His Majesty the Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam during the meet-and-greet at the get together celebration with the people of Brunei

The celebration for the Bersama Rakyat in conjunction with His Majesty the Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam’s 70th Birthday ended at the Brunei-Muara District which took place at Taman SOAS yesterday. Normally it’s meant to be the biggest of all celebration among all the districts in Brunei. Last year the celebration coincided with my sister’s wedding in August.

Most of the pictures you will see below are the pictures behind the scenes and they contributed to the celebration at Taman SOAS. I would have to say that the crowd weren’t as much compared to last year. Nonetheless the mood was still high as ever. All the royalties spent quite some time with the public, taking photos and selfies. Well, it’s the best time to do so and come to think of it, I haven’t taken one with His Majesty the Sultan. Perhaps, one day InsyaAllah.

As usual, I caught the boat from Kg Tamoi and dropped at Yayasan as I don’t have to worry too much about road closure and the trouble of finding parking. This allows me a better time management too.

Oh yea, I didn’t apply for the media pass for many years though I’m a collector of passes. One reason being is that I hardly cover the official program but more of behind-the-scene pictures. I should also remind myself not to sport a bag pack while covering a Royalty event as a media. My bad.

I didn’t take much pictures as I would like to but focused on more videos. Here you go.

My boat trip to town while having O3 green tea #yummy

The Guling Tangan band livening up the mood during the celebration

With a United Daily (Miri News) reporter who has only been in Brunei for a few months and she likes working in Brunei so far

The portable steps do come in handy if you want better shots of the Royalties

A sea of people taking opportunity to take greet our ruler and also taking photos

Jackson Ting, Managing Director of D’Sunlit, has been attending the event every year and one of the biggest contributor to the celebration. In other news, he voiced out on the unprofessional behaviour of the umpires during the semifinals of the SpeedSend Cup which happened last Saturday.

Sally Pri and Vincent Hong mingling behind the scenes. These are the usual reporters I bumped into once in a while.

Taking photo with Yang Berhormat Dato Hj Mustappa, the Minister of Communications

The Minister of Communications talking to Pierre Imhof, the CEO of Baiduri Bank. Interestingly enough the Minister called for local ITs to help with the logistics (Uber like concept) to improve the transportation in Brunei. Click image to read more from the interview in The Brunei Times.

Progresif team had a special memento to His Masjety yesterday

Some of the booths that were not taken.

The public waiting for the opportunity to greet His Majesty and other members of the Royal Family

The students singing a birthday to His Majesty

The school band

The performers on the field

 

His Majesty the Sultan graced Tiong Hwa community CNY celebration. Video by The Brunei Times.

The Tiong Hwa community treated His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu’izzaddin Waddaulah, the Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam, to a magic show and acrobatic performances during the Lunar New Year celebration at the International Convention Centre.

More than 1,000 people came together for the Lunar New Year celebration, the 10th year since His Majesty attended the first gathering that showcases Chinese culture and to promote cordial relations in the country.

Click image to enlarge

Accompanying the monarch were Her Majesty Duli Raja Isteri Pengiran Anak Hajah Saleha, His Royal Highness Prince Haji Al-Muhtadee Billah, the Crown Prince and Senior Minister at the Prime Minister’s Office, Her Royal Highness Pengiran Anak Isteri Pengiran Anak Sarah and other royal family members.

The royal family was welcomed by Yang Berhormat Pehin Kapitan Lela Diraja Dato Paduka Goh King Chin, and chairman of the Lunar New Year celebration organising committee Lau Shiew Yuen at the ICC entrance, which was adorned with traditional red Chinese lanterns, flowers and artificial bamboo plants.

YB Pehin Dato Goh said the Tiong Hwa community was grateful to be living in a harmonious environment due to His Majesty’s leadership.

“This is the 10th year His Majesty and the royal family have been attending our Chinese New Year celebrations, and this reflects the unity of our people and country,” he added.

The Tiong Hwa community also presented a pesambah to His Majesty, a crystal that signifies continuous prosperity for Brunei.

The audience were enthralled with the performances including dances from Kuala Belait’s Chung Hua Middle School, a magic show by a Malaysian and an acrobatic troupe from China.

The Chung Hua Middle School students began the opening act with a dance performance using swords and fans as props. Text courtesy of Julius Hong and Rachel Thien of The Brunei Times and images courtesy of Vincent Hong.

 

Kicking off the new year with a beach gathering with my tennis buddies and coach Aiman Abdullah at Muara Beach

It feels great to be back on the court. I really love tennis, even at this age of reaching the four zero, my passion will override my physical being. I have many deadlines but only little to do with blog related. Though I have many stories to share, I shall be focusing more on my final draft to complete my 10th speech project.

Toastmasters. My final speech project for toastmasters (Competent Communicator) is scheduled for next Tuesday, 12th January. If you are interested to catch and be inspired, you are more than welcome to catch me live at Brunei Speakers’ Club meeting at SEAMEO Voctech at 7:30pm. As a toastmaster, I’ve learnt not only to be an affluent speaker but learning the ropes of a true leadership in guiding and mentoring members along the way. It’s always difficult to break the stigma that many thought that toastmasters is all about “talking/speaking” in public and that has become their biggest fear than taking a ride on a rollercoaster. So it is always nice to hear guests’ comments that they benefited from being a spectator, witnessing how role players played important roles in helping others to grow with positive criticism.

It took me three years to realise this as I wasn’t being present (in my mind) during toastmasters meeting back in 2011. After returning back to the arena, I rediscovered a whole new game and only then, I saw the true core values that I aspired to be and I never looked back since. Hence, I’m here as a toastmaster to make a difference, be the difference, in aspiring others to take the first step to grow as a leader and we have many qualified mentors to guide you through that journey. A big thank you to Shawn Narcis for seeing and believing in me and now I have a huge responsibility as I’m the organizing chair for the upcoming Brunei Toastmasters Conference in October 2016. I’m excited and also nervous.

Employment. Today’s headlines seems to be bring some hope to our community. It read – “Unemployment declines by 7% in October”. This data was issued by JPKE (Department of Economic Planning and Development). But then again, they have reported that these figures doesn’t really represent that the decline means that the jobseekers have a job. There are factors relating such as the previous registered jobseekers have left for further studies and also a handful have not renewed their registration as job seekers. Hence, it’s not a complete data representation but it’s the most comprehensive data to date. I’m pretty sure that not all jobseekers registered themselves as “jobseekers” to give a more accurate assessment on the level of unemployment in Brunei. With the decline of oil prices, there have been a major shake up in the oil and gas industry with some private companies forced to downsize their operations, hence low employment opportunities as compared to before.

