The Minister of Energy (c)witnessing the agreement between the scholars and Yves Grosjean, TOTAL E&P Borneo B V’s General Manager. Photo courtesy of Al-Haadi.

TOTAL E&P Borneo B V will soon be sending its first batch of Bruneian Scholars to France this year under the company’s education scholarship scheme, following the signing of agreement between the scholars and the firm last Tuesday.

Yesterday’s signing ceremony, which was witnessed by the Minister of Energy at the Yang Berhormat Pehin Datu Singamanteri Colonel (Rtd) Dato Seri Setia (Dr) Hj Mohd Yasmin Hj Umar, Energy Minister at the Prime Minister’s Office, will see the Sultanate’s scholars to undertake their higher education for the French energy giant.

In his welcoming remarks, Total General Manager Yves Grosjean yesterday said that the Total Education Scholarship Scheme is a result of the cooperation between Total E&P Deep Offshore Borneo B V together with partners to the Commercial Area Joint Venture and the Energy Department of the Prime Minister’s Office, along with the support by PetroleumBRUNEI.

Under this scholarship programme, he said, the students will be given the opportunity to undergo their undergraduate studies at top universities in France, continue their postgraduate studies, and eventually offered an international working experience.

“The six-year programme will include a one-year intensive French language course, followed by a five-year undergraduate degree and post-graduate programme in a country well known for its excellence in engineering education,” he said.

He also said that the scholarship will allow successful candidates to gain international work experience in some of Total’s global offices or any other organisation related in their field.

Yves Grosjean spoke on his welcoming remarks. Photo courtesy of Al-Haadi.

Heather Lim received her award. Image courtesy of fmBrunei

Mohd Abd Malik Mahyuddin received his award. Image courtesy of fmBrunei

All the five TOTAL scholars. Congratulations!! Image courtesy of fmBrunei

Group photo with the guest of honour, TOTAL and the scholars. Photo courtesy of Al-Haadi

Total introduced its first scholarship scheme for Bruneians earlier this year, where five candidates were successfully chosen out of a pool of about 30 applicants by a panel comprising various organisations and agencies, including the Energy Department at the Prime Minister’s Office.

The candidates are Mohd Abd Malik Mahyuddin, Mohd Aizat Hj Hamidun, Chantelle Phung, Heather Lim and Chua Yi Sern all of who are aged 19.

Grosjean said that granting the scholarships to Bruneians also enhances the ties between Brunei and France, and between Total and Brunei.

Speaking with journalists following the signing, YB Pehin Dato Hj Mohd Yasmin lauded Total’s initiative towards human capital development and also providing career opportunities for local talents.

Sharing how the scholarship came about, the Minister explained during an official dinner in France, when the President of Total Asia Pacific Jean Marie Guillermou had a conversation with MINDEF (Ministry of Defence) scholars studying in a top French university, that Guillermou was impressed with the scholars fluency in French.

“Guillermou then approached me and asked if we could bring produce more Brunei scholars in France, and that Total will be providing scholarships to give opportunities to young Bruneians. Since then we have been discussing about the scholarship with Total,” he said. “So we can see that there are a lot of young talented Bruneians that can do well internationally. We have proved it with the MINDEF scholars, and there’s no reason why we cannot prove it with new scholars under Total which we have just signed an agreement with.” Text courtesy of Al-Haadi Abu Bakar of The Brunei Times

This was taken a few months back when TOTAL announced the scholarship scheme

The open day was held at The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf few months back

Muhd Aizat attended the Open Day and now he’s a scholar

You should try this out

The photo shoot session took place at Jen Studio

Brunei’s leading online food directory for Ramadhan, LoveFoodHateWaste (LFHW), is back again!! Today, the team has grown bigger by involving a few key players to make LFHW more exciting than before.

When LFHW (http://www.lovefoodhatewaste.org) was introduced in Ramadhan three years ago, the response was overwhelming and to date, the website has generated 1/4 of million hits. Co-founders of LFHW, Pg Syahreen Metassan and I, believe that there will at least a 10-15% increase in readership from last year.

LFHW also have other team members to assist during Ramdhan – Angel Choo Tze Hui, another food enthusiast and another popular blogger, Reeda Malik of Anakbrunei.org. br />
The idea of the food directory is to make browsing easy for the public with regard to the available choices of delicacies offered by restaurants and cafes throughout the country which is updated regularly. Readers can also post constructive comments to further improve the food service and quality of the respective restaurants and cafes.

LFHW will be issuing two editions of LFHW’s newsletter. The first edition will be released by the 1st week of Ramadhan while the 2nd issue will be released on 3rd of week of Ramadhan. This is the first time that a newsletter edition is being introduced and this is to cater to those who prefer hard copies for reference. In the newsletter, there will be advertorials and advertisements of some restaurants and cafes as well as listings of the restaurants at the back of the newsletter.

We appeared in today’s The Brunei Times

Mr. Kurapak giving some pointers

During the press conference for LFHW and thanks to all those attended especially the local media

Group photo with the sponsors and partners for this year’s LFHW

I can’t wait for coverage of restaurants and cafes this year. This picture is taken from the new ice bar in town – Shinobu

M. Hana Bakery is already having orders for her Tapak Kuda. Click image to find out more!!!

There will be competition for readers to win prizes. This will be conducted through quizzes and social network – Instagram and Twitter. Winners can win complimentary sungkai vouchers, Oh My Card membership cards as well as electronic gadgets sponsored by Netcom Computer House.

The official bank for LFHW is Bank Islam Brunei Darussalam while the main sponsors for LFHW are b•mobile and Netcom Computer House. Other partners are Oh My Card, Social Deal, Pentagram Design, Laqvin Boutique, Jen Studio and Silver Wings Services.

