Archive for December, 2014
Final entry for 2014?
Ahh.. Could this be the final entry for 2014? Well, depends on my mood. I’m just back from a 10 day break and spent it in Singapore with my family. This is one reason why I simply took a rest from blogging and just enjoy my mini break. A well deserved mini break and preparing myself for 2015. This is also the first time I’ve been away in the month of December and only a total of 5 days I’m in Brunei. Yes, I definitely missed home and my friends and of course, toastmasters which I ended up going last night at UBD toastmasters meeting.
Though it was a 10 day trip, I packed myself meeting tons of friends from Singapore bloggers Tiffany Yong, Renzze and Adrian to local Singaporeans to friends in Brunei working and residing in Singapore. I also visited Madam Tussaud’s wax museum at Resorts World Sentosa with my siblings though they compared it with the UK and preferred the London version which is way bigger and better. We only lasted last less than one hour at Singapore’s so that really says a lot.
Movie wise, I surprisingly only caught two movies which was Annie 2014 (6/10) and Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb (6/10). There were simply not much interesting releases in the final third of December 2014. I could have watched another viewing of Gone Girl (8.5/10) which is totally uncensored as compared to the Malaysian version but gave it a pass. Do check out my full review of my Top Ten movies of 2014 on The Popcorn Panel (podcast) with my regular co-host @delgoh.
Perhaps the saddest part of December is the recent tragedy of AirAsia flight QZ8051 which is still reporting missing for the past two days. It was supposed to arrive on last Sunday morning in Singapore from Surabaya and the AirAsia Airbus lost contact a few minutes later after the pilot requested to divert the stormy path. My prayers to the 162 people on board and their family members and next of kin and friends.
I was a bit traumatized as I was catching the evening flight back to Brunei from Singapore and that’s just a trigger reaction after this becomes the fifth major airline crash in 2014. First it was the mysterious MH370, the MH17 being shot down, Tranasia Airways Flight 222 in Taiwan, Air Algerie Flight 5017 and now AirAsia QZ8051. I do hope the search of the QZ8051 will be conclusive. As of now, there are many speculations rather than conclusive findings.
On a high note, my year will end with two of my good friends getting hitched. First up is the couple of Tahir Abdullah (aka Terence Han) and Melati Dato Paduka Hj Yussof who had their nikah recently and I shall be seeing you guys early next year for your wedding celebration. The other couple is Richard To and Joanne Tan whom will be celebrating their wedding later tonight. I had the privilege to be one of the Heng Tais (brothers) and it was my first experience as well. It was pretty interesting because we all had to suit up in Power Rangers outfit *lol* Definitely something for me to remember in 2014.
If this is my final entry for 2014, I wish you all a great year ahead in 2015. Come to think of it, I still remember my resolution for 2014 but only done like 10% of it. Looks like 2015 will be an affirmation for my 2014’s resolution 😀 Happy new year to my readers and thank you for supporting me all this while.
Spend time with my siblings playing FIFA 15 on the Xbox One in Singapore. I’m surprised my younger brother is pretty good in the game.
Tiffany Yong enjoyed more of Annie 2014 than I did. The chemistry was lacking and it didn’t carry enough emotional impact like it did for me when I saw the original Annie.
Had a good dinner with Singapore bloggers Renzze (aka Karen) and Raphael at Le Steak. I suggest to order the lamb rack.
Guess who I bumped into? Oprah Winfrey 😀 … But at Madam Tuassaud’s ho ho ho
A great catch up with Yazid in Singapore. Thanks for the advanced gift bro. I shall see you in January InsyaAllah.
I didn’t foresee this coming at Orchard Road and this was taken an hour after December turned 25th.
I caught PeterPan Musical Broadway at Resorts World Sentosa. My verdict: Only a 7. Winnie enjoyed it more and it was also her first musical show experience.
The headlines to remind the public for future incidents
The Krispy Kreme colour trademark matches my Adidas outfit 😀
Congratulations Terence and Mel 😀
The missing plane AirAsia flight QZ8501
My final toastmasters meeting of 2014 at UBD last night
My first Heng Tai experience at #trickyjotowedding Check out the hashtag on IG for more updates.
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Appreciate your loved ones
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Free labour charge on repairs for Peugeot. Click image to enter website to find out more.
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Review of Annie 2014 starring Rano Iskandar with special guest Singapore blogger Tiffany Yong
Review of The Hobbit: The Battle of The Five Armies. Starring Rano Iskandar with his regular co-host @delgoh
I’ve bumped to him occasionally during my coverages and it was a shock to hear of the tragic news. Syazwan Yussof (1994-2014). Al-Fatihah. Image courtesy of @hamiqie278
I was shocked after learning of the passing of a young guy that I got acquainted with two years ago. Only 20 years old and he has departed us after a fatal car accident two days ago. I didn’t know he was working for The Brunei Times as a photographer and I always sense his desire to take photo of events from time to time.
