The Brunei Travel Fair will be held over 2 days this weekend from 26th to 27th August 2017 at the International Convention Center (ICC) in Berakas. At the travel fair, Baiduri Bank will be offering their cardholders exclusive benefits.

“We are excited to be collaborating with Sabre, a leading travel technology company for this highly anticipated event. Our key objective is to provide seamless and secure payment solutions for visitors at the Brunei Travel Fair where every booth has been set up with our latest POS (Point of Sale) card terminals. Having the widest card brand acceptance and accept card payments from four major card brands – Visa, MasterCard, American Express and UnionPay, our customers’ convenience is paramount.”, commented Pg Azaleen Pg Dato Hj Mustapha, Head of Retail Banking & Branch Network at Baiduri Bank.

Baiduri cardholders enjoy an instant lucky dip with every holiday purchased at the Brunei Travel Fair. Prizes range from travel and dining vouchers worth up to BND100, various travel accessories and more. To qualify, no minimum spending is required and prizes are available on a first come, first serve basis.

Customers who hold a Baiduri Visa, MasterCard and American Express credit card can apply for the 0% Instalment Plan where they can convert their purchases to easy interest-free monthly instalments of up to 24 months. Meanwhile, customers Royal Brunei Airlines American Express credit cards issued by Baiduri Bank can apply for the Fly Now, Pay Later financing program and convert their purchase into monthly affordable instalments.

Furthermore, those who do not have a Baiduri Card yet can apply for either a new Baiduri Infinite, Platinum or Classic Visa Credit Card and stand a chance to win and experience a curated trip to Paris and other exciting destinations. Successful applicants also receive of up to 10,000 complimentary Royal Skies miles if they sign up for a Baiduri Visa Credit Card at the Brunei Travel Fair.

Terms and conditions and more information about Baiduri Bank’s current promotions can be obtained from the Bank’s website at www.baiduri.com, ‘Baiduri Deals’ mobile app or the 24-hour Baiduri Bank Customer Helpline at 244 9666. The public can also follow Baiduri Bank Group on Facebook or @baiduribank on Instagram and Twitter.

Electronic and IT waste is a norm for the modern age, many homes and offices are moving away from older technology towards better and faster tech at a higher rate than before. This means that those older tech has to go somewhere, so why not trade them in and get something newer and better in return, plus those older tech will be taken care of and disposed professionally. Which is why Concepts Computer is offering a Trade-In Extravaganza which inludes products from Acer, APC and many other promos for other brands.

First up, we have the Acer K202HQL-Ab, a 19.5” LCD monitor, with 1368×768 dpi resolution and 200cd/m2 brightness and VGA connectivity, which makes the monitor perfect for use in a corporate setting or even in a home office setting. The Acer K202HQL-Ab comes with free standard VGA cable and the convenience of 3 years warranty coverage. Available for $88 with trade-in, usually priced at $118, which means a savings of $30 through trade-in. With such a huge saving and also the convenience of trade-in, this is the perfect time for corporate customers to replace their ageing monitors and get a newer and slimmer replacement.

Also available during this Trade-In Extravaganza will be the APC BX650 UPS, available for a trade-in price of $68 (usual price $88), and the APC B1100, avaialable for trade-in at $138 (usual price $158). Both the APC BX650 and BX1100 UPS are the latest in APC’s line of affordable UPS for SOHO (small office/home office) and personal use, is perfect for those in need for quick and easy solutions for multiple PCs or even just a single home PC. Rated for 325 Watts at 650 VA and 1100VA respectively, both will be able to offer protection for your data and hardwares from power-outages, power-surges, power-spikes and even lightning-strikes. And as a bonus, every purchase of APC UPS will also be eligible for $10 off the purchase of APC Surge Protectors, one of the best power protection solutions available in the Bruneian market, eligibility includes the APC UPS trade-ins as well. There are 2 models of APC Surge Protectors available, the APC PM5U available for $48 and the APC PM6U will be available for $58.

