Filterworks experiencing Sungkai at Excapade

Many starters to choose from

My favourite area because of the salmon sashimi

Excapade does it again! It is my annual trend to break my fast on the first day of Ramadhan at Excapade. And it has never failed to wow me with its selection of Japanese cuisines. Priced at $33.80 for adults and $17 for children, the Sungkai Buffet at their branch in Regent Square Kiulap is a definite must-go.

I was there at around 6 and I could already see tables reserved for social media persons as well as the print media. Some of them had begun to take pictures already. As always, the sushi and sashimi section took the cake. The crab legs begged to be eaten too. The wooden signboard labels of the dishes added to the Japanese feel of Excapade.

I am a light eater but I’m a sucker for salmon sashimi. As always, there was a section full of assorted sashimis and my plate was filled with them. I was there with my friend, Pranika, and she was hovering around all the three sections of the buffet. I could see items ranging from sushis to tempuras to edamame to meshi on her plate. She said she was so happy that the queuing didn’t take long, the food was yummy and the staff attended to tables very quickly. I agree with that. The dessert section also had multiple choices. Even the icecream had 3 flavours to choose from along with 4 different toppings and I couldn’t help but take a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Excapade has always been a huge hit among sungkai lovers. It was no different this year. Amazing quality in terms of food, hygiene and service. The place was quite packed on the first day itself so I recommend making bookings before going there. Their 1st booking can be done between 6:30 – 8:00pm while the 2nd booking between 8:00 – 10:00pm. For bookings, call 223 4011 / 875 9866.

Some more good news! If you’ve been to Giant recently, you must have noticed that Excapade is starting a branch there. This Rimba branch will be opened hopefully this month. So sushi-lovers – follow their IG @excapade or FB page for updates.

Kiulap Regent Square

Adult $33.80
Children $17 (6 – 12 years old)

Tel: 223 4011
Tel: 875 9866

1st booking 6:30pm to 8:00pm
2nd booking 8:00pm to 10:00pm

The popular garlic rice is always being served 😀

The greens of the Excapade menu

Sushi, sushi, sushi…

and more sushi… Let’s see how much your tummy can handle

Salmon aplenty

Prawns are aplenty too

Salmon asparagus

The healthy corner

My sungkai partner in crime

The cold appetizers. Nicely presented.

I forgot to get some servings of Edamame

Scallop with cheese… Nice combo

Chicken bites which I would recommend

The Excapade crew

Gindara Teriyaki

Have you tried the skewers?

Lamb Misoyaki

The drinks and refreshment section

Pudding galore

Condiments for ice-cream

A’aqiil on the job last night

Kiulap Regent Square

Adult $33.80
Children $17 (6 – 12 years old)

Tel: 223 4011
Tel: 875 9866

1st booking 6:30pm to 8:00pm
2nd booking 8:00pm to 10:00pm

 

iKoncert 2016 “SHOWTIME TOUR” promo spot

Press release: The hottest and most anticipated Korean rookie group, iKON is set to make their debut appearance in Malaysia! Organised by IME Productions and supported by Malaysia Major Events (MME), a division of Malaysia Convention & Exhibition Bureau (MyCEB), an agency under the Ministry of Tourism and Culture, iKONCERT 2016: SHOWTIME Tour in Kuala Lumpur lands at the iconic Stadium Negara on 13 August at 7.30pm.

Hosting of this concert will emphasise the Government’s effort to strengthen Malaysia’s global appeal as a leading Asian destination for major live entertainment performances. K-pop is currently one of the hottest performance genres to hit the global stage, and with iKONCERT 2016: Showtime Tour, it is expected to meet the growing need of K-pop fans around the region. This concert is hoped to attract neighbouring fans to participate and treat themselves not only to the entertainment presented but also to the various tourism attractions that Malaysia has to offer.

Tickets priced at VIP RM588 (Numbered seat), Rock Zone RM548 (Standing zone), Cat 1 RM488 (Numbered seat), Cat 2 RM388 (Numbered seat), Cat 3 RM288 (Free seating), Cat 4 RM188 (Free seating). Ticket prices stated includes 6% GST but excludes RM4 processing fee. Fans who purchase VIP and rock zone ticket stand a chance to win sound check passes (600pax by lucky draw based on ticket barcode). Fans are thrilled to see iKON for the first time in Malaysia that more than half of the tickets were sold at the ticket launch held on May 22.

Click image to enlarge

iKON is made up of 7 members, namely B.I, Jinhwan, Bobby, Yunhyeong, Ju-ne, Donghyuk and Chanwoo. The “C” in “ICON” was replaced with “K” in envisioning them to become an icon of Korea. Having just debuted in September 2015, they were already starting a fandom as TEAM B while contesting in reality TV shows WIN: Who is Next and Mix & Match. They opened for BIGBANG in Japan and were part of the line-up for YG Family Concert 2014 alongside Psy, 2NE1, Lee Hi and Epik High even before officially debuting as iKON.

iKON’s first album Welcome Back, written by themselves, was released in half version and full version with both ranked No.1 on iTunes upon release in 11 countries. A concert held in Korea in support of the album was sold out within minutes.

