Archive for June, 2014
#InnerPeace
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Chan Key Hong, Executive Director of Maju Motors and Steffen Schwarz, Managing Director of Volkswagen Group Singapore, with the management of Maju Motors and Volkswagen Group Singapore
Volkswagen Brunei has taken its flagship by storm in the past few months. Why? Just in May alone, Maju Motors, the local distributor of Volkswagen in Brunei, hit the 100 units mark which is the highest ever target for Maju Motors. Their VW Polo 1.4 was the biggest seller among the models and Maju Motors is excited as they will be unveiling new models in the near future. They have already unveiled the family orientated vehicle called Sharan and I was quite impressed with the features (More on that later on my next post). For now, I wanna highlight the growth of Maju Motors in terms of delivery and after sales service.
In the past 12 months, I could see a gradual progress at Maju Motors as they invested in upgrading and renovating their showroom and the result was pretty rewarding especially to their clients and potentially new ones. Their advert campaigns have catchy and effective to draw and entice new customers and breaking that barrier that Volkswagen do cater to all kind of personalities of their clients. There are some models that are made affordable also to the Brunei market without compromising the quality that Volkswagen delivers. So you will tend to see different walks of life behind the (Volkswagen) wheel.
The local media and bloggers have also made an impact on Maju Motors’ development in the past few months. I have to honestly say that compared to where Maju Motors was a few years ago and now, it has a tremendous change and thanks to the leadership and courage that Chan Key Hong, Executive Director of Maju Motors, who drove the company to newer heights and he himself was truly amazed by the company’s sudden growth especially in Brunei’s competitive automative market.
Steffen Schwarz, Managing Director of Volkswagen Group Singapore, was appreciative of Key Hong’s handwork and commitment in bringing Volkswagen to another level in Brunei Darussalam but he didn’t expect the sales to reach a 100% growth in just a matter of months. He shared with The Brunei Times that it is also important to look at the service side and brand after from the sales as these are key components in sustaining the growth. He said even though Brunei has a smaller market but it is nonetheless an important market in Southeast Asia. He praised the commitment and the effort done by Key Hong and his team.
So peeps, if you are interested to see the Sharan and other Volkswagen models, do head down to The Mall, Gadong, and check out the Volkswagen roadshow brought to you by Maju Motors and also receive a free The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf voucher when you test drive. The last day of roadshow is Sunday, 15th June 2014.
Once again, congratulations to Chan Key Hong and his team for the outstanding milestone last month and it was also a pleasure to have finally met Dionne from Singapore whom I have been liaising with through emails.
Check out my post tomorrow on the impressive Volkswagen Sharan.
Chan Key Hong, Executive Director of Maju Motors shared about Maju Motors’ milestone and its future
Steffen Schwarz, Managing Director of Volkswagen Group Singapore, loves the number 100 and he was impressed with Brunei’s growth in terms of Volkswagen brand
The Volkswagen Jetta at the roadshow at The Mall till Sunday. Do check out the other models
The Volkswagen Vento at the roadshow at The Mall till Sunday. Do check out the other models
Steffen Schwarz and Chan Key Hong unveiling the Volkswagen Sharan. More on that tomorrow.
Dionne of Volkswagen Group Singapore speaking to the media
The Volkswagen Roadshow at The Mall, Gadong till Sunday
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#FromWithin
The full video of Happy Brunei to be launched hopefully this week
Acer Liquid Smartphones
Icon Design Store
Want to win a GoPro Hero 3+? Check out #kickItBrazil Peugeot Brunei competition. Competition starts 12th May. Click image to enter Facebook page for more details.
The students of Yippy Tune with their certificates
Yippy Tune celebrated it’s 3rd annual recital on Sunday attracting full capacity crowds for all 6 of it’s sessions on a single day; starting from 11am all the way to 6.30pm.
The audiences were treated with an afternoon of pure musical indulgence of different genres from classical to pop and jazz from performers as young as three and a half years old.
There was a clear distinction between this year’s performance and the year before, both in terms of student participations as well as the range of musical instruments being played at the recital – which includes, the Violin, Piano, Guitars and vocal performances.
