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Archive for March, 2013

08
Mar

Happy International Women's Day

Written by Rano Iskandar. Posted in RA News

 
Lamb Spit is back!!

 


Click image to enter Radisson Facebook page for updates!!

 

Circus Firemen this month

 


Click image to enter website

 

RB flies daily twice to KL

 


Twice daily to Kuala Lumpur starting May 22nd

 

National Day pictures: Part IV

 

 

The updates through my phone

 


I’m wearing purple today because it’s one of the official colours for International Women’s Day which is today. The other official colours being green and white 😀


Last night Rosmin and Shahrazen scored the goals as they beat Young Court Lions 2-1 in Singapore. However, Pg Sallehuddin was given his marching orders and DPMM FC held on for a 2-1 victory. It was also in their first win this season.


The most talked about wedding as of late – the beach wedding that took place last Sunday. Congratulations to my friend Maurina and GD on their celebration. More on their wedding coverage soon and how it all happened.


Hmmmm.. So they have brought the people involved in the recent incident for questioning. What have our society resort to?


Yes, they are officially back in the groove 😀 Click image to read more.


Now this is a good promotion offered by b•mobile though I’m still an IOS user 😀


Hmmmm.. This is one of those advertisements that brought some LOL to my friends. I wonder why.


I have yet to review this movie – Apa Ada Dengan Rina – and it’s a huge hit too. Check out my review tomorrow.


Hmmm now my usual parking spot (illegal) is now dedicated for Fire Engine Acess at The Empire Hotel


I love this space.. At the Entrepreneur Campus at UBD. Creative direction by Izzah :p


Another picture that had mixed reviews when I posted this on my instagram. Anyway, this was taken during Brunei Bike Week and more coverage on that soon


Terence and I craved for Share Tea and Terence likes the Wintermelon with Rock Salt and Cheese though he said it was slightly cheesy for him


It was such as huge crowd last night for Olive Tree Company (Pizza Hut and DQ) 20th anniversary


Did you know the Chanel also collaborated with Lego and this is a special Chanel Lego bag edition which costs a fortune..


Stephanie and I had brunch at Bello Cafe today and here you can see how appreciative she was of her Eggs Benedict. Happy International Women’s Day yooo 😀

 

Hi-Tea for Pusat Ehsan

 

Royal Brunei Catering (RBC) yesterday hosted Hi-Tea for 50 children and staff from Pusat Ehsan in conjunction with the ongoing Singapore Food Festival 2013.

They were treated with authentic Singapore food like Singapore Chicken Rice which was specially prepared by Chef Lee Chin Choong from Royal Plaza on Scotts, Singapore who was specially flown in.

To enliven the event’s atmosphere, two singers were also invited to perform several live performances on stage to delight the guests.

In attendance was High Commissioner of Singapore to Brunei His Excellency Jaya Ratnam, Deputy General Manager of Operations Management Division of Baiduri Bank, Andrew Young, General Manager of RBC Sdn Bhd, Hj Omar Ali Md Daud and other invited guests.

The event was one of RBC’s corporate social responsibility events planned for the year. It was hoped that the gathering brought smiles to the special needs children especially with the performances.

Royal Brunei Catering Sdn Bhd would like to extent special thanks to The High Commissioner of Singapore to Brunei, Baiduri Bank, Singapore Tourism Board, Singapore Airlines, Royal Plaza on Scotts Singapore, Grand Hyatt Singapore, Wildlife Reserves Singapore, Ramen Ten Singapore and Shin Tokyo Singapore for helping to make the Singapore Food Festival a success.


High Commissioner of Singapore to Brunei His Excellency Jaya Ratnam, Deputy General Manager of Operations Management Division of Baiduri Bank, Andrew Young, General Manager of RBC Sdn Bhd, Hj Omar Ali Md Daud


Goodie bags for the invited guests


Representatives from Pusat Ehsan

We also had a good chat with Lee Chin Choong who is now working as a Junior Sous Chef at Carousel, Royal Scotts on Plaza and he is in Brunei for the on going Singapore Food Festival at Dynasty Restaurant which ends on 12th March. The sous chef have been in this journey for 15 years and his specialty is definitely the chicken rice.

As part of the Singapore Food Festival, the best seller is the Singapore Chilli Crab which Lee put more focus on perfecting the the sauce which I highly recommend. He also prepared Singapore delicacies uch as Mee Rebus, Mee Siam and laksa to name a few. His purpose in Brunei was to bring a more authentic Singaporean cuisine to the demands of Bruneians.

