|     Lyna Mohamad     |

THREE more winners of the Mitsubishi Mirage and Attrage monthly draw promotion received their prizes at GHK Motors Sdn Bhd showroom in Beribi over the weekend.

Abdul Hakim bin Haji Ismail who bought a Mitsubishi Attrage last month received the grand prize of $500 from GHK Motors Director Jake Goh while the second prize of $300 drawn by General Manager (Mitsubishi Division) Au Thien Kiong, was won by Hajah Salbiah binti Haji Raim.

Meanwhile, the name of Haji Antin bin Matzain, the third prize winner of $200 was drawn by Mitsubishi Sales Manager Pengiran Halaluddin bin Pengiran Dato Shariffuddin.

Sole distributor for Mitsubishi vehicles, GHK Motors, conducted the monthly draw promotions for June and July to give Mirage and Attrage fans five reasons to purchase either both models and a chance to win monthly draw of cash prizes.

Every purchase during June and July of either models entitled customers to a $100 fuel voucher and a special promotion on its “Aero Package” apart from the chance to win cash prizes.

The post Lady luck smiles on three more appeared first on Borneo Bulletin Online.

|     Hakim Hayat     |

A FIRE that broke out late Friday evening completely ravaged three houses at Kampong Saba Tengah in the capital’s iconic Kampong Ayer, leaving 28 people homeless.

No casualties or injuries were reported in the incident reported to the Fire and Rescue Department at 9.03pm.

Fire and Rescue Department sources said they immediately dispatched three fire and rescue boats and one fire engine from the Marine, Sungai Kebun and Pelancaran Fire Stations.

The fire was brought under control in around 26 minutes by 27 Fire and Rescue Department personnel led by SSFR Abdul Hadi Zulfadli bin Yahya, Commanding Officer of Operation ‘D’ Branch.

The fire had reduced all three houses to ashes.

All occupants reportedly escaped inferno.

Fire and Rescue Department are investigating the cause of the fire while also estimating the total amount of losses.

Government agencies quickly reacted to the incident by providing assistance for the security and safety of those affected.

Minister of Home Affairs Pehin Orang Kaya Seri Kerna Dato Seri Setia (Dr) Haji Awang Abu Bakar bin Haji Apong, Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports Pehin Datu Lailaraja Major General (Rtd) Dato Paduka Seri Haji Awang Halbi bin Haji Mohd Yussof and senior government officials visited the affected area on Friday evening to oversee the scale of the damage and evacuation operations.

The Community Development Department (JAPEM) activated their normal standard operating procedure by providing temporary shelters for the victims and providing daily meals.

The post Fire reduces 3 houses to ashes in Kg Ayer appeared first on Borneo Bulletin Online.

|     James Kon     |

LOCAL long distance runner Sefli Ahar added another accolade under his belt after finishing 11 hours and 26 minutes to take first place in the 100km run of The Magnificent Merapoh Trail (TMMT) in Kuala Lumpur and smashing last year’s winning time by 31 minutes.

The event, which attracted international runners, was organised by Running Project as a continuous effort to save Merapoh Caves and preserve its national heritage, which includes at least 145 precious limestone hills and dozens of rare species of flora and fauna.

In an interview with Sefli, he said, “This win is a redemption from the last race I did two months ago in Penang Eco 100km Challenge. Breaking the course record was a plus for me.”

On the challenges during the race, he said, “The challenging parts are the caves and the rivers at the 20km and 80km mark. The 3km of river crossings and multiple caves make running difficult. I slipped a few times at the river. Luckily, I didn’t slip in the caves since the elevation inside was high. Another challenge was the low visibility from the 40km to 80km mark due to the fog. I can hardly see anything more than 5m.”

When ask about changing from marathon to ultra trail running, he said, “I’m now leaning to more ultra trail running competitions with a few more upcoming this year under Asia Trail Masters. I also would like to thank Sketchers Brunei for giving me the opportunity for these challenges.”

