Check out the latest podcast review of The Hercules (starring Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson) with special guest Seng Yee

 

The opening hours of petrol stations during Hari Raya. Click image to enlarge.

“We believe in giving to our customers during this blessed month before the celebration as a way to give back to our customers with hopes that they will have a more enjoyable Hari Raya”, said Chan Key Hong Executive Director of Maju Motors Sdn Bhd, when asked about the draw held last Friday.

The winner of the three-month Hari Raya promotion which ended just a day before the draw was announced during Volkswagen’s Hari Raya draw event held at the showroom, witnessed by over 200 customers, families and friends. Maju Motors have been experiencing great sales this year and they are continuing to make waves in Brunei. Chan shared that they will open a workshop to cater for after sales service somewhere in Sengkurong and he stressed that customer service is very important and that’s their primary objective – customer satisfaction.

Rosnita Hj Bangkol, was the grand prize winner, walked away with $5,000. Second and third prize winners were also equally happy when their names were announced as they walked away with $3,000 and $2,000 respectively. Dk Aidi Noorintan Pg Hj Md Zinin was the second prize winner and Dk Nurafifah Hanisah Pg Hj Ismail the third.

On top of all these grand prizes, Maju Motors also gave away $500 cash to five consolation winners (Ahmad Firdaus, Hjh Ervy Sufitriana, Pg Hj Ibrahim, Mohammad Noor Faisal) and five one time service and one time polish package to another five consolation winners.

The Hari Raya promotion was held from May to July and the customers who bought a Volkswagen (except for the GTI and Scirocco) instantly walked away with the latest Philips LED TV.

The top three winners with other consolation winners of the Maju Motors lucky draw last Friday

Dk Aidi Noorintan Pg Hj Md Zinin, was the second place winner, walked away with $3,000 and presented by Dk Fauziah P D P Hj Yunos

Dk Nurafifah Hanisah Pg Hj Ismail was the third winner, walked away with $2,000 and presented by Chan Key Hong Executive Director of Maju Motors Sdn Bhd

It was almost a packed house at Maju Motors

Chan Key Hong introducing his strong team and appreciating all their contribution for Maju Motors

Participants waiting for the draw

Chan Key Hong thanking all the customers for their support and he promises for better things

A few familiar faces attended the draw event

One of the consolation winners

One of the $500 winners

Thank you, Maju Motors for the invite

 

I feel blessed.. Thank you to @huahosports (Hua Ho Manggis) and @netcombrunei for the Hari Raya hamper, @shaunhoon for the goodies, @jpmcbrunei for the cookies personally baked by the patients, Audi Brunei (T.C.Y. Motors) for the @coffeebean_brunei voucher, @officialwcopabrunei for the souvenir from Japan, @baiduribank and SCB for the Hari Raya envelopes and my aunties for the yearly goodies.

 

Total E&P Borneo B.V. (TEPB) management visited one of the local communities at Kg Lumut recently

As part of their Ramadhan activities, Total E&P Borneo B.V. (TEPB) organized their fifth annual Ramadhan Charity, which provided in-kind assistance to the local communities where Total operates, namely Kg Lumut 1 in Mukim Liang (where the Total Onshore Processing Plant is located) and Kg Sabun in Mukim Serasa (where Total Logistic Base is located). Total also planned two more series of donations to DANA Pengiran Muda Al-Muhtadee Billah National Fund for Orphans and also two orphans of Total’s former staff.

During their Charity visits to the local community, 18 volunteers from Total staff, which included two Heads of Departments split into two teams to handover the respective donations to the community in Kg Lumut 1 and Kg Sabun. The donations were in the form of kitchen staples such as rice, mineral water, sugar, cooking oil and hampers as well as prepaid utilities cards. There were also additional personal contributions by Total staff members. The donations were to help the underprivileged individuals in both villages to better celebrate the upcoming Hari Raya Aidilfitri.

