculture industry including in providing basic facilities for Sungai Mengsalut, Kampong Tanah Jambu, Sungai Paku and Kampong Rampayoh; programme to enhance aquaculture production including improving irrigation systems in shrimp farming areas in Pengkalan Sibabau Zone II in Kampong Mentiri.

Electrical supply projects under the Department of Energy are aimed at strengthening the electrical network system, as well as asset management and inventory electricity supply projects, including network control management, monitoring control and data acquisition systems.

Other projects include water supply projects, construction of new mosques at RPN Kampong Mengkubau, RPN Kampong Meragang and RPN Kampong Lumut.

Meanwhile, 91 projects are still in various stages such as planning, tendering and design.

Meanwhile, 11 projects included for RKN 11 has been cancelled, seven projects will be implemented through alternative financing while another four projects are no longer needed.

The allocation of RKN funds are based on the progress of project implementation or the S-curve of approved projects, which could cause the allocation of budget either to be higher or lower than in previous financial years or previous RKNs.

Japan lawmakers eye ban on TikTok, others if used improperly

CNA – A group of Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) lawmakers plans to compile a proposal next month urging the government to ban social networking services such as TikTok if they are used for disinformation campaigns, an LDP lawmaker said yesterday.

Many United States (US) lawmakers are calling on the Biden administration to ban the popular Chinese-owned social media app, alleging the app could be used for data collection, content censorship and harm to children’s mental health.

“If it’s verified that an app has been intentionally used by a certain party of a certain country for their influence operations with malice … promptly halting the service should be considered,” Norihiro Nakayama told Reuters in an interview.

“Making it clear that operations can be halted will help keep app operators in check as it means TikTok’s 17 million users (in Japan), for example, will lose their access. It will also lead to sense of security for users,” Nakayama said.

Nakayama, a senior member of a ruling party lawmakers’ group looking into ways to enhance Japan’s economic security, said the group plans to compile the recommendation next month, adding that the proposal will not be targetting any particular platform.

A string of Western governments and institutions have banned TikTok in recent weeks, including the United Kingdom (UK) Parliament, the Dutch and Belgian administrations and the New Zealand Parliament.

In Japan, the use of TikTok and other social networking services (SNSs) are prohibited on government devices that handle confidential information.

Nakayama said further restrictions should be considered only after looking into their data handling and other operations.

“I believe we first need to make it possible for people outside to firmly grasp how data is being handled whenever concerns are raised,” Nakayama said.

Greenland to stay in daylight saving time forever

COPENHAGEN, DENMARK (AP) – Residents of Greenland have switched to daylight saving time and moved their clocks one hour forward this weekend for the very last time.

Unlike most of Europe, Greenlanders will leave their clocks untouched come autumn when daylight saving time ends. While Europe and the United States (US) debate whether to stick to the twice-yearly practice, Greenland – a vast Danish semi-independent territory in the Arctic – has resolved to perennially remain only three hours behind Copenhagen and most other European countries instead of four.

Greenland’s Parliament, Inatsisartut, voted to stick to daylight saving time year-round on November 24 last year. Officials say it will give Greenlanders another hour of daylight in the afternoons and more time to do business with Europe and farther afield.

“The shift of time zone marks an exciting new beginning, an equal connection to North America and Europe, and an opportunity to slow down in a fast-paced world,” Visit Greenland, the local government’s tourism office said in a statement.

Geographically, sparsely populated Greenland belongs to the North American continent but geopolitically, it is in Europe.

Greenland is part the Danish Realm and its southernmost tip is more than 3,200 kilometres west of Copenhagen.

Its 56,000 people mainly Inuit, indigenous people who chiefly live on the west coast in small towns and hamlets or remote coastal settlements.

File photo shows small pieces of ice floating in the water in Nuuk Fjord, Greenland. PHOTO: AP

Spurs focus on saving season after Conte departure

LONDON (AFP) – Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy admitted the Premier League club have a “fight” on their hands as they scramble to save their season after Antonio Conte’s turbulent reign came to an end.

The Italian’s departure appeared almost inevitable after his extraordinary post-match rant following a 3-3 draw at bottom club Southampton earlier this month.

