During the Q&A sessions with the producers and directors of the short films at The Times Cineplex @ The Empire

As most of you know, I’m a movie buff. This is also the period where I caught many movies but sadly summer movies will be over. The last local film festival I caught was back in 2014 which was the UBD Film Festival.

The UBD TV Short Film Festival is organised by @ubdtv with the Creative Core BN and this is not part of an assignment project of UBD. This is an independent event in help to spur the young talents we have and showcase their capabilities that there is hope in the creative and especially the film industry.

Thank you to the organisers for the invite during the press screening last Wednesday. Present at the screening were the event sponsors, speakers of the Short Film Making Workshop, and casts and producers of the films: Horizon, If Only, Masa, Aku Ada Cerita, The Hero, Selamat Malam, and Al­-Fatihah. The director of the films are Muhd Aznniel Hj Yunus from Nostrils Production, Hakim Salleh from Lensa Muslim, Amirul Jazli from Visionary Production, Hj Yusrizam Hj Abd Tahir from AE Cinema, as well as UBD students, Siti Nurhaziqah Omar, Muhd Zulfadli Mohd Husini and Chung Ming Ru @ Leon. Also in attendance were representatives from Regal Blue Production and Visual Dimensions Production.

Del Goh moderating the panel of producers of the short films

Harlif of Regal Blue Production aspires the young producers to carry on their journey in this industry. Good one, buddy!!

The supporters and sponsors of the event

After the press screening, there was a moderation session for the producers which was moderated by Del Goh, a movie enthusiast just like myself 😀 The producers/directors shared their passion in creating short films and most of the crew and actors are volunteers. One shared that they made use of DSLR cameras to shoot their projects.

Around 3 short films had a similar theme which was horror. I’m quite amazed with their creativity and I’m pretty sure there are plenty more to come from the young talents. The short films were just great teasers and I do agree with Harlif Hj Mohammad of Regal Blue Production as to what will happen next? Will they just stop there? or pursue more into producing more films as he was quite impressed with the outcome of the short films. I do hope such feedback will ignite the passion of the producers but it’s never easy to create a short film, let alone a featured film.

UBD TV Short Films Festival is set to debut to the public this weekend, from 27th till 29th August at The Core Residential College, Universiti Brunei Darussalam (UBD) so I do suggest for you to support these films.

The tickets costs BND 5 and you can reserve your seats here. Do follow their official IG @UBDTVSFF or contact Firdaus Ismail for details at 836 5070.

Interview on Visionary Project

Interview on AE Cinema BN

I can see you, Fecks (and also Pranika) :p

The ladies behind the UBD TV Short Film Festival. Congratulations on making this a success. We want more!!

The group photo with all the cast and crew involved in the UBD TV Short Film Festival. Click image to enlarge.

 

Pierre Imhof, CEO of Baiduri Bank Group holding the Baiduri Masters Trophy with Albert Lau, CEO of QAF Brunei

It’s back once more. The much highly anticipated annual golf tournament hosted by Baiduri Bank called the Baiduri Masters Charity Golf Tournament. Why is this golfing event popular? Because of many things – 1) The Green Jacket 2) It’s all for charity and numbers are always overwhelming 3) a chance to win fantastic cars

So yesterday was the official announcement of the event which will take place in two weekends of May 2016 (20th to 22nd and 27th to 29th). Yesterday was also the signing ceremony with the partners of the Baiduri Masters 2016.

A Memorandum of Understanding was signed between the organiser, Baiduri Bank Group, and partners of the event: RBA Golf Club, QAF Group of Companies and Brunei Press. CEO of QAF Brunei Albert Lau, General Manager of Brunei Press Reggie See and General Manager of RBA Golf Club Asmadi Hj Alimustapha signed on behalf of their respective organisations  while Chief Executive Officer of Baiduri Bank Pierre Imhof signed on behalf of Baiduri Bank Group.

“The Baiduri Masters has always been centred towards supporting our community and making a difference, whether big or small. Last year, we were able to raise $80,000 for charity. The Baiduri Masters made history by being the first-ever golf tournament to have three hole-in-one in one tournament. The previous and first-ever hole-in-one during the Baiduri Masters was in 2008” said Imhof.

The Junior Golfers category is open to youth aged 13 to 18 years old.

Registration fee is $120 per adult and $60 for juniors. The fee is inclusive of green fee, buggy, goodie bag as well as buffet breakfast and lunch. Players are invited to the prize presentation dinner at the end of the tournament.

It was shared that players may play more than once to improve their chances of winning. Adult players will enjoy a discount on the registration fee on their second subsequent rounds and that the best score of any round played will be taken.

Signing of MOU with QAF Brunei and Baiduri Bank Group

Signing of MOU with Brunei Press and Baiduri Bank Group

Signing of MOU with RBA Golf Club and Baiduri Bank Group

The Porsche Cayenne for Hole 2

Mini Cooper for Hole 5

BMW 218 Active Tourer for Hole 14

 

LOL, sometimes it is really hard to predict what the message a lady is conveying.

