Daulat Kebawah Duli Tuan Patik. Happy 69th Birthday to His Majesty the Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu’izzaddin Waddaulah, the Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam. A special holiday has been declared on 15th August to celebrate His Majesty’s birthday. Image courtesy of Dean Kassim.

Liverpool FC Foundation, the club’s official charity, with Standard Chartered Thailand and the students from the Bangkok School for the Blind in a group photo session yesterday. Image courtesy of Liverpool FC.

It was a very interesting moment to see how a football clinic was conducted especially for the blinds. We all paid a visit to Bangkok School for the Blind and it was quite an eye opener for me. Apparently the particular school is a long-term partner of Standard Chartered in terms of their local employee volunteering programme. So far they have 193 students in the school and the school provides free education, training and materials to the visually impaired. The school is also under the Royal Patronage of Her Majesty the Queen of Thailand.

So the intention for the visit was the football clinic. As you know Standard Chartered Thailand partners with Liverpool FC Foundation in organizing a simple football session with the students and for Standard Chartered Thailand, this is considered as a football clinic-cum-Financial Education workshop. For Standard Chartered, this is another way to create a meaningful life skills session where the children can at a young age and potentially prepare for the future. Hence it’s important for students at the young age to learn what they are potentially good at and that can unlock their dreams and future.

Standard Chartered has also been active in the volunteering programme where 40 of their staff from Bangkok showed up for the football clinic to dedicate their time to help the visually impaired children. Awesome!! As you know, this is part of Bank’s commitment to be “Here for Good” and sustaining the impact in the local community.

It was also the first time I was introduced to Lyn Kok, the CEO and President of Standard Chartered of Thailand and the Greater Mekong (Laos, Cambodia, Myanmar, Vietnam and Yunnan Province, China). She’s a very nice lady and she is very passionate about her vision for the Bank’s value especially in financial education and other SCR projects such as educating on AIDS awareness and Seeing is Believing. She shared how the level of awareness for “Seeing is Believing” has been very encouraging and it has been around for 10 years. They have raised as much as USD 70 million worldwide and they are not far away from their target. I was also impressed that Lyn was able to know all the terms for sight deficiency and how it can be prevented. Thank you for your time and I admire your leadership in the Bank and continuing the values that Standard Chartered believes in.

Now for the juicy part. The Liverpool FC Foundation visited the Bangkok School for the Blind and conducted a football clinic for the children. The Liverpool youth coaches came by and ran a few sessions such as shooting and dribbling. It was priceless to see the kids celebrating after scoring a goal and I’m pretty sure the coaches enjoyed the clinic too. Also present were Liverpool Legends – Ian Rush and Dietmar “Didi” Hamann.

I was a bit cheeky that I asked Didi Hamann on Raheem Sterling’s departure but a Liverpool staff was quick to shut him out from talking. I’m not sure what’s wrong with the question since Channel News Asia was able to get a quote from another Liverpool FC Legend Robbie Fowler. Nonetheless it was great to see Liverpool FC getting involved in such clinics and also for Standard Chartered for continuing their objectives on the financial education side of things.

Perhaps the biggest challenge for me was withstanding the hot weather especially since it’s Ramadhan. It was my first morning sweat of Ramadhan but I survived 😀

Bangkok School for the Blind

With Didi Hamann.. An attempted selfie 😀

Students in the group photo with Liverpool FC Foundation and Standard Chartered Thailand

A photo opportunity with Lyn Kok, the CEO and President of Standard Chartered of Thailand and the Greater Mekong

Standard Chartered employee volunteering to help the children during the football clinic

Did you know that the balls have bells inside for the benefit of the blind?

Spot the Mighty Red mascot

The coaches giving away caps to the children

Ian Rush being mobbed by fans. Image courtesy of Liverpool FC.

Spot me? Image courtesy of Liverpool FC

Luis Garcia, a Liverpool Legend indeed, during the press conference with the media yesterday

A moment with Luis Garcia. We had a special press conference organised by Standard Chartered where a small group of media has a special chance to interview a Liverpool Legend Luis Garcia. I would have to say that he still looks in great shape despite being 37 years old. He is currently joining the Liverpool FC tour in the capacity as a Liverpool ambassador and it is wonderful to see that him taking that role.

When I asked him if Liverpool is good enough for a top two finish, Luis Garcia reckons that it won’t be easy because Liverpool have many new young players – hungry of games, hungry of showing things in the Premier League. This is because he felt that in the 2005-2006 season when he was still young. He believed that Jordan Ibe will be one of the promising stars for Liverpool after watching him play last season.

He was put in the spotlight on who would he picked as his first eleven and he chose the following – Didi Hamann, Stevie G, the Brazilian Ronaldo, Messi, Maldini, Cafu, Roberto Carlos, Zidane, Romario, Puyol. The only one he forgotten was the goal keeper but his choice of his 11 will definitely be invincible in the Football Manager 2015 game 😀

There is just something about Luis Garcia that I like about. He’s calm and welcoming which made it easier for the media to bombard him with questions. Liverpool FC surely chose an almost perfect ambassador and I do hope that this will be an annual thing because he can create a first good impression that will last.

On the funnier side of things, David McMahon of The Straits Times, asked Luis Garcia if the “goal” was indeed a goal (referring to the Champions League semi-final against Chelsea in 2005 where Liverpool were eventual champions). He laughed it off and answered “yes” and it was his frequently asked questions by the fans.

Definitely a great short session with Luis Garcia but of high quality. Thank you once again to Standard Chartered for organizing this special press conference. We are indeed privileged and honoured.

Q&A with Luis Garcia

Chun and I were honoured to have a picture with Luis Garcia. A very humble and down to earth person.

I got them signed 😀

 

Members of the regional media with regional Head of Corporate Affairs of Standard Chartered before heading to catch Liverpool FC match

Chun smiling outside the stadium

Some games for the public to play

First time I would come across at 7-Eleven tent

Didn’t know Honda was the one of the sponsors

Promoting SCB Cashcard

The Standard Chartered Booth

Just look at the crowd. Total of roughly 35,000 fans watched the match. Image courtesy of Liverpool FC.

