His Royal Highness Prince Haji Al-Muhtadee Billah, the Crown Prince and Senior Minister at the Prime Minister’s Office, as personal representative of His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu’izzaddin Waddaulah, the Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam, bestowed medals to 636 recipients yesterday at Istana Nurul Iman.

Six hundred and thirty-six individuals including government officials and staff, uniformed personnel and members of the private sector were awarded with state honorary medals yesterday in a ceremony held at Istana Nurul Iman.

By command of His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu’izzaddin Waddaulah ibni Al-Marhum Sultan Haji Omar ‘Ali Saifuddien Sa’adul Khairi Waddien, Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam, His Royal Highness Prince Haji Al-Muhtadee Billah, the Crown Prince and Senior Minister at the Prime Minister’s Office, represented the monarch in conferring the medals. Text by Azlan Othman of Borneo Bulletin. Images by Azrol Azmi of Borneo Bulletin and Zaim Kasmat of The Brunei Times.

Congratulations to all the recipients. A well deserved accolade and thank you for your contribution to Brunei.

The cabinet ministers in attendance

Faustina Woo Wai Sii, Lieutenant Ade Roddiane bin Haji Mohd Rosdi, Frankie Ngu and Vivi Rohkininissmah binti Hj Mahmud

 

The winners of the 2nd round lucky draw of Red Bull Boost & Win at SKH Airport Mall

25 winners were feted for the 2nd round of lucky draw for the Red Bull Boost and Win contest. The event took place at Sim Kim Huat Department Store at Airport Mall. The prizes given were identical to that of the first round – 3 shopping vouchers, 5 PowerKad value of BND 30 each, 7 Prepaid Card worth BND each and 10 consolation prizes of Red Bull gift packs.

Don’t worry, there are still on going draw where the final draw will be after end of May. So keep buying Red Bull until the 31st May and who knows you will be enlisted to participate in the draw.

Present were SKH director Hou Leh Hui, Valentine Hon, general manager of Kingston Beverage & Creamery, and Kevin Robin Jon, sales and marketing manager of Kingston.

To join, just purchase a can of Red Bull Energy drink (gold or less sugar), attach the pull ring tab to the contest form and drop it in contest boxes in participating outlets nationwide.

Participants can obtain the contest form at over 200 retail outlets in the sultanate, or download the form from its Facebook page at ‘Red Bull Brunei’ or you can get the form from the participating outlets. For more updates, check out its Instagram @redbullbn

Kevin Robin Jon, sales and marketing manager of Kingston Beverage & Creamery (left) with Hou Leh Hui (2nd from right), SKH Director and Valentine Hon, general manager of Kingston Beverage & Creamery (right) and the winner of the SKH shopping voucher

 

Luminox Spec Ops Challenge 3053.SOC.SET

44mm, carbon reinforced polycarbonate case and case back, tempered scratch resistant mineral crystal, water resistant to 200 meters, signature black PU strap, and Luminox self-powered illumination. Swiss Made. Retail price: BND 743.65

I know there are many fans of Luminox from Brune Darussalam. You can get them at Chang Ein Hong watch dealer at The Mall (Gadong) and Yayasan Complex. Last year, Luminox made its presence felt in the Sultanate by having a Luminox “Space and Time Converge” Exhibition at The Mall and it was a great timing to showcase to the public what’s great about the Luminox brand.

For you info, Luminox has a strong relationship with the Navy SEAL team for over 25 years for the reason being that SEALS discovered the unique self-powered illumination technology found in Luminox watches and the rest was history. Luminox continued to enhance the technology and specs to meet the demanding requirements of the Navy SEALS.

To make it more interesting, Luminox created a special event for the journalists called the Luminox Spec Ops Challenge, a programme developed by Luminox with retired Navy SEALS to give a chance to civilians to train like a SEAL for a day. The event took place in Langkawi in September last year.

I know my friend Aziz Idris had the opportunity to part of the programme which lasted 6 hours which was trimmed from the a 24-week programme, dealing with basic underwater demolition. From this programme, the journalists will understand the experience the Navy SEALS have to go through and get a glimpse of the mental and physical challenge throughout the procedure.