UBD FM is the official radio where listeners can win Sungkai vouchers.

For any interested parties who wants to participate in LFHW, you can email at ranoadidas(a)gmail(dot)com or call 8677773. You can follow their updates through Twitter @lfhwbrunei and instragam @lovefoodhatewaste

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Mr. Kurapak of LoveFoodHateWaste looking through the lens during the photo shoot session

It’s happening soon, peeps!!! LoveFoodHateWaste (LFHW) is back (for the fourth time….) and it promises to be bigger. More will be revealed soon on the happenings and what LFHW will offer to the readers. For the first time, we are also having partners and collaboration with SMEs to further strengthen the drive of LFHW to the public.

A big thanks to Jerome of Jen Studio for the photo shoot session and everyone had fun during the activity. Another shout out also to TheFaceShop for providing the make-up for the faces of this year’s LoveFoodHateWaste campaign. I can’t wait for the final product which will be used for LFHW’s website. For now, the website is not updated as we are currently rebuilding the website from scratch. It should be up and running by Friday the latest.

Today will be the press conference for team LFHW and you will read more of what’s in store from LFHW’s team tomorrow on print media as well as on other local blogs. Thank you once again for your support as well as the partners and sponsors involved. More to come from LFHW.. Stay tuned 😀

The photo shoot session took place at Jen Studio

The guest of honour, Dato Paduka Awg Hj Matsatejo bin Sokiaw, CEO of Brunei National Petroleum Company Sdn Bhd with Yves Grosjean, the General Manager of TOTAL E&P Borneo BV and TOTAL E&P Deep Offshore Borneo BV

TOTAL E&P Borneo BV and TOTAL E&P Deep Offshore Borneo BV recently celebrated their landmark achievement in Brunei on June 24 after achieving 10 million man-hours without ‘lost time injury’ since April 12, 1999.

The oil giant celebrated the significant milestone at The Empire Hotel and Country Club yesterday. Yves Grosjean, the General Manager of TOTAL E&P Borneo BV and TOTAL E&P Deep Offshore Borneo BV said the achievement highlighted TOTAL’s success in creating a safety culture, but warned against falling into complacency, “as accidents can always happen”.

“Accidents are always looming around as is repeatedly demonstrated by the near misses we continue to experience. It can hit at the most unexpected time. At this juncture, I wish to share that in the TOTAL Group, there was a fatal accident on July 4 at a supply vessel during our deep offshore drilling operations in Angola. As the drilling mud was offloaded from the supply vessel to the drill ship, the flexible hose accidentally disconnected from the vessel and whipped the injured person,” he said.

The guest of honour at the celebration was Dato Paduka Awg Hj Matsatejo bin Sokiaw, CEO of Brunei National Petroleum Company Sdn Bhd.

Explaining the crucial importance of safety in the oil and gas industry, the guest of honour said a single accident can have a “major impact so pervasive, it could wipe out a project or even the entire company”.

Congratulating TOTAL EPB/EPDOB for the significant milestone, Dato Paduka Awg Hj Matsatejo thanked the oil industry for having their very own safety standard or protocol. He said the challenge is to continue the safety culture for the next generation.

Dato Paduka Awg Hj Matsatejo delivering his welcoming remarks and TOTAL’s success and milestone

A presentation of plaques to all heads of department, long-service employees and the newest member of TOTAL and a video showcase entitled, “World Day for Safety ‘Step Up, Step In” were also held. The main event was the cutting of cake by the guest of honour and Mr Yves Grosjean, General Manager of TOTAL E&P Borneo BV.

In his speech, Yves Grosjean said this campaign began more than 13 years ago on April 13, 1999. This means that 10 million man-hours without ‘lost time injury’ translates into an average of more than 400 people directly contributing full time since that date, to the operations of TOTAL in Brunei.

“This of course includes all our contractors working on the sites under our responsibility. With our current and past operations involving drilling, seismic acquisition, and the handling of heavy equipment especially at our Muara logistics base among others, being able to deliver such a level of safety performance is truly outstanding and something to be very proud of.

“It signifies that we have been somehow successful in creating a true safety culture. A work environment where people are aware of the safety rules and feel encouraged to share their views or raise questions about the HSE aspects of their jobs.”

Yves Grosjean also took the opportunity to convey his sincere gratitude to His Majesty and His Majesty’s Government for their continued support and the TOTAL local and expatriate staff for their continuous effort, professionalism, and teamwork in achieving a successful performance and upholding health, safety and environment.

He said over the past 20 years, TOTAL Brunei has achieved significant accomplishments, which continue to benefit all stakeholders. “As a corporate citizen of Brunei, TOTAL also contributes to the country and its people in other equally important ways.

“Ongoing emphasis on health, safety and environment ensures a continued realisation of occupational health, safety and sustainable development goals that compliment the core business achievements.” Text by Azaraimy HH of Borneo Bulletin and images courtesy of TOTAL.

Now the word here is “possible”… Yes, it’s possible to reverse the ageing process, boost your vitality, look more beautiful and furthermore be rewarded with cash and prizes. Recently a ZÉLL-V Star Search was held and thousands of ZÉLL-V Star Search participants have testified to the amazing benefits of ZÉLL-V cellular therapy.

The Search
For your info the competition takes about six months as participants will be judged based on the changes they experience according to Simon Hooi, head of Health and Wellness Department at Ruyi Holdings. They will look at their red blood cells, beauty and vitality. From Round One, 50 semi-finalists are selected.