Entering the media centre

The most sought for items were wifi password and water

Danny Ings had an alright friendly debut. Image courtesy of Liverpool FC.

Chun at work. Don’t play play.

It rained in the second half.

Rained quite heavily

Yay!! Liverpool won 4-0. Image courtesy of Liverpool FC.

The guys behind Liverpool FC so internet is a must 😀

The press conference area

Our late supper after the match. Thank you Standard Chartered for this rare opportunity. Much blessed.

 

Flying off with Yee Chung Leong, sports writer from The Brunei Times and Marilyn Greame, Head of Corporate Affairs, Standard Chartered (Brunei) to Bangkok for the Liverpool FC Asia Tour

Brought me where? Bangkok 😀 I’m currently in Bangkok from a special invitation from Standard Chartered (Brunei) for the upcoming Liverpool FC Asia Tour. Their first leg will be in Bangkok before heading down to Australia and the final leg will be in Kuala Lumpur.

I flew off with Marilyn Greame, Head of Corporate Affairs, Standard Chartered (Brunei) and Yee Chung Leong, sports writer from The Brunei Times to Bangkok yesterday (and thank you Royal Brunei for taking us there too).

My previous Liverpool FC treat was back in 2012 where I also sent by Standard Chartered to Kuala Lumpur. That was fun too because I get to be up close and personal with the Liverpool FC players. I remember taking photos with Andy Carroll then.

So what privilege do both Liverpool supporters (Chun and I) have? We have our specula media passes; we had the opportunity yesterday to attend the press conference with Brendan Rodgers and Lucas Leiva; we will attending a football clinic at the Bangkok School for the Blind; we will have a special session with a former Liverpool player Luis Garcia and to cap it off, the friendly match between Liverpool FC and Thailand’s True All-Star Team. For your info, True is one of the leading telcos in Thailand.

It’s good to know that Standard Chartered continue their sponsorship with Liverpool FC as it helps them to engage with the community and especially their clients. This is a win-win situation for the Standard Chartered customers and Liverpool Football Club fans.

Woohoo.. We have a special ride from the airport transfer to Novotel Siam

Checking in.. Thank you, Standard Chartered, for accommodating us

The Liverpool fans waiting for the players

I wonder if they managed to get anything signed

Yesterday afternoon, it was a mellow down press conference for Brendan Rodgers, manager of Liverpool FC, who knew he was gonna be bombarded with questions of the Sterling saga. All he said was he wants to focus with the players that are in Thailand but he did acknowledged that Sterling had made negotiations with another club and it’s time for Liverpool to move forward. Initially Raheem Sterling was listed in the 30-man squad for the Asia tour but pulled out due to offers from Manchester City. It is reported that Sterling will be heading to Manchester City for 49 million pounds.

Now the saga is over, Liverpool FC can focus on the tour but Brendan is tight lipped on who will be the next players to sign up for Liverpool FC. It will be interesting to see who will replace Sterling but I believe Sterling is not up there with the likes of Alonso or Torres or even Suarez because he is still 20 years old and haven’t reached his world class status like the rest.

So tonight is the night. We will get to witness the first pre-season match of Liverpool against Thai True All-Stars team at Rajamangala Stadium. Woohoo.. Thank you once again Standard Chartered for this special opportunity.

For more updates, do follow me on Instagram and Snapchat @ranoadidas

TrueVisions head of commercial and business development Birathon Kasemsri Na Ayutthaya, Liverpool manager Brendan Rogers, Liverpool midfielder Lucas Leiva and Sports Authority of Thailand representative Sumet Akarapong during a press conference yesterday at the Athenee Tower in Bangkok

Brendan Rodgers and Lucas Levia poses before the press conference

Question from the local Thai press

One important Liverpool staff trying to upload a picture for their website

The Gala dinner that we didn’t make it at all

This is a priceless moment. Thank you, Standard Chartered.

 

I came across this advertisement on Standard Chartered recently and what caught my eye is the difference in repayments for your loans. This is interesting indeed. How can that be possible to lower the repayment amount by as much as BND400 on a monthly basis? This was from the illustration of the poster that I saw on their website recently.

So imagine that you have a few loans that you have such as personal loans, credit card payments or your other loans. You will pay the normal dues respectively to the bank as part of your commitment. The thing that struck me me was the savings that you can enjoy when you consolidate all the loan commitments into one and enjoy a lower repayment scheme as a whole.

In other words, if I were to pay individually for the loans that I have even from other banks and the total loan amounts to a total of BND 75,000, every month I would have to fork out BND 1,093. Now with Standard Chartered’s new financial package, you would only pay BND 653 as a whole. That’s like a savings of BND 400ish. Now that’s a great deal.

Better still, you only pay a flat interest rate of 3.79% (6.5% effective) per annum for 15 years tenor.

I don’t have a personal loan or car loan from a bank but this may be relevant to those who have existing multiple bank loans. I understand however, there are qualifying criteria so not everyone is eligible. If you are keen to find out more, you can reach them at 265 8000 or click on the link.

I came across this advertisement on Standard Chartered recently and what caught my eye is the difference in repayments for your loans. This is interesting indeed. How can that be possible to lower the repayment amount by as much as BND400 on a monthly basis? This was from the illustration of the poster that I saw on their website recently.

So imagine that you have a few loans that you have such as personal loans, credit card payments or your other loans. You will pay the normal dues respectively to the bank as part of your commitment. The thing that struck me me was the savings that you can enjoy when you consolidate all the loan commitments into one and enjoy a lower repayment scheme as a whole.

In other words, if I were to pay individually for the loans that I have even from other banks and the total loan amounts to a total of BND 75,000, every month I would have to fork out BND 1,093. Now with Standard Chartered’s new financial package, you would only pay BND 653 as a whole. That’s like a savings of BND 400ish. Now that’s a great deal.

Better still, you only pay a flat interest rate of 3.79% (6.5% effective) per annum for 15 years tenor.

I don’t have a personal loan or car loan from a bank but this may be relevant to those who have existing multiple bank loans. I understand however, there are qualifying criteria so not everyone is eligible. If you are keen to find out more, you can reach them at 265 8000 or click on the link.