Despite being a new group, iKON has been recognised as Best New Artiste at Seoul Music Awards, Golden Disk Awards and Mnet Asian Music Awards. The group was even acknowledged in China by receiving the NetEase Attitude Awards for Best Group and QQ Music Awards for Best New Group and Media Recommendation award, proving their popularity outside of Korea.

After hosting a series world-class events, Malaysia continues to be part of the Korean wave and one of the leading destinations in the world to host international events. Being the 2nd most visited country in Asia Pacific and the most Muslim friendly destination, Malaysia offers a diversity of exciting wonders at an affordable rate with state-of-the-art facilities for visitors to get in and around the nation.

Tickets to the show are available via TicketCharge at www.ticketcharge.com.my or +60392228811. For further updates, visit iKON’s official Facebook  or IME Asia’s official Facebook .

 

An official looks through a telescope as Acting Minister of Development Dato Hj Suhaimi (L) looks on during the moon sighting to determine the first day of Ramadhan at the DST headquarters yesterday. As predicted, Ramadhan will fall tomorrow Tuesday 7th June 2016. The moon sighting was held at DST headquarters, another at Bukit Agok in Jerudong, Bukit Ambok in Tutong and Bukit Lumut in Belait. Image courtesy of Zaim Kasmat of The Brunei Times.

 

Yang Berhormat Pehin Datu Singamanteri Colonel (Rtd) Dato Seri Setia (Dr) Hj Mohammad Yasmin Hj Umar, the Minister of Energy and Industry at the Prime Minister’s Office touring the cooking demo using bruneihalal products and he said how simple it was to make a healthy meal

It’s always great to know a local brand being recognized internationally. One of them brand is bruneihalal. After being in existence for many years (9 years), there is a sudden change in progress as Ghanim International Corporation (that handles bruneihalal) has been introducing many new products to bring more traction for the brand.

Last weekend, the invited guests were feted to delicious meals using bruneihalal products such as a the bruneihalal chicken (imported from the UK) and provia and cremvia (both natural sweeteners) to name a few.

The event was organised by bruneihalal and the guest of honour was Yang Berhormat Pehin Datu Singamanteri Colonel (Rtd) Dato Seri Setia (Dr) Hj Mohammad Yasmin Hj Umar, the Minister of Energy and Industry at the Prime Minister’s Office.

Before the food sampling, the guest of honour delivered his welcoming remarks and praised the global direction that Ghanim International Corporation is heading. For your info, the said company also has an office in the UK and the chicken products in the UK are from a Brunei certified abattoir in the UK and the items are certified by the Ministry of Religious Affairs in Brunei Darussalam. Interesting.

Also present were the Dato Paduka Dr Hj Mohd Amin Liew Abdullah, chairman of Ghanim International Corporation and Dr Nur Rahman, CEO of Ghanim International Corporation who both are instrumental in the recent surge of growth of the bruneihalal brand.

Last weekend also saw 25 new bruneihalal products being unveiled by Ghanim and these products were made through collaboration with the local SMES in Brunei which includes Sabli Food Industries Sdn Bhd, Sahamada Corporation Sdn Bhd, Hana Soy & World Sdn Bhd and Superwater Marketing Sdn Bhd.

Four local companies being feted in collaboration with bruneihalal (Ghanim International Corporation)

The bruneihalal cordial

Let’s hope the local brand is well received among the locals

Food sampling after the launch of the event

Yummmm…

The Minister mingling with the invited guests

Food preparation for the guests

The Energy Kitchen used the sweetener for their tarts. Oh it’s a natural sweetener and it’s also ideal for those with diabetes.

The Minister was full of praises of Ghanim’s direction and the key component he shared was being “innovative” for bruneihalal brand to be sustainable and bigger. The halal food industry is a multi-billion industry and hence, Ghanim can ride on these opportunities along the value chain of the halal food industry. He also hopes that the bruneihalal brand can help spur the local and international economy through means of distribution and production.

As for the food sampling session of the bruneihalal new products, YB Pehin Dato Hj Mohd Yasmin was impressed and he urged the locals to support the bruneihalal products for their daily cooking needs. I actually had the bruneihalal chicken and I’m amazed of the quality (tenderness and taste) even though the chicken came in a packed form. So far, the bruneihalal chicken and other products are being sold at Tesco and Asda stores in the UK. So I’m hoping for the bruneihalal chicken to make its way to the Brunei market soon.

Do watch out for this space on bruneihalal products. They are certainly riding the wave and now, the awareness campaign begins in reaching the eyes of the locals to appreciate our own local brand, bruneihalal.

Fina trying out the bruneihalal product

Valentine and Jonathan helping with their servings during the food sampling

The Minister being interviewed by the local press

 

The tutu kurungs now available at Bajoo

Heard of Tutu Kurungs? It’s something new to me and I recently attended a launch at Sugar Sugar by Bajoo (located at Mata-Mata Complex). I believe this will be a big hit among the girls and it’s something new and fashionable too.

