Jati Transport Sdn Bhd’s Customer Appreciation Day at Autohaus yesterday

Pg Anak Hj Jaafar ibni Al Marhum Pg Pemancha Pg Anak Hj Mohamed Alam, Executive Chairman of Jati Transport Sdn Bhd (center) with Andrew Chiam, Executive Director of Jati Transport Sdn Bhd and Pg Nasir bin Pg Anak Hj Jaafar during the Customer Appreciation Day

Yesterday was a great day for the customers of Jati Transport Sdn Bhd as they enjoyed the festivities during Customer Appreciation Day hosted by Jati Transport, the authorised auto dealer for Mercedes-Benz. Around 800 people showed up with their family to enjoy the food and the entertainment provided by Jati Transport Sdn Bhd.

Present during the Customer Appreciation Day were Pg Anak Hj Jaafar ibni Al Marhum Pg Pemancha Pg Anak Hj Mohamed Alam, Executive Chairman of Jati Transport Sdn Bhd, Andrew Chiam, Executive Director of Jati Transport Sdn Bhd and Alfred So, General Manager of Jati Transport Sdn Bhd.

The customers enjoyed the activities provided such as face painting for their children, dance lessons, mini treasure hunts, photo booth and not forgetting the discounts on their merchandise items.

This event is to appreciate the loyal customers of Jati Transport Sdn Bhd and continue the strong relations with the company and their customers. There were also a test drive session for those interested.

The huge crowd at the food section

The kids dancing after a few lessons by Relentless Entertainment

Families enjoying themselves

Some of the winners of the mini treasure hunt

The AMG G63 😀

At the Tokyo Motor Show 2019

The Tokyo Motor Show 2019 came to an end on the 4th November 2019. Those who attended were privileged to catch cutting edge vehicles such as self driving cars and much of the focus was also on mobility. My previous visit to the Tokyo Motor Show was back in 2013 so I would say the experience this time was totally different.

It was the first time the Tokyo Motor Show opened the exhibition to children, aimed at reversing the flagship attendance. The 2017 show drew a mere 770,000 people but this year, it managed to break the 1 million mark and finished with 1.3 million attendees in the 10-day Tokyo Motor Show.

It was participated by 192 carmakers according to the Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association (JAMA) and I shall be focusing on the cars/vehicles introduced by Toyota and Lexus.

The members of the press were given a dedicated day (October 23) where the Presidents of the respective brands launched their products as the media got first hand viewing before the Tokyo Motor Show was opened for public viewing.

At the Lexus Pavilion at the Tokyo Motor Show 2019

Yoshihiro Sawa, the International President of Lexus with the Lexus LF-30 Electrified, the first full fledged electric vehicle from Lexus

Check out that beauty

In the late morning, Yoshihiro Sawa, the International President of Lexus unveiled Lexus first ever electric vehicle (EV), the Lexus LF-30, which left the audience in awe. The LF-30 is more than a concept vehicle. The Lexus Electrified vision unveiled targets a fundamental leap in vehicle performance, handling, control and driver enjoyment, and let’s not forget autonomous driving and vehicle electrification.

What was interesting was the “Lexus Sense theatre” at the Tokyo Motor Show, a space where people can experience the simulation of five senses. es”. It consists of two experience spaces, audio and visual. In Theater 1, the sensual engine sound of Lexus LFA stimulates hearing with 360° 3D sound.

Theater 2 offers a visually stimulating experience with the Lexus LC model by projection mapping – which changes its appearance according to the time of day and the viewing angle. In this booth layout you can appreciate the Lexus philosophy, while enjoying sensory stimulation through “real experience”.

Interviewing Lexus’ International President with other members of the press

We also had a privilege to interview with Yoshihiro Sawa with other selected members of the press. He was quite welcoming individual with full of knowledge especially with the automative industry. When asked about how Lexus will positioned themselves among other luxury car brands, Sawa said that Lexus aims to be different from others and hence Lexus upped the scale by providing a more amazing experience for their customers. Hence, Lexus aims to focus on luxury lifestyle experience with the car rather than luxury car brand. He shared that the owners of luxury cars are not satisfied with just owning the product. They hunger for something more as they are eager to have a more unique experience.