The post Sefli wins 100km TMMT challenge appeared first on Borneo Bulletin Online.

|     Khairil Hassan     |

FIFA Instructor Jose Marcelino Z Carpio advised the 27 participants who completed the five-day FIFA Basic Goalkeeping course to share their knowledge with the next generation of goalkeepers.

“The future of goalkeeping in Brunei relies on these coaches,” said Carpio, a former Philippines national team goalkeeper.

“A lot of children dream of being goalkeepers someday, and for them to reach that dream, these coaches have the responsibility to teach these children what they have learnt in this course.

“This (sharing of knowledge) is especially important as there are so few goalkeeping coaches and it is a position which requires specialised attention,” he added.

During the duration of the course held at the National Football Association of Brunei Darussalam (NFABD) House, the coaches learnt about the different periods of development for goalkeepers, general preparation and physical preparation.

According to a press release, there were also practical sessions on warm up, saves, dives, shot stopping and distribution – among others.

In addition, Carpio and the coaches also observed the DST Super League match between Kota Ranger FC and Jerudong FC at the Balapan Track & Field on Friday night.

NFABD Technical Director Yvon Avry and NFABD officials were present at yesterday’s closing ceremony at NFABD House.

Avry presented Carpio with a national jersey as a token of appreciation from NFABD.

The course was the fourth goalkeeping course NFABD organised since 2015.

The post FIFA course participants urged to share knowledge appeared first on Borneo Bulletin Online.

|     Daniel Lim     |

RESIDENTS of Kampong Sungai Liang were treated to a weekend of fun at the Liang Lumut Recreation Club (LLRC) recently.

The event, themed ‘Keluarga Harapanku Ceria’, was organised by the Village Consultative Council (MPK) of Kampong Sungai Liang in conjunction with the National Family Day in Brunei Darussalam.

The event aimed to spread joy and highlight the importance of spending time with the family.

It also sought to promote local businesses such as Bumiputera Traders Food and Beverages outlets, and handicrafts.

Various activities such as family futsal, mascot appearances and face painting also enlivened the event.

Guest of honour, Haji Harris bin Othman, Belait District Officer, officiated the event.

The opening ceremony featured traditional dance performances by members of MPK of Kampong Sungai Liang as well as taekwondo and hapkido performances by Hybrid Martial Arts Academy.

Haji Harris presented prizes to the winners.

The post LLRC family event draws crowds appeared first on Borneo Bulletin Online.

|     Hadee Junaidi     |

THE Ministry of Education (MoE) yesterday held its ‘Cycle for Health’ event in conjunction with the Bandarku Ceria in the capital.

Minister of Education Pehin Orang Kaya Indera Pahlawan Dato Seri Setia Awang Haji Suyoi bin Haji Osman attended as the guest of honour.

Organised by the Department of Planning, Development and Research, and Public Relations Unit under the MoE, the event was held to enliven the Bandarku Ceria and to ensure MoE personnel were living a healthy life.

According to a press release, the event began with the recitation of Surah Al-Fatihah led by Department of Planning, Development and Research officer Awangku Mohd Saifullah bin Pengiran Haji Ahmad.

This was followed with a speech by Acting Director of Planning, Development and Research Dr Habibah binti Haji Sion and a safety briefing by Department of Co-Curriculum Education officer Mohammad Hilmey bin Haji Md Yassin.

Pehin Orang Kaya Indera Pahlawan Dato Seri Setia Awang Haji Suyoi flagged off the participants, who cycled to the Prime Minister’s Office and back to Taman Haji Sir Muda Omar ‘Ali Saifuddien.

Deputy Minister of Education Pengiran Dato Seri Paduka Haji Bahrom bin Pengiran Haji Bahar and MoE personnel also attended the event.

The post MoE pedals towards better health appeared first on Borneo Bulletin Online.

|     Abdul Hakiim Yakof     |

‘PTES Ku Ceria’ was held at the Sengkurong Sixth Form Centre (PTES) yesterday.

