Posts Tagged ‘royal brunei’
Strength to strength
Download SnapFeed app on your smartphones and check out the latest deals in Brunei and also get rewarded from respective merchants such as BurgerKing, KFC and Sushi Tei to name a few and also check out the new movie listings as well.
His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu’izzaddin Waddaulah, the Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam (3rd R) speaking with Captain Sharifah Czarena Surainy Syed Hashim (L), as former Deputy Chairman of Royal Brunei Dermot Mannion (2nd L) and Deputy Chief Operating Officer Captain Khalidkhan Hj Asmakhan (2nd R) look. It was His Majesty’s visit to the newly refurbished Brunei International Airport last year. Image courtesy of Zaim Kasmat of The Brunei Times.
Mr. Dermot Mannion have served in Royal Brunei Airlines for 5 years and he has definitely shifted the play field of Royal Brunei Airlines through restructuring and rebranding. It’s sad to know that he won’t be continuing his journey in Royal Brunei Airlines. Image courtesy of breakingnewstravel.com
After five years of service as Deputy Chairman of Royal Brunei Airlines (RB), Mr. Dermot Mannion has announced he will shortly depart from Brunei, on completion of his term of office. The Board of RB has expressed gratitude to Mr. Mannion for his service and in particular, has commended the successful completion of the restructuring and rebranding of RB in recent years.
Mr. Mannion will now be succeeded in the capacity of CEO by Mr. Karam Chand who was previously Chief Commercial and Planning Officer at RB. Mr. Chand holds an MSc in Air Transport Management from Cranfield University and has over twenty years’ experience at various flag carrier airlines and Virgin Australia.
Stated Mr. Mannion: ‘I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the Board and to our staff for their loyalty and support during my tenure at RB. I would also like to congratulate Karam on his appointment and I extend my sincere best wishes to him and to RB for the future.’
Mr Chand stated “I am honoured and humbled by the appointment and for the trust and faith the Board has placed in me. We have tremendous opportunities ahead of us and with the strong legacy left by Dermot we are in a good position to fly the flag higher. I am grateful to Dermot for his support and guidance over the last three and half years. We wish him well in whatever he chooses as his next challenge”. Text courtesy of Royal Brunei Airlines.
Dermot with the winners of the talent competition for the in-house employees of RB last December. A very much loved leader in the company.
Dermot congratulating Sabre (formerly known as Abacus) for their 25 years in service last September. He even sang a number for the audience.
Dermot with the chairman of Royal Brunei Airlines, YB Dato Paduka Hj Bahrin bin Abdullah, during the signing agreement for the new Airbus A320neo aircraft. The signing took place in May 2014.
What I feel: It’s truly sad to know that a capable leader such as Mr. Dermot is leaving Brunei and our national air carrier Royal Brunei Airlines. So far he is the longest service leader compared to the past few CEOs of Royal Brunei Airlines. I have had a few dialogues with him and I am amazed by his humble character. I’m pretty sure that the senior management and the associates of the company will miss his company. He has turned RB into one of the strong brands in the country and guess what? Even their online presence is strong on social media as they were being recognized last year for being in the social trend.
I remember when Royal Brunei had to restructure which involved cutting cost here and there. It was a pretty challenging period for RB then and I was thinking to myself if RB will have the resilience to climb back up. Slowly it did and thanks to Dermot and his team as well as the chairmanship of YB Dato Paduka Hj Bahrin. It’s a great reminder for those who doesn’t have a vision, do follow those who have and Dermot is one of them. Thank you for your contribution to the Brunei economy and the community. I wish you the best in your future journey.
Dermot at the launching of the rebranded Royal Skies in September 2014.
The launching of the Dreamliner B787 back in October 2013. It suddenly became a reality that the Dreamliner is physically in Brunei Darussalam.
Dermot launching the Dreamliner service to Kuala Lumpur at Vistana Hotel back in May 2013
Dermot played an important role in rebranding the image and corporate culture of Royal Brunei Airlines. One of them is the logo.
He also saw a potential in signing superstar Wu Chun as the brand ambassador for Royal Brunei Airlines. The dividends have surely paid off.
One of the core values that Royal Brunei Airlines incorporated in their rebranding process – “Happyness”
The new uniforms of the cabin crew of Royal Brunei Airlines.
Standard Chartered Bank Brunei officially announced the launch of the Standard Chartered Cup 2016 indoor football tournament yesterday at a press conference at their Priority Banking Centre in Gadong. The Standard Chartered Cup 2016 in a local 5 aside indoor football tournament (futsal) and the tournament is planned to kick off in early April.
Marilyn Graeme, Head of Corporate Affairs, Brand & Marketing said:
“Standard Chartered Bank has been the main sponsor for Liverpool FC since 2009 and together the partnership has greatly benefitted both parties. The SC Cup tournament will give teams the opportunity of a once-in-a-lifetime experience to win a trip to Anfield to watch a home game in executive box seats as well as receive a coaching session with an LFC Legend at the LFC Academy.
The SC Cup aims not only to engage the large football loving community here as well as Liverpool FC fans in Brunei, we also look forward to contributing towards a charitable cause through 100 percent donation of the registration fees that will be collected. We would like to thank our generous partners, Royal Brunei as well as the Ministry of Culture, Youth & Sports and the National Football Association for their kind support.”
Last year, Standard Chartered hosted SC Trophy which saw winning team, Matahari FC, winning the local tournament to represent Brunei in the regional stage against Malaysia and Thailand. Press release from SCB Brunei.
NFABD Futsal standing committee chairman Rosdin Hj Abd Aziz, SCB Brunei Head of Corporate Affairs Marilyn Graeme and NFABD Fustal standing committee deputy chairman Bujang Hj Japar during the press conference at the SCB’s Priority Banking Centre in Gadong yesterday
Marilyn delivering some exciting news for football fans
The local media during the press conference
Matahari FC team members – winners of the Standard Chartered Trophy 2015 local tournament in February 2015 – received their kits from CEO of SCB. Rino Donosepoetro. They represented Brunei in the regional tournament but failed to win the tournament. The winner then won the trip to Anfield. This time round the winners of the Standard Chartered Cup 2016 indoor football tournament in Brunei will guarantee a passage straight to Anfield. Awesome news!!! Image courtesy of SCB Facebook Page.
SC Cup 2016 Local tournament
The local tournament will see 24 teams participating. It will kick off on 4 April with the finals taking place on 9 April. Teams can register for a place by visiting Standard Chartered’s Brunei’s website at www.sc.com/bn. Participants must be Brunei citizens or permanent residents, be over 18 years of age and not be professional or semi-professional players. Each registered team cannot have more than two (2) players who are also participating in the 2015/2016 national futsal leagues.
The grand prize
All seven (7) team members of the winning team from the Tournament will receive flights (return economy class) to and from Brunei Darussalam to the United Kingdom, transfers during the itinerary, accommodation for the duration of the trip, tickets to a Liverpool FC match at Anfield, training session at the Liverpool FC Academy (itinerary subject to change depending on final confirmation of flights and activities and availability). Participants should be able to travel to the United Kingdom between 4 May to 9 May 2016 in order to receive the grand prize.
The closing date for registrations is 25 March. To find out more about the Standard Chartered Cup, visit www.sc.com/bn or follow the bank’s Facebook page at www.facebook.com/StandardCharteredBN. Press release from SCB Brunei.
What I think: This is an awesome opportunity whether you are not a Liverpool supporter or not. Just to be sponsored all the way to the UK and experience a Premier League club are chances of a lifetime. Thanks to Standard Chartered Bank and Royal Brunei Airlines with the support of the MCYS and NFABD, this is made possible for the residents of Brunei Darussalam. The other great news is that the winners of the futsal team don’t have to play other winning countries to get that passage to Anfield. Just as long as you win the Standard Chartered Cup 2016 indoor football tournament, seven of you will earn the right to fly to the UK. Should the winning team couldn’t fly, then the runners-up will be given the opportunity.