Other streams of opportunities. So much emphasis has been given on SMEs. Let me spell it out – Small Medium Enterprises. It was good news to hear that His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu’zzaddin Waddaulah and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam said in his titah to call for a new body to handle SME. This highlights how we are too reliant on the Oil and Gas sector and did you know that almost 90% of our revenue generates from that sector alone. There were also changes in the some of the SME divisions in the Brunei Economic Development Board. Some of the divisions/departments from BEDB have been transferred to the Ministry of Energy and Industries. I’m not sure how the governing body of SMEs will run the system but it will be nice if all the separate bodies of SMEs to work under one-roof and bring out the best in our entrepreneurs. Let’s see how 2016 will unfold for them.

The new eye of Kiulap. There is so much difference when you compare Setia Kenangan I and Setia Kenanga II buildings. The latter is located next to Regent Square and it’s picking up pace in terms of retailers. It’s quite amazing how shops and brands are popping up in times of the depreciating oil prices. We have the likes of Pepperlunch, Tomato KidZ (kids furniture), Wrap in a Box, Nerdee Cafe, Games & Latte cafe, two Escape rooms, WoMen salon (co-owned by Wu Chun), Alsa Living, Yugo Desserts (coming soon), De Cottage and the newly relocated Euro Classic which hasn’t been opened yet. I’m beginning to like the selection and choices of shops at Setia Kenangan II. The only problem is that there will be more road congestion leading to Regent Square and Setia Kenangan II.

Wu Chun officially launched the opening of the WoMen salon in Setia Kenangan II, Kiulap last Sunday. Image courtesy of Vincent Hong.

Wu Chun with his daughter during the opening of the salon. Image courtesy of Vincent Hong.

At the cutting edge of the rising global beauty industry, WoMen Hair, a unisex hair salon which started their first outlet in Taiwan, is a dream team of talents who are driven to create a new revolution in re-defining the real power of Asian beauty.

Behind the curtain of Women Hair is a team of award winning stylists and international celebrities. WoMen hair creates a state-of-the-art technology with top-end platform for aspiring trendsetters and successful figures that pursue an artistic taste of a cosmopolitan lifestyle.

The WoMen Hair salon is now officially opened in Brunei and this is an extension of Wu Chun’s personal philosophy. Wu Chun shared, “Our end goal is to deliver happiness to our clients. WoMen Hair is both hip and incredibly relaxed – the perfect environment for exceptional consultation, styling and attention. It is more about being private than about being exclusive.“

Coined the ‘anti-salon’, WoMen Hair is an ever evolving space with art collaborations and a 2 floors of super chic yet vintage interior with unique features such as container built-up box and a vibrant trendsetting lounge fully designed by Wu Chun.

According to Wu Chun, “We push the boundaries of hairdressing, delivering creativity, quality and consistency to every client. I have to admit our services are a bit pricy but with such good level of standards, its not easily available elsewhere in South East Asia and even if there is, it might be more costly.”

WoMen Hair contributes on a wealth of high profile international campaigns and editorial features in some of the world’s leading publications. Highlights have included Elle, Bazaar, Esquire, Men’s Health, Marie Claire, Madame Figaro, Vogue, Cosmopolitan and more.

WoMen Hair Salon has now opened its door and is located at Kiulap’s new commercial shop lot – Kenangan II shopping complex is situated right behind Regent Square.; (Behind Excapade Restaurant). They are currently having an introductory offer for first-time customers to enjoy a 30% off on all their services.

For all the beauty enthusiasts who wants to have a new great look for 2016, please call 2236262 for the appointment that will re-define your beauty. Images courtesy of Vincent Hong.

Wu Chun with his invited guests

Wu Chun sporting a new hair cut

Wu Chun with the international hair stylists

A celebrity with an entrepreneurial spirit

His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu’izzaddin Waddaulah, the Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam during his titah and announcement of the reshuffling and appointments of the Cabinet Ministers yesterday. His Majesty the Sultan holds four posts – as the Prime Minister, Minister of Defence, Minister of Defence and now Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade. Image courtesy of Infofoto.

His Royal Highness Prince Haji Al-Muhtadee Billah, the Crown Prince, retains his position as Senior Minister at the Prime Minister’s Office. Image courtesy of un.org

Who’s who? This has been the talking point for the past few months. The public was teased way back in May as it was supposedly the end of the 5 year term in their respective positions as Cabinet Ministers. The announcement didn’t happen then (in May) but there was a viral message that spread through social media. It was information on the leaked version of the proposed ministers. I remember receiving it as well but to my knowledge (if I could remember), the leaked list and the actual appointments of the Cabinet Ministers didn’t have many resemblance at all. So my point is don’t rely on viral or circulated news unless it’s made official.

I am glad the wait is over and I am happy that His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu’izzaddin Waddaulah, the Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam, has finally reshuffled and appointed the Cabinet Ministers. According to the titah, His Majesty the Sultan carries four posts – as the Prime Minister, Minister of Defence, Minister of Defence and now Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

The Crown Prince, His Royal Highness Prince Haji Al-Muhtadee Billah, will retain his position as Senior Minister at the Prime Minister’s Office.

Pehin Orang Kaya Seri Kerna Dato Seri Setia (Dr) Hj Awg Abu Bakar Hj Apong has been appointed as the new Minister of Home Affairs, after previously holding the post of Education Minister for the past five years. He was also previously Minister of Communications. Now I do hope I can address the issue especially for permanent residents of Brunei Darussalam who doesn’t have a passport but instead a “Certificate of Identity” document.

Next up is Pehin Orang Kaya Indera Pahlawan Dato Seri Setia Hj Suyoi Hj Osman who is now appointed as the Minister of Education. He has been a minister for the past ten years and he has done tremendously well as the Minister of Health (2005-2010) and Minister of Development. I am aware that things were kinda sour between us and I took full responsibility for my actions. I do hope we can work closely and hand-in-hand in the near future and for the benefit of the country.