Local entrepreneurs as well as the PTES community set up stalls at the event held from 8am to 3pm.

Vendors sold a variety of street food such as grilled meat, lok-lok, takoyaki, pastries, biscuits as well as juices and other beverages.

Students and entrepreneurs also sold used books, Muslimah clothing and other miscellaneous items.

Mini games such as the Chopstick Challenge and Fear Factor were organised by students in the games section at the event.

Visitors also took photos with pythons, birds of prey, colourful parrots and show cats.

Children also enjoyed activities which included blowing big bubbles and bouncers.

A huge tournament for the popular mobile phone game ‘Mobile Legends’ as well as PS4 console matches were organised at the multipurpose hall.

Jambang’s Barbershop, Bad Medicine clothing and Red Rooster Café also set up shop at the event.

The event was held to raise funds for school activities. It also sought to promote a sense of responsibility and ownership for members of the PTES community.

The post Goodies aplenty at ‘PTES Ku Ceria’ appeared first on Borneo Bulletin Online.

|     Hakim Hayat     |

SOME 11 young Bruneians show-cased their talents during the auditions for the second season of Astro Ceria’s I-Star television talent show yesterday.

The audition phase of the television programme, hosted by Malaysian Cable TV Broadcaster Measat Broadcast Network Systems Sdn Bhd (Astro) and open to children aged five-15, began its search for the best young talents in different locations in Malaysia and Indonesia last month and the search will end on the final day of the auditions in the Malaysian capital of Kuala Lumpur on August 20.

The talent show is looking for a variety of talents in group or solo singing, story-telling, speech, lecture, choir, choral speaking and ‘kalam jamaie’ (choral speaking in Arabic).

A panel of three juries – Ustaz Zulkefli bin Hamat from Malaysia, Irwan Rauf, Assistant Vice President of Gen-Next Studio at Astro Malaysia and also Bruneian-born international singer Fakhrul Razi – judged the 11 talented hopefuls during the audition held at Regalblue Production Studio in Kampong Sungai Hanching yesterday.

Regalblue Production has been appointed by Astro to organise the audition for the television programme in Brunei. The competition is open to all Southeast Asian citizens.

The post Bruneians showcase flair at talent show auditions appeared first on Borneo Bulletin Online.

|     Achong Tanjong     |

THE prize presentation ceremony for the winners of the commemorative souvenir design competition, in conjunction with the upcoming Golden Jubilee 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, was held at the International Convention Centre yesterday.

The competition was organised by the Ministry of Education, through the Akli Unit of the Co-Curriculum Education Department.

The chief guest, Haji Idris bin Haji Md Ali, Deputy Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Home Affairs, presented trophies, certificates and prizes to the winners.

Haji Ismail bin Haji Murat, Director of the Prisons Department and co-chairman of the competition, said the event was intended to trace 50 years of Brunei history under His Majesty’s leadership, while also providing an opportunity for local art designers to showcase their talents.

The competition was divided into three categories – ‘A’ for Brunei citizens and permanent residents; ‘B’ for local institutions of higher learning; and ‘C’ for secondary schools, colleges and pre-university bodies.

In Category ‘A’, the first prize winner was Siti Nurul Nur Ashikin binti Pengiran Junaidi followed by Haji Mohd Saiful Hakimin bin Pengiran Haji Duraman and Nur Amirah binti Haji Abas.

There was no first prize winner in Category ‘B’. The second prize winner was Politeknik Brunei 2 (PB2) followed by Politeknik Brunei 1 (PB1).

In Category ‘C,’ the first prize winner was Chung Hua Middle School in Kuala Belait followed by Rimba II Secondary School and the Anthony Abell College in Seria.

The post Souvenir design competition winners awarded appeared first on Borneo Bulletin Online.

THE signing ceremony of the revised Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Establishing the Asean-China Centre between the governments of the members of Asean and the Government of the People’s Republic of China was held at the Philippine International Convention Center (PICC), Pasay City, the Philippines, yesterday.