Then 10 finalists will be selected based on beauty. Normally After consuming ZÉLL-V, people usually find their skin becoming firmer and tighter and their face lifted. The final round of ZÉLL-V Star Search 2010/2011 was recently held in a ballroom dance studio and the finalists were judged on vitality,vigour, stamina and dance performance. Points given for their fitness level were combined with the points they obtained from round one and two. The participant who obtained the highest point was the winner.

The Reason behind Star Search
The Star Search is basically a platform for all to enjoy the benefits of ZÉLL-V Cellular Therapy and of course, it’s not all about winning. It’s more of experiencing the benefits and how they have great improvements. I personally had my ZÉLL-V for the past few months and it does pay off too. It’s important you don’t stop half when taking ZÉLL-V in order to reap the full benefits of celluar therapy.

Bascially you will notice thinks like having few wrinkles than before and looking more radiant. ZÉLL-V is like killing two birds with one stone as it benefits both internally and externally.

To know more about ZÉLL-V, you can all 821 9221 for more information or visit the Brunei outlet on 1st Floor, Rizqun Hotel.

Have you tried e-Fon from TelBru? It was used to be called WorldFon but now it has been rebranded since last year and it’s growing in popularity. Previously e-Fon was only available for desktop version. Now you can download on IOS and Android platform.

Basically it’s an app where you can make long distance calls through e-Fon but at a cheaper rate. This is ideal for those who wants to make international calls. Currently, TelBru said that the number of downloads are overwhelming (200 downloads per month).

Infindo Technology partnered will TelBru to develop the Android application for e-Fon service. This engagement is in a way to support iCentre incubates and to show their capabilities where TelBru is also one of the sponsors for BEDB’s initiatives in promoting local ICT companies.

The great thing about e-Fon is that you can be any part of the world and enjoy TelBru’s discounted international rates. This is a popular apps especially among Bruneian students who study abroad. The presentation was carried out by Adri Hj Mohd Arshad, e-Fon Product Manager, TelBru.

Also in attendance were representatives from TelBru, b•mobile and BEDB.

Adri Hj Mohd Arshad, e-Fon Product Manager, TelBru, conducted a presentation on e-Fon

The event took place at the iCentre

The screen shot of e-Fon on IOS. Now it’s available for Android too.

Representatives from TelBru, b•mobile, BEDB and Infindo Technology

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Bane is one of Batman nemesis and he made his first appearance in the “Vengeance of Bane” comics

I’m pretty hyped up for the upcoming The Dark Knight Rises movie this Friday and one reason is the portrayal of Bane who was famous for “The Man who Broke the Bat” in comic storyline. This will be more of a challenging moment for director Christopher Nolan who set the bar on villains such as The Scarecrow and The Joker. This is also fact that Bane is not so well known among audience unless you follow Batman comics but I certainly am aware of Bane’s existence.

Perhaps let me rewind you back to the Joel Schumacher era where he was responsible for Batman movies such as Batman Forever (Jim Carrey as the Riddler and Tommy Lee Jones as Two-Face) and Batman and Robin (Arnold as Dr. Freeze, Robert Swenson as Bane, Uma Thurman as Poison Ivy). I really have to say that Batman and Robin was a total disaster and the portrayal of Bane in that movie shows how vulnerable he is despite his massive figure. It was a definitely a forgettable moment for Bane and it didn’t really caught the attention of the audience back then as Dr. Freeze and Poison Ivy were the main villains in that movie.

Now Bane has been the main focus on The Dark Knight Rises especially on trailers. Though he has shrunk in size as compared to the old Bane in Batman and Robin, he looks meaner and dominant. This is why I love Christopher Nolan’s direction of The Dark Knight series. Furthermore, he casted Tom Hardy as Bane which is a perfect role as Batman’s adversary.

Tom Hardy was famously known for his role in Inception, another masterpiece by Nolan and it’s no surprise to see Tom Hardy’s inclusion and filling in the bigger shoe as Bane.

Believe or not, I have high hopes for The Dark Knight Rises and I’ve been controlling not to view scores on Rottentomatoes as it could ruin my expectations *lol* Actually I cheated a bit and there were thiry-four reviews so far and it scored 91% (31 fresh, 3 rotten) *Woohoo* I will be catching The Dark Knight Rises in IMAX in Singapore this Friday. It’s worth the four year wait. On the record, The Dark Knight is still my top 5 movies 😀

This was the lame ass Bane at Batman and Robin. Totally forgettable

Now doesn’t this look meaner and classier – Tom Hardy as Bane in upcoming The Dark Knight Rises

If you are not sure how Tom Hardy looks like, here you go

I’m 3 days away now from watching this epic

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Dato Paduka Hj Alaihuddin giving his welcoming remarks

The National Road Safety Council launched their road safety ‘TIPS’ video and interactive e-book yesterday, where the council deemed that one of the effective ways to convey road safety messages is through education.

“From teachers to their students, these students are the right platform for us to convey the message — ‘Tackling road safety issues from the grassroots level”, said Dato Paduka Hj Alaihuddin Pehin Orang Kaya Digadong Seri Lela Dato Seri Utama Hj Mohd Taha, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Communications and the Chairman of the National Road Safety Council.

Dato Paduka Hj Alaihuddin was speaking at the launching ceremony of the road safety ‘TIPS’ video and interactive e-book at the Authority for Info-communications Technology Industry of Brunei Darussalam (AITI).

The Road Safety Council emphasised that long-term measures in increasing road safety is through education.

“The launching of the video and interactive e-book was in fact directed towards the educational approach,” he said.

Screenshots of the Tips video on road safety

Screenshots of the Tips video on road safety

Khairi from PHMD Publishing

Denny from Ambuyart Animations

The National Road Safety Council’s ‘Decade of Action for Road Safety 2011-2020, had taken the five ‘E’ approach — Engineering, Enforcement, Education, Environment and Emergency in all of its initiatives and programmes.