“One of the overriding themes chosen by the students to perform this year had been the songs from Frozen’s soundtracks. Clearly, Brunei is not immune from the ‘Frozen’ fever.” According to Ms Deon Ong- the School Director.
Also present to perform at the event were the students from St Andrew’s School, performing group music with their violins in the afternoon. The St Andrew’s Students were coached by Yippy Tune teachers during the term with the onsite music learning program.
The music school has seen a steady growth in business in the last 12 months, as there had been an increase in the realization of the importance of music appreciation and skills amongst the parents. “Music has along been associated with children’s cognitive and social development; I think the parents in Brunei are increasingly realizing this very crucial point.” Which, as a result, “the number of staff has multiplied three-fold.” According to the School Director. Images courtesy of Yippy Tune.
Ian and teacher Deon performing a song
Anika Chuang performing a vocal
Students from St. Andrew’s School
Mega on the piano
The teachers of Yippy Tune
The three ministers officiating The Run last Sunday
Over 5,000 participants turned up at the Pusat Ehsan’s charity event – The Run -Sunday morning, dressed in colourful t-shirts signifying the category joined.
The running event took place at the Indoor Stadium in Berakas. Joining the event were Minister of Health, Yang Berhormat Pehin Orang Kaya Johan Pahlawan Dato Seri Setia Hj Adanan Begawan Pehin Siraja Khatib Dato Seri Setia Hj Mohd Yussof; Minister of Industry and Primary Resources, Yang Berhormat Pehin Orang Kaya Seri Utama Dato Seri Setia Hj Yahya Begawan Mudim Dato Paduka Hj Bakar; and Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports, Yang Berhormat Pehin Orang Kaya Pekerma Laila Diraja Dato Seri Setia Hj Hazair Hj Abdullah.
“We had 10,000 participants register but only 7,300 running. This year we had some 6000 people register.
“Nevertheless, we are very thankful to always have the support (from stakeholder and the public),” said Dato Paduka Hj Alimin Hj Wahab, chairman of Pusat Ehsan who delivered a special remarks during the prize presentation and closing ceremony of yesterday’s event.
The chairman also extended his appreciation to the sponsors and volunteers who managed to pull through the event.
Ultimately he thanked all participants who joined or being the core reason of the event’s success.
Several categories were opened to the public; 21km men and women (international and Bruneian), 12km men and women (ASEAN, Bruneian and veteran), 5km men and women (open, junior and corporate), and 2.5km (special needs and fun run).
Apart from getting the support from local Bruneians, The Run also saw participation from international runners, particularly expatriates working in the Sultanate.
Dr Renewagner and Heidi Ohl, German health professionals working at the Jerudong Park Medical Centre and participating in the event for the first time, shared that the strong Bruneian support to charity events are inspiring.
The same event will return next year on June 7, “So be ready!” said the event chairman. Text courtesy of Billah Hassan of The Brunei Times and images courtesy of Saiful Omar of The Brunei Times.
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#WorldCupJustAroundTheCorner
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The top three winners of the Kia promotion and one of them won a pair of tickets to watch the World Cup 2014 semi-finals in Brazil
As a major sponsor of the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil, Grand Motors Sdn Bhd, the exclusive distributor of Kia vehicles in Brunei Darussalam conducted FIFA-themed roadshows and test drive activities from March – May 2014.
Awesome activities in the roadshow were also available for all customers to enjoy like the Kia Speed Kicker game and Take a Selfie with Fuleco. Kia fans had the chance to check out their favorite Kia vehicles and even win exclusive KIA-FIFA merchandise. Those who participated in the test drive activities were given an original KIA-FIFA World Cup T-shirt and raffle form for a chance to win a Trip for Two to watch the 2014 FIFA World Cup Semi-Finals live in Brazil and other fantastic prizes like Samsung Galaxy Note 3 LTE 4G, Samsung Galaxy S4 Active, Samsung Galaxy Camera and Samsung Galaxy Tab 3. Those who do test drive and/ or purchase any Kia model from 01 March to 31 May 2014 are eligible for this promotion.
