His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu’izzaddin Waddaulah ibni Al-Marhum Sultan Haji Omar Ali Saifuddien Sa’adul Khairi Waddien, Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam, His Royal Highness Prince Haji Al-Muhtadee Billah, the Crown prince and Senior Minister, His Royal Highness Prince ‘Abdul Malik, His Royal Highness Prince ‘Abdul Wakeel, His Royal Highness Prince Mohamed Bolkiah, Royal Highness Prince Haji Sufri Bolkiah and His Royal Highness Prince Haji Jefri Bolkiah during the Brunei National Anthem at the opening of the Hassanal Bolkiah Trophy 2018 at the Hassanal Bolkiah Stadium.

His Majesty the Sultan officially launching HBT 2018

His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu’izzaddin Waddaulah ibni Al-Marhum Sultan Haji Omar Ali Saifuddien Sa’adul Khairi Waddien, Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam officially launched the Hassanal Bolkiah Trophy, HBT, for ASEAN Youths Football Tournament 2018. The ceremony took place at the Hassanal Bolkiah National Stadium, Berakas.

Upon arrival, His Majesty was greeted by His Royal Highness Prince Haji Sufri Bolkiah ibni Al-Marhum Sultan Haji Omar Ali Saifuddien Sa’adul Khairi Waddien, President of the National Football Association of Brunei Darussalam as the Advisor of the Executive Committee of the Hassanal Bolkiah Trophy, HBT, for ASEAN Youths Football Tournament 2018. Also present to greet His Majesty’s arrival was Yang Berhormat Retired Major General Dato Paduka Seri Haji Aminuddin Ihsan bin Pehin Orang Kaya Saiful Mulok Dato Seri Paduka Haji Abidin, Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports as well as members of the Executive Committee.

Soon after arrival, His Majesty received junjung ziarah from the sponsors.

Also present were His Majesty’s sons and brothers, His Royal Highness Prince Haji Al-Muhtadee Billah, the Crown prince and Senior Minister at the Prime Minister’s Office; His Royal Highness Prince ‘Abdul Malik; His Royal Highness Prince ‘Abdul Wakeel; His Royal Highness Prince Mohamed Bolkiah and His Royal Highness Prince Haji Jefri Bolkiah as well as members of the Royal family.

His Majesty then declared the Hassanal Bolkiah Trophy for ASEAN Youths Football Tournament 2018 officially opened.

The opening ceremony was enlivened with firework display and Human LED performance.

His Majesty was then introduced to the team managers, coaches and team captains. Seven countries are taking part in the tournament. Group ‘A’ comprises teams from Brunei Darussalam, Timor Leste, Myanmar and Thailand; while Group ‘B’ are Lao PDR, Singapore and Cambodia. His Majesty also presented souvenirs to team managers of the participating nations.

His Majesty then received a pasambah from the HBT 2018 Organising Committee.

The Hassanal Bolkiah Trophy Football Tournament is jointly organised by the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports and the National Football Association of Brunei Darussalam, NFABD. The tournament aims to uphold the Titah of His Majesty to involve the best teams in the ASEAN Region to compete in the ASEAN or South East Asian Football league. Press release by RTB and image courtesy of Infofoto.

His Majesty received junjung ziarah from the sponsors

His Majesty receiving a token from Yang Berhormat Retired Major General Dato Paduka Seri Haji Aminuddin Ihsan bin Pehin Orang Kaya Saiful Mulok Dato Seri Paduka Haji Abidin, Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports

Her Royal Highness Paduka Seri Pengiran Anak Isteri Pengiran Anak Sarah binti Pengiran Haji Salleh Ab Rahaman, Yang Teramat Mulia Pengiran Muda ‘Abdul Muntaqim ibni Duli Yang Teramat Mulia Paduka Seri Pengiran Muda Mahkota Pengiran Muda Haji Al-Muhtadee Billah and Yang Teramat Mulia Pengiran Anak Muneerah Madhul Bolkiah binti Duli Yang Teramat Mulia Paduka Seri Pengiran Muda Mahkota Pengiran Muda Haji Al-Muhtadee Billah