So for reservation, do Dynasty Restaurant at 2430185 or 2430186, RBC corporate catering hotline at 8714840 or 8679350 or you can also visit their facebook page or @royalbruneicatering on Instagram.


Lee Chin Choong, Sous Chef from Royal Plaza on Scotts preparing food for the Singapore Food Festival at Dynasty Restaurant


The popular chicken rice


The sauces that make the difference to compliment the chicken rice

 

National Day pictures: Part V (final)

 

 

 

 

07
Mar

Spicy, not stirred

Written by Rano Iskandar. Posted in RA News

 
Waerong Penyet open for business

 


This chill is damn spicy.. Arif’s special made ones though it won’t be in the menu. Not to worry as the original Waerong Penyet chill is still one of the spiciest in town. More on this tomorrow and the outlet is located on 1st floor, Times Square (next to Fes Retro)

 
iDream programme a success

 

Pusat Belia or the Youth Centre officially launched the iDream programme last weekend which an initiative to help the youth in engaging in activities. The theme was “Planning For The Youth, By The Youth.”

The project was managed by One.Management team, a group of young Bruneian students, from Brunei Polytechnic and Business School. This idea was to create a platform for the youth to be more active and show their entrepreneurial skills. Hence the Bazaar Belia Brunei 2013 or the Youth Bazaar 2013 was launched.

About 10% of the sales from the vendors will be donated to the victims of the fire at Kg Setia.

 

Charity run for Gaza and Bopha

 

Last weekend, a charity run and a cycling event took place in the heart of town. The event was organised by Kumpulan Bertindak Bantuan KemanusiaanKatak Ijau, another active NGO, that has been raising funds for the community as well as outside Brunei. This time, the funds raised was for Gaza and Bopha victims. Around 100 plus people participated in the event which was officiated by Datin Hjh Adina, Deputy Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports. She reminded the public that we Bruneians should show our humanitarian values and land a helping hand to those in need of one. Images below courtesy of Bahyiah Bakir.

 

 

 

05
Mar

The game changer

Written by Rano Iskandar. Posted in RA News


Lamb Spit is back!!

 


Click image to enter Radisson Facebook page for updates!!

 

Circus Firemen this month

 


Click image to enter website

 

RB flies daily twice to KL


Twice daily to Kuala Lumpur starting May 22nd

 
Real Madrid beat Man Utd

 


What a match! Only to be spoiled by the Turkish referee and former EPL players Modric and Ronaldo scored for Real Madrid to cancel out Ramos’ own goal earlier own. Giggs played his 1,000th appearance for Man Utd *salutes* while Jose Mourinho said the best team lost (Was his rubbing his opponent?)

3rd batch of LEAP grant recipients

 

This morning 9 local innovators were awarded the Local Enterprise Application and Product (LEAP) grant amounting to BND 1.4 million by the Brunei Economic Development Board (BEDB). This is the 3rd batch of recipients and for your info, LEAP grants are normally for those building prototypes where it will can be used to drive the economy of the country.

So far we have a lot of prototypes dealing with multimedia, mobile apps and IT to name a few. There are also those in the agriculture and fishing but mostly the grant recipients are in the IT field. To name a few success stories are such as MeSixty who created an app called Chatworthy which won a few accolades. Another success story is SocialBuzz for their enterprising business Social Deal.

This morning the 9 companies that were awarded mostly relates to IT and mobile applications. The event kicked off by Dr. Abdul Manaf, Deputy CEO of BEDB who shared that the LEAP program is aimed at providing financial assistance up to BND 150,000 to develop prototypes or pilot projects that have innovative technological content as well as commercial practicality in the ICT and non-ICT industries. Another great thing that Dr. Abdul Manaf mentioned was that this application is also open to students and researchers of Institute of Higher Learnings. By the way, two awardees are in that category. So hats off to you guys 😀

The guest of honour Dato Paduka Hj Ali Apong, Deputy Minister at the Prime Minister’s Office and Chairman of the BEDB, stated that this project is in line with His Majesty’s 65th which stated that the uses of technology and investment in research and innovation are important factors towards sustainable development of the country.

The Deputy Minister also highlighted that in order to strive for innovation, we cannot be complacent as that could be our biggest mistake (or downfall). He congratulated all the recipients and wished them the best of luck.