The MoU was signed by the foreign ministers from Asean member states and China. Pehin Orang Kaya Pekerma Dewa Dato Seri Setia Lim Jock Seng, Minister at the Prime Minister’s Office and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade II signed on behalf of Brunei Darussalam.

Meanwhile, the Asean Post Ministerial Conference (PMC) + 1 Session with Japan was also held at the PICC yesterday. The meeting was co-chaired by Pehin Orang Kaya Pekerma Dewa Dato Seri Setia Lim Jock Seng and Taro Kono, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Japan.

Brunei Darussalam is currently the Country Coordinator for the Asean-Japan Dialogue Relations.

The post MoU signed for Asean-China Centre appeared first on Borneo Bulletin Online.

|     Khairil Hassan     |

THE Lof Cycling Challenge was held in Bandar Seri Begawan for the first time.

Yesterday’s seventh edition of the cycling challenge (7th Lof Cycling Challenge 2017) was organised in conjunction with 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’s 71st birthday celebrations.

The Minister of Home Affairs Pehin Orang Kaya Seri Kerna Dato Seri Setia (Dr) Haji Awang Abu Bakar bin Haji Apong was at the ‘finish line’ at the Dermaga Diraja in Bandar Seri Begawan.

UPCT A’s Mohammad Radzi Tamat won the ‘Elite’ category of the 135km. Second place went to Muhammad Nor Risman Ismail of UPCT B and Sandey Morside from Laila Manja Cycling Team B was placed third.

In the ‘Master’ category of the 135km, Zulkifli took first place, while Muhammad Amali bin Abdullah Chin was runner-up and Mazran Jamin (UPCT A) third.

In the ‘Super Elite’ category of the 135km, Razif Salleh was champ. Second and third spots went to Aiei Shafri Rusli and Azmi Abdul Hadzid of Randonnee Cycling Team.

In the 100km ‘Women’ category, Christina Cheu Ying Fah was the fastest. Zahidah binti Jailani came in second and third was Nur Amal Nadhirah binti Abdul Rahim.

In the 100km ‘Veteran’ category, Tsen Yu Seng was victorious while Padsakom Thongprem ended as runner-up and Rozainie binti Haji Ratu in third place.

Mohd Habri Ibrahim was the best cyclist in the 100km ‘Novice’ category. Rustam Effendi bin Haji Minor Absah trailed in second and Mohamad Nur’Helmi bin Mohamad Sukain third.

UPCT A won the 135km ‘Team’ category with a total time of 11:09:10.47.

The runner-up went to Bros Cycling Project clocking 11:15:08.17 and third place, UPCT B (11:25:37.63).

The post Lof Cycling Challenge held for first time in BSB appeared first on Borneo Bulletin Online.

|     Abdul Hakiim Yakof     |

JURAMAS rose from the ashes this year after they beat two-time champion Easyway 113-99 in the MK Group Cup 2017 final match Sunday at the Brunei Basketball Association (BBA) Basketball Court in Batu Bersurat.

Juramas import player Udun Osakue said the win was made possible with their strengthened relationship and the defence they executed during the game.

“I feel really proud of our team effort, we made big plays and big shots. The locals, I give a lot of my credit to them as they played very well,” he said.

With his impressive performance, Udun Osakue was crowned the MVP (Most Valuable Player) for the final match.

“It’s an honour, it’s a blessing, thank god first, for giving me the strength to pull through, and my teammates who kept pulling through, without them I wouldn’t win this award.

“If I get to play again next year I’ll be looking forward to playing with everybody again and I’ll be looking forward to the challenge.”

Meanwhile, YTE Morsjaya settled for third place after defeating Street Roc 105-95 in the playoff match.

Brunei Basketball Association thanked MK Group for sponsoring the tournament and You C1000 as the tournament official drinks.

Special mention also to Samuel Jong, the chairman of the successful tournament as well as the working committees, referees as well as technical committee and local basketball fans for making the tournament successful.