Members of the Royal Family and invited VIPs

The marching ceremony

The flag bearers

Faiq Jefri Bolkiah, the national team captain of Brunei Darussalam

The Brunei Darussalam National team. Back – Ak Yura Yunos, Ammar Syafie Hassanuddin, Muhammad Abdul Syakir, Martin Haddy Khalilidden, Azim Izamuddin Hj Suhaimi, Faiq Jefri Bolkiah (Captain). Front row – Ishyra Asmin Babidi, Naziruddin Hj Ismail, Haziq Kasyful Azim, Amin Sisa, Hanif Aiman Adanan. Image courtesy of Infofoto.

Team Timor Leste National team. Back row – Fagio Augusto Da Silva, Henrique Wilson Da Cruz, Osvaldo Lucas Baptista, Rufino Walter Gama, Gumario Augusto Fernandes, Jorge Sabas Victor (Captain). Front row – Indio Ricardo Ferreira Alves, Silverio Da Rusereicao, Jose Maria Dos Reis, Candido Monteiro, Nelson Sarmento Viegas. Image courtesy of Infofoto.

Not the start we wanted as a Brunei supporter and they were some mixed feelings about the performance last night at Hassanal Bolkiah Stadium. Our host nation took on Timor Leste in the opening match of the Hassanal Bolkiah Trophy and fell to a 1-0 narrow lost to the visitor on home turf.

Timor Leste benefited from a solitary goal from the penalty spot in the first half after a Timor Leste player was alleged to have brought down in the box. Jose Maria Dos Reis cooly converted the penalty and held on till the final whistle.

Brunei had great performances in their friendly matches leading to the first match against Timor Leste. However, the intensity and the cohesiveness of the team left more room for improvements. Sloppy passes and poor possession, Brunei struggled to hold the ball and hardly last after 4-5 passes whereas Timor Leste looked more controlled on and off the ball. This was apparent in the first half.

Nonetheless, there were some players that helped help to calm the team down whenever Timor Leste began to threaten in attack. Ak Yura Yunos (No.23) in defence and Naziruddin Hj Ismail (No.8) in midfield help to hold the fort for Brunei throughout the 90 minutes. Another player that brought more purpose to the game was Faiq Jefri Bolkaih (No.9), the team captain in attack. Brunei’s best chances came from Faiq whose both efforts were cleared off the line, one a well struck left footer while the other, a guided header off a corner.

The second half was a slightly better in terms of possession for Brunei though Timor Leste showed more confidence in all departments. The visitors were restricted to long shots and none of their efforts troubled Ishyra Asmin Jabidi in goal. Timor Leste was also good when countering and almost doubled their lead when substitute Muhammad Ramie Ramlli gave away a sloppy pass in midfield but Timor Leste failed to capitalize.

Fabio Augusto Da Silva (No.20), Timor Leste’s goalkeeper, had little workout in the second half as Brunei failed to muster any form of chance to trouble the keeper. A long ball strategy would have benefited the isolated Faiq upfront due to his physique and the ability to hold the ball. However, Timor Leste were so disciplined at the back and their larger body physique gave more advantage against our local players. Kudos to Timor Leste on a professional display on the pitch and deserved the narrow victory over the host nation.

Mario Riviera Campesino, head coach of Brunei Darussalam, commented that Brunei showed nervousness in the first half and this is due to the over excitement leading to the tournament and forgetting to be focused on the match. He is confident that Brunei will improve in the upcoming matches and win the remaining matches to qualify for the semi-finals.

Brunei now have a huge task in the group of death. They are up against two times defending champion Thailand and the defending champion Myanmar. Will this be difficult? Yes. But is it impossible? No. Brunei did show some promise and let’s put our trust in the players selected by the head coach in the upcoming matches. I believe we have the quality and the desire to be better than we were last night.

Myanmar will take on Thailand in a mouth watering match at Belapan Sports Complex tonight. Brunei will have two extra days before they face Thailand at Hassanal Bolkiah Stadium on Friday evening.

