Appreciation Day at Mercedes-Benz Autohaus Showroom yesterday

Ho Ley Hoon, Sales Manager of Jati Transport Sdn Bhd, Alfred So, General Manager of Jati Transport Sdn Bhd , Kenny Ng, General Manager of Emerging Markets, Daimler South East Asia and Andrew Chiam, Executive Director of Jati Transport Sdn Bhd

Yesterday was a great day for the public as they enjoyed the festivities during Customer Appreciation Day hosted by Jati Transport, the authorised auto dealer for Mercedes-Benz and it was held for the first time at Mercedes-Benz Autohaus Showroom. Hundreds of customers came with their family to enjoy the food and the entertainment provided by Jati Transport Sdn Bhd.

Present during the Customer Appreciation Day were Andrew Chiam, Executive Director of Jati Transport Sdn Bhd, Alfred So, General Manager of Jati Transport Sdn Bhd and Kenny Ng, General Manager of Emerging Markets, Daimler South East Asia.

The customers enjoyed the activities provided such as face painting for their children, lego games, photo booth and not forgetting the discounts on their merchandise items.

This event is to appreciate the loyal customers of Jati Transport Sdn Bhd and continue the strong relations with the company and their customers.

Mercedes-Benz Autohaus Showroom was opened mid year to the delight of Mercedes-Benz customers. They have a much bigger showroom as well as service centre to service all the Mercedes-Benz cars in Brunei Darussalam. Hence, Jati Transport has two authorized workshop, one at the main headquarters and the other at the Autohaus Showroom. According to Stephen Reid, Service Manager at Jati Transport, their service centre does around 800 Mercerdes-Benz car per month. Now that’s a lot of servicing and they have around 22 certified technicians and electrician to help with the servicing of their customers’ cars.

Food was the main attraction yesterday. I love the satay 😀

What a young talented girl! She had a big cheer from the crowd after her performance.

The service centre of Mercedes-Benz Autohaus and this is where most of the simple servicing are carried out

Did you know Mr. Softy van is a Mercedes-Benz? 😀

Now this is a beast because of the striking black colour of the newly launched GLC 200. Apparently this already belongs to someone else.

Face painting was popular as well

Lots of families showed up for the packed event

Boba Tea drinks were sold out by noon, distributing out 500 cups in total. Amazing!

The photo booth section

The access point was narrow but it didn’t stop customers flocking in for the Customer Appreciation Day

Customers also had the opportunity to see the newly launched Mercedes-Benz GLC 200, a variant addition to the premium SUV segment in Brunei Darussalam. I had a first look and a bit of a test drive at it a few months ago back in Kota Kinabalu during a short trip hosted by Jati Transport.

I knew it will be a big hit in Brunei because of customers can enjoy the high-end features on a premium SUV at a competitive price. The GLC 250 was already a big hit when it was introduced in Brunei a few months ago.

The GLC 200 is additionally powered by a 2.0 litre four inline engine, producing an output of 135 kW (184 hp) and 300 Nm of torque. It also comes with a standard nine-stage 9G-tronic automatic transmission. The units are already being booked as we speak, leaving only a few units left.

Mercedes-Benz in Brunei Darussalam have been a popular choice despite the economic downturn. As customers now looking for more value added in a premium brand, Mercedes-Benz does deliver and that’s one of the main reason why Jati Transport have been doing moderately well in the car industry.

Do visit Jati Transport showroom or call 244 1763 or 244 1777 for more information.

YESSSS, the Mercedes-Benz GLC 200 is already in town 😀

I had a pleasure of driving the GLC 200 in Kota Kinabalu back in August

It’s definitely a good ride.

Dato Paduka Lim Jock Hoi appointed as the new ASEAN Secretary-General as it was at the 31st ASEAN summit in Manila, Philippines last week. Image taken from apec.org

H.E. Ambassador Motohiko Kato paid a courtesy call to Dato Paduka Lim Jock Hoi, Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (right) and shared opinions on bilateral economic issues and other issues. Image taken from http://www.bn.emb-japan.go.jp

Lim Jock Hoi, a seasoned diplomat of Brunei Darussalam, will be helming the ASEAN Secretariat in Jakarta, following last night’s announcement by Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.

