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Download SnapFeed app on your smartphones and check out the latest deals in Brunei and also get rewarded from respective merchants such as BurgerKing, KFC and Sushi Tei to name a few and also check out the new movie listings as well.

 

The three day activity hosted by Best Eastern will start off with a colouring contest for kids

Woohooo.. Am I gonna get hooked to colouring? I just recently bought a colour book called the Enchanted Forest and also some colour pencils to go alone with it 😀 Apparently these special colouring books by Johanna Basford (Enchanted Forest and Secret Garden) have bene very, very popular among ADULTS… That’s right.. Adults… Reason being is that the activity of colouring is very therapeutic and it can become addictive. So yes, I am giving it a shot as I bought one myself at Best Eastern last night.

However, since I’m on the subject of colouring, let me share with you that Best Eastern will be kicking off their activities starting tomorrow and it will be a colour contest for children. Do look at the details below and it will be a great time for parents to send their kids for this contest as it’s the school holidays.

Doodle Art Colouring Contest
11th September 2pm to 5pm
Open for kids 5 – 12 years old
Bring your own colouring pencils.  Will provide the colouring pages.
Prizes :

$100 Gift vouchers plus gift pack – 1st Prize

$80   Gift Vouchers plus gift  pack – 2nd Prize

$50  Gift Vouchers plus gift Pack  – 3rd Prize

Consolation Prizes as well.

The event will take place at Best Eastern, Times Square Shopping Centre but you can register at all counters at any Best Eastern outlets in Brunei but you will have to purchase any of the colouring book by Johanna Basford or Millie Marotta to eligible for registration.

Good luck to all the participants of the colouring contest.

One of the activities done earlier this week. This is a sample of what to expect for the colour contest.

Even adults are hooked with colouring 😀

Purchase one of the books, for instance, Secret Garden, for your children to be eligible for the Doodle Art Colouring Contest tomorrow, Friday 11th September.

The results of the colour can turn out like this

Another sample from the Secret Garden book when you colour it in.

The books are available at Best Eastern.

I even invested in colour pencils from Derwent at Best Eastern last night

Behold.. there’s even colouring contest for adults.. Woohooo..

Press release from Autoriti Monetari Brunei Darussalam. Have you heard of financial scams? They are scams involving deposits, money transfers and credit card transactions. Although some financial scams are too good to be true, there are many people that still become victims.

These are the common financial scams in Brunei:

1. Get-rich-quick scheme: a plan, which offers high returns or dividends not usually available through traditional investments. The focus of such schemes would be to obtain deposits without a valid product or services which will be used to pay returns or dividends to earlier investors. The scheme may take the following forms:

  Ponzi scheme

  Pyramid scheme

  Gold investment

  Land-banking investment

  Forex trading

2. Credit card scam: Scammers calling victim’s phone pretending to be a bank officer informing that the victim’s credit card is suspected of crime. For verification purpose, the victims will be deceived into providing their credit card details.

3. Job scam: Scammers pretending to offer a job in their organisation. However, in order to secure the job offer, the victim must pay an upfront fee.

4. Lottery and competition scam: Scammers send out an SMS blast to would-be victims informing them of prizes they have won in competitions organised by some big companies and are advised to pay an entrance fee.

5. Inheritance Scams: Scammers assume the role of lawyers or representatives for a recently deceased distant relative or wealthy benefactor leaving a large inheritance usually in cash of which is to be distributed amongst them at an agreed percentage.

6. Internet love scam: (LOL, never been duped by this before) By creating fake profiles, fraudsters have managed to exploit the other users by pretending to develop an intimate and personal relationship with their victims.

The grand prize for the Open Category to top off with the BND 1,200 cash prize

AMBD believe that it is important to educate the public and raise their awareness to protect innocent people from becoming unfortunate victims. Show your support and creativity by creating a short video on financial scams awareness!

Well, there’s a good incentive for you to join!! Because the winners will win awesome prizes. For the Open Category, first place will win BND 1,200 cash prize with a GoPro Hero 4 Silver Edition, second place will win BND 900 cash prize with Sony Handycam while third place will win BND 600 with Sony HDR. There will also be student category with cash prizes for top three winners – BND 1,000, BND 750 and BND 500 respectively.

I won’t spare much details here but you can download the PDF form for eligibility and other information. Good luck and the deadline for submission is 30th October 2015.

 

BIBD announced its Race Entry Pack for the 2015 CE ALAF (Charity Expedition for Advocating Life-Long Learning for an Aspiring Future programme). The pack includes a runners’ shirt and a CE ALAF backpack. Additional merchandise is also available on the CE ALAF website such as Polar running watches, which can be purchased during the registration of the CE ALAF.

Registrations for CE ALAF can be completed via the ALAF website at www.bibdalaf.com or at CE ALAF Kiosks at Aewon outlet in Kiarong, Seria and Airport Mall.

Payment for registration along with merchandise purchases can be made directly via the website using any Debit or Credit cards or via cash payments through BIBD online, BIBD Mobile, BIBD CDMs and counters at BIBD Branches to the BIBD CSR Raised Fund Account at 1010400011.

For all participants opting to register their participation via cash payments, participants are required to keep their proof of payment in the form of deposit slips for payments via BIBD counters and CDMs, or printed online receipts or screenshots for payments made through BIBD Online and BIBD Mobile platforms. These proofs of payments must to be presented at the Race Entry Pack Collection weekend, together with their donation proceeds slip.

The closing date for registrations will be on the 30th of September 2015, whereby the first 1500 successful registrations will also be entitled to free limited edition CE merchandise.

