Sneaky sneaky. It’s a good way though to entice people to come to the Brunei Travel Fair organized by Sabre Brunei. Many airlines especially Royal Brunei Airlines are tight lipped about their fares to the media for the upcoming travel fair. Instead they teased on really good deals especially if you are traveling on New Years.. mmmmm..

The press conference was held yesterday at Seasons Restaurant hosted by Sabre Brunei (previous known as Abacus) and it was good to see familiar faces of Irene Soon, General Manager of Sabre Brunei and Halim Abdul Rahman, Senior Manager, Sales & Marketing of Sabre Brunei.

The event itself will happen this Friday 2nd September until 4th September at Green Quartz Multipurpose Hall 7th floor of Centrepoint. Well, it’s famously known for its badminton activities. Looks like there are gonna be many unhappy badminton regulars starting Thursday till Sunday.

According to Halim, he hopes to see an increase in visitors for this travel fair, at least in the region of 15,000. That’s a pretty optimistic figure and with great deals and promotions, I won’t see a problem in the rise of visitors as compared to last year.

Now who will benefit from this travel fair? The locals, of course, the expatriates, the various airlines involved, the travel trade partners (many of them), business partners and of course the national tourist offices. With all the partners involved, it makes it easier for the event to be dynamic and very relevant to the consumer end.

Representatives from Sabre Travel Network, Royal Brunei Airlines, Baiduri Bank, Tourism Malaysia and Singapore Airlines

Irene Soon, General Manager of Sabre Travel Network, Halim Abd Rahman, Senior Manager, Sales & Marketing of Sabre Travel Network and Aariz Patrick Ng, Head, Branch Network – Sales Management and Business Banking of Baiduri Bank during the press conference

Sabres will provide more than 50 terminals to the nine Sabre-connected travel agencies participating at the fair to help them efficiently service their travelers. For your info, Sabre is a system that helps book your flights and for decades, Brunei travel agents have been using their system.

The Brunei Travel Fair would not be possible with the major involvement of our national air carrier, Royal Brunei Airlines. They have been a big supporter for the travel fair since day one and will continue to do so. Further more, RB also offers superb deals in travel fairs and they always have been the main draw for most travel fairs in Brunei.

Here are lists of exhibitors:

Sabres Travel Network Brunei
Royal Brunei Airlines
Baiduri Bank Berhad
Bank Islam Brunei Darussalam
Brunei Tourism Board
Malaysia Tourism Promotion Board
Ministry of Tourism, Republic of Indonesia
Sarawak Tourism Board
Standard Chartered Bank
Tourism Authority of Thailand
Taiwan Tourism Bureau

The participating travel agents

Anthony Tours & Travel Agency
At-Taqwa Travel Tours
Century Travel Centre
Darussalam Holdings
Freme Travel Services
J J Tour & Service
Pan Bright Travel Service
Southern Cross Travel Agencies
Straits Travel Agencies

Products and services:

Attractive air fares, hotel rates and packages
Haji and Umrah
Medical Tourism products (health screening

Sabre Travel Network Brunei promotion:

Every booking or purchase made during the fair, customer has a chance to win attractive prizes such as 1 set of GoPro HERO4. If you use your Baiduri card for payment, you will get three additional chances for lucky draw.

Evelyn Ang, Country Manager for Brunei of Royal Brunei Airlines and Ahim Rani, Marketing Manager of Royal Brunei Airlines

Promotion

On offer; tickets to all RB destinations except Kota Kinabalu and Jeddah.
Special promos include: Early Bird Specials, December Specials and London Specials.

Activities

1. RB Grand Draw
Customers who purchased RB tickets at the Brunei Travel Fair 2016 are automatically entitled for a chance to win:
02 Return Economy Class tickets to Dubai
02 Return Economy Class ticket to Melbourne
01 Return Business Class ticket to Ho Chi Minh City
01 Royal Skies membership complimentary upgrade

2. Daily Lucky Draw

Visitors who purchase RB tickets are also eligible to participate in the daily lucky draw which will be held at 2:00PM and 09:00PM on Saturday and Sunday, and 11:25AM and 09:00PM on Friday.
Participants stand a chance to win:
a. Return Economy Class tickets (to Shanghai, Bangkok, Jakarta, Bali, Manila or Surabaya)
b. One Way Complimentary upgrade award
c. Skylounge access pass
d. RB Merchandise

3. Instagram Competition

Visitors can participate in the RB Instagram competition for Brunei Travel Fair to win a Return Economy Class ticket to Jakarta. (Details will be announced on RB’s Social Media Channel)

4. Better Catch Them All

RB Customers during the BTF with a minimum spending of BND500 can participate in the Better Catch Them All game, where they will stand in a box for 10 seconds and catch as many prizes as they can.

Prizes:
a. 5% and 15% discount vouchers for their next purchase with RB to be redeemed at RB’s Customer Service Centre
b. RB Merchandise.

The social media influencers being briefed by Muaz at Royal Brunei Head office for the upcoming Brunei Travel Fair

Instagram Competition (Winner flies to Jakarta)

1. Open to all visitors to Brunei Travel Fair 2016.
2. To participate, visitors must take a photo at the Brunei Travel Fair 2016, featuring RB in their post and upload it on Instagram with the hashtag #RBBTF2016.
3. Open to residents of Brunei only.
4. All entries must be submitted by 09:00PM on Sunday 04th September 2016.
5. The winning post will win ONE non-transferable Economy Class ticket to Jakarta, Indonesia.
6. We ask that PRIVATE accounts are made PUBLIC during the competition in order to be entered. The winner will be announced on RB’s Instagram, we appreciate your patience while we verify all the entries. We will contact you via direct message if your photo has won.
7. This competition is not open to RB staff and their immediate family.
8. In accordance with Instagram rules, we must mention this is in no way sponsored, administered, or associated with Instagram, Inc. and by entering, entrants confirm they are 13+ years of age, release Instagram of responsibility, and agree to Instagram’s term of use.
9. By entering this campaign, you agree to give RB FULL RIGHTS to use your entries for any of our campaigns.
10. RB’s decision on the winning post is FINAL.
11. RB reserves the right to amend the competition terms and conditions.

Baiduri Bank. Being the official bank for the Brunei Travel Fair, there are many reasons to swipe your purchases/bookings with Baiduri Bank cards. You will get cash rebates, lucky dip and 0% installment as some of the promotional gimmicks offered by Baiduri Bank.

Prestige Exclusive: Enjoy BND 150 rebate when you spend BND 1,500 and above on any RB fares with your Baiduri Prestige card. Limit to only first 10 Prestige members and only available for the first two days.

Smart Executive Exclusive: Enjoy BND 100 rebate when you spend BND 1,000 and above on any RB fares with your Baiduri Smart Executive card. Limit to only first 10 Prestige members and only available for the first two days.