Naziruddin Hj Ismail of Brunei Darussalam skipped a tackle during the match. Image courtesy of Infofoto.

Hanif Aiman Adanan attempting to win a challenge. He gave away possession cheaply especially in the first half. I hope he can bounce back against Thailand this coming Friday.

Faiq Jefri Bolkiah holding the ball against Nelson Sarmento Viegas. He had two great chances to equalize but his efforts were cleared off the line. A promising talent for the national team. . Image courtesy of Infofoto.

Faiq Jefri Bolkiah had a subdued second half as his team mates weren’t able to supply him the ball in the final third. Kudos to Timor Leste for their discipline in defence and as a unit. . Image courtesy of Infofoto.

Ak Yura Yunos helped Brunei’s defence and also calmed the storm from Timor Leste. It would have been a different story without the presence of Ak Yura Yunos. . Image courtesy of Infofoto.

The HBT supporters sang and chanted during period of the match to boost the morale of the players. Timor Leste head coach Gelasio Da Silva Carvalho even said that his players couldn’t hear his instructions from the bench due to the overwhelming chants from the supporters.

It wasn’t a full house but I could say almost 90% of the stadium was filled up. . Image courtesy of Infofoto.

I can see my friends 😀 . Image courtesy of Infofoto.

His Royal Highness Prince Haji Sufri Bolkiah, President of National Football Association of Brunei Darussalam (centre), Faiq Jefri Bolkiah (right) and Yang Berhormat Major General (Rtd) Dato Paduka Seri Awang Haji Aminuddin Ihsan bin Pehin Orang Kaya Saiful Mulok Dato Seri Paduka Haji Abidin, Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports earlier this morning at Hassanal Bolkiah Stadium

The hype is gaining momentum. Hassanal Bolkiah Trophy is just around the corner (this coming Monday) at the Hassanal Bolkiah Stadium. The last time Brunei won was back in 2012. The defending champions are Myanmar. Will Brunei use their home ground to their advantage once again and regain back the trophy in front of their home supporters?

This time round, only seven countries are participating in the upcoming HBT 2018 tournament. Notably missing are powerhouse Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines. I will definitely miss the presence of Malaysia and Indonesia as they bring exciting flavour and aura whenever Brunei, Malaysia and Indonesia play against each other.

Brunei Darussalam are in the group of death in my opinion, being in the same group as Thailand and the defending champion Myanmar. Timor Leste made up the group of death and the host Brunei will take on Timor Leste in the opening match this coming Monday, 23rd April 2018.

His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu’izzaddin Waddaulah, the Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam, will grace the opening of HBT 2018 this coming Monday.

The working committee has been working their best in order to make flow of the opening ceremony as smooth as possible. Info department under the Prime Minister’s Office has been helpful in providing access for the local media and also giving updates on events leading to the opening opening ceremony.

HBT 2018 doesn’t have an official Instagram account but their coverage will be featured on Info Department’s instagram account.

It was made known that there will be lucky draws, conducted on every match of HBT 2018 and the final grand prize will be the latest Vios Rush, a seven-seater vehicle. The good news is that the entry is FREE. You will be handed out coupons upon entry. More incentives for you to come over and support the event brought to you by  The Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports with the support of the National Football Association of Brunei Darussalam.

All I can is that it’s good to see HBT tournament again in Brunei.

A press conference was held hosted by MCYS, NAFBD and other related agencies

The youngest player in the HBT team

The team coach and the assistant coach for HBT Brunei team

Team Thailand earlier being received by the Brunei delegates at Brunei International Airport

Team Myanmar earlier being received by the Brunei delegates at Brunei International Airport

The head coach of Myanmar being interviewed by the local press. Even though Myanmar is the defending champion, the head coach shared that the current team is completely new from the previous one but remains confident that Myanmar will do well once again in the tournament.

Now you can download RB app to your smartphones.

Royal Brunei Airlines (RB) is delighted to inform all our guests that effective 18 April 2018 our RB Mobile App will be available for download on both Google Playstore and Apple App Store.