It’s a combination of pettitskirt and a baju knurl. This is their second collection inspired by My Little Pony characters and hence it’s called tutu kurungs.

There are ready-to-wear tutu kurungs and starts from 1 years old to 9 years old. Bajoo also caters for custom made ones too.

The said brand have been doing quite well in Kuala Lumpur and Singapore under the label of sugar sugar.

So what are your waiting for parents? Want your daughters to look impressive in the tutu kurungs? They only costs BND 98 per piece and this will be ideal for Hari Raya festive season.

Thank you, both of you, for the invite and congratulations 😀

The lady behind the fashion wear of the Tutu Kurungs 😀

 

Malaysia celebrities with YAM Pg Anak Siti Radhiah and friends at KLIHF 2016 event. The final day will be this Sunday (tomorrow)

Sazzy Zalak, one of the main draws for the KLIHF 2016 event, is in town and also having a hi-tea session at Holiday Lodge tomorrow (Sunday)

A fan giving some delicacy to Sazzy yesterday

Sazzy Zalak is going through a rebranding process and having more belief in her name and brand for urban fashion line

Fans of Sazzy listening to her interview on stage

Don Dona booth a big hit

Another popular figure Umie Aida

Another celebrity taking photos with her fans

 

Dr Chan Sui Kia, Managing Director of Maju Motors, Bernd Siffling, General Manager of Maju Motors and Shahrain Zulkifli, Sales Manager of Maju Motors during the launch of Volkswagen Sportsvan at Maju Motors Showroom last evening. Image courtesy of Yusri Adanan of The Brunei Times.

Check out the price for the Volkswagen Sportsvan.. Good deal for early birds 😀

A week ago, we had the opportunity to drive the Volkswagen Sportsvan in Singapore before it launches in Brunei. Last evening, it was the official launch for the Sportsvan and it was a great turn out as well, considering the wet evening.

The new car was launched at Maju Motors Showroom at Telanai. Present was the Berrnd Siffling, Maju Motors’ General Manager.

Volkswagen is continuing its product offensive, this time in the segment of compact MPVs. The new Sportsvan is equipped with an interior that is as sophisticated as it is versatile (rear bench seat has 180 mm longitudinal adjustment), it offers a maximum cargo capacity of 1,520 litres and it impresses with its sporty charisma.

Technically, the Sportsvan follows the layout of the modular transverse matrix (MQB) from Volkswagen. And so it inherits significant advantages from this technologically advanced toolkit – the Sportsvan is very dynamic, with a short front overhang and a long wheelbase. Innovative lightweight design has kept vehicle weight extremely low, while the interior packaging also benefits from the MQB, with optimised utility.

The driver and front passenger enjoy an elevated seating position in the Sportsvan, yet the feeling is more of sitting in an elegant and sporty SUV than in an MPV. Special attention has been paid to the cockpit’s ergonomics, with a clean layout and sophisticated look being the result. In this Volkswagen, the worlds of compacts and MPVs meld together into a new type of car that offers more space for active recreation, family and the job.

DJ Daffy the emcee for the night trying out the back seat of the Sportsvan

The cool logo of Volkswagen

The star of the night being covered before the official launch

Styling with extraordinary precision

With a bumper-to-bumper length of 4,338 mm, the Sportsvan is 83 mm longer than the Golf. It is also 126 mm taller, and marginally (8 mm) wider. These dimensions show that the Sportsvan has a clear positioning within the Volkswagen range – it is lower (-56 mm) and shorter (-59 mm) than the Touran, which follows a classic MPV concept with its three rows of seats.

The exterior dimensions of the Sportsvan, together with its completely new and sharply contoured styling, give it an independent and sophisticated look. With its taut body shapes, precisely drawn lines and large 17-inch alloy wheels, the Sportsvan transfers the Volkswagen design DNA to the class of compact MPVs. The Sportsvan also expresses dynamic proportions in its long wheelbase, and its extremely prominent character line unites functionalism and elegance.

Great variability in the cabin
Interior designers of the Sportsvan created a cabin that is as high-end and stylistically sophisticated as it is clean and fresh. While some of the instruments and controls may be familiar to drivers of other Volkswagen models, the design of the dashboard, in which all of these elements are embedded, was redesigned down to the last millimetre specifically for the Sportsvan.

The Sportsvan is a car which focuses on maximum on-board comfort. The vehicle is already very comfortable to enter, thanks to the wide-opening doors and the elevated seats. What is known as the H-point (hip point) of the front seats is 59 to 85 mm above the H-point of the Golf, depending on the seat height setting.

There is also very generous space for rear seat passengers, thanks to the extended wheelbase. Even people measuring 1.90 metres can sit comfortably, one in front of the other. Storage pockets and folding tables integrated in the backs of the front seats give practicality a further boost, and there are also three additional cupholders (two for standard size cups and one for narrower cups) in the rear centre armrest that folds up.

