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BIBD Aspirasi winners, Round 2

Written by Rano Iskandar on . Posted in bank, Business, Social News

 


Both winners Mohammad Hasnal and Izzati bin Mohammad Masli were full of emotions after their names were drawn to win the BND 25,000 cash prize (quarterly) as part of BIBD’s Aspirasi campaign earlier this afternoon at BIBD Kiulap.
 

It has happened again. The second batch of the quarterly winners have been feted. Mohammad Hasnal and Izzati bin Mohammad Masli both won the BND 25,000 each as part of the BIBD’s Aspirasi campaign earlier this afternoon.

BANK Islam Brunei Darussalam (BIBD) recently drew out two quarterly and 10 monthly winners for its BIBD Aspirasi reward programme a few days ago and only today, the draw was conducted by Dr. Awang Abdul Nasir bin Hj Abdul Rani, a member of the Shariah Advisory Body at BIBD.

The idea of BIBD Aspirasi is to make people be aware the importance of savings and also to inculcate the savings culture within them and at the same time, supporting the customers to reach their financial goals and even preparing for the unexpected.

The prizes were handed by the guest of honor, Yang Mulia Hjh Noraini binti Haji Sulaiman, Deputy Managing Director of BIBD.

I hope one day I will get shortlisted as I’m also a BIBD Aspirasi customer. Oh yeah, the grand draw will be a whooping, life changing figure of BND 250,000 for the grand prize winner.

It’s easier to sign up for BIBD Aspirasi too. Good luck for the next round of winners.

 

 


Izzati plans to bring her mom for Umrah with the prize money. Alhamdullillah.
 


Hasnal has the intention for Haj pilgrimage and his wishes came true.
 

 


The grand quarterly winners with the other winners who also won BND 2,500 each. Also present were Hjh Noraini binti Haji Sulaiman, Deputy Managing Director of BIBD and Dr. Awang Abdul Nasir bin Hj Abdul Rani, a member of the Shariah Advisory Body at BIBD
 

Are you ready to be the “New Me”?

Written by Rano Iskandar on . Posted in community, health, lifestyle, Social News, Sports

 

 


Devin Edwards, Chief Marketing Officer of Progresif with Wu Chun, Managing Director of Fitness Zone, during the exchange of documents as Progresif being the title sponsor for “Fitness Zone New Me Transformation Challenge 2019”
 

I remember the days of B.Fit organized by b•mobile (defunct) and Fitness Zone back in 2012. Whoaa. That’s like 7 years ago. Now there is a different and better version known as the “Fitness Zone New Me Transformation Challenge 2019”, an initiative by Fitness Zone Managing Director, Wu Chun.

FZ is always looking ways to create and faster an environment that will make Bruneians fitter and healthier by changing their habits and lifestyle. Wu Chun has seen how social media has been distracting many of us in our daily habits.

“Internet and social media seems to get out of control and that what makes people get lazy sometimes. Spending 30 minutes on just scrolling down on our feeds, we could use it more productively by working out, “ said Wu Chun.

Doing exercise is a good initiative and it could be a life decision benefit and also allow one to be prioritize his or her life on what is more important that could reap you in a long run.

This time, Fitness Zone, has engaged Progresif as the Title Sponsor for the “Fitness Zone New Me Transformation Challenge 2019”.

The transformation challenge is set to fun from April to October 2019, limiting to 300 participants for each category. Each month, an elimination process will be undertaken after the Weigh-In session.

Venue: Fitness Zone Kiulap.
Registration Period: 8th March to 31st March 2019
Challenge period: 1 April to 12 October 2019

There will be a $50 fee to join this competition and do see the poster to see what is inclusive in the $50 registration fee.

 

 

 

 

 


The old bFit competition back in 2012. The winner was Azim and now he is a successful spinning instructor.
 


The good old days when bFit was very popular.
 

The all-new A4 Sedan

Written by Rano Iskandar on . Posted in automative, Social News

 


Check out the new facelift of Audi A4 quattro
 


Members of the press having a short drive of the Audi A4
 

The 2019 model year sees the A4 Sedan with newly designed bumpers, which together with the new wheel designs accentuate the sporty character.