The app provides a more user-friendly experience and greater flexibility to book your next flight, mobile check-in with mobile boarding pass, check flight information and schedules and gather all your upcoming trips all at one finger tip.

The RB Mobile app is one the two apps RB have listed on both operating systems for our guests to download. Our RB Impian app, a cloud streaming technology on-board, allows our guests to stream inflight entertainment via wi-fi directly onto their personal mobile devices on our newer A320CEO aircraft. Both initiatives are part of our initiatives to make the guest experience richer and in anticipation of further product developments throughout the year.

Karam Chand, CEO of Royal Brunei airlines said “2018 is a very exciting year for RB with the delivery of our eight new aircraft and introduction of new destinations. RB Mobile app is part of initiatives planned for this year that will provide a seamless travel experience for our guests. Being able to make your booking, check-in for your flight and have easy access to the status of your fights on a smartphone is something every guest wants and we are very pleased to be delivering this via our the Mobile App.”

The application was developed by Amadeus and lead by our Digital Team for a better travel experience to our guests.  Download our app on Google PlayStore and Apple App Store now.

Hj Mat Sarudin Hj Ismail, Brunei Shell Marketing (2nd from left) handed the Sony TV to one of the winners, Hj Yunus Bin Hj Ahmad during the second monthly prize presentation of the #BeliHelix II Campaign

The winners with the management of Brunei Shell Marketing and Hock Siong Hin Auto Workshop

The prize presentation was held at Shell Helix Branded Workshop, Hock Siong Hin Auto Workshop in Kuala Belait yesterday. This is the 2nd monthly prize presentation before the final draw of the ongoing #BeliHelix II Promotion where the grand winner will win a brand new Nissan X-Trail this coming May 2018.

There were 5 lucky consolation monthly winners of March 2018 and congratulations to Ragayah Hj Abd Aziz for winning a return ticket to Bangkok. The other recipients, were Hj Yunus bin Hj Ahmad who won a 32” Sony TV, Chong Mui Yen who won a brand new Samsung J7 Prime, Abd Muiz bin Safwan who won a new Samsung Tab A and Hjh Marianine Hj Mohd Yussof who won a Samsung J2 Prime. Each of the winner also received 1 bottle of 4L Helix Ultra.

There were more than 4,000 participants in the ongoing #BeliHelix promotion which is a very encouraging response. The good thing about the monthly winners is that they are still eligible to be part of the grand draw where the winner will drive home a Nissan X-Trail.

Those who purchased Shell Helix Ultra 5W-40, HX-7 10W-40 and HX5 15W-40 will be eligible for the draw. They will have to purchase a pack of four liters of Shell Helix Motor Oil and fill in the lucky draw entry form.

There are 190 participating outlets (car dealers, independent workshops, high streets and petrol stations) across the Sultanate. The current promotion ends on 30th April 2018 and the grand draw will be 15th May 2018.

Shell Helix Ultra with PurePlus Technology is a next-generation, fully synthetic premium motor oil made from natural gas making it stronger and less volatile at the molecular level than those made from traditional crude. Key benefits include performance through engine stress, superior protection against wear, protecting the engine in extreme temperatures and it is designed for ultimate power and performance. Engine manufacturer partners including BMW Motorsport, Hyundai Motorsport, Maserati and Scuderia Ferrari use and trust Shell Helix Ultra. The Shell Helix portfolio is suitable for both diesel and gasoline engines.

Francis Wong, Managing Partner of HSHAW, thanked the customers and BSM for their continuous support. Their business has been favourable ever since the #BeliHelix promotion

The workshop at HSHAW at Kuala Belait

The workshop at HSHAW at Kuala Belait

Yang Berhormat, Dato Seri Paduka Awang Haji Suhaimi Bin Haji Gafar, Minister of Development, (right) with Yang Berhormat Ong Tiong Oh, a member of the legislative council during the official launch of “Thursday” to be added as No Plastic Day in Brunei Darussalam

The Ministry of Development through the Department of Environment, Parks and Recreation (DEPR) held a launching ceremony yesterday to mark the addition of Thursday towards No Plastic Bag Everyday in conjunction with Earth Day 2018, which carries the theme “End Plastic Pollution”.

