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Twice daily to Kuala Lumpur starting May 22nd

 

 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Goodie bags for the invited guests

Representatives from Pusat Ehsan

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

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

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

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

The popular chicken rice

The sauces that make the difference to compliment the chicken rice

 

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

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

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

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

 

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

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Twice daily to Kuala Lumpur starting May 22nd

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Some of the recipients of the LEAP Grant award

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

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

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

Zainal of Silver Wings Service talked about the social media platform

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

Origins Film showcasing their project called Yasmine the movie

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

BruInnovEdu showcasing their software too

 

Another great opportunity to showcase your ideas and talents

 

Registration is still open by the way 😀

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

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

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

Auditions for Rampai Pagi

Auditions as news caster for RTB

The lovely ladies from Hengyi

At the Brunei Economic Development Board area

Interested to join the army?

BSP had a lot of interest as well

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

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

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

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

 

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Twice daily to Kuala Lumpur.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Well done Steve Lai and Stephanie Liew

Picture opportunity with Mini dudes and babes

The happy faces from #getfitcrossfit

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

Thanks Herman (right) for the pictures

They are proud of the finisher’s medals

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

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

Herman with the mini babes

Shamsul also participated and he had fun too

Shamsul had his wife Maizan to support him during the event

Shamsul crossed the finishing line

Shamsul had his wife Maizan to support him during the event

Sorry peeps.. No soap/foam party

 

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Yugo BBQ lunch promotion from Monday to Thurs

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

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

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

The lunch set comes with this

So you can either choose the chicken or beef

Do try out their home made spices

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

 

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

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

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

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

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

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

The new Peugeot 408 unveiled last Thursday

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

The French Ambassador trying out the new Peugeot

It was such a huge crowd despite the rain

At the reception area of the event

 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Some of the food selections

The rojak section

The noodle section

Sausages… yummm…

Singapore Chilli Crab

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

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

Dessert selection

Dining with the local media is always fun

Hi Muiz and Zatty 😀

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

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

It was full house on the first night

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Come down to KB this weekend for the travel fair

 

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

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

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

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

The press conference held yesterday on the Tawau situation

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

He officiated the launch of the travel fair

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

The guys from Darussalam Holdings working hard

One of the customers playing darts to claim Royal Skies points

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

It was pretty packed early in the morning

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

Great privileges for Baiduri Cardholders too

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

Mizah was excited to win prizes from the quiz yesterday

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

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

The organisers’ life saviour yesterday – the generator

 

 

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Come down to KB this weekend for the travel fair

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

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

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

The medics on the job for the match

The personal medic for the Singapore clubs

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

I never realised the corner flags are in DPMM FC colours

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

This was a heavily contest match between the two teams

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Click image to enter Radisson Facebook page for updates!!

 

Click image to enter website

Come down to KB this weekend for the travel fair

It was yearly thing where His Majesty the Sultan and Yang Di Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam celebrated the Lunar New Year with the other members of the Royal Family and the Brunei Chinese community yesterday at Indera Samudra Grand Hall, The Empire Hotel and Country Club. Usually there will be a 1,000 in attendance for this special occasion and there were performances from students from respective schools and also a solo performance by the well known local singer Pei-Pei.

This time, I didn’t stay till the end as I had other events to attend. Enjoy the pictures though I didn’t take much either. Thumbs up to the organisers and also the performers for making the event running smoothly.

 

Catch DPMM FC tonight against Hougang United at Hassanal Bolkiah Stadium

Tonight’s the night when DPMM FC take on Hougang United at the Hassanal Bolkiah Stadium and this is a must win for DPMM FC if they want to establish themselves as title contenders. Last season DPMM FC finished runner-up in the S•League competition and it’s an awesome feat, considering DPMM FC not being active competitively for two years.

It will also be a true testament on how the local players gel with the foreign mix. Hougang is a different outfit now compared to last season, though DPMM FC did score a double of them last season. Hougang United had a winning start to their campaign with a 1-0 victory over Courts Young Lions. DPMM FC only managed a valuable away point against strong opposition Home United.