 

Click image to enter Facebook Page

Checking out the 1,000 entries for the Red Bull Boost & Win promotion

This Friday will be the first weekly draw for the 25 lucky winners of the Red Bull Boost & Win promotion. The winners will win either a shopping voucher, Power Kad, Prepaid Top Up cards or a cluster pack of Red Bull bottle.

The draw will be held at Hua Ho Manggis Mall. Good luck to all the contestants. Don’t worry since it’s still an ongoing promotion, you can still be eligible for the next weekly lucky draw. All you have to do is buy a Red Bull can (Gold/Less Sugar) at the convenient store and fill in the entry forms and drop it at the contest box.

Drawing out 25 winners for the Weekly Lucky winners

Ivy making sure the draw runs smoothly

 

The Gavaliers and guests during the first demo inaugural Brunei Gavel Club meeting at Universiti Brunei Darussalam last Sunday

One of the guests giving comments after the meeting

Finally it has happened. A great start for the Brunei Gavel Club (national level) and it applies the same platform as Toastmasters International. The only difference is that the BGC applies to teenagers (14 yrs to 18 yrs).

I have paid a visit to in-house Gavel clubs in Maktab Sains and Chung Hwa Middle School and they have been encouraging. However, it’s only part of their curriculum activity and only happens on a temporary basis. With the BGC, it will open doors to all the youths aged 14-18 to be part of a club affiliated with Toastmasters International.

The attendance last Sunday, 17th April was overwhelming. It was actually more than the usual toastmasters meetings and furthermore, I was impressed with the quality delivered by the students from their respective schools.

The appointed club president is Mohd Farhan Jafar Ali and he had a short presentation to the audience on the objectives of the BGC. He has been a seasoned toastmasters for two years and prior to that, he has been a perpetual guest in toastmasters as he hasn’t turned 18 just yet. Four years later, he has taken a bigger role as the President for the Brunei Gavel Club.

His task now with the help of his executive committee will be to find new members before the national gavel club can be officially chartered. The required number is 20 members in the club and I’m pretty sure that’s achievable.

I do hope many corporate companies and government agencies will see the benefit in this non-profit club as the youth organisation will need some support to sustain the bi-weekly meetings and other gavel related things. I also do hope parents or guardians can also attend the gavel meetings to see the valuable learning experience from the youths in improving their communication and leadership skills.

As for now, it’s a definitely great start.

Nico (left) braved the Table Topics session and shared about his yummy ice-cream

Another confident speaker

Nabil has a great sense of humour

Jackie won her first table topics even as a first time visitor to a gavel meeting

Ahmad delivered his first speech at the Brunei Gavel Club meeting

Farhan the appointed President for Brunei Gavel Club and I am full of admiration on his growth as an individual

Iskandar giving out his evaluation on the Table Topic speakers

Toastmasters members giving support to the Gavaliers 

The Gavaliers had so much fun. The next meeting will be on 1st May 2016 at 10am at UBD

 

Register yourself now! “Save Life By Giving Blood”

Date: 21.04.2016
Time: 10 am to 4 pm
Venue: @piccolocafebn

Every Donor will be entitled to:
1) 3 months magazine subscription from @plusbrunei
2) Refreshments from @piccolocafebn
3) Goodies from @jpmcbrunei
4) Cash Vouchers from @nailsnwaxbrunei
5) 3 days complimentary gym pass from @fitnesszonebrunei

Limited slots available. Please RSVP now by emailing us at Julie@plusbrunei.com / info@piccolocafe.co or head over to Piccolo Cafe in Bandar and register yourself at the counter.

 

The amazing 40 students in their final year will be showcasing their creativity in this year’s UBD Spectacle 2016

It’s the time of the year where University Brunei Darussalam students (final year of Art and Creative Technology) will showcase their creativity in arts and designs. I have already witnessed the 2014 and 2015 versions and boy, we really have talents in this field. This year’s UBD Spectacle 2016 will be showcased for 5 weeks starting 13th April to 21st May 2016. It will be located at the Art Gallery, Chancellor Hall, Universiti Brunei Darussalam.

The Spectacle 2016 is the Art and Design Graduation Show and this will be the fourth graduation exhibition to be organized by the Art and Creative Technology (ACT) programme of Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, UBD. Through cultural sensitivity, inventive imagination and artistic exploration, 40 final year ACT majoring students have applied their art and creativity to create new means of expressing views and concepts involving subjects ranging from personal loss and struggle events to social issues and formal Western and Islamic Art.

The launch of the event will be tomorrow, Wednesday morning and the public viewing will be opened in the afternoon onwards. The gallery hours are from Mon to Thurs: 9am to 7pm and Saturday 9am to 7pm.

As for the Gallery Talks, it will be from 2pm to 4:30pm on certain days – 16th April, 19th April, 23rd April and 26th April. The images are taken from Spectacle 2016 Facebook.

Behind the scenes at the Art Gallery

The badges for the committees

Unloading the boxes for the exhibition

Prepping for the opening ceremony tomorrow

The official t-shirts of Spectacle 2016

Art Installation by Aiman Bahrin – “Is This Home?”