The running kit for this edition of BIBD CE ALAF

BIBD is also inviting interested persons to register their interest as volunteers, where they will receive official CE ALAF 2015 volunteer t-shirts. Slots for volunteers are however limited and contact details of each volunteer has to be submitted to the BIBD CE ALAF team at csr@bibd.com.bn by the 25th September 2015.

This year’s CE will include a new competitive 5km Open Men and Women’s category. Other categories include an Open and Bruneian 21km and 10km, Men and Women’s category along with a non-competitive 3km fun run and cycling expedition. Fees for the respective categories vary starting at B$25. Participants will also stand a chance to win prizes of up to B$2,000. BIBD would also like to inform the public that a designated area will be provided for Subuh Prayers.

The CE is one of the imperative strategic ideas for fundraising in order to sustain ALAF as a long term initiative. ALAF is BIBD’s flagship CSR programme. This year’s CE is hoped to build on its previous successes with more than 6,000 participants all contributing to raise a total amount of over B$ 665,000, an illustration of Bruneians as a caring society.

The complete sponsors and partners of the BIBD CE ALAF

The ALAF programme, launched in May 2013 by Her Royal Highness Paduka Seri Pengiran Anak Isteri Pengiran Anak Sarah, was developed in close partnership with the Ministry of Education which will lead to constant efforts and close collaboration between both parties to ensure the successful implementation and provision of assistance to the ALAF programme. At the same time, The ALAF programme is also supported by the Islamic Studies Department from the Ministry of Religious Affairs. The ALAF programme currently has almost a hundred students under its care.

The ALAF programme provides the selected students with provisions for school and tuition fees, educational materials and welfare, as well as mentoring and counseling necessities amongst others. All this is to help ensure the absolute commitment of these students towards the development of their education, and not let them be bothered by the other commitments that come with. The ALAF programme will also continue to provide support and assistance to these students until the end of their respective educational requirement needs.

Through ALAF, BIBD hopes to align its support to His Majesty’s 2035 vision of obtaining a 100% level of education to everyone, which in turn is hoped to help reduce poverty, In Shaa Allah, leading Brunei towards a more prosperous and peaceful future, making Brunei populated with educated, highly skilful and successful individuals, in line with internationally set standards.

Apart from contributions during the CE, members of the public wishing to contribute into the BIBD ALAF fund may do so with a minimum donation of B$1.01 into the BIBD ALAF account at 1018181811. Contributing is further made easier as the public can utilise existing BIBD channels such as the BIBD Online website, BIBD Mobile app, BIBD ATM and CDMs, and BIBD branch counters. The public can also set up a BIBD Standing Instruction to ensure a monthly donation into the ALAF fund. As an added benefit, BIBD account holders can also use their accumulated BIBD Hadiah Points for cash conversion into contributions into the ALAF fund account.

A few weeks ago BIBD launched their third expedition to support ALAF

Cool medal for this year’s edition

 

Congratulations to all the graduates. Catch me on Snapchat and Periscope.

The graduates of the Universiti Brunei Darussalam 27th Convocation

Yang Amat Mulia Pengiran Indera Setia Diraja Sahibul Karib Pengiran Anak Hj Idris, Executive Chairman of Indera Motors (2nd from left) with British High Commissioner David Campbell, Hj Khairuddin Hj Abd Hamid, Deputy Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Industry and Primary Resources (guest of honour) and Yang Amat Mulia Pg Anak Ghaffar during the launch of the Discovery Sport at The Empire Hotel & Country Club recently. Image courtesy of Azli Azney of The Brunei Times.

Late post: Recently Indera Motors Sdn Bhd, the sole distributor of Jaguar and Land Rover, launched the Land Rover Discovery Sport at the Empire Hotel & Country Club. In attendance were Executive Chairman of Indera Motors Yang Amat Mulia Pengiran Indera Setia Diraja Sahibul Karib Pengiran Anak Hj Idris officiated at the launch ceremony, with Deputy Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Industry and Primary Resources Hj Khairuddin Hj Abd Hamid as the guest of honour. Also present was Yang Amat Mulia Pg Anak Ghaffar and British High Commissioner David Campbell.

Noormala Othman, Senior Executive Manager of Indera Motors, gave a brief introduction of the Discovery Sport before the launch of the car. The Discovery Sport will be a big hit in Brunei because of its premium value and still affordable as the price tag starts at $73,800 on the road. As you know Land Rover has a 66 year history and it’s the first of its kind for the Discovery family to introduce a compact premium SUV in Brunei.

For more information on the new Discovery Sport or a test drive, visit the Indera Motors Showroom at Lot Q2, Q3 and Q4 at the Lambak Kanan Industrial area in Berakas. It is open from 8am until 5pm Mondays to Thursdays, Fridays from 8am until 11.30am and 2.30pm until 5pm, and Saturdays from 8am until 4pm. Images courtesy of Azli Azney of The Brunei Times.

Noormala Othman, Senior Executive Manager of Indera Motors

Unveiling the Discovery Sport

Ain’t that just a sexy car? 😀

It’s the competition of the Humourous Contest and Speech Evaluation Contest for Brunei toastmasters. For your info, Brunei has four toastmasters clubs, namely Brunei Speakers’ Club, OTTERS, UBD Toastmasters Club and Brunei Advanced Speakers’ Club.

Two representatives from each club will contest and the winner of the respective category will represent Brunei in the Division Level at Kota Kinabalu, Sabah in early October.

The event will take place at OGDC, Seria this Sunday at 2pm. Yea, it’s quite a fair ride for those residing in town but if you have nothing better to do and also wanting to be entertained, then why not spare $5 to listen to eight speakers on their humorous speeches.

Jason Koo, one of the favourites for Humourous Speech. Good luck, buddy!