Dino Drpic, DPMM FC latest signing import, who was nursing an injury should be back in the starting line-up. Santos, the only import to be re-signed by DPMM FC, is still recovering and he should be back in two to three weeks. DPMM FC will rely on Joao (Portuguese striker) and Shahrazen Said for goals. Pressure will be on Joao to deliver as many are expected for him to shine and build a strong partnership with Shahrazen.

So peeps.. Do catch DPMM FC tonight (kick off 8:15pm) and let’s give our support to our local club.. My prediction: 2-0 victory to DPMM FC.

Jimbo, Bobby and Shahrazen fired up for tonight’s game

Santos still recovering and he won’t be starting tonight

Yay!! My pass is ready 😀

 

Don’t be surprised if you see representatives from Rennovo Solutions Sdn Bhd come knocking on your door next week. They have been appointed by The Authority for Info-communications Technology Industry of Brunei Darussalam (AITI) to conduct survey on ICT related questions. Not to worry that not all households will go through this process as there will be a random selection.

The survey will be carried out from 4th March to 17th March and the questions will be bi-lingual (Malay and English) and the procedure will last between 10 to 12 minutes.

The survey will be conducted soon

Recently the Authority for Info-communications Technology Industry of Brunei Darussalam (AITI) and Rennovo Solutions Sdn. Bhd. held a signing ceremony for the consultancy services to perform the household ICT survey project. This is the second survey to be conducted after the first one back in 2010.

The objective of the project is to perform a survey to gather a set of ICT related data within the households in Brunei Darussalam. This survey shall provide data on the basic indicators of the ICT situation in households, its trends and usage.With this survey, it shall facilitate an assessment and monitoring of the extent to which the Bruneian households have access to ICT and its related facilities.

The first phase of the project will involve the design of questionnaire that are ICT related according to the International Telecommunity Union (ITU) standards.

The ceremony was officiated with the signing of the contract between Awg Hj Yahkup bin Hj Menudin, Chief Executive of AITI, and Awg Haji Sapawi bin Bolhassan, the Chairman of Rennovo Solutions Sdn. Bhd. The ceremony was held at the AITI office in Anggerek Desa.

Haji Sapawi bin Bolhassan, the Chairman of Rennovo Solutions Sdn. Bhd with Hj Yahkup bin Hj Menudin, Chief Executive of AITI

Group photo with AITI and Rennovo Solutions Sdn. Bhd.

 

Bank Islam Brunei Darussalam Berhad (BIBD) today, via their Wealth Management Unit (WMU), continued their series of Financial Literacy and Planning Talks in their efforts to raise financial awareness amongst the public. BIBD’s own Chartered Financial Consultant and qualified Islamic Financial Planner, WMU Manager, Hjh Isnora Minudin, delivered the financial literacy talk to some 200 new officers and staff from the Ministry of Finance and its Departments at the Theatre Hall of the Ministry of Finance Building.

The series progresses to a different audience such as students from the secondary schools, the public from the government as well as private sectors were addressed of the importance of financial planning. This was in order to maximise the reach of these talks as an awareness tool for the public to better their understanding of the requirements for proper financial planning for their financial well-being and security.

This initiative was also to promote the dissemination of information to the public regarding their awareness on financial literacy and planning. Hjh Isnora conveyed that financial planning is a process which helps to reach your dreams through proper financial management. She also shared a few tips in debt control and steps on how to start financial planning. With this awareness on how important financial planning is, one can be responsible without depending on others. She further stressed that every dream requires financial planning, including raising a family, getting their dream home, planning for their children’s education as well as their retirement, on top of helping to build their wealth over time.

Generally, financial planning is about preparing for our future, which can be done by making better informed money management decisions now. There are many tools available that assist in achieving the financial security that everyone desires. Therefore, there must be a shift in the way Bruneian think and highlight the importance of planning. BIBD aims to provide this by teaching, informing and providing solutions with simple explanations. As explained, being financially stable does not only mean having enough money today, but also for tomorrow and the years to come.