The video and e-book was animated, which Dato Paduka Hj Alaihuddin believed will not only attract children’s interests on road safety but will also expose them to ICT.

“It is the National Road Safety Council’s hope that this (campaign) will improve our approach towards road safety education. Teachers are also the closest individuals to the pupils, and it is hoped that they will guide their pupils in understanding the video contents. This will instil awareness of the importance of road safety in the pupils in their young age,” he added.

The TIPS videos will be distributed to all kindergartens and primary schools in the country and broadcast to the public through the nation’s state broadcaster, Radio Televisyen Brunei (RTB), in the near future.

Among the content of the video was tips on the pilot Demerit Point System.

Family institutions also play an important and effective role in increasing road safety awareness. “The video and e-book can also be used by parents and family members to observe and learn their contents,” he added.

The TIPS video and interactive e-book were jointly designed and developed by the National Road Safey Council, the Ministry of Communication, AITI, Ambuyart Animations and PHMD Publishing. Text by Rasidah HAB of The Brunei Times.

BIBD Acting Managing Director Hajah Noraini signing with Jasra Harrisons Sdn Bhd General Manager Mr Lim Eng Thai

Bank Islam Brunei Darussalam (BIBD) through its Corporate Social Responsibility initiatives today commenced its “Program Sirah Amal BIBD” in collaboration with Jasra Harrisons Sdn Bhd. This year, through this heartwarming initiative, BIBD will be visiting more homes than previous years, aiming to touch the lives of 120 families in all four districts throughout the month of Ramadhan.

The launching kicked off with a signing of Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between BIBD and Jasra. Signing on behalf of BIBD was Acting Managing Director Hajah Noraini binti Haji Sulaiman and on behalf of Jasra Harrisons Sdn Bhd was the General Manager Mr Lim Eng Thai. The signing signifies the start of cooperation between BIBD and Jasra in their commitment to help the less fortunate especially in testing times.

The event was then followed by the handover of boxes of food hampers to representatives of Greenfrog Management Services, who will be assisting BIBD and Jasra facilitating the distribution of the donations.

BIBD and Jasra together with Greenfrog today started their visits to 18 homes in the Tutong District. BIBD’s Acting Managing Director Hajah Noraini binti Haji Sulaiman, Deputy Head of Consumer Banking cum Head of CSR Hjh Nurul Akmar binti Hj Mohd Jaafar and BIBD personnels gracefully joined and shared the moment as they set out together to distribute the donations.

“Since its introduction two years ago, Sirah Amal has always been a good cause BIBD and its staff to give back to the community through their generous contributions and efforts,” said Acting Managing Director Hajah Noraini who further shared, “It is heartwarming to see our staff especially the CSR team make advance preparations to ensure that this year, the visits to all four districts run smoothly.”

Exchanging of documents after the signing ceremony

The hamper that will be given for charity

Loading the hamper into the car before heading off to Tutong

BIBD CSR has always been underscoring the values of caring for the society and will always commit to ensuring that the objectives of BIBD CSR are met and is aligned with the guidelines of Islam. It hopes the benefit of nurturing society’s needs be it the underprivileged, young entrepreneurs, environmental preservation or research and studies are achieved. The first “Program Sirah Amal BIBD” has opened a lot of hearts in 2010 and BIBD is honored to have become the pioneer in such initiative.

“Program Sirah Amal BIBD” was initiated by BIBD’s CSR team with the combined efforts and resources by generous BIBD employees through internal fund raising. “I hope through our journeys to the homes of these families, it will remind us to be thankful for what we have and be mindful of excess spending for the festive season. This is a wonderful opportunity for us to see the beauty in helping others especially during the holy month of Ramadhan,” Head of CSR Hjh Nurul Akmar explained.

BIBD, over the next few weeks through six more trips will be visiting homes in the Belait, Temburong and the Brunei-Muara districts. The families were selected through a list complied by a few NGOs. The boxes of food hampers and donations presented to the families make up of daily necessities such as food items, which will hopefully help ease their burdens during the fasting month.

Bruneians Mohd Hasnal Husna bin Ahmad, Mohd Yusoff b.Yaakob and Mohd Aisamuddin made their way into the final round of the Red Bull Monkey Run Grand Finals for the university edition qualifying in 2nd, 4th and 6th position respectively. All of three of qualified from a field of 23 male contestants and stand a good chance to win the Grand Final held in Penang, Malaysia. Two female from Brunei Darussalam, Maria Taha and Nazurah Mohd Noor also made it to the finals for the female category.

Qualifying rounds were held throughout in Malaysia, Singapore and the leg for Brunei Darussalam was held in January during Consumer Fair 9. Red Bull Monkey Run is an extreme sport with contestants scaling up and down in the challenging obstacles course. “Today is His Majesty Sultan and Yang Dipertuan’s birthday, we hope to bring the title back home and dedicate to His Majesty”, said Mohd Hasnal Husna, when asked what motivates them in today’s finals.

Good luck to you guys!!!!

Mohd Hasnal Husna Bin Ahmad – 23 years old currently studying in University of Brunei Darussalam ,Mohd.Yussof Bin Yaakub – 24 years old currently studying in University of Brunei Darussalam & Mohd Aisamuddin Bin Chamsuddin – 20 years old currently studying in Sekolah Vokasional Sultan Bolkiah.

Maria Nurul Amira Bte Taha– 20 years old currently studying in Maktab Duli Pengiran Al-Muhtadee Billah , & Nazurah Bte Mohd Noor – 18 years old currently studying in Maktab Duli Pengiran Al-Muhtadee Billah.