Present as the guest of honour was the Minister of Development, Yang Berhormat, Dato Seri Paduka Awang Haji Suhaimi Bin Haji Gafar, who officiated the event and presented posters to representatives from participating stores of the No Plastic Bag Weekend initiative. The event also saw the launch of DEPR’s instagram page, “@jastre.bn”.

The Acting Director of DEPR, Martinah Haji Tamit in her opening remarks touched upon the suitability of this year’s Earth Day theme with the government’s efforts towards the goal of No Plastic Bag Everyday in tackling the issue of plastic litter. She also highlighted the importance of the media especially social media in spreading information and the government’s targets which has prompted DEPR to launch their own instagram account, “@jastre.bn”

The Minister of Development in his speech also emphasised the importance of an integrated effort towards combating plastic pollution “Success in realizing the desire to make Brunei Darussalam free from plastic pollution is entirely dependent on the actions of all parties, especially the supermarkets and business establishments, retail shop owners and people who are plastic bags. If there is no consciousness among us all about the pollution from plastic bags, all the plans that the Government has planned will not be a complete success”.

Yang Berhormat Dato Suhaimi also mentioned, “Therefore, we as human beings must repent, stop damaging the environment as it goes against our natural instincts and violates God’s trust that expects man to do good.”

Promotional posters being handed out

Promotional posters being handed out

Invited guests from the government agencies

Also in attendance was Acting Permanent Secretary (Administration and Finance), Dr Nor Imtihan binti Haji Abdul Razak, Haji Amer Hishamuddin Bin POKAPDSS Haji Zakaria, Director General at the Public Works Department, member of the legislative council, Yang Berhormat Ong Tiong Oh and Awang Misle bin Abdul Karim, Brunei Muara District Officer.

After the ceremony, a delegation from the Ministry led by Dr Nor Imtihan visited Utama Grand Department Store, Sin Kew Hin Department Store and Jaya Centrepoint Hypermart Sdn Bhd in Gadong to hand out reusable bags to shoppers.

After the addition of Thursday, the remaining days will be added in phases with Wednesday tentatively to be included in July 2018, Tuesday in October 2018 and Monday to be added in December 2018 towards realizing the Government’s objective of No Plastic Bag Everyday by 2019. The initiative will initially involve stores and businesses that are currently listed under the No Plastic Bag Weekend initiative but will be extended to other consumers of plastic bags such as retails shops (kedai-kedai runcit), restaurants and stalls (gerai-gerai).

The No Plastic Bag Weekend initiative was initially launched on 26th March 2011 to include Saturday and Sunday, with Friday being added on 17th February 2012. The objective of the initiative is to promote the concept of 3R (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle) in order to minimize the volume of waste sent to the country’s landfill. To date, fifty stores and businesses have voluntarily registered to participate in the initiative.

The phasing out of single-use plastic bags is a global goal with over 40 countries already taking steps to reduce their usage; examples include Bangladesh which banned the product back in 2002 due to severe flooding from littered plastic bags, China banned thin plastic bags prior to the 2008 Olympic Games and Bali has signed several memorandums and declarations to take steps towards banning plastic bags.

This is the promotional poster to create awareness for Thursday

The recycle bag from JASTRe

Visiting Utama Grand and handing out recycle bag

The grand prize winner of BND10,000 was Muhammad Abdul Yazid Zainul who received from Andy Yong, Head of Card Business, Baiduri Bank

The top three winners with Andy Yong

To conclude their “Celebrate With More Rewards” campaign, Baiduri Bank rewarded cash prizes totaling BND45,000 to 28 lucky Baiduri cardholders. The prize presentation was held at their Serusop branch.

Baiduri cardholders who made purchases with their Baiduri credit or debit card during the period of 22 December 2017 to 28 February 2018 stood a chance to win the grand prize of BND10,000. Every BND50 spent earned the cardholder one chance to qualify for the grand draw.