Hjh Isnora Minudin, the Wealth Management Unit (WMU) of BIBD, delivered financial literacy talk

 

 

 

Ok, the poster might not be updated (due to more partners involved) but just some information on Bike Week

Get your helmets ready! The Independent Motorcycle Club, in collaboration with Cityneon Brunei, is organising the third Brunei Bike Week at Jerudong Park Amphitheatre and Gardens.

The event, to be held from March 1 (today) to March 3, will see bike enthusiasts from around the region participate in a range of motorcycle-related activities, such as motorcycle custom shows, track races, and an “Ol Skol VS New Skol” car show, among others.

According to Independent Motorcycle Club President Pg Azmanishah Pg Hj Abd Rahman, who is also the chairman of the organising committee of Brunei Bike Week, the event is being organised to promote travel and tourism in Brunei Darussalam, and offers participants an extended weekend getaway filled with plenty of sun, beaches, jungles and hills.

Brunei Bike Week is an annual event that started two years ago. This year, the theme is “Unity Through Diversity”, and a diversity of bikers from Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Philippines, Thailand and the United Arab Emirates have been confirmed to attend.

The three-day event will kick off from 2.30pm on Friday, and is open from 10am to 10pm on the following Saturday and Sunday.

Other activities of interest at Brunei Bike Week include cultural shows, a reptile show, a club showcase and performances by local artistes. Text courtesy of Ikhwan Salleh of The Brunei Times.

Reptile House will be participating as well. Image courtesy of Nabil.

Guess who’s the emcee for the third year running? Dj Dafy himself

Sound check for today’s event

Guess who’s on the Bike Week too – @pvintajcupcakes and @wondermamabn

Check out Lyn D Tattooist at Booth No.11 or if you are lost, you can text them on 890 2013. Image courtesy of Lyn D Tattooist.

the exclusive Brunei 3rd bike Week goodie bag! T-shirt, pin, keychain, sticker & BBQ ticket for BND48.00! Image courtesy of Nabil.

Click image to enter Radisson Facebook page for updates!!

 

Come down to KB this weekend for the travel fair

This time it won’t be at OGDC. It will be located at KB instead at the Dewan Bandaran in Kuala Belait. The 8th Belait Travel Fair is co-organised by Royal Brunei Airlines (RB) and Abacus Brunei and it will be held on 2nd and 3rd March 2013. This means you won’t be getting any promotions from other airlines with the exception of Royal Brunei Airlines (RB).

A press conference was held yesterday afternoon chaired by Abd Halim Hj Abd Rahman, Sales and Marketing Manager of Abacus Brunei. He said that Abacus Brunei is happy once again to work with Royal Brunei Airlines and he also thanked the supporting travel agents namely Anthony Tours, Century Travel, Freme Travel, Southern Cross Travel Agency, Darussalam Holdings and Pan Bright Travel Services will be participating in the 8th Belait Travel Fair.

Abacus Brunei will be providing 20 Abacus terminals for the six Abacus-connected travel agents during the two-day travel fair. According to Joan Lim, Head of Commercial of Royal Brunei Airlines, said that there will be fantastic prizes for those who purchased tickets during the fair. They stand a chance to win a flight to Melbourne or Hong Kong or KL.

Evelyn Ang, Sales Manager of Royal Brunei Airlines, didn’t spare much details on the fare promotion and she encouraged readers to come and visit the travel fair in KB this weekend. She did share that you can buy tickets in advance especially those not during the peak season. Another great promotional deal is the upgrade for KL, Jakarta and Bangkok sector where you just need to add $99 for a business class seat (one way only). Another great promotion from RB is the London December flight which is $1500++

According to Jamilah Abdul Halim, Director of Tourism Malaysia, there will be a few great deals on F1 packages for those F1 lovers. You can also enquire during the travel fair from travel agents (Pan Bright and Century Travel).

