Headline – Borneo Bulletin Online

| Danial Norjidi |

HIS Royal Highness Prince Haji Al-Muhtadee Billah ibni His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu’izzaddin Waddaulah, the Crown Prince and Senior Minister at the Prime Minister’s Office yesterday launched the newly-enhanced www.business.gov.bn, the one-stop information portal for government services and reforms related to doing business in Brunei Darussalam.

The launch of the revamped portal, known as ‘businessBN’, took place at the Made in Brunei Market Fair held in conjunction with the 1st MSME Innovation Conference and Expo and the Brunei China-Asean Expo (CAEXPO) Exhibition 2017, which was officially opened earlier in the day by His Royal Highness at the BRIDEX International Conference Centre in Jerudong.

Upon the launching, His Royal Highness was given a virtual tour of the portal by an officer from the Ease of Doing Business Secretariat, under the Energy and Industry Department at the Prime Minister’s Office, where an overview of the new key features introduced was shared.

First launched in January 2016 during the official launching of the Business Support Centre in Anggerek Desa, businessBN provides a whole-of-government service connecting the local and international business community as well as aspiring entrepreneurs to all the latest information on government services related to doing business in Brunei Darussalam.

The businessBN portal is designed to be more intuitive for business needs, featuring enhanced navigation utilising direct links to relevant government agencies for further details and services, as well as a mobile responsive design that caters for a growing audience by enabling the portal to be viewed on any device or screen size.

His Royal Highness Prince Haji Al-Muhtadee Billah ibni His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu’izzaddin Waddaulah, the Crown Prince and Senior Minister at the Prime Minister’s Office launching the new businessBN platform. - PHOTOS: AZROL AZMI

The newly launched businessBn website platform

The businessBN revamp is part of the Ease of Doing Business Socialisation Strategy that was introduced this year by the Ease of Doing Business Steering Committee to increase the level of awareness on regulatory reforms among the business community, by providing easy access to the latest information on improvements to the business environment.

By doing so, the positive impact of the reforms will be seen and felt by the business community much faster than in the past. This has now been further boosted with a new feature in the portal that allows businesses to register to receive updates on newly introduced reforms and initiatives.

To support the nation’s diversification efforts in line with Vision 2035, Brunei Darussalam has set an ambitious Top 20 target in the World Banks’ Doing Business index.

The Government of His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu’izzaddin Waddaulah ibni Al-Marhum Sultan Haji Omar ‘Ali Saifuddien Sa’adul Khairi Waddien, Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam, under the leadership of His Royal Highness Prince Haji Al-Muhtadee Billah, the Crown Prince and Senior Minister at the Prime Minister’s, continues to show its commitment by streamlining government procedures and regulation towards international best practices, seeing the nation ranked as the most improved economy in the world for two consecutive years.

As is stated in a press release, the government will continue to actively encourage greater private sector participation and feedback in identifying more valuable changes that would have a positive impact on the business environment in the long term.

Speaking to the Sunday Bulletin, Pehin Datu Singamanteri Colonel (Rtd) Dato Seri Setia (Dr) Awang Haji Mohammad Yasmin bin Haji Umar, the Minister of Energy and Industry at the Prime Minister’s Office said, “The new portal takes care of a lot of the people’s feedback on the current portal. This portal should be very interactive and very simple to use.

“A lot of people worked hard on this, because a lot of it is an interagency effort,” he said. “Coordinating an inter-agency effort is sometimes very challenging, but Alhamdulillah, through His Royal Highness’ leadership in terms of ease of Doing Business and through the frequent meetings we have under the Ease of Doing Business Steering Committee, we actually managed to overcome all those challenges.”

“It will make ease of doing business even better. That is the most important thing,” he added.

The post businessBN portal logs in appeared first on Borneo Bulletin Online.

| Danial Norjidi |

HIS Royal Highness Prince Haji Al-Muhtadee Billah ibni His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu’izzaddin Waddaulah, the Crown Prince and Senior Minister at the Prime Minister’s Office officiated the opening ceremony of the 1st MSME Innovation Conference and Expo and the Brunei China-Asean Expo (CAEXPO) Exhibition 2017, yesterday.

Held at the BRIDEX International Conference Centre in Jerudong, this year’s MSME Innovation Conference and Expo theme is ‘Made in Brunei Market Fair’.

Upon arrival at the BRIDEX Hall, His Royal Highness was greeted by Pehin Datu Singamanteri Colonel (Rtd) Dato Seri Setia (Dr) Awang Haji Mohammad Yasmin bin Haji Umar, Minister of Energy and Industry at the Prime Minister’s Office, and Haji Mohamad Azmi bin Haji Mohd Hanifah, Permanent Secretary (Industry) at the Prime Minister’s Office.

Also present at the ceremony were Dato Seri Setia Awang Haji Ali bin Haji Apong, Minister of Primary Resources and Tourism; Datu Haji Abul Khayr Dangcal Alonto, the Philippines Signing Minister for BIMP-EAGA and Secretary and Chair of the Mindanao Development Authority, the Philippines; Datuk Haji Mohd Arifin bin Mohd Arif, Assistant Minister to the Chief Minister of Sabah; Dato Paduka Awang Haji Mohamad Roselan bin Haji Mohamad Daud, Deputy Minister at the Prime Minister’s Office; Dato Paduka Dr Awang Haji Mohd Amin Liew bin Abdullah, Deputy Minister of Finance; and Dato Paduka Awang Haji Erywan bin Pehin Dato Pekerma Jaya Haji Mohd Yusof, Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade II.

The Surah Al-Fatihah and Doa Selamat was read by YB Pehin Datu Imam Dato Paduka Seri Setia Ustaz Haji Awang Abdul Hamid bin Bakal.

His Royal Highness Prince Haji Al-Muhtadee Billah ibni His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu’izzaddin Waddaulah, the Crown Prince and Senior Minister at the Prime Minister’s Office launching the 1st MSME Innovation Conference and Expo and the Brunei China-Asean Expo (CAEXPO) Exhibition 2017. Also seen in the photo is Pehin Datu Singamanteri Colonel (Rtd) Dato Seri Setia (Dr) Awang Haji Mohammad Yasmin bin Haji Umar, Minister of Energy and Industry at the Prime Minister’s Office

His Royal Highness touring the 1st MSME Innovation Conference and Expo and Brunei CAEXPO Exhibition 2017

His Royal Highness signing a plaque at the 1st MSME Innovation Conference and Expo and Brunei CAEXPO Exhibition 2017. – PHOTOS: AZROL AZMI

His Royal Highness in a group photo with the local vendors participating in the expo

After the launching ceremony, His Royal Highness also launched the businessBN website and the Made in Brunei initiative before proceeding to tour the exhibition.

The businessBN website is a portal which provides a whole-of-government service connecting the local and international business community as well as aspiring entrepreneurs to all the latest information on government services related to doing business in Brunei Darussalam.

The Made in Brunei initiative is an initiative by DARe (Darussalam Enterprise) which aims to create awareness locally and internationally that Brunei produces high quality products.

The 1st MSME Innovation Conference and Expo is being held from May 6-8 (Saturday to Monday) BRIDEX Halls 1 and 2. The event is open to the public, starting from 9am till 9pm each day.

The expo provides a platform for local Bruneian companies to showcase their products and services. About 200 local MSMEs are participating in the Made in Brunei Market Fair, which include Halal consumables such as food, baked goods and pharmaceuticals. The ICT sector, cosmetics, fashion and clothing as well as the various local MSMEs providing services such as publishing, management and even inbound tours and travel are also taking part.

In addition, 31 MPK (village consultative councils) from all four districts are showcasing their products from the One Village, One Product initiative at the event, which range from traditional crafts and treats. Several companies from Sabah, Sarawak, Vietnam and Indonesia are also set to participate in the expo.

The Made in Brunei Market Fair provides the opportunity for local MSMEs to shine through with their best marketing and packaging strategies and showcase their products so that consumers and buyers will choose to support local businesses. The market fair also provides the opportunity for potential investors and distributors that attend this fair to meet their future partners and help local enterprises grow and increase their overseas export potential.

Companies from China are also currently showcasing their products as part of the Brunei CAEXPO Exhibition 2017, which is being held in conjunction with the 1st MSME Innovation Conference and Expo. The Brunei CAEXPO Exhibition 2017 provides a platform for meaningful links to be made, so that successful trade, business and investment outcomes can be pursued later in September 2017 in Nanning, at the 14th CAEXPO where Brunei Darussalam is the country of honour.