And still ongoing is the 50 years Golden Generation promotion for Acer laptops and desktops. For laptops, models available are the Acer Aspire ES1-432, available for $398, usual price $478; the Acer Aspire E5-575G will be available for $688 only, usual price $948; and also the Aspire S5-371 available for $968, usual price $1,238. All laptops on offer can be used for school or office work, while also be used for social media and general internet surfing. And desktops from Acer under the 50 years Golden Generation promoton includes the Acer Aspire XC780-6400W10, available for $588, usual price $748, at $1,238. Next is the Acer Aspire TC-780- 6400W10, another work-station available that can satisfy any office needs, cost is $668, usual cost $788. And lastly, the Acer Aspire XC-780-6400W10D, available for $688, usual price is $818. All 3 models will have an i5 Intel processor, enough power to keep-up with any workload in the office. To be eligible for these great 50 years Golden Generation promotions, please provide doucments that shows the milestone.

Vincent Pao, General Manager of Concepts Computer said, “We try to make convenience and ease as the major factor for our customers to buy from us, which is why we are offering the trade-in extravaganza, to make it easier for our customers to bring in their older equipment, to trade-in for something newer and more suited to their current needs.”

Zul Abdul Rahman, Marketing Executive of Concepts Computer added, “Other than the trade-in extravagnaza, we are also still offering out 50 Years Golden Generation promotions for our customer.” Zul aslo added, “And with these co-running promotions, we hope that our customers can find and purchase what they need.”

For more information on the Trade-In Extravaganza and the 50 Years Golden Generation promorions, please call 2233551, 2233552 or 2233553; or visiti your nearest Concepts Computer showroom.

Zul Abdul Rahman, Marketing Executive of Concepts Computer with the associates of Concepts Computer holding the $88 promotion

Check out the new Acer K202HQL-Ab, a 19.5” LCD monitor, with 1368×768 dpi resolution and 200cd/m2 brightness and VGA connectivity

The press conference yesterday held at Mc Donald’s. Image courtesy of At-Taqwa Travel Tours.

Sabre Travel Network (Brunei) Sdn Bhd will host the annual Travel Fair on Saturday, 26 August 2017 at Banquet Hall, International Convention Centre, Berakas.

This two-day event organised by Sabre Travel Network Brunei provides travel partners including airlines, national tourist offices, hotels and travel agents with a unique platform to promote and showcase their products and services. The fair is open to all travellers, providing them with the convenience of shopping for a wide range of travel deals under a single roof.

“Brunei Travel Fair is an important event for the nation and Sabre Travel Network Brunei is proud to be once again organising this event for the benefit of Bruneians, the expat community, airlines, travel trade partners, national tourist offices and our other business partners,” said Ms. Irene Soon, General Manager, Sabre TN Brunei. “We thank our partners and travellers for their participation throughout the years and look forward to their continued support for the Brunei Travel Fair 2017, the fourteenth edition of the event.”

“With support of our partners, we will deliver new and unique content to travellers in search of their dream vacations. Over 12,600 attendees visited the Brunei Travel Fair last year and we are confident the numbers will increase at this year’s fair.” Sabre will provide more than 50 terminals to the ten participating Sabre-connected travel agencies at the fair to ensure the very best service for travellers. Mr. Abd Halim Haji Abd Rahman, Senior Manager, Sales & Marketing, Sabre TN Brunei said, “The fair provides an excellent opportunity for Brunei-based travellers to shop for both overseas and domestic travel packages, making it an event on the travel calendar not to be missed.”

Participating travel agents are: Anthony Tours & Travel Agency, At-Taqwa Travel Tours, Century Travel Centre, Darussalam Holdings, Freme Travel Services, Grace Travel, J J Tour Service, Pan Bright Travel Service, Southern Cross Travel Agencies and Straits Central Agencies.