So peeps… Do pen down these dates 😀

Dato Jack Ting, Managing Director of Cityneon Displays and Constructions Sdn Bhd, Abd Halim Hj Abd Rahman, Sales and Marketing Manager of Abacus Brunei, Irene Soon, General Manager of Abacus Brunei, Joan Lim, Head of Commercial of Royal Brunei Airlines and Evelyn Ang, Sales Manager of Royal Brunei Airlines

Evelyn Ang, Sales Manager of Royal Brunei Airlines, tight lipped about the promotional fares and encouraged the public to visit the Belait Travel Fair

 

Click image to enter website

The Circus Firemen and Trick Ponies will entertaining the public in Brunei from 27th March to 2nd April at the Indoor Stadium. This event is brought to you by Forevershine Events, Media and Management Services and also Rakan Tiga Media.

So what can you expect from this show? Well, you will be able to witness a highly skilful comedic acrobatic action. The team is composed of Balancing, Juggling and Comedy Specialists Joshua Phillips and Idris Stanton; Teeter Totter, Hand stands and Tempo Acrobatics expert Vince van Berkel; German Wheel and Duo Trapeze Specialist Hannah Cryle;  Rola Bola and Trapeze Specialist Caz Walsh; and Aerial Ring, Trapeze and Hoops artist Kali Retallack. All members of the Circus team are from Australia.

Along the way, the organisers have brought in new partners for the event. As of late, DST is now an official partner and Kristal FM is the official radio of the event. The official hotel will be The Orchid Garden Hotel where the artistes will be staying and of course, Royal Brunei Airlines (RB) as the official airline carrier for bringing the performers from Melbourne and back. S-Team Solutions is the exclusive marketing partner and there is also support from Brunei Tourism Development Department.

The Circus Firemen performance in Australia

Forevershine Office, DST Counters (for specific dates only @ Tanjung Bunut, Yayasan, Giant, Tutong and KB), The Orchid Garden Hotel, Deejay Home Video Branches (The Mall and Abdul Razak Holdings, Tanjung Bunut, Serusop, and Times Square), Fabrica Interior (Gadong Property, Beribi, Kiarong and Kuala Belait), Fitness Zone, All Giant Branches, All Soon Lee Branches, Supa Save Mabohai Branch, Bossini (Mabohai and Kiulap) Utama Grand, and West Park at the Mall.

An added treat is the chance for viewers to win an Ipad.  There will be a lucky draw at the end of each show where a lucky viewer can a get a chance to win a 4thGeneration Ipad. Terms and conditions apply. 

For more details and bookings, please call Forevershine EMMS at 265-5208 or 879-9055,  S Teams Solutions at 234-5999 or 889-7999. You can also book online at www.forevershinebrunei.com and get updates on Facebook – Forevereshine EMMS.

 

8

 

One of the model houses at Subok. Click image to enter website

It’s always a dream for me to own a home one day. This for me is more important than perhaps getting a new car though my friends kept insisting I invest in a new car *lol* Anyway, it’s good to see another project from Rumaku Real Estate who will be launching a new upcoming unique residential development known as Impian.

Some of the pictures below are from several locations such as Kilanas, Subok, Jln Muara and Serasa. There’s an option as well if you want a complete kitchen which comes with a warranty period. In actual fact, all Impian home owners will receive a 2 year warranty period from the day the occupational permit is granted.

With such warranty, this will the first of its kind for private residential developments. This shows the high quality of the respective homes under the Impian project.

You might be discouraged by the overall price tag of residential homes in general but Rumahku will provide a better pricing structure (do contact them for more details 8722 249 or 875 3330) and the price range starts from BND 257,000. They will also be providing after sales service during the construction period right through to the end of the warranty period. Awesome!!

For your info, the Impian project will be launched on the 9th and 10th March at The Empire Hotel & Country Club from 9am to 6pm. Do check out their website www.impianbrunei.com for further details.

A model home along Jln Muara

A sample view of the family area

A sample view of the dining area

 

Stunning performances by an art troupe from China entertained the crowd at Jerudong Park Amphitheatre last week.