The Brunei CAEXPO Exhibition 2017 hopes to promote Brunei Darussalam’s role as the country of honour at a national level and to encourage the participation of local MSMEs in the country at the 14th CAEXPO.

Around 100 companies from China are present to showcase their products. In a press release, it is highlighted that “their strong presence in the 1st MSME Innovation Conference and Expo and the Brunei CAEXPO Exhibition 2017 will encourage business matching and networking among the local MSMEs and the businesses from China and promote closer cooperation in trade, business and investment between Brunei Darussalam and China.”

The 1st MSME Innovation Conference and Expo and the Brunei CAEXPO Exhibition 2017 demonstrate the ongoing efforts of the Government of His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu’izzaddin Waddaulah ibni Al-Marhum Sultan Haji Omar ‘Ali Saifuddien Sa’adul Khairi Waddien, Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam, under the leadership of His Royal Highness Prince Haji Al-Muhtadee Billah, the Crown Prince and Senior Minister at the Prime Minister’s Office, to transform the business ecosystem in Brunei.

Local entrepreneurs are encouraged to be more competitive and successful and seize not only domestic but also international opportunities. A number of initiatives have thus been introduced by the government to enhance the business environment through infrastructural and regulatory changes to ensure a pro-business and solid private sector – including the revamped portal businessBN and the Made in Brunei initiative.

Meanwhile, the official opening for the MSME Innovation Conference and Expo, which carries the theme ‘Enabling MSMEs’ Access to the Digital Economy’, was held yesterday afternoon, and featured prominent and successful entrepreneurs from the region invited to talk about how small enterprises can leverage on e-commerce and the vast opportunities it presents to further develop their businesses.

The Energy and Industry Department at the Prime Minister’s Office (EIDPMO) and DARe in collaboration with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade and the Guangxi Autonomous region of the People’s Republic of China were the co-organisers of the event.

For more information on the Made in Brunei Market Fair, members of the public can visit the website www.mibmf.gov.bn or follow the Instagram account @eidpmo.bn. Interested members of the public can find information on participating in future trade expos by calling 2384488 ext 1050.

The post Crown Prince officiates launch of MSME conference & Brunei CAEXPO Exhibition appeared first on Borneo Bulletin Online.

| Danial Norjidi |

AS PART of its aim to nurture and support local enterprises, DARe (Darussalam Enterprise) officially launched its Made in Brunei Initiative yesterday.

The ambitious endeavour was inaugurated by His Royal Highness Prince Haji Al-Muhtadee Billah ibni His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu’izzaddin Waddaulah, the Crown Prince and Senior Minister at the Prime Minister’s Office.

The launching ceremony took place at the BRIDEX International Conference Centre in Jerudong in conjunction with the 1st MSME Innovation Conference and Expo and the Brunei China-Asean Expo (CAEXPO) Exhibition 2017, which was officiated by His Royal Highness.

The Made in Brunei initiative aims to create awareness locally and internationally that Brunei produces high quality products. It will especially help micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) to enter high value segments that may have high entry costs, thereby increasing their visibility and sales. In the first phase, the Made in Brunei initiative will be launched in three areas – an in-flight brochure; display in key locations; and supermarket shelves.

The Royal Brunei Airlines (RB) will carry in its flights the Unexpected Treasures in-flight brochures that feature several high quality locally-made products that can be purchased online via the Unexpected Treasures website www.unexpectedtreasures.com.bn.

High quality locally-made products will also be showcased in attractive and exclusive museum display shelves at key high-traffic locations in Brunei. Such displays aim to increase awareness to support and buy local products via the Unexpected Treasures website.

In addition, there will be several specially constructed attractive and visible ‘Made in Brunei’ shelves to carry locally-made products. These shelves will be launched in five supermarkets including Hua Ho (Tanjung Bunut Branch), Supa Save (Mata-Mata Branch), Giant Rimba, Soon Lee (Lambak Branch) and Sim Kim Huat (The Airport Mall Branch).

Currently, a total of over 40 products including food, health and beauty, handicraft, heritage and unique hand-made items are part of the first phase of the initiative and DARe is looking to increase the line of products.

Speaking to the Sunday Bulletin, Javed Ahmad, the CEO of DARe said, “If you look around Brunei, there are lots of exciting products being made and particularly when you look at something like this it’s very much part of our heritage, very much part of our tradition, and we want to create an awareness within the country as well as to the visiting public from around the world on quality products that are available in Brunei.

“So in the process what we do is to basically promote a traditional Bruneian industry, and once there is a strong demand, there will also be a continuous demand for high quality products, from visitors as well as locals alike. That is aimed in terms of just ensuring that the industry flourishes over the longer term. So that’s our objective, in bringing some of the very traditional Bruneian industries to the world at large.

“There are two initiatives. One is at the top end and the other is in terms of food items,” he said. “What we do not want is to have a static display. The display should be continuously changing to provide opportunities to new and emerging businesses to display.

“We are in close contact with our close customers – the micro, small and medium sized enterprises – and we are constantly looking for new ideas with a view to promote their products in the supermarkets.”

Karam Chand, the CEO of Royal Brunei Airlines said, “As a national airline, we always want to join hands with our sister companies in Brunei, and if there’s a way we can help we always help.”

He noted that RB is in an advantageous position. “We are in international markets already. We have a very well established sales, marketing and promotional platform. We’ve got a very good digital platform, so we can help to leverage all of that.”

The CEO shared that the Unexpected Treasures brochures will be available on RB flights in a week. Asked if the brochures will be available on every flight, he said, “Yes, that’s the plan. On every flight, in and out, the brochures will be there. If people want to take it home, they can do so and visit the website later.”

He also noted that RB intends to do more. “We want to have a fairly good range of in-flight entertainment options, a good range of videos and information on Brunei and products.”

Adding on, he confirmed that RB is very much behind the initiative. “We want to support this. We are in a very advantageous position already, we are in the global market and we have a captive audience on our planes. If we can showcase a little bit more about Brunei, of course, that helps.”

Pehin Datu Singamanteri Colonel (Rtd) Dato Seri Setia (Dr) Awang Haji Mohammad Yasmin bin Haji Umar, the Minister of Energy and Industry at the Prime Minister’s Office and Chairman of DARe also spoke on the initiative, saying, “This is very exciting time, actually, for our MSMEs. All this is made possible as part and parcel of DARe’s initiative to really help our local MSMEs to go outside of Brunei.”

Touching on the aspect of the initiative that will see locally made products displayed on ‘Made in Brunei’ shelves at supermarkets, he said, “We are not creating business as usual. We have got cooperation from big supermarkets to sell these products. And this, nobody has done it before. So this is something that is very exciting.”

DARe shared that those interested to be a part of this initiative can submit a brief description of their business/company, a brief description of the products, prices of products as well as pictures of the products to madeinbrunei@dare.gov.bn or call +6732384836 (ext 244).

The post Crown Prince inaugurates Made in Brunei Initiative appeared first on Borneo Bulletin Online.

| Bahyiah Bakir |

HER Majesty Duli Raja Isteri Pengiran Anak Hajah Saleha binti Al-Marhum Pengiran Pemancha Pengiran Anak Haji Mohamed Alam yesterday received in two separate audiences Noriko Iki, the outgoing Ambassador of Japan to Brunei Darussalam; and Chea Danyla, the spouse of Ouk Chandara, Ambassador of Cambodia to Brunei Darussalam.

The audiences took place at the Istana Nurul Iman.

Her Majesty Duli Raja Isteri Pengiran Anak Hajah Saleha binti Al-Marhum Pengiran Pemancha Pengiran Anak Haji Mohamed Alam with Noriko Iki (ABOVE), the outgoing Ambassador of Japan to Brunei Darussalam; and Chea Danyla (BELOW), the spouse of Ouk Chandara, Ambassador of Cambodia to Brunei Darussalam. – PHOTOS: BAHYIAH BAKIR

The post Her Majesty receives in audience outgoing envoy, spouse of envoy appeared first on Borneo Bulletin Online.

| Fadhil Yunus |

A TOTAL of 66 exponents from various taekwondo clubs went through the national promotion examinations for their respective black belt levels at the Youth Centre in the capital yesterday.

Thirty-nine of them were assessed for 1st Dan, 19 for 2nd Dan, three for 3rd Dan, one for 4th Dan and four for 5th Dan.