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Where’s my mojo…
Notice from At-Taqwa Travel Tours
Check out their booth at 11th RB Belait Travel Fair at Pusat Insani
Some of the promotional fares
The national junior tennis team before their departure to the ITF World Junior Tennis Competition in Sri Lanka in a group photo with BDTA officials. Brunei last participated in the tournament in 1996 when they were hosts.
Written by Yee Chun Leong of The Brunei Times. Brunei headed off to the ITF (International Tennis Federation) World Junior Tennis Competition in Sri Lanka with no expectations last Wednesday.
The trio of Ben Sii, Harry Kwang and Kieran Lai will contest in the pre-qualifiers of both the singles and doubles events and are accompanied by their coach Mohd Aiman Abdullah at the March 4-9 competition.
It will be a long-awaited return to the competition for Brunei, which last participated in the tournament in 1996 when they were hosts.
Aiman had previously told The Brunei Times that he has no expectations and that it is more important the players get some much needed exposure at this young age.
With their families before sending them off at the Brunei International Airport
Ben Sii being interviewed by Yee Chun Leong
Kieran was all smiles during the interview
Photo opportunity with the coach and Brunei players. Thank you Armtrix Enterprise for sponsoring the attire.
The players prepping for the opening ceremony in Sri Lanka. All the best.
Sii knows the level of difficulty but hopes that he will be able to at least win a game.
“I’m feeling a bit nervous but I will try to get at least one game,” said Sii before the team’s departure at the Brunei International Airport in Berakas.
“It will be a challenge for me because the players from the other countries are more prepared.
“We started training last year while others would have been doing that for at least two years now. But I’m ready to play as training got tougher as the date got closer to the tournament,” he added.
Lai, who started out in the sport two years ago, is hoping for the best.
“I’m prepared for it and I’m going there more for the experience,” said Lai. “I’m looking to score some points, and my fitness is still low but it is getting better,” added the 13-year-old.
On the other hand, Kwang hopes to be able to learn more from his stronger opponents.
“I’m going there to have fun. Training was very intense and I believe that it has paid off,” said Kwang. “I’m just a bit nervous and I have no expectations but I’m feeling confident.
“I want to gain as much experience and exposure from this trip and looking forward to making some new friends to learn more about tennis,” he concluded.
Also present at the Brunei International Airport to send the team off were BDTA secretary general Hj Zuraimi Hj Abd Sani, treasurer John Chia and tournament secretary Abd Rasheed Abdullah.
Meanwhile, the 53rd Brunei ITF Junior Circuit will be held from March 8-13 at the National Tennis Centre of the Hassanal Bolkiah National Sports Complex in Berakas.
The previous edition in December saw the trio of Timothy Lim, Zen Sii and Mohd Nurul Andi Hambali represent the Sultanate and they all stumbled in the first round.
South Korea’s Jeong Yeongseok and Chinese-Taipei’s Shih Hsin-Yuan won the boys’ and girls’ titles at the 52nd edition of the tournament in December.
The 2014 “Car of the Year” Peugeot 308 made its debut in Brunei Darussalam and it has been showcased to the public. So yesterday, I had the privilege to test drive the Peugeot 308 on the road with the other local press.
We drove along the highway to check out its dynamic cruise control. I have to say this is my first experience using cruise control and I am amazed on how the intelligent the AI of the Peugeot 308 is. It’s able to detect the speed of the car in front of you and it will maintained at the speed and distance automatically along the highway. This means you don’t have to use the accelerator (again, useful for long journeys to KB or Muara) while driving on the highway. This function can be activated form 40km/h and manages a speed delta between vehicles of 30km/h maximum. The “Dynamic Cruise Control” is only available on the hi spec version of Peugeot 308.
The parking assist is also the highlight of the Peugeot 308. It can do reverse parking as well as parallel parking. All you have do is play around with the brakes and shifting of the gears. Again, this car is very ideal for those who don’t favour parking manually.
The i-cockpit of the Peugeot 308 is also very ideal for the driver where all the information is displayed on one screen which makes it very convenient for the driver especially while driving. You might be wondering why a smaller feel of the compact steering wheel. Well, one reason is that so you can have a better view of the Head-up Instrument Panel. The LED lights inside the Peugeot 308 gives it an interesting feel when night falls. This feature is only available on the hi spec version though.
There is so many things to love about the Peugeot 308 and it has been receiving quite well in Brunei market. This will be a great buy especially for the young executives. There’s the standard spec version and also the hi spec version. You can follow their Facebook page for updates or their official website for other models.
You can visit the Peugeot Showroom at Kiarong (near roundabout).
Check out the LED lights
Test driving the Peugeot 308 on the road yesterday
The parking assist
Good indicators on the status of the Peugeot 308
Taken of the MIXEL Brunei Facebook page. So you know the locations, you know who to look out for… Let the search begin everyone! The Finding MIXEL contest has officially begun.
You’ve got a whole month to search for your favourite characters – from now until 31st March 2016 – so start looking!!
To take part, simply snap a photo of yourself (or your friends/family) with any MIXEL that has a hidden character inside and follow the rules below!
How can you win?
1) Take a photo with your favourite character in the MIXEL
2) Tag MIXEL Brunei page on your photo with#findingMIXEL
3) The MIXEL logo and the artwork must be visible in your photo
4) Make sure your profile is public and visible to MIXEL’s page
5) Only one entry is allowed per person
6) You must complete all the conditions above to be eligible for the Lucky Draw on 1st April 2016
Prizes are sponsored by The Brunei Hotel, GLOT Lifestyle, Takaful Brunei, Jerudong Park Playground, Sweet Nonya, FoodPanda and Euroclassic Collection
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New Song
New ministers and deputy ministers sworn in. Video by The Brunei Times.
Brunei’s new Cabinet ministers and deputy ministers were sworn in for a five-year term at Istana Nurul Iman this morning, October 26, 2015.
The swearing-in ceremony was held three days after His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu’izzaddin Waddaulah, the Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalamm, announced the Cabinet reshuffle on state television.
A total of 21 office-bearers took their oaths before the Sultan during the hour-long ceremony, including His Royal Highness Prince Hj Al-Muhtadee Billah, the Crown Prince and Senior Minister at the Prime Minister ‘s Office.
His Majesty retains the posts of prime minister, defence minister, finance minister and took over the foreign affairs and trade portfolio from His Royal Highness Prince Mohamed Bolkiah.
Five new faces are also included in the Cabinet line-up. Source: The Brunei Times.
So what flavour are you?
It was great to see Richard To (in Superman tee) and his mother at Chatime last weekend. I do miss my Power Ranger days *lol*
The well known bubble tea franchise is here in the city. The first one was opened in Kuala Belait. Now the Taiwanese tea franchise, Chatime, opened its second branch in Citis Square. I only noticed of Chatime when I was traveling to Kuala Lumpur and apparently, it’s quite big in KL and to my surprise, a few of my friends kinda know of Chatime and they prefer the drinks from Chatime. The soft opening was last Saturday and the responses were great to begin with.
Grace Chen, the master franchise of Chatime for Brunei market, was happy that the second outlet was ready to serve the customers. The grand opening is slated soon and it will tie with some promotion as well. So what flavours are the popular ones? Do try the QQ Passion Fruit, the Maccha Red Bean or the Chocolate Milk Tea or the usual Pearl Milk Tea. My personal favourite is the blend mix of maccha and red bean.
Chatime can also cater to your sugar level and even ice level and you can enjoy a selection of 8 toppings.
Chatime in Citis Square is located not far from Burger King. Enjoy!!! You can follow on their IG @chatime_brunei
Sin Yi and Ming Rui enjoying their Chatime. However, Ming Rui is craving for the taro flavour which is not available just yet
The interior of Chatime at Citis Square outlet
It’s gonna be a busy month at Chatime
Yang Berhormat Pehin Orang Kaya Seri Kerna Dato Seri Setia (Dr) Haji Awang Abu Bakar, the Minister of Home Affairs was the guest of honour during the BIBD CE ALAF’s prize presentation last Sunday.