The Total volunteers in Kg Lumut 1 was led by Muhammad Rasimoon Hj Adinin, Head of HR, Corporate Communications and CSR. In addition, the group was also accompanied by several representatives from the Lumut 1 Village Consultative Council (MPK Lumut 1) led by its Secretary, Awg Ismail bin Mohammad. While the team in Kg Sabun was led by Zulhilmi Rambli, Corporate Communications & CSR Executive. Present to assist the Total group of volunteers were several representatives from the Village Consultative Council of Masjid Lama, Pekan Muara, Sabun, and Pelumpong. The MPK was led by its Head of Village, Pengiran Haji Mohamed bin Pengiran Haji Osman @ Othman.

Overall, the donations were handed accordingly to five recipients in Kg Lumut 1, and four from Kg Sabun, which were selected from the list of underprivileged individuals living in the village provided by Community Development Department (JAPEM).

One of the recipients in Kg Lumut 1, Dyg Jelimah bte Abdullah, 38 is a single mother with a four year old daughter. She is currently unemployed and live with her seventy four year old mother. The family relies on the Old Age Pension received by the mother and proceeds from selling hand-woven traditional baskets.

Dyg Afshah bte Abdullah from Kg Sabun is 73 year old lady receiving Old Age Pension. She suffers multiple health issues including high blood pressure, cholesterol, and cardiovascular disease. She lives with her daughter, Dyg Norazizah bte Abdullah, who assists her to operate a food stall to earn a living on top of some financial aid provided by JAPEM.

The management making their rounds

Another house they visited

Some of the conditions of the home

Another group photo

Handing over gifts

The management enjoying their trip

 

Adi Daini, Eden Chiam, Elizabeth Sim, Bridget Ang, Ruby Chong, Shian Li Esther Chiam and Norhidayat Hj Ahim arriving from Singapore last Friday

A very historic moment for Brunei. Yasmine making headlines on the front page recently, for its North America release this year. DPMM FC recently brought back another trophy from Singapore which was the Singapore League Cup. The other thing was our Brunei Team who competed in Los Angeles for the World Championship of Performing Arts which is also branded as the Olympics for artists.

Team Brunei achieved a higher medal count compared to last year with 38 medals overall. They collected 12 gold medals, 13 silver medals and 13 bronze medals. The biggest winner was Shian Li Esther Chiam who is just 15 years old. She won the Junior Grand World Champion Instrumental Award and also collecting 6 six gold medals along the way. Awesome indeed!!

She was over the moon when she received the prize during the finals and she gave a word of encouragement to all passionate singers and performers that we need to believe in ourselves and work hard towards that goal. She was grateful to be part of the Brunei Team and she also made new friends globally and the great thing about music is that it unites every walks of life, regardless of age and race. She shared that there are so many opportunities for us and they are untapped.

Her younger sister Eden Chiam earned an Industry Award and also earned one gold medal, two silver medals and two bronze medals and she only had weeks to prepare for the event. So that’s not pretty bad for an achievement. I have mentioned previously in my post how team Brunei has made it big at WCOPA finals in Los Angeles, considering they only sent 9 representatives as compared to the aplenty from different countries. Having 5 semi-finalists and 3 finalists are considered “over-achievements” as they are plenty of talents out there worldwide.

Maria Grace Koh and Joanna Kwan are still outstation and didn’t join the entourage upon arrival at the Brunei International Airport. Both are finalists for the WCOPA finals and I’m proud of their achievements.

Elizabeth Sim who dreamt of Hollywood was very happy of her achievements and enjoyed every moment. She won Senior Acting Drama category and also earned 5 medals along the way. Ruby Chong, earned herself two medals and an Industry Award while Bridget Ang earned two medals. Norhidayat Hj Ahim earned 5 medals while Adi Daini earned 3 medals.

They will be having a Brunei WCOPA showcase this coming August at the Jerudong Amphitheater and it will be on the 23rd August 2014. For updates, you can follow them @officialwcopabrunei on instagram for updates.

Shian Li and Eden Chiam with their family

 

Click image to enter Official Panini Brunei Facebook Page

 

Chan Key Hong, Executive Director of Maju Motors and Steffen Schwarz, Managing Director of Volkswagen Group Singapore, with the management of Maju Motors and Volkswagen Group Singapore

Volkswagen Brunei has taken its flagship by storm in the past few months. Why? Just in May alone, Maju Motors, the local distributor of Volkswagen in Brunei, hit the 100 units mark which is the highest ever target for Maju Motors. Their VW Polo 1.4 was the biggest seller among the models and Maju Motors is excited as they will be unveiling new models in the near future. They have already unveiled the family orientated vehicle called Sharan and I was quite impressed with the features (More on that later on my next post). For now, I wanna highlight the growth of Maju Motors in terms of delivery and after sales service.