All the participants were evaluated based on their skills in poomsae (patterns), self-defence, kicking techniques, sparring and board breaking.

The board breaking assessment was the final demonstration in the set of criteria whereby participants were required to execute a certain technique to break a board.

The examinations were organised by the Brunei Darussalam Taekwondo Association (BDTA) and conducted by Brunei Darussalam national coach Master Nurul Hannah binti Abdullah Mateen Kim.

An exponent breaks a board during the exams. – FADHIL YUNUS

BDTA in a statement said it was pleased to see a growing number of youngsters upgrading themselves each year.

“This will also pave the way and create opportunities for more athletes to represent Brunei in various competitions nationally and internationally. They could also be trained for coaching and refereeing,” added the statement.

BDTA will also be organising promotion examinations for coloured belts on May 19- 21 at various taekwondo clubs.

The post 66 taekwondo exponents take part in belt grading appeared first on Borneo Bulletin Online.

| Fadhil Yunus |

THE 22nd Baiduri Masters charity golf tournament concluded with a prize presentation ceremony attended by Dr Yang Amat Mulia Pengiran Muda Abdul Fattaah, a member of the Board of Directors at Baiduri Bank at the Hua Ho Manggis Ballroom last night.

Dr Yang Amat Mulia Pengiran Muda Abdul Fattaah also presented the coveted green jacket to Qawim bin Haji Aslimon, the winner of this year’s Baiduri Masters 2017.

Qawim, one of the leading names in the country, carded a gross score of 75 on count back (OCB) at the expense of Johari Ahmad in the play-offs to seal the title.

The golfer, who represented his country in the Southeast Asian (SEA) Games in Singapore a couple of years ago.

“I feel very excited and I didn’t expect to win,” said a proud Qawim in an interview with the Bulletin shortly after receiving his championship trophy.

It was a dream come true for Qawim who had held “aspirations of winning the competition” since he was a young boy.

Dr Yang Amat Mulia Pengiran Muda Abdul Fattaah, a member of the Board of Directors at Baiduri Bank watches Qawim bin Haji Aslimon lift the Baiduri Masters championship trophy. – FADHIL YUNUS

“Actually it was my aim since when I was a kid,” said Qawim who has bagged three titles this year alone.

Chief Executive Officer of Baiduri Bank, Pierre Imhof, said: “We organise the Baiduri Masters as one of our contributions to supporting our community by making a difference.

“Through this platform, we help to raise funds for local charities, particular the charity organisations that cater towards individuals with special needs with the hope to alleviate their burden,” Imhof said.

“We saw many players again this year playing a fantastic game over two weekends. As in every year, we are honoured to provide this opportunity for the golfers to make a difference in the local community,” he added.

The post Dream comes true for Baiduri Masters winner Qawim appeared first on Borneo Bulletin Online.

| Syazwani Hj Rosli |

THE Brunei Darussalam Red Crescent Society (BDRCS) conducted a mass gathering for its members yesterday to celebrate the World Red Cross and Red Crescent Day 2017.

The gathering was held at the Taman Haji Sir Muda Omar ‘Ali Saifuddien.

The guest of honour was Sheikh Haji Abdul Kadir bin Abdullah, Secretary General of BDRCS.

With the theme ‘The Power of Humanity’, the ceremonial parade began with the recitation of Surah Al-Fatihah and Doa Selamat followed by the inspection of guard of honour by Sheikh Haji Abdul Kadir.

Members of BDRCS then recited the oath followed by the rank commissioning ceremony for selected members of BDRCS.

During the rank commissioning ceremony. – PHOTOS: SYAZWANI HJ ROSLI

Members of the BDRCS at the ceremonial parade

The event preceded with demonstrations and activities including First Aid and Health Check, Disaster Risk Reduction Awareness and Response Recovery Relief Activities and Humanitarian Volunteer Recruitments conducted by BDRCS members.

BDRCS launched the Brunei Red Crescent Youth Council (BRC YOUTH) at the Games Village in Berakas in the afternoon, marking another milestone for the association.

“The objective is to nurture the future leaders as the Nexgen Leadership of Brunei Darussalam Red Crescent by BDRCS 2010 – 2035,” the BDRCS Secretary General said.

Senior officers, officers, representatives from branches, the BDRCS School Cadets and BDRCS Youth Volunteers were also present.

The post BDRCS achieves another milestone appeared first on Borneo Bulletin Online.

| Syazwani Hj Rosli |

GIRL Guides Association of Brunei Darussalam (PPPBD) President Her Royal Highness Princess Hajah Rashidah Sa’adatul Bolkiah yesterday handed out tenderfoot badges, pre-warrant and warrant cards to PPPBD members during an awards ceremony at the multipurpose hall of Pusar Ulak Primary School in the capital.

PPPBD Chief Commissioner Hajah Siti Hafsah binti Haji Abdul Halim and committee members welcomed Her Royal Highness upon arrival.

The event began with a Surah Al-Fatihah recitation led by PPPBD Spiritual Commissioner Hajah Fatimah binti Haji Abdul Ghani, followed by a mass singing of the national anthem and girl guides song by association members.

In her remarks, Hajah Siti Hafsah noted that the recipients of the tenderfoot badges comprised 149 new girl guide members from various colleges, sixth form centres and secondary schools, and a total of 33 brownie guides; while the warrant and pre-warrant cards were presented to 14 adult leaders and 17 young leaders respectively.

Her Royal Highness Princess Hajah Rashidah Sa’adatul Bolkiah then presented the tenderfoot badges, pre-warrant and warrant cards to the recipients.

Her Royal Highness Princess Hajah Rashidah Sa’adatul Bolkiah presenting a tenderfoot badge to a recipient

Girl Guides Association of Brunei Darussalam (PPPBD) President Her Royal Highness Princess Hajah Rashidah Sa’adatul Bolkiah with PPPBD members. – PHOTOS: INFOFOTO

PPPBD Spiritual Commissioner Hajah Fatimah binti Haji Abdul Ghani leading the recitation of Surah Al-Fatihah

Girl guides singing the national anthem during the award presentation ceremony

The presentation of tenderfoot badges is one of the annual activities to officially recognise new members who have passed the tenderfoot test after three months of membership into the association.

Obtaining the tenderfoot badge is a prerequisite for members to participate in activities – including training and educational programmes – organised by the association and the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts (WAGGGS).

The warrant cards on the other hand, can be used by adult girl guide leaders as a licence to run their own girl guide units at schools, colleges and other community bodies. Those holding the pre-warrant cards need only become a brownie guider before they will each be able to receive the warrant cards.

There are 1,800 PPPBD members comprising both young and adult girl guides.

The post HRH awards warrant cards, tenderfoot badges to girl guides appeared first on Borneo Bulletin Online.

| Danial Norjidi |

THE 1st MSME Innovation Conference and Expo continued into its second day yesterday with the Made in Brunei Market Fair which features around 200 local MSMEs.

The expo is aimed at providing a platform for local companies to showcase their products and services at the BRIDEX International Conference Centre’s Halls 1 and 2 in Jerudong, where the event is being held.

The local MSMEs come from a wide range of sectors, including those of Halal consumables (food and pharmaceuticals) as well as those of ICT, cosmetics, fashion and various services such as management, inbound tours and travel.

Some 31 village consultative councils from the four districts are also showcasing their wares under the One Village, One Product initiative.

The Made in Brunei Market Fair gives local MSMEs the opportunity to utilise their best marketing and packaging strategies and to showcase their products, so that consumers and buyers will choose to support local.

The market fair also provides a chance for potential investors and distributors attending the fair to meet potential future partners and to help local enterprises grow and increase their overseas exports potential.

Speaking to the Bulletin yesterday was one of the participating vendors at the fair, Yadiy, who owns a popsicle ice-cream business called Kyna’s Tasty Treats.

“The experience of joining this fair has been really good,” he said.

“It’s been a surprise to see feedback from the visitors, and how much they are supporting the local companies.

The 1st MSME Innovation Conference and Expo continues into its third day today at the BRIDEX International Conference Centre in Jerudong. – DANIAL NORJIDI

“Even though we sold out, people kept coming and asking… We sold out yesterday and today.”

He shared that support from the organisers has been really good, adding, “We would love to be involved in more of this kind of events in the future.

“Hopefully, we will be invited again.”