BIBD CE ALAF became another hit among the locals. Thousands showed up last Sunday for another edition of BIBD CE ALAF programme. It stands for Bank Islam Brunei Darussalam Charity Expedition for Advocating Life-Long Learning for an Aspiring Future. The event took place at the usual Hassanal Bolkiah Stadium.
The guest of honour was the Minister of Home Affairs, Pehin Orang Kaya Seri Kerna Dato Seri Setia (Dr) Haji Awang Abu Bakar bin Haji Apong presented prizes to the winners.
It was also nice to see former Minister of MIPR at the cycling category. Pehin Orang Kaya Seri Utama Dato Seri Setia Awang Haji Yahya bin Begawan Mudim Dato Paduka Haji Bakar cycled during the expedition accompanied by Javed Ahmad, BIBD’s Managing Director and both of them are cycling enthusiasts.
Javed was quick to point out the volunteers for their great contribution to the community. Did you know they have roughly 900 volunteers in helping out the BIBD event to be a success? Amazing feat.
Great job to the BIBD team especially to Hajah Nurul Akmar binti Haji Mohd Ja’afar , Head of BIBD’s Corporate Social Responsibility, in leading the team to greater heights and also making the event another success.
Below are the winners of the respective categories.
Stephen Mungathia Nikubitu 1st place, Charles Munya Njaki 2nd place and Bernard Muthoni 3rd place in the Men Open 21km
Sefli Ahar 1st place, Abdul Malik bin Hidup 2nd place and Mohammad Samsul Zamri bin Muhammad Samsul Zam 3rd place in the Brunei Male 21 KM category
Tarus Gladus Jep Kechei 1st, Cheptoeck Careen 2nd and Esther Wambui Karimi 3rd in the Open Female 21KM category
Jenny Tan Feng Ling 1st place, Marnie Ahmad 2nd place and Jalquirey Cheng Nee 3rd place in Brunei Women 21 KM
James Cikunga Karanja 1st , Charles Kipkorir Kipsang 2nd and Titus Kipngetich 3rd in the Male Open 10Km category
Mastani Yussof 1st, Razali Sabli 2nd and Mohd Shah Azahar bin Abdullah 3rd in the Brunei Male 10Km category
Isabelan Kigen 1st, Valentine Jepkemoi Serem 2nd and Sarah Powdrill 3rd in the Female Open 10Km category
Nice t-shirt
Nurul Amirah Kariml 1st, Nurizyenny Muslim 2nd and Liza Hamid 3rd in the Brunei Female 10K category
Nikmatul Fatinah Haji Ismail 1st, Shazana Hamiroldzam 2nd and Dawn Lovell 3rd in the Female 5Km category
Kamau Kamau 1st (amazing feat of almost 16 minutes in the 5km run), Muhd Qamarul Ariffin Hifn 2nd and Lim Wei Kuang 3rd in the Male 5Km category
The winners of the Brunei Travel Fair feted two weeks ago
Irene Soon, General Manager of Abacus Brunei thanked all the stakeholders involved in the Brunei Travel Fair and also their customers
Late post: Well done to all the 13 winners of the recent Brunei Travel Fair as they won from the lucky draws organised by Acabus (B) Sdn Bhd which was held at Royal Brunei Recreation Club. The prizes were sponsored by Abacus Brunei, Royal Brunei Airlines (RB), Nautilus Diving Bali, Holiday Inn Express, Pathumwan Princess and Tourism Authority of Thailand and the official bank, Baiduri Bank.
The biggest winner was Nor Liyana Naqibah Bahren as she won one return air ticket to London and it was an anti-climax moment when new born Siti Nurzafirah Abd Azim won two air tickets to Melbourne. Maggie Sim won four return economy air tickets to Ho Chi Minh City and the fourth prize went to Kok Ngean with three return tickets to Bali. All the prizes were sponsored by Royal Brunei Airlines.
Holiday Inn Express (Thailand) sponsored prizes as well. Both Mohammad Hajatul Nazri Roslan and Mastura Kalong won a two night stay at Holiday Inn Express Bangkok Sathorn and Siam while Morsidi Haji Damit won a three-day-two-night free accommodation at Pathumwan Princess Hotel.
My friend @marul69 had one in five chances to win the GoPro Hero 4 but the Abacus grand prize went to Tan Meng Gueh, who purchased a ticket from Freme Travel Services. Instead Marul and the other consolation winners won a handy power bank. This category prizes were sponsored by Abacus Brunei.
Abacus Brunei also awarded prizes to the top travel agencies who registered the highest incremental bookings during the Brunei Travel Fair. It was no surprise that Pan Bright Travel won first place (as they have a good marketing gimmick) and this was followed by Darussalam Holdings Sdn Bhd and Freme Travel Services Sdn Bhd.
Present during the prize presentation were the representatives from the organisers and partners. Handing the prizes were Joan Lim, Head of RB’s Commercial Service; Pengiran Azaleen bin Pengiran Dato Haji Mustapha, Head of Baiduri Bank Retail Banking and Branch Network; Irene Soon, General Manager of Abacus Brunei and Abd Halim Haji Abd Rahman, Senior Manager (Sales and Marketing) of Abacus Brunei.
According to Abacus Brunei, they have an increase of bookings compared to last year. This shows that the travel industry is a lucrative market because we love to go on holidays. I managed to buy tickets to Kota Kinabalu and Bali but unlucky not be shortlisted in the lucky draw. Maybe next time 😀
The winners of the flight to London, Melbourne, Ho Chi Minh City and Bali
The winners of the hotel accommodation in Thailand
Tan Meng Gueh won a GoPro Hero 4
The winners of the Abacus Brunei lucky draw
It was a packed occasion during the Brunei Travel Fair
The top three travel agents during the travel fair – Pan Bright Travel, Darussalam Holdings and Freme Travel
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Counting the moments
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Download SnapFeed app on your smartphones and check out the latest deals in Brunei and also get rewarded from respective merchants such as BurgerKing, KFC and Sushi Tei to name a few and also check out the new movie listings as well.
Mr Dermot Mannion, Deputy Chairman of Brunei Darussalam with Her Excellency Datin Paduka Malai Hjh Halimah Malai Hj Yussof during the ribbon cutting ceremony
Royal Brunei Airlines (RB) the national carrier of the Sultanate of Brunei has launched its newly refurbished and rebranded office in Manila’s Makati City, Philippines on 13th October 2015. Present to launch as guest of honor was Her Excellency Datin Paduka Malai Hjh Halimah Malai Hj Yussof. Also present were RB’s Deputy Chairman, Mr Dermot Mannion, the Secretary of the Department of Tourism, Philippines, Mr Ramon Jimenez; and Mr Carmelo Arcilla, the Executive Director of Civil Aeronautics Board, Philippines; and Mr Mark Lapid, former governor of Pampangga and COO of Tieza.
The event was attended by media and travel trade professionals and it provided RB with an opportunity to showcase new heritage inspired uniforms to be proudly worn by customer service staff in Manila. The warm spectrum of uniform colours ranging from olive to morning sky and fresh mint, together with the new vibrant office layout is all designed to reflect the friendly and welcoming nature of the people of Brunei Darussalam and the RB brand.
RB’s very successful makeover has received international recognition in the 2014 Global Rebrand 100 Awards. Manila is the latest stop on the rebranding journey which is being rolled out across the entire RB network.
Mr Dermot Mannion with the team from Royal Brunei Airlines’ Manila office
RB commenced scheduled services to Manila on 01st May 1977 with a frequency of two flights in a week, and now 38 later, RB’s service to Manila has increased to a daily service.
RB also took the opportunity at the relaunch event to introduce the new Philippines General Sales Agent (GSA) ; Avia-Rh Inc.