In the new model year, the Audi A4 stands out with a more striking front-end from the design and sport lines. Powerful, pentagonal contours surround the exterior air inlets – aluminum-look bars structure their inside. The S line exterior package features new bumpers with a sportier look. Their pronounced wedge-shaped design makes them even more eye catching. A U-shaped clip separates the exterior and the interior area, which is finished off with a honeycomb grille. Separate openings in the air inlets guide a portion of the airflow into the wheel housings, where it flows past the wheels.

The singleframe grille also helps differentiate between the equipment lines. In the S line exterior package, the grille now also features slats with a 3D look. A blade finishes off the lower part of the front-end. The rear bumper also comes standard in the new look. Two wide, trapezoidal exhaust tailpipes replace the previous round tailpipes. The diffuser area between the exhaust tailpipes is now narrower. The wheels, which are available in 16 to 19-inch versions, have also been redesigned.

The new Audi A4 is currently available with a 2.0 turbo 252hp engine with the latest quattro all-wheel-drive technology. Compared to the previous model’s tech equipment, the improved A4 now comes additionally with Audi’s Virtual Cockpit display, MMI navigation plus, side assist blind spot detectors and pre-sense rear collision protection system. This makes it more than a dozen driver assistance and car technology in one single Audi model.

A 1.4 turbo 150hp variant will also be available soon for the Brunei market. Please visit their showroom at Kiarong and also follow @audibrunei on Instagram for updates.

 

 


Fairol giving this a ride
 


Upgraded interior compared to the previous A4 model
 


Even the front bumper looks sportier than the previous model
 


You will enjoy the Audi A4
 

Samsung S10 a huge hit

Written by Rano Iskandar on . Posted in technology, gadget, Business, Social News

 


Officially unveiling the Samsung Galaxy S10, S10+ and S10e was Radin Sufri Radin Basiuni, Acting CEO of DST as the Guest of Honour accompanied by Juliana Sim, General Manager of DSTIncomm last weekend
 

Last weekend reported high sales since the release of the Samsung Galaxy S10 Prima 4G phone plans last Saturday 9th March, at selected DST branches and all DSTIncomm stores and guess who was one of them buyers? Meeeee……..

Farah Saiman was one of the first few early customers to register for the Samsung Galaxy S10+ phone plan. When asked about why she chose a DST 4G phone plan she comments, “I’m always loyal to brands that I know will offer the best services. I’ve been with DST for a long time and their 4G plans have always been affordable. I’m very keen to stick with DST because they always make an effort to give subscribers more value for their money, like increasing in our monthly data bundles. I’m glad that they’re offering Samsung models as part of their package as well, as I’m also a fan of the brand. Also, since DSTIncomm is the authorized distributor for Samsung, I know I can trust DST and DSTIncomm when it comes to support services both for my phone plan and for the phone itself”.

Khaliq Roziman was another customer who braved the switch between phone brands while subscribing to DST’s 4G phone plan. He comments, “I needed a new phone and I’ve never used a Samsung phone before. I heard so many positive reviews over the past few weeks about the Samsung Galaxy S10 and it has some really cool features so I got excited when I heard DST was offering the phone plan. As a long time Easi prepaid user with DST, the Prima 4G phone plans are actually really affordable. I get more data for the same amount than when I’m on prepaid and I could pay a cheaper upfront as well for this amazing phone. Thanks DST.”

 

 


Farah Saiman is a proud S10+
 


Khaliq Roziman has converted from IOS to Android with the S10
 

The 4G postpaid phone plans of the Samsung Galaxy S10 family flagship models offer various monthly subscriptions and upfront payments. Customers looking for an unlimited data, voice and text plan retailed at $85 or $105 monthly, can grab the Samsung Galaxy S10e for an upfront price for as low as B$242.

DSTIncomm, a retail subsidiary of DST, also reported high sales since its preorder release with more stock coming in this week due to high customer demand. DSTIncomm sells both boxsets and DST’s 4G phone plans.