Baiduri Credit and Debit Cardholders. Enjoy BND100 rebate at the Brunei Travel Fair when you spend BND1,000 and above on any Royal Brunei air tickets with your Baiduri Credit or Debit Card. Limited to 20 redemptions per day.

No baiduri card? Receive 3 years annual fee waiver and up to 25,000 Royal Skies Miles when you sign up for a Baiduri Credit or Debit Card successfully. Also enjoy a coffee on us when you visit our booth to enquire about our products and services.

0% installment. Enjoy full processing fee waiver when you convert your credit card purchases into an interest-free instalment plan.

Just visit their website here for more details.

Tourism Malaysia Promotion. Speaking of Malaysia, Happy Merdeka Day 😀

1) Purchase airfare and holiday packages to Malaysia from all participating agents and Malaysian sellers at Tourism Malaysia pavilion to win 1 FREE Travel Luggage Bag with a minimum spending of BN 1,000. Limited “while stock last and first come first served basis.

2) Purchase airfare and holiday packages to Malaysia from all participating agents and Malaysian sellers at Tourism Malaysia pavilion to receive RM 20 Parson Shopping Voucher each passenger. Limited “while stock last and first come first served basis.

3) Brahim’s ready-to-eat meals and ready-to-eat dishes food sampling at Brahim’s counter under Tourism Malaysia Pavilion.

4) Daily quizzes by Sabre appointed emcees to win

• 3 days 2 nights stay at Mulu Marriott Resort & Spa, Mulu National Park for 2 person contributed by SARAWAK TOURISM BOARD;
• 10% off for Classic Deluxe Room at Kingwood Boutique Hotel, Miri contributed by KINGWOOD BOUTIQUE HOTEL
• 10% off for Classic Deluxe Room at Kingwood Boutique Hotel, Miri contributed by KINGWOOD BOUTIQUE HOTEL
• 2 days 1 night stay at Superior Room with daily breakfast at Ming Garden Hotel & Residences contributed by MING GARDEN HOTEL & RESIDENCES
• 2 days 1 night stay at Superior Room with daily breakfast at Ming Garden Hotel & Residences contributed by MING GARDEN HOTEL & RESIDENCES
• Food and Beverage voucher at TH Hotel & Residence Sdn. Bhd. contributed by TH HOTEL & RESIDENCE SDN. BHD
• 2 Brahim’s food hamper contributed by Brahim’s

Click image to enter Facebook Page

At-Taqwa Travel Tours. This will be their second time participating in a travel fair. The newly established travel agent in Brunei recently had accreditation from the International Air Transport Association (IATA) where it’s a license required by Saudi Arabia for a travel agent to bring pilgrims to Mekah.

Promotion: The six packages under Al-Singafura for Umrah packages. Trip commence from December 12 to 4 January 2017. Lucky draw for those purchasing Haj and Umrah, entitled to a lucky draw.
Grand prize: an Umrah package for one
Second prize: A flight ticket to a mystery destination
Third prize: Two night stay at a hotel in Penang
Fourth prize: Three night stay at Rizqun International Hotel

Click image to enter Facebook Page

Pan Bright Travel Service. One of the travel agents that goes with a big bang with awesome lucky draws. This time the grand prize could be a Hyundai car or a Hermes Birkin. I’m not into bags as you can tell but but wow, these bags are no joke. When I googled, I’m shocked to know the Hermes Birkin can go up to USD 20,000 #shocked.

So for every $200 spent in Pan Bright Travel Service, you are entitled to get 1 lucky draw coupon. The promotion kicks off during the travel fair. The lucky draw campaign will be until 31st March 2017 and there will be a monthly draw of air ticket as well.

The viral image from whatsapp, courtesy of Century Travel

Century Travel. I bought a few air fares from them before and they have pretty good service. So far, I would say that they are the fastest in getting the news out on the air fares. I know Royal Brunei Airlines have been tight lipped but somehow word has gone out from certain travel agents on the air fares. Pretty affordable too. Just refer to the poster below.

Freme Travel. As usual, their booths are among the biggest of the lot. Not just focusing on air fights but also domestic tourism. If you want to fly on a holiday package, then Freme Travel have plentiful of choices. I was just browsing their Facebook Page and it’s amazing what cities they can come up with for their customers.

There are packages such as Morocco, Bhutan and Harbin to name a few. So something interesting for travelers to look forward to.

Great promotion from BIBD as well during the Brunei Travel Fair

 

Managing Director of BIBD, Mubashar Khokhar, receiving guests in yesterday’s BIBD Open House

Another on the check list of corporate open houses. To be honest, I love the venue of Indera Samudra Grand Hall when it comes to a large scale of open house. More than 2,000 guests showed up yesterday at the BIBD Open House.

The theme was “Majlis Gema Syawal” and among the invitees were ministers, senior government officials, foreign diplomats, SMEs, and many more and of course, not forgetting the media 😀

I’m quite impressed with the Arabian cuisine and I almost had my seconds but I was just too shy. I spent more time mingling with friends and thank you SY for the company too. The most popular section is the Photo Booth area.

Hosting on behalf of BIBD Open House is the Managing Director of BIBD, Mubashar Khokhar. Thank you, BIBD, for the invitation. Till next year again.

All smiles after the delicious Arabian cuisine

Hello SY 😀

Rayner Tan mingling with Ben Lin, Head of Marketing of BIBD

The many among the guests

The long queue at the photo booth

Son and mother enjoying a moment behind the camera

Both of us posing for the camera

Sue Sue, why are you alway camera when it comes to me? #since2001

 

I didn’t have the chance to talk to Malcolm Lim but he’s always a great guy, feting an internal open house for the management and staff of Kingston Beverage and Creamery Sdn Bhd at their main office.

They also had some mini games to interact with the staff before meals were served. Thank you, Kingston for the Open House invitation.

Malcolm Lim, Managing Director of Kingston Beverage & Creamery, with his family, and also the management and staff of the company at their Open House this morning at their headquarter

 

C-Class Coupé TV commercial “Ferry” – Mercedes-Benz original

 

Acting Minister of Energy and Industry at the Prime Minister’s Office Dato Paduka Awang Haji Mohamad Roselan bin Haji Mohamad Daud during the ribbon-cutting to officiate the opening of the new Telisai-Lumut Highway. Image courtesy of Hock Sim from Media Permata.

Did you know 21 motorists caught speeding yesterday on the new highway? Image courtesy of Ridhwan Kamarulzaman of The Brunei Times.

I commute to Seria/KB at least 2-3 times in a month and I’ve been eyeing on the much awaited highway, the Telisai-Lumut Highway and it was officially opened last Tuesday. The distance of the new highway is 18.6km and it took six years to complete and the idea is to shorten the distance between BSB and Kuala Belait. The usual path is the single land road from Telisai to Sg Liang and now there are two alternatives.