Joanne Sarmiento, General Manager for Avia-RH Inc: “We are proud to be a part of the Royal Brunei family and we are committed to building their market in the Philippines, contributing to the growing tourism market in Asia Pacific and connecting Filipinos to destinations around the world with Royal Brunei.”
Dermot Mannion, Deputy Chairman of RB said “We are delighted to mark the launch of our rebranding in Manila with the appointment of Avia-RH Inc as GSA. These days RB has a very good product to sell and passengers from Philippines will also enjoy the newly refurbished terminal facilities at Brunei International Airport. We look forward to working with the Avia-RH team to make RB the preferred choice to all the destinations that we serve”.
KFC’s new item, only for a limited time
Del Goh, Vice-President of KFC Brunei, doing some quality control before the photo shoot :p
Savour the flavour of KFC’s latest addition to the menu, Potato Wrapped Prawns.
Available only for a limited time, and priced at $5.60, the crunchy snack consists of five pieces of the succulent crustacean wrapped in thin and crispy potatoes.
For those who prefer something more filling, opt for the set meal, which consists of two pieces of KFC’s fried chicken (either original or spicy), three pieces of the Potato Wrapped Prawns along with a regular-sized carbonated drink for only $8.50.
In a press statement, Vice-president of KFC Brunei Del Goh said, “We are glad to be able to provide our customers with this succulent crunch where everyone of all ages can savour the hand-wrapped crispy prawns everywhere and anywhere they want.”
The new snack is available at all KFC branches in the sultanate including the newly-opened Fast Food outlet in Tutong starting today while stocks last. KFC has branches in three districts of the sultanate: Brunei-Muara, Tutong and Belait. Text courtesy of Raghadah Agus of The Brunei Times.
KFC’s Potato Wrapped Prawns and they are pretty good
The photo shoot moment
KFC’s team posing with the newly promoted item.
Yang Berhormat Pehin Orang Kaya Seri Utama Dato Seri Setia Hj Yahya Begawan Mudim Dato Paduka Hj Bakar, Minister of Industry and Primary Resources as the guest of honour with the winners of the Brunei Darussalam Motorcross Challenge 2015. Image taken by Hj Mohd Ali of The Brunei Times.
The other winners of the Brunei Darussalam Motorcross Challenge 2015. Image taken by Hj Mohd Ali of The Brunei Times.
Indonesians Ariandi and Pedro Wuner kept their titles as the fastest riders in the Brunei Darussalam Motocross Challenge 2015 after dominating this year’s Motocross Open category.
Ariandi was crowned champion of the off-road motorcycle race again yesterday in Sungai Besar, Tutong, winning a cash prize of $500 and a trophy. His compatriot, Pedro, received $400 in cash prize and a trophy for securing second place.
“I’m satisfied with my performance despite recovering from a leg injury. It was a competitive race as the other riders were very good,” said Pedro, who was also the first runner-up in 2011.
Meanwhile, the sultanate’s Abdul Rahman Hj Harith walked away with $300 in cash prize and a trophy for landing in third place. The up and coming rider also emerged as the winner of the 125 Expert category, earning a cash prize of $150 and a trophy.
Joseph Woon of Sabah, Malaysia conquered the Veteran Open category, collecting $150 in cash prize and a trophy.
Locals Mohd Ahyar Mohd Yahya, Mohd Hamlenoor Abdul Rahman and Muhd Ali Hanafiah Lamiah grabbed first place in the 125 Novice Open, Minicross Open and Motocross Brunei Open categories respectively. Each winner scored $150 in cash prize and a trophy.
Muhd Ali Hanafiah said he was grateful for the opportunity to compete as he withdrew from the previous competition due to shoulder injuries he sustained during practice.
Liyana Zakaria, the first female rider. Image taken by Hj Mohd Ali of The Brunei Times.
The Brunei Darussalam Motocross Challenge 2015 also featured its first female rider, Liyana Zakaria. Although the 24-year-old amateur came seventh out of nine places in the Motocross Brunei Open, she intended to garner the experience towards improving her performance in future races.
“It was awesome, but it was awkward as it was male-dominated. Chances of winning this time around were slim as the other riders had way more experience than me,” she explained.
Liyana took up off-road motorcycle racing a couple of months ago after dabbling in the street bike racing scene, but her lack of experience did not stop her from competing. She hoped her participation would empower other women in Brunei to try motocross racing.
“There needs to be a platform for women who want to try motocross racing. My advice for aspiring female riders would be to learn from those who are experienced,” she said.
The United Youth Voluntary Movement (GPPS), organiser of the Brunei Darussalam Motocross Challenge 2015, also called on the wider public to support off-road motorcycle racing in a bid to further develop the calibre of local riders.
GPPS chairman Abdul Khalid Abdul Latip said such competitions provided an avenue to strengthen ties between local and international motocross riders.
He believed that participation in motocross racing could help to broaden the minds of the youth through motorcycle engineering, raise awareness about bike safety as well as teach riders to be tolerant and responsible.
Abdul Khalid added the competition also enabled local vendors to earn income by selling food and drinks to the spectators.
Present as the guest of honour was Minister of Industry and Primary Resources Yang Berhormat Pehin Orang Kaya Seri Utama Dato Seri Setia Hj Yahya Begawan Mudim Dato Paduka Hj Bakar. Also in attendance was Tutong District Officer Wardi Hj Mohd Ali alongside other officials.
The minister handed over prizes and trophies to the winners as well as certificates to all the participating riders.
A total of 31 riders representing Brunei, Indonesia and Malaysia competed in this year’s competition in conjunction with the 69th birthday of His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu’izzaddin Waddaulah, the Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam. You can check out more photos here taken by Forest Han Photography. Text courtesy of Rabiatul Kamit of The Brunei Times and images courtesy of The Brunei Times and @foresthan
The Brunei Darussalam Motorcross Challenge 2015. Image taken by @foresthan
The Brunei Darussalam Motorcross Challenge 2015. Image taken by @foresthan
The Brunei Darussalam Motorcross Challenge 2015. Image taken by @foresthan
The Brunei Darussalam Motorcross Challenge 2015. Image taken by @foresthan
The Brunei Darussalam Motorcross Challenge 2015. Image taken by @foresthan
Fun Bee Park is once again inviting the members of the public to its Sunday Brunch Buffet. October specials will be the very first Seafood Buffet on 18th October, Sunday, from 10am till 12pm. Tickets selling for only B$5 per person for a free flow of steamed white rice, glass noodles and local yellow noodles. Desserts come for a free flow as diners could enjoy making their own ABC and Ice Kacang, a platter of seasonal fruit cuts; children corner for Chocolate Fondue. Fruit drinks will be served to the diners all throughout the brunch.
Fresh vegetables in plates will be sold at $2 which contains sweet corn, mushrooms, Pak Choi, bean sprouts, and carrots while there will be homemade balls in plates to be sold at $2 which includes fish balls, prawn balls, mushroom balls, sausages, and crab meat sticks. Egg will be sold at 50 cents per piece. Fresh seafood such as fish head, prawns, crabs, local whole fishes, and squids will be sold from $2 – $5 per plate only.
Diners got to experience mix and match their chosen seafood meats and veggies to the soup of their choice. Available soups such as Chicken Soup, Seafood Soup, and Tom Yam Soup will be available at the kitchen. Sauces were made personally to enhance the flavors of the soup. Bali Sauce, Belacan sauce, and Satay sauce were few of the choices at the condiment’s corner.
Aside from the Seafood Buffet, Fun Bee Park also invites the public especially working individuals who were tied up with works and have no chance to prepare their meal to participate in their very first “Salad in a Glass Class”. Class will be held at Fun Bee Park on October 24th, Saturday from 10am till 12pm. Entry fee is B$10 per person and attendees will be advised to bring their own 500ml tall mason glass along with them. For those who ran out of mason glass on hand, Fun Bee Park is selling their 500ml tall wide mouth mason glass for only B$4.