Another minister that has retained his position is Pehin Orang Kaya Laila Setia Dato Seri Setia Hj Abd Rahman Hj Ibrahim and he is still the Minister of Finance II and furthermore, he is also appointed as a Minister at the Prime Minister’s Office. He’s one of the ministers that I have yet to break the ice with for all these years.

Having being entrusted by His Majesty, Pehin Orang Kaya Pekerma Dewa Dato Seri Setia Lim Jock Seng, will be running his third term as Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade II (since 2005) and he was also being appointed as a Minister at the Prime Minister’s Office. If you see the pattern, both Pehin Rahman and Pehin Lim Jock Seng have two ministerial posts.

Pehin Datu Singamanteri Colonel (Rtd) Dato Seri Setia (Dr) Hj Mohammad Yasmin Hj Umar maintained his ministerial role in Energy and Industry at the Prime Minister’s Office. If you notice now that the ministry name have changed and now it’s called Energy and Industry. Previously it was just Energy at the Prime Minister’s Office. Before he was a minister, he served as a Deputy Minister of Defence. He is perhaps one of the most active (hands-on) ministers that I have come across as he’s always mingling with the public while making his rounds on related events such as the Oil & Gas job fair.

Pehin Udana Khatib Dato Paduka Seri Setia Ustaz Hj Awg Badaruddin Pengarah Dato Paduka Hj Awg Othman has been moved from the position of Minister of Home Affairs to the position of Minister of Religious Affairs. Again, he’s one of the ministers that I never had the chance to talk or interview.

Now next up are the promotions to ministerial levels. First up with have Dato Paduka Hj Bahrin Abdullah who is now our Minister of Development. He previous was the Deputy Minister of Finance. He is also the chairman of Royal Brunei Airlines.

Dato Paduka Hj Ali Hj Apong has been promoted as the Minister of Primary Resources and Tourism after holding the Deputy Minister at the Prime Minister’s Office. Now this is interesting. This is the first time that I noticed the word tourism used for a ministerial position. Does this mean that Brunei will soon turn their attention to lure in more foreigners to Brunei? Hopefully there will be increased in budget for the Brunei Tourism Development. The previous ministerial post was called the Ministry of Primary Resources and Industry. Anyway, Dato Paduka Hj Ali Hj Apong is also the chairman of Brunei Economic Development Board.

Dato Paduka Hj Mustappa Hj Sirat was a former Deputy Defence Minister. He is now appointed as the Minister of Communications. Would that mean he will be automatically be the chairman of the BIT Council? Most likely he will be and this will give more opportunity for me to get to know hime better in person.

We also have a new minister for Culture, Youth and Sports and he is Pehin Datu Lailaraja Major General (Rtd) Dato Paduka Seri Hj Awg Halbi Hj Mohd Yusof. He previously hold the post as Deputy Minister of Home Affairs. With an army background, let’s see what changes can be made especially to our national athletes. Then again, budget is always the main issue.

One of the appointments that I was very grateful and overwhelmed was the new Minister of Health. He adds dynamism to the organisation and a well respected figure in University Brunei Darussalam where he still holds his post as the Vice-Chancellor. He is no other than Dato Paduka Dr Hj Zulkarnain Hj Hanafi. He previously held the position as the Permanent Secretary of Education. Of all the current appointments, he had the biggest jump of the lot.

Dato Paduka Hj Bahrin Abdullah who is now our Minister of Development and currently also holds the post as chairman of Royal Brunei Airlines. Image courtesy of The Brunei Times.

Pehin Datu Lailaraja Major General (Rtd) Dato Paduka Seri Hj Awg Halbi Hj Mohd Yusof, the new Minister for Culture, Youth and Sports. Image courtesy of The Brunei Times.

Dato Paduka Dr Hj Zulkarnain Hj Hanafi, new Minister of Health cum Vice-Chancellor of Universiti Brunei Darussalam.

Dato Paduka Hj Mustappa Hj Sirat takes his new position as Minister of Communications. Image courtesy of The Brunei Times.

All the previous Deputy Ministers are being replaced with familiar faces during their previous roles as permanent secretaries.

Dato Paduka Hj Hamdan Hj Abu Bakar was promoted from permanent secretary (security and enforcement) at the Prime Minister’s Office to Deputy Minister at the same ministry.

Dato Paduka Hj Mohd Roselan Hj Mohd Daud has also been promoted to a Deputy Minister at the Prime Minister’s Office, after heading the PENGGERAK Unit as permanent secretary since 2014. I had a strong feeling that he will be promoted one day and he’s a very nice guy.

First Admiral Dato Seri Pahlawan Abdul Aziz Hj Mohd Tamit is now the Deputy Minister of Defence. Previously he was the Deputy Commander of the Royal Brunei Armed Forces.

Dato Paduka Dr Hj Mohd Amin Liew Abdullah is now the Deputy Minister of Finance and also holds position as chairman of DST and Jerudong Park Medical Centre. He was previously a permanent secretary in the Ministry of Industry and Primary Resources.

Also sharing the same position as Deputy Finance Minister is Dato Paduka Hj Hisham Hj Mohd Hanifah. He was previously the permanent secretary (policy and investment) at the Ministry of Finance.

Dato Paduka Hj Erywan Pehin Dato Pekerma Jaya Hj Mohd Yusof has been promoted to Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade where he was previously the permanent secretary. Mind you that there wasn’t any Deputy Minister for MOFAT for many, many years.

Pg Dato Paduka Hj Bahrom Pg Hj Bahar, has been moved from his post as Deputy Minister of Religious Affairs, to become Deputy Minister of Education.

Dato Paduka Hj Abd Mokti Hj Daud is now Deputy Minister of Religious Affairs and he was previously Brunei Darussalam Ambassador to Saudi Arabia.

Dato Paduka Hj Suhaimi Hj Gapar has been promoted from his permanent secretary role to Deputy Minister of Development. This position has been vacant for many years so it’s good to see that there is a deputy role in this ministry.

The ministries that have vacant post in the “Deputy” level are Primary Resources and Tourism, Communications and Culture, Youth and Sports and Home Affairs.

Congratulations to all the Cabinet Ministers that were being appointed and it feels refreshing to see a new line-up of leaders taking new responsibilities to move the nation forward and also uphold His Majesty the Sultan and the country’s vision.