Bibi Azlina, the co-owner of Hybrid.bn café, a business specialising in coffee, shared that taking part in the fair has been worthwhile, with a lot of interests from the visitors and customers.

“I like that the representatives from DARe and the EIDPMO have been going around talking to all the vendors and asking how business is doing, and if we have any problems that they can help us sort out.

“They have been very supportive.”

Rans Coffee is another of the Made in Brunei Market Fair’s participants and its owners, Ran and Feight, have also been enjoying the experience.

Asked how the response has been, Ran answered, “It’s kind of overwhelming.”

He added that they were hoping to help get more people to know about them by taking part in the event.

“This has been a good way to get ourselves out there,” he said.

One of the visitors to the fair yesterday was a graphic designer named Zul.

When asked for his thoughts on the event, he responded, “All the food looks good, and there are a lot of local products as well, which is a good thing for the country.”

He said that it is good to have events such as the Made in Brunei Market Fair to promote local products, and that it would also be good to have even more events like it “perhaps once every few months”.

Another visitor, a teacher named Bobby, commented, “I think it is well-organised. There is adequate parking and there are so many products.

“I think there is a whole range of products for people to look at and it is overall quite interesting.”

The Made in Brunei Market Fair continues today, as the 1st MSME Innovation Conference and Expo goes into its third and final day, and will be open to the public from 9am to 9pm.

The post Made in Brunei Market Fair gets great response and feedback appeared first on Borneo Bulletin Online.

| Fizah HAB |

A SPECIAL lecture titled ‘Strengthening the Family Institution’ was delivered by Pehin Datu Seri Maharaja Dato Paduka Seri Setia (Dr) Ustaz Haji Awang Abdul Aziz bin Juned, the State Mufti, at the International Convention Centre (ICC), Berakas to commemorate Family Day 2017 yesterday.

The lecture was aimed at providing the public with an understanding and awareness of the importance of family welfare and the family institution, and encouraging them to live in a disciplined and civilised manner, with particular emphasis made on the importance of adhering to the tenets of Islam to produce strong, harmonious families.

The event commenced with a recitation of Surah Al-Fatihah and Doa which was led by Haji Abdul Aziz bin Haji Abdullah, Mosque Affairs Officer.

The lecture was delivered after the screening of two short National Family Day 2017-themed videos, titled ‘Kalau Sayang Kenapa Pukul’ and ‘Keluargaku Penyayang Negara Gemilang’.

Pehin Orang Kaya Seri Kerna Dato Seri Setia (Dr) Haji Awang Abu Bakar bin Haji Apong, Minister of Home Affairs; Pehin Udana Khatib Dato Paduka Seri Setia Ustaz Haji Awang Badaruddin bin Pengarah Dato Paduka Haji Awang Othman, Minister of Religious Affairs; Pehin Datu Lailaraja Major General (Rtd) Dato Paduka Seri Haji Awang Halbi bin Haji Mohd Yussof, Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports; and Pehin Datu Seri Maharaja Dato Paduka Seri Setia (Dr) Ustaz Haji Awang Abdul Aziz bin Juned, the State Mufti, during the event

The State Mufti delivering his lecture

ABOVE & BELOW: Senior officers, staff members of the ministries, non-government organisations (NGOs) and members of the public attending the lecture. – PHOTOS: FIZAH HAB

The event was attended by Pehin Orang Kaya Seri Kerna Dato Seri Setia (Dr) Haji Awang Abu Bakar bin Haji Apong, Minister of Home Affairs; Pehin Udana Khatib Dato Paduka Seri Setia Ustaz Haji Awang Badaruddin bin Pengarah Dato Paduka Haji Awang Othman, Minister of Religious Affairs; Pehin Datu Lailaraja Major General (Rtd) Dato Paduka Seri Haji Awang Halbi bin Haji Mohd Yussof, Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports; YB Pehin Orang Kaya Seri Lela Dato Seri Setia Awang Haji Abdul Rahman bin Dato Setia Haji Mohamed Taib, Speaker of Legislative Council, and their spouses.

Also in attendance were members of the committee for National Family Day 2017, senior officers and staff from various government ministries, non-government organisations (NGOs), youths, students from higher learning institutions in the country, trainees from the Youth Development Centre, and members of the public.

The post State Mufti stresses importance of healthy family relationships appeared first on Borneo Bulletin Online.

| Danial Norjidi |

THE economic diversification plans of Brunei and Saudi Arabia, along with other potential areas for further collaboration such as the supply of crude oil from Saudi Arabia to develop Brunei Darussalam’s growing downstream petrochemical sector, and potential investment by companies from Saudi Arabia in Brunei Darussalam’s ammonia and urea project, as well as other projects of interest were discussed between Pehin Datu Singamanteri Colonel (Rtd) Dato Seri Setia (Dr) Awang Haji Mohammad Yasmin bin Haji Umar, Minister of Energy and Industry at the Prime Minister’s Office and Khalid Al-Falih, Minister of Energy, Industry and Mineral Resources of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia yesterday morning.

The meeting with Khalid Al-Falih, who was in Brunei for a courtesy visit, was framed around the close brotherly and fraternal ties and exceptional cooperation between Brunei Darussalam and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia following the official visit by His Majesty King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud, King of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques to Brunei Darussalam in March 2017.

Both 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 His Majesty King Salman have highlighted the importance of strengthening bilateral cooperation in several areas of common interest including the areas of energy, investment and economy.

The visit by Khalid Al-Falih, the Minister of Energy, Industry and Mineral Resources of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to Brunei Darussalam was therefore timely, with the directive of both leaders, where both countries can have the opportunity to explore further bilateral cooperation and economic opportunities.

During the bilateral meeting, both ministers discussed the economic diversification plans of both countries and discussed several potential areas to explore and collaborate in such as the supply of crude oil from Saudi Arabia to develop Brunei Darussalam’s growing downstream petrochemical sector, and potential investment by companies from Saudi Arabia in Brunei Darussalam’s ammonia and urea project as well as other projects of interest.

Khalid Al-Falih also invited officials from Brunei Darussalam to learn from the experiences of the oil and gas industry in Saudi Arabia.

Pehin Datu Singamanteri Colonel (Rtd) Dato Seri Setia (Dr) Awang Haji Mohammad Yasmin bin Haji Umar, Minister of Energy and Industry at the Prime Minister’s Office and Khalid Al-Falih, Minister of Energy, Industry and Mineral Resources of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia during the meeting yesterday

Pehin Datu Singamanteri Colonel (Rtd) Dato Seri Setia (Dr) Awang Haji Mohammad Yasmin bin Haji Umar, Minister of Energy and Industry at the Prime Minister’s Office , and Khalid Al-Falih, Minister of Energy, Industry and Mineral Resources of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia during the event yesterday. – PHOTOS: EIDPMO

Pehin Datu Singamanteri Colonel (Rtd) Dato Seri Setia (Dr) Awang Haji Mohammad Yasmin in a group photo with Khalid Al-Falih at the Royal Regalia Building

The ministers also discussed the potential of extending the existing OPEC/non-OPEC Declaration of Cooperation signed in December 2016, which set out the adjustment of crude oil production from participating countries – including Brunei Darussalam and Saudi Arabia – from July 2017 to December 2017 with the main objective of stabilising and rebalancing oil prices.

Pehin Datu Singamanteri Colonel (Rtd) Dato Seri Setia (Dr) Awang Haji Mohammad Yasmin informed Khalid Al-Falih that Brunei has no objection to agreeing to an extension of the aforementioned declaration. In response to this, Khalid Al-Falih expressed hope that other participating countries would follow suit.

Speaking to the Bulletin after the meeting, the visiting minister shared, “First of all I’m honoured and delighted to be here in Brunei. This is certainly a country that we hold in the highest regard, a brotherly nation with majority Muslims that share our faith and values.”

In terms of the bilateral relationship between Brunei and Saudi Arabia, Khalid Al-Falih said he was impressed with the report he received about Brunei’s economic diversification and transformation plans which he described as “visionary and bold”.

Speaking on potential investment opportunities in Brunei for companies from Saudi Arabia, he said, “Saudi Arabia is a much bigger economy with already established experiences in some industries, so we agreed that Saudi companies in the area of petrochemicals, for example, will pursue investment opportunities in Brunei, building on projects that have already taken place for integrated refining petrochemical investment, and this will span the whole range of petrochemicals, from aromatics to polymers to methanol to glycol – anything that we can identify as commercially viable with the resource base that is abundant here.