 

Being slow is the only constant too. That’s how I feel lately. Things are just heading at a slow pace. The only difference is when I travel. Being away in a short span of time gives me a sense of excitement and thrill. Now I’m back in Brunei, it’s back to square one. I can feel it. The worrying signs, perhaps, of what’s in store for the country (economically). The headlines in the local media hasn’t help either but it’s good thing that it’s being identified because we cannot simply ignore it. It’s about time we step and see what we can do for the country in times of troubles.

I have two mutual friends who sought for help to see if I could connect them to the relevant authorities with regards to their termination of contracts. In recent headlines, it was stated that a major company (government linked) are carrying out “redundancy exercise” to cut costs and reducing “non-essential staff”. Of course, what we read in headlines will spark that fear that haven’t been teased for a very long, long time. We were in the comfort zone and now we are slowly getting a taste of reality checks.

Now with the ongoing LegCo, it’s an indication where our country will be heading for the next year or so, in reaching the Vision 2035 (which is in 19 years’ time). It was noted that government spending will be reduced in times of lower revenues and we will still be running in a deficit.

I still see hope in this country and I trust in the Brunei Government in overcoming the challenges. The transitional period will take some time but it’s a good start. The relevant government agencies have been pro-active in creating new bodies to see how Brunei can diversify and get out of the mentality of heavily depending on oil and gas as our revenue stream for the Brunei economy.

I’ve seen new bodies with government support being created such as DARe (Darussalam Enterprise), a statutory body that will help to empower local entrepreneurs in contributing to the local economy. The newly established is recognized in the LegCo recently and it is spearheaded by the Minister of Energy and Industry Yang Berhormat Pehin Datu Singamanteri Colonel (Rtd) Dato Seri Setia (Dr) Hj Mohammad Yasmin Hj Umar. DARe recently held a dialogue with local e-vendors in terms of helping them to set up a physical store and also issues with labour quotas and so on. With this guidance, it will hope to see how the e-vendors grow and create a more business friendly environment for a win-win situation.

Yang Berhormat Pehin Datu Singamanteri Colonel (Rtd) Dato Seri Setia (Dr) Hj Mohammad Yasmin Hj Umar, Minister of Energy and Industry, chairman of the board for Darussalam Enterprise (DARe) with other committee having a conversation with the e-vendors held at Design & Technology Building (opposite iCentre) last week. You can even visit their Business Support centre every Monday to Friday or call/sms via 836 3442. Image courtesy of @govbn

 

The winner of the Mitsubishi Lancer 1.6 Auto, Mah Wai Keun (left), as part of the “The Big Shopping Win”, a collaboration between Baiduri Bank and Hua Ho. Presenting the mock key were Michelle Lo (center), Manager of Card Brand Relationship & Business Banking Support and Lau Soon Lin, Director of Hua Ho. The event was held at Hua Ho Kiulap yesterday. You can website Baiduri website by clicking the image or you can download “Baiduri Deals” on your smartphone or follow their Facebook or IG @baiduribank. Image courtesy of Adib Noor of The Brunei Times.

Costume party at a friend’s place for Himari and Takumi’s farewell gathering. Both are my tennis buddies whom we trained under coach Aiman. It was also great to see Mr. Okochi after such a very long time. Thanks for the hospitality and great food.

My room mate for the past three nights at Taipei for our @mrbrownbrunei coverage trip with the winners of the Mr. Brown contest. We had this mini competition between us on making fun of each other on social media. It seems I’m dominating so far but we won’t have more opportunities until our next trip perhaps. Thank you, Aiking Sdn Bhd on giving us the opportunity to do coverage on the trip to Taiwan.

The Francophonie Week 2016 kicked off last Saturday and it will be ongoing for another week. Many events and activities to look forward too. This image was taken during the screening of the French movie “Win Win” at Taman Jubilee. The event is organised by Alliance Française and The Collective Arts Event. Click image to know more what’s in store for Francophonie Week 2016

The past week or so, I’ve been amazed with the stories that are being shared by my friends in their toastmasters journey. Many surprises in terms of content and I’m truly amazed by the growth of my friends. I’m still impressed with the ending of the “Helping Hand” story. Very impactful and witty. Congratulations to the winners of the UBD Toastmasters Club contest yesterday. Nice shot too, Sandy 😀

Last week, Inspire Magazine launched a new website to provide a better access to their stories. Back then, there were only magazines and PDF formats. This is a great step to reach more readers globally as well. Shaun Hoon (2nd from left), founder of Inspire Magazine, with his team during the launch of the website. You can visit www.yesinpire.com to access Inspire or click on the image. Image courtesy of Shaun Hoon.

 

His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu’izzaddin Waddaulah, the Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam, UBD Chancellor, braving the crowd and taking photos with the graduates and parents at the UBD 27th convocation last week

Taken from The Brunei Times youtube channel

A total of 1,125 students from Universiti Brunei Darussalam’s third batch of its GenNext programme received their certificates at the varsity’s 27th convocation last Wednesday.

This year’s graduates included 20 PhD students, surpassing last year’s record of 12, UBD said.

The total number of graduating students comprised 379 Masters holders, 664 Bachelor graduates and 62 Diploma recipients. These also include 73 international students at UBD.