Joanna Kwan with the WCOPA contests from Brunei at the airport yesterday

It’s good to know that we are not stopping to send Bruneians to Hollywood to showcase their talents in singing, dancing, playing instruments or acting. Remember WCOPA? They are back but with a slightly lower bang. I remember for the past two years that they had a good hype leading to the event.

Not all that qualified for WCOPA will be flying to the California, US. This is due to the budget constraint as all participants will have to seek for sponsorship for their travels and they were given some months to reach their targeted sponsorship. It’s never an easy journey as an artist especially in Brunei. Financial support has always been tough for local artists. Despite the setbacks, there are always ways and means to reach their goals and for this case, to fly to Los Angeles and participated in the WCOPA competition.

By the way, WCOPA stands for World Championship of Performing Arts. Brunei did fairly well last year with Shian Li, Eia and Joanna reached the finals. Shian Li won the top accolade in her category while Joanna was given an acting scholarship. Eia was offered something of a bigger scale – to host the upcoming WCOPA 2015. That itself is an amazing opportunity for a Bruneian to host a world championship event.

Zainal Bostaman, founder of Bruhaha, pumped up for the event

Zainal with his family at the Brunei International Airport

The family huddle before boarding

This shot taken early in the year. How time has flown off so fast.

Yesterday most of the participants flew off for the US for their three week journey in Los Angeles. Zainal Bostaman (Senior Acting), Nadya Halim, Ak Muhd Yazakka Pg Hj Mohd Yamin known as “Yazakka”, Kala Kawarnamurthi and Erwan Mugit, part of Ellewan duo (all to compete in the Senior Vocal category) whereas Amy Cheong, Ainul Marzuki, Mardi Hedus and Shannon Osman the team of Relentless Entertainment will compete in the Senior Dance Group.

The ones missing were Michele Tan of Ellewan, Sarah Jane of Relentless and Hill Zaini as they couldn’t make it for the competition.

Joanna Kwan, previous WCOPA participant, flew off with the delegates and she will be managing the Brunei team during the course of the competition.

Jeffrey E. Cadayong, WCOPA Brunei Darussalam’s National Director, will be welcoming the delegates in the US.

Do follow their instagram @officialwcopabrunei for updates and let’s hope for mode success for the participants. The competition will be from 10th to 19th July at Long Beach, California.

The team of Relentless flew off earlier yesterday

Relentless have been raising funds for their trip to the US. They have done an excellent job in doing so. Image courtesy of The Brunei Times.

Taken some time ago when Brunei bagged many awards and medals.

 

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His Royal Highness Prince Haji Al-Muhtadee Billah, the Crown Prince and Senior Minister at the Prime Minister’s Office graced the DPMM FC / S League Football Fanfare 2015 at the Jerudong Mini Stadium last Sunday.
His Royal Highness, who is also the Chairman of DPMM FC, joined the junior participants and the new import players for a group picture.

Among those participating was His Royal Highness Prince ‘Abdul Muntaqim, who joined more than 100 junior participants in the technical training session during the DPMM FC / S League Football Fanfare 2015.

HRH Prince ‘Abdul Muntaqim also received a certificate of participation for the completion of the training session, which was conducted by DPMM FC’s head coach Steve Kean.

Also participating in the training session were the grandsons of His Majesty the Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam, YAM Pengiran Anak ‘Abdul Raqiib bin Pengiran Maharaja Setia Laila Diraja Sahibul Irshad Pengiran Anak Haji Abdul Rahim and YAM Pengiran Anak ‘Abdul Haseeb bin Pengiran Maharaja Setia Laila Diraja Sahibul Irshad Pengiran Anak Haji Abdul Rahim.

His Royal Highness Prince Haji Al-Muhtadee Billah, the Crown Prince and Senior Minister at the Prime Minister’s Office greeting the young players during DPMM FC / S League Football Fanfare 2015 at the Jerudong Mini Stadium. Image courtesy of Khairil Hassan of Borneo Bulletin.

HRH Prince ‘Abdul Muntaqim also received a certificate of participation for the completion of the training session. Image courtesy of @WSRBrunei (White Room Studio)

HRH Prince ‘Abdul Muntaqim in the group photo. Image courtesy of @WSRBrunei (White Room Studio)

YAM Pengiran Anak ‘Abdul Raqiib bin Pengiran Maharaja Setia Laila Diraja Sahibul Irshad Pengiran Anak Haji Abdul Rahim also in attendance. Image courtesy of @WSRBrunei (White Room Studio)

Fresh from completing the foreign quota with the arrival of new imports Craig Fagan, Brian McLean and Rafael Ramazzoti, the club is in its final week of preparation ahead of their first home game this season against Harimau Muda this Sunday, March 1.

The open training session attracted the participation of more than 100 junior footballers the majority of whom were from various schools and clubs that encourage youth development and promotion with the likes of Sports School and International School Brunei (ISB).

Kean revealed that he sees the young participants as potential players in the future adding that it only takes few hours to identify talent.

“We see these children today as potential players for us in the future. It was always nice for them to spend some time with the current players. We had a good response last year and this year was even better,” Kean said. “Certainly, in the few hours, you can identify some players that has potential to be professional players. It doesn’t take long to see the ones that got something special and we’ve seen lots of them today.”

The S League ‘Coach of the Year’ 2014 nominee was fairly impressed with the conduct and attitude shown by the junior players adding that the participants would return after a water break to learn about the other components linked with the technical aspects of the game.

“It was very warm today and the players asked that if they can have a little water break and after 10 minutes again they want to go back out and do something else. They were asking how this warm up, how we should warm down, and what type of stretching you should do. We mentioned a lot of injury prevention and they were asking if we can show them something. We showed that in the end and hopefully they can learn something”.

“It is about participation. If the young players can get enthusiasm and excitement today and wants to play football, it is not just about watching on TV. Hopefully they get what I would call the bug to play and that excitement never leaves you. If they can get a ball and practice at school, practice with a friend at school, after school, when they get a break at the weekends and as much contact with the ball and keep their skill level up, I’m sure they are some of those players who are here today that in the years to come would say that was the first time I decided to be a professional player”.