Dato Paduka Hj Hamdan Hj Abu Bakar, Deputy Minister at the Prime Minister’s Office. Image courtesy of Borneo Bulletin.

Dato Paduka Hj Mohd Roselan Hj Mohd Daud, Deputy Minister at the Prime Minister’s Office. Image courtesy of The Brunei Times.

Dato Paduka Hj Erywan Pehin Dato Pekerma Jaya Hj Mohd Yusof, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade. I only saw him during last year’s Asean Summit. Many positive vibes about him. Image courtesy of The Brunei Times.

His Majesty urged the new government cabinet to work as a team and make the country prosperous.

“Although they are of different ministries, they are still members of a team having a common objective: to make the country prosperous. Working as a team, each one of them is expected to contribute or at least lend support to any idea or proposal for the good of other ministries and for the sake of the country,” the monarch said.

“It is my hope that the next line-up of leaders will not ignore the ethics of being fellow members in a team. They are expected to be wise in making decisions and weighing up any matter that has to do with the country and the government.”

“The question is will we be able to preserve and continue to enjoy these favours? It is here where the issue lies. Our religion has provided the guidance that such favours could be preserved, but it still all depends on our own attitude.”

“Justice is to be delivered on the people, not for oneself. Justice for self-interest is not justice but (a form of) cruelty. That’s why at times readiness to listen to good ideas from others below you, or listening to complaints or grievances from others could be deemed to have satisfied the need to be just.”

Of course, in every reshuffling and appointments, the public is always eager to see who will be the leaders in the respective cabinet of the Brunei Government. Change is always good and responses from the public have been encouraging and perhaps shocking to some. I’m certainly shocked of two non-appointments. First is the non-renewal of His Royal Highness Prince Mohamed Bolkiah as the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade. He was one of the longest serving Ministers in Brunei Darussalam. He was appointed as Foreign Minister ever since Brunei gained independence in year 1984. Thank you for your leadership for the past decades and Brunei has good bilateral relationship with regional countries and internationally and we are truly grateful for that.

The other non-renewal appointment was former Deputy Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports, Datin Paduka Hjh Adina Othman. There have been rumours that she could have been promoted but it wasn’t to be. Then again, she has served His Majesty’s government for more than 35 years and she has retired previously. She has served the country to her best and now she can retire on a high note.

There are other five ministers who were not being appointed – former Minister of Industry and Primary Resources Pehin Orang Kaya Seri Utama Dato Seri Setia Hj Yahya Begawan Mudim Dato Paduka Hj Bakar; former Minister of Communications Pehin Orang Kaya Hamzah Pahlawan Dato Seri Setia Hj Abdullah Begawan Mudim Dato Paduka Hj Bakar; former Minister of Health Pehin Orang Kaya Johan Pahlawan Dato Seri Setia Hj Adanan Begawan Pehin Siraja Khatib Dato Seri Setia Hj Mohd Yusof; former Minister of Religious Affairs Pg Dato Seri Setia Dr Hj Mohammad Pg Hj Abdul Rahman; and former Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports Pehin Orang Kaya Pekerma Laila Diraja Dato Seri Setia Hj Hazair Hj Abdullah.

His Majesty the Sultan thanked all for their service and contribution to the nation.

His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mui’zzaddin Wadaulah the Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam inspecting the National Security Exercise yesterday led by the Prime Minister’s Office

His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mui’zzaddin Wadaulah the Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam yesterday inspected the operations behind the coordination of the National Security Exercise run by several of Brunei’s security agencies and led by the Prime Minister’s Office.

His Majesty visited the exercise sites and various scenarios are being staged including an airplane crash in Mengkabu. For those who are not aware, the operation was codenamed Eksesais Perisai Kebangsaan 04/2015. His Majesty visited various agencies such as the State Control Centre (Royal Brunei Police Force HQ in Gadong), Air Traffic Centre at Department of Civil Aviation, media centre at Brunei International Airport, Royal Brunei Crisis Management Centre and finally a crash site at Kg Panchor, Mengkubau.

His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu’izzaddin Waddaulah, the Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam did highlighted that there is still room for improvements.

The exercise involves multi-agency coordination and is aimed at improving the ability of government agencies to respond to security risks and challenges, said Energy Minister Yang Berhormat Pehin Datu Singamanteri Colonel (Rtd) Dato Seri Setia (Dr) Hj Mohammad Yasmin Hj Umar, who also chairs the National Security Committee.

“The objective is to test our system across the board – our response to crisis, our response to disaster,” he said. “In this exercise we are more interested in how multiple agencies work together to respond to an incident… Quite honestly there are quite a lot of lessons learned. We need to go back to the drawing board.”

The final exercise of the “Eksesais Perisai Kebangsaan” is today and do expect some roads to be affected such as road blocks and slow traffic. The information of the exercise especially the venue is to be discrete until it’s approved to be shared. This is the fact that it’s a real life simulation and it would be pointless if a warning is issued to the public under emergency situations. So I do hope the public will be understanding and cooperation with the authorities for this every important exercise.

You can read more here and here from The Brunei Times pieces. Source and images from The Brunei Times.

I just had my visit at SBI (B) Sdn Bhd, a private equity fund manager, located in town and they have a very interesting history on SBI’s journey in the past few years in Brunei. Now they are expanding and scouting for suitable candidates (preferably citizen or permanent residents).

The job position is an Investment Analyst (Associate, Assistant Vice-President & Vice-President). Hence there will be a few spots available on each of the level/position stated. The company is mostly looking for fresh graduates and experienced ones. They will provide intensive training. Mind you the job will require you to travel a lot (my kind of thing) and they have flexible working hours (again my kind of thing). Important that you have at least a bachelor’s Degree in Accounting, Finance, Economic, Engineering and/or Law.

Interested candidates are invited to submit their applications with detailed resume including present and expected salary, a recent passport size photograph and contact numbers. The application must hand delivered to SBI (B) Sdn Bhd office at Unit 1, Level 3, Dar Takaful Utama IBB, Jalan Pemancha during working hours (Monday to Friday) no later than 31st October 2015. Good luck.

I shall share more in depth on SBI as a company in my next post. It’s not as boring as you think, working in a fund manager field.

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.

 

His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu’izzaddin Waddaulah, the Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam, and Her Majesty Raja Isteri Pengiran Anak Hjh Saleha leaving Brunei for the coronation of Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar as the state’s fifth Sultan in the history of Modern Johor. Image courtesy of The Brunei Times.

Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar to be coronated today

The coronation of Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar as the state’s fifth Sultan in the history of Modern Johor will be held at Istana Besar Johor on March 23. This is the first coronation ceremony in 55 years. Today is a public holiday in Johor and it is considered a huge event for the people of Johor.

Our own royalties, His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu’izzaddin Waddaulah, the Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam, and Her Majesty Raja Isteri Pengiran Anak Hjh Saleha will be witnessing the coronation of Johor’s fifth Sultan. Also accompanying their Majesties are His Royal Highness Prince ‘Abdul Malik, HRH Prince ‘Abdul Wakeel, HRH Princess Hjh Rashidah Sa’adatul Bolkiah, HRH Princess Hjh Muta-Wakkilah Hayatul Bolkiah, HRH Princess Hjh Majeedah Nuurul Bulqiah and HRH Princess Ameerah Wardatul Bolkiah.

The crowd gathered as early as 7am today around the city centre on Johor. Sultan Ibrahim will join the parade along a 7.95km route from Istana Besar along Jalan Ibrahim, Jalan Wong Ah Fook, Jalan Gereja, Jalan Sultan Ismail and Jalan Persiaran Abu Bakar Sultan before ending at Istana Bukit Serene.

I’m currently watching the coronation live on TV1 on Astro to see behind the scenes and thank you Azim Kassim of The Brunei Times for sharing me some photos as well.

Crowd of people gathered around Johor Baru for the coronation. Image courtesy of The Star.

The plate number stands for Sultan Ibrahim Johor. Image courtesy of Abdul Azim Kassim of The Brunei Times.

@zizi_ahmad of RTB reporting live from Johor. Image courtesy of Abdul Azim Kassim of The Brunei Times.

The public showed up to support the coronation. Image courtesy of Abdul Azim Kassim of The Brunei Times.

 

The founder of #CHRENDS, Keeran Janin and I’m pretty sure he will come up with something innovative and this isn’t his first hurdle. Looking forward to your new adventure.

Announcement: Chrends will be going offline.

It is with a heavy heart that I have to announce that Chrends will be going offline. Due to sudden circumstances out of our control, the resources and support required for us to continue providing Chrends have been made unavailable.

We knew our mission was always going to be an uphill battle in gaining the trust of users, support for our cause and traction in spreading freedom of expression to regions and cultures that have never experienced it. These factors along with the usual challenges faced by startups have made us choose to cease work on Chrends.

This was a difficult decision as we’ve really enjoyed building this company and being part of such a great community of loyal users. Although we’ll never know you who you really are; through sharing our honest opinions, thoughts and laughter on almost every topic under the sun, we’ve all built true friendships that transcend real-life identity.

These are powerful personal connections and I’m certain that everyone will be disappointed to lose them. Even with my best efforts I have failed to find a way to see this through to the end, where our community could be appreciated globally as it truly deserves to be.

We will be able to keep Chrends online until midnight March 31st, so that the community members who may want to exchange real-life contacts to maintain their friendships have the chance to do so. You can be assured that all chats will still be as secure and untraceable as always.

At this point I would also like to acknowledge our supporters that have been involved in our story, there are too many of you to mention but you know who you are. For everything you’ve done to support us, I am truly grateful.

Yours sincerely,

Keeran Janin

Founder, Chrends.

I had an exclusive cap from #CHRENDS a few months ago

The latest #CHRENDS meet up at It’s a Grind Coffee a few weeks ago. Image courtesy of @luxvous

 

The Manchester United fans posing for the camera before the kick-off last night

General Manager of Chevrolet Brunei, Noormala Othman, speaking to the supporters of Manchester United Supporters’ Club Brunei

Chevrolet Brunei with Manchester United Supporters Club Brunei last night hosted a gathering for the Battle of the Reds match between Manchester United and their main rival, Liverpool. It was a match where Manchester United scored a famous victory over Liverpool 2-1 at Anfield.

General Manager of Chevrolet Brunei, Noormala Othman, when interviewed said that it was a great opportunity to have the Manchester United Supporters Club Brunei to gather at the Chevrolet Showroom as it creates a good relationship between the two and to recognize that Chevrolet as the worldwide official sponsor for Manchester United team. The Manchester United Supporters Club Brunei cheered upon the Manchester United team, who was on their away match last night at Anfield Stadium, Liverpool. The Manchester United Supporters Club Brunei, lead by the president, Md Syazni bin Md Hadi came with more than 120 supporters to the Chevrolet Showroom at Sumbangsih Bahagia, Jalan Gadong from as early as 8pm.

Prior to the match, the event kicked off with a quiz session about Chevrolet models in Brunei and Manchester United players and football activities. Foods and drinks were provided throughout the event with winners with the correct answers get to take away Chevrolet merchandises which also include five pieces of original Manchester United jerseys to the Top 5 winners.

Image courtesy of @streetcandid_brunei

Image courtesy of @streetcandid_brunei

Image courtesy of @aimanbesar

Chevrolet Brunei also took the opportunity to promote their second quarter campaign for Orlando and Captiva which will start from 1 April 2015 to 30 June 2015 to the Manchester United Supporters Club Brunei. Members of the MU Supporters Club Brunei are entitled for a $500 discount when they purchased any Chevrolet models on the match night ie 22 March 2015. Eventhough the promotion will only starts from 1 April 2015, members who purchased the 7-seater MPV, Chevrolet Orlando, they will walk away with FREE reverse sensor, reverse camera and headrest DVD. The promotion also involved the 7-seater SUV, the Chevrolet Captiva that comes with FREE reverse camera, headrest DVD and side steps. The announcement on this promotion will be done soon but for members of the Manchester United Supporters Club Brunei, they are able to enjoy the promotions earlier as long as they are registered members of the Manchester United Supporters Club Brunei.

Chevrolet Brunei has a comprehensive range of vehicles, including the 1.0 L Spark, 1.4LSonic Hatchback and Sedan, 1.5L 7-seater Spin, 1.6L Cruze, 2.4L Captiva, 1.8L Orlando, 2.8LColorado and 2.8L Trailblazer. Chevrolet Brunei is committed to offering the best cars to its customers in terms of quality, performance and fuel economy.