Lee confirmed Lim’s appointment as the next ASEAN secretary-general on Tuesday evening during a speech to mark the start of Singapore’s chairmanship of the 10-nation bloc in 2018.

Lim, a permanent secretary at the Brunei Foreign Affairs and Trade Ministry, will take on his new role in January to replace current ASEAN Secretary-General Le Luong Minh of Vietnam. Minh will conclude his five-year term at the end of this year.

Lee expressed his gratitude to the outgoing ASEAN Secretary-General in Tuesday’s closing ceremony of the 31st ASEAN Summit, held at the Philippine International Convention Center in Manila.

He said that Singapore, which takes over as ASEAN chair from current host the Philippines, looked forward to working closely with Lim and the ASEAN Secretariat to strengthen community-building efforts.

Lim entered the Brunei government in 1977, having served in foreign affairs and trade roles. Most recently, he was Brunei’s chief negotiator in the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) free trade talks until its conclusion in 2015.

Media reports say Lim’s experience will help push forward negotiations on the ASEAN-led Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), a trade pact that rivals the TPP and is set to conclude next year.

In running the Secretariat, Lim will be responsible for overseeing a staff of about 300 and managing more than 1,000 ASEAN meetings each year.

The ASEAN secretary-general is appointed by the ASEAN summit for a non-renewable term of five years, selected from among the ASEAN member states based on alphabetical rotation.

From what I heard: Apparently the ASEAN Secretary-General has a higher rank than the our own ministers in Brunei Darussalam. That’s an interesting thought. His position will also require a lot of traveling as his capacity as the ASEAN Secretary-General. I wish you the best and congratulations for being appointed by the Brunei Government to be the ASEAN Secretary-General.

Dato Roderick Yong was the 7th Secretary-General of #ASEAN and the first from Brunei. He served from 1986-1989. Image taken from @ASEAN twitter

Pg Hj Mohd Rosdimar, Manager Director of At-Taqwa Travel Tours, gave his welcoming remarks to the Umrah pilgrims at Al-Falaah School at Sg. Akar earlier this morning

Pg Hj Mohd Rosdimar with the officers for the December Umrah at the briefing

This morning, At-Taqwa Travel Tours Sdn Bhd held a briefing for their umrah pilgrims who will be performing their umrah this coming December. Around 400 pilgrims will be heading to Madinah and Makkah under the care of At-Taqwa Travel Tours Sdn Bhd and they will be flying in different batches from 2nd December to the final batch on 28th December 2017. I shall be flying off on the as the third batch on 9th December 2017 Inshaa Allah.

The briefing was held at Al-Falaah School at Sg. Akar where representatives from At-Taqwa Travels Tour and their liaison officers (logistics team) were present as well as a representative from Takaful Brunei. Manager Director of At-Taqwa Travel Tours Pg Hj Mohd Rosdimar Pg Hj Omarali gave a welcoming remarks to the pilgrims after a blessing prayer by Ustaz Abdus Salam.

Pg Hj Mohd Rosdimar was very appreciative of At-Taqwa Travel Tours’ pilgrims in trusting in their service. He mentioned that this is the second year that At-Taqwa Travel Tours are organising Umrah for the residents of Brunei Darussalam. The response has been very encouraging and he believes that the company’s core values – efficient, reliable, quality and service – will be instrumental to the growth and success of At-Taqwa Travel Tours. He believes that providing real service, we must add something which is priceless or not measurable. He also instill the value of sincerity and integrity in At-Taqwa Travel Tours.

The briefing was led by Pengiran Fakhrulrazi bin Pengiran Haji Omarali, the Head of the Haji and Umrah Department. Accompanying him were  Awangku Mohd Nassiruddeen bin Pengiran Haji Yussof, the Chief Financial Officer and Haji Shamsul Bahrin bin Haji Abdul Rahman, the Chief Operating Officer and a representative from Takaful Brunei. There was also a brief ceramah by Ustaz Hj Khairul Nazif.