“I think our enterprises, especially SABIC in the petrochemicals and possibly Saudi Aramco, will be interested.

“We also spoke about fertilisers. You already have plans in Brunei for a urea manufacturing facility, and our company Ma’aden, which has one of the largest phosphate projects as well as urea production within the Kingdom, is probably interested to look at the opportunities that are available.”

The minister also referred to the oil refinery and aromatics complex being built by Hengyi Industries at Pulau Muara Besar, saying, “Aramco will be more than delighted to enter into an agreement to supply the crude feedstock to that refinery, or at least part of it, because you have your indigenous resources here in Brunei.

“In addition, I think we reaffirmed our interest to just deepen the people-to-people relationships. We welcome the great people of Brunei to come to the Kingdom, perform their religious duties of Haj and Umrah, and Saudis would very much enjoy the opportunity to discover and visit Brunei, and enjoy your nature and your hospitality, and we hope we’ll be seeing more travel and trade and investment between our two countries, and of course the political leadership at all levels will stay in touch.

“We will consult, coordinate and move forward together as we get ever closer despite the geographical distance between our two countries, I think our hearts are very much closer to each other,” he added.

Following the meeting, Khalid Al-Falih visited the Royal Regalia Building and then proceeded to have lunch, hosted by Pehin Datu Singamanteri Colonel (Rtd) Dato Seri Setia (Dr) Awang Haji Mohammad Yasmin, before departing Brunei Darussalam in the afternoon.

The post Saudi companies keen on investing in Brunei appeared first on Borneo Bulletin Online.

| Wani Roslan |

IT WAS a family-friendly atmosphere in the Brunei capital yesterday, as huge crowds gathered to participate in the Family Harmony Recreation and Cycling event in conjunction with celebrations for the 6th National Family Day 2017.

The day was made even more special with the participation of His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu’izzaddin Waddaulah ibni Al-Marhum Sultan Haji Omar ‘Ali Saifuddien Sa’adul Khairi Waddien, Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam, who led the group of cyclists in the 12km route which began at the Taman Haji Sir Muda Omar ‘Ali Saifuddien.

Also taking part in the cycling event were His Royal Highness Prince Haji Al-Muhtadee Billah, the Crown Prince and Senior Minister at the Prime Minister’s Office; His Royal Highness Prince Mohamed Bolkiah; His Royal Highness Prince ‘Abdul Wakeel; Her Royal Highness Princess Ameerah Wardatul Bolkiah; and Dr Yang Amat Mulia Pengiran Muda Abdul Fattaah.

Greeting His Majesty and the royal entourage upon their arrival were Pehin Orang Kaya Seri Kerna Dato Seri Setia (Dr) Haji Awang Abu Bakar bin Haji Apong, Minister of Home Affairs; Pehin Udana Khatib Dato Paduka Seri Setia Ustaz Haji Awang Badaruddin bin Pengarah Dato Paduka Haji Awang Othman, Minister of Religious Affairs; Pehin Datu Lailaraja Major General (Rtd) Dato Paduka Seri Haji Awang Halbi bin Haji Mohd Yussof, Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports; and Dato Seri Setia Dr Awang Haji Zulkarnain bin Haji Hanafi, Minister of Health.

The 12km event was launched at around 7.30am, with the release of 20 balloons.

His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu’izzaddin Waddaulah ibni Al-Marhum Sultan Haji Omar ‘Ali Saifuddien Sa’adul Khairi Waddien, Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam; His Royal Highness Prince Haji Al-Muhtadee Billah, the Crown Prince and Senior Minister at the Prime Minister’s Office; His Royal Highness Prince Mohamed Bolkiah; and His Royal Highness Prince ‘Abdul Wakeel during the cycling event. – DEAN KASSIM

His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu’izzaddin Waddaulah ibni Al-Marhum Sultan Haji Omar ‘Ali Saifuddien Sa’adul Khairi Waddien, Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam; His Royal Highness Prince Haji Al-Muhtadee Billah, the Crown Prince and Senior Minister at the Prime Minister’s Office; His Royal Highness Prince ‘Abdul Wakeel; and Her Royal Highness Princess Ameerah Wardatul Bolkiah during the cycling event. – BAHYIAH BAKIR

His Majesty signing the Family Day board. – BAHYIAH BAKIR

His Majesty during the tour. – INFOFOTO

His Majesty trying out a new bicycle. – INFOFOTO

PHOTOS ABOVE: 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 His Royal Highness Prince Haji Al-Muhtadee Billah, the Crown Prince and Senior Minister at the Prime Minister’s Office participating in the celebrations. – PHOTOS: INFOFOTO & DEAN KASSIM

His Royal Highness Prince Mohamed Bolkiah (ABOVE) and Dr Yang Amat Mulia Pengiran Muda Abdul Fattaah (BELOW) at the event. – PHOTOS: BAHYIAH BAKIR

Also taking part were Cabinet Ministers, deputy ministers, ambassadors and representatives of foreign countries, permanent secretaries and deputy permanent secretaries, and invited guests.

The route covered several main roads in the capital including Jalan Pretty, Jalan Elizabeth II, Jalan Masjid Omar ‘Ali Saifuddien, Jalan Kianggeh, Jalan Sekolah, Jalan Kumbang Pasang, Jalan Lapangan Terbang Lama, Jalan Muhibbah, Jalan Landasan Lama, Jalan Menteri Besar, Jalan Perdana Menteri and Jalan Raja Isteri Pengiran Anak Saleha.

After circling Bandar Seri Begawan in the 12km route, His Majesty watched several families taking part in a cycling parade in group formations.

His Majesty also consented to sign an appreciation board, tour booths and exhibits set up for the Family Harmony Recreation event, while mingling with members of the public.

The day was further enlivened with fun activities of balloon-blowing, a bird show and a coconut bowling contest hosted by several mukim and village consultative councils. There was also participation from local small and medium enterprises (SMEs), together with private agencies such as Bank Islam Brunei Darussalam (BIBD) and Perbadanan Tabung Amanah Islam Brunei (TAIB), promoting family-themed products.

This year’s celebrations, under the theme ‘Keluargaku Penyayang, Negara Gemilang’, is aimed at promoting national unity by combining aspects of a healthy lifestyle and leisure for all families to enjoy.

The event was organised by the Ministry of Home Affairs, Ministry of Religious Affairs, Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports, and the Ministry of Health, with various government and private agencies and non-government organisations (NGOs).

PHOTOS ABOVE: People enjoying the events. – BAHYIAH BAKIR & DEAN KASSIM

The post His Majesty graces Family Day celebrations appeared first on Borneo Bulletin Online.

| Wani Roslan |

INACCURATE and speculative statements about Brunei will be a thing of the past as the Information Department at the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) unveiled a news filtering mobile application yesterday.

The mobile application ‘InfoDeptBN’ was launched to commemorate the 65th anniversary of the department at its auditorium, at a ceremony officiated by Dato Paduka Awang Haji Hamdan bin Haji Abu Bakar, Deputy Minister at the PMO.

“The mobile app is intended as a one-stop information system which will explain and help offset less accurate news and speculation about Brunei Darussalam,” Mawardi bin Haji Mohammad, Acting Director of Information, said in his welcoming remark.

“InfoDeptBN is another historical milestone for the department and in line with its motto ‘Membudayakan Masyarakat Bermaklumat’.

“In addition, it can be used to gain knowledge and understanding on the government’s policies and initiatives in achieving Brunei Vision 2035. And in the medium to long-term, it will help the department reduce government expenditure and move towards a paperless info-communication system,” he added.

The acting director also urged members of the public to fully utilise the mobile app and continue to support the initiatives undertaken by the department.

The mobile app is designed to boost the image of the department as an effective arm of the government and provide the public with faster and accurate information.

The app will provide users with the latest news and increase the effectiveness of communication and information sharing, besides cutting government spending on printing, Mawardi said.

The mobile application ‘InfoDeptBN’ is a ‘one-stop information system’ intended to offset less accurate news and speculation about Brunei Darussalam. – PHOTOS: BAHYIAH BAKIR

Guest of honour Dato Paduka Awang Haji Hamdan bin Haji Abu Bakar, Deputy Minister at the PMO, touring the exhibition on the ‘InfoDeptBN’ mobile app

Among the data that can be found in the mobile app are information on 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, compilation of His Majesty’s titahs, sabdas, news headlines, brief facts on Brunei Darussalam, published materials by the Information Department and interactive forums.