25 consolation prize winners each received their prize of BND1,000. Presenting the mock cheques to the 25 lucky winners were Pg Hjh Rodziana Pg Hj Muhidi, Manager of Card Development, Baiduri Bank and Ng Yick Wei, Head of Group Marketing Department, Baiduri Bank.

Following the presentation of consolation prizes was the highlight of the evening, the live draw of the grand prizes. The 3 lucky shortlisted winners were each asked to grab a number from a bowl which would determine the order that they select their winning envelopes containing their prizes. The winners were then instructed to simultaneously open their envelopes unveiling their prize.

The January winners receiving BND 1,000 each with Pg Hjh Rodziana Pg Hj Muhidi, Manager of Card Development, Baiduri Bank

The February winners receiving BND 1,000 each with Ng Yick Wei, Head of Group Marketing Department, Baiduri Bank

Receiving the grand prize of BND10,000 was Muhammad Abdul Yazid Zainul. Chan Chee Ping and Lo Su Jun also walked away with the consolation grand prize of BND5,000 each. Presenting the prizes to the winners was Andy Yong, Head of Card Business, Baiduri Bank.

Speaking on the campaign, Andy Yong said, “Thank you to our customers for their support and a very huge congratulations to all our lucky winners. We have many more exciting card campaigns lined up for 2018 so be sure to stay up to date of our promotions on our various channels.”

For more information on Baiduri Bank’s promotions, visit the website at www.baiduri.com or follow them at Baiduri Bank Group on Facebook and @baiduribank on Instagram and Twitter.

Group photo with all the winners

Invited guests and partners during the launch

Yamako Pacific (Brunei) Sdn Bhd, a local seafood processing company, held a grand opening ceremony for their tuna processing plant, located at the Fish Landing Complex in Muara. It was also my first time visiting that area.

Gracing the launch was Yang Berhormat Dato Seri Setia Awang Hj Ali Apong, the Minister of Primary Resources and Tourism. Also present was His Excellency Motohiko Kato, the Japanese Ambassador to Brunei Darussalam.

The operation began in March 2018 on a small scale and they specialized in processing yellow-fin and skipjack tuna into high quality products that has already been accepted into the highly stringent Japanese market and further plans to penetrate the markets in China, Europe and North America.

For your info, Yamako Pacific (Brunei) is part of a wider group of Yamako Pacific companies in the region. They also have their office and other processing plants in Indonesia and Malaysia. You will be hearing the name of Yamako in Brunei as they aim to be a big player in the fishing industry especially for local processing.

It’s good to know that local investors, Hj Morshidi bin Pehin Orang Kaya Digadong Seri Diraja Dato Laila Utama Haji Awang Abdul Rahman and Hj Musa bin Hj Adnin, partnered with Yamako Pacific (Brunei) to set up a local seafood processing plant at the Fish Landing Complex. Yamako is a household name in Japan and it’s a Japanese centric group with a proven reputation of working with and upgrading local industry players to international standards. For instance, local fishermen can be taught on how to maximize the quality and value of the fish they catch. Another thing that can benefit the fishermen is the value of the fish they caught as they can be paid fairly according to the international pricing.

The tuna processing plant which is worth at least a couple of millions due to its state-of-the-art equipments

I love the idea that we have to wear this due for hygienic purposes

Seeing how the process works when the tuna is being stored and processed

How the tuna looks like…. fressshh….

They have to slice it delicately and almost to perfection

When we freeze our ingredients the taste deteriorates, how can we fix this problem. This is where the Proton Freezer comes to the rescue. The Proton Freezer helps to maintain the quality and ensure the ice crystals are perfectly aligned for perfect freezing every time. This is the most expensive equipment in the tuna processing plant.

The mincing room for tuna

The seafood processing plant which mainly focuses on tuna for now is state-of-the-art quality plant. I never knew the scale of the processing tunas is very tedious and requires a series of equipment and workmanship to process the tuna before being sold to commercial entities. The eye opener for me was the Proton Freezer which is the most expensive equipment invested by the company. It’s probably prized in the region of half of million or more.