National tourism organisations including Brunei Tourism Board, Sabah Tourism Board, Sarawak Tourism Board, Taiwan Tourist Bureau, Tourism Authority Thailand and Tourism Perak Management Berhad will again be participating at Brunei Travel Fair. Baiduri Bank Berhad, Bank Islam Brunei Darussalam, Standard Chartered Bank and Royal Brunei Airlines (RB) will showcase their own booths to extend support to participating travel agents and provide assistance to visitors.

Due to popular demand, Pan Bright Travel Service has announced the comeback of their “Travel & Win a Hyundai OR Birkin” lucky draw promotion to be launched this weekend at the upcoming Brunei Travel Fair 2017 at the Banquet Hall of the International Convention Centre, Berakas.

One lucky winner will once again have an option of driving away a brand new Hyundai Car or bring home an exclusive Hermès Birkin Bag.

For the period between September 2017 to February 2018, one monthly ticket will be given out and the lucky customer will stand a chance to win one return ticket to any short haul destination of their choice on Royal Brunei Airlines or a return ticket to Singapore on Singapore Airlines.

The Grand Prize to be drawn in April 2018 will be a Hyundai Accent Car or a Hermès Birkin Bag, sponsored by Pan Bright Travel Service. Other prizes for the Grand Draw will include 2 return air tickets to any long haul destination of their choice sponsored by Royal Brunei Airlines, a return ticket to Brisbane sponsored by Singapore Airlines and return tickets to Kuala Lumpur for two person sponsored by Malaysia Airlines.

Last year’s Grand Draw winner of this promotion went to Awang Md. Taha Bin Ladin who opted for the Car. The winner of the “Travel and Win Car” 2015/2016 was Awang Wasli Hj. Hamid, whilst the winner for 2014/2015 was Dayang Zuriana Bte Abdul Latif.

As per previous years, for every BND200 spent on any travel related products and services from Pan Bright Travel Service, customers will be entitled to one lucky draw coupon.

For more enquiries regarding the promotion, please contact Pan Bright Travel’s offices at 2240980 for Bandar Seri Begawan, 3341154 for Kuala Belait or 3220078 for Seria or follow our Facebook @panbright or Instagram @panbrighttravel for the latest updates.

The lucky draw promotion will start from 26 August 2017 to the 31 March 2018.

Mr Andrew Chiam, Jati Transport Executive Director, YM Pg Anak Hj Ja’afar Ibni Almarhum Pg Pemancha Pg Anak Hj Mohd ‘Alam, Jati Transport Sdn Bhd Executive Chairman, Dr Claus Weidner, Head of Marketing & Sales Mercedes-Benz Passenger Cars South East Asia 2 and President & CEO of Mercedes-Benz Malaysia Sdn Bhd and Mr Wolfgang Huppenbauer, President & CEO of Daimler South East Asia Pte Ltd, Singapore officiating the new Mercedes-Benz Autohaus at Beribi last Friday. Image courtesy of Nurul.

The new Mercedes-Benz Autohaus. It’s bigger and spacious indeed!

Jati Transport Sdn Bhd celebrated the 30th anniversary of their appointment as the Mercedes-Benz General Distributor in Brunei with the official opening of the new Mercedes-Benz Autohaus in Beribi last Friday.

With an investment of $5 million, the new Mercedes-Benz Autohaus incorporates the latest Mercedes-Benz concept by Daimler AG, Germany, occupying a build-up area of 28,000 square feet that features a 13 vehicles display area. The bright open tiled showroom with floor-to-ceiling glass walls includes a luxurious customer lounge with complimentary refreshments, LED television, wifi, a new car delivery area and a Mercedes-Benz Merchandise shop. The state-of-the-art workshop features 15 service bays as well as a warehouse for spare parts, and is equipped with world-leading diagnostic and repair equipment.

The new facility also boasts a professional sales and after-sales team, providing the best-in-class global standards of service for every Mercedes-Benz customer.