So how much did it cost? Supposedly $138 million but due to additional incurring costs, it ended up to $168 million as quoted by Simon Tsen Khjeng, Senior Engineer at Darussalam Enterprise (DARe). The six year project had geo-technical issues such as landslips due to soil composition.

There are definitely pros and cons with the newer highway. The obvious disadvantage is that the highway is five kilometres longer than the old route. But of course, the single land route will have more traffic congestion and the road is bumpy at certain points too.

Last night, it was my first time experiencing the highway and I actually thought it was a brilliant move. I saw two road kills (dogs) on my way back. I might have to say that those living in Lumut might find it tedious as they have make a longer U-turn than usual since my friend shared her view on the highway.

For now, let’s be appreciative of the Government’s effort to improve the safety and also road congestion especially for commuters. It’s sad to know that there was a self-accident incident yesterday on the highway but no casualty and the relevant authorities are investigating into the case. The Royal Brunei Police Force were also on task to remind motorists not to speed on the highway by setting up roadblocks and speed traps. So just a bit of warning and reminder to all the drivers out there. Safety is more important and Hari Raya is coming soon too 😀

Kudos to the stakeholders involved in this project.

The new highway. Click image to enlarge.

 

Yang Mulia Dato Seri Setia Awang Haji Abdul Aziz bin Orang Kaya Maharaja Lela Haji Yussof (L), Shariah Advisory Body Chairman of BIBD and its subsidiaries handing over the Zakat mock cheque to Pehin Udana Khatib Dato Paduka Seri Setia Ustaz Haji Awang Badaruddin bin Pengarah Dato Paduka Haji Awang Othman (R), the Minister of Religious Affairs, as the Deputy Minister of Religious Affairs (2R) and BIBD Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer( 2L) looks on

BIBD yesterday performed its zakat obligations, the forth pillar of Islam, by handing over its Zakat on Business for the financial year 2015, along with the Zakat for customer deposits to the Brunei Islamic Religious Council (MUIB). The payment of zakat is also a method of wealth distribution to support the deserving as stipulated by Shariah.

BIBD today performed its zakat obligations, the forth pillar of Islam, by handing over its Zakat on Business for the financial year 2015, along with the Zakat for customer deposits to the Brunei Islamic Religious Council (MUIB). The payment of zakat is also a method of wealth distribution to support the deserving as stipulated by Shariah.

BIBD’s Zakat on Business for 2015 amounted to B$ 2,612,091.93, whilst Zakat for customer deposits for the period of 2015-2016 came in at B$ 369,573.93.

The Zakat were handed over by Yang Mulia Dato Seri Setia Awang Haji Abdul Aziz bin Orang Kaya Maharaja Lela Haji Yussof, Shariah Advisory Body Chairman of BIBD and its subsidiaries, Permanent Secretary at The Ministry of Religious Affairs to Yang Berhormat Pehin Udana Khatib Dato Paduka Seri Setia Ustaz Haji Awang Badaruddin bin Pengarah Dato Paduka Haji Awang Othman, the Minister of Religious Affairs (MORA), in his capacity as MUIB President.

Also in attendance were the Deputy Minister of Religious Affairs, along with BIBD Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Yang Mulia Mubashar Khokhar, and other MORA and BIBD officials. The event took place at the office of the Minister of Religious Affairs in Berakas.

 

BIBD personnel during the “Majlis Khatam Al-Quran at Tarindak D’Seni yesterday

BIBD yesterday held their annual ‘Majlis Khatam Al-Quran & Majlis Bersungkai’ at the Tarindak D’Seni in the capital for some 250 personnel. Through their participation, the event served to bring BIBD management and staff closer.

The ceremony began with the recitation of the Surah Al-Fatihah prior to the Khatam Al-Quran that was participated by more than fifty BIBD personnel, and ended with the breaking of fast.

The event is part of BIBD’s Ramadhan religious activities along with their recent annual charity drive “Sirah Amal” and Majlis Bertahlil at the Royal Mausoleum.

In attendance was BIBD Chairman and Minister of Development, Yang Berhormat Dato Paduka Awang Haji Bahrin bin Abdullah, along with members of the Board of Directors and Shariah Advisory Body, as well as BIBD management and staff.

 

One of the Set Meals we ordered recently

A popular franchise in the Philippines, Pancake House International has been in the Sultanate in just less than two years. Located next to the famous Thien-Thien branch in Kiulap, it’s strategically located at the corner of the building and it has an orange look/feel to it so it’s hard to miss from a distance.

With only less than a week left, why not try out their Ramadhan Combo promotion (Check out the poster). They come in three sets – Pancake Meal A, Pancake Meal B and Pancake Meal C.

Of course, their best seller is the pancake itself. Why? It’s just fluffy and the condiment and syrup compliments well with the pancakes. You can try any other pancake but the quality of the pancakes here are of high quality. I do hope they still maintain it. Not to fret as they just don’t serve pancakes but other savoury dishes such as chicken, fish and rice too.

I would say it’s a pretty good deal from the Ramadhan Combo as there are set meals if you are tired of having buffets for Sungkai. So let me go through what are mentioned in the poster.

Pancake Meal A $23.50 (Ideal for 2 pax)
2 cups of rice, 2 pcs of Pan Chicken, 1pc Tinapa (I like the fish)
2 pcs of sunny side eggs, 1 House Spaghetti
2 pcs pancake (or 1 waffle) and 2 ice tea

Pancake Meal B $40 (Ideal for 4 pax)
4 cups of rice, 4pcs of Pan Chicken or Southern Maple Chicken
1 fish roll, 1 House Spaghetti, 2 pcs Tinapa
2pcs pancake (or 2 waffles), 2 ice tea

Pancake Meal C $58 (Ideal for 6 pax)
6 cups of rice, 6pcs of Pan Chicken or Southern Maple Chicken
2 fish rolls, 2 House Spaghetti, 3 pcs Tinapa
6 pcs pancake (or 3 waffles) and 6 ice teas

For bookings, you can call 223 5250

Pan Chicken

Southern Maple Chicken

House Spaghetti

Tinapa fish

Goes well with the dishes

mmmmmm pancakes

Five ain’t a crowd 😀

Pancake House International

 

Dine with Kristy at Shabulicious at Food Arena last night

Filterworks experiencing Sungkai at Shabulicious

A fan of shabu-shabu and you know there have been many restaurants that offer hot pot stuff. Shabulicious now have three branches – one at Batu Bersurat and the other at Delima. But hey, I have yet to try the other branch at Food Arena, Seri Q-Lap Mall, so it was the first time that I dined in at Shabulicious at Food Arena.