The objective of the training was to further comprehend the technical elements of the game for instance by controlling the ball not just by the stronger foot but also to work on a weaker foot. You’d never stop learning. Even the senior players like Joe Gamble, Craig Fagan and Bobby our captain, they’re learning and improving everyday”, added the head coach.

Meanwhile, Lim Chin, the Chief Executive Officer of S League commended DPMM FC’s initiative of building a fan base and encouraging active community participation and education through football.
“It is like a family concept and this is where we should build a fan base for each club through the children. The children can get to see up close and personal with the stars and besides just shaking hands and getting autographs, they are playing with the football stars”, Lim said.

“I think it is great to build up a fan and player relationship and DPMM FC did the right thing to hold a football fun fair on a beautiful Sunday morning”.

“I know the training is very short but I think what the children would remember that they learn the art of heading from this Brazilian player or he learnt dribbling from Azwan Ali. So when they see these players in action he remembers the half and hour sessions with them on that particular day. And maybe in time they (the club) can do more of this to engage with the fans”, Lim concluded.

Shortly after a certificate presentation to the participants, a souvenir was presented to the CEO of S League, Lim Chin as a token of appreciation by YAM Pengiran Maharaja Setia Laila Diraja Sahibul Irshad Pengiran Anak Haji Abdul Rahim bin Pengiran Indera Mahkota Pengiran Anak Dr. Kemaluddin Al Haj, the Vice Chairman of DPMM FC. Text courtesy of Fadhil Yunus of Borneo Bulletin.

 

Image courtesy of @haqimie267 (Fazizul Haqimie Photography)

Image courtesy of @haqimie267 (Fazizul Haqimie Photography)

Image courtesy of @haqimie267 (Fazizul Haqimie Photography)

Image courtesy of @haqimie267 (Fazizul Haqimie Photography)

Image courtesy of @haqimie267 (Fazizul Haqimie Photography)

Image courtesy of @haqimie267 (Fazizul Haqimie Photography)

Image courtesy of @haqimie267 (Fazizul Haqimie Photography)

Image courtesy of @haqimie267 (Fazizul Haqimie Photography)

Image courtesy of @haqimie267 (Fazizul Haqimie Photography)

 

This will be another interesting contest. I remember last year I covering the Area Contest of Brunei Toastmasters where Chris Woo, a member of Brunei Speakers’ Club and Brunei Advanced Speakers’ Club, made a name for our local club when he came top 9 in the International Speech Contest amongst 30,000 competitors. It was a huge milestone for Brunei Speakers’ Club. Reaching the world’s finals meant that he had to win in all six contests to reach to the finals – at club level, at Area level (to determine who will the Brunei representative), at Division Level, At District Level, then the semi-finals before they chose the top nine to the finals. So Chris Woo experienced to all those stages last year and it was something he didn’t expect.

Now the contest is back. However, Chris Woo decided not to contest but opted to mentor and guide other members especially for members in the newly chartered toastmaster club, UBD Toastmasters Club.

Tonight there will be an International Speech and Table Topics Contest for members of Brunei Speakers’ Club. The top two of each category will proceed to Area Level to be held at Multipurpose Hall, UBD on 8th of March.

I will be competing in both categories tonight and it’s one of the those nights where I normally get butterflies because I want to improve as a public speaker. I learnt so much from toastmasters as a speaker and as a leader and I am abided by their vision. Toastmasters gave me the perfect platform for my contribution to the community. I wish to all the contestants best of luck and the most important is let’s have fun and support one another. That’s the beauty of the contest.

Last Sunday, we witnessed great quality speakers especially from UBD students during the UBD Toastmasters Club’s International Speech and Tables Topics Contest. I am so used to young adults (generation) from Brunei Speakers’ Club but now because a new club has been chartered, what makes it more interesting and refreshing is that it’s a university club. This would mean young and energetic speakers and they had the most participants among all the clubs in Brunei Darussalam. Simply amazing!!

I applaud the president and founder of UBD Toastmasters Club, Reuben Chin, for his great leadership and aspiring the members to take the initiative to join the contest even though the club is not even a year old. All in all, they had 24 registered entries for both International Speech and Table Topics. Simply amazing!!

So peeps, let’s come support the contestants today for the Brunei Speakers’ Club contest, happening tonight at Seameo Voctech, Gadong and it starts at 7:30pm.

Gary Goh 3rd place, Pranika Lama 1st place and Reuben Chin 2nd place with Allen Ang the prize presenter for the International Speech Contest in the UBD Toastmasters Club Contest at Inspiring Hall, UBD Student Centre last Sunday

Reuben Chin 1st place, Rayhan Ibrahim 3rd place and Julius 2nd place in Table Topics Contest in the UBD Toastmasters Club Contest

Interviewing the contestants from UBD Toastmasters by the contest chair Ching

 

Matahari FC emerged as champions of the Standard Chartered Trophy 2015 Brunei local tournament and moved a step closer towards realising the dream of going to Anfield, the home ground of Liverpool FC in the United Kingdom.

Matahari will proceed to the regional tournament in Kuala Lumpur as a Brunei representative where only representatives from Malaysia and Thailand now stand in their path to qualification to Anfield, one of the most popular and historic stadiums in the world.

The winners ended Syah Kampong’s brave resistance with a 2-0 win in the final at the Indoor Stadium last weekend.

The Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports, Pehin Orang Kaya Pekerma Laila Diraja Dato Seri Setia Awang Haji Hazair bin Haji Abdullah presented the champions mock cheque and the individual prizes.

The Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports, Pehin Orang Kaya Pekerma Laila Diraja Dato Seri Setia Awang Haji Hazair bin Haji Abdullah and Rino Donosepoetro, CEO of Standard Chartered Bank Brunei presenting the prize to the winner of the Standard Chartered Trophy 2015, Matahari FC. Image courtesy of Standard Chartered Brunei Facebook Page.

Some of the participants of the Standard Chartered Trophy 2015. Image courtesy of Standard Chartered Brunei Facebook Page.