The Samsung Galaxy S10 comes with a stunning new design, crystal clear screen, the world’s first ultra-sonic finger print scanner and super-sharp triple lens camera. Among other highlights include the wireless powershare giving S10 users the ability to share power with their friend’s device or charge a Samsung Bud at the same time.

For more information on the latest phone plans and other products from DST, visit dst.com.bn

 

 


Here is the first customer at of the Phone Bundle at DST’s Airport Mall branch last weekend
 


I was lucky enough to get a bundle set of the S10e
 

The New Mercedes G-Glass is basically a 4×4 fortress

Written by Rano Iskandar on . Posted in technology, automative, Social News

 


The newly redesigned Mercedes G-Wagen
 

News from Jalopnik website. The newly redesigned Mercedes G-Wagen, the expensive body-on-frame off-roader that for the first time ever has independent front suspension, was crashed tested by the European New Car Assessment Program, and the results are exemplary. Just watch as this boxy fortress shrugs off barriers and avoids pedestrians with ease.

“Mercedes-Benz’s rugged G-Class also comes in with a five-star rating with an impressive performance in each of the four areas of assessment,” Euro NCAP says in its press release, lauding the G-Class’ safety assist systems, as well as its ability to protect adult occupants, child occupants, and pedestrians. Here’s a look at the G-Wagen being put through the wringer.

But the gist of it is that the vehicle scored 90 percent, 83 percent, and 78 percent in the areas of adult occupant protection, child occupant protection, and “vulnerable road user” protection, respectively. The Magna Steyr-built poshmobile did especially well in side impact testing, managing 16 out of 16 points for adult occupant protection and managing the full 8 points for child protection.

The G-Wagen also managed a 72 percent in the “safety assist” category, thanks to a good Automatic Emergency Braking system, as well as features like a seat belt reminder and speed limit assist, though apparently the lane keeping system isn’t great. From Euro NCAP’s report:

The AEB system gave generally good results in tests of its functionality at highway speeds. The car has a lane assistance system which helps prevent inadvertent drifting out of lane but can also intervene in some more critical situations. The speed control system uses digital mapping combined with a camera to identify what the local speed limit is and to inform the driver, who can then set the limiter to the appropriate speed. A seatbelt reminder is standard for front and rear seats.

The new G-Wagen has been receiving rapturous driving impressions from journalists, and now it has scored top safety marks. Plus it looks good. It took Mercedes decades to finally do a major G-Class redesign, but it appears to be paying off.

 

Strike : Redemption

Written by Rano Iskandar on . Posted in Social News, Sports

 


Strike Redemption matches
 


Strike Promotions founder, Firdaus Zainidi (centre) with event partners and charitable foundation representatives during the press conference last weekend
 

STRIKE Promotions will be hosting its second regional Amateur Boxing and Kickboxing Tournament titled ‘STRIKE: Redemption’ which will take place from 9-10 March at The Jerudong Park Amphitheatre. This event is being supported by the Ministry of Culture, Youth and sports and sanctioned by the International Sports Kickboxing Association and the Brunei Darussalam Boxing Association.

There are a total of 63 confirmed participants from 18 local and regional gyms who will be competing in the amateur tournaments. Regional gyms participating in this event include Kinabalu Fighter Martial Art and Fitness Centre, CoachPro from Philippines, Team Karabaw and Sabah Top team.

The event will kick-off with an Amateur Kickboxing Tournament on Saturday 9th March followed by the Main event which will take place on Saturday evening. On Sunday, the Brunei Darussalam Boxing Association will be hosting its Amateur Boxing Tournament. The Main event will feature a total of 8 pro-fights and will feature local fighters Aaron Lee of Project Mayhem, Wali Rahman of Silverback Muay Thai and Saufy Jaman of Nak Muay Fight Gym. Out of the eight bouts, 4 will be title fights and they will be for the Borneo ISKA 57KG K-1 title, STRIKE 73KG K-1 title, STRIKE 56KG K-1 title and the STRIKE 60KG K-1 title.