What can you expect? They provide different kinds of Set Meals (refer to poster) to your liking during the month of Ramadhan. I opted for the ala carte since I don’t really eat that much. But for those who choose to have ala carte, Shabulicious offer 10% discount only during Ramadhan. And guess what? You can also take advantage of BIBD promotion (up to 30% on Tuesdays). So there will be one more Tuesday left to enjoy the 30% discount should Hari Raya falls on a Tuesday. I could be wrong.

Visit their branches Shabulicious Delima Square and Shabulicious Restaurant, Batu Bersurat, Gadong and dial their hotlines: 233 8333 / 875 0076 (Delima) 245 2000 / 888 2100 (Batu Bersurat) and 223 2022 / 729 2577 Food Arena.

Ramadhan Set Meals

$42.80 for 4 pax | $68.50 for 6pax

10% discount ala carte – Dine in and take away

Tel: 233 8333 (Delima) | 245 2000 (Batu Bersurat) | 223 2022 Food Arena

We ordered for 6 pax as part of the Ramadhan Sungkai Feast Family Menu

Taken from the ala carte menu

Giranda teriyaki.. yummm

1 small economy set as part of the 6 pax meal

Once it’s cooked, it’s all good and tasty

Reminds me of a Korean dish where we have to mix around

Filterworks at work last night

Quite a good crowd last evening but the outlet at Batu Bersurat was a full house

Smile guys!!

I must have noodles in my shabu-shabu 😀

and these two are a must..

Check out the BIBD promotion

Ramadhan Set Meals

$42.80 for 4 pax | $68.50 for 6pax

10% discount ala carte – Dine in and take away

Tel: 233 8333 (Delima) | 245 2000 (Batu Bersurat) | 223 2022 Food Arena

 

The Pasta Station..

Filterworks experiencing Sungkai at Star Lodge by Momo Restaurant

What an amazing selection of food items at Star Lodge hosted by Momo Restaurant! From Japanese cuisine to grilled to local favourites, the Sungkai buffet was a treat to the visitors.

The funny thing was there were so many items to choose from that I didn’t know where to start at all. In the end, I decided to have Laksa as my appetizer. They also had Kimchi soup as well as a pasta station.

The first thing I had noticed once I parked was the grill station. So after the Laksa, I went on to get some ‘tongking’. So much flavour that I just wanted to eat just that. But then, there was the… Japanese section. Kitaro had set up their array of sushis and pancakes and of course, you can only expect the best from Kitaro.

The buffet line was interestingly labeled on leaf-shaped cloths and they consisted of biryani, egg noodles, salmon head, chicken etc. I especially loved the sambal eggs.

Don’t forget their special promotion using BIBD cards ranging from 10% to 30% discount. The 30% discount is only applicable every Thursday using any of BIBD Credit Card with a minimum spending of $50. So you have two more Thursday left to enjoy the 30% discount at Star Lodge (Momo Restaurant).

So if you’re interested in checking it out, do it! Make your reservations or just drive to Star Lodge at Jerudong. You can also follow their social media updates @momo.restaurant and @starlodgebrunei on instagram

Sungkai Buffet

$23.80 Adult | $11.80 Child

Tel: 261 1618 | 899 9807

The Grilled Station

I chose to have the laksa.. I’m glad I did.. I was expecting it to be spicy but it has an authentic delicate laksa taste.. I almost had seconds but I hard to control my intake

Now this is a winner.. I told the manager I like the spiciness of the sauce and it tasted familiar like my favourite satay joint and behold, it’s the same supplier of Satay Hj Ibrahim…

Grilled lamb

Grilled fish

Chicken Satay.. Beef also available

Tongking and grilled prawn

Roti Canai also available

Crab with oyster sauce

Mixed vegetables

Umbut masak lemak

I like this – Sambal Egg

Spicy Grilled Chicken Padang Style

Beef Rendang

Japanese cuisine from Kitaro Lodge

Japanese cuisine from Kitaro Lodge

Bread pudding

My guests for Sungkai last night

Sungkai Buffet

$23.80 Adult | $11.80 Child

Tel: 261 1618 | 899 9807

 

Her Royal Highness Princess Amal Rakiah with Vivy Yusof, co-founder of FashionValet recently at the FV pop-up store at The Empire Hotel & Country Club

Another photo opp with the Malaysian designers

I’m such a noob when it comes to fashion stuff. After being aware of Zalora and KLIHF, I only knew of FashionValet’s existence and never realised how big Fashion Valet is until recently. They are humungous to begin with.

You can tell how success a fashion portal is when it crashes from time to time (whenever they have new releases of their scarfs).

Apparently FV is quite popular here in Brunei and according to Vivy Yusof, co-founder of FashionValet, the market share for Brunei spenders are 15% and increasing. Hence, it’s such a timely manner for FV to make their presence felt physically in Brunei. Vivy wanted Bruneians to have a real feel rather than relying on virtual imagery on the few hundred collections under FashionValet.

Vivy was very overwhelmed with the responses from the public as hundreds flocked in to make purchases from the 30 designers where Vivy selected to bring to Brunei. The weekly event has been more than a success and Vivy vows to learn from their first showcase in Brunei held at The Empire Hotel & Country Club. This is because more than 60% of their inventory was bought in the first two days and thanks to the special discounts given to Standard Chartered Bank customers last weekend and also to the top FV spenders from Brunei.

I had the privilege to be invited by the team from FV for a Sungkai dinner last weekend and also interviewing the co-founder herself Vivy Yusof. Just one word to describe her – humble 😀 and I could see how dedicated she is in taking care of her fans as she continuously accepted photo requests from the incoming guests. I salute you Vivy for your constant high energy and being so accommodating at the same time.

Brands available for purchase at the event included Alia B, Syomirizwa Gupta, nh by Nurita Harity, emel by Melinda Looi, Poplook Premium and Mimpikita.

This is the biggest Raya campaign FV has worked on thus far. It is also one of the most exciting and rewarding times for FV and its customers as the Raya festivities inches closer.

The FV pop-up store will be at the Indera Kayangan Ballroom of The Empire Hotel & Country Club until June 17, open from 10am to 10pm. I believe by now there won’t be much choices due to the great responses from the public. Sometimes I wonder if the economic downturn has no effect on FV loyal customers.

Team FashionValet posing for the camera. Vivy and her husband are truly thankful to the team for helping them out in this journey

Familiar faces that are big fans of FashionValet

 

Yang Berhormat Dato Paduka Hj Bahrin bin Abdullah, BIBD Chairman and Minister of Development handing out donation accompanied by Yang Mulia Mr. Mubashar Khokhar, BIBD Managing Director

BIBD today continued its commitment towards elevating the welfare of under privileged families in Brunei with donations towards more than five thousands recipients from all four districts.

BIBD also handed out special prizes to eleven orphaned students in recognition for their dedication to excelling in their education through the “Skim Hadiah Galakkan Pelajar-Pelajar Yatim Cermelang 2015”.