The recipients for the 3rd batch are 1) Brukiosk Communication 2) Halbase Company 3) Hoco Creative Company 4) Inspright Services 5) Institut Teknologi Brunei 6) Ivaps Sdn Bhd 7) Kin-Ethics Company 8) MediaHikmah 9) PHMD Publishing

Did you know that BEDB has granted a total of 23 companies amounting to BND 3 million? So guys, the opportunity is out there. It’s a matter of you taking that leap of faith and believing yourself that your ideas are innovative and useful. From what I heard, the next batch of application will be in April. So do check out BEDB’s website for updates.


Dato Paduka Hj Ali Apong, Deputy Minister at the Prime Minister’s Office and Chairman of BEDB delivering his speech


Dr. Abdul Manaf, Deputy CEO of BEDB delivering his welcoming remarks


Some of the recipients of the LEAP Grant award


Terence Han of Inspright Services is one of the LEAP Grant recipients


Simon Soo explaining to the guest of honour on his project based on the LEAP grant (2nd batch)


Do check out his online store which will be launched sometime this month


Zainal of Silver Wings Service talked about the social media platform


Hiro, one of the rising IT entrepreneurs, talked about his social deal business


Origins Film showcasing their project called Yasmine the movie


Elina of Roz Floraculture Greenhouse was also one of the previous recipients


BruInnovEdu showcasing their software too

 

BICTA 2013

 


Another great opportunity to showcase your ideas and talents

 

Futsal 4 Tournament

 


Registration is still open by the way 😀

 
UBD Open day a hit

 

This was a good opportunity for potential students from colleges and schools to find out courses available at Universiti Brunei Darussalam (UBD) at the Chancellor Hall last week. There were also participating companies such as BSP, BEDB, BLNG and Hengyi to name a few.

The UBD Open Day and Career Fair last three days. There were also UBD’s clubs and societies that made their presence to promote their club’s activities for the interest of future students. I thought the format and layout this year was much better than last year’s.


UBD FM had a successful outing this time round during the Open Day


Auditions for Rampai Pagi


Auditions as news caster for RTB


The lovely ladies from Hengyi


At the Brunei Economic Development Board area


Interested to join the army?


BSP had a lot of interest as well


The football club in UBD and congratulations to them on winning the University Cup 2013 early in February

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The guys from UBD Wildlife Club which plays a role of educating the public on the preserving the flora and fauna in Brunei and also record any unknown plant and animal species. The initiative is led by their club president Muhammad Shavez.


Do check out their event today at UBD. Click on image to see more of their activities.


Sneak preview of Wildlife Safari Walk. It’s happening later at 2:30pm. Public is also invited.

 

  

 

05
Mar

WSS

Written by Rano Iskandar. Posted in RA News

 

Lamb Spit is back!!

 


Click image to enter Radisson Facebook page for updates!!

 

Circus Firemen this month

 


Click image to enter website

 

RB flies daily twice to KL

 


Twice daily to Kuala Lumpur.

Men’s Health Urbanathlon 2013

 

Now this is something that I would love to join next year. I covered the 2nd edition two years back and it looked pretty fun. This year, The Men’s Health Urbanathlon 2013 had nine obstacles across 14km distance which started from the Nicoll Highway MRT station where you go through iconic landmarks and venues such as Marina Bay Sands and Fort Canning Hill to name a few.

This year there was quite a number of participants from Brunei in this year’s event. Most notably the group from Getfit Crossfit was the biggest representatives from Brunei. Below are some pictures from Stephanie Liew, Shamsul and Ak Herman. Thanks guys for sharing.

It was Stephanie Liew’s first Urbanathlon and as soon as she heard that the women’s category was available, she jumped and took the opportunity. She’s a crossfit enthuasiast and she’s active under the flagship of Getfit Crossfit group. She went last year with the team to support only. All in all, she had a wonderful experience and she won’t mind joining this event next year if given the chance.

“I’ve never run more than 12 km in my life. I trained by doing crossfit. I joined to challenge myself and I completed it in 2 hours. For me, the toughest obstacle was lateral move obstacle, ” shared Stephanie Liew.


With the Getfit Crossfit team from Brunei at Men’s Health Urbanathlon 2013


It’s good to see Bruneians taking part in this event


Well done Steve Lai and Stephanie Liew


Picture opportunity with Mini dudes and babes


The happy faces from #getfitcrossfit


This is the first time they open Urbanathlon to the ladies.. Awesome!!