 

 


Firdaus ensuring that there is ample security personnel during the event. There will also be police officers overlooking the upcoming event.
 


Representatives from Setia Motors (Hyundai) handing over Strike tickets to one of the charitable foundations
 

This event will be unlike any other as the main event will showcase special needs athlete Sunny ‘The Silencer’ Sabornido who is the first and only hearing impaired Muay Thai fighter from Malaysia. The objective of this event is to raise public awareness to ensure inclusiveness and equality of persons with disabilities as well as to inspire them to pursue martial arts. To support this cause, the promotion has partnered with Setia Motors Sdn. Bhd., BruPay Sdn. Bhd. and Jerudong Park Country Club (JPCC) to invite various special needs organizations which include Pusat Ehsan Al-Ameerah Al-Hajjah Maryam, Persatuan KACA and Persatuan Orang Kurang Pendengaran Kebangsaan (OKP) to attend the event.

In addition, STRIKE and BruPay Sdn. Bhd, the payment provider partner for the event, will be running a donation campaign in support of Pusat Ehsan Al-Ameerah Al-Hajjah Maryam from 2nd March through 31st March. Members of the public can submit their donations through the BruPay app by scanning a shareable QR code, which can be found on BruPay’s and Strike’s social media pages.

Setia Motors Sdn Bhd, the official car partner for STRIKE: Redemption will also be having a special promotion from now through 30th April for anyone who purchases any Hyundai model where they can stand a chance to win a brand new Hyundai i30.

Tickets to the event are available to purchase online now at Brunei.events. You can follow them on @strike.bn IG and also on Facebook (Strikebrunei) and also on email info@strike-promotions.com

 

 

 

Baiduri Masters 2019 MoU

Written by Rano Iskandar on . Posted in community, charity, Business, Sports

 

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Mr. Andrew Young, Deputy General Manager, Operations Management Division and Diversification and Strategic Development of Baiduri Bank cum President of the Organising Committee of Baiduri Masters 2019, Ms. Hazizah Osman, Acting General Manager of Brunei Press Sdn Bhd, Mr. Pierre Imhof, Chief Executive Officer of Baiduri Bank, Mr. Albert Lau, Chief Executive Officer of QAF Brunei Sdn Bhd, Mr. Siva Kumar Krishnan, General Manager of QAF Auto Sdn Bhd, Lahiru de Silva, Acting Deputy General Manager of Porsche Brunei and Suzie Houng, Senior Manager of Finance & Operations at Brunei Press Sdn Bhd during the MoU of the 24th edition of Baiduri Masters Charity Golf Tournament yesterday
 

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Mr Pierre Imhof, Chief Executive Officer of Baiduri Bank giving his welcoming remark
 

Brunei’s most prestigious golfing event of the year, the Baiduri Masters Charity Golf Tournament, now in its 24th edition, is set to take place over two weekends in April. A signing ceremony was held at the QAF Centre in Beribi this morning to mark the start of the pre-tournament events.

During the Partnership Signing Ceremony, Mr Pierre Imhof, Chief Executive Officer of Baiduri Bank, in his opening remarks, said, “Our aim in organising the Baiduri Masters Charity Golf Tournament has always been to support the community and make a difference to those in need with the help of our golfers since the very beginning. This year is no different. Last year, we were able to raise and donate BND 81,000 to six organisations dedicated to helping the special needs integrate into society.”

The organisations were SMARTER Brunei, Learning Ladders Society, Pusat Ehsan Al-Ameerah Al-Hajjah Maryam, Children’s Cancer Foundation (YASKA), Child Development Centre RIPAS and Dana Hospital RIPAS.

Through the support of the strategic partners, QAF Brunei Sdn Bhd, QAF Auto Sdn Bhd and QAF Eurokars Sdn Bhd, the highly-anticipated hole-in-one car prizes were revealed: a Porsche Macan, BMW 520i, and a Mini Cabriolet. Besides the three luxury cars, golfers will also stand the chance to win cash prizes, including a BND 20,000 hole-in-one cash prize, as well as other tournament prizes for the Baiduri Masters 2019.