This was presented by Yang Berhormat Dato Paduka Hj Bahrin bin Abdullah, BIBD Chairman and Minister of Development, who was accompanied by BIBD Managing Director Yang Mulia Mr. Mubashar Khokhar.

The donations were handed out together at a ceremony held at the International Convention Centre in partnership with the Community Development Department (JAPEM), Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports.

“As a responsible corporate citizen, BIBD’s core values is always within supporting our society,” said Mr. Mubashar Khokhar, BIBD Managing Director. “BIBD is dedicated to support the Brunei Government and the country’s initiative in helping communities to develop and move forward towards achieving Wawasan Brunei 2035.”

In keeping up with the spirit of Ramadhan, the cooperation with JAPEM is part of BIBD’s multi-platform efforts in providing support to the Brunei community, which includes BIBD’s annual Sirah Amal programme and the on-going development of its BIBD Advocating Life-Long Learning for an Aspiring Future (ALAF) programme.

 

Click image to enlarge

You can check out the mock condo at Jalan Aman. Contact 717 5612 for appointment

I’ve heard of the condos along Jalan Aman and only yesterday I had the privilege to wonder around the mock condo of Aman Hills Residence which is slated to be completed in 2017. This could be the first where the developers are building both a condominium and a shopping mall under one umbrella.

As mentioned by Feeona Abdullah, sales representative of Proland REalty, some of the 60 units of the condominium have been taken and of course, there are still units available if any of you are interested. I kinda love the concept of the condo at Aman Hills Residence and anyone who stays here will appreciate the facilities it provides and also the convenience of shopping outlets in the coming years.

The mock condo has a four bedroom (one master bedroom), a jointed living room and dining area with a dry and wet kitchen area. The mock condo doesn’t included the furniture and other electrical appliances such as refrigerator and air condition. However, upon request, these items can be included with a different price range for a fully furnished condo.

The long spacious area with a size of 2,152 sq ft

The TV area. As mentioned, the mock condo just showcasing how it looks like with furniture. The prices stated are all unfurnished.

The master bedroom at the very end with a bathroom attached

As I mentioned earlier, there will be shop houses (two storeys), ice skating rink, bowling alley and Do-It-Yourself Hardware Store and not forgetting the influx of franchise brand in the food & beverage industry.

If you refer to the prices, the Aman Hills Residence offers different price range as low as BND 288K to BND 428K (unfurnished). Another gimmick offered by the developers are that once you buy the property, you can also earn rental with a 5% guaranteed rental returns per year for five years as it will be fully managed by Proland Realty. So you can say it’s a hassle-free investment with good returns.

For viewing of The Aman Hills Residence, you can contact 717 5612 for appointment and she will be more than happy to assist you.

The wet kitchen

One of the smaller rooms in the 4 bedroom condo

The pantry/dry kitchen area

The bathroom/toilet

Click image to enlarge

Click image to enlarge

Click image to enlarge

 

BIBD and Tourism Malaysia announced Hj Muhd Mazran Haji Suhut as the lucky winner of the 1Malaysia Year-end Sale during the BIBD Home Showcase at The Mall, Gadong. The collaboration between BIBD and Tourism Malaysia automatically registered BIBD cardholders who made card transactions in Malaysia during the 1Malaysia GP Sale, which ended early this year, into a lucky draw.

The winner was entitled to an all-expenses includes a five-day and 4-night paid holiday in Kuala Lumpur and Johor inclusive of airfare, accommodation, return airport transfers and a twelve-hour chartered car exclusively for them to go shopping. To add to their great bundle, the winner is also entitled to 100,000 Hadiah Points, which can be used to pay for bills, make donations, among others.

Presenting on behalf of BIBD was Siti Rafeah Hj Jakir, Head of Card Products, and for Malaysia Tourism, was its Director, Zurina Abd Samad.

Hj Muhd Mazran Haji Suhut was the lucky 1Malaysia Year-End Sale. The prize was presented by Zurina Abd Samad, Director of Malaysia Tourism (Brunei) and Siti Rafael Hj Jakir, Head of Card Products.

On the other hand, the BIBD showcase highlights BIBD’s financing packages such as its Home Financing, Home Improvement Financing, Education Financing and its Personal Financing along with other BIBD’s products and services. The showcase will also include financial health checks performed by qualified BIBD certified Islamic financial planners. The showcase also provides a comprehensive platform for respective future homeowners to look at the exciting property and home improvement opportunities through BIBD’s collaboration with the stellar partners present.

Successful applicants will also stand the chance to win prizes such as iPad minis, shopping vouchers at Supasave and Hua Ho, BIBD Hadiah Points, among others. The eighth BIBD Home Showcase will be running for a period of ten days until May the 1st, open every day from 10am to 10pm. The opening time for Fridays will be from 2pm to 10pm.

For more information on any BIBD products, services and promotions, please follow the BIBD Instagram account at @BIBDBRUNEI; Facebook page at www.facebook.com/bibdbrunei; get in touch with BIBD Contact Centre at Prepared by Corporate Communications, BIBD PRESS RELEASE MDO/PR/2016/013 2238181 or visit the nearest BIBD Branch. Also, don’t forget to download the popular BIBD Mobile App to get the latest BIBD offers and promotions under “What’s New” feature.

 

Late post: Kids as young as 6 years old as well as under 18 youths recently took part in School Holiday Basketball Camps during the March break. The twice run 3-day camps were organized by Shooting Stars Brunei Basketball.

Ken Han, the founder of Shooting Stars Brunei Basketball and Head Coach Ryan Yusof, held the basketball camps to engage kids to provide an opportunity for them to spend their school holidays productively.

The 3-days camps took place on March 23-25 and 28-30 saw specially invited basketball Coach Tan Chee Wan from Malaysia tasking more than 70 Brunei’s aspiring basketballer through a comprehensive training regimen designed to challenge and train them.



Coach Tan was a player in the Malaysian team who took gold during the 1989 SEA Games. Coach Tan’s many years of experience in coaching kids and youth basketball, especially basic fundamentals drills and activities, had a great impact not only for the campers but also to the coaches in Shooting Stars Brunei.

The camp focuses on three themes – Serious Fun, Discipline and Safety.

During the 2 camps, we saw new teammates forge lasting friendships that endure beyond the court. We saw kids, who are new to basketball, at the camp join in with joy with regular kids and youths at SSBN.

This event would not have been possible without the support of  ‎our sponsors and volunteers. Special appreciation goes to Hua Ho, Rano Iskandar, EasyWay Bubble Tea, Ref Station, International School Berakas, ISB catering and canteen team, Baan Nucha Thai Restaurant and especially our SSBN coaches and volunteers.

For more information regarding regular basketball sessions for 4-17 years old at Shooting Stars Brunei, contact 7290011 or shootingstarsbn@gmail.com.