During the morning session of the convocation held at UBD’s Chancellor Hall, His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu’izzaddin Waddaulah, the Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam, UBD Chancellor, presented certificates to PhD, Masters and Bachelor programme graduates.

The monarch also attended the afternoon session, where he presented certificates to graduates of Education Masters, Postgraduate Diploma, Advanced Diploma and Diploma programmes.

This year’s convocation also saw the first cohort of 15 graduates for the Master of Public Policy and Management (MPPM), consisting of graduates from East Asian Summit (EAS) participating countries – the Philippines, Singapore, Cambodia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Russia and Brunei.
The MPPM is a joint programme with leading public policy schools in the United States.

According to UBD, the unique interdisciplinary programme focuses on policy areas that are distinctive to Brunei, namely Islamic Governance, Energy Policy and Management and Environmental Policy and Management.

“It is hoped this interdisciplinary-based programme will be able to contribute to the development of future leaders of high calibre, apart from providing a network for them to interact and directly or indirectly raise the competitiveness of the sultanate internationally,’’ said UBD Vice-Chancellor Dato Paduka Dr Hj Zulkarnain Hj Hanafi. Text courtesy of Rachel Thien of The Brunei Times.

His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu’izzaddin Waddaulah presented a certificate to my friend, Pranika Lama

His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu’izzaddin Waddaulah presented a certificate to Alison

Hello Pranika 😀

Congratulations Gerald Goh

Maryam Rosli, Business Development & Marketing, Hj Mas Zuraime Hj Abdul Hamid, Head of BruCERT, Muhd Shahrul Fadillah Umar, IT Security Analyst. Shamsul Bahri, CEO of ITPSS and Caroline Ho, Business Development & Marketing during the briefing of the Cyber Battle: Capture The Flag recently

In the cyber sense, it’s a nicer way of saying penetrate the system or in our casual term, hacking.. I attended a press briefing on an upcoming Cyber Battle: Capture The Flag and it will be the first of its kind in Brunei. This is something very new and it will be interesting to see who participate in this competition. Of course, those who are showing interest would have prior knowledge of computing and programming as this is not those kind of console video games you will be playing.

The registration is already open and 10 tens will compete on the 11th October and their missions will be to exploit vulnerabilities on game servers, fix security holes, and defending their flags. The rules and regulations are already posted on their website and you can view them for any clarification.

So why this competition for the first time? Well, the main aim is to identify the winner from Brunei and represent for the ASEAN-Japan Cyber SEA Game which will be held in Jakarta this November. Only the top two teams will represent Brunei in Indonesia. This was announced by Shamsul Bahri, CEO of ITPSS.

The registration is open to Brunei citizens and also to permanent residents aged 30 years and below. You must enter as a team of 2 or 3 members. The closing date for the registration is 2nd October 2015. You can click here to register for the competition. You can also follow their IG for updates @brucert

The event is organised by IT Protective Security Services Sdn Bhd (ITPSS) in their role as Brunei Computer Emergency Response Team (BruCERT). This competition is also supported by Authority for Info-Communication Technology of Brunei (AITI).

Shamsul Bahri, CEO of ITPSS briefing the media on the competition

Caroline Ho revealed the prizes for the top 3 teams. Love the prizes too.

Check out the prizes for the top 3 teams

Muhd Shahrul Fadillah Umar explaining the flow of the competition

Representing Brunei – Lim Ao, Bridgette Ang, D-1 and What?!

They were happy to be on the international stage

They may have not won the finals but they stole the hearts of the audience. Last week, our local musicians belted it out at the ‘Be our Rock & Pop Soul’ Music Competition held at Ho Chin Minh City, Vietnam. Two representatives from Brunei made it to the finals – Lim Ao and What?! band. All in all, there were eleven musicians that flew off led by Lily Chiam and also accompanied by their music instructors.

This was the first time that Brunei participated in the competition and they managed to impressed the judges. Tyler Smith, the Senior Vice President of Trinity College in London, also had praised Bruneian performers. “They rocked the house right there,” he said, amid loud cheers from the audience. “The drums were in my face. I liked it.”

It’s good to see that Bruneians are able to perform on the international stage at a very young age. Keep the great work and also credit to the mentors. Images courtesy of Arthur John.

D-1 wooing the crowd with their rendition of “Crazy in love”

The grand winner from Thailand

Evan Chiam rocking the stage

Lim Ao electrifying the crowd with his solo performance

It was a day to remember for 229 graduating students during the afternoon session last Wednesday of Universiti Brunei Darussalam (UBD)’s 27th Convocation as they received their Masters Degree and diplomas yesterday from 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 and Chancellor of UBD.

The recipients in the afternoon included master’s degree and diploma students, who were clearly happy to be receiving the reward for their studious efforts.

One such recipient was Hajah Azratul Azrina binti Haji Md Zain, who was the only student in the Diploma in Education course this year to attain a Pass with Distinction.

Hajah Azratul is a Business Art and Technology teacher from Sayyidina Husain Secondary School in Jerudong with five years of experience. Speaking to the Bulletin, she credited her success to hard work, giving her best and good support from the people around her.