Akio Toyoda, President of Toyota Motor Corp, making a grand entrance during Toyota’s presentation at the Tokyo Motor Show 2019

He came in with the e-Palette which will be featured in the Olympic Games next year

A very energetic showcase coming from Toyota

In the afternoon, Akio Toyoda, President of Toyota Motor Corp, had an interesting approach to the launch of their Toyota products, focusing on digital presentation on the mega horizontal interactive display on stage. Toyoda engaged the audience with his younger digital self and shared to all of us how “people will be the centre of the future.” With advancement of technologies in modern era of automotive industry, Toyoda can’t discount how important human capital is and still very relevant for both to co-exist.

The company also envisioned to position Toyota as a brand that focuses “mobility for all”. This is evident as the President announced models such as the e-Palette (electric modular vehicle) and Sora, a fuel celled electrified vehicle bus (refer to my previous blog post) that will be featured in the Tokyo 2020. This is definitely exciting times for Toyota, being one of the partners for Tokyo 2020.

The day ended with ended with a press conference hosted by JAMA where it showcased the global FIA Gran Turismo Championship 2019 World Tour 5 competition. This was held at the MEGAWEB area at the Aomi Exhibition Hall which also collaborated with KidZania. Hence, making this year’s Tokyo Motor Show 2019, the biggest in terms of variety since its inception.

A big thank you to NBT (Brunei) for sponsoring my trip to Japan and the Tokyo Motor Show 2019. It was really an honour 😀

The president making headlines in the newspaper the following day

One of the beautiful assistant at Toyota pavilion

Toyota going the extra mile to give more rewards to customers when you try their Toyota experiences in the near future

Loving the lanyard and I got myself one too

The e-racer

Toyota LQ, another concept car from Toyota

I am excited to try the e-Palette next year hopefully

With Faza Suraj, a representative from The Bruneian. Thank you, NBT (Brunei) Sdn Bhd for this opportunity

With the bell ladies from Keio Plaza Hotel

It was definitely a great experience being invited by NBT (Brunei) Sdn Bhd to the Tokyo, Japan, for the recent Tokyo Motor Show. I could resonate to a classic movie, “Lost in Translation” because I could get truly lost whenever I was confused on which train line to catch for next destination. On a brighter note, the ground handlers from Toyota (Japan) and the logistics team were pretty awesome as they really took care of us from Day 1.

Faza Suraj from The Bruneian and I were privileged to attend the 3 day line up hosted by Toyota and Lexus (Japan). The first day was mostly a welcoming session for all the media delegates from Asia Pacific and the event took place at Hilton Tokyo Odaiba, Japan.

There was a presentation on Toyota’s stance as mobility company and electrification strategy. It was followed up by a ride experience and exhibition tour to deepen the understanding of Toyota’s electrification. Finally, a car show presentation where we got a sneak preview of Toyota’s LQ and Toyota Mirai. The day concluded with a welcome party themed, “Start Your Impossible”.

The media were also privileged to meet the Toyota ambassadors who will represent their respective countries in the upcoming Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics 2020. I sat next to Singapore Paralympic swimmer, Toh Wei Soong who is only 21 years old and he’s a two time gold medalist at the 2018 Asian Para Games.

Some of the Toyota Ambassadors for the Olympic and Paralympic Games

With Paralympic swimmer from Singapore, Toh Wei Soong

The latest concept car from Toyota – LQ

The interesting i-Road from Toyota

The fuel celled powered Toyota bus – Sora

I was quite intrigued with Toyota’s vision and plan for the future. Toyota always have something exciting up their sleeves and this year, it’s no different. Toyota has been very active in producing Electric Vehicle and concept cars year in, year out and the trend may not be exploding but it’s slowly catching on. Toyota has identified that there is always a gap from advanced development and production vehicle development. The gap itself can be reduced with introducing concept cars. The way of the future will also be incorporating Artificial Intelligence Agent to humanize the car so the driver and passenger can feel more connected to a vehicle than ever before.

It’s no surprise that the President of Toyota, Akio Toyoda, believes that the people are the important subject matter even with the rise of technology. Technology is just to enhance the human experience.

Toyota is also one of the official partners for Tokyo 2020 (Olympics and Paralympics) and they have an impressive line-up for next year’s prestigious event.