 

Check out the special promotion offer from Loft & Co at the BIBD Home Showcase at The Mall. Image by Adib Noor of The Brunei Times.

You can turn your dream home into a reality with Loft & Co, more so now as the furniture store is offering exclusive discounts on its high quality furniture and home related accessories.

The offer is available for a limited time and only for visitors to its booth at the 8th BIBD Home Showcase at The Mall, Gadong.

“All items that we have at our booth are offered at an exclusive discounted price and is only exclusive during the course of the showcase,” said Sales Manager of Loft & Co Janet L Parpa.

On display at its booth is the latest collection from Hong Kong-based Red Apple Furniture Co Ltd brand. The highlight is an innovative queen size bed, which is fitted with a special hinge that allows it to be lifted in order to access a compartment for storage. The unique bed is currently on offer at $799 and it has been a good response so far.

“Other items such as the Red Apple night stand, dresser with mirror, armchair, bedding and even table lamp are all offered at an attractive price,” the sales manager added.
The home showcase by BIBD is ongoing until May 1. It features the bank’s promotions on home financing such as waivers and discounts on fees and chances to win prizes for successful applicants.

To take a look at more furniture selections, head to Loft & Co’s main branch located at Unit 6 to 9, Ground Floor, Little Soho at Batu Bersurat.

For enquiries, please contact or WhatsApp 8908778. You can also check for updates on its Instagram,@loftandcobsb. Text courtesy of Adib Noor of The Brunei Times.

You can storage under the bed

Some of the furniture from the Red Apple line at Loft & Co at Batu Bersurat

 

Dr Hjh May Faezah Hj Ahmad Ariffin, Deputy Permanent Secretary (Economy and Finance) at the Prime Minister’s Office launching the BIBD Home Showcase

Mr Mubashar Khokhar, Managing Director of BIBD delivering his welcoming remark

BIBD launched its eighth Home Showcase at The Mall, Gadong. The showcase, themed Lifestyle, highlights BIBD financing packages such as its Home Financing, Home Improvement Financing, Education Financing and Personal Financing along with other BIBD products and services. The showcase also includes financial health checks performed by BIBD certified Islamic financial planners.

Throughout the event, customers can benefit from full fee waivers on processing fees for BIBD’s Home Improvement Financing and Consolidated Financing Scheme; discounts on processing fees for financing as well as fee waivers on services. There are also prizes to be won for successful applicants.

The event also includes showcases by BIBD’s partners such as real estate companies and household products retailers.

Present as the guest of honour was Dr Hjh May Faezah Hj Ahmad Ariffin, Deputy Permanent Secretary (Economy and Finance) at the Prime Minister’s Office. The showcase runs until May 1st, from 10am until 10pm except on Fridays when it is from 2pm until 10pm.

 

The first 25 lucky winners with Manager of Hua Ho Department Store, Manggis, Lau Soon Tiong; the General Manager of Kingston Beverage & Creamery Sdn Bhd, Valentine Hon; and Sales and Marketing Manager of Kingston, Kevin Robin Jon at basement of Hua Ho Manggis

Finally the first 25 lucky winners of Red Bull Boost and Win contest were feted at Hua Ho Manggis last Friday.

The final three winners won themselves a Hua Ho shopping voucher worth of $50 each, while five received a power card worth of $30 each. The first seven won themselves Prepaid Top Up card worth of $20 Consolation prizes in the form of Red Bull bottle gift packets were also given to 10 participants.

Present during the draw were Manager of Hua Ho Department Store, Manggis, Lau Soon Tiong; the General Manager of Kingston Beverage & Creamery Sdn Bhd, Valentine Hon; and Sales and Marketing Manager of Kingston, Kevin Robin Jon. They also draw the 25 winners last Friday.

Members of the public still have a chance to take home prizes in the second Red Bull Boost and Win draw as the contest is still ongoing until May 31.

To join, just purchase any one can of Red Bull Energy drink (gold or less sugar), attach the pull ring tab for each contest form and drop the form into the contest boxes which are placed in participating outlets nationwide.

Participants can obtain the contest form at over 200 retail outlets in the sultanate, or download the form from its Facebook page at ‘Red Bull Brunei’. For more updates, check out its Instagram @redbullbrunei

 

Mr Joel Loo, a licensed Senior Dealer at Baiduri Capital, delivering his presentation on the prospects from Baiduri Capital

The attendees during the presentation

The Baiduri Smart Executive Programme hosted an introduction to securities trading today for their members. The event, a collaboration with Baiduri Bank’s subsidiary, Baiduri Capital, was held at Starbucks Beribi.

According to Ng Yick Wei, the Head of Group Marketing in Baiduri Bank, “The Smart Executive Programme, or SEP, is a unique programme that is specifically designed for busy working professionals who are well educated, and always looking for smart banking and saving solutions to diversify their portfolios.

“By leveraging on the capabilities of Baiduri Capital, our subsidiary company, we hope to offer insights and information to help our SEP members plan their wealth journey as they advance in their professional lives.”

Baiduri Capital has received a lot of interest from the public, especially among young professionals eager to try their hands in securities trading. Baiduri Capital offers an online securities trading portal which is a secure, web based securities trading platform that can be accessed from an internet browser, on any laptop, tablet, or even smart phone, depending on the customer’s preference. The investor-focused design is feature-rich, allowing customers to research prices, as well as look up market information to assist decision making when trading online.

Smart Executive members were shown an introduction to securities trading by Mr Joel Loo, a licensed Senior Dealer at Baiduri Capital. Since their official launch in 2015, customers are able to trade in Singapore (SGX), Hong Kong (HKEx) and Malaysia (BURSA) stock markets. Recently, US stock markets were introduced, allowing customers to trade in the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE), NASDAQ Stock Exchange as well as the NYSE MKT LLC (AMEX).

Also present at the event were Smart Executive Relationship Officers and staff of Baiduri Bank, as well as licensed dealers and financial planners from Baiduri Capital.

More information on the Smart Executive Programme is available on www.baiduri.com or from the Baiduri Deals mobile app.

 

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The Red Bull Brunei is back once more for a special promotion. This time is special. You don’t need to buy a pack or so. Just purchase a can of Red Bull and walaaaaa, you are eligible for the draw where prizes are such as a 40” LED TV, an Auto washer and a 2-Door fridge.

Apart from that, there will be weekly prizes throughout the the contest period (1st April to 31st May) before proceeding to the actual final draw. Each weekly draw will reward 25 lucky winners with prizes such as shopping vouchers, Power Kad, Prepaid Top Up cards and a cluster pack of Red Bull bottle.

So after you buy a Red Bull can (Gold/Less Sugar) at the convenient stores or outlets, pull the ring tab and attached it to the contest form (also available at retail outlets) and drop into the contest boxes which are placed in participating outlets nationwide.