On the course itself, she shared, “It taught me how to better handle students, how to approach students with different learning styles, and focusing more on SPN21 and how to communicate and collaborate well.”

She highlighted that she now feels better equipped after having undergone the course, and that she is looking forward to continuing her service as a teacher and also hopes to continue upgrading herself with higher qualifications.

Hajah Azratul also expressed her thanks to her lecturers, her family, friends and colleagues for their support.

Another recipient was Haji Mohammad Redzuan bin Haji Botty, who received a Masters of Education by Coursework, Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah Institute of Education.

“Alhamdulillah, for the past two years of undergoing Masters of Education in Mathematics I have managed to obtain a lot of knowledge, skill and experience from discussions, academic readings as well as research that I carried out last year, and Insya Allah I will be able to fully use all that in my profession as a teacher and an education officer at the Ministry of Education.”

Haji Mohammad Redzuan teaches at Saiyyidina Umar Al-Khattab Secondary School, but also aids in teaching at primary schools and at the Brunei Darussalam Teachers’ Academy on some days.
Sharing some advice, he said, “To those still studying, always stay motivated and always make an effort to strive to get out of your comfort zone as well as to try things as long as you can try things.”
This, he said, includes carrying out research, having independent learning, and not relying solely on lecturers or other people.

“Importantly, always know how to divide your time,” he added.

Norhafiza Rabiatul Adawiyah Noorazmi was another to graduate yesterday, receiving a Masters of Teaching in Secondary Education.

She said that she was happy to know that her hard work has paid off and to have received her certificate.

Speaking with the Bulletin on her experience, she shared, “The course was year-long and we taught classes in the morning and attend lectures in the afternoon, so that was like every day of the whole year for two semesters, but I know now that with this it was all worth it.”

Sharing some words of wisdom, she highlighted, “People should just go out there and go for an adventure to look for opportunities, and not to let it slip away by waiting.”

“I’ve recently been accepted to the English apprenticeship under the Brunei-US English Enrichment Programme, so I’m very lucky that after this I will be heading to Hawaii next month and we’ve started our course last year, so Alhamdulillah. So just be independent, go out there and don’t be scared,” she added. Text courtesy of Danial Norjidi, Izah Azahari & Wani Roslan of Borneo Bulletin.

 

BIBD announced its Race Entry Pack for the 2015 CE ALAF (Charity Expedition for Advocating Life-Long Learning for an Aspiring Future programme). The pack includes a runners’ shirt and a CE ALAF backpack. Additional merchandise is also available on the CE ALAF website such as Polar running watches, which can be purchased during the registration of the CE ALAF.

Registrations for CE ALAF can be completed via the ALAF website at www.bibdalaf.com or at CE ALAF Kiosks at Aewon outlet in Kiarong, Seria and Airport Mall.

Payment for registration along with merchandise purchases can be made directly via the website using any Debit or Credit cards or via cash payments through BIBD online, BIBD Mobile, BIBD CDMs and counters at BIBD Branches to the BIBD CSR Raised Fund Account at 1010400011.

For all participants opting to register their participation via cash payments, participants are required to keep their proof of payment in the form of deposit slips for payments via BIBD counters and CDMs, or printed online receipts or screenshots for payments made through BIBD Online and BIBD Mobile platforms. These proofs of payments must to be presented at the Race Entry Pack Collection weekend, together with their donation proceeds slip.

The closing date for registrations will be on the 30th of September 2015, whereby the first 1500 successful registrations will also be entitled to free limited edition CE merchandise.

The running kit for this edition of BIBD CE ALAF

BIBD is also inviting interested persons to register their interest as volunteers, where they will receive official CE ALAF 2015 volunteer t-shirts. Slots for volunteers are however limited and contact details of each volunteer has to be submitted to the BIBD CE ALAF team at csr@bibd.com.bn by the 25th September 2015.

This year’s CE will include a new competitive 5km Open Men and Women’s category. Other categories include an Open and Bruneian 21km and 10km, Men and Women’s category along with a non-competitive 3km fun run and cycling expedition. Fees for the respective categories vary starting at B$25. Participants will also stand a chance to win prizes of up to B$2,000. BIBD would also like to inform the public that a designated area will be provided for Subuh Prayers.

The CE is one of the imperative strategic ideas for fundraising in order to sustain ALAF as a long term initiative. ALAF is BIBD’s flagship CSR programme. This year’s CE is hoped to build on its previous successes with more than 6,000 participants all contributing to raise a total amount of over B$ 665,000, an illustration of Bruneians as a caring society.

The complete sponsors and partners of the BIBD CE ALAF

The ALAF programme, launched in May 2013 by Her Royal Highness Paduka Seri Pengiran Anak Isteri Pengiran Anak Sarah, was developed in close partnership with the Ministry of Education which will lead to constant efforts and close collaboration between both parties to ensure the successful implementation and provision of assistance to the ALAF programme. At the same time, The ALAF programme is also supported by the Islamic Studies Department from the Ministry of Religious Affairs. The ALAF programme currently has almost a hundred students under its care.