A roadshow to promote the mobile app will be conducted throughout the country starting today until Sunday in Brunei-Muara District at the atrium of Times Square Shopping Centre.

It will be held in Temburong District from May 14-16 at the concourse of Bumiputera Complex, Pekan Bangar; in Belait District from May 16-18 at KB Sentral; and in Tutong District from May 22-24 at Petani Mall.

The roadshow will provide information on ways to use the app for the convenience of the public.

Also in attendance during the launching yesterday were Haji Hamzah bin Haji Sulaiman, Permanent Secretary (Economy and Finance) at the PMO; directors, senior officials, former officers and staff members of the Information Department and invited guests.

The post Real Brunei now at your fingertips appeared first on Borneo Bulletin Online.

| James Kon |

GUANGXI Ruian Logistics (Group) Co Ltd from China will invest over $60 million to set up a Halal food and spice operation centre in Brunei Darussalam which will also see expansion of its production bases in Guangxi.

Construction work for the Brunei-Ruian Global Operation Centre for spice processing and trading will start soon and the centre will begin operation by late next year. The location of the centre will be at the BioInnovation Corridor in Brunei, said Chen Min, Board Chairman of Ruian Logistics.

A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in this regard was signed between the Chinese company and the Government of Brunei Darussalam during the recently concluded China-Asean Expo Brunei Exhibition 2017.

Dato Paduka Dr Awang Haji Mohd Amin Liew bin Abdullah, Deputy Minister of Finance, inked on the dotted line on behalf of the Government of Brunei, while Ruian Logistics was represented by Chen Min.

Witnessing the signing were Pehin Datu Singamanteri Colonel (Rtd) Dato Seri Setia (Dr) Awang Haji Mohammad Yasmin bin Haji Umar, Minister of Energy and Industry at the Prime Minister’s Office; Chen Wu, Governor of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region; Yang Jian, Ambassador of the People’s Republic of China to Brunei Darussalam; and Nong Rong, Mayor of Guigang City, Ruian’s major spice processing base in Guangxi.

Also present at the ceremony were Wang Lei, Secretary-General of the China-Asean Expo (CAEXPO) Secretariat; Jiang Liangsheng, Director-General of Department of Commerce and other officials.

The signing of the MoU follows a Letter of Intent (LoI) inked between the Strategic Development Capital under the Ministry of Finance of Brunei Darussalam and Ruian Logistics (Group) Co Ltd on September 12 during the 13th CAEXPO held in Nanning, China.

Established in 2014, Ruian’s core business is trading in spices and logistics. The group supplies 75 per cent of cinnamons and 40 per cent of star anise spices to the world. The company hopes that by establishing a trading centre in Brunei, it can leverage on the Sultanate’s Halal Certification to further penetrate the Muslim market.

Dato Paduka Dr Awang Haji Mohd Amin Liew bin Abdullah, Deputy Minister of Finance exchanging the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Chen Min, Board Chairman of Ruian Logistics. Also seen in the picture are Pehin Datu Singamanteri Colonel (Rtd) Dato Seri Setia (Dr) Awang Haji Mohammad Yasmin bin Haji Umar, Minister of Energy and Industry at the Prime Minister’s Office, and Yang Jian, Ambassador of the People’s Republic of China to Brunei Darussalam

Chen Wu, Governor of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. – PHOTOS: JAMES KON

It also plans to expand its processing operations in Brunei and looks into higher value products that can be used in the health supplements and pharmaceutical industry.

“With the processing plant in Brunei, we are looking at obtaining Brunei Halal Certification to export the Chinese spices to the Middle East market,” Chen Min told the Bulletin.

The signing will also forge the ‘One Centre, Three Bases’ strategy of Ruian, he added.

“We are establishing three bases in Guangxi, namely: Ruian-Brunei Spice Processing and Trading Industrial Park in Guigang, Ruian-Brunei Spice Processing Trading Border Base in Chongzuo China and Ruian-Brunei Spice Trading Market in Yulin. We will export our spices to Brunei for processing and with the Brunei Halal Certification, we will be exporting them to the Middle East.”

Guangxi, which shares the border with Vietnam, is currently an important producer of Chinese natural spices and raw material.

Addressing the opening ceremony of CAEXPO Brunei Exhibition 2017, Governor Chen Wu said, “China and Brunei is linked by sea and have a long history of friendship. Since the establishment of diplomatic ties, people-to-people exchanges and cooperation in various fields have been increasing.”

Since 2004 when the first China-Asean Expo was held, the annual event has promoted friendly ties between Guangxi and Brunei, he added.

“This year marks the 50th anniversary of Asean and the 26th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Brunei. The CAEXPO Brunei Exhibition will create a new platform for the Sultanate to get more involved in the CAEXPO and expand and enrich its economic and trade cooperation with Guangxi. The exhibition meets the shared aspiration of China and Brunei to further deepen the friendly bilateral relations and will allow Brunei to play a more important role in the China-Asean cooperation,” Governor Chen noted.

The post Guangxi Ruian Logistics to invest $60M in Brunei appeared first on Borneo Bulletin Online.

| Abdul Hakiim Yakof |

A CONTINGENT of six from Brunei comprising Chef de Mission, two athletes, two coaches and one secretary departed for Baku, Azerbaijan yesterday to take part in the 4th Islamic Solidarity Games 2017.

Present at the Brunei International Airport to see off the contingent was Haji Noor Jusmin bin Haji Abdul Samad, Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports.

Haji Noor Jusmin also took the opportunity to give encouraging words and advice to the contingents prior to their departure.

Colonel (Rtd) Pengiran Haji Zulkifli bin Pengiran Haji Ismail, Director of the National Service Programme was appointed as the Chef de Mission, and Bakhtiar bin Haji Buntan, Senior Staff of Youth and Sports as the secretary.

The 4th Islamic Solidarity Games will be held from May 12-22. Participating for the third time, Brunei will compete in the Male 200m Athletic and the Kumite 60kg Karate events. The coach and athlete for the Male 200m Athletic event are Isidro Del Prado, National Athletic Sports Coach, and Mohd Noor Firdaus Ar-Rasyid bin Haji Md Idris respectively. While the Kumite 60g Karate event will be represented by Muhd Fida’iy bin Haji Sanif, Okhida Simangasing is the coach.

In the previous Islamic Solidarity Games which was held in Palembang, Indonesia, Brunei bagged one silver for the Men’s Duilllian Wushu event through Md Sufi Shayiran bin Roslan and Mohammad Adi Sya’rani bin Roslan.

The athletes in a group photo with coaches and officials. – ABDUL HAKIIM YAKOF

The post Six off to Azerbaijan for Solidarity Games appeared first on Borneo Bulletin Online.

| Hakim Hayat |

ELEVEN students from International School Brunei (ISB) spent their free time painting and redecorating the Raja Isteri Pengiran Anak Saleha (RIPAS) Children’s Emergency Ward as a means of brightening the surroundings for young patients.

The project, held throughout March this year, was initiated by a teacher from ISB and the Year 12 International Baccalaureate (IB) students.

It was part of a wider initiative to encourage the students of ISB to go out into the Bruneian community and devise ways to give help to those who may need it. To mark the end of the volunteer project, a simple ceremony was held yesterday at RIPAS Hospital, with speeches by representatives of ISB and the hospital.

There was also the handover of toy donations by the ISB students and certificates from RIPAS Hospital to the students for their work.

For the dedicated students, the programme fulfilled their Creativity, Action and Service (CAS) obligations, which stipulate that to graduate, a student needs to perform projects in community service and other activities.

In speaking on the IB Programme and the CAS projects that Year 12 and 13 students have to fulfil, ISB’s CAS Coordinator and Community Service Manager Ivan Green explained that the project enabled students to enhance their personal and interpersonal developments by learning through experience and collaborations.

“It is a project of self-determination for the students who have to show initiative and perseverance to continue their effort throughout the two-year course, and then be honest in their self-evaluation at the end,” he said.

International School Brunei students handing the toy donations to the Raja Isteri Pengiran Anak Saleha Children’s Emergency Ward

The students from ISB with their certificates upon the completion of a painting and redecorating project. – PHOTOS: HAKIM HAYAT

Ten of the ISB students are also members of the ISB Leo Club (Leadership, Experience and Opportunity), sponsored by the Lions Club of BSB, and the objective is to “provide the youth of the world an opportunity for development and contribution, individually and collectively as responsible members of the local, national and international community”.