The Gold or the Less Sugar Red Bull? My preference the latter

Apparently Nuri loves Red Bull

The contest form and this is how you stick the Red Bull tab and stand a chance to win

 

The new generation 7-seater Audi Q7 available now in 2.0 and 3.0 TFSI at Audi showroom (Kiarong) #TheGreatQ

 

The first monthly draw at the Kingston Beverage & Creamery office

Kingston Beverage and Creamery is conducting the Pepsi Bonanza Draw 2016, 1st Monthly Pre-Draw. 10 lucky monthly winners will be drawn at its office today. The pre-draw will be officiated and drawn by members of press and witnessed by the management of Kingston Beverage and Creamery Sdn Bhd.

The 10 monthly winners will be informed and invited to attend the monthly prize presentation on 15th April 2016 (Friday) 3pm at Freshco Supermarket at Seri Complex. The monthly prizes consist of an Ipad Mini 4, an Acer Aspire Laptop, and a LG 32″ LED Television and 7 consolation prizes. The Pepsi Bonanza Draw 2016 will have two (2) pre-draws before entering the Grand draw. Total prizes of various awesome gadgets worth of $40,000 is out to be won by the public. However, monthly prize winners are not eligible to enter the next pre-draw and Grand Draw.

Pepsi Bonanza Draw 2016 runs from March 15 till May 31, 2016. To enter, just purchase any 1.5L bottles (Pepsi, Pepsi Twist, 7up, 7up Revive, Mirinda Orange, Mirinda Strawberry, Mirinda Green Apple, or Mirinda Green Fruit) and attach two labels to the entry form or simply visit any of the participating fast food chain and cinema outlets and purchase the selected meals and combos to entitle an entry in the Pepsi Bonanza Draw 2016. If you would like to know more about Pepsi Bonanza Draw 2016, please follow Pepsi Brunei in its Facebook page..

The first monthly draw officiated by members of the press

The first monthly draw winners

The grand draw for the Pepsi Bonanza Draw 2016

 

Hao Zi and Ah Xiang of Super Taste from Taiwan being greeted by Wu Chun and representatives from Royal Brunei Airlines and Brunei Tourism Board upon their arrival at Brunei International Airport

Fans of Taiwan’s most popular lifestyle tv programme – ‘Super Taste’ flocked the Bake Culture bakery shop in Kiulap yesterday to catch a glimpse of their favourite stars up close.

The Taiwanese celebrities – Hao Zi and Ah Xiang are in the Sultanate for six days to film a special segment of the ‘Super Taste – Magic Brunei’ which will be aired on TVBS by end of May this year.

The reality show takes the duo around Taiwan and abroad, where they get to taste the local delicacies and goof around while exploring their featured destinations.

The ‘Super Taste’ reality show provides a perspective of Taiwanese palate and their appreciation of foreign food.

The location of the filming in Brunei includes popular tourist destinations and interesting places for food hunting such as Gadong night market and a Taiwan franchise bakery shop, Bake Culture. Text courtesy of Raghadah Agus of The Brunei Times.

The superstars with the Bake Culture Award winning chef

Image courtesy of Raghadah Agus of The Brunei Times

Image courtesy of Raghadah Agus of The Brunei Times

 

BIBD was conferred with IBFIM’s (Islamic Banking Finance Institute Malaysia) Islamic Finance Talent Development Champion Award in the International Category at the 3 rd Certifications Award Ceremony from the Islamic Banking Finance Institute Malaysia (IBFIM).

Also in the International Category, BIBD and Brunei’s very own Dayangku Noruldiana Shim Binti Pengiran Hj Hashim was conferred with Highest Achiever Award in the Islamic Financial Planner (IFP) Category. The event was held at the Mahkota Ballroom, Istana Hotel, Kuala Lumpur City Centre last weekend.

BIBD Deputy Managing Director and Chief Financial Officer, Hajah Noraini bti Haji Sulaiman mentioned in reference to BIBD’s recognition, “The program also allows BIBD to develop their capabilities to provide more robust Islamic financial and wealth management solutions for our customers. These efforts also reflect our continuing efforts to meet the growing demands of our customers along with innovations in Islamic financial products.”

Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad presented an award for IBFIM Islamic Finance Talent Development Champion Award to a BIBD representative

Dayangku Noruldiana Shim Binti Pengiran Hj Hashim of BIBD earned the Highest Achiever Award in the Islamic Financial Planner (IFP) Category

BIBD currently has a team of forty-two certified Islamic financial planners (IFP), four of whom are also Chartered Financial Consultants (ChFC), a number which is constantly growing as more and more BIBD personnel are enrolled into becoming certified financial planners.

The IFP program is a professional qualification developed in collaboration between IBFIM and Financial Planning Association of Malaysia (FPAM). The program aims to develop experts in financial planning and wealth management to cater to the increasing standards of competency and ethical practice of financial planning professionals.

The ceremony is recognition to holders of IBFIM’s certified qualifications along with recognition to organizations that had fervently supported IBFIM’s talent development initiatives by awarding them the prestigious Islamic Finance Talent Development Champion Award.

 

HMD FT’s dreams of going to Anfield to watch English Premier League team Liverpool were realised after winning the Standard Chartered Cup 2016 following a 3-0 victory over Plan C FT in the final at the Multi-Purpose Hall of the Hassanal Bolkiah National Sports Complex last weekend.

The family-oriented team which comprised four brothers raced to a 2-0 lead after goals from Khairun Nadzereen and an own goal from Md Shahin.

The tie was as good as over after Ahmad Muhazzib bundled home to all but send HMD to Anfield to watch Liverpool play Watford on May 7.

The Anfield dream has come for HMD FT

Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports, Pehin Datu Lailaraja Major General (Rtd) Dato Paduka Seri Haji Awang Halbi bin Haji Mohd Yussof, and HMD FT players posing with the mock cheque.

After a Plan C FT player was expelled from the pitch and HMD content to sit back, the latter’s goalkeeper produced an amazing fingertip save with the ball arrowing to the top corner.

The father of the four brothers Haji Mohd Daud bin Haji Abdul Kadir, whose team was formed under his name, had planned to join the tournament but pulled out due to injury.

Nevertheless, he was still grateful that his sons had made it to one of the iconic stadiums in the world especially after the quarterfinal heartbreak last year in the Standard Chartered Trophy.

Haji Mohd Daud was wary of the threat of Real Five FC which he considered as favourites prior to the final but agreed that his team’s chances was tightly balanced after Plan C scraped through the semi-final contest through penalties.

“We never imagined that we would go to Anfield because there are a lot of strong teams in the competition. We also have young players and the other teams also enlisted players who had experience in the national team,” said Haji Mohd Daud in an interview with the Bulletin after the final.

“The boys in the team (HMD) play in normal clubs and in schools”, he added.