Aziz Idris (2nd from right) of Borneo Bulletin participating in the Luminox Specs Ops Challenge in Langkawi last year

The 6 hour intense training conducted by retired Navy SEALS person

Hence this is where Luminox introduce the Luminox Spec Ops Challenge (L.S.O.C) watches, sold in two different sets.

One featuring the traditional 3050 Navy SEAL Colormark (3053.SOC.SET) design with its trademark “Colormark” bold numerals on the dial and bezel on a PC carbon dial and PU strap, and the other, on the 4220 Authorised for Navy Use (A.N.U.) (4223.SOC.SET) model which was a direct collaboration with the SEALS, refined to specifically address the needs of maritime commandos, featuring a stainless steel case, with screw crown and case back, sapphire crystal, multi-jewel Swiss quartz movement and 10 year lithium battery.

Do check out other Luminox models at Chang Ein Hong outlets in Brunei. Images provided by Luminox.

 

Liyana Yus addressing the media on her role as ambassador for Jollibee

Liyana Yus with team Jollibee during the launch

I’m a huge fan of jollibee because of their chocolate sundae and not-anymore-available Nasi Lemak (due to low demand). Of course, their Chicken Joy is still one of their best sellers and I would it rate it my top 3 fast food chicken in Brunei.

Last Friday, Jollibee unveiled their latest project where the Philippines fast food franchise appointed its first local brand ambassador Liyana Yus famously known for her role in Brunei’s first featured film “Yasmine”.

The event took place at Times Square Shopping Centre and it was a press launch event to officially introduce Liyana as the face of Jollibee in Brunei.

Liyana has been a huge fan of Jollibee since she was a kid and her favourite is still ChickenJoy. Did you know that Jollibee in Brunei was the first ever international outlet outside the Philippines? And yes, the first outlet is at Utama Bowling back in 1987. Amazing!!!

The signing ceremony between Liyana Yus and Jhing Perais, Country Head of Jollibee Brunei.

Jhing was very delighted to share the special moment for Jollibee

The ceremonial bite from Jollibee

Present during the launch were Jhing Perais, Country Head of Jollibee Brunei, Leony Rodriguez, Jollibee Head of Marketing and Din Kamaluddin, producer at Origin Artistic.

Jhing was excited to announce the new partnership with Liyana and he believes that the young talent of Liyana embodies Jollibee’s excellence in the fast food franchise.

For Liyana, this is the first opportunity for her to be an ambassador of an international brand. I’m pretty sure this will open doors for more opportunities in the near future.

So far, there are 12 Jollibee outlets in Brunei and it will be growing from time to time.

I did highlight to Jhing on the defunct menu item, Nasi Lemak, but let’s see what happens. Let’s hope it might make a comeback even if it’s a just promotional offer. Don’t worry, we have our social media team + Liyana to push your product too 😀 Congratulations Liyana and Jollibee on the new milestone.

Now that’s a lot of Chickenjoy

Congratulations Liyana

Hi-tea-ing with the media

The Jollibee drive-thru at Kilanas

The new chocolate sundae with nuts. Apparently it’s the bomb!!

Thanks Lena for recommending the new sundae :p

As you know, Jollibee is all about product quality at an affordable price. What more can you ask for? It’s crispylicious, juicylicious inside out and anyone can afford it. The family oriented fast food chain has made it one of the most popular fast food chain in Brunei.

I wasn’t aware also of their latest drive thru at Kilanas which will be a big hit among the residents residing near Kilanas. For this commitment, you can see that Brunei remains a key market for Jollibee in its vision to become one of the biggest QSR brands globally.

I still remember the founder and chairman of Jollibee Foods Corporation (the Philippines), Tony Tan Caktiong, addressing a keynote speech at Asia Inc Forum event at The Empire Hotel & Country Club back in 2007. What an inspiring story and the legacy lives on!!

What makes Jollibee another success is the ability to localise the taste for Bruneians and now, with the Jollisavers, patrons can enjoy Spicy Chickenjoy and Crispy Chicken Burger with rice. You can follow @jollibeebrunei on Instagram for updates and competition.

 

His Royal Highness Prince Haji Al-Muhtadee Billah, the Crown Prince and Senior Minister at the Prime Minister’s Office handing over the “Royal Patron Award” to Julian Johari of Teleconsult Sdn Bhd. He previously won the Royal Patron Award back in 2010. Images courtesy of The Brunei Times.

