|     Abdul Hakiim Yakof     |

FOREIGNERS can own land in Brunei Darussalam through a strata title which will allow them hold property for up to 99 years.

This was revealed by Bilkis Sa’ar binti Haji Kabri from the Land Department during a presentation on ‘Strata Title Management’ on Tuesday at the Songket Ballroom, The Rizqun International Hotel, Gadong.

The presentation was one of the several parallel sessions held in conjunction with the 14th Southeast Asia Survey Congress (SEASC) 2017, organised by the Survey Department, Ministry of Development in collaboration with the Brunei Institution of Geomatics (BIG), under the auspices of the Asean Federation of Land Surveying and Geomatics Survey (AFLAG).

The Land Department official said that according to the land code in Brunei, only Bruneians can own land in Brunei Darussalam. “Therefore, to be fair to foreigners, especially those who plan to live in Brunei for decades, we are giving them the opportunity to own property in Brunei.

“Normally, they will stay in Brunei for long, sometimes 20 to 30 years. They can be strata title owners for a maximum of 99 years,” she explained during the question-and-answer session.

Earlier, she mentioned the benefits of strata title ownership that include secured property ownership; outright ownership of strata titles by permanent residents and foreigners; wide-scale stimulation of the property market in Brunei; and generation of growth for property-related businesses.

Explaining the application process for strata title in the Sultanate, she said that firstly, after applying, applicants have to wait for a letter of confirmation from the Land Department. This letter will contain the terms and conditions of the land which may be used for strata titles.

In the second stage, the applicant must appoint a licenced surveyor to submit a breakdown of the building section and also a recognised valuer to determine the unit’s entitlement.

Later, the division of the building should be submitted to the Survey Department and in the fourth stage, the certification of strata plan will be issued by the Land Department.

Once it has been verified, the strata plan will be returned to the Survey Department to certify the strata title diagram.

The last stage of the process is the registration of strata units by the Land Department.

The post Foreigners can now own land in Brunei appeared first on Borneo Bulletin Online.

|     Fizah HAB     |

THE official website, social media (including official hashtag) and mobile application for the Golden Jubilee Celebration 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’s Accession to the Throne, is now available for the public.

According to a press statement from the Committee for Media, Publicity, Exhibitions and Printing, the website and mobile application are intended to channel official information and the latest news on the Golden Jubilee celebration of His Majesty’s Accession to the Throne.

In addition, the website and mobile app also contain a variety of information including calendar events, posters and publications in conjunction with the Golden Jubilee celebration. This will be updated from time to time.

The website and mobile app will also provide an interactive space where people will be able to post congratulation greetings for the Golden Jubilee celebration and stream live events for the main event.

Members of the public can access the website on www.HMjubliemas.gov.bn or HMjubliemas for Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. The public may also use the official Golden Jubilee hashtag, #HMjubliemas for their social media posts.

Android users can download the mobile app from Google Playstore. The app will also be available for iOS users in the near future.

The post Golden Jubilee website, social media platforms now available appeared first on Borneo Bulletin Online.

|     Rokiah Mahmud     |

IN JUST  two months’ time, Brunei Darussalam will be celebrating the 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’s Accession to the Throne.

The celebration, to be held in October this year, will serve not only as a longstanding monarchical historical event, but also provide an opportunity for the young generation to witness a once-in-a-lifetime occasion.

The last time the nation witnessed a similar event was in 1992, during His Majesty’s Silver Jubilee celebrations, commemorating His Majesty’s 25th year as Sultan of Brunei.

The upcoming 50th Golden Jubilee celebrations reflects Brunei’s strong monarchical system of government, which maintains the country’s and people’s identity, culture and tradition.

On this note, penghulus and village heads from all four districts have been tasked with encouraging their residents to participate actively in activities and programmes organised in conjunction with the Golden Jubilee celebration.

The Bulletin yesterday approached a number of penghulus and village heads in the Brunei-Muara District to gather their comments on the much-anticipated celebrations.

YB Pengiran Haji Ali bin Pengiran Maon, a member of the Legislative Council and Penghulu of Mukim Berakas ‘B’, advised residents to “come together and witness the celebrations as a show of loyalty to His Majesty and appreciation to the beloved monarch for his undying contributions to the country’s peace, prosperity, safety and development.”