The Matahari’s pair of Iswandi bin Wahid and Md Zainul Hazmin bin Md Saifuddin collected the Most Assists and Top Scorer prizes respectively. Iswandi walked away with a signed Liverpool Football Club jersey by goalkeeper Brad Jones while Md Zainul received a signed LFC jersey by midfielder Joe Allen.

Mohd Asyramisyanie Kamis of Syah Kampong FC was awarded the Best Goalkeeper.

During the closing ceremony, a mock cheque of BND$2,400 was handed over to the Community Development Department (JAPEM) on behalf of the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports for the Humanitarian Fund of the Malaysian Flood Disaster. The funds was raised from registration fees collected from the participating teams, 100 per cent of which were donated.

Earlier, the quarterfinals of the Standard Chartered Trophy Brunei qualifying were contested with all group winners from the preliminary round in contention.

SLHM/Easyway, Syah Kampong, AMBD FC and Matahari FC all qualified to the last four while the quartet of HMD, Royal Origin FT, GG FT and OLSCB were eliminated. Mohd Asyramisyanie saved a penalty in the shoot-out to send his team to the final while Matahari’s solitary goal in the second semi-final was enough to confirm their place.

The Standard Chartered Trophy Brunei 2015 is supported by the Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports and endorsed by the National Football Association of Brunei Darussalam. Text courtesy of Fadhil Yunus of Borneo Bulletin.

 

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DPMM FC vice-chairman YAM Pg Maharaja Setia Laila Diraja Sahibul Irshad Pg Anak Haji Abdul Rahim Pg Indera Mahkota Pg Anak (Dr) Kemaludin Al-Haj receiving token of appreciation from DPMM FC Club Manager yesterday.

Let’s forget about last season. It was the closest DPMM FC ever go to winning the S • League title. Close but no cigar. The only highlight to remember was DPMM FC’s League Cup title. This season they can take a step further this season. Their jinx team has always been Tampines Rovers but let’s hope history will not repeat itself.

DPMM FC will take on Harimau Muda on 1st March 2015 at the Hassanal Bolkiah Stadium. After that they will have two away matches Albirex Niigata FC (S) at the Jurong East Stadium on 7th March and Young Lions (Singaporean national Under-23 team) at Jalan Besar Stadium on March 11.

Yesterday was the signing ceremony for DPMM FC’s sponsors and also signing of the DPMM FC squad for 2015 season. Missing from the squad so far that I know of are Shahrazen Said and Subhi Abdillah.

Present during the signing ceremony was the guest of honour DPMM FC vice-chairman YAM Pg Maharaja Setia Laila Diraja Sahibul Irshad Pg Anak Haji Abdul Rahim Pg Indera Mahkota Pg Anak (Dr) Kemaludin Al-Haj. Images courtesy of Khairil Hassan.

Katherine Hii of You•C1000 continuing the sponsorship for DPMM FC

DST becomes recurring sponsor for DPMM FC

Another regular sponsor for DPMM FC, Brunei Shell Marketing

Maju Motors, another sponsor for DPMM FC

Signing with the DPMM FC players

Signing with the DPMM FC players

Guest of honour with the DPMM FC club manager and sponsors of DPMM FC

The registered squad players of DPMM FC

The imports of DPMM FC – Northern Ireland defender Brian McLean, English forward Craig Fagan, Bosnian defender Boris Raspudic, Brazilian striker Rafael Ramazotti and Irish midfielder Joe Gamble.

 

Rino Donosepoetro, CEO of Standard Chartered Bank Brunei and Hj Abdul Malik Hj Mohammad, Director of the Department of Youth and Sports at the opening night of Standard Chartered Bank Trophy 2015

The tournament has begun. It was the first time that Standard Chartered Bank Brunei held a futsal competition known as Standard Chartered Bank Trophy 2015. The winner of the 24 team tournament will fly to Malaysia to represent Brunei and once they beat Malaysia and Thailand, they will sent to the UK to where the finals will take place at Anfield. Awesome, right?

The 24 teams include a team from the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports, Telbru and the media team (Media United) to name a few.

The biggest winners were OLSCB who scored 4-0 over HBS F.I.T in Group H. The tournament continues tonight at Indoor Stadium. Public is more than welcome to catch the matches.

Present were Rino Donosepoetro, CEO of Standard Chartered Bank Brunei and Hj Abdul Malik Hj Mohammad, Director of the Department of Youth and Sports.

Rino Donosepoetro said, “We are extremely delighted that Brunei will be represented among the 19 participating markets who are also vying for a chance to advance to Anfield and I am extremely hopeful that we will be one of those countries who will make it through.”

This event is made possible by SCB Brunei and they are very grateful with the support by Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports and endorsed by the National Football Association of Brunei Darussalam (NFABD) in assisting SCB Brunei with the upcoming event. Images courtesy of Khairil Hassan.

With team SHLM/EasyWay

With Media United

A token of appreciation

Futsal players in action

Guest of honour greeting the players

The captains of the teams

The results last night

 

Pg Sarimah Pg Hj Abd Latiff, mentor and founding member of TEDxGadong, Edward Findlay, US Embassy Public Affairs Officer and Abdul Malik Omar, Chairman and Co-Partner of TEDxGadong at the iCentre last Sunday.

Great job by Abdul Malik Omar and his team for the recent TEDxYouth@Gadong event that took place at the iCentre last Sunday. I only managed to catch two of the final speakers as I had prior commitments to begin with. Nonetheless it was my first presence at this event and I would like to congratulate Abdul Malik Omar to pull off another great session.

This time round, the speakers are not even seasoned speakers. They represent the youth and all the speakers are in the their teen years. What an excellent platform for them to speak in public and share their messages from their experiences and furthermore inspire the audience.

The speakers were as follow:

• Sidharth Raj and Osama bin Tariq on ” Negative Effects of Technology”

• Seyrence on “Bullying”

• Ruby Lim on”Forestry Management”

• Eric Ngu on “Don’t ask “why, ask why not?””