Jenazah (funeral) prayers were held at his home in Kampung Salambigar before he was laid to rest at the Kg Salambigar Mosque cemetery.
A tahlil ceremony will be held in his memory last night at The Brunei Times headquarters, Wisma Haji Mohd Taha, Jalan Gadong, Bandar Seri Begawan. Syazwan is survived by his parents, Hj Yussof Hj Baha and Hjh Halimah Hj Abidin, as well as his three younger siblings. My deepest condolences goes to his family, relatives and friends and I also feel your loss @waneewano. He is in good hands now. Al-Fatihah.
The long queue at BIBD ATM Hua Ho Manggis during the bonus day last Monday. Image taken by the late Syazwan Yussof of The Brunei Times.
Bank Islam Brunei Darussalam (BIBD) is pleased to announce to all of its customers and partners that all of its banking operations, including its BIBD counter operations, have resumed its normal operations as of this afternoon.
Hajah Noraini Haji Sulaiman, BIBD Deputy Managing Director, conveyed her deepest regrets for the service interruptions that were experienced and sincerely apologised.
She further added “Alhamdulilah, we have resumed operations this afternoon as our system was fully restored allowing all our customers to our full range of services. As a growing bank, we understand you expect more from us and we will continue to work harder to meet those expectations. We will also work diligently to ensure that this occasion remains a one-off.”
The main batch processing system encountered unexpected issues that resulted in significant delays in completing the end of day processes. This has forced the Bank to close its branch operations and resulted in intermittent disruptions to the Bank’s alternative channels – Automated Teller Machines (ATMs), Cash Deposit Machines (CDMs), Cheque Deposit Machines (CQMs), BIBD Online and Mobile services, and also the Debit card services.
As part of BIBD’s strategic plans for business growth, the Bank is upgrading its main hardware infrastructure, which will be completed in early 2015. This will support the growth plan and strengthen the technical capabilities to ensure that similar disruptions will not recur. BIBD continues to reassure the disruptions did not affect any customer data, and banking information remains secure and protected.
For any enquiries, customers can contact our Contact Centre at 223 8181.
A resident of Kampung Keroh, Kelantan, uses a water tank to save himself as flood waters continue to rise. Image courtesy of Bernama.
This is another tragedy in Malaysia as more than 90,000 people were displaced due to the flood. Kelantan had the highest number of evacuees at 32,343, followed by Terengganu (28,991), Pahang (24,316), Perak (4,335) and Perlis (265).You can read more of the details here.
One of the popular hotels in Pahang, Mutiara Taman Negera Resort, was affected by the flood. A lot of tourists were stranded and they had to use helicopters to rescue them.
Torrential downpours have wrecked havoc on local transport systems and communication lines, making it tougher for rescue wor-kers to do their job. Most overland public transport services have been disrupted following severe floods which hit the East Coast and northern peninsular states.
My prayers to those affected by the flood and I hope my friends and relatives are safe there.
Some of the 102 foreign and domestic tourists evacuated from the Mutiara Taman Negara Resort in Malaysia’s state of Pahang, upon their arri-val at a shelter in Kuala Tahan yesterday. Image courtesy of Bernama.
An aerial view of flooded houses in the Terengganu’s coastal town of Kemaman. Image courtesy of Bernama.
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Pop Mee
Yesterday’s queue at Tanjung Bunut. It’s bonus time and most of the salaries are from BIBD if I’m not mistaken. Good thing I’m not in Brunei right now. Image courtesy of Jason Rumpun.
The scene taken last night and maybe this is no coincidence that there was such a queue of this magnitude. The happiest bunch are definitely the kids. A great payoff session. Image courtesy of @serirabakri
Now where can you make use of your bonus? Of course, the current ongoing Brunei Salebration. However, I opted to shop outside of Brunei because of the varieties it can offer and also with great discounts everywhere. Furthermore, I’m more into the quality it offers. This is one of the shops in Singapore that has discounts up to 50% on their clothes and apparels.
From BIBD: Dear Valued Customers,
Kindly be informed all BIBD branches will be closed today due to technical problems.
BIBD is working hard to resolve this delay and customers are encouraged to use other banking channels such as ATMs, CDMs, BIBD Online, BIBD Mobile and BIBD Cards which is operating as normal.
We apologise for the inconvenience caused and we thank you for your patience and understanding in this matter. Do follow their Facebook Page or @bibdbrunei instagram for updates.
Friday, 19th December 2014 marks the end of Times Square’s 7th Mini Carnival that was ongoing for 15 days since 5th December 2014.