The briefing touched on preparation for the pilgrims such as bringing the appropriate documents, wearing appropriate attire and the dos and the donts while in the Holy land. The briefing was useful in prepping the pilgrims for their upcoming Umrah pilgrimage and some of the audience were given opportunities to ask questions.

The pilgrims were also handed over a luggage, powerbank, pillow neck and a bottle as a token of appreciation from At-Taqwa Travel Tours Sdn Bhd.

Next week there will be another briefing for the pilgrims where there will be given a practical demo on Umrah such as Tawaf and Saie to be held at Sg. Kebun Sports Complex.

This is a good initiative by At-Taqwa Travel Tours Sdn Bhd to give more added value to their customers in preparation for Umrah. For more updates, you can follow their instagram @at_taqwa_travel_tours or you can call, 243 1234 or 719 1676. Some images courtesy of Sazali Ariff and whatsapp.

Some of the attendees this morning

Some of the 400 plus pilgrims attended the briefing

The briefing led by Pengiran Fakhrulrazi bin Pengiran Haji Omarali

Haji Shamsul Bahrin gave some information on the preparation for Umrah

Ustaz Abdus Salam leading the prayers

There will be 8 batches flying with At-Taqwa Travel Tour

DJ Daffy and Sazali Ariff will be flying for Umrah too

The hardworking officers from At-Taqwa Travel Tour

Ustaz Hj Khairul Nazif will be heading for Umrah in December

Ustaz Hj Abd Kahar will also be flying for Umrah in December

Ustaz Abdus Salam will also be heading for Madinah and Makkah this December

Mr. Aziz in the house

I will helping with social media updates on At-Taqwa Travel Tours

With the officers for December batch

The goodies for the December pilgrims. Awesome stuff 😀

Our luggage model, DJ Daffy

Pilgrims receiving their token of appreciation from At-Taqwa Travel Tour

Wendy Pao, Market Development Executive at Bilster Technologies and Norsurya Hj Sabli, Executive in charge of Business Development at Bilster Technologies holding the external hard drives which are on promotion at Bilster Technologies

The holiday season is coming and Bilster Technologies will be offering attractive packages on selection of laptops and gadgets for a limited time. There was a demand in terms of competitive price and promotion especially when it comes to HDD (Transcend, Western Digital and SeaGate). Check out the latest promotion from by Bilster Technologies.

The range of external storages will be inclusive of a FREE pedometer watch (worth $18) for every purchase. This offer includes the Transcend 2.5” 2TB external HD, the Western Digital 2TB MyPassport external HD, SeaGate 2TB Slim external HD, SeaGate 4TB Slim external, SeaGate 4TB Personal Cloud external HD and SeaGate 4TB Personal Cloud external HD.

Norsurya Hj Sabli, Executive in charge of Business Development at Bilster Technologies said, “It’s coming to the end of the year and we at Bilster Technologies would like to offer our customers another chance at purchasing great products at great prices, before the holiday rush of December and more promotion will be coming.”

This is a popular one because of its robust and durability

This would be my perfect choice as it will be convenient for me to transfer wirelessly

The different range of HD available

Also on offer is the Dell Inspiron 11 3162 which is an 11 inch laptop powered by Intel Celeron processor with 4G of RAM. This ideal for word processing and surfing or if you simply want to check and reply emails. It will be also Windows 10 ready. It’s now available for only $498 and every purchase will come with freebies – cooler pad, earphones, mouse, pedometer and a VR Box. Cool.

The other one on promotion is the Dell XPS 13 i5-7200U touch display laptop. It has a touch screen display, Intel i5 processor, 256GB SSD Storage and this is a powerful machine on the go. Guess what? It also comes with free 1 year license of Microsoft Office 365 Personal for every purchase. The price tag is $1,988 and comes with a Transcend 500GB external HD, cooler pad and pedometer watch.

Bilster Technologies is located on the ground floor, Citis Square and it opens from 10am to 9pm. For more information, you can call 223 0871 or 223 0872.