The ALAF programme provides the selected students with provisions for school and tuition fees, educational materials and welfare, as well as mentoring and counseling necessities amongst others. All this is to help ensure the absolute commitment of these students towards the development of their education, and not let them be bothered by the other commitments that come with. The ALAF programme will also continue to provide support and assistance to these students until the end of their respective educational requirement needs.

Through ALAF, BIBD hopes to align its support to His Majesty’s 2035 vision of obtaining a 100% level of education to everyone, which in turn is hoped to help reduce poverty, In Shaa Allah, leading Brunei towards a more prosperous and peaceful future, making Brunei populated with educated, highly skilful and successful individuals, in line with internationally set standards.

Apart from contributions during the CE, members of the public wishing to contribute into the BIBD ALAF fund may do so with a minimum donation of B$1.01 into the BIBD ALAF account at 1018181811. Contributing is further made easier as the public can utilise existing BIBD channels such as the BIBD Online website, BIBD Mobile app, BIBD ATM and CDMs, and BIBD branch counters. The public can also set up a BIBD Standing Instruction to ensure a monthly donation into the ALAF fund. As an added benefit, BIBD account holders can also use their accumulated BIBD Hadiah Points for cash conversion into contributions into the ALAF fund account.

A few weeks ago BIBD launched their third expedition to support ALAF

Cool medal for this year’s edition

 

Congratulations to all the graduates. Catch me on Snapchat and Periscope.

The graduates of the Universiti Brunei Darussalam 27th Convocation

Yang Amat Mulia Pengiran Indera Setia Diraja Sahibul Karib Pengiran Anak Hj Idris, Executive Chairman of Indera Motors (2nd from left) with British High Commissioner David Campbell, Hj Khairuddin Hj Abd Hamid, Deputy Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Industry and Primary Resources (guest of honour) and Yang Amat Mulia Pg Anak Ghaffar during the launch of the Discovery Sport at The Empire Hotel & Country Club recently. Image courtesy of Azli Azney of The Brunei Times.

Late post: Recently Indera Motors Sdn Bhd, the sole distributor of Jaguar and Land Rover, launched the Land Rover Discovery Sport at the Empire Hotel & Country Club. In attendance were Executive Chairman of Indera Motors Yang Amat Mulia Pengiran Indera Setia Diraja Sahibul Karib Pengiran Anak Hj Idris officiated at the launch ceremony, with Deputy Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Industry and Primary Resources Hj Khairuddin Hj Abd Hamid as the guest of honour. Also present was Yang Amat Mulia Pg Anak Ghaffar and British High Commissioner David Campbell.

Noormala Othman, Senior Executive Manager of Indera Motors, gave a brief introduction of the Discovery Sport before the launch of the car. The Discovery Sport will be a big hit in Brunei because of its premium value and still affordable as the price tag starts at $73,800 on the road. As you know Land Rover has a 66 year history and it’s the first of its kind for the Discovery family to introduce a compact premium SUV in Brunei.

For more information on the new Discovery Sport or a test drive, visit the Indera Motors Showroom at Lot Q2, Q3 and Q4 at the Lambak Kanan Industrial area in Berakas. It is open from 8am until 5pm Mondays to Thursdays, Fridays from 8am until 11.30am and 2.30pm until 5pm, and Saturdays from 8am until 4pm. Images courtesy of Azli Azney of The Brunei Times.

Noormala Othman, Senior Executive Manager of Indera Motors

Unveiling the Discovery Sport

Ain’t that just a sexy car? 😀

It’s the competition of the Humourous Contest and Speech Evaluation Contest for Brunei toastmasters. For your info, Brunei has four toastmasters clubs, namely Brunei Speakers’ Club, OTTERS, UBD Toastmasters Club and Brunei Advanced Speakers’ Club.

Two representatives from each club will contest and the winner of the respective category will represent Brunei in the Division Level at Kota Kinabalu, Sabah in early October.

The event will take place at OGDC, Seria this Sunday at 2pm. Yea, it’s quite a fair ride for those residing in town but if you have nothing better to do and also wanting to be entertained, then why not spare $5 to listen to eight speakers on their humorous speeches.

Jason Koo, one of the favourites for Humourous Speech. Good luck, buddy!

Elaine Tsang is also one of the finalists for the Area K6 contest

Humourous Contest

Supatra Lee – Brunei Speakers’ Club
Rano Iskandar – Brunei Speakers’ Club
Rozana Hj Yunos – Brunei Advanced Speakers’ Club
Pranika Lama – Brunei Advanced Speakers’ Club
Jason Koo – OTTERS
Elaine Tsang – OTTERS
Brendan Ti – UBD Toastmasters Club
Julius Hong – UBD Toastmasters Club

Speech Evaluation Contest

Supatra Lee – Brunei Speakers’ Club
Rano Iskandar – Brunei Speakers’ Club
Rozana Hj Yunos – Brunei Advanced Speakers’ Club
Nina Kifrawi – Brunei Advanced Speakers’ Club
Hazwan Kamarulzaman – OTTERS
Philip – OTTERS
Pranika Lama – UBD Toastmasters Club
Farhan Jaafar Ali – UBD Toastmasters Club

So good luck to all the contestants and the most important thing is to have fun, fun, fun 😀 The previous Area K6 winner was Allen Ang who bagged both the Humourous Contest and Speech Evaluation Contest.