Another key feature is the 60:40 split rear bench seat that features individual adjustment of its sections. The entire three-seat bench can be adjusted up to 180 mm in a fore-aft direction; as an alternative, the seat on the right side of the vehicle (40 per cent) and the double-seat on the left side (60 per cent) can be individually adjusted over a range of 180 mm. In addition, rear passengers can adjust the angle of their backrests. The backrest elements are split 40:20:40, giving even greater loading versatility.

Cargo capacity is a very generous 500 litres with the rear bench seat in its standard position. When the two separately adjustable sections of the rear bench seat are moved to their front-most positions, up to 590 litres of cargo fit into the luggage compartment of the Sportsvan. With the rear folded down, a maximum storage capacity of 1,520 litres is available.

Dionne Lim, Marketing and Communications Volkswagen Group Singapore with Shahrain Zulkifli, Sales Manager of Maju Motors during the media presentation of the Volkswagen Sportsvan

Thanks for the goodie bag

The crowd last night during the launch

Guest during the launch of the Sportsvan

Louis and Gzul in attendance

The General Manager mingling with the guests last night

Opening remarks by the GM before the launch

Technologically advanced features
The Sportsvan comes as standard with features like LED licence plate lights, an electronic parking brake with Auto Hold, cruise control with speed limiter, a touchscreen in-car entertainment system and a variable cargo floor. In addition, the car is of course also equipped with safety features that include seven airbags, ESP electronic stabilisation programme and safety-optimised head restraints in front (protects against whiplash injury).

Some other highlights include:
Proactive occupant protection system. If the system detects a potential accident situation – such as by the initiation of hard braking – the seatbelts of the driver and front passenger are automatically pre-tensioned to ensure the best possible protection by the airbag and belt system. When a highly critical and unstable driving situation is detected – such as severe oversteer or understeer with ESP intervention – the side windows are closed (except for a small gap). The underlying reason: When the windows are nearly closed, the head and side airbags offer optimal energy absorption and thereby achieve their best possible effectiveness.

Driving profile selector. A total of four programmes are available in the driving profile selector. They are: Eco, Sport, Normal and Individual. In the Eco driving mode, engine control, the air conditioning unit and other auxiliary systems are controlled for optimal fuel-efficiency. A coasting function on the DSG can also be used with the Eco mode; when the driver releases the accelerator pedal – such as on route sections with a descent – the transmission decouples, and the engine runs at idle. This optimally utilises the kinetic energy of the car. In the Sport mode, on the other hand, engine response and shifting points of the DSG are configured to be more dynamic.

Dynamic and efficient drivetrain. The Sportsvan is fitted as standard with a stop-start system and a range of BlueMotion Technology efficiency improvement measures that lower fuel consumption. Its new 1.4-litre TSI engine with 125 PS produces an impressive 200 Nm of torque from only 1,400 rpm. It enables a top speed of 200 km/h and a sprint from zero to 100 km/h in 9.9 seconds. At the same time, fuel consumption is extremely low at just 5.4 litres/100km in the combined cycle.

Check out the Volkswagen Sportsvan

Check out the Volkswagen Sportsvan

The advanced airbags inside the Sportsvan

The compartments inside the Sportsvan

Whilst in Singapore recently for the test drive of the Sportsvan

 

Yang Amat Mulia Pengiran Anak Hjh Siti Radhiah Pengiran Maharaja Lela Pengiran Anak Hj Mohd Yusof with Yang Amat Mulia Pengiran Anak Wahidah Widadul Bolqiah with the organisers of KHLIF, VIP guests and supporters of the KLIHF 2016 event

Second time coming, second time better!! The participation might be slightly lesser than last year but the exhibition is more refined and customers will still be spoilt for choices. This is also the best time to shop before the month of Ramadhan kicks off and also prepare for the upcoming Hari Raya season.

So I’m pleased to announce that the Kuala Lumpur International Hijab Fair (KLIHF) 2016 is officially opened and this is also the first time that it opened on a Thursday instead of a Friday.

The event was launched by guest of honour Yang Amat Mulia Pengiran Anak Hjh Siti Radhiah Pengiran Maharaja Lela Pengiran Anak Hj Mohd Yusof, daughter of Her Royal Highness Princess Hajah Nor’ain. She was accompanied by her sister Yang Amat Mulia Pengiran Anak Wahidah Widadul Bolqiah.

Mona Din, the Managing Director of KLIHF, in her welcoming remarks

The ladies shopping at the fair

El Souq, one of the local vendors, at the KLIHF 2016. Good to see young entrepreneurs being involved. Good luck 🙂

Mona Din, the Managing Director of KLIHF, was in exuberant mood during her welcoming remarks. She truly appreciated every single contribution from the people involved and the media. She was truly appreciative toward the Indonesian delegates and the Indonesian Embassy for their participation in the KLIHF which has made a huge difference in this event. As you can see, the Indonesian Pavilion has a huge presence with more than 15 exhibitors from Indonesia.

Mona’s next mission is to have a similar one in Perth next year and they already have started the ground works. This shows how the demand for Muslimah fashion is on the rise and it’s no surprise that KLIHF is back again in Brunei.