Dell XPS 13 i5-7200U touch display laptop being packaged with great goodies including an external hard drive

The best deal in town for only $498 and with goodies as well

Group photo with the top 10 winners of the 2nd Pepsi Bonanza Lucky Draw held at SKH Airport Mall

Wirna Hj Mohd Yassin won BND 300 voucher and handed over by Mr. Taheer from SKH Airport Mall

This is the second edition of the Pepsi Bonanza Lucky Draw and it was held at Airport Mall last Friday. Guess who emerged as the winner of the BND 300 voucher? He was no other than Wirna Hj Mohd Yassin. Second place went to Siti Nurliyana binti Abdul Yunus (BND $200 voucher), while Hajah Feridah binti Haji Abdul Hamid won third prize (BND $100 voucher).

Present during the prize presentation were Mr. Taheer from SKH Airport Mall, while Mr. Ng Boon Wee, Sales and Marketing Manager of Kingston Beverage & Creamery Sdn. Both handed out the prizes to the top ten winners.

The grand draw will be held on 10th December 2017 and the lucky draw grand prize will be a savings account of B$8,888.88, while prizes such as cash rewards and Pepsi hampers are also available to be won.

So you still have the chance to play part in this promotion. Simply purchase any ‘Twin Pack’ bottles of 1.5L Pepsi, Pepsi Twist, 7-Up, Revive, Mirinda Orange, Mirinda Strawberry, Mirinda Green Apple or Mirinda Green Fruit at specific department stores and outlets.

Then staple your receipts to the lucky draw form and insert it in the lucky draw box provided.

You can also dine in or take away at these outlets – Secret Recipe, Marry Brown, Pelicana, KFC, Ayamku, and The Chicken Rice Shop and register for the lucky draw. Good luck!!!

Hajah Feridah binti Haji Abdul Hamid won third prize (BND $100 voucher)

One of the consolation winners with Mr. Ng Boon Wee, Sales and Marketing Manager of Kingston Beverage & Creamery Sdn

Some of the games played last week

The stomping game to determine the winner

The lucky draw shortlisting by members of the media

New salary scheme to be introduced for government servants in their pilot initiative for those under Prime Minister’s Office and the Ministry of Finance by January 2018

I heard of the rumour a few weeks ago from a reliable source and yesterday’s briefing by Ministry of Finance confirmed that there will be a pilot initiative of twice-monthly salary payment starting January 2018. The first phase will be introduced to the officers and staffs under the Prime Minister’s Office and the Ministry of Finance.

The briefing took place at two venues at the Prime Minister’s Office and the Ministry of Finance led by Dato Paduka Ahmaddin bin Haji Abd Rahman, The Permanent Secretary (Policy and Investment) at the Ministry of Finance and Dayang Norliah binti Haji Kula, The Permanent Secretary (Performance) at the Ministry of Finance respectively.

The briefing discussed on the reasons on why the bi-monthly salary is being implemented. Firstly it is to enhance the effectiveness of officers’ and staff’s cash flow management when it comes to spending on their daily needs. This will encourage them to facilitate their spending plans. Secondly, it will help to sustain the commercial and economic activities happening in Brunei Darussalam. This will also help to increase the domestic spending and make the economy more resilient than before.

With the execution of the new initiative at the said ministries, this will enable the Treasury Department to assess and carry out feedback to ensure that the Computerised Payroll System and Daily Paid System are running smoothly.

Dato Paduka Ahmaddin bin Haji Abd Rahman, The Permanent Secretary (Policy and Investment) at the Ministry of Finance briefing officers and staff at Prime Minister’s Office yesterday.

The audience at the Prime Minister’s Office

The audience at the Prime Minister’s Office

Under the two ministries, the ones who will undergo the new system are officers and staff who hold permanent, contractual, monthly, open-vote and daily-paid status and also whose salaries are disbursed through the Treasury Department.

It was mentioned that those under the i-Ready Scheme and Capacity Buidling Centre will not be affected by the new initiative. Other exemptions are those under Service Pensions, Old Age Pension Allowance, Welfare Assistance and Allowance for the Disabled to name a few.

The financial institutions (banks and such) provide support to the initiative as they will divide into two payments of personal loans, housing loans, car purchasing loans and other loans which would mean that the salary deductions for loan payments would be applied twice a month.