Elaine Tsang is also one of the finalists for the Area K6 contest

Humourous Contest

Supatra Lee – Brunei Speakers’ Club
Rano Iskandar – Brunei Speakers’ Club
Rozana Hj Yunos – Brunei Advanced Speakers’ Club
Pranika Lama – Brunei Advanced Speakers’ Club
Jason Koo – OTTERS
Elaine Tsang – OTTERS
Brendan Ti – UBD Toastmasters Club
Julius Hong – UBD Toastmasters Club

Speech Evaluation Contest

Supatra Lee – Brunei Speakers’ Club
Rano Iskandar – Brunei Speakers’ Club
Rozana Hj Yunos – Brunei Advanced Speakers’ Club
Nina Kifrawi – Brunei Advanced Speakers’ Club
Hazwan Kamarulzaman – OTTERS
Philip – OTTERS
Pranika Lama – UBD Toastmasters Club
Farhan Jaafar Ali – UBD Toastmasters Club

So good luck to all the contestants and the most important thing is to have fun, fun, fun 😀 The previous Area K6 winner was Allen Ang who bagged both the Humourous Contest and Speech Evaluation Contest.

This is the venue for the Area K6 contest at OGDC, Seria this coming Sunday at 2pm

The reason why I joined toastmasters – learning, leadership and friendship

Cool t-shirts for the test drive session of the Discovery Sport last August

Written and experienced by Aliya Zin, reporter from rano360.com: Indera Motors Sdn Bhd, the sole distributor for Jaguar and Land Rover in Brunei invited members of the media for a two day media escapade to Keningau, Sabah on 19th-20th August, to experience the new Discovery Sport, and the first member of the new Discovery family.

I was fortunate to have been part of the media group who went on the trip to Keningau, and experience what the new Discovery Sport has to offer. Full disclosure : I’m not a car aficionado, so if my opinion on the vehicle is seriously lacking in information, it’s only because I looked at it as a someone who views cars as a means to get from point A to point B, so I’ll do my best.

The seven vehicle expedition was flagged off by YAM Pg Anak Hj Abdul Ghaffar bin PISDSK Pg Anak Hj Idris, the General Manager of Indera Motors, from the Indera Motors showroom, and departed to Lawas, Tenom, Keningai and touring through the famous Crocker Range National Park in Sabah.

There were four of us road trip buddies in the white Discovery Sport : myself, Tiger Lim, Ragadah from BT and Alizan Maidin from Indera Motors. Tiger Lim was the first to take the wheel, taking us through Kuala Lurah all the way to Melasak Waterfall.

From a passenger’s point of view, the Discovery Sport is awesomely roomy. The rear compartment was able to fit 4 bags and a cooler and still fit some durian if we chose to carry back, but didn’t. For a passenger, the Discovery Sport is kind of a dream.. there are FIVE!, yes 5, USB ports to make it easy for you to charge your electronic devices, so there will be no arguing among passengers. The fully equipped infotainment system also allows you to connect your smartphone via Bluetooth, so you can listen to your favourite playlists and rock out on those long road trips without having to fiddle with long AUX cables. Another thing worth noting is there is a storage space between the driver and the passenger seat, which you can easily connect a USB hard drive to access an extensive music library, just like Alizan did.

Video of the Discovery Sport expedition. Reported and shot by The Brunei Times.

YAM Pg Anak Hj Abdul Ghaffar bin PISDSK Pg Anak Hj Idris, the General Manager of Indera Motors officially flagged off the Discovery Sport expedition

One of the Discovery Sport being driven

Among the features of Discovery Sport SUV are a Terrain Response system that includes a full suite of all-terrain technologies such as Hill Descent Control, Gradient Release Control (GRC) and Wade Sensing among others. This came in handy as we were headed down the trail to Melasak Waterfall, which had a rocky hilly terrain, and gave us the opportunity to test out the Hill Descent Control in particular.

What’s interesting about the Hill Descent Control is that you leave the speed up to the Discovery Sport. With feet off the accelerator, and hands firmly on the steering, and heart in my throat.. I took my foot off the brake, and let the vehicle do its thing. I was surprised at how easy it was to take my foot firmly off the brake and let the SUV take control of the descent. Not only was it capable of handling the terrain, but it took relatively smoothly. The speed of the Hill Descent control can be adjusted, so you can take it down as slowly as you wish. I had full trust in the vehicle and quite enjoyed the off-road experience.

Class-leading off-road capability stands at the core of Land Rover DNA. Naturally, the Discovery Sport’s body geometry has been optimised for even the harshest terrain, with excellent ground clearance, approach, departure and breakover angles, and an ability to wade through water to a depth of 600mm.

The Terrain Response system, meanwhile, allows the Discovery Sport’s steering, throttle response, gearbox, centre-coupling and braking/stability systems to be able to meet the demands of the challenging terrain. This is due to the fact that the system has four settings: General; Grass/Gravel/Snow (for slippery conditions on- and off-road); Muds and Ruts; and Sand.

There was also the test sampling of the durian

The rugged SUV

Nice shot of the Discovery Sport

The media representatives from Brunei

Our overnight lodgings were at the Dimie Pendalaman Resort Hotel, which takes a journey up a winding road up the mountain range, which the Discovery Sport handles with no problem. With its gorgeous, streamlined high-strength steel and lightweight aluminium bodyshell, it looks like in belonged among the green expanse and foggy views. I was definitely in love with the white vehicle, and not just because we had bonded inside it, but because the colour looked easy on the eyes, and just right in proportions of modern sleek and ruggedness.

The heart of the Land Rover Discovery Sport SUV is its engine: an all-alloy Si4 2.-litre with 240PS with direct fuel injection, thus providing power behind all the awesome technology. This six-cylinder engine cuts carbon dioxide emissions by up to 20 per cent, compared to conventional larger capacity engines with a similar power output.