• Awangku Naim on “Youth Leadership”

• Brandon Chin on “The Silent Youth”

• Hee Sang Hong on ” The Ridiculousness of Comparing Yourself to Others”

I kinda enjoyed Hee Sang Hong’s presentation and I believe it relates to all of us whether we like it or not. For someone to pick this awareness up at a very young age, I salute you because this is not an easy thing to share and many of us tend not to acknowledge it due to our high ego.

To the TEDxYouth@Gadong, keep it up and you can follow them on social media @tedxgadong on instagram or check out their Facebook page. Images courtesy of TEDxGadong.

Some of the youth speakers and the attendees

Networking during the break

Hee Sang Hong’s interesting take on comparison. Nicely presented.

Iskandar, didn’t know you were there too :p

Izzah of Brunei Economic Development Board talking about entrepreneurship

 

Check out our review of The Black Sea starring Rano Iskandar and his co-host Del Goh

 

Pengiran Mohd Nasir Pengiran Anak Ja’afar made our country proud by winning gold in the bronze category of the Competition Showjumping International (CSI) 2-Star International Event in Oliva, Spain

I knew he will make it to the summit one day. With more support and encouragement, Pengiran Mohd Nasir Pengiran Anak Ja’afar will make a name for Brunei over and over again. He bagged a gold medal in the bronze category of the Competition Showjumping International (CSI) 2-Star International Event in Oliva, Spain.

The name of his horse is Rudolf Z and he beat his nearest challenger Christiane Boos of Germany and Stephanie Bichsel of Switzerland.

Of course, the highlight moment was when Brunei’s national anthem was echoed during the prize presentation.

The victory propelled to his argument for being excluded from the ASIAN games 2014 as he is confident that he can compete among the best in Europe and that surely can be a good bench mark to be part of the ASIAN games. Pg Nasir has bigger dreams and he is focusing for the upcoming Olympics 2016. He will need full support from the people and also from the relevant authorities to make his dream possible and make our country proud. Images courtesy of @pg_nasir

Pg Nasir with his horse Rudolf Z

Nice saddle, bro

Pg Nasir being featured in Borneo Bulletin. Click here to read more.

 

A milestone for many of us to be part of a potentially big project in Brunei. Do find out more from Bruhaha Facebook page and do watch out for our Open Mic sessions in the near future. Thank you to Zainal Bostaman for the opportunity to further improve and nurture our creativity. This is why most of my Sundays have been packed 😀

 

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Chinese New Year is just around the corner and Standard Chartered Bank is having a reward points promotion where you can get dining vouchers at a discounted rate! Click on on.sc.com/CNY2015-bn to find out more about this one-month only promotion! It ends 28th February.

 

Some of the sauces and dishes from Bruneihalal. Highly recommended. Try out the dinner buffet spread of Bruneihalal’s Flavours of Spices every Thursday and Saturday until 28th March 2015

Take a culinary journey to the heartland of authentic Indian cuisine with the Flavours of Spices dinner buffet at Seasons restaurant.

The promotion is the Royal Brunei Catering’s (RBC) latest collaboration with Bruneihalal with its sauces used in the buffet line.

Customers will be blown away by the plethora of dishes such as Roasted Lamb Raan to Lamb Korma, Balti Fish Head Curry with Ladies Fingers, Tandoori Chicken and Aloo Gobi.

An assortment of naan bread, chapatti and pratta are also available from the soup counter while a delicious rack of lamb can be found at the carving station.
For those prefering something sweet, authentic Indian mouthwatering desserts such as Jalabi sweets, Giulap Jamun, Semolina Cake and Green Bean Porridge with Sago will set to thrill the sweet-tooth.

Speaking to The Brunei Times, Deputy Chief Executive Officer of Bruneihalal Feby Latip said that this promotion was a good collaboration between the company and RBC as the sauces used are suitable not only for use at home but for meals at the restaurant.

“Our products have proven to be very convenient for people looking to make quick and easy meals,” she added.

She also said that Bruneihalal has a simple idea of delivering nutritional and quality products to the world. Meanwhile, Sous Chef Rosli Che Aman, who is instrumental to the creation of the exciting Indian dishes, said that there are more than 50 dishes available which have been specifically made with Bruneihalal sauces. “We created these wonderful dishes with the (Bruneihalal) sauces. The spices in the sauces are sourced from India and we have adapted them according to local taste,” he explained.

He added that customers will also be treated to a demonstration at the bread and naan station.

The Flavours of Spices dinner buffet is available every Thursday and Saturday from 7pm to 10pm from now until March 28.

It is priced at $22.90 per adult and $13.90 per child (five to 11 years old), however, RBC privilege cardholders are entitle to a 10 per cent discount during the promotional period. Customers can also surf the Internet for free as WiFi connection is available at the restaurant. For more information or reservation, please call 242 2291 or 891 2470 for Oscar.

So make a date at Seasons Restaurant today to get a taste of incredible and authentic Indian food. Text courtesy of Rebecca Oi of The Brunei Times.

Using Flavour of Spices from Bruneihalal

Using Flavour of Spices from Bruneihalal

Using Flavour of Spices from Bruneihalal

Using Flavour of Spices from Bruneihalal

Try out Bruneihalal’s Flavour of Spices

 

Mathien Malan Kasim and Ryan Nicholas Elicay winning second and first respectively at the ASEAN Universities International English Speech Competition that was held at Thepsatri Rajabhat University in Lopburi, Thailand

Two students from Universiti Brunei Darussalam battled out 34 other contestants to capture the first and second place at the ASEAN Universities International English Speech Competition that was held at Thepsatri Rajabhat University in Lopburi, Thailand two weeks ago.

Ryan Nicholas Elicay emerged as the champion of the competition and Mathien Malan Kasim finished as the first runner-up. Both the students are Professional Communications and the Media majors from the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences.

Ryan, whose speech was entitled ‘What single ASEAN country could you learn the most from’ quoted, “It was definitely one of the best moments in my life. I would like to thank Dr. Chris Woo, our coach, for his tremendous efforts in ensuring that we had winning speeches, spending so many hours perfecting our speeches and our delivery. And of course the University for giving us the opportunity to take part in the competition. We hope we have made the University and the country proud.”

With the experience that the two students have gained from the competition, they would wish to represent UBD in many other competitions that will be held in the future. Image courtesy of Dr. Chris Woo.