If you are still unclear or need more information, you can visit www.mof.gov.bn or call their landline at 2383444. Images courtesy of MOF.

Dayang Norliah binti Haji Kula, The Permanent Secretary (Performance) at the Ministry of Finance briefing the officers and staff at Ministry of Finance

The audience at the Ministry of Finance

Click image to enter website

The new Peugeot 3008 has at last been unveiled. This long-awaited vehicle takes the C-SUV segment by storm, in a class of vehicles in full expansion across all regions of the globe. It takes on demanding customers looking for new and different experiences with a very strong hand. Whether by its spectacular latest-generation PEUGEOT i-Cockpit, by its exceptionally inspired design, by its optimised architectural efficiency or by its high-tech equipment, the new PEUGEOT 3008 SUV aims to assert itself from the off as a major player. It inaugurates for PEUGEOT a new SUV range for which it will be the worldwide emblem.

Last Friday saw the official launch of the new Peugeot 3008 at the Peugeot showroom at Kiarong. The attendees were in awe with the video presentation shown before unveiling the car. The Peugeot 3008 will be one of the sought SUVs in Brunei as it has a lot to offer with a very competitive price. You can now drive a Peugeot with advanced specs that all users will appreciate. It is no surprise why Peugeot 3008 was named Car of the Year.

Check out the latest Peugeot 3008

Makes me one to own one too

Breath-taking interior design

Getting into the new PEUGEOT 3008 SUV is to enter another world, surprising, original and oozing quality. A spectacular, almost futuristic dashboard immediately catches the eye. This coherent and highly technological ensemble is the latest generation PEUGEOT i-Cockpit®, a novel concept that has rewritten the book on the car cockpit. Here, everything seems to be at the service of the pleasure and concentration of the driver in a pronouncedly high-tech niche.

The steering wheel is even more compact and has been redesigned with two flats to make it easier to grip and to afford the driver maximum visibility and legroom.

The large 8” touch-screen resembles a tablet installed in the centre of the dashboard and is equipped with capacitive technology for greater reactivity and practicality. It is accompanied by six elegant piano-key “toggle switches” – giving direct and permanent access to the main control functions: radio, climate control, navigation, vehicle parameters, telephone and mobile applications.

The heads-up instrument unit unveils in series production a high-resolution 12.3” screen with futuristic graphics. It can be completely configured and personalised, and brings together all that the driver could want in his field of view. The visual impact of each setting is highlighted by a series of animations and transitions which are a treat for the eyes.

This on-board experience is equally well served by the richness of the interior, actively contributing to the excellent sense of perceived quality and modernity felt in the cabin. Material choices are inspired and their appearance uncompromising. Some of the areas are less commonly found in cars, such as the dashboard inlay….it’s all very modern and warm.

Whatever angle it is approached from, whoever sees the new SUV PEUGEOT 3008 for the first time is struck by the feeling of top-quality execution and of a high level of perceived quality. This exterior looks makes for the most fashionable SUV on the market.

The attendees getting the first glance of the Peugeot 3008

Getting up close and personal

A jubilant driving experience…

The reputation of the Lion brand in terms of driving experience is already well-established, the skill of the in-house development engineers is in repeatedly producing the most satisfying vehicles to drive, whatever their size. In the case of an SUV, the challenge is considerable: raised ride-height, high driving position, raised centre of gravity…In this class of vehicle, styling choices are often made to the detriment of driveability.

The new PEUGEOT 3008 is a true SUV, but above all it’s a PEUGEOT! And like any true SUV it has genuine off-road capability, thanks to the Advanced Grip Control and the Hill Assist Descent Control.

Permanent connectivity

With the Mirror Screen function, a Smartphone screen can be reproduced on the touch-screen to make best use of its applications. It is compatible with MirrorLink protocols (Android smartphones), Android Auto and Apple CarplayTM (iPhone 5 onwards). And with a simple touch of a button on the steering wheel, there is a remote voice recognition function through the smartphone (Android SVoice and Apple Siri). Without taking his eyes off the road, and in complete safety, new possibilities are opened up to the driver: make calls, choose music, read and send text messages, get route information…permanent connectivity in operation!