More exciting information about Chevrolet Brunei may be obtained at www.ghkmotors.com and https://www.facebook.com/chevrolet.ghk

 

His Majesty the Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam, His Royal Highness Crown Prince Hj Al-Muhtadee Billah and His Royal Highness Prince ‘Abdul Malik with this year’s Sultan’s Scholar at Istana Nurul Iman yesterday. Image courtesy of The Brunei Times.

His Majesty the Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam yesterday awarded five students with the prestigious Sultan’s Scholar at Istana Nurul Iman.

During a presentation ceremony, the monarch handed out this year’s scholarships to Izyan Nayli Hj Abd ‘Aziz, Muhammad Nasruddin Hj Sulaiman, Nurul Syadirah Awang Sayang, Rozana Awang Mustafa and Ak Ahmad Faris Ramadhani Pg Hj Sella-huddin.

Also attending the event were His Royal Highness Crown Prince Hj Al-Muhtadee Billah, the Senior Minister at the Prime Minister’s Office and His Royal Highness Prince ‘Abdul Malik.

Four of the awardees will be furthering their studies in the United Kingdom (UK), while one will pur-sue his studies in Egypt.

Izyan Nayli, who recently completed her A Levels at Cardiff Sixth Form College in Wales, will be pursuing a course in Physical Natural Sciences at the University of Cambridge.

Muhammad Nasruddin, who recently completed his A Levels at Tutong Sixth Form Centre, will pursue his education in Chemistry at the University of Oxford.

Nurul Syadirah, who completed her A Levels at the Harrogate Ladies’ College under the Special Scholarship Scheme for Human Resource Development Fund, will now be undertaking a course in Mathematics, Operational Research, Statistics and Economics (MORSE) at the University of Warwick.

Meanwhile, Rozana who recently completed her studies at Sayyidina Ali Secondary School, will continue her studies in Phy-sics at Imperial College London.

Ak Ahmad Faris Ramadhani will take a course in Takhassus Al-Quran Wal Qiraat at the Mahad Qirat, Al Azhar, Shoubra in Egypt after completing his studies at Institut Tahfiz Al-Quran Sultan Hj Hassanal Bolkiah.

More stories and pictures, you can click here. Text and images courtesy of The Brunei Times.

His Majesty the Sultan speaking to one of the Sultan’s Scholar recipient. Image courtesy of The Brunei Times.

His Majesty the Sultan speaking to one of the Sultan’s Scholar recipient. Image courtesy of The Brunei Times.

 

Zul Abdul Rahman, Marketing Executive of Concepts Computer (center) with the associates of Concepts Computer during the presentation of the Western Digital storage

Western Digital is well-known in the IT industry as a long time innovator and storage industry leader, and as a storage technology pacesetter, the company produces reliable, high-performance hard disk drives. Which is why Concepts Computer is further expanding it’s Western Digital product range available for consumers which will help them in managing their data and documents by introducing storage solutions that includes Hardware with Cloud Capabilities, like the Western Digital My Cloud and the Western Digital My Cloud Mirror storage solutions.

First on offer is the Western Digital My Cloud, available in 2TB, 3TB and 4TB storage sizes. The Western Digital My Cloud is the ideal companion for anyone with lots of videos, photos, music and files that they want to protect and have constant access to from everywhere in the world. It offers you the ability to keep all your important data in one safe place at home, without any additional cost. It also offers the ability for you to expand the storage of your smart devices by giving you the ability to upload data to your own personal cloud from anywhere and free up essential space on your smart devices.

The Western Digital My Cloud will also offer flexible back-up options through Western Digital’s own softwares which comes free with all purchases of Western Digital My Cloud storage solutions. And set-up of your My Cloud storage solutions will be easy as one, two, three especially with Western Digital’s rich web-based user interface and seamless web-guided set-up experience. The Western Digital My Cloud will be available from Concepts Computer for $238 for the 2TB capacity, $318 for 2TB capacity and $378 for 3TB capacity. Did you know these product are faster than Seagate and Lacie brands? (unless you are using FireWire or Thunderbolt).

Next on offer is the Western Digital My Cloud Mirror, available in 4TB and 6TB storage sizes. The Western Digital My Passport Ultra will be one of the ultimate solutions to storage at home and on your personal cloud. With the ability to duplicate files through RAID 1 for additional storage protection, the Western Digital My Cloud Mirror combines all the best features of what personal storage solutions should be with the anywhere access of cloud storage.

With the inclusion of RAID 1 or Mirror Mode, the Western Digital My Cloud Mirror will let you have the freedom of having duplicate files under your control, making personal Data Loss as close to impossible as possible, that is, when one hard-disk fail, you need not worry, as your data is protected by having another copy on the Mirror drive. The Western Digital My Cloud Mirror will be available from Concepts Computers for $498 for the 4TB capacity, and $698 for the 6TB capacity.

The Western Digital My Cloud – available in 2TB, 3TB and 4TB storage sizes

Highly recommended for photographers 😀

Also not to forget, back on offer is the Western Digital My Passport Ultra Metal edition, available in 1TB and 2TB storage sizes. With it’s ultra-sleek design and metal exterior, the Western Digital My Passport Ultra will use durable metal enclosures to protect the hard disk drive inside and will be build to the demanding requirements of durability, shock tolerance, and long-term reliability. With the inclusion of the Western Digital SmartWare Pro automatic backup software, the Western Digital My Passport Ultra will also let you chose when and where you back up your files. It will be available from Concepts Computers for $138 for the 1TB capacity, and $218 for the 2TB capacity.

The non-Metal edition of the Western Digital Ultra will still be available at Concepts Computer at much more affordable pricing; $98 for 500GB, $128 for 1TB and $198 for 2TB storage sizes.

Western Digital My Passport Ultra Metal edition

Western Digital My Passport Ultra Metal edition

Easy to use. Taken from westerndigital.com

Vincent Pao, General Manager of Concepts Computer said, “This launch is the continuation of Concepts Computer great expansion into storage solutions with Western Digital. Concepts have noticed that Western Digital storage solutions have been well-received by our customers so we will continue to work hard to provide a larger range of better and more affordable digital storage solutions for the IT consumers of Brunei Darussalam.”