News feed: His Royal Highness Prince Haji Al-Muhtadee Billah, the Crown Prince and Senior Minister at the Prime Minister’s Office, last night graced the Brunei Info-Communication Technology Awards (BICTA) Gala Night held at the International Convention Centre in Berakas.

Also present at the event was His Royal Highness Prince ‘Abdul Malik.

Upon arrival, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince was greeted by the Minister of Communications Yang Berhormat Pehin Orang Kaya Hamzah Pahlawan Dato Seri Setia Hj Abdullah Begawan Mudim Dato Paduka Hj Bakar; Deputy Secretary General of International Telecommunication Union (ITU) Zhao Houlin; Secretary General of the Asia Pacific Telecommunity (APT) Toshiyuki Yamada; and other senior officials at the Ministry of Communications (MinComm).

His Royal Highness presented prizes to the various BICTA 2014 category winners.

Tying for third place in the “School Project” category were Chung Hwa Middle School, BSB and Chung Hua Middle School, KB. Meanwhile, another team from Chung Hwa Middle School, BSB placed second in this category. Although Seria Mulia Sarjana International School took home the “Young Developers Award”, the judges deemed no overall winner for the “School Project” category.

In the “Tertiary School Project” category, a team from Institut Teknologi Brunei (ITB) took home the third prize. Another ITB team, and a team from the Nakhoda Ragam Vocational School, tied for second places. Winning first place in this category was a team from IGS.

Meanwhile, the “ICT Industry” category saw PHMD Publishing Company and MeSixty Sdn Bhd winning second and third places.

Teleconsult Sdn Bhd took home the first place in this category. The company was also awarded the prestigious biennial “Royal Patron Award” for their project.

Teams from Sultan Saiful Rijal Technical College and ITB received the “Islamic ICT Award” , while Itsbytes Company received the “Community Services Award” for their e-learning project. Text courtesy of Amanda Yap of  The Brunei Times and images courtesy of The Brunei Times.

His Royal Highness presenting first place winner in ICT Industry category to Teleconsult for its project, SkyEye. It’s a project that utilises drons to develop high definition aerial capture and producing high definition videography of mobile cell towers. He walked away with a mock cheque of BND 10,000. Images courtesy of The Brunei Times.

His Royal Highness presenting second place winner in ICT Industry category, PHMD Publishing Company, for its project, Salam Halal and earned BND 5,000 for second place . Images courtesy of The Brunei Times.

His Royal Highness presenting first place winner in Tertiary School Project from IGS for its project “Virtual Watch Fitting” and earned BND 7,500. Images courtesy of The Brunei Times.

His Royal Highness presenting second place winner in School Project category to Chung Hwa Middle School BSB for its project “Heritage of South East Asia” . Images courtesy of The Brunei Times.

His Royal Highness presenting third place winner in School Project category to Chung Hwa Middle School KB for its project “HeDGes” . Images courtesy of The Brunei Times.

 

May she rest in peace

Firstly, my deepest condolences to Adrian Tan and the late family of Ms Chin Mei Fong. May she rest in peace. The burial took place this morning at the Berakas Cemetery this morning.

Her body was found in a ravine stretching 20m in depth at one of the hills at Bukit Shahbandar a day after she was reported missing on September 7. It was reported that the incident happened between 4pm to 6pm. Those who have information relating to the case are advised to either contact Assistant Superintendent of Police Pg Hj Abu Naba’a Pg Hj Yusof at 2322004, 2322005 and 2322006, Police hotline 993 or to report to any nearby police stations in support of the ongoing investigation.

It is also advisable for members of the public especially women not to carry out sporting activities alone and when out of their homes, they need to inform their family members on their whereabouts and to always have with them any communication devices for the ease of contact.

 

In today’s The Brunei Times

Yes, we all heard it from Social Media on incident where 37 students from Perpindahan Lambak Kanan Jalan 10 vomited and complaining of abdominal pain. This is a serious matter as it can be viral if not attended quickly. It was good to know that the school contacted the relevant parties and the paramedics responded promptly as well as getting in touch with their parents. The great news is that all the 37 students are in stable condition and that’s what is important. The students were treated in RIPAS and some went under observation as well.