With a very successful turnout of over 1,000 participants, a grand draw was held as culmination of this promo at the Kia Showroom in Beribi last 6th of June. Present during the draw was Grand Motors Sdn Bhd’s Managing Director – Mr. Frankie Ho, Executive Directors – Hj Shaiful Rizal Bin Pehin Dato Dr. Hj Ahmad and Pg Hj Abdul Qahar Bin PSD Maj Gen (R) Pg Hj Ibnu Basith, Baiduri Finance Berhad Hj Muhammad Ali Bin Hj Metusin and from BIBD AT-Tamwil Berhad Mr. Irwan Lamit.
Winning the Grand Prize of 2 Tickets to Brazil to watch FIFA World Cup Semi-Finals was Lee Huan Yee, while Rohani Bte Hj Badar took home the 2nd Prize of a Samsung Galaxy Note 3 LTE 4G. While Muhd Noor Firdaus won the 4th prize of an all new Samsung Galaxy Camera 2, Siti Nurhazwani Bte Mahali scored herself a Samsung Galaxy Tab 3.
The third prize winner.
The winners and the consolation winners
After months of toil and coding, local IT start up DotRoot Technologies saw their app FoodFuel go live in the Google Play Store. To herald the event, DotRoot hosted a LaunchFest at the iCentre, teaming up with popular local e-vendors such as WonderMama, Wing-It!, Pvintaj Cupcakes, Baker Blush and many others to sell their delicious goods and also introduce them to the apps’ potential.
According to Khairul Anwar, FoodFuel is essentially an ordering application developed for the local market in Brunei to facilitate and ease the pains of ordering food from restaurants, simply with a few clicks. Users can browse through a list of participating restaurants, go through their menus and even place their orders with a few clicks. On the restaurant’s side, among the features provided is the ability to see how many users frequent the app and who are their top customers, all in a tablet which is provided upon their subscription to the FoodFuel app services.
“One year on, there have been numerous ups and downs, constant revisions, and more than one moment that tested our tenacity as individuals and as a company.
But amidst all the variables and fluctuations, there was only one constant, that we were going to launch FoodFuel, and put that vision on the map,” said Saufi Jumahat, CEO of DotRoot Technologies, in a speech during the launch ceremony.
Congratulations to DotRoot Technologies
Saufi Jumahat, CEO of DotRoot Technologies being interviewed by The Brunei Times
Some of the food vendors during the launch
The founder of @wondermamabn
LEE SHARPE IS COMING TO BRUNEI! Lee Sharpe is one of the best footballers who predominantly played a left winger of Manchester United. Wanna see him in action on 27 September at the National Stadium? Grab your ticket now! You may visit S-Team Solutions office across Time Square Mall or any Socialmart Store.
The 10 Brunei representatives heading to Hollywood with the sponsors at Frescho
The sneak preview of the performances unveiled 10 Bruneian representatives — Elizabeth Sim, Joanna Kwan, Md Rizal Azhiman Md Rasid, Norhidayat Hj Ahim, Bridget Ang, Ruby Chong, Md Adi Farhan Hj Md Daini, Md Hafizuddin Abd Karim, Maria Grace Koh and Esther Chiam Shian Li — who will compete at the upcoming World Championships of Performing Arts (WCOPA), which will be held in Hollywood.
One of the highlights of the team is junior participant, 15 year-old violinist Chiam, who told The Brunei Times that she was honoured to represent the Sultanate.
“I’ve played for 11 years and I could see that Bruneians are talented and musical in every way,” she continued, “There are more talents that need to be discovered.”
Chiam mentioned that she will performing five pieces of which three will be original creations dedicated to her mother, who will be joining the trip. “She’s been supporting me throughout the years and I love her for that.”
Organiser of the press conference, Licensed National Director of WCOPA in Brunei Darussalam, Prismworks Sdn Bhd, fondly recalled last year’s glorious participation and the hopes for Team Brunei in this year’s competition.
National Director of Prismworks Jeffrey E Cadayong said, “This is the second time Brunei is joining,” he added, “It represents the spirit of Bruneian team,” upon recalling last year’s win of the ‘Best in Team Spirit’ award.