Thanks Herman (right) for the pictures


They are proud of the finisher’s medals


If you are dirty, not to worry as these ladies will wash you down clean


The celebrities also joined the event – Colette Wong, Steve Lai and Kelly Latimer


Herman with the mini babes


Shamsul also participated and he had fun too


Shamsul had his wife Maizan to support him during the event



Shamsul crossed the finishing line


Shamsul had his wife Maizan to support him during the event


Sorry peeps.. No soap/foam party

 

National Day Pictures. Part III

 

04
Mar

Be in the now

Written by Rano Iskandar. Posted in RA News

 

Singapore Scholarship


Click image to download application form

Lamb Spit is back!!

 


Click image to enter Radisson Facebook page for updates!!

 

Circus Firemen this month

 


Click image to enter website

 

 
 
Yugo’s set lunch $6.90 only

 


Yugo BBQ lunch promotion from Monday to Thurs

Have you tried Yugo BBQ yet? I have made a few visits there already and the food is great.. Now they have a new lunch promotion for the Shabu-Shabu lunch whic is only $6.90.. You can choose either beef or chicken lunch set with a soup base selection of either chicken, beef, milk or curry. You can also have a choice of noodle or rice and you will be served with either cold or hot tea.

Now isn’t that a great deal for only BND 6.90 and the lunch promotion is only available from Monday to Thursday, from 11am to 2pm. For reservation, you can call 242 7790 or 878 5398 at Yugo BBQ. You can also follow updates on instagram @yugobbq


We tried the lunch set and we were kinda full but then again we ordered a few more side dishes


The lunch set comes with this


So you can either choose the chicken or beef


Do try out their home made spices


Fina loved the combo of the soup with the Kampung sauce. She’s definitely coming here again

 

The new Peugeot 408

 


Today’s the last day of the Peugeot Roadshow at Times Square

Last Thursday, the all-new 408 was unveiled to invited VIPs and guests at the Peugeot Kiarong showroom.

The guest of honour, His Excellency Mr. Jean – Yves Berthault, ambassador of Republic of France, Brunei was present and welcomed by the Chairman and the Managing Director of T.C.Y. Motors Sdn Bhd, Mr Teng Chin Ying and Mr Teng Chee Khiong respectively; where everyone that attended witnessed the launching of the new Peugeot 408, and there after a lucky draw in which the top prize was an Apple iPhone 5.

Officially debuting in the Brunei C-segment market, the 2.0L 408 is branded as an ideal choice for young professionals with families that looks for a car that offers space, quality and elegance.

For those who missed it, there is still a chance to view and test drive the all-new 408 at Times Square shopping centre as T.C.Y. Motors will hold a 4-day roadshow on the 1st of March 2013 until the 4th of March 2013. You can also drop by the Peugeot showroom or call 2426969 to find out more details. Like Peugeot Brunei on facebook.com/PeugeotBru to continue to stay updated with the latest Peugeot updates.


The winner of the iPhone 5 presented by Yves Berthault, Ambassador of Republic of France to Brunei


The new Peugeot 408 unveiled last Thursday


Teng Chee Kiong, Managing Director of T.C.Y. Motors


The French Ambassador trying out the new Peugeot


It was such a huge crowd despite the rain


At the reception area of the event

 

Singapore Food Festival

 


Group photo with Singapore High Commission to Brunei, Royal Brunei Catering, Baiduri Bank and Singapore Tourism Board at Dynasty Restaurant

Royal Brunei Catering (RBC) has once again brought back the Singapore Food Festival which was officially launched on, Wednesday, February 27, at Dynasty Restaurant in Gadong. The Singapore Food Festival last day is on the 12th of March.

The Singapore Food Festival has a special surprise for its patrons as RBC flew in Chef Lee Chin Choong from Royal Plaza on Scotts Singapore, to prepare the best of Singapore flavours for Brunei patrons.

Chef Lee will showcase a range of delicious Singapore dishes from the rich, multicultural heritage of Singapore. Dishes like the famous Singapore Chili Crab, Classic Hainanese Chicken Rice, Singapore Rojak, Fish Head Curry, Mee Rebus, Bugis Street style ‘Ayam Percik’ and many more.