Ryan Nicholas Elicay receiving the first place for the competition

The representative finalists from ASEAN for the competition

 

From 30-31 January 9am to 5pm, you are eligible for a $100 service voucher for participating a customer feedback session at Volkswagen Brunei (Maju Motors Sdn Bhd)

 

Click image to register and find out more

For the first time ever, Bruneians will have a chance to get a ticket to Anfield (Liverpool’s home ground) and play against the best of the best in the world in the Standard Chartered Trophy 2015. It’s a futsal tournament format and it will be a 5 a-side format.

This is made possible by Standard Chartered Bank (Brunei) and this tournament opened to everyone even if you are not a Liverpool fan. For your info, SCB is the official sponsor for Liverpool FC club. The announcement was made yesterday at SCB’s Priority Banking Centre.

So do check out Brunei’s time line for the event below and the winners of the Brunei contingent will be sent to Kuala Lumpur for the regional competition in late March. If your team managed to beat both Malaysia and Thailand, your team will be given the green light to Anfield. By the way, all these trips will be all expenses paid by SCB.

The qualifiers are open to Brunei citizens and permanent residents (phew, I have a chance). They must be over 18 years old and are neither professional/semi-professional players. SCB Brunei has allocated 14 berths to their key stakeholders and 10 more slots are up for grabs.

Each team shall consist of seven players, and those selected will have to pay a registration fee of $100 – which will go to the Humanitarian Fund of the Malaysian Flood Disaster. So this means that if they are more than 24 slots, SCB Brunei organising team will go through the selection process and based the selection on the short essay on why you want to be part of this event. Once you are selected, the $100 registration will be come into play. So if you are registering online, you won’t be charged $100 straight away. Good luck in registering your team.

You can click here for the registration. The closing date is 10th February 2015.

This event is made possible by SCB Brunei and they are very grateful with the support by inistry of Culture, Youth and Sports and endorsed by the National Football Association of Brunei Darussalam (NFABD) in assisting SCB Brunei with the upcoming event.

Ng Yick Wei, Head of Brand and Marketing at SCB Brunei, Marilyn Graeme, Head of Corporate Affairs at SCB, Hj Mohd Noor Hj Hamid, Department of Youth and Sports official, Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports and also a NFABD committee, Hj Aslan Hj Tengah, Supervisor Sport Organisation, Sports Department, Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports during the announcement of Standard Chartered Trophy 2015 at SCB’s Priority Banking yesterday

Yay, we were given Liverpool goodies from SCB Brunei

 

Mr. Pierre Imhof, CEO of Baiduri Bank, giving his welcoming remarks

Guests during the relaunch of Baiduri Bank

Baiduri Bank recently officially re-launched its branch at The Mall, Gadong following recent major renovation and upgrading works. The opening ceremony was officiated by the Bank’s Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Pierre Imhof, who was joined by 11 of the Bank’s pioneer customers in the symbolic cutting of the ribbon.

In his welcome remarks, Mr. Imhof thanked the guests for their loyalty and confidence in Baiduri Bank, adding “It is an honour for us to have our pioneer customers who are still active with us here today. They have been a part of us throughout our 20 year journey, and we look forward to continuing our journey together with them into the future”.

The Bank’s Mall Branch first began operations in 2004, setting the record as the first bank in Brunei with an in-mall outlet as well as operating 7 days a week.

Elaborating on the branch upgrade, Mr. Imhof said, “Our branch network configuration project is a part of our initiatives to enhance customer experience. We constantly upgrade our branches to meet evolving customer needs. The investments we are making to this branch will make for a more welcoming environment for customers to carry out their banking transactions as well as a conducive working environment for our staff. This, we believe, is key to enhancing overall customer experience.”

The refurbished branch features modern and contemporary décor to reflect the dynamism and innovative spirit of Baiduri Bank and offers full banking services to individuals and businesses as well as complimentary personal financial planning consultation. The upgraded premises also have free Wi-Fi as well as more ATMs to cater to the growing number of customers transacting electronically.

Following the launch, guests were taken on a tour of the branch premises led by Ms. Alvina Chung, Regional Manager of Brunei-Muara District and Dayang Vivi Rudynanissmah Hj Mamud, Manager of the Mall Branch.

Also present at the ceremony were Mr. Ti Eng Hui, Deputy CEO of Baiduri Bank, Mr. Andrew Young, Deputy General Manager – Operations Management Division, Diversification & Strategic Development, Haji Haliluddin bin Dato Haji Talib, General Manager of Baiduri Finance, Pengiran Azaleen bin Pengiran Dato Haji Mustapha, Head of Retail Banking and Branch Network and a host of senior executives from the Bank. Images courtesy of Vincent Hong.

 

Rano’s take of 2014 movies with special guest @delgoh and Zul

 

Click image to see Consumer Fair 15 schedule for the weekend

 

12 Art toys bearing the Peugeot emblem – Léo’z Art toys. Now available at Peugeot Boutique in Kiarong showroom

Peugeot has unveiled at Peugeot Boutique in Kiarong showroom its first series of 12 Art toys bearing the Peugeot emblem: lions known as Léo’z. This series developed with PEUGEOT DESIGN LAB, in partnership with the company ARTOYZ, is available from Peugeot showroom starting January 28, 2015.

The series consists of 12 lions, 6 of which were designed by internationally renowned artists: Huck Gee (UK), 64 Colors (USA), Bunka (France), DGPH (Argentina), Tikka NG (Hong Kong), Koralie (France), and the other 6 by the PEUGEOT DESIGN LAB designers: Claire Panel (France), Thomas Josson (France), Damian O’ Hara (Ireland), Hossein Borojeni (France), Flora Tai & Guillaume Daniel (France). The adorable lions measure at 3 inches or 8 cm, and are perfect for Vinyl Figure enthusiasts or car memorabilia lovers.

Léo’z Art toys will be sold at Peugeot Kiarong showroom. Two additional versions, less common and in smaller quantity, have also found their way into this collection.