“It is the biggest opportunity to expose these talents in the capital of entertainment and all we need to do is support them,” he added.
Cadayong also took the opportunity to thank generous sponsors who were present during the press conference, who were representatives from Baiduri Bank, Laneige Brunei, KFC and Aewon.
The Brunei WCOPA team is set to fly to Los Angeles on July 11 and will stay there for nine days. There, the team will battle against 50 countries for gold medals, the coveted title of ‘Grand Champion Performer of the World’ as well as US30, 000 ($37,552.80) scholarships to Millennium Dance Complex and US100, 000 ($125,176) grants from the renowned New York Conservatory of Dramatic Arts School for Film and Television.
For enquiries on how to be a partner or sponsor, kindly contact Prismworks at brunei@wcopa.tv or follow its Instagram at @officialwcopabrunei.
Shian Li with her mother Lily Chiam also heading to Hollywood. Good luck! Image bt Ikhwan Salleh of The Brunei Times.
All the best Elizabeth Sim. Image bt Ikhwan Salleh of The Brunei Times.
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#StayingPresent
The full video of Happy Brunei to be launched next week
Acer Liquid Smartphones
Icon Design Store
Want to win a GoPro Hero 3+? Check out #kickItBrazil Peugeot Brunei competition. Competition starts 12th May. Click image to enter Facebook page for more details. I’ve been away for a while now and currently in Penang. Hence, the minor updates on my blog since Monday. I shall be back soon enough and back to full force 😀 Right now, I’m just taking a minor break and spending time with wonderful people around the world.
It’s great to be back here in Penang and this is my fifth year visiting Penang and it brings a lot of good memories with different walks of life. I will be in Penang for the new few days before heading back to Singapore. So if you want catch my updates, I suggest you stalk me on instagram @ranoadidas 😀
Below are pictures taken from my recent Ipoh trip which took place a few days ago. Have an awesome weekend, peeps!
Support and cheer for The Les Bleus of France! The Albicelestes of Argentina! Seleção of Brazil! Selecção of Portugal! Three Lions of England! Die Mannschaft of Germany, Azzurri of Italy, Red Fury of Spain’s National Team and the Oranje of The Netherlands!
The tournament in Brazil is sure to be a carnival with incredible colours, noises and atmospheres. To celebrate the 2014 FIFA World Cup, here is another round of special promotion today and Saturday for all the footie fans in Brunei!
Waste no more time as we have the shirts in all their glory. This shirt is relaxed and suave all at once. The pure cotton fabric is designed to keep you cool and comfortable. So, hurry! Simply explore www.malppy.com to start ordering your shirts. Shop and cheer!
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#iPohILove
#yasminepose instagram contest
So the #yasminepose instagram contest is in full force. Get the chance to attend the first ever gala premiere in Brunei, meet the stars of yasmine and win exclusive origin merchandise by instagram-ing your best yasmine pose. Don’t forget the hashtag!
Contest runs from the 3rd -30th June 2014!
It’s time to get excited by our Service Clinic, a complimentary 30-point vehicle health screening and consultation by our Land Rover expert on 16 – 21 June!
Early birds get to enjoy complimentary engine oil change! Terms and conditions apply.
Hurry, please call 6732391000 or 6732390123 to book now! Slots are limited. By appointment only.”
Complimentary 30-point Vehicle Health Screening and Consultation at Inderea Motors Sdn Bhd
Kia Motors hands over vehicle fleet for 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil™
Kia Motors, a maker of quality vehicles for the young-at-heart, conducted a handover ceremony today at Arena de Sao Paulo in Sao Paulo, Brazil for the supply of a fleet of official vehicles to ensure the smooth and efficient transportation of teams, officials, delegates and official VIP visitors from all over the world during the upcoming 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil™
Free 25-points vehicle check, 30% discount on original parts and 20% discount on labour. Check out the dates for the Mazda Privilege campaign.
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#DPMMFCconductsClinic
[Report by Yee Chun Leong]: Their Royal Highnesses Prince ‘Abdul Wakeel and Prince ‘Abdul Muntaqim laced up their football boots to participate in a football clinic conducted by Singapore League (S-League) leaders DPMM FC yesterday.