Fun Bee Park is introducing their first healthy salad recipe: Creamy Ham and Green which is mix of lettuce, toasted bread slices, beef / chicken ham, boiled egg, cherry tomatoes and Japanese cucumber. The salad in a glass is a new technique of stacking up meat, veggies, and others into a mason glass with the special dressing and is always ready to eat option.
Attendees of the salad class will prepare their own salad items including washing and cutting into desired sizes, and most especially, to prepare the salad dressing to perfect the taste.
Once every month, Fun Bee Park will be introducing different salad recipes as well as its dressings. For more information and reservation, please call 2457729 / 7178232 or visit them at A6/A7, Ground Floor, Sempurna Complex, Batu Bersurat, Gadong. Text courtesy of Fun Bee Park.
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Colour me bad
Today Pehin Orang Kaya Hamzah Pahlawan Dato Seri Setia Hj Abdullah Begawan Mudim Dato Paduka Hj Bakar Minister of Communications graced the Brunei Travel Fair. This morning was totally packed and I’m beginning to wonder if RBRC was enough to cater the hundreds that throng into the venue today. It was jam packed like a can of sardines.
Today’s the final day of the Brunei Travel Fair and let’s hope there are still special fares up for grabs. I managed to get some good fares today. So peeps. Just bring yourself to the Royal Brunei Recreational Club and make you sure that you come as early as possible.
I won’t saying much because I’ve mentioned it in my previous post. Let the pictures tell you the story.
The Minister with one of the icons from Republic of Indonesia
The Minister at Baiduri Bank booth
Want a massage?
At the Tourism Malaysia booth
Presence of BIBD
Strong crowd here at Darussalam Holdings. They will give you double points on Royal Skies during the Travel Fair
Hello Gek (of Darussalam Holdings)
Long queue at Pan Bright
Chance to win a car from Pan Bright
The Minister with Richard from Tourism Authority of Thailand
Check out the new Vento
Another colour to look at
You have heard of the Vento before and it’s from Volkswagen. Surprisingly it was the top 10 selling car in Brunei last year. Now the Vento has an upgrade – it has a combination of high performance, low fuel consumption and class-leading safety as well. The difference with the older model is that it looks slightly longer and stronger appeal definitely.
Let’s quickly go with the exterior features. It has redesigned front end with fog lamps and even the tail lamps have a 3D effect. The side mirrors now have a signal indicator. The other new feature is the Park Distance control (using censor) and it sports a 15” alloy wheels.
The interior has a revamped feel with trim materials and colours and new look of the arm rest. It is powered by a 1.6L petrol engine as well.
The Vento also has an anti-lock braking system and four airbags to protect the occupants during side-on impacts along with the three-point seat belts.
What’s not to like about the car? This is another good contender against the Japanese brand that’s also a hot seller but losing a little steam. Maybe because of the introduction of the the affordable Vento last year. The price this time starts at $21,800 and for the early bird bookings, you will get a $1,000 discount. Awesome. So do check the new Vento at the Maju Motors Showroom. Images courtesy of Vincent Hong.
Bernd Siffling, General Manager of Maju Motors Sdn Bhd during the launch of the Vento at Maju Motors showroom
Chan Key Hong, Managing Director of Maju Motors
Unveiling the new Vento
I guess many of you have heard about the recent scandal that rocked Volkswagen worldwide. Despite the major setback, the brand has to rebuilt the trust with the customers and it’s a plus that Volkswagen owners in Brunei needn’t to worry as the Volkswagen cars supplied to Brunei Darussalam are originated from a completely different production line as addressed by Bernd Siffling, General Manager of Maju Motors Sdn Bhd.
Now with the new direction of the CEO of Volkswagen, Matthias Mueller, let’s hope for better things in the world of Volkswagen. As you know that Volkswagen is a world leader in car making and the scandal will cost them billions. It’s good to know that local customers said that their trust in their Volkswagens has not changed, making the launch of new Vento a much-anticipated event.
A great turn out last night
The winners with the organizers and judges at the Adult Colouring contest last weekend
Alisa Denis the grand winner last weekend
I did it. I officially entered my first ever colour contest at the Mabohai Shopping Complex last weekend. Well, it was for adults too and it was the first of its kind (in a colouring competition). It was organised by Mabohai Shopping Complex and Best Eastern. I have to say that I really had fun that time though I was one of the 5 men among the 78 contestants as the rest were female participants.
So why did I finally get involved with colouring? It was because of the management of Best Eastern as they showed me one of the colouring books meant for adults and from that moment, I was telling myself that maybe.. just maybe, I should get one for myself. A few days later, I officially bought my first colouring book 😀 I guess it’s true that they say such book can make you feel calm when you get the groove of colouring. And yes, it can be therapeutic. Meaning if you have stressful day at work (or even at home), start colouring away.
So if you are wondering which book I am referring to, it’s either Johanna Bamford or Millie Marotta colouring book. It’s selling for $19.90 now at Best Eastern bookstores.
Anyway, back to the contest I was talking about. It was a pretty long judging session to say the least. It took almost two hours to determine the winners of the contest. I never knew judging can be challenging task and furthermore, the organisers didn’t expect a high entry of contestants. The judging process was based on the participants’ creativity in using the colours, shading, tone and presentation.
Nina Zainal coming strong in 2nd place
Robert John with his 3rd place effort
Beautiful penciled by Alisa Denis
Loving the colours toned by Nina Zainal
The winners with the judges
It was quite a great turn out last Sunday
One of the consolation winners with Yolly
It was good to see my cousin (right) participating
The winner of the contest was Alisa Denis with her beautiful colourful effect and she brought home $200 worth of prizes. Second place went to Nina Zainal who’s no stranger in the art scene. She won $150 worth while Robert John won $100 after coming third. There were five other consolation prizes – Jennie, Hilyati, Hannie, Fen Yee and Irene.
According to Yolly Celeridad, Operations Manager of Best Eastern, that the colouring competition aims at bringing creativity from the adults and the most important thing is that this activity is actually fun, fun, fun. I certainly had fun. She hinted that there will be another Adult colouring competition in October but it has yet to be confirmed.
Don’t forget to get a copy of the colouring books by for adults by Johanna Basford and Millie Marotta – The Secret Garden, Enchanted Forest and Animal Kingdom. The new ones that just arrived are 1) Tropical Wonderful (Millie Marotta) and Mindfulness (Holly McDonald). For enquiries or more information, please call 2337196 or 7137839. You can also check out its Facebook page at ‘Best Eastern’ and Instagram @besteastern_bookstore
Look at me.. At full concentration. Thanks Ridwan for the shot and thanks for the support.
Another supporter who came down surprisingly was SY and yes, she had this sinister look too :p Thanks for coming though it was momentary.
You can buy the adult colouring books at Best Eastern outlets and also the colour pencils
I bought myself the Enchanted Forest two weeks ago
I even invested in the Derwent colour pencils. Pretty good.
Even my toastmaster friends are into colouring
Ok, Iskandar is a good in shading with pencils
The latest book I bought off Best Eastern
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Time to fly
A message from Royal Brunei Airlines
Dermot Mannion, Chairman of Abacus Distributions Systems (Brunei) with senior management of Abacus with partners for the Brunei Travel Fair
It’s the time of the year that people will flock in because of travel fair. I have been planning my final quarter of the year as I will be away for most of the time (and about time too).
As usual expect, some great fares from the Brunei Travel Fair at Royal Brunei Recreation Club (RBRC) and it’s organised by Abacus Distributions Systems (Brunei). This is the 12th edition and it’s good to see new partners in this travel fair too.
Leading the press conference yesterday was Dermott Mannion, Chairman of Abacus Distributions Systems (Brunei) cum Deputy Chairman of Royal Brunei Airlines (RB) and he is very excited of the upcoming travel fair in Brunei. He thanked all the partners involved in making this another exciting event especially for the potential customers.