On hand to officiate at the launch of the new facility were Jati Transport Sdn Bhd Executive Chairman, YM Pg Anak Hj Ja’afar Ibni Almarhum Pg Pemancha Pg Anak Hj Mohd ‘Alam, Jati Transport Executive Director, Mr Andrew Chiam, Head of Marketing & Sales Mercedes-Benz Passenger Cars South East Asia 2 and President & CEO of Mercedes-Benz Malaysia Sdn Bhd, Dr Claus Weidner, and President & CEO of Daimler South East Asia Pte Ltd, Singapore, Mr Wolfgang Huppenbauer.

In celebration of their 30th anniversary, Jati Transport Sdn Bhd presented donations of $5,000 each to six charities, namely:
1) Dana Pengiran Muda Mahkota Al-Muhtadee Billah Fund for Orphans
2) Pusat Ehsan Al-Ameerah Al-Hajjah Maryam
3) Tabung Orang-orang Cacat
4) Persatuan Kanak-Kanak Cacat (KACA)
5) Tabung Anak-Anak Yatim Daerah Brunei dan Muara
6) SMARTER Brunei

The lovely cake for Jati Transport’s milestone

It has been unveiled

Quite a crowd witnessing the new Autohaus

Ok, this one caught my eye 😀

Hello Tiger :p

A LINEUP OF SUPERSTARS. A FAMILY OF THOROUGHBREDS.

Happening today

From the creators of the 45, 63 and 65 model lines comes MercedesAMG 43, eight high performance vehicles with AMG pedigree were introduced at Mercedes-Benz Autohaus, Beribi, yesterday. Fitted with numerous AMG enhancements, every vehicle screams “Drive me,” because in the AMG family, performance is king. From coupes and sedans to SUVs and roadsters, the power and handling of the 43 lineup beckon to the world’s most passionate drivers. All that’s left to do is grip the wheel and press the accelerator.

The 3.0-litre V6 twin-turbo engine provides impressive performance with its 270 kW (367 hp) maximum power and peak torque of 520 newton metres: sprinting from rest to 100 km/h in 4.7 seconds, its speed is electronically limited at 250 km/h. The newly developed front axle, the taut elastokinematics and the highly precise steering make a substantial contribution to the agile driving experience.

The highlights
• 3.0-litre V6 twin-turbo engine with modified engine control unit, increased boost pressure and far higher dynamics and high-revving
• 9G-TRONIC automatic transmission with double-declutching function when shifting down and exhilaratingly short response times in “Sport Plus” mode
• AMG Performance 4MATIC all-wheel drive with rear-biased torque distribution of 31 to 69 percent (front axle to rear axle)
• AMG RIDE CONTROL sports suspension with adaptive variable damping in three stages, mode can be selected via button, adopted from MercedesAMG 63 series
• AMG DYNAMIC SELECT switch for dynamic, individually selectable driving experience with five drive modes and AMG-specific parameterisation
• Three-stage Electronic Stability Program ESP®
• Front axle with newly developed steering knuckles and load-bearing joints on the spring link. Elastokinematic adjustments to the links have been adopted from the Mercedes-AMG 63 series
• Rear axle with elastokinematics tailored to higher driving dynamics
Large braking system with internally ventilated compound brake discs, perforated at the front with a diameter of 360 mm, and with a diameter of 320 mm at the rear

AMG-specific: the 3.0-litre V6 twin-turbo engine
The new 3.0-litre V6 twin-turbo engine is part of the BlueDIRECT engine family from Mercedes-Benz. Technical advances including a modified boost pressure allowed the AMG engineers to increase the engine’s power output and torque as well as its dynamism and flexibility to typical AMG levels. With 270 kW (367 hp) and 520 Nm, the V6 engine sets new standards in its segment. The NANOSLIDE® coating of the cylinder liners is also used in the Formula One engines of MERCEDES-AMG PETRONAS. Especially tough and, therefore, wear-resistant, this coating also reduces friction, thereby contributing to higher efficiency. The AMG powerplant can be identified by the red aluminium insert in the engine cover.