Zul Abdul Rahman, Marketing Executive of Concepts Computer added, ”We know how valuable digital data is to the modern world and this is our first step in providing exciting solutions for the local IT-market. And with the release of the latest in storage solutions from Western Digital and Concepts Computer, customers do not have to choose between reliability, high performance and affordability, it is all available right here.” Zul continued, ”And in terms of realiability, consumers will be glad to note that all Western Digital storage solutions will be provided with 3 years limited warranty.”

And for more information on the wide-selection and full-range of storage solutions available at Concepts Computer, please visit your nearest Concepts Computer showroom or call 2233551/2233552/2233553.

 

It’s happening in one’s month time.

ISB back in 1988-1989 Year 1 Sports Day. Click image to see more of classic pictures of ISB.

ISB back in 1990/1991 for Year 3 class. Click image to see more of classic pictures of ISB.

 

Acer Liquid Smartphones

Click image to enter Peugeot Brunei’s website

Click image to enter Citroën Brunei 

  

BIBD’s latest promotion

Top up tia. Click image to enter website.

 

His Majesty attends the 9th National Youth Day

His Majesty The Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam yesterday called upon the youth to understand and to know how to conduct themselves in a manner that safeguards the nation’s dignity especially in the face of challenges presented in this era of globalisation.

The call was made at the ninth National Youth Day celebration held yesterday at the Indoor Stadium where His Majesty advised youths to take heed of the challenges of the 21st century laid out before them in the form of opportunities for change.

His Majesty said that the youth, whose numbers make up almost 50 per cent of the population, are ‘Agents of Change’ and in fact they constitute the group having the most potential to shape the nation in any form they choose.

“On the subject of change, all of us, especially the youth, must be cautious and wise in evaluating and choosing our options. Because not all change is good, in fact there are even some that we need to avoid, such as those changes that bring about a negative impact or ones that contrast our national aspirations.”

Before bringing about or creating change, the character of our youth must be clear, solid and forthright with an excellent foundation which is filled (immersed) with religious and cultural values so that later on, the changes that are decided on will not be overwhelmed by undesirable elements, said His Majesty.
“If pretence is evident in a certain change, then this change is not welcomed, because its presence will not bring about any good but instead will invite harm.”

His Majesty pointed out that this is typical, in the name of change, “If it is destructive in nature, then the society that receives it will suffer because of it.”

“We in Brunei, need to be careful in this type of situation. Seek and plan for change that is constructive, not destructive. Do not study or take example from lessons that are counterproductive, but study from those and they that are worthy of being modeled.”

“This is the ideal way of conducting one self. It is important that the youth understand this. Conducting oneself also means having the ability to take command of a situation when needed.”

This is where the youth must not take lightly any challenge that is presented before them, but instead embrace the call of this year’s National Youth Day theme which is: Bersatu Menghadapi Cabaran Abad ke 21.

This century is filled with many challenges, pointed out His Majesty. “There can be no escaping from these challenges, whether constructive or destructive. If constructive, it is only right that we welcome it with passion, however, if it is destructive, then it is necessary that we successfully reject and avoid it.”

“If we are successful in rejecting this sort of challenge, then we are our own saviours; protecting ourselves; and guarding our people and our country.”

The youth must step up and rise to become this guardian. Transform the situation with the best of interests. Let it be forever peaceful and pleasant, entwined with unity, harmony and understanding.

His Majesty also expressed his heartiest congratulations to the Brunei Young Wasps for their performance during the recent Hassanal Bolkiah Trophy.

His Majesty revealed that, “this championship was also recognised by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) and ASEAN Football Federation (AFF) as the greatest youth football championship in the region. Undeniably this is a great achievement in the World’s Sports for Peace and Development agenda.” Text courtesy of Nadzri Zailani and Amanda Yap of The Brunei Times. Images courtesy of Fazizul Haqimie.

The Youth Day ceremony taking place at Indoor Stadium

His Majesty the Sultan touring the booths

His Majesty talking to a youth

Three individuals and a youth association were honoured with the annual youth awards during the Ninth National Youth Day celebrations yesterday.

This year’s awards included the “Youth Leader Award for Distinguished Service”, “Youth Service Award”, “Excellent Youth Award” and the “Youth Association Award”.

The “Youth Leader Award for Distinguished Service” was bagged by Mohd Zefri Ariff Mohd Zain Ariff.

The award is annually given to a candidate, contributing significantly to youth progress, and development. It is also awarded in recognition of efforts in shaping Bruneian youth to become competent, visionary and ethical.

According to his award citation, Md Zefri is actively involved in youth movements and has held senior positions with various associations in the country since 1996, including the post of Secretary-General of the Brunei Youth Council and group head of the Putra Seni Group (KPS).

He has also held positions outside the country, such as the Vice-President of the Asian Youth Council, and Treasurer of the Committee for ASEAN Youth Cooperation (CAYC). Md Zefri’s involvement in youth movements focuses mainly on arts, particularly in the field of theatre and drama, including writing scripts which see the participation of many youth. This year’s “Youth Service Award” went to Anwar Mohammad, founder and chairman of the Society for Community Outreach and Training (SCOT), a non-government organisation.

SCOT was first established in 2011, and while relatively new, the association has actively progressed through Anwar’s leadership, who has shown persistence, responsibility and commitment in promoting youth efforts in the country up to the international level. Based on his award citation, Anwar is also actively involved in the operation of community-based programmes which intend to create environmental awareness, and excels academically, having received numerous awards while studying at Universiti Brunei Darussalam (UBD).

Speaking to The Brunei Times, the SCOT Chairman thanked the government of His Majesty for recognising the organisation’s contributions throughout these years.

“InsyaAllah, we will continue to contribute towards the nation-building, especially towards youth, through our projects at SCOT.

“Through our projects, we will help the underprivileged – any vulnerable groups within the community – so they can get out of the cycle of poverty,” Anwar said.The “Excellent Youth Award” went to national athlete Lee Ying Shi, well-known for being part of the wushu team, which brought home the country’s first gold medal for wushu at the 27th Southeast Asian Games in Myanmar last year.

This award is given to an active youth, contributing outstanding service as well as bringing honour to the country. It also recognises those who excel and put in hard work with determination.

Lee said that receiving the award was not a surprise to her. She said that she was a bit nervous and felt honoured while receiving the award from His Majesty, and intends to keep contributing to the country via wushu.

All the three recipients of the awards received plaques, certificates, woven fabric (kain tenunan) and $3,000 in cash.