The food festival was officially launched by the guest of honour Hj Mahrub Hj Murni, Permanent Secretary of the Prime Minister’s Office. Also present at the event were High Commissioner of Singapore to Brunei Jaya Ratnam; special guest YAM Pg Sanggamara Diraja Major General (Rtd) Pg Hj Ibnu Ba’asith Pg Datu Penghulu Pg Hj Apong; Deputy Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Finance; Director of RBC Sdn Bhd Hj Abu Bakar Hj Ibrahim, CEO of Baiduri Bank Pierre Imhof; General Manager of RBC Hj Omar Ali Hj Mohd Daud; and invited guests.

In his opening remarks, Hj Omar Ali said, “RBC is actively bringing food promotion after food promotion in which our objectives are to introduce to the food lovers in Brunei the variety of authentic cuisine from all parts of the world.”

“For the past five years, RBC’s Singapore Food Festival has served up more than 13,000 covers with an average of 2,600 covers for every Singapore Food Festival. Through out the two weeks of Food Festival, we are averaging 180 people a day for lunch and dinner,” added Hj Omar Ali of the Singapore Food Festival in the past.

Singaporean High Commissioner also presented a speech where he said, “the love for food is ingrained in our DNA and is a part of our national identity Food and eating have become the social thread which sutures Singapore’s multicultural and multiethnic tapestry.”


Hj Mahrub Hj Murni, Permanent Secretary of the Prime Minister’s Office, launching the Singapore Food Festival


YAM Pg Sanggamara Diraja Major General (Rtd) Pg Hj Ibnu Ba’asith receiving a memento from Hj Omar Ali Hj Mohd Daud, General Manager of Royal Brunei Catering


High Commissioner of Singapore to Brunei Jaya Ratnam giving his welcoming remarks

Lunch buffet price for the Singapore Food Festival is $19.90 for an adult and $10 for children meanwhile for the dinner buffet will be $29.90 for an adult and $15 for children. There will be a 10 per cent exclusive discounts for RBC Dining Privilege Card holders. Baiduri Bank Card members are also entitled to a special discounts during the food festival. There will be a 20 per cent for Infinite and Platinum card holders and 15 per cent for Gold, Classic and Debit card with double chances for the lucky draw.

Diners will also stand a chance to win special prizes such as one return air ticket to Singapore, courtesy of Singapore Airlines, with three days, two nights stay at Royal Plaza on Scott’s Singapore in the Executive Suite which also includes a breakfast for two and many more.

Also during the food festival, diners can send a photo of their Singapore Food Festival 2013 experience via the RBC Facebook page and stand a chance to win two sets of Blackberry phones. A photo booth is set up especially for dine-in customers to capture moments while at the food festival.

For more information and reservations, contact Dynasty Restaurant at 2430185/6. Text courtesy of Zatty Joanda of The Brunei Times.


Some of the food selections


The rojak section


The noodle section


Sausages… yummm…


Singapore Chilli Crab


Mantao with the chilli crab sauce.. yumm!!!


Chef Lee Chin Choong from Carousel, Royal Plaza on Scotts Singapore


Dessert selection


Dining with the local media is always fun


Hi Muiz and Zatty 😀


Hey buddy, you are on RA.. Don’t forget to update me ah.. you know what I mean haha


Tiger has his ways of eating ice kacang on a flat plate


It was full house on the first night

 

02
Mar

False and true

Written by Rano Iskandar. Posted in RA News

 
Singapore Scholarship

 


Click image to download application form

 

Lamb Spit is back!!

 


Click image to enter Radisson Facebook page for updates!!

 

Circus Firemen this month


Click image to enter website

 

 
8th Belait Travel Fair


Come down to KB this weekend for the travel fair

 

Tawau incident: Update

 

I’m still saddened by the news of the Tawau ordeal. The students and lecturers returned safely at Brunei International Airport yesterday and it was a very emotional atmosphere for the students and families. However, on a sadder note, the body of Muhd Azizan bin Mohd Sidek, a second year Bachelor of Science (Major in Geology) student from UBD, was found 5 km away from the scene at Sg. Balung, Tawau, Sabah. His body was flown back on a Royal Brunei Air Force (RBAirF) CN235 Aircraft which arrived at the Royal Brunei Air Force Base in Kg. Rimba last night along with the family members.

The search still continues for the other missing student with the help of Sabah police and fire personnel as of press time. According to the press, Brunei’s Consulate General in Sabah was also there to monitor the search and rescue efforts and also taking care of the welfare of the students and lecturers then.