“Cultures of China, Festival Of Spring”, a large-scale cultural performance showcased a number of China’s highly skilled artiste delighting the crowd with songs, dances, a puppet show and other displays of unique skills.

The event was jointly organised by the People’s Republic of China Embassy in Brunei Darussalam, China Overseas Exchange Association, and Guang Xi Overseas Exchange Association and the Hockian Association, Brunei Darussalam.

Prior to the highlights of the night, the People’s Republic of China Ambassador to Brunei, His Excellency Zheng Xianglin, gave a speech.

In his speech, he he hoped that through this cultural exchange, cooperation and friendship between Brunei Darussalam and China will continue to blossom.

This was followed by a speech from The Head of Art Troupe, Feng Zuhua, who expressed his appreciation to be given the chance to perform a list of traditional Chinese performance in Brunei, especially for all celebrating Chinese New Year.

According to an official from China Embassy, 400 VIP seats for special guests and 2000 seats for the public, which was on a first-come-first-serve basis were prepared for the event.

Present at the event was Deputy Defence Minister Dato Paduka Hj Mustappha Hj Sirat and his spouse, Deputy Minister of Culture Youth and Sports Datin Hjh Adina Othman, the Chairman of HockianAssociation Brunei, Lim Han Chiong. Text courtesy of Mei Fung Lee of The Brunei Times

 

A new rising star in the making – Yursina Abdullah – has been making waves with her home-based jewellery which she started a year ago and recently Yusrina celebrated Enya Bijoux first anniversary held at Riverview Poolside. The anniversary event was to mark a milestone as well as appreciating Enya Bijoux’ customers for their support.

I love her idea on making home made jewellery and I shall be interviewing her pretty soon on her Enya Bijoux journey. Oh for those who wants to see her finished product (and they are beautifully gorgeous), just check @enyabijoux on instagram or if you don’t have instagram, then you can view her collections here :)) Sorry I couldn’t make it to your event. Images courtesy of Aiman Besar.

Yusrina Abdullah, founder of @enyabijoux (right) with her invited guests during the anniversary

 

A few more days left

In conjunction with celebrating our Brunei Darussalam’s 29th National Day 2013, they are conducting their first 2013 Instagram competition to celebrate and honour our history and heritage through means of Instagram.

Theme: Yellow & Black

Official Hash-Tag of the BRUNIKA National Day Instagram Competition: #kuninghitam2013

Prize: The Top FOUR (4) finalists will win one (1) pack of iPhone App Fridge Magnets each.

Please take note of the following rules:

1⃣ This competition is open to all local and permanent residents of Brunei Darussalam of any age and are based and living in Brunei only.

2⃣ You can submit as many photos as you like (old and new) from 21st February to 1st March 2013.

The closing date for the BRUNIKA National Day Instagram Competition: Friday 1st March 2013 at 4:00PM.

3⃣ The Top FOUR (4) Winners will be announced by BRUNIKA and will be contacted individually via their Instagram account with further instructions on how to claim their prize(s).

4⃣ Photo must NOT express any forms of profanity, sexual and/or racist elements. Image must NOT incite religious hatred and/or phrases that may be deemed inappropriate to other races.

5⃣ BRUNIKA reserves the right to reuse any photo that are submitted to the official hash tag of the BRUNIKA National Day Instagram Competition #kuninghitam2013

6⃣ BRUNIKA shall determine winner eligibility in its sole and absolute discretion. Decisions made by the judges are final and no forms of communications will be entertained at any time during the judging of the winner.

One Love, One Community.

Image courtesy of @momoh360

Image courtesy of @tiniest_smurf

Image courtesy of @ninahasnani

Image courtesy of @raffiyy

Image courtesy of @naimamirul

The 8th Belait Travel Fair this March. Click image to check out updates on Facebook.

 

Dato Paduka Haji Awang Alaihuddin, Permanent Secretary of Ministry of Communications and Hj Yahkup, Chief Executive of AITI, with the grant recipients standing behind. Congratulations!!