All engine derivatives of the Land Rover Discovery Sport features advanced ZF 9HP48 nine-speed automatic transmission. Features include the next generation integral and advanced multi-link rear axle, all-new touchscreen infotainment system and state-of-the-art, and the Discovery Sport is fitted with a bold new headlamp design that integrates a slim, wraparound design and circular daytime-running lights (DTRLs). At the rear of the vehicle, the spoiler is crafted to optimise airflow for exceptional aerodynamic efficiency. The new Discovery Sport is well-armed with improved safety standards including the seven airbags inside the cabin and first-in-class pedestrian airbag that enhances pedestrian protection.

The fast bonnet line creates a distinctively compact profile that features significant interior space with optimal five plus two seating. This streamlined design allows all-round visibility, while the interior and load space areas are easily accessible.

The Discovery Sport’s interior has been designed to be premium and provide a versatile and calming space, with the centre being easily accessible from the Sports Command Driving Position.
After the two day trip, it’s so easy to see why the Discovery Sport is the world’s most versatile premium compact SUV. It’s just chock full of features that makes you want to get on the road and drive. But don’t just take my word for it, head down to the Indera Motors Showroom at Lot Q2 – Q4, Lambak Kanan Industrial Area and take her for a spin. It will a drive you will not regret.

Recently, a large crowd of supportive family and friends came out to support the opening of Lokalground, a collective store which is made up of 8 brands which made the step up from selling online on Instagram and Facebook to having a physical space to display their products to a wider audience.

Lokalground was the brain child of co-owner, Muhammad Abdul Najib Azhar bin Abdullah of Khalifahood, who pitched the idea to his clothing brand contemporaries. Eight brands, consisting of 7 local talents and 1 brand from Kuala Lumpur, make up the collective, namely : Khalifahood, Rule Clothing, VillieBeast, The Apparel Corner, Bruland Clothing, FWDs84, Roast and Roll Streetwear and Benua.BWN (Brunei stockist for Benua Clothing KL).

The store itself will serve as a focal point for the brands and allowing their customers to the have an opportunity to appreciate the wares instore and look at the other participating brands.
The store is located at #21.5, The Souq, 1st floor, The Airport Mall. Opening times are Tuesdays to Sundays from 10 am to 8 pm, Fridays 2 pm to 8 pm and closed on Mondays. Any changes to opening times will be updated on @lokalground instagram account.

These 8 young entrepreneurs have more exciting projects lined up in the near future and look forward to working with more local brands within the Brunei independent clothing industry.

Group photo with top senior management of Authoriti Monetari Brunei Darussalam, top senior management of Baiduri Bank, diplomats and associates of Baiduri Capital Sdn Bhd during the launch of Baiduri Capital this morning

Yang Berhormat Pehin Orang Kaya Indera Pahlawan Dato Seri Setia Hj Suyoi Hj Osman, Deputy Chairman of Authoriti Monetari Brunei Darussalam (also the Minister of Development) launched the Baiduri Capital Sdn Bhd, a wholly owned subsidiary of Baiduri Bank, this morning

It’s the first time that Baiduri Bank are providing securities trading and Pierre Imhof, the Director of Baiduri Capital feels it’s the right time for Baiduri Bank Group to explore into this market as there are a growing number of Bruneians with sizeable savings and also looking for opportunities to build wealth apart from deposits. The event took place this morning at Baiduri Bank Kiarong Complex.

The event was officiated by Yang Berhormat Pehin Orang Kaya Indera Pahlawan Dato Seri Setia Hj Suyoi Hj Osman, Deputy Chairman of Authoriti Monetari Brunei Darussalam (also the Minister of Development).

Baiduri Capital has been receiving a lot of interest from the public especially among the young professionals and these were done through workshops and seminars. Through these, Baiduri learnt that the market is ready. The extra added value from Baiduri Capital is the online securities trading portal. This is the first of its kind in Brunei and this is of course for the convenience of Baiduri Capital customers.

Well done on the launch this morning and so to those who love to play with stock market, look no further and try out Baiduri Capital services. They will be able to assist you and also assess the level of risk before you venture into the trading adventure.

The guest of honour touring Baiduri Capital

Yang Berhormat Pehin viewing Baiduri Capital

Pierre Imhof, CEO of Baiduri Bank and Director of Baiduri Capital (left), speaking with invited guests

Guest of honour signing a memento to commemorate the launch

Pierre Imhof delivering his speech and believes there is a market for securities trading and it’s also the first to provide it online

Hello Maurina and Joel :p

Bumped into Sarina Chieng, founder of Tada Concept and Seng Yee, Marketing Executive of RYS Event Management at the event :p

Refreshments being served after the launch

This is it… The 27th Universiti Brunei Darussalam convocation day which will take place tomorrow Wednesday 9th September 2015. I shall be there once again to do some live coverage.. Hopefully, there is a stable connection that I could Periscope or Snapchat on some occasions but we shall see.

This year alone there will be almost 1,200 graduates (PhD, Masters and Degree) and some of the UBD graduates will receive their certificates in the afternoon session. Good luck to all and it should be a good experience for all the students graduating.. Enjoy and cherish the moment. You deserved it 😀 Below are some of the pictures taken during the preparation of the convocation. They have been working very hard to make sure the event run smoothly. Keep up the great work, committee!!

Not sure sure who took this but nice shot 🙂

Forget Candy Crush.. (especially for the young female teens).. I just came across a new addictive game for the girls and it’s more on wearing accessories and earning points through sharing or connecting with other owners of the particular accessories. This items that I’m talking about is no other than Charmazing (bracelets with charms).