There will be more than 40 terminals to the seven travel agencies participating at the fair to ensure they can efficiently meet the travel needs of visitors. Also for the first time, there will be participation from the Ministry of Tourism Republic of Indonesia (awesome). Other tourism vendors include Malaysia Tourism Promotion Board, Taiwan Tourist Bureau and Tourism Authority Thailand.
The official bank partner is Baiduri Bank and there will be also collaborations with other banks such as BIBD and HSBC with Royal Brunei Airlines.
Abacus Brunei General Manager Irene Soon said, “The fair provides an excellent opportunity for Brunei-based travellers to shop for both international and regional travel packages, making it an event on the travel calendar not to be missed.
The Brunei Travel Fair will be held this weekend 26th and 27th September at RBRC.
Joan Lim, Head of Commercial, Royal Brunei Airlines, addressing some promotion during the press conference
Check out the fare to the UK.. Read more below to find out
So what’s on offer?
For Royal Brunei Airlines, there will be a special fare to London. For an all-in price of BND 999, you can fly to London. The flying dates are from 23rd to 29th December (out of Brunei) and returning will start on 6th January 2016 with a one-month validity period. This is ideal for parents or family to visit their children in London during winter. There will be also attractive fares to Dubai, Shanghai, HK, Bangkok, Ho Chi Minh City, Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, Manila, Jakarta, Surabaya, Bali and Melbourne and you can purchase them at the participating travel agents during the Brunei Travel Fair.
Royal Brunei will also have a daily lucky draw where winners can walk away with prizes such as a ticket to a mystery destination, Royal Skies miles or RB merchandise. RB customers can also test their paper plane flying skills at the Betterfly Game area where they win discount vouchers (5%) on your next travel.
Let’s not forget the the grand lucky draw for RB customers – flight to London or Melbourne or Bali or Ho Chi Minh City.
For Tourism Malaysia, it’s simple. Take advantage of the weaker Ringgit and explore Malaysia. During the fair, there will be invited demonstrators on Henna, Batik Canting and Nyonya Beaded Shoe. For those who purchase tickets or holiday packages or hotel rooms with regards to Malaysia, you will be entitled for a RM 20 Parkson shopping voucher.
There’s also a chance for a lucky dip to win travel accessories if you spend more than BND 500 for every purchse tickets or holiday packages or hotel rooms.
If you also have a BIBD card, you can swipe your purchases if you booked your flight to either KL or KK on Royal Brunei and you can stand a chance to win a lucky draw prize (3 days 2 nights at Grand Millenium Hotel Kuala Lumpur with a return ticket, return airport transfers and 100,000 Hadiah points) which is jointly sponsored by RB, BIBD and Tourism Malaysia. The winner will be announced at 8pm on 26th and 267th September. Awesome!
Now the official bank here is Baiduri Bank and they also have great promotions during the travel fair and it’s a great advantage if you happen to own a Baiduri Card (Debit or credit). For instance, for Prestige customers, if you fly to London, Dubai or Melbourne, you can redeem BND 200 at their booth (applies to the first 25 members). Another thing is when you swipe with Baiduri card, you will be entitled to 3 lucky draw coupons for the grand draw. Lastly, if you are a Smart Executive member, you can redeem BND 50 if you book your flights to Hong Kong or Shanghai (Limit to the first 20 members). There are more things that Baiduri are offering (refer to poster below for details).
I also read the papers that Pan Bright Travel Services are bringing back the “Travel and Win a Car” promotion since it was a great success last time round. You can also stand a chance to win a brand new Hyundai Accent from Pan Bright. The promotion is not just limited to customers who bought air tickets but also to those who buy any inbound tour package from Pan Bright. For your info, Pan Bright (KB) was the runner-up for Abacus’ travel agent award which was feted during Abacus Silver Jubilee dinner recently.
So mark your calendars for this weekend.
Three weeks ago, Abacus celebrated their Silver Jubilee
To all the Teachers out there in Brunei
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The highlight
Review of The Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials with special guest Seng Yee
Summer prediction results and Top summer movies of 2015 with co-host Del Goh
Click image to enter website
Download SnapFeed app on your smartphones and check out the latest deals in Brunei and also get rewarded from respective merchants such as BurgerKing, KFC and Sushi Tei to name a few and also check out the new movie listings as well.
His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu’izzaddin Waddaulah, the Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam (3rd R) speaking with Captain Sharifah Czarena Surainy Syed Hashim (L), as Deputy Chairman of Royal Brunei Dermot Mannion (2nd L) and Deputy Chief Operating Officer Captain Khalidkhan Hj Asmakhan (2nd R) look. His Majesty visited the newly renovated Brunei International Airport yesterday. He also took one of Royal Brunei Airlines’ Dreamliners for a spin. Image courtesy of Zaim Kasmat of The Brunei Times.
Minister of Communications Yang Berhormat Pehin Orang Kaya Hamzah Pahlawan Dato Seri Setia Hj Abdullah Begawan Mudim Dato Paduka Hj Bakar (L) hands over the cash prize of $7,000 to Institut Teknologi Brunei student Nurulhidayati Hj Mohd Sani (C) for winning the Tertiary Project Category of the Brunei ICT Awards (BICTA) 2015. Well done, ITB!! As for the ICT Industry Category, the first place went to D5 Innovation with BND 10,000 cash prize. Image courtesy of Abdul Aziz Ismail of The Brunei Times.
For the first time ever, there is a chance I will be joining this competition. Just for fun. Never knew they will have one for adults. This will be interesting indeed. Any takers (adults)? *lol*
Cooking competition coming up at Hua Ho Manggis Mall in conjunction with Hua Ho Health Awareness Month
The King Burger from Peppermint Cafe. I love the home made beef patties.
Congratulations to Progresif Cellular on the opening of their Seria Branch at Panaga. Image courtesy of @progresif_cellular
Now you can pre-order a copy of Yasmine. Too bad there won’t be a blu-ray copy.
I am so proud of my mentee, Heidi Rahman, who stole the show as the Toastmaster of the Evening last Tuesday. My biggest milestone to date as a toastmaster – to see other members grow especially my mentees. Keep it up, lady!!
@baiduribank updates breaks the ritual by getting out of the box. Something different coming from a bank.
Lunch treat by Winnie Sia and it was the first time I dined at Seafood Palace at Tanjung Bunut. Not bad the portion. Couldn’t finish my spaghetti.
Happening this Sunday at Fun Bee Park.
Dilys Chai and Denise Chai, co-owners of Rack & Brew
One word: Impressive. Congratulations to Dilys Chai and Denise Chai on the opening of your new cafe, Rack & Brew. Love the deco, love the atmosphere and most of all, love the food too. The cakes are amazing too – my personal favourite is the Red Velvet Cake.
The cafe is located above Paddington House of Pancake (Gadong) and the area used to be a boutique store (Deseo) and now the boutique store is located on the 2nd floor, just above Rack & Brew. You can follow @rackandbrew on instagram for updates.
According to Borneo Bulletin, Dilys Chai revealed that Rack & Brew was part of her dissertation project back in the UK. Dilys had some sampling of her desserts at Hua Ho Manggis Mall and the responses were pretty good.
Rack & Brew operates from 11am to 10pm daily at Abdul Razak Complex in Gadong. I’m definitely dining there next time.
Liking the atmosphere here at Rack & Brew
Soft shell crab florentine
Roulette Wings
I love their home made kolo mer
Hui Chiet love his dish. Not sure what it’s called.
My companions for lunch
Caramel latte
Jolene’s first time and she likes the cakes
My personal favourite – Red Velvet Cake
They have munchies such as nachos
Group photo with the media and the co-owners. Image courtesy of Kazimah (2nd from right)
Thank Denise for hosting the other day
Curry Pasta is not bad as well
Cakes, cakes and more cakes
I have yet to try the curry puff
This area is always busy as more customers trying out.
Associates from Concepts Computer and Boustead Sdn Bhd (Suzuki) holding an ACER Iconia Tab 8W. For those interested to buy a Suzuki Celerio A+, it now comes with the Acer tablet but for a limited time only.