At the Tudung People booth

At Mia Suria

At Faiz Boutique

For the men, don’t be discourage since they have plenty of choices for the men’s. For instance, the famous celebrity from Malaysia Ustaz Don has his own line Don & Dona clothing on men’s Jubah.

Last year’s sales were pretty good with BND 2.08 million sales from hundreds of vendors. Interesting numbers. It will be interesting if they can supersede that figure this weekend.

There are plenty of reasons to visit the KLIHF 2016 as a few of the booths are owned by celebrities such as Umie Aida, Yatt Hamzah, Heliza Helmi, Lisdawati, Betty Banafe, Mia Suria and of course, Sazzy Falak.

Speaking of Sazzy Falak, she will be in town today to debut her latest urban fashion line under the brand, Street Fashion KL (SFKL) by Sazzy Falak in collaboration with Sakura Malaysia, an accessories brand made and based in Malaysia.

The SFKL by Sazzy Falak x Sakura Malaysia duo can be found at Booth 5 at the Celebrity Pavilion of the KLIHF Brunei in ICC from 9am to 9pm. The ‘How Do I Look? Asia’ host will be in the country till Sunday.

For updates, you can follow them on IG at @klihf or their Facebook Page.

 

Dr Nur Rahman,Chief Executive Officer of Ghanim International Corporation (bruneihalal) shared the vision of the company and hopes to make a strong local and international presence in the coming months

Guests observing the product demo of the new bruniehalal products

bruneihalal will be launching a number of exciting new products in the market such as the Brunei manufactured cordial, soy-based mayonnaise and meat tenderizer, among others. To demonstrate the use of the products and their modification into delicious recipes, a demonstration with RBC chefs was held at Anjung Saujana, Brunei International Airport yesterday.

I have to say that I’m quite impressed with the new direction that bruneihalal is heading with the recent leadership of Ghanim International Corporation, Dr Nur Rahman, its Chief Executive Officer. Ever since coming on board, he has been aggressive in producing more bruneihalal products not just for the Brunei market but international as well. The signs have been encouraging and bruneihalal is excited to launch newer products.

So yesterday, I managed to see four new products from bruneihalal and there are the sweeteners and salts. Not just any sweeteners and salts but they are proven to be the healthier choice. I believe this will be a big hit among the locals and I hope restaurant owners will do their best to support our local product that also have beneficial health value.

The cooking demo was conducted by Chef Maryani Hj Kachi, one of the chefs from Royal Brunei Catering and she used Cremvia natural sweetener and the Nutrisal low-sodium salt replacer. So the items are ideal for your baking products and also savoury.

It was a strategic move by bruneihalal to engage with credible partners such as the Health Promotion Centre under the Ministry of Health and also Royal Brunei Catering, the leading food & beverage industry in Brunei Darussalam.

With the recent overwhelming responses at the BIMP-EAGA Expo and the 18th Consumer Fair, bruneihalal will be having a roadshow at the Airport Mall tomorrow. You will get to sample perhaps some of the products from bruneihalal.

A natural sweetener.. Even ideal for those who have diabetes

Another healthier choice for salt consumption

Chef Maryani Hj Kachi (right) the chef from RBC

Interesting choice from bruneihalal to come up with sugar and salt.

 

The 25 winners of the Red Bull Boost & Win on the 3rd week at Kemuda Institute, Beribi

Week number 3 and more winners were feted. It was third weekly draw of the ongoing Red Bull Boost & Win contest. Interestingly enough the third prize presentation took place at Kemuda Institute in Beribi.

As usual, there were 10 consolation prizes followed by three winners with BND 50 shopping vouchers, five winners with BND 30 PowerKad and seven winners of BND prepaid card.

The presentation of prizes were presented by the Managing Director of Kemuda Institute, Hjh Hasnah and accompanied by the General Manager of Kingston Beverage & Creamery Sdn Bhd, the sole distributor of Red Bull in Brunei, Valentine Hon.

So today will be the day as it’s the grand draw for the Red Bull Boost & Win. Who’s gonna go back with a Sharp TV? or a Sharp auto washer? Or a Sharp two-door fridge? Of course, there will be consolation prizes as well.

The final draw will take place today at Station One, a new supermarket at Mentiri. Good luck to all the finalists 😀

One of the winners with Managing Director of Kemuda Institute, Hjh Hasnah and the General Manager of Kingston Beverage & Creamery Sdn Bhd, the sole distributor of Red Bull in Brunei, Valentine Hon

One of the winners with Hjh Hasnah and Valentine Hon

The grand draw will take place at Station One Supermarket later at 3pm (Friday)

Some of the finalists for today

 

BSM Managing Director, Pg Shamhary Pg Dato Paduka Hj Mustapha (R) and Mohd Adini Hj Mohd Daini (L), Head of Branding and Communications, unveiling the grand prize last week. Image courtesy of Billah Hasan of The Brunei Times.

Members of the media posing with the mock grand prize during the promotional launch

Brunei Shell Marketing Co. Sdn. Bhd. (BSM) launches Win with Helix promotion at the lobby of PGGMB Building in Jalan Kianggeh. The event was officiated by BSM Managing Director, Pengiran Shamhary Pengiran Dato Paduka Haji Mustapha.