Now Charmazing has a unique way of interacting with other Charmazing users – through means of the Charmazing App (now available on Apple Store and Google Play). You can now explore into the virtual world where you can wear, share and trade with friends and connect with other designers, simply by playing with the App. Awesome, huh? This trend has been popular outside Brunei and Best Eastern (leading bookstore in Brunei) has brought in one of the STYLE ME UP collection to the Sultanate and I believe this will be a huge hit among teenagers.

The Charmazing starter kit

The Charmazing starter kit

Check out Charmazing on Youtube

They have different range of collections to choose from Charmazing. Of course, the best to start off with the starter kit and it costs below BND 10 and you can also download the App and start connecting with other Charmazing owners. There are four sets in total and the biggest set is the Charmazing Deluxe Kit (the complete set with 6 bracelets with 12 assorted charms).

Now Best Eastern will be having a showcase starting 11th September to 13th September on the different activities from the STYLE ME UP collection and the Grand launch itself will be on the Sunday 13th September. All the activities will be hosted by Best Eastern at Times Square. You can follow Best Eastern’s Facebook page or their instagram @besteaster_bookstore

You can also check out charmazing.com for more details on how to play around with it.

Available now at Best Eastern

Mark your dates

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Download SnapFeed app on your smartphones and check out the latest deals in Brunei and also get rewarded from respective merchants such as BurgerKing, KFC and Sushi Tei to name a few and also check out the new movie listings as well.

 

Her Royal Highness Princess Hajah Amal Jefriah (left) recently attended Laksamana College of Business (LCB) graduation ceremony for her son’s (Yang Amat Mulia Pengiran Anak Muhammad Abdul Razaaq bin Pengiran Sura Negara Pengiran Anak Haji Muhammad Bey Muntassir) graduation from the University Foundation Course programme. Image courtesy of Dean Kassim.

Laksamana College of Business (LCB) held a graduation ceremony for 620 students who successfully completed their courses in business, hospitality and computing last Friday.

The ceremony was held at the Songket Ballroom, The Rizqun International Hotel.
In his welcome speech, the Minister of Education, Pehin Orang Kaya Seri Kerna Dato Seri Setia (Dr) Haji Awang Abu Bakar bin Haji Apong, highlighted the importance of equipping oneself with necessary skills for a bright future and to contribute to the socio-economic development of the country.

“His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu’izzaddin Waddaulah ibni Al-Marhum Sultan Haji Omar ‘Ali Saifuddien Sa’adul Khairi Waddien, Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam in his titah during last year’s Teacher’s Day and 100 Years of Formal Education celebration, has mentioned Brunei Darussalam’s capacity nowadays as a human capital provider rather than a financial donor, through the provision of local English teachers to neighbouring countries, for example.

YAM Pengiran Anak Muhammad Abdul Razaaq receiving his certificate from Pehin Orang Kaya Seri Kerna Dato Seri Setia (Dr) Haji Awang Abu Bakar bin Haji Apong, Minister of Education

The Minister with his welcoming remarks

David Campbell, British High Commissioner to Brunei Darussalam, giving a few words

Siti Kamaliah binti Haji Awang Damit receiving her certificate

Some of the courses fro next year’s intake

“We have been dependent on the oil and gas industry since 1929. Alhamdulillah, it has provided us with much prosperity and opportunity since then. However, it is time to grow and expand the economy; strengthen the current niche industries, and build new sustainable ones to last for more centuries to come and to ensure our economic sustainability. Therefore, the higher education sector’s support is vital to develop talents to reinforce and build up these industries,” the minister said.

Also present during the graduation ceremony were Pehin Orang Kaya Ratna Setia Dato Setia Haji Awang Abdul Hapidz bin Pehin Orang Kaya Laksamana Haji Abdul Razak and Haji Suhaimei bin Awang Haji Besar, Directors of LCB; Ian Pirie, Principal and Director of LCB/Kensington College; David Campbell, British High Commissioner to Brunei Darussalam; Dr Chris Haslam, Pro-Vice-Chancellor, University of Chester, UK; Dr David Balsamo, Dean of Social Science University of Chester and Garfield Southall, Associate Dean, Faculty of Science and Engineering.

The graduation ceremony began with a recitation of Surah Al-Fatihah by Awang Haji Azis @ Abdul Aziz bin Haji Mohd Yassin, a Mosque Affairs Officer from the Ministry of Religious Affairs, followed by other welcoming speeches by Ian Pirie and Dr Chris Haslam.

The graduated students were then presented with certificates and a few selected students gave speeches on their experiences at LCB.

Established in Brunei as a business course provider, LCB is a subsidiary of Kensington College of Business (KCB) in London. Text courtesy of Fizah HAB of Borneo Bulletin and images courtesy of Dean Kassim of Borneo Bulletin.

You can check out their comprehensive website here for the courses and also follow them on their Facebook Page.

Good luck all of you. Do us proud 😀

They are currently in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam – the band of Waht?! and D-1 with soloists Lim Ao (guitarist) and Brigette Ang (vocalist) who recently won in the competition hosted by Expression Music Brunei in association with Trinity London College. They are accompanied by Lily Chiam, founder and music director of Expression Music Brunei and the music instructors from Expression Music and also Chiam Su Lee, Trinity College London’s Brunei Representative.

All the young musicians will compete in the Regional Semi-Finals of the Asean “Be our Rock & Pop Soul” Music Competition which begins tonight (6th September). They departed to Vietnam last Friday.

It’s good to see our youngsters competing in the regional level as they will give more exposure and confidence on our local talents. Let’s hope for the best to all the performers. I have seen them performed a few weeks’ ago and I was totally impressed. On another note, I had to forgo the Vietnam trip with them as I have other commitments. Perhaps next year 😀

Lily Chiam, founder and music director of Expression Music Brunei, with all the musicians and singers who will represent Brunei in the Regional Semi-Finals of the Asean “Be our Rock & Pop Soul” Music Competition at Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam. The event begins tonight (Sunday).