The 7th Mini Carnival at Times Square Shopping Centre which was held in conjunction with the school holiday, featured several fun games such as the popular Balloon Popper, Ball Toss, Basketball Arcade Machines, Skee Ball, Mini Golf, Shooting Penguin, Shift Unleashed 2 and the Bouncer. Customers were able to win prizes simply by collecting coupons from playing any of the games at the carnival. The event was made more festive with stage activities such as Guess That Soundtrack!, Musical Chairs, Random Race Challenges and a lot more.
Times Square Shopping Centre also made the carnival merrier with the celebration of its 4th Anniversary since it opened in 2010 with a cake cutting ceremony and appearance by the mascots on 19th December at 8pm. The management had a warm celebration with their valued tenants and customers where they extended their gratitude for supporting Times Square Shopping Centre since the day it opened. Present to grace the cake cutting were the general manager, Amal Majidah and marketing manager, Lim Yee Liang.
2014 at Times Square will close with the Year End Exhibition that will begin on the 27th December 2014 until 4th January 2015. So stay tuned with future fun activities that will be held in Times Square Shopping Centre and get updated with all of Times Square’s events by following us on Facebook or Instagram as well as our website at tsqbrunei.com
For further information, please call 2338208 or 2338006. Image and press release courtesy of Times Square.
Pg Salleh Ab Rahaman Pg Hj Damit, advisor of D’Sunlit Sdn Bhd and Christopher Chee, General Manager of D’Sunlit with the partners for Consumer Fair 2015. Image courtesy of Azli Azney of The Brunei Times.
Hj Md Kamarul Azaman Hj Ajimain, Marketing Officer of BIBD and Pg Salleh Ab Rahaman Pg Hj Damit, advisor of D’Sunlit Sdn Bhd. Image courtesy of Azli Azney of The Brunei Times.
D’Sunlit Sdn Bhd put pen to paper yesterday at its office in the Beribi Industrial and inked agreements with 16 event partners for the 15th edition of the popular consumer fair.
Scheduled for January 28 until February 1 next year at the International Convention Centre in Berakas, the fair is sanctioned by the Ministry of Industry and Primary Resources and will feature local business as well as businesses from countries such as Malaysia, Iran, China and Singapore.
A wide array of products ranging from food and beverages to fashion and technology will be on display at 430 booths that will be there at the fair.
Signing on behalf of D’Sunlit was its advisor, Pg Salleh Ab Rahaman Pg Hj Damit, witnessed by the General Manager of D’Sunlit, Christopher Chee.
Signing on behalf of Bank Islam Brunei Darussalam (BIBD) was Marketing Officer Hj Md Kamarul Azaman Hj Ajimain, while signing on behalf of Kingston Beverage and Creamery Sdn Bhd was Sales Executive Davis Wee. Logistic Director of Syarikat Perniagaan Malar Setia Chee Wah Lim was the signatory on behalf of the company.
Signing on behalf of the event partners were representatives from Brunei Press Sdn Bhd, Oregon Systems, IBIC Sdn Bhd, RIPAS Hospital, Braun Sdn Bhd, Ho Tai Company Sdn Bhd and MagicLee Entertainment.
During the five-day fair, various activities such as a unique theme park, lucky draws, and entertainment for children will be held as well as charitable activities such as a blood donation drive. For more on what to expect about the upcoming fair, visit www.bruneiconsumerfair.com or contact D’Sunlit Marketing Department at 2453666. Text courtesy of Azli Azney of The Brunei Times.
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The Highlight Reel
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Review of Annie 2014 starring Rano Iskandar with special guest Singapore blogger Tiffany Yong
With 2014 almost ending, I have to say that my year has been fabulous. Normally you will hear familiar things such as having a roller coaster year but if we do end of high note and feel at the present, very likely tend to forget the bad days and sum up the year to be much better than previous year. I haven’t been blogging as I’m currently taking time off for a bit and spending my holidays in Singapore to cap off another awesome year.
So how do I rate my 2014? Honestly it was one of the best years I had in many years. For many reasons but I won’t be sharing all my best moments with you, only some. Maybe the most exciting part for 2014 was able to travel to places like Seoul and Moscow. Well, I didn’t expect to fly to Moscow but Seoul was one of my sought places to travel. I would like to thank you Harley Davidson for bringing me to Seoul for and also to MOE and Bluebox Services for making my Russia trip possible. Where will 2015 bring me? For sure, I have set a date to fly to Manila and guess what? The Philippines is the only ASEAN country that I have yet to travel. Surprise, surprise.
This year, I also truly appreciative of my close friends and my new found ones. It’s true that the closer ones tend to be the most challenging ones because of the level of expectations I have on them. These expectations have been making my relationship with my buddies challenging for many years. Somehow, this year, I feel much lighter than before and I was able to feel much freedom rather than feeling suffocated with my negative thoughts (with having a thought that I’m not enough for them). This year, I’m truly grateful for my strong bonding relationship with my close buddies and you know who you are.