Short shift times, high efficiency: 9G-TRONIC
The 9G-TRONIC automatic transmission is especially matched to the demands of the Mercedes-AMG 43. Thanks to the model-specific software application, the AMG developers managed to reduce substantially the shift times of the 9-speed transmission. The multiple downshift allows even faster short bursts of speed, while the double-declutching function in the “Sport” and “Sport Plus” transmission modes makes for an even more emotive driving experience. Defined ignition adjustments also provide faster gearshifts in the “Eco” and “Comfort” modes.

“Manual” mode can be enabled by pressing a button on the centre console. The gear changes are based on the selected transmission mode, and the driver can now change gear using the paddles on the steering wheel. Moreover, the transmission stays in the selected gear and does not automatically shift up when the engine speed reaches the limit.

Rear-biased and agile: AMG Performance 4MATIC
The standard-fit AMG Performance 4MATIC all-wheel drive combines optimum traction, hallmark AMG vehicle dynamics and maximum driving pleasure. The system features a rear-biased torque distribution of 31 percent to the front axle and 69 percent to the rear axle. This arrangement ensures greater vehicle dynamics and higher lateral acceleration on the road as well as improved traction as it uses the dynamic shift in the axle load toward the rear axle that occurs during acceleration to deliver more drive torque to the rear. A multi-disc clutch with a locking effect of 50 Nm guarantees that the frictional connection potential of all four wheels is exploited to the full. On road surfaces with different levels of grip, the all-wheel drive responds with targeted brake application on one wheel in order to also guarantee optimum traction in such instances.

The new Mercedes-Benz Autohas at Beribi

Aireen Omar, Chief Executive Officer of AirAsia Berhad, speaking to the media while grand winner, Tran Thi Tu from Vietnam (2nd from left), felt excited being the crowned the winner of AirAsia Runway Ready Designer Search yesterday at Pavilion, Kuala Lumpur.

An emotional Andrew Tan, Founder of Kuala Lumpur Fashion Week Ready To Wear, hopes that the collaboration with AirAsia will continue after a huge success with 10 countries competing this year alone and Air Asia made it possible.

Rano Iskandar in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. AirAsia’s annual designer search, AirAsia Runway Ready Designer Search, held its 2017 Grand Finale today at Kuala Lumpur Fashion Week Ready To Wear 2017 (KLFW RTW 2017).

The finale saw a total of twenty young talents from all 10 Asean countries showcase their Asean-themed creations on the runway.

Two top aspiring designers were selected to represent each country after a regionwide audition tour across Asean. The search kicked off in April in Manila before moving on to Bandar Seri Begawan, Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, Ho Chi Minh City, Yangon, Jakarta, Bangkok, Vientiane and ended in Phnom Penh in June.

Tran Thi Tu from Vietnam was announced as the Grand Winner and walked away with prizes including a confirmed show segment to showcase their full collection at KLFW RTW 2018, a year-long mentorship from the KLFW RTW team, MYR25,000 sponsored by FashionValet to produce a capsule collection to be sold on fashionvalet.com, 150,000 AirAsia BIG Points, a six-page fashion spread in AirAsia’s Travel3Sixty inflight magazine, a special feature in Female Malaysia magazine and a pair of AirAsia return flights.

The winning design from Vietnam. Congratulations.

Another funky design from one of the participating countries

This was one of my favourites design on stage

Featuring local designer from Brunei, Kava by Nazy Sam

Aireen Omar, Chief Executive Officer of AirAsia Berhad said, “As a truly Asean airline, we are proud to continue our initiative through this platform and expand the designer search to a regional level with talents from all 10 Asean countries. We are very impressed with what we’ve witnessed on the runway today. Asean has great potential and we believe that, with continuous support and guidance from fashion industry leaders, business owners as well as members of the media, the fashion industry can flourish across the region.”

Andrew Tan, Founder of Kuala Lumpur Fashion Week Ready To Wear said, “Having AirAsia as a Kuala Lumpur Fashion Week partner for the past three years has undeniably been an incredible privilege. This partnership allowed us to not only access regional media and influencers but to forge stronger multilateral relationships with opinion leaders, fashion schools, designers and fashion industry activators in neighboring countries. The growth of AirAsia Runway Ready Designer Search from five countries last year to 10 countries this year will be instrumental in paving the way for Kuala Lumpur to be the fashion hub of Asean in the near future, a future made possible with the strength of the collaboration between AirAsia and Kuala Lumpur Fashion Week”.