The promotion is in line with BSM’s appreciation towards Shell Helix Passenger Car Motor oil (PCMO) users and is held for a period of three months from 1 June 2016 to 31 August 2016. There will be consolation prizes which will be announced in July and August respectively and the grand draw has been set for September 2016. The date and venue for the grand draw shall be announced by BSM in due course.

End user will be entitled to one (1) entry form for each purchase of 4L of Shell Helix Motor Oil which comprises of Shell Helix Ultra, Shell Helix HX7 and Shell Helix HX5. Drop boxes are available for completed entry forms at participating BSM Authorised Distributors, Dealers and Retail Stations which can be located from www.bsm.com.bn.

According to independent worldwide consulting and research firm, Kline and Company, Shell has been named the world’s lubricants No.1 global supplier for the 9th consecutive year in 2014.

Shell Helix Ultra with PurePlus Technology (Gas-to-Liquid) harnesses the power of natural gas combining with Active Cleansing Technology, bringing together over 3500 patents and 40 years of research to create a revolution in motor oil. Key benefits include unsurpassed sludge protection, better fuel economy, low oil consumption and exceptional extreme temperature performance. It has also received the seal of approval from some of the world’s most respected car manufacturers, including BMW Motorsport, Chrysler, Ferrari, Ford, General Motors, Honda, Hyundai, Maserati, Mercedez-Benz and Volkswagen.

The latest Shell Helix portfolio is suitable for both Diesel and Gasoline engines.

For any enquiries and feedback, please email BSM-External-Affairs@shell.com

So make sure you buy the genuine products from BSM

The Shell Helix Ultra

 

SsangYong XLV during the press launch at The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf

T.C.Y. Motors gave a sneak peek at the new SsangYong XLV in a press preview at the Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf on May 24th.

Following in the footsteps of the successful Tivoli Launch, the new XLV gives you the feel of a luxury car with its stylish interior, and maximizes carrying capacity, thanks to its lengthened body.

The XLV made its debut as the XLV Air Concept during the IAA Motor Show in Frankfurt in 2015.  The extremely favorable feedback received during this debut gave SsangYong Motor the confidence to put the car into production.

The XLV shares the same platform and 2600mm wheelbase as the Tivoli, but with more space to boot with a load capacity of 720 cubic litres of space. The XLV features a 1.6 litre petrol and 6-speed automatic, two-wheel drive.

The unique styling cues that distinguished the Tivoli are retained in the XLV, including its harmoniously fused SUV body design, sporty look and floating roofline.

Designed to offer a multi-role, multi-function solution to a wide range of customers, the XLV provides just the versatility needed to meet a wide range of individual lifestyles, from outdoor excursions, ferrying sports equipment, or just ensuring all the luggage makes it to the airport on the family holiday.

Like their Facebook Page, SsangYong Brunei, and follow their Instagram Account @ssangyongbru, for updates and competitions.

 

Recently a group of media from Brunei did some shopping at Mustafa Centre, Singapore, and buying necessities for the under privileged children at Darul Ihsan Orphanage, Singapore. This was organised by Volkswagen Singapore and Brunei as part of their contribution to the community especially before the month of Ramadhan just around the corner. The items were transported by the newly launched Volkswagen Sports Van which will make its way to Brunei next week.

Louis and I shopping for milo and milk at Mustafa Centre recently in Singapore

Stocking up items at the Volkswagen Sports Van. Surprisingly spacey and it was able to load a lot of things at the back.

Can you spot me? 😀

The local media from Brunei had a great time shopping for the orphans. We overshot our budget but in the name of charity 😀

The items being unloaded at the orphanage

 

Mohd Razali Hj Junaidi won a trip for two to watch the opening match of the UEFA EURO Cup 2016 receiving the prize from Firdaus Mokim, Head of Marketing and Public Relations of BIBD At-Tamwil last weekend. Image courtesy of Analisa Amu of The Brunei Times.

Mohd Razali with other consolation winners. Image courtesy of Analisa Amu of The Brunei Times.

Late post: It was a pleasant surprise for Mohd Razali Hj Junaidi who won a trip for two to watch the opening match of the UEFA EURO Cup 2016 in France as the grand prize in a lucky draw by Grand Motors Sdn Bhd, the sole distributor of Kia vehicles in the sultanate.

The ‘Kia Lucky Drive to France’, which is one of the initiatives that is in partnership between UEFA EURO 2016 and the Kia distributor, aimed to boost the sports marketing approach of Kia and enrich customer’s driving experience.

“I am indeed happy with the prize and didn’t expect to win the trip. I am yet to see whether I can make it (to the trip) or not,” said Mohd Razali who recently bought a Kia Cerato in April.

The grand prize is inclusive of airfare, meals and hotel accommodation apart from watching the opening match and having a cultural experience tour of the host country.

The draw, which took place at Kia’s showroom in Beribi, also saw four other lucky winners receiving attractive prizes.

Nicholas Stuart Hendry and Nati Sumarto respectively won a 64GB Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge and 32GB Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge.