Two sessions were held for two different batches at the International School Brunei (ISB) in Berakas – the first for Years 1 to 3 and the second for Years 4 to 6.
Each session consisted of three 10-minute drills, and once completed, the students competed in a 10 minute game.
Speaking to The Brunei Times, DPMM FC head coach Steve Kean felt that the standard of football in the school is good.
“Technically, the children are very good (and) I was mentioning that to the management and players,” said Kean before the start of the second session yesterday.
“What is good is that we have split the kids into positions where we have attackers, midfielders, defenders and goalkeepers – so we have our players that play in those positions doing some individual coaching.
“It was really good for the kids to spend time with their favourite players – especially those that play the same position,” continued Kean, who handed out pesambah in the form of jerseys to the two princes.
Other students also had the opportunity to meet Kean and DPMM FC players as well as grab their autographs during a meet-and-greet session mid-way through the event at the school’s hall.
Brunei’s only professional club also handed out 100 tickets for their S-League match against Home United at the Hassanal Bolkiah National Stadium in Berakas on Friday.
DPMM FC had previously visited the Sports School in April and Muda Hashim Secondary School in Tutong in May. However, only question and answer sessions were held then.
Images courtesy of ISB.
His Royal Highnesses Prince ‘Abdul Wakeel
His Royal Highnesses Prince ‘Abdul Muntaqim
Signing ceremony
Steve Kean speaking to the students
DPMM FC are looking to carry their Singapore Cup momentum into the S-League after demolishing Global FC of the Philippines 7-0 in their Singapore Cup opener at the Jalan Besar Stadium in Singapore on Saturday.
DPMM FC continue to lead the S-League standings with 31 points from 13 matches.
Warriors FC closed the gap to four points after beating the leaders 1-0 at the Choa Chu Kang Stadium in Singapore on May 22, the result ending DPMM FC’s seven-game S-League winning streak.
Three-time defending champions Tampines Rovers follow on 25 points while Home United are further adrift by a point.
Albirex Niigata FC (S) round off the top five on 23 points.
Group photo
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#SundownCompleted
Want to win a GoPro Hero 3+? Check out #kickItBrazil Peugeot Brunei competition. Competition starts 12th May. Click image to enter Facebook page for more details.
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Sundown 21km completed last Saturday
Sundown galore. This is my second attempt in 21km and I have to admit I wasn’t really prepared for the race. Firstly, my training sessions have been woeful to say that least. I hardly train and I only had like 3-5 sessions since February on my run. Bad, right? By the way, I was just 20 mins away from the cut-off time to earn my 21km finisher medal. Phew!!!
Perhaps I was focusing more on tennis and swimming lately in the final month before Sundown which exactly doesn’t do much for my 21km but maybe more into swimming since it improves my fitness slightly.
My timing wasn’t that great either and I had the same mentality as last year which is to complete the 21km. The first 4 kilometer was great because I was on my actual pace 7.15km/hr until I hit the 5km mark and things started to slow down. My pacer Alice was already far ahead of me after the 3km mark. She finished an hour earlier from me and she’s a great runner but she hardly trained.
Between 8km to 17km, I was power walking because of the cramps that I had to endure and the worst was yet to come when I had blisters on my left foot which made running difficult. The final 3km of the route, I managed to jog and increase my pace. I believe it was the hot, cooling cream that I applied after the 17km mark and it helped the cramps to slowly subside.
My friends finished earlier than me too. Well done to Zuraidah for finishing her first ever 21km and she said that it will be first and final registered 21km race *lol* I’m proud of my sister Muji for completing her first ever full marathon 42km. I know this is one of my bucket list but if this is to happen for me, I will have to seriously train myself seriously.
The Sundown Marathon Singapore was another great experience. However, the overall feel and minor things (of logistics) of the event was slightly a let down. I wasn’t happy with the drinking station for a start and some of the routes are dangerous for running as I saw a lady trip due to the uneven path and good luck she didn’t bleed on her face as it scratched on the cement path.
Thank you Sundown Singapore for another experience. Next year again? Probably yes..