In the past 12 months, I could see a gradual progress at Maju Motors as they invested in upgrading and renovating their showroom and the result was pretty rewarding especially to their clients and potentially new ones. Their advert campaigns have catchy and effective to draw and entice new customers and breaking that barrier that Volkswagen do cater to all kind of personalities of their clients. There are some models that are made affordable also to the Brunei market without compromising the quality that Volkswagen delivers. So you will tend to see different walks of life behind the (Volkswagen) wheel.

The local media and bloggers have also made an impact on Maju Motors’ development in the past few months. I have to honestly say that compared to where Maju Motors was a few years ago and now, it has a tremendous change and thanks to the leadership and courage that Chan Key Hong, Executive Director of Maju Motors, who drove the company to newer heights and he himself was truly amazed by the company’s sudden growth especially in Brunei’s competitive automative market.

Steffen Schwarz, Managing Director of Volkswagen Group Singapore, was appreciative of Key Hong’s handwork and commitment in bringing Volkswagen to another level in Brunei Darussalam but he didn’t expect the sales to reach a 100% growth in just a matter of months. He shared with The Brunei Times that it is also important to look at the service side and brand after from the sales as these are key components in sustaining the growth. He said even though Brunei has a smaller market but it is nonetheless an important market in Southeast Asia. He praised the commitment and the effort done by Key Hong and his team.

So peeps, if you are interested to see the Sharan and other Volkswagen models, do head down to The Mall, Gadong, and check out the Volkswagen roadshow brought to you by Maju Motors and also receive a free The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf voucher when you test drive. The last day of roadshow is Sunday, 15th June 2014.

Once again, congratulations to Chan Key Hong and his team for the outstanding milestone last month and it was also a pleasure to have finally met Dionne from Singapore whom I have been liaising with through emails.

Check out my post tomorrow on the impressive Volkswagen Sharan.

Chan Key Hong, Executive Director of Maju Motors shared about Maju Motors’ milestone and its future

Steffen Schwarz, Managing Director of Volkswagen Group Singapore, loves the number 100 and he was impressed with Brunei’s growth in terms of Volkswagen brand

The Volkswagen Jetta at the roadshow at The Mall till Sunday. Do check out the other models

The Volkswagen Vento at the roadshow at The Mall till Sunday. Do check out the other models

Steffen Schwarz and Chan Key Hong unveiling the Volkswagen Sharan. More on that tomorrow.

Dionne of Volkswagen Group Singapore speaking to the media

The Volkswagen Roadshow at The Mall, Gadong till Sunday

 

Acer Liquid Smartphones

Check out Acer Liquid smartphones

 

HSBC Personal Internet Banking

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BIBD Home Showcase 4

BIBD Home Showcase 4. Click more to find out!!

Icon Design Store

Click to enter website

Royal Brunei Airlines

Click to enter website

Stevie G attempted to grab the ball from the touchline but he was being shrugged off by Jose

What a great tactician Mourinho is! Liverpool was coming off a great run of victories and they never expect to be in the hunt for the title but their great run has put them back in title contention especially after their close victory over Manchester City a few weeks ago. However, Liverpool failed to beat Chelsea at Anfield where it mattered the most. Chelsea fielded a weaker team due to injuries and saving them for another important match in the second semi-final of the Champs League against Atlético Madrid in mid-week.

This was also the first time that Liverpool failed to scored in the first half in 25 games. So you can tell that Jose Mourinho know how to grind results at any expense and they played a much compact strategy especially at the back, forcing the midfielders and forwards to play deep, allowing less room for the likes of Sterling and Suarez to cause problems.

Two goals from Chelsea benefited from a clumsy errors, both coming in injury time of each halves. I truly salute Jose Mourinho in his tactics last night and if anyone can stop Liverpool form scoring, then it is Chelsea.