The musicians being interviewed by The Brunei Times

Free style posing for the camera

Loving their logos to represent the band

Group photo with the music instructors

The night that the Lim Ao wooed the judges with his solo guitar performance. He was also industrious in finding sponsors for the team. Awesome lad!!

Representing the D-1 band

Waht?! band will also represent Brunei in the semi-finals

Taken during the previous competition where D-1 won in the band category

D-1 had their sound check and practice session at Saigon Opera House, Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam

Waht?! band also their practice session. Good luck to all of you.

Press release from Autoriti Monetari Brunei Darussalam. Have you heard of financial scams? They are scams involving deposits, money transfers and credit card transactions. Although some financial scams are too good to be true, there are many people that still become victims.

These are the common financial scams in Brunei:

1. Get-rich-quick scheme: a plan, which offers high returns or dividends not usually available through traditional investments. The focus of such schemes would be to obtain deposits without a valid product or services which will be used to pay returns or dividends to earlier investors. The scheme may take the following forms:

  Ponzi scheme

  Pyramid scheme

  Gold investment

  Land-banking investment

  Forex trading

2. Credit card scam: Scammers calling victim’s phone pretending to be a bank officer informing that the victim’s credit card is suspected of crime. For verification purpose, the victims will be deceived into providing their credit card details.

3. Job scam: Scammers pretending to offer a job in their organisation. However, in order to secure the job offer, the victim must pay an upfront fee.

4. Lottery and competition scam: Scammers send out an SMS blast to would-be victims informing them of prizes they have won in competitions organised by some big companies and are advised to pay an entrance fee.

5. Inheritance Scams: Scammers assume the role of lawyers or representatives for a recently deceased distant relative or wealthy benefactor leaving a large inheritance usually in cash of which is to be distributed amongst them at an agreed percentage.

6. Internet love scam: (LOL, never been duped by this before) By creating fake profiles, fraudsters have managed to exploit the other users by pretending to develop an intimate and personal relationship with their victims.

The grand prize for the Open Category to top off with the BND 1,200 cash prize

AMBD believe that it is important to educate the public and raise their awareness to protect innocent people from becoming unfortunate victims. Show your support and creativity by creating a short video on financial scams awareness!

Well, there’s a good incentive for you to join!! Because the winners will win awesome prizes. For the Open Category, first place will win BND 1,200 cash prize with a GoPro Hero 4 Silver Edition, second place will win BND 900 cash prize with Sony Handycam while third place will win BND 600 with Sony HDR. There will also be student category with cash prizes for top three winners – BND 1,000, BND 750 and BND 500 respectively.

I won’t spare much details here but you can download the PDF form for eligibility and other information. Good luck and the deadline for submission is 30th October 2015.

Dai Kichiji, Senior Manager, Consumer Imaging & Information Group, Regional ICP Sales & Marketing Division, Canon, Her Excellency Madam Noriko IKI, the Ambassador of Japan and Vincent Goh, Deputy Managing Director of Interhouse Company (Canon Brunei)

Guest of honour having a tour of the revamped showroom at Canon

Interhouse Company, the sole distributor of Canon in Brunei, launched their revamped showroom at Jalan Tutong this morning. The highlight for me was definitely trying out the Canon EOS 5Ds *wowwieeee* This camera packs a punch and you will need a bigger memory for your SD or CF card because it can shoot up to 50 megs. The only downside is I don’t have the budget for the new EOS 5Ds and I’m still content with the 5D Mark III which has been useful for the past two years.

During the launch this morning was the guest of honour, Her Excellency Madam Noriko IKI, the Ambassador of Japan to Brunei Darussalam. Also present were Dai Kichiji, Senior Manager, Consumer Imaging & Information Group, Regional ICP Sales & Marketing Division, Canon and Vincent Goh, Deputy Managing Director of Interhouse Company (Canon Brunei).

Among the invitees were the business partners of Interhouse Company such as Brunei Press Sdn Bhd, Hua Ho and Plus+ Magazine to name a few and not forgetting the loyal users of Canon photographers.

The ribbon cutting was performed before entering the newly renovated showroom. You will be able to see the new Canon DSLRs, the Canon lenses, printers, compact cameras, calculators and many more.

What most of you will be looking forward to is the upcoming Canon Photomarathon 2015 which will take place on 27th September 2015 and the venue will be at Star Lodge Hotel. For more information, you can click here and don’t forget to register because the first prize is a Canon 7D and there will be a grand winner where you will attend a photo clinic in Japan.

Congratulations to Interhouse Company on the showroom.

With the senior management of Interhouse Company and invited guests

Looking for a PIXMA printer?

You can try out the Selphy printer too.

The ladies checking out the compact Canon cameras

My busy industrious friend who also works at Interhouse Company

The durable and reliable printers from Canon

I have yet to try this beast – Canon EOS 5Dsr

I’ve been eyeing on this camera. Yes or no? But I’m still happy with my 5D Mark III.

Hasmin testing the Canon EOS 5Ds. What a beauty!!

Check out the calculators too from Canon

So ladies and gents. Start registering for the Canon Photomarathon 2015.

Group photo of Interhouse Company with loyal customers

Dermot Mannion, chairman of Abacus Brunei with Aji Hj Puteh, Director of Abacus Brunei, Irene Soon, General Manager of Abacus Brunei and Abd Halim Hj Abd Rahman, Senior Manager, Sales & Marketing of Abacus Brunei and the management of Abacus Brunei during the cake cutting ceremony to commemorate the Silver Jubilee of Abacus Distribution System (Brunei)

Dermot Mannion with representatives of the Top Travel Agents in Brunei

This is a delayed post. This took place last weekend at the Royal Brunei Recreation Club. Abacus Distribution System (Brunei) Sdn Bhd celebrated their 25th anniversary – the Silver Jubilee, and they are currently Brunei’s leading travel technology provider. For instance, all those travel bookings you make at travel agents using the Abacus system.