It is yet to be known was the actual cause of the incident and the Ministry of Education urged the public not to spread speculations on the cause on the incident. I was alerted on Whatsapp that the incident was sparked from food poisoning after consuming a beverage. The strange thing is that the students only vomited and experience abdominal pain but no diarrhea. One of my friends also experienced the same case so it could possibly be a bug that is going around.

Let’s hope the doctors are able to locate the source of the bug and prevent such symptoms to spread to others.

 

TCY Motors is gearing up to hold its inaugural Audi Urban Driving Experience soon with an international Audi instructor invited to oversee the event to ensure the utmost safety for participants.

Among the models featured will include the Audi A4, A5, A6, A7 Sportback, and the all-new Audi A3 Sedan which was recently launched, participants can experience the A3 Sedan in the Road Drive exercise where the 5-mode Audi Drive Select will be highlighted. Other exercises will include ABS braking and gymkhana/slalom. These exercises will benefit Audi owners as it will showcase how their Audis can perform in normal and extreme conditions which can occur in everyday driving situations.

The exclusive invitation only event will only cater to Audi owners in the sultanate to show them appreciation and only limited spots will be allocated on a ‘first come first serve’ basis. Audi owners can call 2442333 ext28 or visit the Audi Kiarong showroom during office hours for further details.

Audi instructor during a previous Audi driving event in Sepang where Brunei customers participated a few months ago

 

Catch the match between DPMM FC and Harimau Muda at the Hassanal Bolkiah Stadium this Friday

 

Acer Liquid Smartphones

Check out Acer Liquid smartphones

 

HSBC Personal Internet Banking

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BIBD – Let’s Go Mobile!

Let’s go mobile? Click more to find out!!

Icon Design Store

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HRH Prince Haji Al-Muhtadee Billah, the Crown Prince and Senior Minister at the Prime Minister’s Office, officiating the opening of the Sports Gallery at the Hassanal Bolkiah National Stadium in Berakas yesterday. Image courtesy of Md Asdeny Yakub of The Brunei Times.

The Sports Gallery is open for public viewing at the Hassanal Bolkiah Stadium. Image courtesy of Tuan Hj Rozan Yunos.

There’s also a small gallery on DPMM FC

DPMM FC club were present during the opening of the Sports Gallery

Check out the Sports Gallery

 

Panda Security available at Concepts Computer

 

Repairs being carried out to the collapsed roof of the petrol station. Image courtesy of Joana Tan of The Brunei Times.

When queried by The Brunei Times, the petrol station’s manager said they had discovered the roof structure to be “out of place” the day before. Tajuddin, manager of Taib Delima Retail Station said that upon realising the situation, the part of the station that houses three pump booths was shut down. Contractors were then contacted to assess the damage and carry out necessary repairs today. He added that business would carry on as usual as other areas of the station were unaffected and did not pose any hazards.

An apology from Brunei Shell Marketing (BSM) was issued yesterday with a statement notifying the public that no injuries or damages were sustained by any other persons or vehicles aside from what was reported. The station will be temporarily closed until further notice for repair and renovation works. Further enquiries can be directed to the BSM hotline at 2244739.

Text courtesy of Joana Tan of The Brunei Times.

The debris yesterday from parts of the roofing at the petrol station. Image from Whatsapp

A car being cover by some of the fallen debris. Image from Whatsapp

 

The $2 Sushi only on Monday and Wednesday

Mark your calendars because every Monday and Wednesday is a Sushi Day at Sushi Tei!

From 11am until 10pm, all sushi plates, which are usually priced from $5 to $7, are reduced to only $2.

With more than 80 types of dishes, which include bestsellers Salmon Sashimi, California Maki and Cheesy Tori Katsu Maki, indulge your appetite for Japanese food at a special deal. For the adventurous, give exotic dishes such as the Rainbow Roll, a set of three sushi made from Squid, Tuna and Hamichi (Amberjack fish), and Salmon Cha Soba, cooked salmon served with noodles that can be prepared hot or cold, a try.

For more information, or to make a reservation at Sushi Tei, please call 2449977, 7152691 or 8990579. The outlet is located on the ground floor of Block C in Gadong Central. Text courtesy of Ikhwan Salleh of The Brunei Times.

Some of the dishes from Sushi Tei. Image courtesy of Ikhwan Salleh of The Brunei Times.

Sushi Tei also does delivery. Do call 244 9977 for details.