The post Juramas topple Easyway off throne appeared first on Borneo Bulletin Online.

|     Fadhil Yunus     |

BRUNEI Darussalam national sprinter Muhd Noor Firdaus Ar-Rasyid bin Haji Idris yesterday competed in the 200m event in the IAAF World Athletics Championships London 2017 at 7.18pm UK time at the London Stadium in Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.

The national sprinter was allocated in Heat 7 in the heats stage alongside Japan’s Shota Iizuka, Great Britain’s Nethaneel Mitchell-Blake, Canada’s Aaron Brown, South Africa’s Clarence Munyai, Guyana’s Winston George and Montserrat’s Julius Morris.

According to the IAAF start list, Muhd Noor Firdaus’s season best currently stands at 21.66, just shy of his personal best and the national record of 21.64s.

The short-distance specialist entered the heats with the slowest fastest time in his group with the Briton Mitchell-Blake the quickest with a mind-blowing 19.95s and perhaps the slight favourite of advancing to the semi-finals.

However, Muhd Noor Firdaus entered the competition with some confidence as part of the Bruneian team that clinched bronze in the Singapore Open and silver in the Malaysia Open.

The Bruneian came to his heats as big underdogs with a time outside the 20-second mark but avoided stellar names with former 100m world champion Yohan Blake in Heat 1.

With sprint king Usain Bolt retiring after this World Championships after dominating the sport for many years; Yohan will be looking for glory in a change of event since the 2011 championships in Daegu.

The Jamaican’s sprinter will be one of the big names expected for a podium finish with his personal best of 19.26s the second fastest time in the world after Bolt who is currently the record holder of 19.19s.

Muhd Noor Firdaus Ar-Rayid still faced stern competition having to race against Iizuka whose biggest achievement came in Rio Olympics as part of the Japanese team that won silver in the 4x100m relay.

The Japanese star is also a former World Junior Championships gold medallist which he won in Moncton, Canada in 2010.

Mitchell-Blake, performing in front of a home crowd in East London, also carried pedigree in the competition as a former European Junior Championships champion which he won in Rieti, Italy in 2013.

Aaron Brown also holds a commendable record as part of the Canadian team which won bronze in the Rio Olympics and also boasted two World Championships bronze in the 4x100m relay in Moscow in 2013 and Beijing in 2015.

The Canadian also coincidentally shared the same track against Iizuka in the 200m finals of the World Junior Championships when the latter clinched gold.

At 19 years of age, Clarence Munyai, who represented his country in the Rio Olympics, entered the heats as the youngest competitor.

Muhd Noor Firdaus also raced against a competitor who was in the same surroundings as the Bruneian with the pair both making an appearance in the Islamic Solidarity Games in Baku, Azerbaijan.

The post Muhd Noor Firdaus competes in world meet appeared first on Borneo Bulletin Online.

|     James Kon     |

BRUNEI’S golfing team heading to the Southeast Asian (SEA) Games 2017 in Kuala Lumpur this month have vowed to do their best and give a good fight against the best golfers in the region.

Representing Brunei Darussalam for the golf events (team and individual) are Mohammed Qawim Fakhri bin Haji Aslimon, Mohammed Qazzri Fakhri bin Haji Aslimon, Awangku Muhd Syakir bin Pengiran Haji Ali and Lai Suan Loong will be competing in the team and individual events.

Mohammed Qawim Fakhri, who had participated in the previous SEA Games in Singapore, hopes to improve his game and result.

“We have been training since April and have been practising our hitting technique as well as game everyday after Hari Raya at the driving range of Pantai Mentiri Golf Club,” the 24-year-old said.

With the intense training and experience gained in the previous SEA Games, Mohammed Qawim Fakhri commented, “I have improved my confidence, fitness as well as mentality. Insya Allah, I hope we can do our best in the competition.”

His brother Mohammed Qazzri Fakhri felt that besides training in the country, there is a need for more exposure to play additional tournaments outside Brunei.

Meanwhile, despite being a bit nervous to play his first major tournament, Awangku Muhd Syakir said he is excited and confident for the SEA Games.