The result have open the Premier League wide open with Manchester City now favourites to win the title due to goal difference should both Liverpool and Man City win all their remaining games. Chelsea still have an outside chance to win the title if both Liverpool and City slip in their remaining games. Looks like the title will be down to the wire.

Will Stevie G’s error proved costly in the title race? We shall find out in two weeks’ time.

Demba Ba benefited from Stevie G’s error and scored late in the first half.

 

Chicco – coming soon near you. Click image to enter Facebook Page for more info.

 

Hjh Lily binti Hj Kula, the guest of honour, for the 4th BIBD Home Showcase. She’s the Deputy Managing Director (Regulatory) of the Autoriti Monetari Brunei Darussalam (AMBD)

Last Friday, BIBD launched their popular Home Showcase and it’s their 4th edition. So if you are looking or scouting for a home, BIBD provides good financing packages such as home financing, home improvement financing too as well as other BIBD’s products and services. The 4th BIBD Home Showcase will end of 4th of May this Sunday at The Mall, Gadong.

You can check out some of the range of home improvement packages specifically designed for the National Housing Schemes at Mengkubau, Mentiri and Katok. The houses are built and constructed by Majuma Sdn Bhd, a new player in the construction industry and also a 100% locally established private limited construction company registered with the Ministry of Development. This is a great opportunity for them to work closely with BIBD to design, procure and construct and also handover pre-approved home extension and renovation works to suit the Home Improvement Financing Package Product.

There is a wide range of advantages including pre-approved house plans by relevant authorities, affordable and ready to move-in packages and affordable monthly repayment scheme. Aside from that, the package includes Takaful (insurance) coverage for the financing.

I believe many residents are looking for home extensions and improvements. Hence, this BIBD 4th Home Showcase is a great opportunity. For flooring, you can get choices of ground floor tiles or lamented flooring or if you want to refurbish or extend your existing kitchen or perhaps your wardrobe.

Package A, which is the basic packages offered $15,000 financing, while Package B and C offered more extensive packages (up to $50,000) that include a bigger square feet space, an extra bedroom, first floor extensions and a corridor which will also be entitled to a complimentary air conditioner or water pump from BIBD.

At the home showcase, there are also other ongoing promotion from BIBD. For instance, there is the BIBD Debit Card conversion which includes new debit card application and conversion of existing BIBD ATM cards. For new applicants or those who want to convert their debit cards, they are automatically entitled to receive 1,000 BIBD’s Hadiah Points. Participants of this promotion also stand a chance to win travel tickets for two to Singapore.

Check out the BIBD Home Showcase which is until the 4th May

Check out the BIBD Home Showcase which is until the 4th May

They have a mock sample on the housing with different packages especially for home improvements and extension

Check out the interior done by Majuma Sdn Bhd

The available packages for the BIBD Home Showcase

One of the available packages for the BIBD Home Showcase

At the same time, The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf (CBTL) will be providing a limited daily run of free coffee during the 10 days of the showcase from their Continental Espresso and Premium Decaf. BIBD customers who sign up for any of BIBD’s financings available, will stand a chance to win prizes such as Samsung Galaxy Tab, iPad Air, CBTL coffee machines, $20 vouchers, power banks and BIBD corporate gifts in a lucky dip. BIBD will also be giving out a fee waiver promotion on the processing fee of $150 during the showcase. Applicants of BIBD’s Home Improvement Financing packages will be entitled to a 100 per cent waiver, while a 50 per cent waiver is for all home financing applicants.

So there are plenty of reasons to entice you to enjoy the home packages offered by BIBD.

Also participating during BIBD’s Home Showcase are Bess Perfect Property Agency, BSTC Real Estate, Say Koo (Liew) Sdn Bhd, J-Fa Realty Agency & Marketing, Precise Development, Sterling Kitchen, Fabrica, Thomson Furniture, Max Track, Luzzone Interior Design, PNK Enterprise and Karim Karpet, Takaful Brunei Keluarga and Takaful Brunei Am.