The Authority for Info-communications Technology Industry of Brunei Darussalam (AITI) recently held a grant award ceremony for four successful recipients of the “AITI GRANT for Development of Local ICT and Digital Media Industries”.

The event took place at Seri Kerna Hall of AITI Building in Kg. Anggerek Desa and was officiated with the contract signing between Awang Haji Yahkup bin Haji Menudin, Chief Executive of AITI and all four (4) grant recipients, namely Awangku Mohd Khairi bin Pengiran Haji Metusin of PHMD Publishing Company, Tien Kai Ping of SocialBuzz Advertising, Haji Kairulazhar bin Haji Rosli of Cinematicpro Services and Haji Suhardi bin Haji Suhaimi of Media Hikmah.

This important event was witnessed by the Guest of Honor, Yang Mulia Dato Paduka Haji Awang Alaihuddin bin Pehin Orang Kaya DiGadong Seri Lela Dato Seri Utama Haji Awg Mohammad Taha, Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Communications who is also the Chairman of AITI; Yang Mulia Awang Abdul Mutalib bin Pehin Orang Kaya Seri Setia Dato Paduka Hj Mohd Yusof, Members of Authority of AITI and representatives from various stakeholders from the ICT and digital media industries.

PHMD Publishing Company was granted with B$152,000 for their “Salam Halal” project which is an enhancement of its Salam Halal Verification and Tracking System using Augmented Reality Technology.

Meanwhile, SocialBuzz Advertising was awarded with B$198,000 for their project called “The Gigland”. It is a unique project on global geo-location based online marketplace for buyers and sellers of online mini/micro services. Their product will be made available on website, mobile apps and as a Facebook application.

The third successful recipient was Cinematicpro Services with grant of B$66,640 for the business to develop and produce a 3D animation trailer for “Sam, the Inventorbot”.

Media Hikmah was the last recipient who received B$48,160 for their 3D animation trailer “The Little Warrior”.

Guests witnessing the signing ceremony for the grant recipients

Mr. Hiro of Socialbuzz Advertising receiving the grant from Hj Yakhup, Chief Executive of AITI

Media Hikmah receiving the grant from Hj Yakhup, Chief Executive of AITI

One of the grant recipients

Since its inception in 2010, AITI has, to date, awarded grant to eight local ICT businesses for development of products ranging from various ICT solutions, digital animation and e-learning, with an overall amount of B$1.2 million funded under the 9th National Development Plan. These recipients are MARS Enterprise, Crescent Sdn Bhd, John Harith Technology Sdn Bhd, Alif Technologies Sdn Bhd, BruGPS Technologies Sdn Bhd, Syarikat Indah Sejahtera Development and Services Sdn Bhd, ZimacSilicon Technologies Sdn Bhd and Ambuyart Animations Company.

According to the Chief Executive of AITI in his opening remarks, “For this round of grant application, we have expanded our scope of financial assistance to cover not only ICT but also the digital multimedia area, as we see there are also equal needs to support the development of local contents for Brunei especially in the area of creative digital multimedia.” He further added that AITI has received 21 applications and shortlisted 9 of them.  The project proposals were evaluated based on four main criteria; technical merits, commercial potential, financial resources, project plan and capacity to deliver. Further evaluation also emphasized on Brunei-Made elements of the proposed product.

AITI’s Grant was initiated to assist the local ICT companies to further develop their ICT products and encourage Research and Development activities and capabilities in producing local innovative Brunei Made products with commercial potential through Government funding.

There are four types of AITI GRANT that an applicant can apply, namely:

1. Product Development  – for developing prototypes or concept testing;
2. Product Enhancement – for improving and upgrading existing products;
3. Product Ownership – for obtaining certification and quality management systems; and
4. Product Marketing Grant – for marketing and improving existing packaging, design or labeling.

The Grant amount varies depending on the type of Grant applied and the classification of the business. Each applicant is allowed to apply for more than one Grant type for the same product within two years’ project duration.
 