Their activities in the past include helping to decorate areas of Pusat Ehsan Al-Ameerah Al-Hajjah Maryam as well as clean-ups at Meragang Beach among a host of other initiatives.

RIPAS Hospital’s representatives said that they welcome the initiative to brighten the wards and welcome more of such projects in the future.

The ceremony yesterday was attended by Dr Linawati binti Jumat, Emergency Physician and Acting Head of Emergency Department; Dr Ang Ley Bie, Paediatric Emergency Consultant; and Nurhana binti Salleh, Nursing Officer, Emergency Department.

Also present were Jimmy Hong, Sunil Kumar and Francis Lee, the President, Vice President and Treasurer (respectively) of the Lions Club BSB.

The post ISB students brighten up RIPAS Hospital for young patients appeared first on Borneo Bulletin Online.

| Danial Norjidi |

BRUNEI’S very first CEO Summit 2017 was held yesterday under the theme ‘Leading Brunei’s Future: The Innovation Economy’.

Organised by CONFEX, the CEO Summit was held at the International Convention Centre in Berakas, bringing together 50 heads of business organisations, business owners, executives and international speakers in one setting.

Partnered with Regus and Zalora Malaysia, the summit featured local and international keynote speakers discussing topics such as strategy, being a market player, technology investment, innovation, productivity and change management.

DARe (Darussalam Enterprise) CEO Javed Ahmad attended the opening ceremony as the guest of honour.

Hafriz Musa, the General Manager of CONFEX said in his address, “Innovation is now the name of the game.

“I’d like to dispel a myth on innovation, which is that it is all about new products. That’s not necessarily so. New products are, of course, important but not the entire picture. When innovation is at the centre of a company’s way of doing things, it finds ways to innovate not just in products, but also in functions, logistics, business models and processes.

“Now imagine a business that has very little creativity to offer. Let’s assume that it is in a culture of innovation and think about this: if you can’t constantly create new value for your organisation, how do you expect to gain new customers, let alone retain existing ones?”

He highlighted that innovation creates customers by attracting new users and building stronger loyalty among current ones.

DARe CEO Javed Ahmad and CONFEX General Manager Hafriz Musa launching the B2B Book

Speakers and participants in a group photo. – PHOTOS: DANIAL NORJIDI

“By putting innovation at the centre of your business, from top to bottom, you can improve the numbers; and at the same time you will discover a much more humanly rewarding way of doing things: more productive, more responsive, more inclusive and more fun.

“To succeed, companies need to see innovation not as something special that only a few people can do, but as something that can become a routine, taking advantage of the capabilities of your entire workforce.

“It is easy to put it off because you’re rewarded for today’s result. It is easy to put it off because you don’t know where to find ideas, or because innovation is risky, or because it is not easily measured. But these are excuses, not reasons. In fact, it is more manageable and predictable than most people think.”

Hafriz affirmed that innovation is a social process in real life ideas.

“The instant someone develops a solution, its journey to the market is a matter of making connections, time and time again. Managing these interactions is the heart of building an innovative culture.

“To put it in another way, anyone can innovate, but practically no one can innovate alone. When we as leaders understand this, we can map, we can systemise, manage, measure and improve this social process to produce a steady stream of innovation and the occasional blockbuster.

“Innovation is not a mystical act. It is a journey that can be plotted. It takes time and steady leadership, and can require changing everything from budget and strategy to capital allocation and promotions,” he added.

The CEO Summit featured seven keynote speakers representing international brands and services such as iFlix, Regus, EasyParcel, MyRepublic, Zalora and UCSI Consulting Group.

Azran Osman-Rani, the CEO of iFlix discussed ‘The iFlix strategy of constant innovation’, in which he talked about the journey to creating iFlix as a game changer from the ground up; transforming the way Southeast Asian customers access entertainment content; and continuing to innovate in a rapidly changing world.

A keynote on ‘Stepping up the underdog’s game to a legitimate market player’ was delivered by Lawrence Chan, the Vice President of MyRepublic, Singapore’s fourth and newest Internet services provider.

Meanwhile, Clarence Leong, the CEO of EasyParcel Sdn Bhd, spoke on the importance of customer experience in his presentation titled ‘Mapping customers’ experience through technology investment’.

Kiriat Argenio, the Head of Marketing for Zalora Malaysia, spoke on ‘Localisation of international products through e-commerce’, providing insights on the key performance indicators for purchasing, customer services, operational teams and implementation.

In another keynote, a framework used by the UCSI Consulting Group called ‘Strannovation’ was presented by the group’s CEO, Raj Kumar. This proactive approach puts leaders as the ultimate drivers of strategy and innovation, to achieve breakthrough results by disrupting the market and reconstructing its boundaries.

In addition, Kumar spoke about leading an organisation to growth, through strategic innovation.

Vijayakumar Tangarasan, the Country Manager of Regus, presented ‘How to keep productivity in a changing economy’, in which he described how Regus is revolutionising the workplace by creating flexibility in terms of hours and locations to achieve maximum productivity.

Tim Wade, a certified training coach, award-winning motivational speaker and multi-industry awardee on corporate leadership, spoke on ‘Change Management: Making organisation changes happen actively’.

There was also a panel discussion, moderated by Allen Shim, on how businesses should be proactive and forward-looking, in order to create the basis for a sustainable economy.

Yesterday’s event also witnessed the launching of the B2B coffee table book published by CONFEX in partnership with DARr, showcasing the range of products and services available in Brunei, while aiming to inspire more people to venture into entrepreneurship.

The post Brunei’s business heads meet at CEO Summit appeared first on Borneo Bulletin Online.

| Azlan Othman |

THE Fire and Rescue Department should continue improving and strengthening its firefighting capabilities to fulfil its role of taking care of the safety of the people. This falls in line with Vision 2035’s aspiration of enhancing Bruneians’ quality of life. The big challenge today is how the department can do so with limited resources.

These points were highlighted by the Minister of Home Affairs, Pehin Orang Kaya Seri Kerna Dato Seri Setia (Dr) Haji Awang Abu Bakar bin Haji Apong during the Fire and Rescue Department’s 57th anniversary parade at its headquarters in the Old Airport, Berakas yesterday.

The minister, who was the event’s chief guest, added that throughout last year, 130 building and house fire incidents were recorded, incurring losses amounting to a total of $7.6 million, while the total value of properties saved amounted to $16 million. The department also recorded 5,488 emergency incidents, comprising road traffic accidents; missing person cases; drowning; disaster-related emergency calls – ie reporting of landslides, blown roofs, etc; and other emergencies.

He advised the department to continue cooperating with other stakeholders to carry out their tasks efficiently and proactively.

These recommendations fall in line with the sabda made by His Royal Highness Prince Haji Al-Muhtadee Billah ibni His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu’izzaddin Waddaulah, the Crown Prince and Senior Minister at the Prime Minister’s Office as Chairperson of the National Disaster Management Centre (NDMC) – where he stressed the need for disaster management cross-cutting spanning the various jurisdictions as well as the role of stakeholders, Pehin Orang Kaya Seri Kerna Dato Seri Setia (Dr) Haji Awang Abu Bakar added.

The minister also mentioned that in an effort to enhance the readiness of emergency operations, particularly the Fire and Rescue Department and the Ministry of Health, an Emergency Medical Ambulance Service (EMAS) – an ambulance integration programme catering to fire stations in Berakas, Rimba, Jerudong and Pengkalan Batu, as well as the 995 Operation Centre – was introduced on November 1, 2016.

Minister of Home Affairs, Pehin Orang Kaya Seri Kerna Dato Seri Setia (Dr) Haji Awang Abu Bakar bin Haji Apong inspecting the guard of honour. – PHOTOS: AZLAN OTHMAN

Minister of Home Affairs

Fire and Rescue personnel during their 57th anniversary parade yesterday

Minister of Home Affairs presenting an award to an examplery Fire and Rescue personnel

“This service falls under the whole-government and whole-of-nation approach. The adoption of these approaches has helped overcome several issues faced previously as well as reduce government expenses. I hope that this initiative could be extended to other districts and used as an example for the other government agencies,” the minister added.

The minister later signed a commemorative plaque, viewed an exhibition on fire safety, and presented awards to 30 model fire and rescue personnel and fire stations.

The overall winner was SPARK Fire Station, grabbing all four award categories: operation, technical, planning and training, and administration and finance.