But Sunday’s divorce by “mutual agreement”, with just 10 Premier League games remaining, is a risk by the Spurs hierarchy, who are desperate to secure a place in the lucrative Champions League next season.

Tottenham are fourth in the Premier League table but are just two points ahead of Newcastle having played two games more – finishing in the top four guarantees entry into Europe’s elite club competition.

Conte’s assistant at Spurs Cristian Stellini will take charge for the rest of the campaign, with former midfielder Ryan Mason working as his deputy.

With the club out of cup competitions, at least Stellini can afford to put all of his eggs in one basket.

“We have 10 Premier League games remaining and we have a fight on our hands for a Champions League place,” Levy said in a club statement issued late on Sunday.

Tottenham head coach Antonio Conte gestures during the English Premier League match between Tottenham Hotspur and Everton. PHOTO: AP

“We need to pull together. Everyone has to step up to ensure the highest possible finish for our club and amazing, loyal supporters.”

The writing appeared to be on the wall for Conte when he tore into his “selfish” players after they let a 3-1 lead slip against Southampton, saying they did not want to play under pressure and criticising the club’s culture.

The 53-year-old’s contract was set to expire at the end of the season and he had remained coy over the prospect of extending his stay in north London.

During his 16-month reign Conte portrayed Tottenham’s problems as beyond his control, subtly hinting at frustration with Levy’s transfer policy without explicitly condemning him in public.

But he was criticised by fans over his perceived conservative tactics, despite having impressive attacking riches at his disposal including Harry Kane and Son Heung-min.

A total of 11 full-time managers have been appointed since Levy succeeded Alan Sugar as chairman in 2001 but the club won just one trophy in that time – the 2008 League Cup.

Conte was widely regarded as a serial winner when he arrived in November 2021, having won league titles at Juventus, Chelsea and Inter Milan.

In his first season he guided the club to an impressive top-four finish, coming from behind to pip north London rivals Arsenal to Champions League qualification.

He averaged 1.88 points per game in the Premier League with Spurs, the second-highest figure for any manager of the club with a minimum of 38 games in charge.

But he failed to bring silverware to hungry fans of Tottenham, considered one of the “Big Six” in English football.

Names linked with the job include former boss Mauricio Pochettino, who led the club to the 2019 Champions League final, Julian Nagelsmann, sacked by Bayern Munich last week, and former Barcelona and Spain boss Luis Enrique.

But for now Stellini is the man in the hot seat, with a clear, if unenviable task on his hands.

The Italian has enjoyed some notable successes in recent weeks while Conte was out of action following gallbladder surgery, overseeing wins against Manchester City and Chelsea.

RKN projects’ progress being monitored, says minister

Azlan Othman

The progress of the National Development Plan (RKN) projects will not only be monitored through the RKN Working Committee, but also through the National Budget quarterly meeting and monthly monitoring meeting as well as visits to project sites together with RKN project coordinating officers in each ministry.

This was said by Minister at the Prime Minister’s Office and Minister of Finance and Economy II Yang Berhormat Dato Seri Setia Dr Awang Haji Mohd Amin Liew bin Abdullah during the 19th Legislative Council (LegCo) session yesterday.

In addition, there is also an extension of the RKN 11 for one more year until the end of the financial year 2023-2024.

The extension takes into account the ability of the ministries to complete the projects as well as giving an opportunity to the ministries to re-examine the new projects.

The minister was responding to queries by LegCo members yesterday.

On 91 projects that are yet to be completed raised by LegCo member Yang Berhormat Haji Salleh Bostaman bin Haji Zainal Abidin, Yang Berhormat Dato Seri Setia Dr Awang Haji Mohd Amin Liew said it is expected that if the projects are not completed this year, it will be brought to RKN 12. There is no significant development in the project following the COVID-19 pandemic for three years.

On updating the project status, the minister said some projects have been completed while some are not. Various issues arose during its implementation such as site and design. If a project needs more budget, it will be discussed during the RKN working group meeting before approval.