 

 

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Signing between Baiduri Bank and QAF Brunei Sdn Bhd
 

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Signing between Baiduri Bank and Brunei Press Sdn Bhd
 

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A Porsche Macan as one of the prizes for hole-in-one
 

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BMW 520i and a Mini Cabriolet also as prizes for hole-in-one
 

The Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signing ceremony began with a signing between the Baiduri Bank Group and Brunei Press to appoint Borneo Bulletin and Media Permata as the Official Media Partner for the event. This was followed by a signing between the Baiduri Bank Group and QAF Brunei Sdn Bhd, QAF Auto Sdn Bhd and QAF Eurokars Sdn Bhd for the provision of the three vehicles as hole-in-one prizes.

Mr. Albert Lau, Chief Executive Officer of QAF Brunei Sdn Bhd, and Ms. Hazizah Osman, Acting General Manager of Brunei Press Sdn Bhd signed on behalf of their organizations respectively while Mr. Pierre Imhof, Chief Executive Officer of Baiduri Bank signed on behalf of the Baiduri Bank Group.

Mr. Siva Kumar Krishnan, General Manager of QAF Auto Sdn Bhd, Ms. Suzie Houng, Senior Manager of Finance & Operations at Brunei Press and Mr. Andrew Young, Deputy General Manager, Operations Management Division and Diversification and Strategic Development of Baiduri Bank cum President of the Organising Committee of Baiduri Masters 2019 signed as witnesses respectively.

Registration for the Baiduri Masters will begin on 13 March 2019. The tournament weekends are from 12 to 14 April 2019 and 19 to 21 April 2019. A prize presentation dinner will be held at the end of the tournament.

More details of the tournament will be provided through Baiduri Bank’s website, social media outlets as well as newspaper articles. Alternatively, for more information, please contact the Baiduri Customer Helpline at 244 9666.

 

The A200 experience

Written by Rano Iskandar on . Posted in automative, Social News

 


Check out Mercedes-Benz A200 and it’s now available for test drive
 


Ruby test driving the A200 and she was quite impressed
 

Hey Mercedes!!! This is the first voice operated command for Mercedes-Benz for the A200 and A250 model. You don’t even have to use the button and all you have to do is say “Hey Mercedes” and you can control the temperature, the moonlighting and a few more things. Though it’s not a full fledged like how it works in Siri, but this is already a big step for Mercedes-Benz.

I have driven both the A250 and A200 and I can understand why many opted for the A250 when it was launched back in November 2018. If you are into the body kit and just a little more power, then the A250 would be the obvious choice.

A200 is not much of a difference if you don’t take into account the exterior design. I have driven it for a few days and it’s so much of an upgrade compared to the previous version of the A200 (year 2013).

The A200 is quite a solid drive for the small nature of its size and definitely the most advanced car fo a hatchback segment. Handling wise, this is superb as I have taken this for a spin on the highway and corners – a ride that would give me more confidence.

I love the dual-screen layout which is similar to the E-Class and S-Class. The wide format makes it sleeker, showcasing stunningly vibrant and sharper resolution. The central display panel is a touch screen which is a plus for a driver like me.

I would have hoped for a slightly more leg space but it’s not bad for a A200 model. It’s a compact luxurious continental car that I won’t mind driving for my routine coverage.

Overall, the A200 justifies its position in the premium hatchback segment and furthermore, the price is quite reasonable from Jati Transport. The plus points are definitely the technology and infotainment and let’s not forget the safety features too of the Mercedes-Benz A200.

Drop by Jati Transport Headquarters or Autohaus for details of the Mercede-Benz A200. You can give this a test drive too.

 

 


Taking the A200 for a spin. I wish I had the A200 a little longer.
 


Loving the display panel and the interior of the A200
 


It’s even more colourful at nightfall
 

 


We also test drove the A250 and this was during our trip to Sepang International Circuit, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
 

 


One of the invited Bruneians test driving the A250 on the circuit. The A250 has been a huge hit in Brunei Darussalam.
 