Twenty individuals comprising members from the public, government agencies, government schools and private sector also received certificates and tokens of appreciation for playing their part in assisting the Fire and Rescue Department during their operations.

Examples of these helpful acts include: putting out fires before the arrival of the Operation Unit; cooperating with firefighters in putting out fires; smoothening the department’s rescue operations due to having undergone the fire marshal course; providing assistance and help when during the department’s firefighting operations; and saving victims and property during fires.

The post Fire & Rescue Dept urged to improve quality and firefighting capabilities appeared first on Borneo Bulletin Online.

| Danial Norjidi |

IT IS through continuous innovation that a business can gain a competitive advantage and sustain its organisation into the future, said Javed Ahmad, the CEO of DARe (Darussalam Enterprise), while delivering his speech yesterday during the opening ceremony of the inaugural Brunei CEO Summit 2017.

He began by saying that in an innovation economy, size does not matter. “If you look at the Fortune 500 companies in 1955, out of those 500 companies, only 61 exist today, and that basically gives you an impression – in terms of size, in today’s world it’s no longer important. Financial resources and other resources are, again, not necessarily the key importance in terms of building the success of organisations.

“Now, when we look at businesses, business decisions – like all decisions – are all about making hard choices. And when you make hard choices, you focus on specifically addressing a customer’s needs, and to a very large extent, innovation in business can be summed up not in terms of technological breakthrough, but new application of existing products and services.

Ahmad also said that there are three questions that need to be effectively addressed when looking at business models.

“These are, simply put, ‘Who are your customers? What are you trying to sell to them? And how are you trying to address their specific needs?’

“The Who, What and How of business. It’s very simple, but applied in a systematic way, it will usually lead to insight in terms of business opportunities that might be totally not addressed by the existing players.”

He then gave an example: “Enterprise is a company that happens to be the largest car rental company in the world. It has not gone out and focused on trying to compete based on existing business models, but going out and trying to create a new unique business proposition and built a business based on that.

Javed Ahmad, CEO of DARe at the event. – DANIAL NORJIDI

“Whilst everyone focuses on providing car rental to the travelling public in terms of individuals who are on holiday or business travels, enterprise looks at providing cars to individuals who might have a car, but for whatever reason would need another one. Rather than going out and competing with the rest with offices at airports and hotels, they basically make sure that the car is available wherever the customer needs it. By doing something as simple as that, they are able to generate profits that are far superior to any other car rental company and a business that is highly targeted to a specific customer’s needs. And that basically is, to a very large extent, what innovation and business models can lead to.”

Another factor he highlighted was that of agility. “Now, together with business model, of course, agility is an important competitive advantage. What I mean by agility is the ability to sense every change that is happening in the business environment and being able to take action based on those changes that are taking place.”

He outlined another example: “If you have a frog and you throw it into boiling water it will immediately jump out, and it will survive. But if you put a frog into cold water and slowly boil it, it will not recognise the environment that is changing around it, and unfortunately will boil to death.

“Individuals, as well as businesses, have a very similar problem; that we are able to understand and take corrective action when the change happens dramatically. But if the change happens to be small and you can’t really follow it or understand it, very few realise that the entire business environment has changed, and the business model that we are working on is no longer relevant.

“No matter how much in terms of business model strategy or agility you focus on, the real competitive advantage that can be provided or gained by a business entity is through continuous innovation, and that is the only thing that can sustain an organisation into the future.

“Now, how can we as organisations achieve innovation that can allow us to be innovative not only tomorrow but in 10, 20 and 30 years from now? What creates behaviour in an organisation is the underlying environment in that organisation. By environment what I mean, the culture of the organisation, the structure, the processes and the people.”

Ahmad also outlined the four questions that a company needs to ask if it wants achieve innovation. Firstly, “How can I create a culture that allows my people to behave in an innovative way? This is because without that culture, no innovation can exist. Many organisations that focus on allowing individuals free time in terms of being able to experiment with things, basically lead to the creation of new and innovative products.

“The second question is, ‘How can I create structures that allow an enable my people to be innovative?’ When we look at the industrial economy, generally they are very much focused on providing efficiency; and generally, efficiency is very much the hallmark of a bureaucratic organisation – their rules and regulations based on the way the organisation is run, and the key element is how do we continue to be efficient?

“In an organisation that is meritocratic, it’s basically a lot of analytics that drive the structure of that particular organisation,” he said, while also noting that some organisations utilise the ability of teams to make huge changes in the business environment.

“The third question is ‘How can I put processes that foster innovation?’ Processes, again, like culture and structure are important in terms of generating the ecosystem within an organisation to create the innovative process.

“The fourth and probably most important aspect is, ‘How can I hire the kind of people that will embrace the kind of innovation that I’m trying to achieve?’

“These, are in my view, some of the broad parameters in terms of how organisations will be able to generate innovation in order to not only survive but thrive in the ever-changing business environment,” he said.

The post Innovation matters in business, not size: DARe CEO appeared first on Borneo Bulletin Online.

| Danial Norjidi |

BRUNEI Shell Petroleum Co Sdn Bhd (BSP) officially marked Safety Day yesterday with a series of engagements for its staff and business partners at their respective locations, onshore and offshore simultaneously.

Held annually across the globe by Shell companies and BSP, Safety Day aims to strengthen the safety culture and remind all their employees and contractors that safety is their number one priority.

As BSP shared in a press release yesterday, this year’s focus is on three themes: Care, Risk Normalisation and Dilemmas, and these chosen themes aim to make workplaces safer and better places for all their staff. BSP highlighted that it is the responsibility of all staff and business partners to address and mitigate workplace safety and standards together, and to move to a more proactive and preventative culture.

Dr Ceri M Powell, the Managing Director of BSP led Safety Day at BSP Headquarters in Panaga yesterday morning. Leaders also greeted and reminded staff to take time out for safety at all BSP locations and facilities. At the launch, she reiterated that each and every one of them must take personal responsibility and accountability for BSP’s safety performance.

During the launch, BSP staff also got to view special video from Pehin Datu Singamanteri Colonel (Rtd) Dato Seri Setia (Dr) Awang Haji Mohammad Yasmin bin Haji Umar, the Minister of Energy and Industry at the Prime Minister’s Office.

In conjunction with Safety Day, the minister took a safety time out and visited two working sites on May 9: the Darat Gas Project site located in Rasau and Flux’s SRD1 hoist in F16, Seria.

The Minister of Energy and Industry at the Prime Minister’s Office participates in a safety dialogue with business partners

Pehin Datu Singamanteri Colonel (Rtd) Dato Seri Setia (Dr) Awang Haji Mohammad Yasmin bin Haji Umar, Minister of Energy and Industry at the Prime Minister’s Office in a group photo with BSP staff and business partners at Flux. – PHOTOS: BSP

The press release goes on to state that BSP staff and business partners alike were delighted as the minister participated in safety conversations with them, focusing around the three themes of Safety Day. During the conversation, he emphasised the need for visible leadership behaviour and the need for leaders to set an example to drive a culture of reaching out to team members, to show care and to have conversations about dilemmas and risks which can help save lives.

The minister emphasised his aspiration to roll out a similar Safety Day across the entire Bruneian oil and gas industry and also for the whole country. He also stressed that regular engagements and dialogues make safety real and relevant towards changing people’s behaviours and strengthening the safety culture within organisations – both in the public and private sectors.

“All of us are Safety Leaders and our actions today could save lives. Regular engagement and dialogue changes people’s behaviour and strengthens safety culture. No matter your position in an organisation, everyone has a role to play in making it safe. It is my aspiration to roll out a similar Safety Day for the oil and gas industry and also for the whole country,” said the minister.

During the launch, Dr Ceri M Powell shared, “We are continuously improving our safety performance and we must continue to do better. Have the conversation around the three themes of Safety Day – How do you show care? How do you handle dilemmas? Have you normalised a risk? Safety does not stop today nor after Safety Day. We need to embed the culture of safety into our DNA and show care – for our colleagues, the environment in which we work and live in, our assets and people but most importantly, that we all go home safely to our friends and family every day.”

BSP’s Safety Day launch was followed by a series of conversations on safety at BSP’s various offices and at work sites onshore and offshore; all aimed at reminding all BSP staff and contractors that safety is about caring for each other to make sure that everyone goes home safely to their loved ones.

The post BSP observes Safety Day with various programmes appeared first on Borneo Bulletin Online.