The guest of honour was Dermot Mannion, chairman of Abacus Brunei. Also present were Aji Hj Puteh, Director of Abacus Brunei, Irene Soon, General Manager of Abacus Brunei and Abd Halim Hj Abd Rahman, Senior Manager, Sales & Marketing of Abacus Brunei and the management of Abacus Brunei.

Among those who attended were representatives of shareholders of Royal Brunei Airlines (RB) and Sabre, also include partners from Malaysia airlines, Singapore Airlines, TTCO, Tourism Malaysia, Baiduri Bank Sdn Bhd, Cityneon Brunei and Royal Brunei Catering (RBC).

Dermot Mannion expressed his gratitude towards the travel partners for their continuous support. He highlighted how applications such as RoomDeal, ETPIR, Reissuance are now fully integrated with Abacus Workspace to boost efficiency and productivity for travel agents.

Now with advanced technology, travel agents are able to access Abacus Worklite via their mobile devices and provide 24/7 service to their customer with Abacus WebStart and online booking solutions.

Do you know that Royal Brunei Airlines owns 85% shares in Abacus Brunei while the remaining shares are owned by Sabre?

Abacus Brunei hinted that they will be a travel fair coming this month. So stay tune to my updates on social media. I will be making my traveling plans again 😀 Thank you for the invitation, Abacus. Enjoyed the evening and some entertainment as well. Too bad I didn’t win any prizes on the lucky draw :p

Dermot Mannion giving his welcoming remarks

Top Travel Agent 2014/15 – 1st goes to Century Travel Centre (BSB)

Top Travel Agent 2014/15 – 2nd goes to Pan Bright Travel Service (KB)

Top Travel Agent 2014/15 – 3rd goes to Freme Travel Services Sdn Bhd (BSB)

Top Travel Agent 2014/15 – 4th goes to Darussalam Holdings Sdn Bhd (BSB)

Top Travel Agent 2014/15 – 5th goes to Anthony Tours & Travel Agency (BSB)

Top Travel Agent 2014/15 – 6th goes to Pan Bright Travel Service (BSB)

Top Travel Agent 2014/15 – 7th goes to Syarikat Straits Central Agencies (B) Sdn Bhd (BSB)

Top Travel Agent 2014/15 – 8th goes to Southern Cross Travel Agencies Sdn Bhd (Seria)

Top Travel Agent 2014/15 – 9th goes to Freme Travel Services Sdn Bhd (KB)

Top Travel Agent 2014/15 – 10th goes to JJ Tour Service (B) Sdn Bhd (BSB)

Around 200 guests showed up last weekend

I’m amazed by Annabelle Pei Pei. Keep it up!!

Audi A4 S Line

T.C.Y. Motors as the sole Audi dealer/importer introduces another exciting variant in its Audi A4 line up- the S line Competition.

Exclusive from quattro GmbH which specializes in Audi’s high performance S/RS models and components, the S line Competition offers an enhanced sportier character to the A4 range with dynamic highlights from the exterior to the interior.

The S line Competition for both Sedan and Avant features the side mirrors, Singleframe radiator grille, roof frame, side skirts and rear diffuser frame in glossy black. The roof rails for the Avant (station wagon) model will also be featured in glossy black.

The interior features the main instrument cluster in piano black finish with aluminium gear-shift paddles behind the S line multifunctional steering wheel and stainless steel pedals (brake and accelerator). The S line Competition is complemented with the quattro GmbH exclusive Audi Sport aluminium wheels in 5-V-spoke design in matt titanium look, gloss turned finish.

The Audi A4 S line Competition is now available for viewing at the Audi Kiarong showroom which is now also open on Sundays 10.00am to 2.00pm.

Kids are creative indeed. Taken at Paddington House of Pancakes (Berakas branch)

As part of the celebrations for their second year anniversary, Paddington House of Pancakes held an event for their Kids club at the Berakas branch.

Members of the kids club participated in activities such as colouring and extending their creativity with play-dough with their parents watching on and some some even joining in on the fun.

As part of the event, PHOP also created a special pancake set meal, with fun character pancakes such as minions and Spongebob Squarepants,which comes with a drink and ice cream which is specially priced at $5 just for Kids Club members.

You can sign up for the Kids club at both the Gadong or the Berakas branch. Privileges include invitations to monthly gatherings, 10% off the kids menu at every visit and exclusive offers during kids club activities.

Yang Amat Mulia Pengiran Muda Omar Ali, Curator of Natural History at the Museums Department; Yang Amat Mulia Pengiran Anak Haji Abdul Qudduus bin Pengiran Lela Cheteria Sahibun Najabah Peng-iran Anak Haji Abdul Aziz, Special Duties Officer at the Museums Department; and Datin Paduka Hajah Adina binti Othman, Deputy Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports, in a group photo with the winners of the Museums Race Brunei

The Museums Race Brunei 2015, organised to explore the Sultanate’s rich history and cultural heritage, concluded with a ceremony held in Jerudong Park last Sunday.

Over the span of three consecutive Sundays, hundreds of Bruneians, majority of them youths from across the country, took to some of Brunei’s most historic streets and locations as they vied for prominence that could only be attained through knowledge and experience.

As part of the Museums Department’s initiative towards sharing with the people, especially the younger generation, the importance of learning local history, the past three Sundays witnessed 89 teams comprising 364 individuals exploring the country’s historical background for the inaugural Museums Race Brunei 2015.