Meanwhile, Legislative Council member, YB Naim bin Haji Kamis, Penghulu of Mukim Kota Batu, urged the young generation to participate in the Golden Jubilee activities.

His Majesty’s Golden Jubilee celebration will be one of the most important and momentous events in the history of this tiny, oil-rich kingdom. For a lot of Bruneians – many of whom were either too young or not yet born during the last jubilee celebrations 25 years ago – this 2017 celebration represents a first-time experience and opportunity not to be missed.

Major (Rtd) Haji Mohd Jair bin Haji Abdul Wahab, Village Head of Kampong Lambak ‘B’, meanwhile, urged members of the public to “hoist the national flag to mark this memorable occasion”, while Pengarah Haji Mokti bin Md Salleh, Penghulu of Mukim Tamoi, encouraged youths to take part and join the celebrations.

Haji Gapor @ Haji Mohd Daud bin Karim, Village Head of Kampong Belimbing, said, “This is the time where we can contribute back to the country, and we can show this by giving our undivided loyalty to our Sultan.”

The post Golden Jubilee an occasion to express undivided loyalty to His Majesty appeared first on Borneo Bulletin Online.

|     James Kon     |

WITH forest fire and bush fire outbreaks showing an increasing trend over the years, there is an urgent need to use Remote Sensing and Geographic Information System (GIS) for better monitoring and management of Brunei’s forests.

Dr Shafi Noor Islam, Assistant Professor of Geography, Development and Environmental Studies Department under Universiti Brunei Darussalam (UBD) also called for an integrated interdisciplinary management approach to control forest fires in the country.

In his presentation on ‘Detecting Forest and Bush Fires Risk Area of Brunei Darussalam: Case Analysis on Brunei-Muara and Belait Districts’ during a parallel session of the 14th Southeast Asia Survey Congress (SEASC) 2017 yesterday at the Rizqun International Hotel, he iterated the need to provide proper guidelines for rehabilitation of borrow pits, while also highlighting the need to monitor projects undertaken by contractors.

On the land survey issues, he hoped that there will be better integrated mapping and monitoring of hotspots.

Quoting from the statistics of the Fire and Rescue Department, he said Brunei recorded 382 forest fire and 193 bush fire outbreaks in the first three months of 2016.

Brunei-Muara District recorded the highest number of bush and forest fires totalling 238 during this period. Belait District recorded 199 cases (117 forest and 82 bush fires). This was followed by Tutong District with 133 outbreaks. Temburong reported only five outbreaks.

Anthropogenic and natural factors are the primary causes of forest and bush fires in the country, Dr Shafi said.

Forest fires, he said, would lead to loss of valuable natural resources, loss of wildlife habitat as well as biodiversity.

It can also cause runoffs leading to flooding. In addition, forest fires add to global warming and health problems.

The post Brunei needs hi-tech monitoring of forests appeared first on Borneo Bulletin Online.

|     Fadhil Yunus     |

DPMM FC head coach Steve Kean has highlighted that it was their game plan to let Home United FC exert control in the manner that they did during the 3-1 loss in the quarter-final second leg tie of the Singapore Cup at the Bishan Stadium in Singapore on Wednesday.

Kean’s game plan suited perfectly when Helmi Zambin struck in the 48th minute but the collapse occurred after the opposition grabbed the equalising goal.

“I thought for the 62 to 64 minutes even though Home United had the possession that was really our plan to let them come out to the halfway line and then trying get a press and steal a ball and play a little bit fast break attack. We managed to get the first goal from that,” said Kean in a post-match interview with the Singapore media.

“Then to be honest, it looked like we were going to get the second goal and then when they’ve scored against the run of play, our reaction is a bit of negative. We stopped getting tight because the system that we were operating today was to make sure we were man for man.”

“Once they went to 1-1, Plazibat started moving around and we let them a couple of metres far off us and then they started to have a little bit of rhythm and flow of the game and open us up.”

“Whereas up to the 64th minute, we were super tight and they found it very difficult and I think they were getting frustrated,” the head coach further added.

“I said to the boys that if something goes against you and they scored against the run of play, we can’t let that affect our jobs off the ball. We still have to stick to the task, pick up your man, get tight and stop them from getting a flow and upset their rhythm.”