The MoU signing last Wednesday at Concepts Computer conference room
This is the first time that Concepts Computer collaborated with Boustead Sdn Bhd in a joint promotion. For those interested in purchasing a Suzuki Celerio A+ from Boustead, then you will be entitled to receive a brand new Acer Iconia Tab 8W (from Concepts Computer).
This is another way to reward their loyal customers by giving an instant gift and also boost the image of both Boustead and Concepts Computer.
Just like the Acer Iconia Tab 8W, the Suzuki Celerio A+ has quality, reliability, durability and most important, affordability.
To the Vincent Pao, General Manager of Concepts Computer, this is a win-win situation for both companies and the joint promotion will be able also to attract new customers.
So what can you expect from a Suzuki Celerio A+? It has a 1.0 litre engine, comes in either MT or CVT, good storage space and also fuel efficient.
As for the Acer Iconia Tab 8W, it’s the top-selling tablet powered by Windows 8.1 and comes with Office 365 (one year subscription) and has a long battery life and one year warranty.
This promotion will start with immediate effect and is valid until December 31. Information about the latest joint promotion can be obtained at any Suzuki showroom or Concepts Computer showroom.
Suzuki will also be holding a roadshow at Citis Square from September 24 to 26, welcoming the public to stop by and try their luck with their ‘lucky dip’ activity.
Pao Jia Wan, Marketing Advisor of Concepts Computer, Vincent Pao, General Manager of Concepts Computer, James Wong, Branch Manager of Boustead Sdn Bhd and Alvin Kho, Marketing Manager of Boustead Sdn Bhd
The group photo shot with the Suzuki Celerio A+ and the Acer Iconia Tab 8W
Members of the media
Check out the Suzuki Celerio A+
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Back in Ipoh
Only now until 6th June. Prices are cheaper than usual and only last for four days. What are you waiting for? Thank you RB and congratulations on your 40th year of flight 😀 Click image to enter website.
Brunei lost to Thailand yesterday 40-45 in the preliminary round of the netball SEA Games 2015. Image courtesy of Yee Chun Leong of The Brunei Times.
Ah, I wasn’t even in the netball match between Brunei and Thailand but I was up to date with the progress of the match. It was quite unfortunate that Brunei didn’t manage to squeeze that victory over Thailand. At one stage, Brunei was leading by 5 points at half time but the third quarter, Thailand upped their game and outscored Brunei and finished the game, winning by 5 points (40-45). The result meant that Brunei must beat the Philippines to be in contention for the semi-final berth.
In the other match, host Singapore failed to capitalize on home court advantage as they drew 35-35 in the preliminary round of the netball competition. This would mean the top of the group will be determined by a better goal difference. Singapore had the edge when they were leading 30-24 coming into the fourth quarter but the host blew their lead and the visitors capitalized on Singapore’s errors to stage a come back.
That’s it from for my updates on the current netball competition.
The Singaporean fans supporting their team in netball. Image courtesy of Netball Singapore.
Singapore vs Malaysia. Image courtesy of Netball Singapore.
Singapore vs Malaysia. Image courtesy of Netball Singapore.
When Brunei Speakers’ Club was awarded with President’s Distinguish Club, we invited other Brunei toastmasters club to join the celebration. Thank you all for showing the true value of a toastmaster.
This is the Brunei dancing group – Brendan, Supatra, Jack, Farhan, Seng Yee and I. Thank you to Nora and Joanna from KK for helping us to coordinate the dances. It finally paid off 😀
Late post: Two weeks ago, around 25 members from Brunei Toastmasters Club attended 3-days Toastmasters International District 87 Annual Conference held in Kuching.
Toastmasters International is a non-profit educational organization that teaches communication and leadership skills through a worldwide network of more than 14,650 clubs in 126 countries. In Brunei, there are 4 Toastmasters clubs – Brunei Speakers’ Club, Brunei Advanced Speakers’ Club, Oil Town Talkers Toastmasters Club and the newly chartered UBD Toastmasters Club. So far, the journey and the growth have been great and the number of members gradually increasing.
During the 3-days conference, camaraderie between members have developed phenomenally and meaningful friendships have been strengthened. But to me, what is great about Brunei toastmasters is that we are great as a unit and we are united as one. I do observed how the Brunei toastmasters in different clubs operate but we all have the same agenda, to grow and to learn together and not see each other as competition.
In the Award Ceremony, Genevieve Lai, one of the founding members of Brunei Speakers’ Club made Brunei proud when she was among the few who was awarded the Distinguished Toastmasters Award (DTM), the highest education and leadership award from Toastmasters International. This would mean that she completed 40 speeches and completed four leadership manuals and also taking up higher positions in the ranks of toastmasters. So this is no easy feat at all.
She has also achieved Triple Crown awards along with Reuben Chin, Pranika Lama, Jason Koo and Allen Ang. Triple Crown awards were given to achievers who had accomplished three or more education or leadership programmes in one single term. I’m aiming for one next year so we will see how it goes 😀
What do all of them have in common? They all achieved triple crowns 😀 Reuben Chin (UBD Toastmasters), Pranika Lama (UBD Toastmasters), Genevieve Lai (Brunei Advanced Speakers’ Club), Jason Koo (Otters) and Allen Ang (Otters). Genevieve was also awarded Distinguished Toastmasters title that time.
Shawn Cassidy Narcis pitched why we all should go to Bali this November for the semi-annual conference. I’m definitely going 😀
I successfully pitched for the next convention to be in Brunei Darussalam. Now that’s a huge project for me but I’m confident that we can do this 😀
Brunei Speakers’ Club (BSC) was awarded President’s Distinguished Club, the highest rating that Toastmasters International gives to its clubs, in recognition of the club’s effort to maintain high quality meetings and good membership. BSC also achieved it last year and this shows great leadership in our club in recent years.
Brunei toastmasters hit milestones after milestones. During the District Council meeting, Shawn Cassidy Narcis was elected the Club Growth Director for District 87. District 87 is a region of Toastmasters International including Brunei, East Malaysia and Indonesia. It comprises 7 divisions with more than 150 corporate and community clubs.
“I will be working with every member in District 87 to have a greater experience in the Toastmasters journey, where friends help friends to grow and support each other. Every journey begins with a single step. And with every single step we can accomplish and reach our destination” said Narcis, incoming Club Growth Director 2015/2016.
To me, Shawn is our pillar in Brunei toastmasters. He has been a great role model for many and this is one reason why toastmasters is very strong in Brunei and I’m happy that he was elected as Club Growth Director.
Another leader in our community, Reuben Chin, stood up as the Division (K) Director where he will be serving 7 Areas which include Brunei, Labuan and Sabah.
“Over the coming years, we will see a rise in membership as the Toastmasters Program continues to make an impact on more and more peoples’ lives. And as that happens, it is our responsibility to focus on the learning aspect of Toastmasters. The focus on of the coming term will be an emphasis on education” said Chin.
Allen Ang, the incoming Area Director (K6) also added that sharing of best practices among clubs is essential for the club growth and success within Brunei. The current Area Director is Ruey Chong Narcis.
Pranika Lama with world champion of public speaking 2014 Dananjaya Hettiarachchi
So Dananjaya wants to be like me?? 😀
Seng Yee with the charismatic champion
During the conference, Education Sessions were also held where the World Champion of Public Speaking 2014, Dananjaya Hettiarachchi gave a motivational speech highlighting his journey to the World Championship last year. In his speech, he quoted “When you want something as bad as you want to breathe, then you will achieve it”. Best part about Dananjaya was that he actually invested his spare time in Kuching to be with the Brunei toastmasters and wow, he is such an inspirational and charismatic individual. We were all so blessed for him showing up.
Other speakers include Shurooq AlBanna (first Arab woman who won third place in the World Championship of Public Speaking), Johnny Uy (International Speech Contest Semi-finalist), Zaharom Naim (Professor of Media and Communication Studies), Raju Mandhyan (Coach & Learning Facilitator) and Alex Wong (ex-CEO of Pan Global, adventurer, author).