Meanwhile, the “Youth Association Award” was given to the Putra Seni Group (KPS). KPS additionally received a plaque, a certificate and $5,000 in cash. Text courtesy of Nadzri Zailani and Amanda Yap of The Brunei Times. Images courtesy of Fazizul Haqimie.

His Majesty at one of the booths

Good smart, Benny and Shavez

His Royal Highness Prince Abdul Malik Bolkiah

His Royal Highness Prince Abdul Mateen Bolkiah

 

Click image to enter ICON Design Store website

New arrivals at ICON Design Store

 

Volkswagen Brunei is currently holding a roadshow which began yesterday and goes on until Sunday, September 7. The roadshow is held at The Mall, Atrium, in Gadong, featuring three of Volkswagen’s latest models; The new Tiguan TSI, the affordable German-engineered Vento and the iconic Beetle.

Each of these model cater to different walks of life. The Tiguan TSI is a compact SUV capable of going through almost all terrains. After its recent launch, it has proven to become a favourite among those who are shopping for a reliable and quality SUV, especially because the Tiguan TSI is packed with features that should make the car cost a lot more than what it costs now.

The German-engineered Vento on the other hand, is the cheapest Volkswagen model to date. Powered by a 1.6-litre engine putting out about 105 horsepowers, this car is the best choice for anyone that wants to own a Volkswagen at a cheaper than normal price. This car was introduced into the Brunei market a few months back to help cater to everyone and to prove that there truly is a Volkswagen for everyone.

The iconic Beetle needs no introduction. The redesigned Beetle just portrays so much more than just a new Beetle. It portrays what a Beetle should look like and it brings back memories to some. With its low roof-line, the Beetle is also no longer a girl’s car, it is now a much sportier and more masculine car that can be driven by anyone. The Beetle which is available in Brunei now comes with leather seats giving the icon a much more luxurious look and feel.

So if any of these cars are in your wishlist, head on down to the roadshow at The Mall in Gadong and ask any of the knowledgeable sales executives to give you a quote on your new Volkswagen.

Another reason why you should visit the roadshow is that Volkswagen is giving away two (2) CBTL vouchers each day to the winner of the selfie contest. How do you do it? Check out the Volkswagen social media sites; Instagram @volkswagenbrunei and Facebook.com/volkswagenbrunei. See you at the Volkswagen roadshow.

Check out the Volkswagen Vento

Check out the Volkswagen iconic Beetle

 

Marketing Executive of Concepts Computer Zul Abdul Rahman with the staff of Concepts Computer showcasing the Epson L-Series promotion

The most trending printers in the country – the Epson L-series. Why? It’s economical and it fits just perfect especially for teachers and students when it comes to their assignments. So I’m not surprised that Concepts Computer are bringing in plenty of stocks due to great demand and recommendations from others. The L series, which come in four models — L210, L355, L550 and L1300 — utilise low cost consumables which in turn ensures low cost high volume printing. With two sets of bottled inks, a print yield of 8,000 pages A4 sized prints is expected.

Good thing about the Epson printers is their durability and the refillable inks. Of course, the most affordable one is the L210 series which is valued at $228 and you can print, scan and photocopy. The great deal if you buy from Concepts Computer, you will get another extra set of genuine Espon bottled inks (worth at least $40 while stock last). So every purchase of the selected models ( L210, L355, L550 and L1300), you will get two sets of bottled inks. Awesome deal!!

Marketing Executive of Concepts Computer Zul Abdul Rahman added that third party modifications of printers are one of the main concerns for printing solution providers as it affects print quality, machine durability and unfamiliar refillable inks can be toxic, therefore Epson is putting long term effort in its research and development to curb the problem. Hence, this is a great awareness program to spread the disadvantages of using third party inks. Concepts Computer will not honour the warranty should their customers resort to using third party inks. If you are uncertain about the third party or having doubts whether the bottled inks are legit, you can drop by the Concepts Computer showroom for clarification.

So do remember to claim your free set of original Epson bottled inks when you purchase the selected L-Series. This is definitely a great buy for teachers and students alike.

Buy any of the selected Epson L-Series and get an extra set of bottled inks

 

 

The most popular TV presenter of the World Cup from Korea 😀

Happening tonight 15th July 7pm to midnight at Galleria YMRM Tungku Link Branch only

The chairs also going pretty cheap at $14.90 for banquet chairs

I realised this isn’t part of the package

Have you get your songkok for Hari Raya?

Loads of super discounts tonight only at YMRM Tungku Link branch

 

Finally L’Occitane is now open at Mabohai Shopping Complex

The management of the Mabohai Shopping Complex is very pleased to welcome L’OCCITANE to the Mabohai Shopping Complex. The shop opened its doors to the public on 7th July 2014.

L’OCCITANE offers a variety of personal care products, including face, body and hair care, and fragrances using ingredients gathered in the south of France and around the Mediterranean. Renowned for its high-quality, effective and natural beauty products, L’OCCITANE is anchored in Provence, France, where the fragrant fields of lavender are a constant reminder of the natural richness of this region.

The first L’OCCITANE store opened in 1981, in Provence. In 2013, L’OCCITANE had a presence in over 90 countries, with over 2,200 stores. In 2014, their story continues in the South East Asian region with its first store opening in Brunei Darussalam.

The opening of L’OCCITANE at Mabohai Shopping Complex further cements the vision of the Management to have branded and internationally recognized products as part of its growing family of tenants. Fans of L’OCCITANE’s high quality products now need not travel abroad to obtain or refill their favourite L’OCCITANE products.

In addition fans of L’OCCITANE will be delighted to know that the store carries its best-selling items such as the Shea Butter hand cream, and the L’OCCITANE Immortelle series, known for the anti-ageing properties. Aside from buying sole items, customers can also get L’Occitane gift boxes as presents for their loved ones, including men with its perfume series, Verdon.
Customers are also entitled to a L’OCCITANE Brunei VIP card with a nett purchase of $100, which gives them a five per cent discount on normal priced items.

The Complex Manager of Mabohai shopping complex, Yee-Man Cheng said that they are delighted to welcome L’OCCITANE to Mabohai shopping complex. “We’re thrilled that they have chosen this place to complement several other international brands residing at the premises.”

Visitors are welcome to visit the store which is located at the first floor of Mabohai Shopping Complex.