The e-Pallete is one of them and it’s shaped like a self-driving modular store on wheels and it’s electric powered. The e-Pallete will be used during the Games 2020 and the public and athletes can enjoy the transport offered by Toyota. The e-Palette is in line with Toyota’s vision of “Mobility for All” and this modular is fully automated meaning autonomous driving. Now, it will be exciting to see how this plans out once the Games kick in next year.

Lexus also have a presentation on their concept car and it was the first ever electric car. It is called the Lexus LF-30 Electrified. Many have been asking for years on when Lexus will have their first electric car and here we are. The Lexus LF-30 is more than just a concept vehicle. It’s a bold new vision of vehicle electrification which I will share in my future post.

In the afternoon, we had the privilege to see up close on some of the electric vehicles of Toyota and also experience some drifting on the Toyota 86 and the Toyota Supra GR. For me, I was more excited on the drifting experience in the Supra GR. Though it was short, it was still a fun, adrenalin experience. Sadly, it won’t be out in Brunei but a few have been asking me on social media if this would be brought to our market. Who knows one day it will see it happen.

The day capped off with a welcoming party themed “Start Your Impossible” and we were treated to a very fine Japanese cuisine sponsored by Toyota at the Hilton Tokyo Odaiba. The audience were also being inspired by the two Toyota Ambassadors from the Paralympics who shared their inspiring journey as an individual and as an athlete and appreciating Toyota in making their impossible possible. I hope to see both of them competing in the Paralympics 2020.

Thank you so much to Toyota and Lexus team for organizing such an event for the media. They were very punctual and organized with their agenda and make sure all the media representatives were well fed.

The Toyota GR

The Toyota 86

The second version of the Mirai Concept from Toyota

The fully automated capable Lexus

The paralympic athletes sharing their journey during the welcome party

Enjoying the Japanese cuisine during the Welcome Party

With the customers from Jati Transport at the Mercedes-Benz Driving Experience 2019 at Sepang International Circuit, Kuala Lumpur

The Best Driver of the Day during the Mercedes-Benz Driving Experience 2019

Recently Jati Transport Sdn Bhd brought a few of the selected Mercedes-Benz customers for the Mercedes-Benz Driving Experience 2019 at Sepang International Circuit, Kuala Lumpur. As usual, Mercedes-Benz Malaysia hosted the event where the guests stayed at Ritz-Carlton, Kuala Lumpur while the driving experience itself was held at Sepang International Circuit.

This event is organized yearly to give a better experience to the customers of what the Mercedes-Benz can do. Thank you once again to Jati Transport Sdn Bhd and Mercedes-Benz Malaysia for hosting another successful event. Looking forward to next year indeed.

Patricia Li, General Manager of Laneige Brunei giving her welcoming remarks

Yoo Hyun-Bong, the Ambassador of the Republic of Korea to Brunei Darussalam as the guest of honour (center) with the management of Laneige Brunei

I thought it has been 15 years but I am just way ahead of myself. Last weekend, Laneige (Brunei) celebrated their 14th year anniversary and currently they have 5 outlets in Brunei Darussalam. The celebration took place at their latest branch at Batu Bersurat.

Gracing the event was Yoo Hyun-Bong, the Ambassador of the Republic of Korea to Brunei Darussalam as the guest of honour. Patricia Li, the General Manager of Laneige Brunei gave a short welcoming remarks and deeply appreciated the loyal customers of Laneige and she has been always wanting to enhance customer satisfaction and strengthen the stakeholders’ values.

Laneige Brunei has also been active in corporate social responsible projects where Patricia and her team believe in working with the community and also with NGOs. Laneige has worked closely with “Save the Children” to promote the sharing of the “Waterfall” experiences campaign. Recently also Laneige Brunei has collaborated with Sparkly Domestic Divas.

More than 200 attended the celebration where it was hosted by @gzulyusof and @rubyxchong There were some activities such as facial check and also unveiling the faces of Laneige Brunei. It can be said that Laneige Brunei is here for a long run because of the strong support from the Bruneians. Well done, Patricia and your team, for sustaining a reputable Korean brand in Brunei Darussalam. Keep up the good work 🙂

Do follow @laneigebn on Instagram for updates.