I can’t believe that I actually made it to Moscow, Russia, this year and it was an unexpected journey. This is one of the highlights of 2014 as I hardly travel to Europe and secondly, having a ICI document (passport for Brunei PRs), it will be tricky to travel to European countries.
Since the first picture was taken at Burger King Moscow, let me share with you my favourite snack of 2014 – Burger King’s Taro Pie. Not the one that Gladys is biting but the one on her left hand 😀 Did you know Taro Pie was sold out? But I’m glad it was re-stocked to the delight of Burger King fans.
My other highlight was my Seoul trip back in May 2014. I was happy that Harley Davidson chose me to represent the social media for Brunei. In this picture, Alice and I were at the Trick Eye Museum (adult version) in Seoul.
We had a mini dress up competition at Harley Davidson Headquarters at Seoul. This is the first time I bumped into Malaysian celebrity Michele Lee, a presenter of Football Overload.
One of the reasons I’ve been flying out is for the personal growth workshop sessions I have been attending which has been ongoing for many years. The best part of this journey is rediscovering the strengths in terms of my mental and emotional state. Sometimes you will never know what kind of breakthroughs you will have along the way and I’m blessed to have a great environment around me and mixing with the right crowd too. I’ve never seen the core team so committed with their vision of empowering and making this world a better place to live.
Who would have thought my love for toastmasters grown so immensely after rejoining back as a member after a three year hiatus? Of course, all of this was reignited by my close buddy but along the way, I found my core value within myself as a toastmaster and that is to contribute and be a better leader. People who are not aware will think that toastmasters are just platform for good speakers. It’s more than just that. It’s to nurture and give the members and guests a chance to learn something about public speaking at all levels from beginners to advanced speakers.
Speaking of toastmasters, I’m totally impressed with one of my friends, Amran, who has improved immensely as a speaker and a leader and he is a truly a role model for many. He unexpectedly won also his first Table Topics last week and for someone who was so shy to speak in public last year, we have seen such tremendous change. One of my best highlights of 2014 was my mid-year trip to Kuala Lumpur for the Toastmasters International Convention to witness one of our members of Brunei Speakers’ Club to represent our club and District 87 in the International Speech Contest finals. Awesome!!!!! My aim next year to join the contest for International Speech category. This year, I managed to bag 3rd place in the Speech Evaluation Contest *surprised* while I gained experienced in the Humourous Speech Contest.
For the first time in many years, I enjoyed this year’s summer movies as compared to previous years. From Godzilla to Dawn of the Planet of the Apes to Guardian of the Galaxy and finishing off with one of the biggest blockbuster for Bruneil, Yasmine the movie, locally produced by Origin Films. Yes, I’m a movie buff and my love for movie will hardly fade away. I’m also happy that my podcast movie review has been a success for this year and for those, who have been listening and downloading the podcast, thank you so much. The popular podcasts for The Popcorn Panel for 2014 is Yasmine (almost 1,000 listened), Big Hero 6 (650) and Transformers 4 (580). Because of The Popcorn Panel, you will hardly see a written movie review on my blog. I shall be blogging more on my reviews by next year so you will have two mediums of my actual review of the movies. Overall, a great movie experience for 2014. Do watch out for my Top 10 movies of 2014 early in January 2015.
This year, I met a bunch of new friends during my travels. Though English is a language for them but we still managed to converse. Life is full of unexpected beginnings.
What more can I say? We all cross path back in 2009 and it was always great to look back at older pictures and remind what great friendship I have made with my friends. Though Winnie has left for Penang, the friendship still remains solid.
Toastmasters is another avenue to learn and grow as a leader and also support one another in a conducive environment. These are my toastmasters buddies and this was taken during the Toastmasters International Convention 2014 in Kuala Lumpur. One of the top 3 highlights of my 2014 indeed.
After slacking off in Year 2011 for Toastmasters, I rejoined back in June 2014 and began doing my speeches. This was my third speech manual (CC3) which was entitled “The Art of Showmanship” where I impersonated The Rock and talked about how much of an entertainment WWE (or wrestling) is.
Early in March, I went to Singapore to catch both Hollywood stars starring in The Amazing Spider-man to promote Earth Hour in Singapore. This shows how much I’m a big fan of movies and I even had the privilege to catch a special preview screening of The Amazing Spider-Man 2 in Singapore.
My love for WWE might have faded. Maybe because the WWE universe isn’t as exciting as before. My urge to catch RAW on Tuesday also has faded. Regardless of my less interest in WWE, I was more than excited to catch WWE Live in Kuala Lumpur. Ironically I had an invitation to catch John Cena live during a press conference and I’m not much of a John Cena fan. I managed to ask a question to him personally with regards to the title achievement in comparison with Ric Flair. The overall experience was awesome because I finally get up close and personal to a WWE Superstar. The wrestling show itself was full of adrenalin and that is purely due to the engaging crowd at Indoor Stadium. Let’s hope for another WWE in Asia and I won’t mind booking another flight to catch one.