The Red Bull Monkey Run Uni Edition Grand Finals held on 14 and 15 July 2012 featured the top 33 qualifiers from Brunei, Singapore and Malaysia. The grand champion will drive home a Perodua Myvi and the champions, first runners-up and second runners-ups for both the male and female categories will receive RM2000, RM1500 and RM1000 respectively.

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Dialogue with The Minister of Energy. Illustration by The Brunei Times

The guest of honour with the winners of AITI Next Innovation and Multimedia Award for Sustainable ICT Industry (ANIMASI) Pro-Digital Animation Challenge and the World Telecommunication and Information Society Day (WTISD) Essay Writing Competition. Click image to enlarge.

The Authority for Info-communications Technology Industry of Brunei Darussalam (AITI) today held a prize presentation ceremony to the winners of the first AITI Next Innovation and Multimedia Award for Sustainable ICT Industry (ANIMASI) Pro-Digital Animation Challenge and the World Telecommunication and Information Society Day (WTISD) Essay Writing Competition at the Indera Samudra Grand Hall, The Empire Hotel and Country Club, Jerudong.

Present at the ceremony was Yang Berhormat Pehin Orang Kaya Seri Utama Dato Seri Setia Awang Haji Yahya bin Begawan Mudim Dato Paduka Haji Bakar, Acting Minister of Communications as the guest of honour. The ceremony was also attended by the Acting Permanent Secretary of Ministry of Communications and Acting AITI Chairman, Yang Mulia Awang Abdul Mutalib bin POKSSDP Haji Mohd Yusof, Permanent Secretaries and Deputy Permanent Secretaries from other Government Ministries, AITI’s Members of the Authority, senior government officials, representatives from the telcos, ICT industry representatives as well as principals, teachers and participating students.

The Essay Writing Competition is one of the annual activities organized by AITI to commemorate the World Telecommunication and Information Society Day (WTISD) which is celebrated internationally every 17th May. The essay topics were centered on this year’s WTISD theme – Women and girls in ICT. This competition was opened to local students from the primary, lower and upper secondary, as well as tertiary level of the government and private schools throughout Brunei from 17th May to 29th June 2012.

The judges of the essay writing competition observed an increase in the number of participants with over 120 entries for all categories this year with a remarkable improvement in the quality of essay submissions. In his remarks, AITI’s Chief Executive, Yang Mulia Awg Hj Yahkup bin Hj Menudin hoped that this competition would provide an avenue for students to express their views, challenge their critical thinking and argumentative skills and, most importantly, enhance their communication abilities.

I shall be posting more updates on the list of winners for this year’s competition and congratulations to the participants. It’s definitely a great initiative by AITI to run such competition.

Hj Yahkup bin Hj Menudin, Chief Executive of AITI shared his optimism in the digital media industry and hope to see the animation industry flourishing as the technology evolves, with growing demand for animators to contribute to the local contents, films, advertisements and television

Cinematicpro Services bagged the top award for ANIMASI

One of the winners for essay writing competition

PHMD also joined the competition

BruInnovEdu also one of the winners of ANIMASI

Three months after a detailed selection process, Siti Zirwatul Iradah bte Awg Adinin – a traffic policewoman at the Royal Brunei Police Force were finally chosen to represent Red Bull Brunei for the Sepang 1000km (S1K) Race.

Red Bull Malaysia had recently announced the six young men and women, Rezza Amir Ariff, Matthew Ng, Amrit Mirchandani, Taryn Lim, SITI ZIRWATUL and Andrea Tay will join the Red Bull Rookies Male and Female racing teams, setting the stage for an epic showdown at the Sepang 1000KM (S1K) Race this season where both teams will be battling for the prize of RM10,000 and determine which gender is the better racer. They will be led by anchor drivers Mark Darwin and Melissa Huang respectively.

The four were chosen from the top 16 candidates that came from Malaysia, Brunei and Singapore at the Red Bull Rookies Track Day after being judged on their lap time, poise, personality and driving skills, which was assisted by the renowned Pentagon Racing Team at the Sepang International Circuit today. In addition, their personality and character played a role in the selection of an all rounded individual.

“The Red Bull Rookies have always consistently placed well at the S1K race but this year, for the first time, we are fielding two teams – male and female, which will set the stage for a sizzling race this year. However, what is most important is the experience for them, as winning is secondary,” said Jyn Wee, Executive Director, Red Bull Malaysia.

Siti Zirwatul Iradah will be representing Brunei for Red Bull Rookies team. Congratulations!!!

The teams now comprise of 3 Malaysians, 1 Bruneian and 4 Singaporeans joining forces to secure top spots at the S1K race. Mark, Rezza and Taryn are Malaysians, while Melissa, Matthew, Amrit and Andrea hail from Singapore. Siti Zirwatul is the sole Bruneian in the team.

Team Manager of the Red Bull Rookies, Kenvin Low said, “We have searched for talents with steely determination, enduring physicality, strength of mind, and an energetic personality to be part of our multinational team. The four we have selected today have shown those specific qualities and more, proving their potential as rookie race car drivers.”

The drivers were evaluated on their basic driving and technical knowledge, proven personality and teamwork with high fitness levels. Red Bull Malaysia together with Asia Advanced Driving Academy has been working on the project since April 2012, with the aim of putting together a group of race drivers to represent the Red Bull Rookies.

The young drivers will undergo intensive training and testing to prepare them for the S1K race, which will be held on 6 – 8 December 2012. This also marks the first time in six years that the Red Bull Rookies have fielded two teams who will compete against each other and solve the age-old question of which gender is the better race car driver.