For your info, the 1:15 second video that has been circulated around does not relate to the Tawau incident. The actual video is taken from Patalpani waterfall which happened back in 2011. So peeps, please don’t spreading news or information that is untrue.


The atmosphere yesterday after the arrival of the UBD students and lecturers as they reunited with their families at Brunei International Airport. Image courtesy of Hakim Hayat.


The press conference held yesterday on the Tawau situation

Today I read the papers from Borneo Bulletin which had an account told from a survivor Siti Lieyana Md Azffri. She’s now being treated for minor injuries and she had an in-depth interview with Danial Norjidi of Borneo Bulletin.

So do bear with me as the words below are spoken from Siti Lieyana herself, extracted from today’s article in Sunday Bulletin.

“When we arrived and were still on the bus, we noticed the grey skies and hence, prepared our raincoats. I did not bring mine along and only wore my tudong and normal clothes.

“Since it was the last day of our trip, I became extra active. I walked at the front line with a friend who also got swept away by the currents. Twenty-eight of us were divided into groups so those in the first group ended up being swept away. We noticed that to cross the river, we had to pass through a forest amid the light showers. Making our own tracks, we followed our lecturers, Dr Bill and Binu from Sabah.”

“Half of the group gave up and returned to the bus. The rest of us, however, decided to complete the journey as we were close to our destination. All of us were in a joyful mood especially after coming across a Diarite, a volcanic rock. “As we crossed the river, rocks were still visible on the leftcorner. It was deemed safe to cross, as the other side of the river was deep. Our lecturers began their explanation as we took pictures and videos. On our way back, we realised that the once-visible rocks had submerged underwater.

“To resolve the predicament, the boys held hands to form a ‘bridge’ to ferry the girls across first. I was the second last and the other five to six girls managed to safely cross the river except us.

“When my turn came along with my friend, the water had risen from knee-level to our stomachs, very quickly. I was about a step or two away when the girl behind me slipped and fell down.

“Dr Bill asked me not to let her go. He held onto her so we slipped as well. Tragedy struck soon after as Binu, the Sabah lecturer who was hanging on to Dr Bill fell into the waters. Another person tried to save me but got swept away by the strong currents too.

“I was stuck between the rocks but then a friend pulled me down as we were both trying to help each other. I held on to another guy, and he also fell as well. Hence, there were three guys on the rock who had not crossed yet.

“We had nowhere to go, so we just stood there waiting.

“Then one of them said, ‘Okay, I don’t know how to swim, you have to help me if anything.

“The events after that became blurry as I had already fallen into the waters. My fellow friends said I fell at a deep spot and couldn’t feel the river bed due to its depth.

At this point, I hung on to dear life and tried to breathe amidst the strong currents that spun and pulled me underwater. I tried to reach the surface but kept going back into the waters up to a point where I gave up. I waited to black out and prepared for the worst but somehow, I felt something on my hands and my survival instincts told me to pull the piece of wood or branch-like thing.

“I used the ‘wood’ as support to climb out but eventually fell down. I probably attempted it five times before finally managing to climb back onto land. After reaching the river bank, I almost fainted, but told myself, ‘I can’t just stay there because no one will find me’ and it was almost getting dark.

She then repeatedly shouted for help for quite some time, in the hopes that someone would hear her. A young man then appeared and asked, “Buat apa di sini? (What are you doing here?)” and I said, “Saya hanyut (I got washed away)”.

“I immediately told him my name, age and that I was from Brunei. I told him I was about to faint.”

He then took Lieyana to a house where he lived with his parents.


The Health Minister paid a visit to see Siti Lieyana Md Azffri. Image taken from Sunday Bulletin.


The river that they were crossing. Image taken from Sunday Bulletin.

“His mother took me inside, helped me shower, changed my clothes and made me some hot drinks and even cooked cucur pisang (banana fritters) for me to eat.

“Their son, who first found me, had to buy credit for his phone so we could use it. So I just waited and when he came back, I used his phone to call my mum and told her what had happened and assured her I was safe.”

She explained that her ‘rescuers’ are the only family living there. They have an orchard and are immigrants from Bugis but are Muslims.

“I was very blessed to have met them,” she said The kind family took care of her, told her to rest and assured they would find one of the rescuers to help her.

It was an hour or two before a rescuer came as the place was isolated and a far distance from where the incident had occurred.