I’m not sure when is the next batch for application. It could be in the later half of the year. For more details and guidelines about the AITI Grant Scheme, information is available for download at AITI’s website www.aiti.gov.bn/AITIGRANT, and for further enquiries, interested parties can contact Ms Farihah Haji Md Said or the ICT Industry Development Group at 2323232 (during office hours).

One of the previous grant recipients, BruGPS showing his progress from the grant
 

One of the most successful rising star in the past year and now he’s concentrating on his new project, Gigland
 

The Salam Halal project should be very interesting too. Can’t wait!!

 

Last Sunday, Brunei Hot Wheel lovers organised the first Die-cast exhibition and there were 14 vendors who participated in the event. It was also another great avenue to showcase the talents of Die-Cast enthusiasts. I missed the event but thanks to Hadi Iskandar and the organiser, Zulhazmi Azhan for the pictures. Let’s hope for more of these events in the near future.

One of the custom made models to commemorate Brunei Darussalam’s 29th National Day.

The organisers of Die-Cast exhibition

 

Printer development is showing no signs of slowing down in the technology-savvy Brunei market as Concepts Computers continues to introduce new models of its Epson range of all-in-one printers to compete with third-party alternatives. It unveiled the Epson L550, an all-in-one original integrated ink tank system printer, which will go on sale in the consumer and business markets in Brunei.

Amidst the influx of external ink printers on the market over the years, the shop, which distributes Epson-branded printers, is hoping the L550 printer will bring back customers that have been looking at third-party solutions.

Zul Abdul Rahman, the marketing executive at Concepts, said the L550 is Epson’s answer to years of defective third-party ink tank modifications to its printers.

“In the past, we normally discouraged the use of external ink printers because they will easily ruin the printer, but now Epson has made it safe and affordable,” he said.

Zul said manufacturers would continue to improve on printers by introducing cost-efficient solutions so that they remain relevant to the market.

For a long time, consumers have considered printer ink cartridges to be expensive, which led many to turn to third-party ink tank refill solutions.

The Epson L550 will be selling for $418, inclusive of six 70ml bottles of original ink.

Zul said the low cost of consumables $10 per bottle and with an expected print yield of 4,000 pages ensured low-cost high-volume printing.

“We believe our customers will be very happy with the $10 price tag we put on these original ink bottles,” he added.

While the industry is going paperless with the advent of digital documents and digital publishing, Zul said the printer market was still going strong in Brunei, particularly in the education sector where students were still required to produce hard copies of their project work.

“There is still strong demand here. We constantly replenish our stock of black inks as students keep coming back to buy them,” Zul said.

Vincent Pao, General Manager of Concepts Computer and Zul Abdual Rahman, Marketing Executive of Concepts Computer displaying the new Epson printers

The most cost effective printer – Epson L550 – and very ideal for SMEs

Vincent Pao, Concepts general manager, said sales of Epson-branded printers from his store had been very good over the years due to the brand’s value-for-money price point.

Its previous printer, the Epson L210, the first to introduce the original ink tank system, has sold over 1,000 units in Brunei, Pao said.

The shop yesterday also launched two new Epson laser printers, the $338 AcuLaster C1700 colour laser printer for home and small office users, and the high-end $668 Aculaser CX17N for medium and large enterprises.

Replacement toners for the printers cost $98 per cartridge per colour.

With the launch of the new printers, Pao said that Epson and Concepts would be expanding its range to offer wider selections of printers to cater to schools and businesses looking to chose the most suitable model for their low-cost printing needs in Brunei.

“Epson is not only catering to the needs of everyday users but also to the needs of SMEs. This will ensure that Epson will have a high market range when it comes to choices so that customers can perfectly purchase a printer exactly to their needs,” Pao said.

“Printers that offer big savings is the key point that we are trying to share, and we hope local SMEs understand what Concepts Computer and Epson have to offer.” Text courtesy of Al-Haadi Abu Bakar of The Brunei Times.