The Red Bull Rookies were formed in 2007, originally made up of passionate young women who had an interest in motorsports. Upon its success, the Red Bull Rookies team expanded its search to Singapore and Brunei to find, fund and nurture aspiring, up-and-coming driving talent by preparing them for Asia’s biggest endurance competition, the S1K race. The Red Bull Rookies will be equipped by Alpine Stars and Kenwood while the cars they race will be supported by Torco High Performance Lubricants and Motorsport Playground.

Whilst they will have much to learn, based on their performances during the gruelling selection process, this year’s S1K race will prove to be the most exciting season yet. Visit www.facebook.com/RedBullRookies for the latest news and updates.

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The Baiduri Bank Media Appreciation Night at Royal Brunei Polo & Riding Club

What an awesome night!! Baiduri Bank held their appreciation night at Royal Brunei Polo & Riding Club last Tuesday evening!! It was also a great turn out since the invitation started slightly late to accommodate those in the media who need to finish their work by evening. The theme for the night was “Bali Beach Party”.

Mr. Pierre Imhof, CEO of Baiduri Bank, hosted the local media and agencies who played an important role in spreading awareness to the public on the services provided and the accolades achieved by Baiduri Bank (Best Retail Bank from Asian Banker Magazine). He also announced that Baiduri Bank will be opening a new branch at Times Square next week.

The games created by Baiduri Bank were super fun though I didn’t participate but I had a good laugh especially the “Monkey relay race”. There was even a water rafting competition. The lucky draw prizes were pretty good too such as two night stay at The Empire Hotel and also the grand draw prize of ticket for two to Singapore.

You can follow updates on their Twitter @baiduribank or their instagram @baiduribankbrunei

The registration table for the invited guests and we got ourselves complimentary Mall Cineplex tickets.. Woohoo!!

There was even a massage corner for the guests to relax

MadMilk also turn up for the event

CEO of Baiduri Bank gave some welcoming remarks to kick off the evening

Hair Braiding competition

The media peeps enjoyed the whole evening

There was even free bowling activities for the guests

The Monkey relay race was hilarious

The water rafting competition was the final game

I think Nas (left) won a lot of prizes for his participation in all the games. Now that’s quite sporting indeed.

She won a trip to KK

She won a 2-night stay at The Empire Hotel

She won a trip for two to Singapore

But poor Aziz didn’t even manage to hit one lucky draw *lol*

Last year it was Nerds & Superheroes theme

Invitation from Energy Division, PMO

Get the opportunity to have a session with the Minister of Energy

I’m catching this in IMAX next week!!! Will it be as good as The Dark Knight? This is my most anticipated movie of the year!!

Now how will Anne Hathaway pull off as Catwoman? Michelle Pfeiffer and Halle Berry didn’t do great job last time round.

Now I’m not sure if I’m gonna dress up or not… Hmmmm….

The guest of honour was His Royal Highness Prince ‘Abdul Malik

His Royal Highness Prince ‘Abdul Malik last Saturday graced the prize presentation ceremony for the “I Love Brunei Darussalam” Nationwide Competition organised by The Brunei Times.

The event took place at the Songket Ballroom of the Rizqun International Hotel in Gadong.

In a welcoming speech delivered by The Brunei Times’ representative and Senior Reporter Ubaidillah Masli, he explained that the competition was opened to the public from January until March 15, 2012, to commemorate the 28th National Day celebration.

“We hoped that through this competition, we were able to provide a platform for the public to express their love and patriotism to His Majesty Sultan Hj Hassanal Bolkiah Mu’izzaddin Waddaulah, the Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam, and the nation,” said Ubaidillah.

“For this year’s National Day, we felt that organising this nationwide competition would be a perfect opportunity for Bruneians and the country’s residents to return the gesture and express their love and gratitude to our Monarch.

“The participants of this competition conveyed such emotions through five different media, namely through painting, graphic design, photography, English and Malay essay writing and video,” he added.

“To give everybody a chance to participate, the categories of the competition were divided into various groups: Under-12, 13-18 years old and an open category.”

Ubaidillah Masli of The Brunei Times delivered his welcoming speech

Representatives from the government agencies were also present

Ubaidillah said that the competition backed by four exclusive sponsors, the Royal Brunei Airlines (RBA), Baiduri Bank, Setia Motors Sdn Bhd and AV Electronics Sdn Bhd received an overwhelming 676 entries and it took over one month to decide the Top 10 finalists for each category before entering into the final judging rounds.

“His Majesty’s Government recently announced its intention to establish a national policy to nurture and promote creative industries in the country. Therefore, we hope that we have been able to play our part towards this aim, through this competition,” said Ubaidillah.

The “I Love Brunei Darussalam” Nationwide Competition prize presentation ceremony started off with the recital of the Surah Al-Fatihah by Deputy State Mufti, Pehin Orang Kaya Paduka Setia Raja Dato Paduka Seri Setia Hj Suhaili Hj Mohiddin.

The event proceeded with the opening remarks from The Brunei Times’ representative followed by the prize presentation ceremony.

His Royal Highness presented prizes to 11 winners of the “I Love Brunei Darussalam” competition.

The Graphics Design competition was won by Flubert Neri, who was not able to attend yesterday’s event and was represented by Maria Criselda.

The Photography Competition was won by Pg Syahreen Pg Metassan.

For the Painting Competition, the Open Category was won by Marsidi Omar, the 13 to 18 years old category by Mohd Nadhir Hj Mohamed Husaini and the Under 12 years old category by Yeo Yeo Chiew.

For the English Essay Competition, the Open Category was won by Earvin Charles Cabalquinto, the 13 to 18 years old category by Khong Yu Neng and the Under 12 years old category by Mohd Amir Putera Razzaqzharfan Hakeemuddin Hj Yacob.