ABOVE & BELOW: Legislative Council (LegCo) member Yang Berhormat Pehin Orang Kaya Indera Pahlawan Dato Seri Setia Haji Awang Suyoi bin Haji Osman ; and LegCo member Yang Berhormat Pengiran Haji Isa bin Pengiran Haji Aliuddin. PHOTOS: INFOFOTO

A similar response was also made by the minister in response to LegCo member Yang Berhormat Pengiran Haji Isa bin Pengiran Haji Aliuddin’s query on the budget allocation where the minister said the project will not stop if the budget allocation has finished. The allocation can be increased, he said.

Meanwhile on a query from LegCo member Yang Berhormat Pehin Orang Kaya Laila Setia Dato Seri Setia Awang Haji Abdul Rahman bin Haji Ibrahim on the increase in RKN budget from BND390 million to BND500 million (for financial year 2023-2024) and fiscal consolidation effort, Yang Berhormat Dato Seri Setia Dr Awang Haji Mohd Amin Liew said fiscal consolidation efforts continue. Efforts made include through the public-private partnership (PPP) and government linked companies (GLCs) to take over services to run efficiently.

Other efforts include attracting foreign direct investment (FDI) for locals and to develop the economy. The RKN projects are for the foundation for the economic activity to be strengthened to offer jobs for locals and to provide an opportunity for local micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (mSMEs).

Meanwhile asked by LegCo member Yang Berhormat Hajah Rosmawatty binti Haji Abdul Momin on whether adequate risk assessment and mitigation has been made to projects amounting to BND500 million for the projects to be completed with high quality, on time and on budget, the minister said the Ministry of Finance and Economy is preparing RKN 12 whereby the process of making such national development started two years before hand and involves ministries, site inspections and discussions. This is to ensure that the project is in accordance with the requirement.

Asked whether monitoring has been made by the ministries taking into account lessons learnt, the minister said several suggestions had been made before the project such as carrying out front loading activities and to optimise RKN budget by joint-sharing.

Responding to a query by LegCo member Yang Berhormat Pehin Orang Kaya Indera Pahlawan Dato Seri Setia Haji Awang Suyoi bin Haji Osman on Human Resource Fund for financial year 2023-2024 which only amounted to BND130,000, the minister said BND130,000 has been allocated under the jurisdiction of the Prime Minister’s Office for the i-Ready Apprenticeship programme.

Responding to LegCo member Yang Berhormat Haji Mohd Salleh bin Haji Othman for projects that could not be completed to be carried out in the next RKN, the minister said those projects will be forwarded to the next RKN.

In financial year 2023-2024, 80 projects will be completed. To date 45 projects have been completed while 126 projects are still left amounting to BND930 million.

The committee will discuss whether these projects will continue with the design or re-applied as new projects before the next RKN.

Father drowns after rescuing son from a sinking car in Sabah

    ANN/THE STRAITS TIMES – A 40-year-old man drowned while rescuing his five-year-old son, who was trapped in a car that fell into a river near a village in the district of Putatan in Sabah, Malaysia.

    Search and rescue workers recovered the body of Lasibi Lawadihu from the river in Kampung Imbahan at 9am yesterday after he jumped into the river to save his son from the car, which rolled down to the river while he was fishing on the bank at 5.30pm the day before.

    His body was spotted with the help of a police drone during search and rescue operations. His body was taken to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital for post-mortem.

    Lasibi is said to have jumped into the river after the Perodua Myvi rolled and plunged into the river while his son, Mushab Umair Lasibi, five, was inside.

    Penampang district police chief Mohd Haris Ibrahim told reporters that before the incident, the victim was on the river bank and was fishing while his son was in the vehicle, which was parked nearby with the engine running.

    However, Mohd Haris said, the vehicle suddenly moved before plunging into the river and Lasibi jumped in to save his son.

    “The victim is said to have managed to get his son out of the vehicle before being helped by a man who happened to be there fishing.

    “The man took the child, (but) the victim apparently disappeared under the water,” said Mohd Haris.

    The rescued child was sent to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital for further treatment on Sunday evening.

    Mysteries laid brick by brick

    Walter Mosley

    THE WASHINGTON POST – When a private investigator (PI) novel is written noir and gritty, in the style of Dashiell Hammett, Raymond Chandler and Chester Himes, but without the tropes that have become clichéd, you can bet the author is Walter Mosley. His new book Every Man a King, reminds us why he is a master of the genre.