Alice, myself, Muji, Zahrin and Badee at the Sundown last Saturday. Only Alice and I ran the half marathon while the rest ran 42km. Well done 😀
The iconic Singapore Flyer at the Sundown Marathon
Handover ceremony as FJ gave her bib to Alice as she couldn’t run
The race pack collection. I collected mine a few hours before the race.
Our runners group chat and well done to all of you
I can’t believe I signed up for this again 😀
The full marathon runners from Brunei
Taping before the race but I still have cramps halfway through 🙁
Alice was my pacer but I lost her at 4km mark *huhu*
The long queue of the portable toilets
Representing Brunei. I wonder how many runners from Brunei that join this marathon.
The 15km mark..
Rubbish everywhere especially after the hydration check points
At the 20km mark, I pretended to hail for a cab *lol*
My priceless moment when both my friends Jessie and Joanne showed up to cheer for me at the finishing line. Thank you so much, ladies. It means a lot to know you were there 😀
Click image to find out more on the FREE SEATS. Travel period is 5th Jan to 31 July 2015.
In the meantime, you can check out the Mega Sale at Malaysia which is coming soon. Click image to find out more.
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#RoyHitsHattrick
The highlights between DPMM FC and Global FC
Report by Syarif Rasani of The Brunei Times: DPMM FC tasted sweet revenge as they thrashed Global FC 7-0 to qualify for the quarter-finals of the Singapore Cup at Jalan Besar Stadium in Singapore last Friday.
Their previous clash in last year’s edition of the tournament saw Global FC of the Philippines knocked them out 5-4 on aggregate in the quarter-finals.
DPMM FC’s goal scoring machines – Roy O’Donovan and Rodrigo Tosi – were again on target as they shared a total of five goals between them in a game that proved the total dominance of the Bruneian club.
O’Donovan capped his stellar performance with fine a hat-trick scoring in the 59th, 78th and 89th minutes to make him the leading scorer in the Singapore Cup.
Tosi, who is currently the top scorer in the Singapore League with 12 goals, hit the back of the net in the 57th and 70th minutes.
The remaining goals were knocked in by Azwan Salleh in the 80th minute and Shahrazen Said in the 90th, who was a late substitute in the 82nd minute for Tosi.
DPMM FC head coach Steve Kean felt that his boys played a fantastic game in the second-half.
“I felt that in the first half probably our players were all too wide,” Kean told the media.
“We were making it very easy for the Global FC’s full backs, so what we did after half-time was play very narrow on the pitch because I felt that Global FC’s two holding midfield players were getting on the ball too much.
“We really turned the middle of the pitch to our advantage so that Joe Gamble, Hendra Azam and Rosmin Kamis could control the game from middle, making it difficult for the two central players of Global FC.
“I also pushed another player up front because I wanted Tosi to drop in midfield a little bit when we didn’t have the ball. I told to him just stay up as a striker and let’s just try to win the ball in the middle and then play off the front end quicker and squeeze the game much higher.
“Historically, we don’t have a good record in this competition but I don’t believe that history comes in always because every year you have a new team.
“I think the main thing for us is that we just have to keep trying hard to keep clean sheets both in the S-League and now in this competition.
“I said at the beginning of the season I think that we have a competitive squad that can compete in the three competitions, so why not win this competition because it’s a fantastic one to win,” added Kean.
DPMM FC will be joining Tanjong Pagar United, Balestier Khalsa, Geylang International, Albirex Niigata (S), Tampines Rovers and Home United in the quarter-finals.
The DPMM FC line up against Global FC at Jalan Besar Stadium. Image courtesy of Great Eastern Yeo’s S League Facebook Page.
Goal celebration after Tosi scored. Image courtesy of Great Eastern Yeo’s S League Facebook Page.
Najib in action for DPMM Fc. Image courtesy of Great Eastern Yeo’s S League Facebook Page.
Great clearance by Subhi as he clears the ball for a corner. Image courtesy of Great Eastern Yeo’s S League Facebook Page.
Roy scored a hat-trick while Tosi scored twice.
After the match
DPMM FC celebrated at the dressing room
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