He hopes he can do well to compete with other good golfers in the region.

Well known local golfer, Seruji Haji Setia, who is the team manager expressed his desire to win with the team.

“Our aim as every other team is to win the tournament that we compete in. The athletes have been in intensive training for two months in the driving course and course playing 18 holes daily. I hope they will perform well and is in good health before the match.

“I know our golfers can give a good fight and do their best with their improved skills from the training.”

Fabian Del Rosario, Coach of Brunei golfing team for the SEA Games meanwhile lamented the team would need to familiarise with the venue of the tournament, which is at The Mines Resort City Golf Club in Selangor, to come up with the strategies for their game.

Currently, the team have yet to practise at the official venue. They hope they will be able to do so after arriving in Kuala Lumpur for the opening ceremony.

The post Intense training prepares golf team for SEA Games appeared first on Borneo Bulletin Online.

|     Khairil Hassan     |

HIS Royal Highness Prince Haji Sufri Bolkiah, President of the Brunei Darussalam National Olympic Council and the National Football Association of Brunei Darussalam (NFABD), told the Southeast Asian (SEA) Games Football team to think positive and remain focussed during his visit to their training session yesterday afternoon.

The team with other Brunei Darussalam contingent will be competing at the Kuala Lumpur SEA Games next week. The Football team start their Group ‘A’ campaign against hosts Malaysia. They will face Myanmar next, Laos on August 21 and end their group stage play against Singapore on August 23.

During his visit to the team’s training session at the Hassanal Bolkiah National Stadium in Berakas, His Royal Highness also advised the players to stay united and do their best at the biennial tournament.

His Royal Highness was accompanied by Yang Amat Mulia Pengiran Muda ‘Abdul ‘Aleem; Pehin Datu Lailaraja Major General (Rtd) Dato Paduka Seri Haji Awang Halbi bin Haji Mohd Yussof, the Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports; and other officials from the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports and NFABD.

His Royal Highness was introduced to the players by a member of the national team, Aman Rahim, before giving the players a motivational talk.

“Think positive and remain focussed,” he told the players.

“You have to think positive, and that you can play (against) any team. Try your best and show them what you’ve got. We want to play and show other countries we have a good team.

“Also, control your temper, because we do not want to give away penalties or free-kicks.”

His Royal Highness also visited the Lawn Bowl team at the Lawn Bowl Arena of the Hassanal Bolkiah National Stadium Sports Complex. His Royal Highness advised the players to play with their heart and to play wisely.

Visiting the Fencing team at the Hassanal Bolkiah National Stadium, His Royal Highness watched the team train under the watchful eyes of Coach Yoshea Rayendra Poerwinata. His Royal Highness advised the athletes to be brave on the arena no matter if their opponent is bigger and taller than them.

“The most important is to show your skills,” he said.

After visiting Lawn Bowls, Football and Fencing, His Royal Highness and his entourage went to visit the Silat team at the Indoor Stadium of the Hassanal Bolkiah National Sports Complex, and were greeted by the head coach, Pengiran Haji Tejudin bin Pengiran Md Salleh.

His Royal Highness took the opportunity to watch the Silat athletes train and also advised them to stay fit and try to do their best at the prestigious game before making his way to visit the Netball team at the Multi-Purpose Hall of the Hassanal Bolkiah National Sports Complex.

His Royal Highness was greeted by the head coach, Coach Kogamage Thilaka Dhammika Jinadasa. His Royal Highness also gave a motivational talk to the athletes. His Royal Highness advised the players to always be alert and on their toes especially when competing against more experienced teams and expressed his confidence that the team can make it through.

“This game is where we think spontaneously, the game can change in a split second,” His Royal Highness said.

The post Prince Sufri reminds athletes to think positive appeared first on Borneo Bulletin Online.

A FEMALE-CENTRED forum entitled ‘Muslim Women’s Role in Shaping a Generation’, organised by youth group Syababul Iman, was held at the Sultan Sharif Ali Mosque in Sengkurong.