There were individual prizes up for grabs as well as Mohd Fauzan of HMD won an autographed Liverpool Football Club Jersey for the most assist together with Md Abd Khaalid as the top scorer of the tournament. Meanwhile, Azamri Zainal of Brunei Shell Lions won a fully autographed football as the tournament’s Best Goalkeeper.

The guest of honour was Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports, Pehin Datu Lailaraja Major General (Rtd) Dato Paduka Seri Haji Awang Halbi bin Haji Mohd Yussof, who presented the mock plaque to the winners.

During the closing ceremony, a mock cheque of $2,400 was be handed over to the Community Development Department on behalf of the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports for the Welfare Home Complex Fund. Text and image courtesy of Fadhil Yunus of Borneo Bulletin.

 

Now this is your chance to head to Brazil for the upcoming Rio 2016 Olympic Games happening in August this year. Yes, all expenses paid trip for two courtesy of Visa.

It’s simple. All you have to do is have a Baiduri Visa Credit and Debit Card and for every BND 50 you spend (locally and overseas), you will earn 1 entry in the grand draw. The promotion ends in 31st May 2016.

Now you can sign up during the promotional period and enjoy a 3-year annual fee waiver. For more info, you can click here to learn more or call 244 9666.

Click image to learn more

 

As part of BIBD’s ongoing efforts to raise the benefits and awareness of better financial management, at the same time underscoring the importance of elevating the awareness of financial literacy in Brunei Darussalam, BIBD today held a financial literacy talk to almost fifty personnel from Setia Protective Security Services Sdn Bhd (SPSS). The talk was delivered by BIBD personnel Rozielawati Hj Jamil and Norliah Md Taib.

 

BIBD recently held a closing ceremony for its learning camps at the Orchid Garden Hotel for its Holiday English Language Program (HELP) Camps organised for the BIBD ALAF programme students. The learning camps also included a refresher camp for this year’s forty-six students recently introduced into the ALAF programme.

The camps were aimed to further support the development and progression of students under the BIBD ALAF programme, help build their self-confidence, develop their communication capabilities, and instil a sense of appreciation of the aims of the ALAF program.

The HELP camps were organised with the cooperation of CfBT to deliver bespoke English training camps for BIBD ALAF programme students. The HELP camps also included lectures, debate sessions, hands-on and task-based activities to promote teamwork. The camps are also designed to foster a ‘can do’ belief in their English abilities and to establish good learner training habits.

The BIBD ALAF programme currently includes more than one hundred students, whose funds are collected from a variety of sources. These include the BIBD charity expeditions for ALAF, generous contributions from corporate agencies as well as the general public since its launch in May 2013 by Her Royal Highness Paduka Seri Pengiran Anak Isteri Pengiran Anak Sarah.

The ALAF programme was developed in close partnership with the Department of Schools, Ministry of Education, and in 2015 a Memorandum of Understanding was also signed with the Islamic Studies Department from the Ministry of Religious Affairs. This will lead to constant efforts and close collaboration between all parties to ensure the successful implementation and provision of assistance to the ALAF programme.

The ALAF programme provides the selected students with provisions for school and tuition fees, educational materials and welfare, as well as mentoring and counselling necessities amongst others. All these efforts are meant to ensure the absolute commitment of these students towards the development of their education, and prevent them from being bothered by other commitments. The ALAF programme will also continue to provide support and assistance to these students until the end of their respective educational requirements.

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

Members of the public wishing to contribute into the BIBD ALAF fund may do so with a minimum donation of B$1.01 into the BIBD ALAF account at 1018181811 via BIBD channels such as the BIBD Online website, BIBD Mobile app, BIBD ATM and CDMs, and BIBD branch counters. The public can also set up a BIBD Standing Instruction to ensure a monthly donation into the ALAF fund.

As an added option, BIBD account holders can also use their accumulated BIBD Hadiah Points for cash conversion into contributions into the ALAF fund account. Progresif users can also make donation to the ALAF programme via its dedicated SMS in denominations of BND 1,5,10, 15 and 20 by typing “ALAF” and entering the amount selected, and sending it to 38988.

 

The winners of Area K6 Toastmasters International Speech Contest and Table Topics Contest with UBD Toastmasters members

Allen Ang, Area K6 Director, Rahman Tarsat of Brunei Speakers’ Club (2nd runner up), Pranika Lama of UBD Toastmasters Club (winner), Pooja Shivanand of Brunei Speakers’ Club (1st runner-up) and Sandy Siew Fun Tan, Co-organizing Chair of the contest. The winners are for the Area K6 International Speech contest.

Two UBD Toastmasters have recently emerged as champions in Toastmasters speech Contest. 1st place winner for International Speech, Pranika Lama shared the about gratitude, the moment you open your eyes. It was followed by Pooja Shivanand in second place, talked about “The Middle Way”, which is a balanced higher way between two extreme choices help us make better decisions. Between humility and arrogance, there can be modesty; between fear and rashness there can be courage. In third place, Rahmat Tarsat drew on her mother’s experiences to demonstrate the detrimental effect of negative thinking in her speech, ‘Believe and You Can’.

Meanwhile in Table Topic Category, Julius Hong won 1st place, followed by Yong Shih Ching in 2nd place and Hazwan Kamarulzaman in 3rd place for speaking on the same impromptu topic “Cherish Yesterday, Dream Tomorrow, Live Today”.

The contest took place at the Multipurpose Hall, Universiti Brunei Darusalam, where 8 participants competed in International Speech Category while 7 participants competed in Table Topics category. The objective of the contests are to provide an opportunity for speakers to improve their speaking abilities and to provide an opportunity to learn by observing the more proficient speakers who have benefited from their toastmasters training. Competition begins with club contests and winners continue competing through the area, division and district levels.

In Brunei, top 2 speakers from Brunei Speakers Club, Oil Town Talkers Club, Brunei Advanced Speakers Club & UBD Toastmasters Club vie for a chance to compete with Toastmasters from Sabah and Labuan. This year, Pranika Lama and Julius Hong will represent Brunei on Division K level in Sandakan, Sabah on 10th April.

At the end of the contest, each contestants received certificate of participation whilst winning certificates and trophies were presented by Area K6 Director Allen Ang.

Allen Ang, Area K6 Director, Yong Shih Ching of OTTERS Toastmasters Club (1st runner-up), Julius Hong of UBD Toastmasters Club (winner), Hazwan Kamarulzaman of Brunei Advanced Speakers’ Club (2nd runner-up) and Gerald Goh, co-organizer of the contest

Nina Kifrawi during the International Speech Contest

Yong Shih Ching during the Table Topics Contest

Pooja Shivanand during the International Speech Contest

Supatra Lee during the Table Topics Contest

Philip during the International Speech Contest

Rahul giving a warm hug to his wife before heading on stage

Still brothers after the contest

With the co-organizer contest, Sandy

Rahul being the Contest Chair (the host) during the International Speech category