The processing plant has very stringent rules upon entering the premise. We were required to wear a clean woven coat, rubber boots, face mask and a head cap as the company’s policy is never to compromise with hygiene when it comes to food processing. Good job on Yamako on making this a strict procedure of people entering the processing plant.

At the moment, the processing plant can handle up to 10 tonnes of tuna landing and process around 3.5 tonnes of finished products per day. That’s pretty good for a small scale plant.

Another highlight for them is the launch of their vessel called YP Nakhoda 1. It’s pretty hi-tech stuff because the vessel is equipped with Tuna Pole and Line fishing technology – quite simple and eco-friendly method of tuna fishing using a hook attached to a pole and using them, no marine life will be harmed in the process. This helps responsible fishing practices and hope to create more awareness in Brunei Darussalam on this method.

The YP Nakhoda 1 vessel is invested by Hj Morshidi, Hj Musa Adnin and Alex Yeunh Oi Siong, CEO of Yamako Pacific (Brunei). According to a representative, the tuna fishing is a seasonal activity. The fishermen will sail for a week as the tuna fishing is carried out at Zone 4 (200 kilometers away) since it’s deep water fishing.

Also in the picture is SBI Islamic Fund (B) Sdn Bhd which deals with venture capital & private equity. SBI Islamic Fund (Brunei) Limited, a joint venture between Brunei Darussalam’s Ministry of Finance and Japan’s Strategic Business Innovator (SBI) Holdings. They pumped in funds for Yamako Pacific group and holds the minority share within the Yamako Pacific. Apart from Yamako Pacific, the company also funded in Sengenics and Softbank Holdings Inc.

Now with the operations of Yamako Pacific (Brunei) and YP Nakhoda, they have an initial workforce of 50 full-time workers, supported by 30 part-time workers with plans to expand to 200 people in the workforce in three years’ time. I see many good things coming out of this project and I do hope it will be a sustainable fishing business and win-win situation for the businesses and also in the employment side of things.

Thank you once again for the invite, Yamako Pacific (Brunei) and the tour of the tuna processing plant. I can say that I’m very impressed and it also gave me a new awareness on responsible fishing.

The YP Nakhoda 1, the vessel used for tuna fish catching

The Ambassador blessing the vessel

They are four of this state-of-the-art fishing rod. It has a smart and effective way of catching either a Yellow Fin or Skipjack tuna fish and it’s done automatically. No fish nets required (which will spoil the marine life).

The tuna sashimi. I tried it and it’s quite tasty. We do have good tunas in Brunei. Some of them are being distributed to Snofood, a food supplier for Excapade Sushi.

Food sampling using our local tuna

The participants of the Senior Executives Advanced Leadership (SEAL) programme hosted by Centre for Islamic Banking, Finance and Management (CIBFM). Image courtesy of CIBFM.

Centre For Islamic Banking, Finance And Management (CIBFM), held the Closing Ceremony for the Senior Executives Advanced Leadership (SEAL) Programme on Thursday, 25 Rejab 1439 corresponding to 12 April 2018 at Radisson Hotel, Bandar Seri Begawan recently.

The Guest of Honour, Yang Mulia Dayang Hajah Rashidah binti Haji Sabtu, Acting Deputy Managing Director, Autoriti Monetari Brunei Darussalam (AMBD), presented the certificates to all 15 participants. The closing ceremony was also attended by other senior officers of AMBD. The 3-day CIBFM exclusive leadership programme is for the second cohort of AMBD’s executives and senior officers, with the first cohort undertaking the programme in 2016.

The topics in this programme were presented by lecturers from the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, National University of Singapore, and were designed to enhance the participants’ skills in policy development processes, from the conceptualization of public policy to evaluating options and measuring the outcomes and impacts. The programme also included the tools and techniques to improve the climate in their workplace, through better team management and leadership, and also by encouraging innovation.

CIBFM offers a variety of learning and development programmes ranging from financial to leadership and management. For more information, on how CIBFM can help ypu, please visit CIBFM’s website at www.cibfmbrunei.com, the CIBFM Facebook account at CIBFMBrunei or through CIBFM Instagram @CIBFM.brunei. Press release by CIBFM.