Meanwhile, Noraha Abdul Malek took home with her a Samsung Gear S2 Smart Watch and Mohd Rifa’ie Muhd Shahren won a Samsung Galaxy Tab S2.

Present during the draw were Baiduri Finance sales officers Md Saabeq Chong and Solon Chong as well as its Sales Manager Hj Muhd Ali BM Hj Metussin.
Also present were representatives from BIBD AT-Tamwil, Deputy Head of Marketing, Asharul Norshari and Head of Marketing and Public Relations Firdaus Mokim.

There were ten shortlisted finalists who were randomly selected in a draw on May 13 out of over 200 customers who purchased Kia vehicles from March 1 until April 30 this year. Apart from the grand draw, Grand Motors Sdn Bhd also launched the enhanced Kia Cerato with its new aesthetic features that is sporty and will surely capture the young and the young-at-heart.

Interested customers may visit any Kia showrooms or call 2453101 to book a test drive. There will be another test drive session in Tutong this Sunday and also a roadshow on 28-29 May at Hua Ho Petani Mall, Tutong. Text and images courtesy of Analisa Amu of The Brunei Times.

The roadshow and test drive at Hua Ho Petani, Tutong on Saturday and Sunday

 

Yang Mulia Dato Paduka Awang Haji Suhaimi bin Haji Gapar, the Acting Minister of Ministry of Development (center) with Mr Jackson Ting, Managing Director of D’Sunlit and Dato Paduka Haji Danial Haji Hanafiah, Executive Director of D’Sunlit

The highly anticipated 18th Consumer Fair was officially launched at the International Convention Centre, Berakas this morning, which was officiated by Yang Mulia Dato Paduka Awang Haji Suhaimi bin Haji Gapar, the Acting Minister of Ministry of Development in the International Convention Center, Berakas yesterday. At the opening was Managing Director of D’Sunlit Sdn Bhd, Mr Jackson Ting and Executive Director, Dato Paduka Haji Danial Haji Hanafiah, who gave an welcoming note at the start of the proceedings.

This iteration features the Food Fest, with lots of exploratory culinary experiences from award winning chefs, with baking classes from Bake Culture, food demonstrations by Her’s Kitchen, and Latte art by Piccolo.

Exciting activities await such as the “Junior Chefs Cookout and “Family Cook Out” by Hers Kitchen, Ice cream decorating challenge, Treasure Hunt Maze, photo booth, and a blood donation campaign by RIPAS.

After the opening ceremony, Dato Paduka Awang Haji Suhaimi bin Haji Gapar visited the various booths, which includes the 9th Thai Grand Fair featuring fresh exotic fruit, imported from Thailand. WIth over 400 booths with 180 exhibitors from Malaysia, Thailand, China, Indonesia, Pakistan, Cambodia, India, Singapore and Brunei, there’s something for everyone.

At the Concepts Computer booth. There is a special promotion. If customers buy an Acer pendrive (16GB), you will get another free. This promotion also applies to selected power banks and hard disks too. Great deal 😀

The VR glasses at Samsung booth (DST)

Baking Demo classes at the Consumer Fair, organised by Bake Culture

Baking demo

The VR glasses at Samsung booth (DST)

Check out the Koppair (inflatable bean bag without beans but simply air). Good pricing as well at BND 125. Do follow them at @koppla.bn on instagram

Photo booth

Thailand Grand Fair

Thailand Grand Fair

The crowd at Consumer Fair lately. Image courtesy of Concepts Computer

 

BHC Editor Amir Noor (2nd L) with Butra HeidelbergCement Sdn Bhd Managing Director Marcelino Ugarte (2nd R), BHC Project Director Stuart Lee (L), MMW Creative Director Hamdi Matussin (R) cut the cake during BHC’s 4th Anniversary celebration at Starbucks, Beribi. Image courtesy of Ikhwan Salleh of The Brunei Times. Click image to read more.

Congratulations to the team behind BHC – Butra Home Concept

 

The Good, The So-So and The Bad. Ah, Jakarta.. It has been more than 10 years since my last visit to the city. I remember my last trip was with regards to The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf trip, meeting potential franchisors in the region. I didn’t have much sentimental value back then but that changed over the course of the weekend during our toastmasters trip to attend the Jakarta Conference 2016.

I’m already feeling the pressure as I have volunteered myself to be responsible in running the Brunei Conference 2016 coming October. Then again, I have a reliable set of team in Brunei and it will also test my leadership skills in managing the event and striking the right chords with my team too.

Kashish Ajit Harjani (3rd from left) won the the Table Topics District Contest in Jakarta last weekend

Denish Vaswani (3rd from left)

Reuben Chin interviewing Pranika Lama

The contestants from the tables topic contest

With Allen, Fen and Pamela during Welcoming Dinner

So the Good… Well, I like the setting of the toastmasters conference. The venue was spot on for the toastmasters delegate and spacious as well (to a certain extent.. explain later). I can learn some pointers for the banner/backdrop that was used during the conference. The hotel we stayed at Santika Hayam Wuruk was pretty cool though the rooms were slightly small and it was about BND 650 for five nights.