For the Malay Essay Competition, the Open Category was won by Hj Shahwardy Hj Hamdan, the 13 to 18 years old category by Rifhan Naqiah Hj Erwan and the Under-12 category by Syamimi Karmila Mohd Ramlan.

Among the prizes were savings accounts worth between $1,000 and $4,000, cash prizes, return air-tickets to Shanghai and Kuala Lumpur as well as iPod Nanos.

After the prize presentation ceremony, competition winners together with members of the Board of Directors of The Brunei Times as well as sponsors of the “I Love Brunei Darussalam” Nationwide Competition joined in a group photo session with HRH.

Among the senior government officials present at the prize presentation ceremony were the Minister of Industry and Primary Resources Yang Berhormat Pehin Orang Kaya Seri Utama Dato Seri Setia Hj Yahya Begawan Mudim Dato Paduka Hj Bakar, Minister of Home Affairs, Yang Berhormat Pehin Udana Khatib Dato Paduka Seri Setia Ustaz Hj Badaruddin Pengarah Dato Paduka Hj Othman and Deputy Minister of Home Affairs Pehin Datu Lailaraja Major General (Rtd) Dato Paduka Seri Hj Halbi Hj Md Yussof.

The “I Love Brunei Darussalam” Nationwide Competition was organised by The Brunei Times and supported by the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports. Text courtesy of Nurhamiza Hj Roslan of The Brunei Times and images courtesy of The Brunei Times.

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The Ministers (Education and Health) also showed support for The Run

More than 5,000 people congregated in the capital in various colour-coded shirts to take part in the Pusat Ehsan Charity Run or “The Run”, which was a significant milestone for Pusat Ehsan Al-Ameerah Al-Hajjah Maryam as a multi-category running event.

Also participating in the race and showing support to the cause was YAM Pengiran Muda Abdul Mu’min.

The chief guest of “The Run” was Pehin Orang Kaya Seri Kerna Dato Seri Setia Dr Hj Awg Abu Bakar bin Hj Apong, Minister of Education. Also present in showing their support for the charity event were Pehin Orang Kaya Johan Pahlawan Dato Seri Setia Awg Hj Adnan bin Begawan Pehin Siraja Khatib Dato Seri Setia Awg Hj Mohd Yusof, Minister of Health and Pehin Orang Kaya Seri Utama Dato Seri Setia Awg Hj Yahya bin Begawan Mudim Dato Paduka Hj Bakar, Minister of Industry and Primary Resources.

The morning race, which was deemed a success, signified Pusat Ehsan’s desire and commitment to raise awareness of the inclusion of special needs people in society through a range of community-based events in the spirit of equality. In addition, such was the magnitude of the event that it attracted the involvement from all layers of society and the general community.

Before the runners were separated into a number of categories contested namely the 21km race, the 12km race, the 5km race, the Fun Run and the Special Needs category, thousands of people assembled for a warm-up around the Waterfront area.

As daylight fell, the runners prepared for the start of the race with the 21km race being the first category flagged off followed by the other categories. Within the half-hour mark, the winner and the first few runners in the 5KM category crossed the line.

Organisers had affirmed that the 5km race received favourable response among the public even though initially it was intended to be a Students’ category.

The veterans’ category also received similar interest among the public. Dato Paduka Mohd Alimin Abdul Wahab, the Acting Chairman and Senior Trustee of Pusat Ehsan Al-Ameerah Al-Hajjah Maryam who is also the Advisor of the Run, said that they had learnt a lot and were grateful for the participation of sponsors and partners as well as the participants.

“We have a lot to learn and since this is the first time, we would learn from this experience and improve on organising such events in the future,” he said. Speaking to the Bulletin, Dato Paduka Mohd Alimin also pointed out that major positives could be taken with the competitors showing good sportsmanship throughout the race. Dato Paduka Mohd Alimin also highlighted the essence of the running and fitness clinics, which ran consistently over the last few months to enable the participants the best possible preparation before the main race.

“We are still new to organising events such as this and we are not event organisers, we are volunteers. We can learn from this and move on. Obviously in the technical side we’ve received consultation from the BAA (Brunei Athletics Association).”

Dato Paduka Mohd Alimin said that everyone played a massive role in the cohesion of the organisation and lauded the sponsors and partners for their efforts and contributions towards realising the success of the event. Meanwhile, Raja Segaran, “The Run” Organising Chairman, said that the talent of Brunei runners was palpable and that the field is getting increasingly competitive. “You can see that there are higher standards with the number of runners we have here.”

A team of volunteers was also called into action to render any medical assistance at strategic locations throughout the routes.

“There were support groups on bicycle. The routes were categorised into zones and a group of cyclists stationed in each zone. The H E A R T Volunteers Group were made to do real-field observations of what is going on, particularly in incidents where runners require medical treatment or attention,” Dato Paduka Mohd Alimin said.

Bank Islam Brunei Darussalam also played a major role as the official bank partner of the Pusat Ehsan Charity Run 2012. Some 30 employees conveyed their support through their group participation in the Corporate Category.

“It is overwhelming for me to see such support from the public. It touches me that the participants, no matter how big or small, able or disabled, young or old take part in this event in however they can. This will be a memorable event not only for Pusat Ehsan but also for the Sultanate,” Head of Corporate Social Responsibility Hjh Nurul Akmar binti Hj Md Jaafar said. Text courtesy of James Kon of Borneo Bulletin.

One of the official chip timing results. To see more, click image above.