This is the venue for the Area K6 contest at OGDC, Seria this coming Sunday at 2pm

The reason why I joined toastmasters – learning, leadership and friendship

Cool t-shirts for the test drive session of the Discovery Sport last August

Written and experienced by Aliya Zin, reporter from rano360.com: Indera Motors Sdn Bhd, the sole distributor for Jaguar and Land Rover in Brunei invited members of the media for a two day media escapade to Keningau, Sabah on 19th-20th August, to experience the new Discovery Sport, and the first member of the new Discovery family.

I was fortunate to have been part of the media group who went on the trip to Keningau, and experience what the new Discovery Sport has to offer. Full disclosure : I’m not a car aficionado, so if my opinion on the vehicle is seriously lacking in information, it’s only because I looked at it as a someone who views cars as a means to get from point A to point B, so I’ll do my best.

The seven vehicle expedition was flagged off by YAM Pg Anak Hj Abdul Ghaffar bin PISDSK Pg Anak Hj Idris, the General Manager of Indera Motors, from the Indera Motors showroom, and departed to Lawas, Tenom, Keningai and touring through the famous Crocker Range National Park in Sabah.

There were four of us road trip buddies in the white Discovery Sport : myself, Tiger Lim, Ragadah from BT and Alizan Maidin from Indera Motors. Tiger Lim was the first to take the wheel, taking us through Kuala Lurah all the way to Melasak Waterfall.

From a passenger’s point of view, the Discovery Sport is awesomely roomy. The rear compartment was able to fit 4 bags and a cooler and still fit some durian if we chose to carry back, but didn’t. For a passenger, the Discovery Sport is kind of a dream.. there are FIVE!, yes 5, USB ports to make it easy for you to charge your electronic devices, so there will be no arguing among passengers. The fully equipped infotainment system also allows you to connect your smartphone via Bluetooth, so you can listen to your favourite playlists and rock out on those long road trips without having to fiddle with long AUX cables. Another thing worth noting is there is a storage space between the driver and the passenger seat, which you can easily connect a USB hard drive to access an extensive music library, just like Alizan did.

Video of the Discovery Sport expedition. Reported and shot by The Brunei Times.

YAM Pg Anak Hj Abdul Ghaffar bin PISDSK Pg Anak Hj Idris, the General Manager of Indera Motors officially flagged off the Discovery Sport expedition

One of the Discovery Sport being driven

Among the features of Discovery Sport SUV are a Terrain Response system that includes a full suite of all-terrain technologies such as Hill Descent Control, Gradient Release Control (GRC) and Wade Sensing among others. This came in handy as we were headed down the trail to Melasak Waterfall, which had a rocky hilly terrain, and gave us the opportunity to test out the Hill Descent Control in particular.

What’s interesting about the Hill Descent Control is that you leave the speed up to the Discovery Sport. With feet off the accelerator, and hands firmly on the steering, and heart in my throat.. I took my foot off the brake, and let the vehicle do its thing. I was surprised at how easy it was to take my foot firmly off the brake and let the SUV take control of the descent. Not only was it capable of handling the terrain, but it took relatively smoothly. The speed of the Hill Descent control can be adjusted, so you can take it down as slowly as you wish. I had full trust in the vehicle and quite enjoyed the off-road experience.

Class-leading off-road capability stands at the core of Land Rover DNA. Naturally, the Discovery Sport’s body geometry has been optimised for even the harshest terrain, with excellent ground clearance, approach, departure and breakover angles, and an ability to wade through water to a depth of 600mm.

The Terrain Response system, meanwhile, allows the Discovery Sport’s steering, throttle response, gearbox, centre-coupling and braking/stability systems to be able to meet the demands of the challenging terrain. This is due to the fact that the system has four settings: General; Grass/Gravel/Snow (for slippery conditions on- and off-road); Muds and Ruts; and Sand.

There was also the test sampling of the durian

The rugged SUV

Nice shot of the Discovery Sport

The media representatives from Brunei

Our overnight lodgings were at the Dimie Pendalaman Resort Hotel, which takes a journey up a winding road up the mountain range, which the Discovery Sport handles with no problem. With its gorgeous, streamlined high-strength steel and lightweight aluminium bodyshell, it looks like in belonged among the green expanse and foggy views. I was definitely in love with the white vehicle, and not just because we had bonded inside it, but because the colour looked easy on the eyes, and just right in proportions of modern sleek and ruggedness.

The heart of the Land Rover Discovery Sport SUV is its engine: an all-alloy Si4 2.-litre with 240PS with direct fuel injection, thus providing power behind all the awesome technology. This six-cylinder engine cuts carbon dioxide emissions by up to 20 per cent, compared to conventional larger capacity engines with a similar power output.