The race was based on the concept of the popular TV show ‘Amazing Race’ and saw the teams racing to collect clues and solve puzzles hidden at various historical sites under the Museums Department’s jurisdiction.

In an interview, the members of the top two teams expressed enthusiasm for having been part of the Museums Department’s Golden Jubilee and shared that the experience opened their senses to the beauty that is Brunei Darussalam.

Team Alacrety was announced as the winner of the grand prize of the event – air tickets to Bali, Indonesia – that were presented by guest of honour Datin Paduka Hajah Adina binti Othman, Deputy Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports.

The team, which also won prizes in two other categories, explained that the race provided them with an opportunity to venture beyond the confines of mainstream activities that took them to, among others, Tasek Merimbun in Tutong and museums in Kota Batu and the capital as well as encouraged them to learn more of what the Abode of Peace and the Kingdom of Unexpected Treasures, has to offer in terms of its culture, nature, art and practices.

Their success, it was shared, was attributed to team work, research and, more so, patience, considering the complexities and challenges of the race.

For second place winners, Dayang Semaun, the journey across the country was as unique as Brunei markets itself to be. The team, which won themselves air tickets to Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, shared that other youths in Brunei should consider taking part should organisers arrange for a similarly themed event in the future, indicating that the response from the public has been positive.

“We learned a lot from our experience and the young people of Brunei should reach for these forms of opportunities if they are given the chance,” they said.

In his closing remarks, Pengiran Dr Karim bin Pengiran Haji Osman, Director of Museums and also the Museums Race’s Chairman, commended all participating teams for their support and effort in making the race a success as he acknowledged the camaraderie that was witnessed over the course of the event.

Apart from enriching the perspective of those who took part, the race collected funds and the mock cheques of $3,587.28 each were presented to Pusat Ehsan Al-Ameerah Al-Hajjah Maryam, Smarter Brunei and the Children’s Cancer Foundation (Yaska).
The closing ceremony was also attended by Yang Amat Mulia Pengiran Muda Omar Ali, Curator of Natural History at the Museums Department; Yang Amat Mulia Pengiran Anak Haji Abdul Qudduus bin Pengiran Lela Cheteria Sahibun Najabah Pengiran Anak Haji Abdul Aziz, Special Duties Officer at the Museums Department; and the Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports, Dato Paduka Dr Haji Affendy bin Pehin Orang Kaya Saiful Mulok Dato Seri Paduka Haji Abidin. Text courtesy of Siti Hajar and images taken from Jabatan Muzium-Muzium Brunei Facebook Page.

Yang Berhormat Pehin Orang Kaya Seri Utama Dato Seri Setia Hj Yahya Begawan Mudim Dato Paduka Hj Bakar, Minister of Industry and Primary Resources, guest of honour during the launch, with Hj Mahadi Hj Taib, owner of Mangrove Paradise Resort, and Hajah Normah Suria Hayati Pehin Dato Haji Md Jamil, permanent secretary at Ministry of Industry and Primary Resources and Khairuddin bin Abd Hamid, deputy permanent secretary at Ministry of Industry and Primary Resources at the new villas of Mangrove Paradise Resort. Image courtesy of Vincent Hong.

I’ve stayed there before many years ago with my group of friends. Yes, it’s a great place to free your mind and be away from the hustle and bustle of eeer… Gadong and Kiulap. My last visit there was for a BIT Council meeting at a meeting hall and we had lunch there as well.

Fast forward to this date, the management of Mangrove Paradise Resort has extended with their 2nd phase which are the villas. For your info, this is located at Kota-Batu (quite a fair ride) and of course, what I love about the resort is the view of the Brunei River. If I were to detox with the busyness of my hectic schedule, this would be the best bet in Brunei in terms of logistics and convenience. My second choice would be the lodges in Temburong.

The 10 newly-built villas are each ideal for a family of six to 10. Each villa includes three ensuite bedrooms, two of which are located on the first floor, a spacious living room, a kitchen and a dining area, which are located on the ground floor. In addition, each villa comes with a jacuzzi, ideal for unwinding the body while basking in the scenic view. (As quoted by Rara :p)

Now with the school holidays kicking in, families can take advantage of the special promotional prices. During weekdays, it will be BND 250 while on weekends, it will be BND 300 per night. The deal will be until the end of the month and it includes complimentary breakfast for six people.

The resort is located at Simpang 912, Kg Sungai Belukut, Jalan Kota Batu. For any enquiries or booking, please call 2786868. For updates, check out Mangrove Paradise Resort’s Facebook Fan Page at ‘Mangrove Paradise Resort Brunei’ or its Instagram at @MangroveParadiseResort. Images courtesy of Vincent Hong.

The view of the newly built villas at Mangrove Paradise Resort

The bedroom at the villas

The pantry area of the villas

The TV room of the villas

The close up view outside the villa. Image taken from Mangrove Paradise Resort Facebook page.

I see a jet ski 😀

It’s happening next weekend from 11th to 13th September at the Hua Ho Manggis Mall. That should be interesting as the venue provided is at Hua Ho Manggis Mall. There will be four categories if you refer to the posters and this is open to both male and female. The tournament is organised by Shooting Stars.

You can download the form here and submit it to the SMJA office. As for the registration fees, you can submit them on the day of the event. The registration is BND 60 per team. You can also send your registration and email to shootingstarsbn@gmail.com and for more information, you can text 729 0011 or 885 5089.

The closing date for the registration is 5th September 2015. So peeps, gather your team and get your GAME ON for the SMJA 3×3 Basketball Challenge.

The registration form. Click image to download the PDF form

The rules of the tournament