Vivy Yusof, Co-Founder of FashionValet said, “This year has been nothing short of spectacular. From talented local designers to experiencing the best of what Asean has to offer, it has been a whirlwind adventure. FashionValet is honoured to carry the debut line of last year’s winner from Thailand, Anuruk Jaidee, and we hope this will be the start of more exciting Asean brands on our platform. I am thankful to Kuala Lumpur Fashion Week and AirAsia for collaborating with us at FashionValet and look forward to discovering even more talent in 2018.”

AirAsia Runway Ready Designer Search was established with the aim of empowering youth and developing young talents in the fashion industry across the region. This year’s panel of judges for the Grand Finale included judges from all Asean countries, as well as Aireen Omar, CEO of AirAsia Berhad; Andrew Tan, Founder of KLFW RTW; and Vivy Yusof, Co-Founder of FashionValet. Rides for the regional judges for the grand finale were sponsored by Uber.

Last year’s AirAsia Runway Ready Designer Search winner, Anuruk Jaidee from Thailand, also made a special appearance and showcased his full collection on the KLFW RTW 2017 runway.

AirAsia is also KLFW RTW 2017’s Preferred Travel Partner and is proud to have flown in international fashion designers from across AirAsia’s extensive route network, including Ka-Sha (India), Reclothing Bank (China), Resurrection (South Korea), TAKK (Japan), Yousef Akbar (Australia) and Anthony Ramirez (Philippines).

AirAsia BIG Loyalty Programme and FashionValet are proud sponsors of AirAsia Runway Ready Designer Search 2017.

Follow AirAsia on Youtube (youtube.com/user/AirAsia) for webisodes featuring the participants’ journey to the AirAsia Runway Ready Designer Search 2017 Grand Finale, or follow the hashtag #AirAsiaRunway on other social media channels such as Facebook (facebook.com/AirAsia) and Twitter (twitter.com/AirAsia).

Another Brunei designer, Humaira Zakaria

This show is one of the few packed itineraries that lasts for 6 days as part of KL Fashion Week

Actress @bow_benjasiri from Thailand made an appearance at yesterday’s show

Representing Air Asia flight attendants

The local fashion bloggers in Malaysia

Click image to enter official website

In conjunction with the Golden Jubilee Celebration of His Majesty the Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam’s Accession to the Throne which will be held this year, the Committee for Media, Publicity, Exhibitions and Printing would like to inform the public that the official Website, Mobile App and Social Media accounts including the official hashtag for the Golden Jubilee Celebration may be accessed as of today, Wednesday, 16th August 2017.

The establishment of the Website and Mobile App is aimed at providing information including the latest news on the celebration of the Golden Jubilee of His Majesty the Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam’s Accession to the Throne. The Website and Mobile App also contains information such as the Calendar of Events, posters and publications in relation to the Golden Jubilee. The information will be updated from time to time.

In addition to the informative contents, the Website and Mobile App will also provide an interactive platform that enables members of the public to convey their greetings online in relation to the Golden Jubilee Celebration.

The public will also be able to watch live broadcast events through “Live Streaming” on the Website and Mobile App.

The public may now access and follow the following:
1) Website – www.HMjubliemas.gov.bn
2) Facebook, Instagram & Twitter – @HMjubliemas

The public may also use the official Golden Jubilee hashtag, #HMjubliemas in their respective social media account posts. For Android mobile users, the Mobile App HMjubliemas may now be downloaded through Google Play; whereas for IOS mobile users, the Mobile App HMjubliemas will be made available from the App Store in the near future.