The next District 87 Conference will be held in Bali from October 30th to November 1st organised by Brunei Toastmasters, Shawn Cassidy Narcis. On a better not, I, as a member from Brunei Speakers’ Club also pitched in the District Council Meeting to host the District Semi-Annual Conference in November 2016. To me, it is my deepest intention to spread the awareness of Toastmasters in Brunei for the benefit of the community and I believe this event will bring a new chapter to Brunei.
Brunei Speakers’ Club meets regularly each Tuesday at 7:30 at SEAMEO VOCTECH. For more information about the event and club, please visit www.bruneispeakersclub.com and thanks VPR, Seng Yee for the write up.
We are not just toastmasters, we are family
During the Gala Dinner with the Brunei toastmasters
Rano Iskandar, the organizing chair for Semi-Annual District 2016 in Brunei, Reuben Chin, newly elect Division Director K, Shawn Cassidy Narcis, newly elect Club Growth Director (District) and Allen Ang, Area K6 Director
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Back in SG
I will be away for the next two weeks. But I shall be posting my entries from time to time. Finishing my 1st half year of my trips of 2015. It has been a fruitful year so far.
Every year, the candidates with the highest destination mark for each grade or diploma category will be selected as an Award Winner of their grade/diploma for their respective countries. There is also an outstanding achiever as well where the candidate with the second highest distinction mark of each grade or diploma category will be selected as an outstanding achiever.
The awards was given by Trinity College London. Shian Li was awarded the winner for the Diploma ATCL 2013. Her brother Evan Chiam achieved Grade 6 Piano 2013 and Grade 6 Violin 2014. Both are from Expression Music. Other music school representatives were PJC Virtuoso Music School, Rhytmic Arts Sdn Bhd, Symphony Music School, Precious Music School, Yippy Tune Music School, Seri Mulia Sarjana School, eroding International School, Del Mar Virtuoso Music School, Kim Musical Centre and Suhanda.
Shian Li of Expression Music was awarded the winner for the Diploma ATCL 2013
Evan Chiam of Expression Music achieved Grade 6 Piano 2013 and Grade 6 Violin 2014
Tia Jaafar was in hot form yesterday. Image courtesy of Netball Singapore Facebook.
Brunei in attacking mode. Image courtesy of Netball Singapore Facebook.
The Royal Bees had a great break in the last 5 minutes and stamped their authority over Myanmar 56-47 yesterday in the netball tournament of the 28th SEA Games in OCBC Arena, Singapore. I was kinda upset because I only caught the final 8 minutes of the match (Kinda long story that). Anyway, well done to the Brunei netball team and I’m pretty sure the mood is on a high because a win is a win and this is a good motivation for the Brunei netball team to show that believe that anything is possible especially the teams that are superior to them.
The Royal Bees will need to beat the Philippines (who got trounced by Malaysia 112-11) and Thailand if they need to be in the final four. I believe even one victory over the two will be enough to squeeze in into the final four and that will give a possibility for Brunei to achieve a medal status for the SEA Games.
The head coach was highly praised of the team especially to the centre – Tia and Amal because of their great partnership. Their coach Jinadasa said that they need to work on their defence. This will be their key to beating Thailand (today at 3:30pm). Good luck to the Royal Bees and even though I caught the game with 8 minutes remaining, it was worth the catch 😀 I won’t be catching the rest of the matches as I will be flying off today. Good luck to all the Brunei participants in the SEA Games.
Brunei vs Myanmar. Image courtesy of Netball Singapore Facebook.
Brunei vs Myanmar. Image courtesy of Netball Singapore Facebook.
Hj Abdul Malik from the Department of Youth and Sports was present to watch the netball match
The winning team
The Royal Bees manager being interviewed by RTB
With the reporters – Yee Chun Leong of The Brunei Times and Fadhil Yunus of Borneo Bulletin. Keep up the great work 😀
In the other match and what a thrashing score line
The Malaysians are physically built and taller
Members of YEAB and friends at the hi-tea session at Tarindak Polo Cafe last Sunday
Last Sunday, YEAB organized a simple gathering of its member and potential members at Tarindak Cafe at Jerudong Park. Around 25 people turned up and had a great networking session over hi-tea and hope that it will be benefit the members in terms of business related topics for the growth of SMEs in Brunei Darussalam.
The YEAB is a non-profit organisation, primarily targeted to represent entrepreneurs below the age of 40, who are either a founder, co-founder, owner, partner, major shareholder or holding a management position in a corporation or firm registered in Brunei Darussalam.
Del Goh, the President of YEAB (center) with Deno Goh and Keeran Janin
Our guests from Kuching – Jodie and Sam
Adella Han playing by the beach
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RB40
It’s happening today until Saturday, 30th May. AMBD stands for Autoriti Monetari Brunei Darussalam and to simply to all of you, AMBD is a governing body that looks at the financial institution in Brunei Darussalam. All banks in Brunei (local and international) will have to comply with the rules and regulations set by AMBD. Remember Brunei used to have huge cases of debts from personal spending? This is were AMBD comes in and help to ease the situation by setting appropriate guidelines for the banks and their customers for a win-win situation.
The financial institutions will have to go through AMBD should they want to propose changes in rates or even promoting their products and services. It’s a tedious process but it’s for the betterment of the community. Today marks a special day for AMBD, in hope that the community and the public are are aware of their existence and their mission. This year’s theme is “Facilitating your financial future”. The three day event will take place at International Convention Centre. Thurs 12pm to 6pm, Fri 9am-11:30 and 2pm to 9pm and Sat 9am to 9pm.
Dato Paduka Hj Bahrin bin Abdullah, Deputy Minister of Finance cum Chairman of Royal Brunei Airlines (in blue) with Dermott Mannion, Deputy Chairman of RB, Wu Chun, RB’s brand ambassador with the 1st intake of RB’s cabin crew from 1975
Guest of honour viewing the RB’s gallery history
Yesterday Royal Brunei Airlines celebrated their 40th year of flight and it was celebrated at the Royal Brunei Recreation Club. The guest of honour was Dato Paduka Hj Bahrin bin Abdullah, Chairman of Royal Brunei Airlines. He was accompanied by the Deputy Chairman of Royal Brunei Airlines, Dermott Mannion and Hj Junaidi bin Masri, one of the board of directors of Royal Brunei Airlines and also Royal Brunei’s Brand Ambassador Wu Chun.
It was interesting to see the history gallery of Royal Brunei Airlines’ journey back dated from its inception in 1975. Dermot was very thankful in his speech especially of the first flight cabin crew members who flew to Singapore on May 14, 1975. It brings that nostalgic feeling to the former cabin crew members and it was quite nice to see their presence and also being acknowledged in yesterday’s event. I actually wanted to see if the first intake of the cabin crew would do a one-time off service on a short flight sector (Singapore or Kota Kinabalu) to serve the passengers. That would be an awesome feat!
The 40 years’ milestone also depicted how much Royal Brunei has changed throughout the years. The rapid change occurred during Royal Brunei’s rebranding period which began in 2012. Yesterday Dermot Mannion shared that even the current website flyroyalbrunei.com has some facelift for easier navigation and better customer experience.
The VIPs and guests were invited to walk down memory lane of the different milestones of RB’s journey. It has been amazing history for our national air carrier. Now what is in store for the 50th year? For now, let’s stay in the present moment and congratulations RB on the amazing feat for the past 40 years.
RB’s 40 years of flight
Dermot Mannion in his opening speech
Celebrating 40 years of flight
This is the first RB aircraft
The different models of carrier under RB
Viewing the gallery
Interesting timeline history
Royal Brunei management with Wu Chun and Siti Kamaluddin
Another earlier cabin crew intake of 1975
With Jali, the first intake of cabin crew 1975 and he is wearing the 2nd edition of the RBA uniform back then
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