The co-emcees of the night – @gzulyusof and @rubyxchong

The enhanced version of the Audi Q5 – the SQ5

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Yang Berhormat Dato Seri Setia Dr Hj Mohd Amin Liew bin Abdullah, Minister at the Prime Minister’s Office and Second Minister of Finance and Economy, with the BIBD SEED (Special Underprivileged Mothers Empowerment Entrepreneurship Development) at the atrium of the Ministry of Finance and Economy (MoFE) yesterday

Participants of BIBD’s Special Underprivileged Mothers Empowerment Entrepreneurship Development Programme (BIBDSEED) will now have a new marketplace to offer their products to the public after being provided with a retail space at the building of The Ministry of Finance and Economy (MoFE).

Located at the Atrium of the ministry’s building, the marketplace will be occupied by participants of the current cohort 2 of BIBDSEED.

The new space will fit three businesses at a time and the participants will rotate to occupy the space on a monthly basis.

The Minister officiating the launch of the new market place at MoFE

The Minister handing out certificates to the underprivileged mothers under the BIBD SEED programme

The Minister trying out the lok-lok stall

The Minister trying out the spaghetti

My favorite of the lot – the Rendang, cooked with no sugar and no salt. Oh yea, all vendors use QuickPay and Progresif Pay

BIBD’s Head of Government Relations and Special Projects, Haji Mohammad Yusri bin Haji Wahsalfelah, said: “This placement will provide first-hand and real-life entrepreneurship experiences to our BIBDSEED participants. Through this marketplace, they will now have a level playing field and face healthy competition from established businesses who are currently based there. This can also be a stepping stone for them to grow further.”

He added being based at the new retail space will be crucial and beneficial for the participants’ development as entrepreneurs as it will test their resolve to apply their knowledge and learning from the previous phases such as pricing, marketing, communications, sales pitching to customers and promotion of their products.

“We would like to express our appreciation to the Brunei Government for their strong support and providing the opportunity for us to further develop the BIBDSEED programme. The programme is already a multi-agency initiative actively supported by the government through the Ministry of Religious Affairs and the Ministry of Youth, Culture and Sport.”

“The provision of this new retail space symbolises the huge support of the Ministry of Finance and Economy in collaborating with BIBD to empowering the underprivileged to become successful entrepreneurs. This also reflects our commitment and dedication to become the nation’s partner in progress.”

The launch of the new marketplace was officiated by Yang Berhormat Dato Seri Setia Dr Hj Mohd Amin Liew bin Abdullah, Minister at the Prime Minister’s Office and Second Minister of Finance and Economy, who also presented certificates to the ten participants of BIBDSEED cohort 2 to mark the completion of Phase 5 of the programme.

Also attending the launching ceremony were permanent and deputy permanent secretaries at MoFE, BIBD’s Deputy Managing Director Hjh Noraini binti Haji Sulaiman, as well as other senior management and officials from the ministry and BIBD.

The enhanced version of the Audi Q5 – the SQ5

The popular Q5 is Audi Brunei’s top selling mid-sized SUV and now a performance enhanced version is available in the SQ5.

The 3.0 litre V6 TFSI high-performance engine with 260 kW hits the 100 km/h mark after a mere 5.4 seconds. Accompanied by the striking sound of the S-specific exhaust system with dual-branch twin tailpipe look. Underpinned by the turbocharger for impressive driving dynamics. Thanks to the quattro drive with self-locking center differential and sports suspension with damper control, the SQ5 is in top form even on bends and uneven roads.

Like every S model from Audi, the SQ5 comes standard with quattro permanent all-wheel drive. In normal driving conditions, its self-locking center differential distributes torque between the front and rear axle in a 40:60 ratio. When slip is detected, the majority of the power is directed to the axle with the better traction. Depending on the driving situation, a maximum of 70 percent can flow to the front or 85 percent to the rear.

The new Audi SQ5 offers a broad portfolio of driver assistance systems. The predictive efficiency assistant provides specific tips to help the driver save fuel. Audi side assist also enhance safety in everyday driving. The same applies to the pre sense systems; Audi pre sense rear comes as standard.

Numerous exterior design details hint at the sporty character of the Audi SQ5. The bold bumpers feature strongly contoured air inlets up front and a diffuser insert with a honeycomb grille at the rear. The Singleframe grille features double aluminium slats and contrasting trim elements in twilight gray matt. The S logo with red rhombus is used in numerous locations to set additional accents.