To all runners who have not return the white timing chips, please kindly return the chips as they are needed for the next event. Please return the chips to; Warisan mata mata complex, Unit B6, 2nd Floor, Kg Mata Mata, Jalan Gadongor call 2425002

Her Majesty Raja Isteri Pengiran Anak Hajah Saleha, His Royal Highness Prince Haji Al-Muhtadee Billah and Her Royal Higness Paduka Seri Pengiran Anak Isteri Pengiran Anak Sarah, HRH Prince Haji ‘Abdul Malik, HRH Princess Hjh Rashidah Sa’adatul Bolkiah, HRH Princess Hjh Muta-Wakillah Hayatul Bolkiah, Her Royal Highness Princess Hajah Majeedah Nuurul Bolkiah and Her Royal Highness Princess Hafizah Sururul Bulqiah with the newly weds

Her Majesty Raja Isteri Pengiran Anak Hajah Saleha with the bride YM Pengiran Hjh Yura Halimatussa’adah Pengiran Hj Yura Perkasa

YAM Pengiran Anak Hj Abdul Nafee’ Pengiran Indera Setia Diraja Sahibul Karib Pengiran Anak Hj Idris

The winners of the 2nd instalment of BIBD Blessing Rewards 2 campaign held at The Mall last weekend

Ten winners were rewarded prizes as part of the second instalment of the Bank Islam Brunei Darussalam (BIBD) Blessing Rewards campaign.

The ceremony, which was held at the atrium floor of The Mall in Gadong, saw the prizes being presented by BIBD’s Head of Sales Hjh Masrurah Hj Baki.

Luminox watches were handed to Nurun Nazihah Abdullah, Hjh Siti Sara Hj Ramli, Mohammad Noraymmin Zakaria, Muhammad Hilmi Mohd Yassin, Hjh Rosni Kurus, Mohammad Rushaidi @ Mohammad Hafizul Al-Mu’Min Hj Ibrahim, Muhammad Johan Abdullah, Nohasmalina Hj Hassan, Norlinah Hj Abd Lamin and Mohammad Kasyfullah Abd Hamid.

BIBD Blessing Rewards 2 was launched on March 20 and is set to run until June 19.

The much anticipated grand draw for the campaign is scheduled for some time this month, where BIBD will be giving away a grand prize of a brand new Lexus IS300, as well as other amazing prizes such as Samsung LED Smart TV and packages of Apple products.

Customers’ draw entries are generated and entered automatically into the system upon the approval or activation of BIBD products and services, without the need for customers to fill in forms or vouchers manually.

Norhasmalina Hj Hassan was one of the recipients and she applied for a personal loan and she won herself a Luminox watch

Another winner of the Luminox watch

Another recipient where his wife won the Luminox watch and all she did was changing her payroll to BIBD

BIBD products and services eligible for entry into the draw include BBA Home Financing, Home Improvement Financing, Education Financing, BIBD Debit Card, BIBD Online, Remittance, Term Deposits, new account openings, new Perdana World Banking customers and assignment of salary to BIBD, amongst others.

Draw entries are generated and entered automatically into the system upon approval or activation of products and services, without the need for customers to fill in forms or vouchers manually.

Eligible BIBD products or services include BBA Home Financing, Home Improvement Financing, Education Financing, BIBD Debit Card, BIBD Online, Remittance, Term Deposits, new account openings, new Perdana World Banking customers and assignment of salary to BIBD, amongst others.

According to a press release issued by the bank, more than 232,000 entries were generated over the last three months, with more expected to come in throughout the course of the campaign.

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The price is pretty amazing at $388 only at Concepts Computer and this projector is just ideal since the London Olympics is happening soon. For more info, please visit your nearest Concepts Computer showroom or call 223 3551/2/3.

Click image to enlarge the article 

Hjh Nurul Akmar, Head of Corporate Social Responsibility, BIBD (right), with the BIBD associates participating in the Corporate Run category

Bank Islam Brunei Darussalam (BIBD) continues to support initiatives aimed at reaching out to the wider community, following its appointment as the official bank partner for the Pusat Ehsan Charity Run 2012. Today, some 30 management and staff of BIBD converged at the BSB waterfront in the Capital to further convey their support by participating in the Corporate Category for The Run.

Dubbed in short as ‘The Run,’ the Pusat Ehsan has worked hard over the past months to raise funds to achieve its goals. Proceeds raised in this initiative will go towards the maintenance and upgrading of facilities and programmes at Pusat Ehsan.

BIBD played a part by assisting Pusat Ehsan in the collection of application forms and payment. Participants had three options for mode of payment: participants can pay over the counter, through cash deposit machine or via BIBD online. BIBD also placed drop boxes at every BIBD branch for participants to conveniently submit their application forms.

“It is overwhelming for me to see such support from the public. It touches me that the participants, no matter how big or small, able or disabled, young or old take part in this event in however way they can. This will be a memorable and meaningful event not only for Pusat Ehsan but also for the sultanate,” Head of Corporate Social Responsibility Hjh Nurul Akmar bte Hj Md Jafaar shared.

Then event also saw a group of volunteers from BIBD’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) team playing roles to ensure that every part of the event runs smoothly.

The fund-raising event also saw participants from non-profit organisations such as Pusat Bahagia, SMARTER Brunei, the Paraplegic and Physically Disabled Association (PAPDA), the Centre for Children with Special Needs (KACA), the National Association of the Deaf (OKP), the Brunei Darussalam National Association of the Blind (BDNAB) and the Child Development Centre (CDC).

Themed “The Run – Where Every Step Matters”, the event aimed at making a difference to the community by giving people the opportunity to support Pusat Ehsan and greater levels of participation. Pusat Ehsan is a non-profit, non-government organisation committed to provide quality education and rehabilitation services for the physically and intellectually challenged.

Team JPMC came 2nd in the Corporate Run

Team BAG Networks came 3rd in the Corporate Run