Hjh Lily being briefed by a representative from Majuma Sdn Bhd during the short tour

Hjh Lily photo opportunity with Takaful

Group photo with AMBD and BIBD management

Sazali Arif (right) of White Room Studio is also exhibiting his wedding photography services

 

Last weekend, Volkswagen Brunei held an event for families and the public as they offered family activities such as face painting, photo booth with fun props, bouncers and giveaways. There was also a “Guess the Volkswagen” contest as the participants had to get the correct answers of the Volkswagen models and they will walk away with VW merchandises.

Local authorised dealer of the German auto brand, Maju Motors Sdn Bhd, is organising the event as a buildup to the upcoming launch of 14 models, which will be introduced to the public throughout the month of May. It will be released in phases and the first collection will be unveiled this weekend and every weekend there will be other models to be unveiled.

Executive Director of Maju Motors Sdn Bhd Chan Key Hong is delighted that the company will soon be offering a full range of Volkswagen cars in Brunei. Chan said that since more Bruneians are discovering the advanced German engineered vehicle, the company wants to ensure that there a Volkswagen for everyone.

Below are some of the images from last weekend’s activities. Courtesy of VW Brunei Facebook Page.

 

Click image to enter Facebook Page to answer question

Now it is an 11-a-side format compared to 5-a-side previously

Will Andy Cole be back again this time out?

 

Zuraidah Binti Hj Yahya receiving her 5 nights package to Kuala Lumpur, Melaka and Johor, receiving from Haznah Md Hashim from the Malaysian High Commission to Brunei Darussalam and Pg Dato Sharifuddin, Chairman of Freme Travel. Also in the picture are Zurina Abd Samad, Director of Tourism Malaysia, Chong Yoke Har, Deputy Director General (Planning) of Tourism Malaysia and local DJ celebrity Daffy from Kristal FM. Image courtesy of Zatty Jo of The Brunei Times.

After a week of quizzes on Kristal FM with DJ Daffy, the winners were selected to have a special trip with DJ Daffy to explore Malaysia. The quiz was called “Lakas Tah Ke Malaysia Bersama DJ Daffy” and the initiative is a collaboration with Freme Travel Services, sponsored by Tourism Malaysia (Brunei).

Two winners are feted to fly with DJ Daffy to Malaysia to have fun-filled holiday. Congratulations to Zuraidah Binti Hj Yahya for winning a 5 nights package to Kuala Lumpur, Melaka and Johor (worth $1,900) and Shahril Hashim bin Hj Mariat for winning a 3 nights package to Kuala Lumpur (worth $1,500). This means they will get to fly with DJ Daffy in the coming weeks or so. There were also consolation winners from the quizzes.

The event was graced by Chong Yoke Har, Deputy Director General (Planning) of Tourism Malaysia. In her speech, she said, “The holiday packages will especially appeal to families traveling together. The destinations and activities in the programmes cater to every interest and all age groups.”

The event also marked new packages where Brunei can enjoy a three night package to Kuala Lumpur for $1,480 from June 14 to 17th or the five night package to KL, Malacca and Johor for $1,840 from September 22nd to 27th and these dates do coincide with Brunei school holidays.

Some of the highlights of the package include visits to KidZania, Legoland Malaysia, Sanrio Hello Kitty Town, i-City, KL City tour, Putrajaya tour and shopping trips to IKEA, The Curve, and Johor Premium Outlets, as well as attending the 1Malaysia International Tourism Night floral Parade – Magic of the Night. This is an ideal trip if you want bring your family during school holidays.

Let’s not forget that this is also Visit Malaysia Year 2014 and there are many exciting things to look forward to in Malaysia alone. You can click here for more details. Of course, the upcoming big one is the Borneo Jazz Festival held from 9th May to 11th May and if you love music, this is the event to be at.

Shahril Hashim bin Hj Mariat receiving a 3 nights package to Kuala Lumpur. Image courtesy of Zatty Jo of The Brunei Times.

The winners with Chong Yoke Har, Deputy Director General (Planning) of Tourism Malaysia and DJ Daffy

DJ Daffy and the other consolation winners

 

Maju Motors hosts

The big blockbuster this weekend – Need For Speed

It’s good to see Maju Motors (Volkswagen Brunei) creating activities for its customers from time to time. Previously they held a weekend carnival and also a meet-the-fan session for the DPMM FC players with the presentation of the grand lucky draw for the Volkswagen Jetta. This morning, Volkswagen Brunei invited its customers to The Mall Cineplex to enjoy a private screening of the much awaited Need for Speed movie which was premiered worldwide recently and more than 300 customers attended the private function catered just for them.