The 4th Shell Helix Branded Workshop

Written by Rano Iskandar on . Posted in automative, Business, Social News

 

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Management of Brunei Shell Marketing with the management of Chua Automobile Repairing and Servicing (Chua Auto) at the launch of Chua Auto as Shell Helix Branded Workshop yesterday
 

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Mr. Chua Kee Hoe, the sole proprietor of Chua Auto, Pg. Shamhary bin Pg Dato Paduka Hj Mustapha, Managing Director of Brunei Shell Marketing, Mr. See Shieng Meng, Manager of Chua Auto and Mohd Adini Mohd Daini, Head of Branding and Communications of Brunei Shell Marketing officiating the launch with a ribbon cutting.
 

It is slowly growing, the branding of Shell as they turned some of the local workshops as Shell Helix Branded Workshop. Yesterday saw the 4th of its kind as Chua Automobile Repairing and Servicing (Chua Auto) launched as a Shell Helix Branded Workshop which is located at the heart of Gadong commercial area.

The company has been in operation in Gadong since the 1980s and it has a very strong customer base because of the owner, Mr. Chua Kee Hoe, has a reputable relationship with his loyal customers. Most of the cars handled are continental cars and their customers have always been very satisfied with their service.

Chua Auto has also a lasting relationship with Brunei Shell Marketing Sdn Bhd as the workshop has providing and purchasing Shell Lubricants since 2000. Chua Auto has always strived the mission of providing high quality service to customers by supplying genuine Shell Lubricants and having experienced technicians.

Now Chua Auto being the 4th Shell Helix Branded Workshop, there will be more workshops in the pipeline and this is a good sign for customers as these will give more confidence because of the Shell brand.

BSM initiated the Shell Helix Branded Workshop programme with the vision of supporting the relationship of workshops with their customers in an environment which reassures consumer that the products on sale are genuine and the service is excellent and reliable. This, in a way, increases customer satisfaction.

Present during the launch were Mr. Chua Kee Hoe, the sole proprietor of Chua Auto, Pg. Shamhary bin Pg Dato Paduka Hj Mustapha, Managing Director of Brunei Shell Marketing, Mohd Adini Mohd Daini, Head of Branding and Communications of Brunei Shell Marketing and Mr. See Shieng Meng, Manager of Chua Auto.

You can visit their workshop at Bangunan Hj Tahir. It’s a shop located located on the hill above Papparich in Gadong.

 

 

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The first car being serviced after the launch
 

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Genuine Shell Lubricants at Chua Auto
 

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Group photo with the attendees
 

9000 engines and 700 cars are made at this Audi factory. Daily.

Written by Rano Iskandar on . Posted in audi, Social News

 

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9000 engines and 700 cars are made at this Audi factory. Daily.
 

 

Audi Hungaria was founded in 1993 and started producing four-cylinder five-valve engines. In the following years automobile production was added in Győr in 1998, starting with the legendary Audi TT Coupe.

Today, the Hungarian Audi subsidiary produces up to 9,000 engines and 700 cars per day on an area of more than five million square meters. It also operates one of the largest toolmaking facilities in Central Europe.

Since 1993, Audi Hungaria has produced more than 34 million engines and approximately 1.21 million automobiles. A total of about 12,900 employees work at the Győr site. Through its service providers and suppliers, Audi Hungaria secures jobs for a total of more than 30,000 people in Hungary. This makes the company the biggest employer in the Hungarian automotive industry.

The company is preparing itself for the future and is consistently focusing on electrification and digitization: The production of electric motors started in Győr in July 2018. Audi Hungaria is thus expanding its range of drive systems with the addition of electric motors to the continuously improved gasoline and diesel engines and the engines running on compressed natural gas (CNG).

Contact RA

ranoadidas (a) gmail.com
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Contact: +6738677773

About RA

A blogger since 2002, using platforms from blogspot, joomla and now currently wordpress. A readership that stands on average of 20,000 visits per month. Also on active on social media platform on IG, Facebook and Snapchat (@ranoadidas)

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