Supported by an arsenal of driver aids…

It is a joy to drive, a feeling amplified by the compact steering wheel, and the driver can make the most of the dynamic abilities of this SUV, especially thanks to the support of the numerous driver aids available to him. These latest generation ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistance Systems) minimise any source of danger on the road through an arsenal of safety features:
– Active lane departure warning
– Driver attention warning
– Speed limit sign recognition and recommendation
– Cruise Control with speed limiter
– Visiopark

Made in France

The new PEUGEOT 3008 is produced in the Sochaux plant, and the French Trémery and Douvrin factories supply all the power-plants. It will therefore carry from the outset the “Origine France Garantie” label.

Check out the accolades earned for Peugeot

Loving the functions incorporated inside the Peugeot 3008

Nazmi Mahali was the emcee of the night and he pulled off a good show

Another local talent being unveiled to entertain the crowd

The Audi Q5 has won the 2017 “Golden Steering Wheel” in the “Large SUV” category and it’s an important award for Audi in a competition renowned throughout Europe

The Audi Q5 has won the 2017 “Golden Steering Wheel” in the “Large SUV” category. Prior to the selection, readers of the German automotive trade magazine Auto Bild, its 20 European sister publications and the German newspaper Bild am Sonntag had determined nominations from the new cars presented in 2017. An international panel of experts crowned the winner from these nominations. Peter Mertens, AUDI AG Board Member for Technical Development, accepted the prize for the Audi Q5 on Tuesdayevening in Berlin.

A total of 42 models competed in five categories in this year’s “Golden Steering Wheel” contest. After a Europe-wide reader survey, 20 cars made the final round and were judged by the experts: race drivers, engineers, designers, connectivity specialists, frequent drivers, critics and, not least, the editors-in-chief of all European sister publications of Auto Bild. They tested the finalists and determined which would win the coveted trophy. The Audi Q5 won through against seven other competitors in the “Large SUV” category. “The expertise and broad cross-section of opinions represented by the jury panel, as well as its renown throughout Europe, are what make the prize so coveted within our industry. The 2017 “Golden Steering Wheel” for the new Audi Q5 shows we have produced a worthy successor to the successful first generation of this SUV model line. We are proud of this prize,” said Peter Mertens at the award ceremony at the Axel-Springer-Haus in Berlin.

The new Audi Q5 was launched at the start of the year. The second generation of the best-selling Audi has established several new standards in the B segment of premium SUVs. The best drag coefficient in the competition, consistent lightweight design and modern engines ensure high efficiency, as does the new quattro drive system with ultra technology. In addition, the new Audi Q5 offers a broad portfolio of new driver assist systems, modern infotainment and connectivity equipment, and air suspension with damper control.

The winners of the Brunei Rice Bowl Startup Awards with the organisers and supporters of the event which was held last Friday, 3rd November 2017 at Progresif Headquarters Townhall, Gadong

The inaugural Brunei Rice Bowl Startup Awards (BRBSA) celebrated the winners last Friday, 3rd November at Progresif Headquarters Townhall, Gadong.

The top nominations for the night were judged by local panellist that are active in the development of the local startup community. The nominees underwent rigorous judging before the top ones were chosen.

Paul Taylor, CEO of Progresif, opened the awards night with his welcoming remarks followed by an introduction of the ASEAN Rice Bowl Startup Awards (ARBSA) by Rubi-Ain Dahlan, Project Director of ARBSA, who flew in from Kuala Lumpur to attend the event.

“It is hoped that with this award and initiatives alike, we will be able to grow the Startup community considerably in the short future. We would like to see that entrepreneurship is seen as a first choice career option and not just as a last resort. We hope that BRBSA will able to assist in changing that mindset in our generation today,” said Charlotte Lim, Lead Organiser.