The national netball team in a group photo with HRH Prince Hj Sufri Bolkiah (8th L), the President of the Brunei Darussalam National Olympic Council (BDNOC), after their match against the Philippines. Also pictured are HRH Princess Fadzilah Lubabul Bolkiah (C) and YAM Pg Muda ‘Abdul ‘Aleem (8th R) and His Excellency Dato Paduka Haji Alaihuddin bin Pehin Orang Kaya Digadong Seri Lela Dato Seri Utama Haji Awang Mohd Taha, High Commissioner of Brunei Darussalam in Kuala Lumpur. Image courtesy of Zam Hanafi

After coming off against two tough opponents, Singapore (37-62) and host Malaysia (64-27) in the netball competition, Brunei Darussalam’s netball team bounced back for a victory over Philippines 69-32 yesterday. The win over Philippines made a good chance for them to qualify for the semi-finals berth.

Philippines struggled to score and gave too many turnovers to their opponents while Brunei capitalised on every attacking opportunity. Nur Hafizah Hj Abdul Sidek who was rested during the first half, came on and led the team in the scoring department.

Athiyyah As’ad Mohd Jaafar, the vice-captain, competing in her second SEA Games, said she looked forward for their next opponent Thailand today (Thursday, 17th August). Their last meeting was back in Singapore 2015 in the SEA Games and Brunei lost by 5 points to Thailand. Today it will be a different story as Brunei wants to better their effort and what a best time to do it today at Juara Stadium, Bukit Kiara.

A win against Thailand will put them in a favourable position in the semi-finals and hope for a push in the finals.

Good luck to the netball team and hope to see you pretty soon this weekend 😀

Brunei Darussalam against Philippines at netball competition yesterday. Image taken from Kuala Lumpur 2017 website.

Brunei Darussalam against Philippines at netball competition yesterday. Image taken from Kuala Lumpur 2017 website.

Brunei appreciating their fans for their support. Image courtesy of Mizan.

Yang Berhormat Pehin Orang Kaya Indera Pahlawan Dato Seri Setia Awang Haji Suyoi bin Haji Osman, the Minister of Education and his spouse with Her Excellency Nagma Mohamed Mallick, the Indian High Commissioner to Brunei Darussalam and her spouse graced India 71st Independence Day celebration at The Empire Hotel & Country Club last night

A momento from the India High Commission to the guest of honour

I was honoured to be part of India’s 71st Independence Day celebration held at the Indera Samudra Grand Hall, The Empire Hotel & Country Club last night. A big thank you to the High Commission of India to Brunei Darussalam for the invitation.

It was announced during the celebration that the Government of India will host a “Festival of India” in Brunei Darussalam from October to mark the Golden Jubilee of 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’s accession to the throne. Now that’s really good news to hear to see India announcing the upcoming event which was announced by Her Excellency Nagma Mohamed Mallick, the Indian High Commissioner to Brunei Darussalam

This year also marks 25 years of Asean-India Dialogue Partnership and the High Commission of India in Brunei Darussalam and they will host several events such as car rally (wow), a food festival and musical events in celebration of the milestone in Brunei Darussalam.

Her Excellency Nagma Mohamed Mallick shared some insights and milestone since India gained independence for the past 70 years. India has a current population of 1.25 billion with a surplus production of food grains, exporting wheat and rice to the world and also ranking first in the world in milk production. India is also the most diverse country in the world with 29 states, 22 official languages and 1652 languages and dialects.. Just wow!!!!

India also has a GDP in absolute terms of USD 2.45 trillion and is the 6th largest economy in the world. The economy has grown with an average annual growth rate of over 7% over the past 3 years. There are over 1 billion mobile phone connections, 300 million own smartphones and around 400 million are connected online. The investor-friendly policies adopted by the Indian government allows India to receive sizeable foreign investment of USD 113.8 billion over the last three years.

Her Excellency mentioned that energy usage in India is rapidly evolving towards ever greater use of renewable energy as fossil fuels already provide only around 67% of energy demand. India has pledged to increase the share of renewable energy to 40% by 2030. Did you know that India is a founder of the International Solar Alliance, a coalition of 121 solar energy-rich prospective member countries located between the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn?