The Need for Speed movie, which saw its worldwide premiere just a few days back, showcases some of the world’s fastest cars like the Bugatti Veyron Super Sport, Koenigsegg Agera, Lamborghini Sesto Elemento, McLaren P1, Saleen S7, and a rare GTA Spano as well as the 2015 Ford Mustang GT and a heavily modified 2014 Mustang equipped with a wide-boy kit. Although there were no Volkswagen models featured, but brands like the Bugatti and the Lamborghini are both part of the Volkswagen Group.

The event was held to show gratitude to its customers and also to strengthen ties between the customers and their families along with Maju Motors‘ employees. “2014 is an important year for us. Changes will be made to better serve you and it will all be done to assure your (the customers) satisfaction“, said Maju Motors Sdn Bhd Executive Director, Chan Key Hong. He added, “We are doing this to give you a better ownership experience.“

This was said after an introduction clip which explained “Why only Volkswagen can build a Volkswagen“, which was then followed by a few international advertisements from all around the world which were funny, catchy and entertaining. After the adverts were played, the Need for Speed movie was then featured, which is the highlight of the event.

The customers invited during the exclusive movie screening consisted of those owning any Volkswagen models ranging from the entry-level Polo, its bigger brother the newly launched Vento, all the way to the luxury SUV, Touareg.

Also invited were Volkswagen owners from the local Volkswagen-Audi Group (VAG), who are some of Volkswagen’s strongest supporters and a true example of the Volkswagen culture, made of young professionals and car enthusiasts. They portray the spirit of togetherness, friendship and family traits, this is what Volkswagen is about.

Private screening for Volkswagen owners

The customers waiting for the show at The Mall Cineplex this morning

Volkswagen customers registering at The Mall Cineplex

Volkswagen customers registering at The Mall Cineplex

Some clips from Volkswagen before the movie starts

Some of the Lamborghini collections at Maju Motors showroom… Vroom!!!!!

 

Rita Lim, Principal of Seri Mulia Sarjana International School, in her welcoming remarks

I stumbled across an article yesterday in the Weekend Bulletin as I read the news about Seri Mulia Sarjana International School (SMSIS) introducing their mobile apps exclusive for the SMSIS community. This mobile app is ideal for parents definitely who want to be up-to-date with the events and notifications from the said school. I believe this is the first school in Brunei that uses mobile apps and I won’t be surprise if other schools will follow suit as our society is very engaged when comes to mobile technology.

he school app is a one-stop portal for the parents of SMSIS that puts all school-related information at the parents’ fingertips. Forgotten circulars and missed school activities will now be a thing of the past as the school strives to build stronger parent–school relationship; a vital ingredient in assuring children’s success in school.

Datin Dr Hajah Asmah binti Haji Morni, Acting Director General of Education at the Ministry of Education, together with the founder of Seri Mulia Sarjana International School (SMSIS), Mary Lim were present during the launch. Parents were also invited for the launch of the mobile app.

Thumbs up to SMSIS for having this made possible. This is another useful tool to connect SMSIS with the parents of the students.

Alex Adjawi, Corporate Director of SMSIS presenting the benefits and features of the SMSIS App

Parents downloading the SMSIS app

I also downloaded the app on Apple store to have a look

A pretty useful app indeed especially for parents

 

From b•mobile: We would like to extend our deepest sympathy and concern to the family members and friends of the passengers and crew members involved in the missing aircraft MH370 since last Saturday, 8th March 2014.

With regards to this incident, we’re going an extra mile with the#PrayForMH370 Compassionate 089 Rates to help for the cause during this unfortunate period by offering lower rates for 089 International value calls to 13 countries; namely China, Taiwan, Malaysia, Indonesia, Australia, France, USA, New Zealand, Ukraine, Canada, Russia, Netherlands and India, at only $0.20 per minute, starting from 14th March until 31st March 2014.

By doing so, we hope that this will allow subscribers to have a more convenient and easier way to contact and give support to their loved ones who may have been affected by the incident.