Kean understands that they might be tired or feel that there are decisions going against them but it is that moment where they have to keep their concentration and focus which he indicated was a lesson for them.

The former Blackburn Rovers manager highlighted that their challenge is to field the best starting eleven in the pitch having suffered bad injuries this season especially with Rafael Ramazotti out of action for nearly three months and recently Daud Gazale.

The head coach felt that it was a horrific challenge that led to the Chilean injury in the first leg adding that they missed Azwan Ali to fever who he described as an asset for the team.

“If we can get our best eleven on the pitch, I certainly seen the signs that the defence is operating well even though we’re conceding goals tonight.”

“There was nothing in the match again. At 1-0, we looked the team that was going to go 2-0.”

The post Home United’s advanced play part of Kean’s plan appeared first on Borneo Bulletin Online.

|     Fadhil Yunus     |

BRUNEI Darussalam National Netball team ended their preliminary round with a 51-39 defeat to Thailand in the 29th Southeast Asian (SEA) Games at the Juara Stadium Bukit Kiara in Kuala Lumpur yesterday.

The national team, who were gunning to finish third in the group remained in fourth place following their third defeat but looked to have done enough to secure a berth in the last four.

There was little separating both sides in the first quarter as Thailand edged it 15-12 but the damage was done in the second quarter when the Thais opened up a 10-point lead and limited the Royal Bees to only five points.

Brunei made expected changes to the squad that started against the Philippines with Nur Hafizah binti Haji Abdul Sidek returning to first-team action in the goal shooter position.

Thailand’s Pakladathanan Thiratananitiworachot was inserted in the goal shooter position with Thidaporn Sutthachip making way while Bunwilai Thongma returned to her usual position in goal defence.

Brunei held their centre pass at the start of the first quarter and an obstruction allowed a free effort as Nur Hafizah binti Haji Abdul Sidek provided a good start with the opening point.

Thailand responded quickly with a high lob pass to their goal shooter Pakladathanan who made no mistake with the conversion as they restored parity.

Brunei’s goal attack Siti Marhayati helped regain her side the lead before Pakladathanan converted another goal in a similar response.

The decision was awarded Thailand’s way after footwork was called against Nur Hafizah and then an obstruction which followed consequently meant the player had to move out of the way allowing an initiative for the opposing team.

But Thailand still needed work to pierce the Brunei defence with centre Pacharee Sangjan in inspiring form.

The lob pass tactic has worked well for the Thais coupled with their assured control and balance which in turn caused the Brunei chargers a multitude of problems.

However, Pakladathanan uncharacteristically missed her initial attempt and the rebound which fell to her team-mate before getting a second bite of the cherry to put her side 1-0 up in the second quarter.

The usually clinical Nur Hafizah missed the chance to reduce the gap to six points in the second quarter and despite keeping the rebound the ball fell to Thailand who employed the all too familiar lob pass tactic as Pakladathanan increased her side’s lead.

The Royal Bees were caught in possession as Thailand poured the ball forward as they opened a double digit lead for the first time in the tie.

Brunei’s wing attack Zuraidah provided a great pass for Nur Hafizah but unfortunately the latter failed to convert as Thailand ran away with the ball.

Thailand’s centre Pacharee Sangjan provided the perfect lob pass for an umpteenth time and Pakladathanan completed the move with a fine finish.

Brunei received a respite after the umpire ruled an arm contact but unfortunately they coughed off possession enabling Thailand to launch another attack but this time their lob pass tactic was broken down with Pakladathanan lurking.

National netball coach Thilaka Jinadasa took off Nur Hafizah and introduced Nur Ady Elzza Ezrenna Sofian as goal shooter who converted Brunei’s first point of the third quarter.

Despite Pakladathanan missing the chance to stop the rot whereby Brunei led 5-3 in the third quarter, the Thais made sure that they collected the loose ball as they took full advantage of Brunei’s fourth infringement.

Brunei made a risky cross court pass which invited danger and so it proved as the Thais were quick to seize the ball mid-air as Pakladathanan was offered an easy opportunity in a silver platter.

Brunei held their nerve to close the third quarter with a 11-9 score but they were not able to turn it around as a result of the damage in the second quarter.

The Royal Bees, who are certain to progress to the semi-finals barring a miracle for the Philippines, is likely to face Malaysia in the semi-finals.