Finally, to finish off a wonderful 2014 is my renovated room which has been so messy and old-school for the past 20 years. I didn’t spend that much on the renovation but more on spending on new furniture such as my single bed (though it has yet to be assembled in my room lol) and I have a new wardrobe area. The only item that hasn’t been completed is the extension of my bedroom to another room (office area). The new feel has made my environment more conducive and I feel so much better that I don’t have the feeling of suffocating and constrained. The extra space in my room does make a difference and I feel much more like home. There are still a few tweaking to do here and there. Other than that, I’m more than happy of my current room. Maybe you can try and renovate your room and see how your energy will be for the next few months. Oh, by the way, I dispelled the rumours that people thought I was gonna get married just because I was renovating my room.
There are many more I wanna share and I shall leave it for here. I won’t be recapping my 2014 in monthly formats but I will be highlighting the happenings in general and how it has impacted the country and myself overall. Thank you for all my friends who have been the change agent in my life. My advice: Always focus on the positive aspect of your journey while those negative ones, well, either you change your perspective of your thoughts or simply ignore the negative (though that’s tough as we are human beings).
Too surreal to be true.. I was only yards away from WWE Superstar John Cena who paid a visit to Kuala Lumpur back in August. Thank you so much for the opportunity though I didn’t like his guts so much but he does have important values such as supporting the breast cancer awareness campaign.
Though my room is incomplete in terms of renovation, the newly look has made me feel much more lighter and I feel more energized whenever I wake up or do my work. So do renovate your room because it can make a difference energy wise and a much more conducive environment.
Check out the C Class at Jati Transport Showroom
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The Holiday Mode sinking in
Review of The Hobbit: The Battle of The Five Armies. Starring Rano Iskandar with his regular co-host @delgoh
15 competitors from Busiido Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) Club scored a total of 32 medals at the recent BJJ and Submission Grappling Headhunters Challenge in Sabah.
The team, which included 2 women, and 2 competitors in the kid’s category, from the club’s fledgling kids program. Over the two day competition, which had gi and no gi components, the club scored 10 gold medals, 7 silver, and 15 bronze.
According to Assistant Head Coach Danny Gapar, who led the contingent, the club had been preparing for the last 3 months for the competition. Part of their preparations included inviting BJJ black belt Alexsandro “Leke” Machado to conduct a three-day BJJ seminar which included intense preparation for the competitors.
“I’m pleased with the overall performance of the team in this competition. It just goes to show that the growth and standard of BJJ in Brunei is steadily rising,” he said. “Everyone has been working hard, training 6-7 times a week, preparing for this. A few of the fighters have cut weight to go down a weight category, and there were a few who were competing for the first time,” he said further.
“This is also the first time we featured kids in any competition, as our kids programme is fairly young, having been established in the past year, so it will continue to improve.”
Busiido Mixed Martial Arts is based in Kiarong. More information about the club can be found on their Facebook page and instagram account : Facebook.com/BusiidoBJJ
It’s such a pity this performance has officially been canceled in Brunei Darussalam
[Quote from Magiclee Entertainment]: Dear all Brunei Sungha fans,
We regret to inform you that Sungha Jung performance is now officially canceled due to the show not being approved by MoHA and even after we re-apply to mention about the fan base that are waiting for him anxiously, the results were still the same.
We would like to sincerely apologize to you as it is not something we anticipated as we have been looking forward to the event as much as all his fans.
Nevertheless, all of those who have purchased tickets will be refunded, due to our current event we are busy with, we will be proceeding the ticket refunds starting the 5th of January 2015.
We will announce the location of where you can get your tickets refunded. Sorry for the inconvenience caused.
The announcement will be done through this fan page. Thank you. Dated: 16th December 2014 [End quote].
For more information, you can visit Magiclee Entertainment Facebook page for more updates especially on the refunds.
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Loving Malacca
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This is my second time in Melaka but my second time experience was better because I really enjoyed the surroundings around the hotel I was staying. The name of the hotel was Casa Del Rio and truly enjoyed my stay there. I highly recommend to those visiting to give this hotel a shot.
The view from my balcony. Awesome sight especially when night falls.
How it looks during the day
I love the room at Casa Del Rio. It’s bigger and super cosy too.
The pool is smaller though but I truly enjoy just lying down and appreciating the surroundings and you can get the view of the river from the top.
The most well known Baba Cendol. Highly recommended in Malacca.
The laksa is also not bad as well
Another popular thing in Malacca is the rickshaw
The riders will design their rickshaws with Frozen or Hello Kitty items to attract attention. This is one case that I thought was Frozen over-kikk
Posing with Tungie. He’s such an amazing friend.