We prays for the safety of the passengers and crew of the flight and hope that the missing aircraft MH370 will soon be located.

Simply dial:

089 + Country Code + Area Code + Phone number

Great initiative from b•mobile

 

Chan Man Ching, Mariah Abdullah, Liyana Yus, Siti Kamaluddin and Fai Zaini (Team Brunei) at the Gala Premiere of Ikal Mayang 2014, Pavilion Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Late post: The voices through women are often unheard. It was interesting to know a film festival entitled “Ikal Mayang: Unspoken Truths” was showcased last weekend in Malaysia. It raises the awareness and sharing the women’s voices through filmmaking to reveal “Unspoken Truths”.

Ikal Mayang 2014 organised a 2-day festival at the Golden Screen Cinemas, in Pavilion Kuala Lumpur. The event comprised film screenings, arts installations and music performances in and around the venue.

The biggest highlight of the festival was the premiere of an anthology of six 11-minute short films directed by South East Asian directors which include our own Bruneian Siti Kamaluddin. The other directors are Niramon Ross (Thailand), Shireen Seno (the Philippines), A.D. Chan (Singapore), Nia Dinata (Indonesia) and Datin Paduka Shuhaimi Baba (Malaysia).

Apart from that, the film festival showcased ten 2-minute clips featuring original stories by local Malaysian personalities and most of them are making their directorial debuts.

Low Ngai Yuen, President of WOMEN:girls, wants to keep the conversation going after the success of the first Ikal Mayang. She hopes that the 2 minute films will give more exposure to the directors regionally, showcasing a more diverse stories and this will also encourage younger directors to take on the challenge.

The line-up of directors for Ikal Mayang: Unspoken Truths include a wide range of women and girls from all ages and backgrounds such as Eja (also known as Siti Shahrizah), Elza Irdalynna, Ineza Roussille, Nora Nabila, Soefira Jaafar, Deborah Henry, Leia Aljoffery, Sharyn Lisa Shufiyan, Junad M. Nor and Melissa Indot; who will be helming their films with the support of Creative Director, Ida Nerina and Executive Producer, Lee Su May. The scripts selected were from a call for submissions from the public held early August 2013.

Ikal Mayang is an initiative under WOMEN:girls produced by Garang Pictures & big EyEs Entertainment to increase the share of women’s voices through filmmaking and screened in conjunction with the celebration of International Women’s Day on March 8 every year. WOMEN:girls is a non-profit organisation set to create an ideal world where women are empowered to be enablers for aspiring girls to achieve their dreams.

I’m trying to get hold of Siti Kamaluddin short film entitled “Mentari” which features a rising star Liyana Yus who was recently filmed in the upcoming movie called Yasmine, another film directed by Siti Kamaluddin.

Liyana Yus and Siti Kamaluddin at the Media Screening and Press Conference of Ikal Mayang 2014

Indonesian director Nia Dinata and Bruneian director Siti Kamaluddin

Niramon Ross, Nia Dinata, Siti Kamaluddin, AD Chan, Shireen Seno and Datin Paduka Shuhaimi Baba

The promotional poster for Ikal Mayang: Unspoken Truths 2014

Mentari, a film by Siti Kamaluddin

The official trailer of Ikal Mayang: Unspoken Truths 2014

 

Podcast review of 300: Rise of an Empire

DPMM FC players and the management team with the team from Maju Motors at Maju Motors showroom yesterday. Click image to enlarge.

It was great to DPMM FC fans turning up yesterday at Maju Motors new showroom at Telanai to show their support and taking photos and signing autographs on the DPMM FC poster sponsored by Maju Motors. The management team of DPMM FC and all the DPMM FC players turned up for the special occasion. Today they will have a friendly match against ABDB at the Jerudong mini stadium and this is to keep up the match practice for all the players. Steve Kean hinted that all the players will have a chance to be on the field as he intended to swap all the players in the second half.

DPMM FC’s next match will be away to Home United on the 13th March and rumoured that RTB will be airing the game live on TV for the benefit of DPMM FC fans. So far DPMM FC have won two matches and the team to have a perfect record in the S•League.

Click image to enlarge.