All engine derivatives of the Land Rover Discovery Sport features advanced ZF 9HP48 nine-speed automatic transmission. Features include the next generation integral and advanced multi-link rear axle, all-new touchscreen infotainment system and state-of-the-art, and the Discovery Sport is fitted with a bold new headlamp design that integrates a slim, wraparound design and circular daytime-running lights (DTRLs). At the rear of the vehicle, the spoiler is crafted to optimise airflow for exceptional aerodynamic efficiency. The new Discovery Sport is well-armed with improved safety standards including the seven airbags inside the cabin and first-in-class pedestrian airbag that enhances pedestrian protection.

The fast bonnet line creates a distinctively compact profile that features significant interior space with optimal five plus two seating. This streamlined design allows all-round visibility, while the interior and load space areas are easily accessible.

The Discovery Sport’s interior has been designed to be premium and provide a versatile and calming space, with the centre being easily accessible from the Sports Command Driving Position.
After the two day trip, it’s so easy to see why the Discovery Sport is the world’s most versatile premium compact SUV. It’s just chock full of features that makes you want to get on the road and drive. But don’t just take my word for it, head down to the Indera Motors Showroom at Lot Q2 – Q4, Lambak Kanan Industrial Area and take her for a spin. It will a drive you will not regret.

Recently, a large crowd of supportive family and friends came out to support the opening of Lokalground, a collective store which is made up of 8 brands which made the step up from selling online on Instagram and Facebook to having a physical space to display their products to a wider audience.

Lokalground was the brain child of co-owner, Muhammad Abdul Najib Azhar bin Abdullah of Khalifahood, who pitched the idea to his clothing brand contemporaries. Eight brands, consisting of 7 local talents and 1 brand from Kuala Lumpur, make up the collective, namely : Khalifahood, Rule Clothing, VillieBeast, The Apparel Corner, Bruland Clothing, FWDs84, Roast and Roll Streetwear and Benua.BWN (Brunei stockist for Benua Clothing KL).

The store itself will serve as a focal point for the brands and allowing their customers to the have an opportunity to appreciate the wares instore and look at the other participating brands.
The store is located at #21.5, The Souq, 1st floor, The Airport Mall. Opening times are Tuesdays to Sundays from 10 am to 8 pm, Fridays 2 pm to 8 pm and closed on Mondays. Any changes to opening times will be updated on @lokalground instagram account.

These 8 young entrepreneurs have more exciting projects lined up in the near future and look forward to working with more local brands within the Brunei independent clothing industry.

Group photo with top senior management of Authoriti Monetari Brunei Darussalam, top senior management of Baiduri Bank, diplomats and associates of Baiduri Capital Sdn Bhd during the launch of Baiduri Capital this morning

Yang Berhormat Pehin Orang Kaya Indera Pahlawan Dato Seri Setia Hj Suyoi Hj Osman, Deputy Chairman of Authoriti Monetari Brunei Darussalam (also the Minister of Development) launched the Baiduri Capital Sdn Bhd, a wholly owned subsidiary of Baiduri Bank, this morning

It’s the first time that Baiduri Bank are providing securities trading and Pierre Imhof, the Director of Baiduri Capital feels it’s the right time for Baiduri Bank Group to explore into this market as there are a growing number of Bruneians with sizeable savings and also looking for opportunities to build wealth apart from deposits. The event took place this morning at Baiduri Bank Kiarong Complex.

The event was officiated by Yang Berhormat Pehin Orang Kaya Indera Pahlawan Dato Seri Setia Hj Suyoi Hj Osman, Deputy Chairman of Authoriti Monetari Brunei Darussalam (also the Minister of Development).

Baiduri Capital has been receiving a lot of interest from the public especially among the young professionals and these were done through workshops and seminars. Through these, Baiduri learnt that the market is ready. The extra added value from Baiduri Capital is the online securities trading portal. This is the first of its kind in Brunei and this is of course for the convenience of Baiduri Capital customers.

Well done on the launch this morning and so to those who love to play with stock market, look no further and try out Baiduri Capital services. They will be able to assist you and also assess the level of risk before you venture into the trading adventure.

The guest of honour touring Baiduri Capital

Yang Berhormat Pehin viewing Baiduri Capital

Pierre Imhof, CEO of Baiduri Bank and Director of Baiduri Capital (left), speaking with invited guests

Guest of honour signing a memento to commemorate the launch

Pierre Imhof delivering his speech and believes there is a market for securities trading and it’s also the first to provide it online

Hello Maurina and Joel :p

Bumped into Sarina Chieng, founder of Tada Concept and Seng Yee, Marketing Executive of RYS Event Management at the event :p

Refreshments being served after the launch

This is it… The 27th Universiti Brunei Darussalam convocation day which will take place tomorrow Wednesday 9th September 2015. I shall be there once again to do some live coverage.. Hopefully, there is a stable connection that I could Periscope or Snapchat on some occasions but we shall see.

This year alone there will be almost 1,200 graduates (PhD, Masters and Degree) and some of the UBD graduates will receive their certificates in the afternoon session. Good luck to all and it should be a good experience for all the students graduating.. Enjoy and cherish the moment. You deserved it 😀 Below are some of the pictures taken during the preparation of the convocation. They have been working very hard to make sure the event run smoothly. Keep up the great work, committee!!

Not sure sure who took this but nice shot 🙂