You will be amazed how beautiful Malacca is. I don’t mind coming back here again next year.
Malacca was also known for its hub in the olden days when they had European colonies then who used Malacca as a center for trade through shipping
I recognized our family number car in Malacca
Another amazing crazy buddy, Seigo, who I insist in purchasing a Mac-Air because he keeps using his old notebook that needs a powerpoint to boot up his computer. Tsk Tsk.
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4 in 1?
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Sanjok Moktan with the management of Olive Tree Company and Sanjok’s friend Edwin Liew (far right)
Pizza Hut Brunei inked a sponsorship contract for Professional golfer, Sanjok Moktan on 10th December 2014 for his 2015 ASEAN PGA tour with a “commitment to help an individual relishing his dream.”
Sanjok Moktan grew up in Brunei, and started the sport of golf at 16 after being inspired by his father. Following his passion, he decided to pursue a professional license in 2010 under the “Professional Golfers Association of the Philippines” (PGAP). Costly tournaments have limited him to only 6 ASEAN PGA appearances within the last 3 years, limiting his advancement to ASIAN PGA tournaments.
His notable talent and ambition had caught the attention of Pizza Hut Brunei, and Mr Johnny Liew, Managing Director of Olive Tree Corporation decided to sponsor Moktan. Liew has a further vision to grow the local sports scene in the community.
In their part to giving back to the community and contribute to that vision, Pizza Hut Brunei and Moktan plan to host golf clinics for the youth.
“I played a lot of sports and took an instant liking to golf; it was like an instinctive call from my competitive side. Golf taught me more about myself, made me more aware of my mental state. With gold it’s more of a mental game. When you’re hitting a shot, it’s not like any other sport. Golf is an individual competition, you can do it for yourself.
Moktan is looking forward to participating in the upcoming ASEAN PGA tournaments such as the Sabah Master in Kota Kinabalu, PGM – ASEAN PGA in Port Dickson, Borobodur Classic Presented by Jababeka & OB Golf in Indonesia.
The signing ceremony
Sanjok Moktan ready to swing for success
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Brunei will introduce marriage cards for Muslim couples as part of its new e-Syariah Court Management System.
Hj Hassan Hj Metali, Acting Chief Registrar at the Syariah Appeal Court, yesterday said a pair of marriage cards will be issued to every newlywed couple once the e-Syariah Court Management System is up and running in the next two years.
The cards will be the same size as identification cards, enabling Muslim couples to carry their proof of marriage with greater convenience.
“With the marriage cards, couples can easily show their proof of wedlock when needed. For example, if there is an inspection or ambush carried out by law enforcement, marriage cards will be accepted to prove the couple is married,” explained Hj Hassan.
Under the newly-enforced Syariah Penal Code Order, unmarried couples face heavy penalties for crimes such as khalwat.
Unmarried Muslim couples who live together or are caught in close proximity will be fined as much as $4,000, handed a jail term of up to a year or both under Section 196. Any non-Muslim involved in khalwat with a Muslim will also face the same punishment.
The Brunei Government and local IT firm ZimacSilicon Technologies Sdn Bhd yesterday signed a six-year contract worth $1.75 million for the implementation and maintenance of the e-Syariah Court Management System. To read more, you can click here. Soure: Rabiatul Kamit of The Brunei Times.
A sample of a marriage card from Malaysia if I’m not mistaken
Though this initiative is favourable by the Syariah Appeal Court, my suggestion would be to integrate the data into one smart card where the information of the person can be stored in current so called Smart Card Identity Card.
The enforcers will have a device that can simply scan the Smart ID card and all the information even on marriage and his or her spouse picture will appear.
We already have a similar card for Driving Licence and now a marriage card, on top of the must have Identity Card. Who knows one day in the future that all government agencies can work together to make our wallets more room for other essential stuffs 😀
In conjunction with the World AIDS Day 2014, Jerudong Park Medical Centre (JPMC) together with Brunei Press Sdn Bhd recently organised a photo contest that was open to members of the public.
The photo contest that was held from the 26th November to 9th December 2014 highlighted the theme of the World AIDS Day- ‘Getting To Zero’ and represent ‘Healthy Lifestyle’ images.
Today, all entries received from the photo contest were presented for judging.
Judges for the photo contest including Dato Dr Isham Jaafar; Executive and Medical Director of JPMC, Hazizah Osman; Deputy General Manager of Brunei Press, Suzie Houng; Senior Manager- Finance & Operations of Brunei Press as well as Ak Danny; Marketing Officer of JPMC were present at the event.
‘We are pleased with the response received from members of the public. This is a great platform for the photography enthusiasts to showcase their artistic skills and to be inspired by the recognition they gain through this event’, said Ak Danny.
During the selection process, various aspects were also considered by all the judges including creative interpretation of theme, message impact, execution, impression and focus.