    The title echoes Huey P Long’s famous quote: “Every man a king, so there would be no such thing as a man or woman who did not have the necessities of life, who would not be dependent upon the whims and caprices and ipse dixit of the financial martyrs for a living.”

    The issues of inequity, race, poverty, wealth and class are all here in prose and plot, animated by everyman characters unbowed by convention, who leap off the page level-eyed and unrepentant.

    Joe King Oliver is an ex-New York cop who served three months in Rikers for the rape of a White woman, a crime he didn’t commit.

    He was framed, but the echoes of the imprisonment stick to Joe like toxic sludge.

    The hollow sound of the cell door, the indignity of his mistreatment by the guards and the haunting void of hopelessness claws at his soul when the lights are out, even years after his release. Joe has left Rikers, but Rikers hasn’t left him.

    “Every Man a King: A King Oliver Novel” by Walter Mosley. PHOTO: THE WASHINGTON POST

    The story, a sequel to the Edgar award-winning Down the River Unto the Sea (2018), is a spiral staircase leading down to a murky abyss where more stairs await. There are layers of complexity. Actions don’t just have equal and opposite reactions, they slam back deadly, twofold.

    Initially, Joe is asked by Roger Ferris, a billionaire in a relationship with Joe’s grandmother, Grandma B, to find out if a notorious white nationalist Alfred Xavier Quiller, is in prison for just cause or if he’s being set up.

    Nothing about that appeals to Joe, given his past, but out of obligation, he agrees to take the assignment and go back to prison to talk to Quiller. Not just any prison, Rikers. Joe’s reaction to his re-entry is visceral.

    The deeper he digs into Quiller’s dealings, the greater the aversion becomes to his philosophy on race, and the muddier the waters get.

    The muddier the waters get, the more questions Joe asks of the wrong people and the more danger he puts himself in.

    Instead of just one brick on his chest, every turn, every revelation adds another, until the bricks pile up and threaten to crush him alive.

    There are Russian oligarchs and business titans, strongmen, burner phones and dubious, shadowy figures with dirty hands.

    Just when you think the story can’t get twistier, it does, but you don’t mind because Mosley’s writing is so rich, and his characters are not like anyone else’s, anywhere.

    It’s noir with a social conscience, noir with its thinking cap on. It’s story with its eye on the thread of history from opposing points, how the world is and how it sees itself and it’s Mosley who shows us what happens to the nameless folk who live in the gap.

    Readers who have been anticipating the follow-up to the first novel will be happy to know that Joe’s daughter and protegee Aja-Denise, is back.

    She is his centre, his ballast. Also returning is the psychopathic antihero Melquarth Frost.

    Joe’s penchant for women with broken wings persists, and there are two here who stand out, Mathilda Prim, Quiller’s complicated wife, and the “sloe-eyed” Lula McKenzie, who both offer Joe respite from battering storms.

    There’s even a female bodyguard Oliya Ruez, sent to protect Joe when things get dicey. Ruez proves quite the character, saying little, missing nothing, capable, lethal. No broken wings there.

    When I think of Mosley’s writing, I see it as an image, a narrow canoe at dawn gliding across a still lake, barely disturbing the lifting frost. Not a sound does it make, that narrow canoe.

    That’s the craft. Seamless. What elevates the plot to something noteworthy in Every Man a King is the revelatory unmasking of Joe King Oliver, a man haunted by shackles yet guided by principle.

    He’s flawed and human and more than enough on a good day. What more can a PI ask for?

    1...3,1123,1133,114...6,576Page 3,113 of 6,576

    Social Media

    Category

    National
    SE Asia
    World
    Business
    Technology

    Lifestyle
    Sports
    Entertainment
    Features
    Opinion

    Site Links

    Subscribe Now
    Borneo Bulletin Digital
    Media Permata
    Brunei Press Sdn Bhd
    Commercial Printing Services

    About Us

    Borneo Bulletin is the leading English daily in the country. It was first published by Brunei Press. Today, Borneo Bulletin has become the foremost source of information on local and foreign affairs, and the region’s business news.

    © 2013 Borneo Bulletin Online - The Independent Newspaper in Brunei Darussalam, Sabah and Sarawak

    ns5006141