“I asked his mother how far away I was, and she said 30-40 minutes walking distance. “I said I couldn’t walk that far and she suggested going by motorbike as it would be faster. After 7pm, it was really dark and one of the rescuers took me on his motorbike and crossed these hills before we finally reached a road.

“We then met up with the Fire Department at a roundabout and from there, they took me all the way to the location where I met up with the rest of my group.

“It was really scary,” Siti said and she was thankful to have survived. Source: Danial Norjidi of Borneo Bulletin.

Places to go today

 

 
8th Belait Travel Fair

 


Dermot Mannion, Deputy Chairman of Royal Brunei Airlines at the Royal Brunei Airlines booth at 8th Belait Travel Fair at Dewan Bandaran (KB)

Royal Brunei Airlines (RB) and Abacus Brunei successfully launched the 8th Belait Travel which took place at Dewan Bandaran in Kuala Belait yesterday. Today will be the final day of the travel fair which saw a huge flow of crowd early in the morning. Ironically KB had to undergo a scheduled power cut for most of the day but thanks to the generator, the travel agents were able to make flight arrangements through the Abacus system.

Yesterday the event was officially launched by Dermot Mannion, Deputy Chairman of Royal Brunei Airlines, and he proudly announced the increase of flights to KL to 14 flights a week, effective 22nd May 2013. double daily flights will be departing Bandar Seri Begawan at 9am and 6.10pm every day, arriving at Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) at 11.15am and 8.25pm respectively. The return flights will depart KLIA at 12.45pm and 9.10pm, and arrive in Bandar Seri Begawan at 3.15pm and 11.30pm respectively.

According to Mannion, the announcement marked another important milestone in the development of RB’s services around the region. Yesterday RB also announced a special deal where you can fly to KL for only BND 222 (all-in) but the special air fare was only applicable for yesterday’s booking.

I just bought my air fare tickets to Singapore for my March (Russell Peters) and May (Sundown Marathon) and the prices were fairly reasonable too. So do come down to Dewan Bandaran in Kuala Belait as today is the final day of the travel fair. Do drive safe too 😀


Jenny was the emcee yesterday and Happy Birthday to you which falls today 😀


Dermot Mannion announced the 14 flights to KL starting 22nd May


He officiated the launch of the travel fair


Tourism Malaysia also participated in the exhibition and they are happy of the increased flights to KL


The guys from Darussalam Holdings working hard


One of the customers playing darts to claim Royal Skies points


He managed to get a 1,000+ Royal Skies points


It was pretty packed early in the morning


Fina taking advantage of the promotional fare. Happy flying :p


Great privileges for Baiduri Cardholders too


Radisson Brunei have special deals during school holiday and the room rates are worth to check out


Mizah was excited to win prizes from the quiz yesterday


Those who booked or purchased tickets are eligible for the lucky draw


Sometimes I won’t be drawn to price gimmicks. The electronic display of prices doesn’t include tax for your info.


The organisers’ life saviour yesterday – the generator


 
BARA Ultimate Rainy League 2013 – Day 2

 

 

01
Mar

Praying for the missing

Written by Rano Iskandar. Posted in RA News

 
Lamb Spit is back!!

 


Click image to enter Radisson Facebook page for updates!!

 

 

Circus Firemen this month

 


Click image to enter website

 

 
8th Belait Travel Fair

 


Come down to KB this weekend for the travel fair

 
The Ugly Truth

 

RA says Yea… the Ugly Truth is back.. There have been many, many unfortunate incidents in Brunei and I just dunno where to start. Nonetheless I’m still grateful that we are still living in a much more peaceful environment as compared to other countries. Let’s hope all these incidents are just phases as they have been happening from day to day basis.

The mystery of the “cement case” is still under investigation where one Malaysian national was found dead. The authorities are working on the case and it will be concluded in a few weeks’ time. The cause of death is still being determined.

Then recently a robbery took place at The Mall, Gadong which involved two staff (from a popular franchise food outlet) being injured. There was a crime scene tape outside The Mall but it only lasted less than 24 hours. The case is still under investigation.

The following day, another tragic news happened. A lady lost her life in the vicinity of Jerudong and some said the elephant, residing in the JPCC Housing Area, might lead to her death. Yet another unfortunate incident and the actual cause of it is still undetermined based on reports on the paper. My deepest condolences to the family.