The headlights and rear lights of the Audi SQ5 come standard in LED technology; the dynamic turn signals at the front and rear send unmistakable signals. The exterior mirror housings and the clasp on the diffuser sport a shining, aluminium-look finish. Door trim strips in the body color underscore the sportiness.

Standard equipment for Brunei includes 21-inch cast aluminium wheels in a 5-twin-spoke V design, Matrix LED headlights and suspension with S-specific damper control. The eight-speed tiptronic transmission, quattro permanent all-wheel drive, sport seats in leather/Alcantara and a three-spoke, leather-covered multifunction steering wheel are also standard equipment. B&O Premium is also standard.

Just a few weeks after unveiling the GLC SUV, Mercedes-Benz is presenting the GLC Coupé worldwide. But I am glad Jati Transport brought both the GLC SUV and the GLC Coupé together this time. Both are available for viewing at the Mercedes Autohaus at Beribi from today till Sunday.

The next generation of the successful model skillflully and intricately combines the sportiness of a coupé with the functionality of an SUV. The result is a vehicle for individualists who attach maximum importance to extraordinary looks, the greatest possible freedom and pioneering technology. Innovative technologies, intelligent driving assistance systems and a new engine line-up make the Coupé a paragon of sportiness, safety and efficiency.

All in all, both Mercedes-Benz GLCs have a facelift from the previous GLC 200 and 250 models and both GLCs are the 300 model too. The horsepower for both GLCs is 258 which is 30 more than the previous model. After facelift includes the LED High Performance headlamps and the rear lights as well. There is one version of the GLC Coupé 300 that sports an LED Multi-Beam headlight where there is extra lights when cornering.

The other variances of the GLCs are the diamond grille upfront for the standard and AMG version and let’s not forget that all the newer GLCs are equipped with the MBUX, the combination of touchscreen displays, navigation with augmented reality and of course, the voice command operated by saying “Hey Mercedes” which is now available in the GLCs. Only in the GLC Coupé 300, they have two digital panels including the cockpit whereas the GLC SUV 300 has one digital panel in the middle and an analog cockpit.

So make yourself available this weekend (Friday to Sunday) to view the latest GLC SUV 300 and the GLC Coupé 300. The only one available for test drive is the GLC SUV 300. It will be open from 9am to 5pm and refreshments will be provided.

The GLC SUV 300 Night Package

The GLC SUV 300 Night Package and the GLC SUV 300 AMG

Sitting inside the GLC Coupé 300

The GLC Coupé at a glance

• Expressive design: The stylish appearance of the new Coupé generation encapsulates the Sensual Purity design philosophy and combines the flexibility of an SUV with the sense of style and sportiness of a coupé. The A-pillars have a more pronounced slope, which lowers the roof silhouette. The model owes much of its extraordinary character to the diamond radiator grille, which is available in silver as standard or black in conjunction with the Night package, featuring a chrome trim incorporating formal elements of the underride guard. Further eye-catching features include the standard-fit LED High Performance headlamps with their torch design and unmistakable light signature. The elegant lines are drawn to a successful conclusion by the compact rear end featuring a new-look diffuser with underride guard and tailpipe trims as well as full-LED tail lamps.

• MBUX – Innovative telematics: The combination of the touchscreen displays, navigation with augmented reality, intelligent voice control via the talk button or the “Hey Mercedes” prompt, connectivity and the user interface makes the GLC Coupé state of the art.

• Suspension: As an alternative to the standard sports suspension with adaptive damping, DYNAMIC BODY CONTROL with infinitely adjustable dampers for the steel springs on the front and rear axle is available as an option. Depending on the driving situation, speed and condition of the road, the damping is controlled individually for each wheel in interaction with the engine, transmission and steering characteristics.

• Advanced assistance systems: Active Distance Assist DISTRONIC and Active Steer Assist provide even more comfortable support to help the driver to keep a safe distance and steer. The speed is adjusted automatically ahead of bends or junctions. Active Steer Assist helps with forming an emergency corridor and with changing lanes. The risk of potential collisions can be reduced by the turn-off function of Active Brake Assist by braking if the driver fails to see oncoming traffic.