Another milestone is the Digital India initiative which aims to unite India on a common digital platform by 2019 to make available government services online on a real time basis. and set up a pan-India fibre optic network. India now ranks 3rd globally in terms of the number of start-ups and is the world’s youngest start-up nations (majority are less than 35 years old).

A new change was also introduced in India which is the Goods and Services Tax as The Act is a destination-based tax on goods and services in which only value addition will be taxed. It paves the way for a common rational market of 1.25% billion consumers and is expected to reduce the overall tax burden on goods from the current 25-30% down to an average of around 15%.

Her Excellency echoed what India Prime Minister Narendra Modi shared that “the next five years must be about “Sankalp se Siddhi, a resole which will lead us to accomplishment”.

Attending the celebration were Yang Berhormat Pehin Orang Kaya Indera Pahlawan Dato Seri Setia Awang Haji Suyoi bin Haji Osman, the Minister of Education and his spouse.

During the celebration, a renowned musician, Pt. Vikash Maharaj, and his sons, played four Hindustani Classical music to the delight of the attendees. They played the Sarod, a stringed instrument from the Hindustani classical music tradition of India. Apparently it’s tougher to play the guitar and one of Pt. Vikash Maharaj’s sons has been playing the sarod since he was three years old.

Thank you once again to the High Commission of India for the invitation.

Welcoming remarks by Nagma Mohamed Mallick

Pt. Vikash Maharaj and his sons performing Hindustani Classical music

Prabhash Maharaj and Rahul Breh

Pooja Shivanand emceeing the auspicious event

Wefie during the event

Thank you for the invitation 😀

Impressive start for Lukaku as a Red Devils

The hits and misses. It’s good to see the Premier League back in action and I only managed to catch two matches, bits and pieces as the TV coverage at the hotel in Medan was not as intensive as the ones on Astro. Nonetheless, I have my livescore to keep me up to date with the scores.

I know I would have expected Lukaku to perform well under Jose Mourinho and wow, did he just deliver a brace for his new club against West Ham United and finished with a convincing 4-0 scoreline. A team definitely to look out for and I only had Antonio Valencia of Manchester United as my only MU player in my Fantasy League. I’m still have that he earned points for having a clean sheet effort despite being cautioned.

The other players that succeeded in my first week are Sadio Mané and Álvaro Morata where both scored in the opening round. The only irony was that both teams failed to win their respective matches and the only consolation goes to Liverpool for drawing 3-3 while Chelsea suffered a shocking defeat at home to Watford 3-2. Don’t play-play ah especially under rated teams.

Other than Michael Keane of Everton being a good performer for my fantasy league, the rest of my players under performed.

Then again, it’s only the first week and still many points to play for.

The Premier League seems exciting once again as there are plenty of favourites to lift the trophy. Chelsea is still the team to beat regardless of the opening defeat. They will bounce back in a nick of time and let’s hope they give a good run in the top 4 spot.

The only that has been more than encouraging is Manchester United. Pogba is starting to enjoy much freedom as newly signed Matic is able to cover the gaps in midfield and giving Pogba more room to attack.

It was also great to see Rooney on the scoreboard too as he re-united with his old club Everton who narrowly beat Stoke FC. It shows that Rooney can still contribute to the fast paced Premier League.

The big hoohaa now is the negotiations between Coutinho and Liverpool club. Of course, I wouldn’t want to let this opportunity go as in keeping Coutinho for Liverpool as it is their best chance to be contending for the title.

Who are my predictions for the top 4? It will be another close fight now among defending champions Chelsea, Manchester City and maybe just maybe Manchester United. Liverpool will still be aiming for a top 4 finish with the squad they have (no offense) while Arsenal and Spurs could be fighting for the Champions League spot.

I’m hoping to see another “Leicester” in the Premier League. It will just add more dimension to an already challenging league. I’m also hoping to score at least 70 points in the EPL Fantasy League.

My result in the first week of Fantasy League