The forum was chaired by Ustazah Siti Hurul-Ain Diyana binti Haji Abdul Majid @ Vieanna, a Brunei Islamic Religious Council-qualified speaker, and the invited speaker was Ustazah Dr Widad binti Haji Abdul Aziz, a lecturer from the Faculty of Syariah and Law, Universiti Islam Sultan Sharif Ali (UNISSA).

The event was open to the general public and in particular Muslim women across the nation.

The urgency of this fifth forum series was that in this era of globalisation, there are many hurdles and challenges faced by humanity in shaping the younger generation, as everything is done for just the sake of daily life.

As the saying goes, the quality of a nation is measured by the quality of its women.

Obedient Muslim women produce a generation that is also obedient, not just to build a nation but also to shape a civilisation that is beneficial for the future.

Therefore, Muslim women or mothers play an important role and have a big responsibility.

The title of the forum opted to explain that a Muslim woman has to have a clear understanding of knowledge on the importance of women’s roles from the perspective of Islam.

The understanding of this knowledge is to be put into practice.

The forum was also intended to turn mosques into centres of education for society.

The post Forum on ‘Muslim Women’s Role in Shaping a Generation’ at Sultan Sharif Ali Mosque appeared first on Borneo Bulletin Online.

|     Azlan Othman    |

THE Brunei Vision 2035 to produce educated, highly skilled and accomplished people, to improve the quality of life and for a dynamic and sustainable economy was highlighted to four Information and Public Relations (PR) officers from the Department of Information Malaysia, the Immigration Department of Malaysia and the Malaysian Road Safety Department who are currently in the Sultanate to participate in the Information Officer Exchange Programme.

The exchange programme is one of the projects that have been agreed on at the Joint Technical Committee Meeting under a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Brunei Government and Government of Malaysia in the field of Information.

The Malaysian delegation was led by Erwin Khairul bin Ahmad, the Deputy Director ‘Gerak Saraf’ and Issues Management of the Department of Information Malaysia.

Yesterday, they were briefed on the Brunei Vision 2035 by Administrative Officer, Grade 1 at Wawasan Brunei 2035, the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), Muhd Aziman bin Haji Awang Nasir and Public Relations Officer for Wawasan Brunei 2035, PMO, Athirah Fakhriah binti Haji Awang Yusof, who highlighted the vision’s goals.

In the aspect of producing educated, highly skilled and accomplished people, the aspired national outcomes are to attain first-class education system, to bring educational opportunities and for human resources developments that meet the economic requirements.

For improving quality of life, the aspired outcomes are to produce high standards of living, for upholding sovereignty and stability, sustainable developments, a resilient and cohesive society, as well as world-class healthcare and safety in the workplace.

In producing a dynamic and sustainable economy, the outcomes are hoped to produce high and sustainable economic growth, economic diversifications, low unemployment and macroeconomic stability.

The Malaysian delegates are in the country for a five-day visit and the entourage will also have the opportunity visits government and private agencies, such as the Ministry of Primary Resources and Tourism, Brunei History Centre and Tutong District Office, as well as the Golden Corporation Brunei Sdn Bhd in Kampong Serambangun, Tutong.

The post Malaysian Info, PR Officers in Brunei for exchange programme appeared first on Borneo Bulletin Online.

|     Rokiah Mahmud     |

A MURAL arts project was launched at the Centre for Children with Special Needs (KACA) yesterday.

The week-long project, conducted by the Lotus Light Charity Society and La Vida Sdn Bhd, involved some 30 volunteers expressing their artistic talents while beautifying the vicinity of the KACA Centre.

President of KACA Association, Dato Paduka Haji Zainal bin Haji Momin, officiated the event along with Chairman of the Lotus Light Charity Society (LLCS), Yeo Tiong Lok; General Manager of La Vida Sdn Bhd, Dawn Lee; and Managing Director of KACA, Haji Abdul Halim bin Haji Awang Othman.