Dato Dr Isham Jaafar; Executive and Medical Director of JPMC, Hazizah Osman; Deputy General Manager of Brunei Press, Suzie Houng; Senior Manager- Finance & Operations of Brunei Press, Hamdi Metussin of Mixmediaworx and Ak Danny; Marketing Officer of JPMC
The grand prize winner will be receiving a Canon EOS 700D Kit (18-55mm), BND500 cash prize, one year JPMC Gym membership as well as Canon cap and power bank.
The second prize winner will receive a BND 300 cash prize and six months JPMC Gym membership along with Canon cap and power bank.
Meanwhile, the third prize winner will receive BND200, three months gym membership and Canon cap and power bank.
Fourth and fifth place winners will each receive BND100 and 1 month JPMC Gym membership along with Canon cap and power bank.
Winners of the photo contest will be announced in Borneo Bulletin and Media Permata soon.
The World AIDS Day photo contest is in collaboration with Brunei Press Sdn Bhd and is supported by Manning Jaya Trading (B) Sdn Bhd, Interhouse Company, Mc Quipp Technisell Marketing Sdn Bhd, Medicorp Sdn Bhd and JPMC Fitness Centre.
Sungha Jung Live in Brunei has been postponed according to Sungha Jung Official Facebook Page. It’s not a surprised such event will go through difficulties especially in Brunei. Let’s hope it’s not canceled and the next tentative date will be early February 2015
Taken from Sungha Jung Official Facebook Page
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Marriage cards
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Brunei will introduce marriage cards for Muslim couples as part of its new e-Syariah Court Management System.
Hj Hassan Hj Metali, Acting Chief Registrar at the Syariah Appeal Court, yesterday said a pair of marriage cards will be issued to every newlywed couple once the e-Syariah Court Management System is up and running in the next two years.
The cards will be the same size as identification cards, enabling Muslim couples to carry their proof of marriage with greater convenience.
“With the marriage cards, couples can easily show their proof of wedlock when needed. For example, if there is an inspection or ambush carried out by law enforcement, marriage cards will be accepted to prove the couple is married,” explained Hj Hassan.
Under the newly-enforced Syariah Penal Code Order, unmarried couples face heavy penalties for crimes such as khalwat.
Unmarried Muslim couples who live together or are caught in close proximity will be fined as much as $4,000, handed a jail term of up to a year or both under Section 196. Any non-Muslim involved in khalwat with a Muslim will also face the same punishment.
The Brunei Government and local IT firm ZimacSilicon Technologies Sdn Bhd yesterday signed a six-year contract worth $1.75 million for the implementation and maintenance of the e-Syariah Court Management System. To read more, you can click here. Soure: Rabiatul Kamit of The Brunei Times.
 
A sample of a marriage card from Malaysia if I’m not mistaken
Though this initiative is favourable by the Syariah Appeal Court, my suggestion would be to integrate the data into one smart card where the information of the person can be stored in current so called Smart Card Identity Card.
The enforcers will have a device that can simply scan the Smart ID card and all the information even on marriage and his or her spouse picture will appear.
We already have a similar card for Driving Licence and now a marriage card, on top of the must have Identity Card. Who knows one day in the future that all government agencies can work together to make our wallets more room for other essential stuffs 😀
 
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Giving it back
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For many years, our team have been very active in supporting one NGOs in Siem Reap, Cambodia. Last week, we dropped by ODA which is also known as Opportunities of Development thru Art and it was founded by Mr. Leng who had a real vision of helping the underprivileged kids especially the orphans in providing a happier childhood and also preparing them mentally, physically and emotionally in the harsh environment of Cambodia in the future. ODA also believes in providing education and creativity (through arts) where they will one day able to give back to the community and also earning for a living.
I’ve met Mr. Leng back in 2011 and I learnt about how ODA came about. Fast forward to this year, I learnt more about the past of Mr. Leng. It was truly a touching story and I salute his vision in actually making things happen rather than just walk the talk. The ODA residence have developed so much for the luxury of the orphans and now it stands at least 30 orphans residing at ODA residence.
Our friends managed to raise at least USD 4,000 last week and that many will be able to sustain food supply for the orphans to last the whole year. Amazing!! Some of the monies that we raised for them last year was also pumped in for creating and maintaing the mini plant farm they had nearby their residence. So in the future, they will be able to make some money by selling vegetables.
Mr. Leng has other strength and that is he’s creative in the painting department. He used to good effect where he trained the orphans to draw and paint. From there, their paintings will be made for display at the mini art display room where outsiders can buy. It’s also one way for the orphans to earn a living at a very young age.
Thank you, Mr. Leng for the eye opener and a constant reminder that about gratitude, appreciation and contribution. Truly honoured to be part of your community in contribution and to see how much growth ODA have gone through in just a space of a few years.