• Drive system: The GLC Coupé comes with a choice of efficient four-cylinder petrol and diesel engines from the latest generation. The diesel engines already meet the requirements of the Euro 6d standard. The petrol engines are electrified by the integration of a 48-volt on-board electrical system (EQ Boost).

The new-generation GLC Coupé is a blend of exceptional and sophisticated features, further underlining its leading position with this combination of style and ability. At present, Mercedes-Benz has a very successful presence in the SUV segment with seven models (GLA, GLC, GLC Coupé, GLE, GLE Coupé, GLS, G-Class).

The GLC Coupé 300

Only this version of the GLC Coupé 300 has the multi-beam LED head lamps as compared to the other models that have LED High Performance headlamps

This colour looks beautiful on the GLC Coupé 300

The signing ceremony between BIBD and Progresif with Universiti Teknologi Brunei for the cashless service at the university premise with the Deputy Minister of Education as the witness.

Group photo after the MOU

Universiti Teknologi Brunei (UTB) recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Bank Islam Brunei Darussalam Berhad (BIBD) and Progresif Cellular Sendirian Berhad (Progresif) at the Lecture Theatre 2, Library Complex, UTB.

Present as the Guest of Honour at the event was Yang Mulia Datin Seri Paduka Dr. Hajah Romaizah binti Haji Mohd Salleh, Deputy Minister of Education, Ministry of Education. Also present were Yang Mulia Dr Awang Haji Azman bin Haji Ahad, Permanent Secretary (Higher Education) at the Ministry of Education as well as Yang Mulia Dr Awang Chin Wei Keh, Deputy Permanent Secretary (Higher Education) at the Ministry of Education.

Signing on behalf of UTB was the Acting Vice- Chancellor, Yang Mulia Awang Haji Ady Syarmin bin Haji Mohd Taib, witnessed by the Registrar and Secretary, Mr. Lim Chui Hua. Representing BIBD were the Deputy Managing Director, Yang Mulia Dayang Noraini binti Haji Sulaiman and the Head of BIBD’s Retail Banking Group, Yang Mulia Dayang Hajah Nurul Akmar binti Haji Mohd Jaafar as witness. Yang Mulia Mr. Paul Taylor, the Chief Executive Officer signed on behalf of Progresif with Yang Mulia Dayang Nurul Haniah binti Haji Mohd Jaafar, Chief Administration Officer witnessed the signing.

With a younger generation that is more likely to carry a smartphone than cash, this partnership hopes to be a driver for digital innovation by developing new digital banking products and services that will enhance the student’s banking experience.

Students will now be able to use Progresif Pay, which is powered by the BIBD NEXGEN platform, to make cashless payments across the entire campus. Businesses based at the campus will benefit from increased security and efficiency as they no longer need to manage large sums of cash.

Progresif’s Chief Executive Officer, Mr Paul Taylor said, “Progresif PAY is a key part of the driving process for a digital economy. The signing of the agreement with UTB is set to turn the university into the second cashless university in Brunei.”

Meanwhile BIBD Managing Director and CEO, Mubashar Khokhar welcomed the partnership saying, “Again, we are taking branchless banking to yet another level by FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE ` providing access to financial services without the need to physically come to a BIBD branch. Today’s collaborative effort illustrates BIBD’s commitment to being Brunei’s economic partner of growth. Our aim has been to partner with industries beyond the financial sector, and to empower these sectors with banking and payment capabilities for better financial inclusion. This is in full support of Brunei Darussalam’s Smart Nation initiative and the goals of Brunei Vision 2035”.

UTB, acclaimed for being at the forefront of engineering and technological knowledge, welcomed the partnership with BIBD and Progresif. The implementation of the cashless campus initiative is aimed at providing greater convenience to students who can now transact without the need to bring cash, and paves the way towards a new digital lifestyle as the younger generation prepares for the Industrial Revolution 4.0 mindset.

Acting Vice- Chancellor, Yang Mulia Awang Haji Ady Syarmin bin Haji Mohd Taib With Progresif Cellular’s CEO Paul Taylor

Acting Vice- Chancellor, Yang Mulia Awang Haji Ady Syarmin bin Haji Mohd Taib With BIBD’s Deputy Managing Director, Yang Mulia Dayang Noraini binti Haji Sulaiman

Demo-ing Progresif Pay to the guest of honour

BIBD’s QuickPay

Progresif Pay