Each Art Toy on sale is the fruit of an artistic process, and involving lengthy and painstaking work, drawing inspiration from worlds as diverse as contemporary art, poetry, chemistry, origami, architecture, fashion…These unique objects form a link between the world of childhood, by adopting the design of the brand’s lion soft toy mascot created by Christophe Pialat (France), and the grown-up world.

Check out the vLéo’z Art toys

 

Laksamana College now offering degree programmes from the University of Chester

Finally after years of waiting, Laksamana College of Business (LCB) is able to provide a degree course under the programme from the University of Chester. Some of the courses included are such as BA (Hons) Accounting and Finance (3 years), BA (Hons) Business Management (3 years), BA (Hons) Marketing (3 years) and BSc (Hons) Computer Science (3 years).

Late last year, LCB Chief Operating Officer S Sivarajah said the college received the approval letter from the Brunei Darussalam National Accreditation Council.

This would mean that you won’t have to travel all the way to the UK to get a degree and still get certified by a university and endorsed by Brunei Darussalam National Accreditation Council.

LCB currently has more than a thousand active students. Sivarajah said that he expects a high demand from both parents and students as the course offers them an alternative route to receiving a British university education. Sivarajah said the annual cost of the degree programme in the UK is about £10,000 ( BND 20,369) on average, whereas the college is able to offer the courses at BND 9,500. Now that is an affordable fee (almost 50 percent off).

Now LCB is opening for registration for February 2015 intake. A good way to start your undergraduate programme at Laksamana College of Business. For more info, you can call 223 8816 or 223 8818.

 

Get Connected through ICONIA

BIBD’s latest promotion

Top up tia. Click image to enter website.

 

Click image to enter ICON Design Store website

 

Click image to enter Citroën Brunei 

 

It’s great to see another promotion coming from Standard Chartered Bank. This time, it’s the Personal Loan Year End Promotion. Now, picture this, you are thinking ahead for your children especially for their education or perhaps you are planning for your dream home but you don’t have the financial resources. This is where Standard Chartered Bank can come in and assist you to make your journey smoother and of course, Standard Chartered Bank have many options that you can choose from to tailor to your needs. (insert hyperlink)

Here are some of the available options from Standard Chartered Bank.

General Instalment Loan. Sometimes we are in an emergency situation and it warrants for extra funding and Standard Chartered Bank is here to help! Hard cash may come easy.

Home Improvement Loan. Now why is there suddenly a rush of demand for housing and homes? Because the younger generation are thinking ahead even after graduation. That’s the same when it applies to home renovation. We always want a better and feel for our own existing homes. Maybe you feel like extending your house or create a garden at the back or perhaps an extra garage. Check out how Standard Chartered Bank can help you fulfil your wish……

Education Loan. This is something every parents should consider since higher education is a substantial investment for some families. Standard Chartered Bank can tailor an educational loan to your needs so you can send your children overseas to pursue a degree.

Student computer loan. Did you know you can loan up to BND 3,500 in this particular loan? If I were you, I will invest in a Mac since I love Apple products so much :D. Ideal for students pursuing in their academic course.

There you go, peeps, as I have summed up the availability of some of the different types of financing options provided by Standard Chartered Bank. For more information, do call their 24-hour Phone Banking Centre at 265 8000, visit their website www.sc.com/bn or Facebook page www.facebook.com/StandardCharteredBN

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Get that extra funds that you need today. From now till 31 December 2014, apply for a Personal Loan and receive shopping vouchers worth up to BND500! What’s more, stand a chance to win an exciting holiday with spending money*.

As stated in the poster, the first prize is a return ticket to Bali plus BND 1,000 cash or maybe you are lucky enough to win a return ticket to Singapore plus BND 750 cash. There are a few attractive prizes if you refer to the poster above.

It’s good when reaching your goal exceeds your expectation. Thank you, Standard Chartered Bank, for this opportunity to your valued customers.

 

Music

This month on the show, we bring to you the soulful Singer and Songwriter, multi medalist and World Championship of Performing Arts (WCOPA) 2014 Finalist Maria Grace Koh. I get the utmost privilege to sit down with this beauty and find out more about her life after WCOPA 2013/2014, her new single “That’s the Way” which will be released on the 25 October 2014 (same day as Time Out with Liz show date) and what 2015 holds for her.

Maria aka “Eia” competed in the Vocal Self Accompaniment category at WCOPA 2014 in L.A and came home with 4 Golds and 4 “Champion of the World” plaques and was one of the 3 competitors from Brunei to enter into the Grand finals showing literally the world what Bruneian’s are made of.

Food

If you’re thinking (or salivating) about mouth- watering burgers, I’d like to introduce you to our food talent for the month – Taty’s Café! With a burger menu running from “Original” options to “BBQ Sliders”. Meet the dynamic duo behind the scenes of Taty’s Café since 2010 and join us as we stand in awe admiring their delectable creations between 2 burger buns. In other words, – food demonstration! Who knows? We may even be lucky enough to have a taste test of what they do best.

Lifestyle

There will be a table turning experience where for this month only, yours truly will be interviewed & interrogated by TEDx Speaker, Life Enthusiast and curious Bruneian personality, Delwin Keasberry. Del is known as one of the most social twitter users in Brunei with currently over 21,000 followers and who started a campaign called Project Brunei back in 2010. Watch Del as he attempts to uncover the story behind Time Out With Liz, my WCOPA 2014 experience and much more.

Rising Star

I’m adding this special segment in my episodes because the number of talents from a variety of fields in this country is rising at an unbelievable rate. Thanks to social media and regular pop up events I get a chance to meet and bring them to you. This month’s featured rising star is dancer Shannon Osman from Relentless Brunei. Come and see her do her thing and find out what will she be working on next.

Time Out with Liz brings you all these inspiring individuals to the stage this 25 October 2014 at kaleidoscope (Saffron) from 7-8.30pm. Tickets are $10 per person if you book now until 24 October 2014. It will be $15 at the door. All you have to do is step 1 -book your seats by sending in your name and how many seats you would like to timeoutwithliz@gmail.com or Facebook message us at www.facebook.com/timeoutwithliz. Step 2- pay at the door. Step 3 – Be Inspired!