ODA is located not far from Angkor Wat and I’m pretty sure if you want pay ODA a visit, you can ask the tuk-tuk driver to send you there.
It’s always an honour to help Leng’s NGO called ODA – Opportunities of Development thru Art which helps to sustain the cost of living of the orphans in Siem Reap, Cambodia through means of selling their artwork.
Some of the amazing artworks the orphans drew and they are for sale.
The community connecting with the orphans and asking their experience as an artist
We also donated food for the orphans
Pat came a few months ago and the Cambodian kids still recognised her. It’s amazing to see the growth of the kids under this particular NGO.
Michelle and I came here a few years ago and we are back here again and so much have really changed and improved at ODA.
Our friends also helped to build the mini farm a few months ago and it’s shaping to be pretty good after another visit a few days ago. Some of the donations were also pumped into this mini project which can create opportunities for the orphans at ODA.
The man behind ODA, Mr. Leng, who is a certified art trainer and he trains the orphans to draw which is such an amazing idea. I truly salute his passion and commitment to help the orphans in Cambodia and he also created an avenue to study for the under privilege locals especially the kids.
It was a nice sight to his plight for the students to get their uniforms was a success
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Angkor Wat Half Marathon 2014
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Will I take part in next year’s Angkor Wat Half Marathon? Tempting. This year, I only came as a spectator and taking some photos 😀
I didn’t expect myself to actually witness a marathon at Angkor Wat itself. It was just coincidental that the Angkor Wat Marathon happened when I was still in Siem Reap, Cambodia. I did also bumped into two Bruneians there and I wished I was part of the spectacular event. Then again, I shall wait until next year as it will be the 20th edition of the Angkor Wat Marathon.
I also wanted to catch the sun rise over at Angkor Wat but I was lucky enough as it was kinda cloudy as well. Catching a near perfect sunrise there is pretty tricky. You just need to try your luck and it will be gone in a matter of minutes if you happen to catch one.
Nearly 8,000 runners participated in the event and that’s like more than double of Brunei’s normal marathon event. There are more than 78 countries participating in the marathon ranging from 3km, 10km to 21km categories. Back in 1996, there were only 654 runners from 14 countries.
For the first time ever, a Cambodian won the half marathon for the men’s category while a Singaporean won the 21km ladies’ category.
I came as early as 4:30am to get my tickets for Angkor Wat which costs a minimum of USD 20 which entitles you to a one day pass
The bag deposit area
It was great to see a full moon before the sunrise
Getting ready for the race
The only sunrise moment I could capture then
Really inspiring to see them participated in the 21km race
There were quite a few of them too
I was videoing the beginning of the race. I didn’t realise how many 21km runners there were and the video lasted over 5 minutes…..
I wonder if he survived the whole run in that suit
This is how they prepared the balloons
The bald lady told me she caught me taking a photo of them on the bike *lol*
Woohoo.. Nice to see a Bruneian flag there
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The Department of Co-Curriculum Education is set to hold “Century Run 2015” in January next year to celebrate the 100th year of formal education in the country and also to raise funds.
Director of Co-Curriculum Education of the Ministry of Education, Pg Suhaimi Pg Hj Bakar, briefed the media of the overall “Century Run” plan in a press conference recently at the Department of Co-Curriculum Education building in Lambak.
Pg Suhaimi said that “Century Run 2015” would replace the annual walkathon. He said the event, set on January 11, 2015 at the Haji Sir Muda Omar Ali Saifuddien Park, would be bigger and more fun-filled to bring together the officers and staff of the ministry in marking the 100 years of formal education and Teachers’ Day.
The Ministry of Education also aims for their officers and staff to strengthen their relationships.
Furthermore, the run also aims to raise awareness about the importance of a healthy body through exercises and to help reduce obesity among public servants and citizens of the Sultanate.
Another novelty for the “Century Run” is that this would be the first time in a decade where the participants would be asked to pay to be able to join.
Winners will also be awarded with medals.
Since the sporting event will be a fund-raiser, other ministries, prominent individuals, private groups and the general public are invited to contribute in the run.
Contributions from the participating runner will range from $20 to $30, depending on the category selected by the contributors.
The raised funds will be donated to Pusat Ehsan Al-Ameerah Hajah Maryam.
The run will have seven categories: open male and female running ten kilometres and will cost B$30, veteran male and female (45 years old and above) running five kilometres and will have to contribute $25, junior male and female (15 years old and below) running five kilometres and also has to be shell out $25, and a fun run for both male and female running three kilometres and will have to contibute $20.
Registration for the run is available on the website and fee should be paid before December 11 at the Department of Co-Curriculum offices in the four districts: Muara, Tutong, Belait and Temburong.
For more info, you can visit their website here. Text courtesy of The Brunei Times.
For Brunei Muara, the registration will open during lunch hours
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