The Managing Director of KACA thanked the volunteers and expressed appreciation for their hard work.

Deputy Chairman of LLCS, Lim Sam Lee hoped that the paintings will also serve as a reminder to maintain the cleanliness of the surroundings.

“The project has also stimulated their special talents to contribute to the community and implanted the concept of charitable awareness in their daily lives,” he added.

Volunteers also received certificates at the event.

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|     Ishan Ibrahim     |

DONATIONS were presented to victims of the recent fire that affected homes in Kampong Perpindahan Lambak Kanan during a ceremony at the Kampong Perpindahan Lambak Kanan Jalan 10 Primary School yesterday.

Nudin bin Haji Mohammad, Assistant Head of Administration Section, Department of Schools, Ministry of Education presented donations to the recipients.

The recipients comprised students from Kampong Perpindahan Lambak Kanan Jalan 10 Primary School, Pengiran Anak Puteri Hajah Masna Secondary School and Sayyidina Abu Bakar Secondary School.

The donations included basic daily necessities that were collected by officers and staff of the Department of Schools, facilitated by Student Affairs Section under the Department of Schools, Ministry of Education.

Hajah Jeriah binti Haji Duraman, Head of Student Affairs Section under the Department of Schools as well as officers and staff of the department were also present.

The post Fire victims receive donations appeared first on Borneo Bulletin Online.

|     Azlan Othman     |

BRUNEI Darussalam has a mobile phone penetration of 125.5 per cent last year, up by 14.1 per cent from 2015.

Prepaid users took a major share with 426,854 subscribers compared to 96,599 subscribers for postpaid users, statistics from Authority for Info-communications Technology Industry of Brunei Darussalam (AITI) revealed. The statistics also showed an increase of 68,631 subscribers for prepaid and 18,438 for postpaid from 2015.

In the first quarter of this year alone (Q1 2017), there were about 125 per cent mobile phone penetration with 425,293 prepaid subscribers and 96,405 postpaid subscribers.

Meanwhile, for mobile broadband penetration (handset) per 100 inhabitants, it has also shown an increase – which was 115.7 per cent mobile subscribers in 2016, compared to 93.1 per cent mobile subscribers in 2015.

In the first quarter of 2017, the penetration has already reached 118.7 per cent. As for the fixed broadband penetration (household and per 100 inhabitants), it has reached 51.1 per cent in 2016 compared to 47.8 per cent in 2015. And in the first quarter of this year, it has reached 52.7 per cent.

On another note, according to last year’s household ICT survey report, the top three most popular social media applications used in the Sultanate were Facebook with 92 per cent, Instagram (87 per cent) and Twitter (49 per cent). The top three most popular messaging applications used are WhatsApp with 97 per cent, Skype (46 per cent) and Telegram (35 per cent).

Social media and messaging applications are most commonly used in this country to keep in touch with family and friends (84 per cent), sharing information and opinions (65 per cent), and sharing photos (64 per cent).

The rest were sharing videos/music (53 per cent), online shopping (52 per cent), online gaming (40 per cent), making new friends (37 per cent), business related activities (25 per cent), and marketing of products and services (17 per cent).

The household ICT survey report said consistent with global trends in social media use, the most active social media users are aged between 15 years old and 34 years old with most engaging on multiple platforms.

In the meantime, this year’s new ‘Digital in 2017 Global Overview’ report from ‘We Are Social and Hootsuite’ released in January, it was reported that Brunei Darussalam has the third highest social media penetration in the world with 370,000 users, or 86 per cent of the total population.

Qatar and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) topped the chart with 99 per cent social media use, said the report which also highlighted that more than half of the world’s population now use the Internet.

Brunei Darussalam also fared very high in terms of penetration of mobile social media with 76 per cent using it, and is the sixth highest globally after Qatar, the UAE, South Korea, Aruba and Maldives.

In total, 10 countries have mobile social media penetration rates in excess of 70 per cent, but 43 countries have penetration rates of less than 10 per cent, the majority of which are in Africa.

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