Paul Taylor, CEO of Progresif, giving his welcoming remarks to the audience

Rubi-Ain Dahlan, Director of ASEAN Rice Bowl Startup Awards and Shamir C.Abdullah, Head of Sponsorship, ASEAN Rice Bowl Startup Awards, sharing the benefits for the winners of each category

Some of the perks for the winners

Rubi-Ain Dahlan presented to the Startup of the Year to Agrome IQ International Sdn Bhd and received by founder Vanessa Teo. She was the biggest winner of the night with two awards. She was truly grateful towards her awesome team and also her family in supporting her business. Congratulations 😀

Radi El-Fassed, Progresif’s Head of Product Development, presented the Founder of the Year award and Vanessa Teo was the recipient

The awards night proceeded with its main event, starting off with awarding the Best Newcomer, presented by Shamir C.Abdullah, Head of Sponsorship, ASEAN Rice Bowl Startup Awards followed by Best Social Impact Startup presented byPg Sarimah (Startup Hub), and continuing on with Yazid Azahari, Senior Project Manager at Microsoft (Brunei) who presented the winner of Best E-Commerce Startup. The fourth category was presented by Progresif’s Head of Product Development, Radi El-Fassed. Just before the final award was given out, there was a performance by Brunei’s very own Tropical Hornbills with two of their original numbers. Finally, the Startup of The Year was presented by ARBSA’s very own Rubi Ain-Dahlan

The winners received trophies which were 3D-printed, specially flew in from Kuala Lumpur, events ticket to the ARBSA in December of this year.

“It is not always you get to take part in celebrating innovation and innovative ideas, let alone giving out awards to them,” said Afiq Mohammed, Project Manager. “The categories were selected according to the volume of startups in those categories. This is also an indicator of where Brunei is with effect to its startup scene. I believe that BRBSA will be seen more than an event, but rather something to look forward to. Moreover, we believe that the award is to recognise the blood, sweat and tears of the humans behind the brands. We hope that there will be more companies up for nominations in the next edition and at the same time, more categories to be opened up.”

The event was made possible by the support of BRBSA’s Strategic Partner, Progresif, and DARe as Ecosystem Partner.

Yazid Azahari, Senior Project Manager at Microsoft (Brunei) presented to Best e-Commerce/Supply Chain Startup and Danny Sii tung Yang, founder of buycour.com won the award.

Danny came up with the idea since his family runs a forward company and it made sense that he was able to facilitate in terms of purchasing items online especially from China. He also plans to do local deliveries. He is also amazed how many customers are starting to make use of e-commerce in Brunei.

TOP NOMINEES

Startup of the Year – Agrome IQ International Sdn Bhd (winner), Al-Huffaz Management, Weekend Warriors, Sparkly Domestic Divas, Headhunter Sports, Shineblingz Enterprise and Lyfe Media.
Founder of the Year –  Firdaus Omar Faezal Murni, Hadi, Haji Mohammad Loqman Al-Hakim bin Haji Hamdan,Vanessa Teo (winner), Yusuf Flynn, Shinny Chia and Haji Muhammad Fahmi bin Lasa.
Best Social Impact Startup – Agrome IQ International Sdn Bhd, Heartwrite Co., Al-Huffaz Management (winner), Big BWN Cookout, Weekend Warriors and Sparkly Domestic Divas.
Best e-Commerce/Supply Chain Startup – Buycour Brunei (winner), JiFEE Technologies Sdn Bhd, Headhunter Sports, Nuara Group, Diyretrofurniture, Juste Leather Co and Al-Huffaz Management.
Best Newcomer –  Agrome IQ International Sdn Bhd, Weekend Warriors, Lyfe Media, Al-Huffaz Management, Shineblingz Enterprise and Heartwrite Co., Headhunter Sport (winner)

Yusuf Flynn, founder of Headhunter Sport claimed the Best Newcomer Award being presented by Shamir C.Abdullah, Head of Sponsorship, ASEAN Rice Bowl Startup Awards

Haji Mohammad Loqman Al-Hakim bin Haji Hamdan receiving his award for Best Social Impact Startup for his company, Al-Huffaz Management from Pg Sarimah (Startup Hub)

The winners of the Brunei Rice Bowl Startup Awards

Pranika and I enjoyed the one hour event