The best part of the conference was the re-connecting with old faces and breaking the ice with new ones. Despite the minor friction from different divisions in our District, I made acquaintance with a few toastmasters members from Medan, Jakarta and Kuching. I learnt that I am able to get out of the comfort zone (as in being with my team members) and meet other members outside the Brunei contingent. That’s one way of expanding your horizons instead of imploding. This I have to take note for future conferences.

My final say of the juicy part of the conference was the actual speech contest, notably the International Speech category. Of course, we were all in Jakarta to support our Division champion Pranika Lama, a UBD Toastmasters member, and it was her first time reaching this level. I had faith in her speech because of her pure dedication and commitment to bring the best out of her.

To my surprise, the other contestants were equally good or better. They have just raised the bar for District 87 and sometimes it does pay when you have experience under your belt in this level. Dinesh Vaswani and Rebecca were no strangers and they had a 1-2 finish respectively and well-deserved too. As for Pranika, I truly grateful to witness you just being on stage and delivered a masterful delivery and many would be inspired to be a better speaker like you.

Now the so-so. It was cool know the fact that even a turnover of Chairmanship happened three times, things doesn’t necessarily will run smoothly. It means more transference and hand-over deals that could have been avoided before the actual conference. The Annual Conference is the second biggest after the World Conference and we could see teething problems along the way which I hope the organizing committee will bring it up during their post mortem.

Our rooms weren’t handled to a delicate manner and there were a few miscommunication with the logistic person and the front office of the hotel. It took me an hour to settle my room situation upon arrival.

Another teething problem was the actual contest. Yes, I did praise about the good quality speeches but behind the scenes, it was a total mess. There were no specific Organizing Chair for the contest. Nico from Medan was their standby emcee. Even the organizing chairperson asked me halfway during the contest if I could interview the contestants (But we all know that’s the task of the Contest Chair who happened to be Reuben and Pamela).

Among all these setbacks during the contest, I have to applaud Reuben Chin for lifting the energy of the audience when there was an unexpected delay before the prize presentation due to contestants’ protests on some matters. He was purely magical and charismatic in carrying the flow for at least 20 minutes to buy time for the Chief Judge to decide.

Like I said, just some teething problems that could have been avoided with proper communications. Something that we can’t take for granted.

Peter Voon from Bintulu and Gerald Goh

Yay, our area got awarded from Toastmasters International

Area K6, one of the strongest group in Division K, District 87

Now the Bad. Honestly, as a member of our toastmasters District 87, I was hoping for a better leadership from the District. The “Reaching Up, Reaching Out” but it didn’t reach the heights that was quite ambitious by our District Director. Perhaps the lowest point was when the District Director avoided a legit question by our Area K6 Director Allen Ang who raised concerns on the financial aspect of the District 87. A similar question was raised back in October 2015 in Bali but it was brushed off. This time, the District Director and the Finance Manager were put in the spotlight for a few minutes but their replies were fruitless and inconclusive. I felt embarrassed as a member that our leaders are not capable to answer a straight forward question and just be accountable for their actions. I hope the next term will turn things around with the newly elect Ivy Lau as the Division Director 2016-2017.

Another note, I wasn’t impressed with the Gala Dinner. We started quite early and we always know how draggy the Gala Dinner will be because of the award session. This is the time where toastmaster members and clubs will be recognized for their achievements and milestones. This is the time where delegates will sacrifice their personal time and fly to Jakarta at their own expense to receive their award.

However, it didn’t go as planned. The entertainment took bulk of the session over dinner where the awards should have given much importance. In the end, the award ceremony only started after 10pm which is pretty late and the overall experience seemed so rushed. It was probably the fastest award ceremony I’ve experienced as a delegate and it felt it was given less importance. Something for the organizers to look back and analyze on this event. The entertainment was already great on the Welcoming Dinner but to have on both nights, you will need to strike a balance on the Gala Dinner.

Brunei Speakers’ Club were awarded with two accolades

One of the energetic speakers at the Jakarta Conference. Cheeky too.

Our District leaders for Brunei, Indonesia, KK, Kuching and Labuan

During the District Council Meeting last Friday

Allen Ang raised a few valid points that still remains unanswered from District

The panels of District 87 leaders

The flag bearers for the opening ceremony

Some night activities during Welcome Dinner

There are many others that I want to highlight but I shall leave that offline. Overall, I had a splendid time because of the people around that I connected and reconnected with. Thank you, once again, to the organizers but don’t take my feedback personally but as a learning lesson.

Having said all these, it might backfire since I am the next organizing chair. I’m not raising any expectations for my conference either but at least, we as a team want to make everything run as smooth and make the delegates especially the international ones feel like home. That time will come and we will be ready to host all of you.

With the beautiful Pranika

Dinesh one of the most experienced public speaker. He will fly to Washington to compete in the World Conference this August. Good luck 😀

One of the table topics speaker

I was pitching for the delegates to come over to Brunie

Team KK are well ahead as they have secured 100 paying registrants for their convention next year