Last night, two more shocking news where one is on high alert as the respective personnels are in search for two representatives from UBD who went missing on Sungai Balung, near Tawau, Sabah. Apparently four representatives of the 29 on boat fell into the river but only two were rescued. As of now, the search still continues for the missing ones. I pray for the safety of those missing.

In other news, a car caught on fire before midnight near the airport highway. News were also spreading like wildfire on whatsapp, twitter and facebook. I heard there was no casualty but I can’t confirm on that. According to a witness, he couldn’t see anyone around the scene but there were a pile of cars parked by the road to witness the fire itself. It also caused a queue along the highway too.

So peeps, these are some of the unfortunate incidents that have happened in the country (and some in the span of a few days). I hope the slide won’t keep going down in terms of unfortunate situations. As for now, I hope for the search of the missing representatives will be successful and thank you to His Majesty’s Government for allowing to send five officers from UBD and the families of the 4 representatives to Sabah through Royal Brunei Airlines BI 829 last night and thank you to Royal Brunei Airlines for the convenience and accessibility.

For a happier note, I’m happy that b•mobile communications is back in business. The petition of winding-up the mobile telco that was initiated by TelBru in early February has been dismissed. And the new interesting development is the Ministry of Finance which is now involved in the management and overseeing the operations of b•mobile communications. MOF have also appointed an Executive Manager to play a role in b•mobile communications day-to-day operations.

After going through some tough times, it’s safe to say that b•mobile is back and I salute to the associates of b•mobile who have been there through thick and thin and have that self-belief in the company through difficult times. Do check out their upcoming promotion soon and I shall keep you posted on that too.

I still have a few things that I would like to express but I’m just gonna give it a rest for now. It’s not easy to just dig deep in my thoughts and express what I feel like saying. Right now my mind is pretty clouded and my eyes are drooping too *lol* and I have a two hour drive in the next few hours or so for the upcoming 8th Belait Travel Fair. I need my beauty rest and that’s it for now from me 😀


One of the angles of the car that caught on fire on the highway. Image courtesy of @mnewn


The fire caused a long jam by midnight. The fire image courtesy of @kurapak360.

 

DPMM FC 3 Hougang United 3

 


What a goal by Hougang’s Shotton late in the first half. He canceled Shahrazen’s opening goal. Half time score 1-1.


The crowd wasn’t as much but it’s not bad for the first home game of the season. Mind you for all ticket holders, you might stand a chance to win the grand prize which is the Volkswagen Polo sponsored by Maju Motors Sdn. Bhd.


The medics on the job for the match


The personal medic for the Singapore clubs


This glancing header from Shahrazen made it 3-1 for DPMM FC in the 61st minute. However, the celebration was shortlived.


I never realised the corner flags are in DPMM FC colours


What a save by the defender!! He was on the goal line but some argued that he used his arm to prevent the ball past the goal line. I thought it was courageous of him to quickly dive down and deflected the ball for a corner. It could have been 4-1 to DPMM FC.


This was a heavily contest match between the two teams


At this time, Ivan was fouled in the box and a penalty was given. Hougang had already pulled back a goal to 3-2.


The foul in the box warranted a yellow card to a Hougang defender and apparently both coaches weren’t impressed with some of the decisions


DPMM bench was shocked that Shahrazen missed a penalty and also a chance to claim his first hat-trick of the season. Shahrazen’s effort was saved and it could have been 4-2 for DPMM FC. Two minutes later, Hougang’s Sulaiman scored the equaliser 3-3. Wow!!


The referee consulted the linesman and gave the penalty to DPMM FC again for the second time


Captain Meng of Hougang United was sent off for the foul on DPMM FC’s Joao in the box


The peace maker tried to control the reaction from his team mates of Hougang towards the referee’s decision


Since Shahrazen missed the earlier penalty, Ivan was given the opportunity. However, his effort was saved by Fadhil. In this picture, Ivan refused to shake hand with a Hougang player (smiling) before the penalty kick and perhaps that changed their luck when Fadhil saved his effort.


Though DPMM FC’s new import player Joao scored his first goal, it remains to be seen if he is the right man to partner Shahrazen


Late in the game, Joao was fouled in the box but his appeal for a penalty wasn’t successful


I took this shot because I was amazed by the moon in the distant *lol*


Simunic was the unhappier of the two and he blamed the referee for not giving more penalties. Hougang’s coach was more than happy to earn a point.

 

 

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