Thailand will face Singapore possibly in confident mood that they could register a win while unbeaten Malaysia will play Philippines who could surpass the 91 total that Singapore have bested against them.

The Siklab Pilipinas suffered an emphatic 91-22 defeat to the reigning holders in an earlier match.

The post Brunei lose to Thailand in final group clash appeared first on Borneo Bulletin Online.

|     Fadhil Yunus     |

BRUNEI Darussalam National Sepak Takraw team bagged their second medal of the 29th Southeast Asian (SEA) Games after winning bronze in the non-repetition primary event of the men’s chinlone at the Titiwangsa Indoor Stadium yesterday.

The Brunei team which comprised Ismail Ang, Jamaludin bin Awang Haji Marzi, Humaidi bin Brahim, Mohammad Hafizzuddin Jamaludin, Abdul Mu’iz Nordin, Muhammad Basyiruddin Haji Kamis, Abdul Hadi bin Saidin and Muhammad Azri bin Awang Abdul Harith accumulated 280 points to share joint bronze with Cambodia who managed 147 points as losing semi-finalists.

Thailand clinched the gold medal after amassing 363 points and with Malaysia chasing the winning mark settled for silver after posting 300 points.

International Sepak Takraw Asia Federation (ISTAF) deputy president Boonchai Lorhpipat presented the prizes to winners.

According to Malaysia head coach Mohd Husni Abdullah, it was easily the hosts’ best achievement after accomplishing only bronze in the 2015 edition.

The post Brunei claims second medal at 29th SEA Games appeared first on Borneo Bulletin Online.

|     Lyna Mohamad     |

THE Indian Chamber of Commerce, Brunei Darussalam, hosted a dinner reception at the Indera Samudra Grand Hall of The Empire Hotel & Country Club in Jerudong to commemorate the 71st Independence Day of India last night.

Present as the guest of honour was the Indian High Commissioner to Brunei Darussalam, Nagma Mohamed Mallick.

The high commissioner said that the celebration is a significant milestone for India. She also expressed appreciation to the Indian community for what they have done in strengthening ties between Brunei Darussalam and India.

She added that the community also contributed in many ways to their country.

“We in India are also looking for ways to diversify our trade with Brunei and we support the Brunei government’s efforts to diversify their economy and we are making efforts in the areas of fertiliser as well as oil and gas. We are also trying to broaden bilateral trade and economic relationship.”

The high commissioner reminded that it is important for members of the Indian community to abide by the laws of the country they are in.

“We too are grateful to 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’s Government for the support given to the Indian community. I see that even at the highest levels there is respect for the ways in which the Indian community has contributed to Brunei’s national development,” she said.

President of the Indian Chamber of Commerce, Nazeer Ahmed Zakaria expressed appreciation and gratitude to His Majesty’s Government in allowing the Indian community to operate in the country.

“His Majesty’s wise leadership and untiring efforts in bridging international relationships and promoting peace for all is today bearing fruit and manifesting in the form of prosperity we all continue to enjoy,” he said.

He added the Indian Chamber of Commerce has always played an active role in enabling key trade, commerce and social related events.

He expressed appreciation to the high commissioner for her presence. He also expressed gratitude to the government of India and the Indian High Commission in Brunei Darussalam for awarding him the Pravasi Bharatiya Award in January this year.

Executive members of the Indian Chamber of Commerce as well as several other guests were also present.

The post India supports Brunei’s diversification efforts: Envoy appeared first on Borneo Bulletin Online.

MINISTER of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation and General of the Police of the Russian Federation Vladimir Kolokoltsev recently held a working meeting with Commissioner of the Royal Brunei Police Force (RBPF) Dato Paduka Seri Haji Mohd Jammy bin Haji Muhd Shah Al-Islam

Kolokoltsev focussed on the expansion of collaboration between the Russian MIA and colleagues from Southeast Asia which was promoted by granting in 2014 the Russian party the status of a dialogue partner to the Association of National Police Forces of the Asean region, which includes Brunei Darussalam.

According to the minister, the comprehensive cooperation is developing, including within Russia-Asean meetings of senior executives on combating transnational crime, the Working Group on Combating International Terrorism, the Asean Regional Forum on Security and Aseanapol.

From September 11 – 15, the Russian MIA delegation will take part in the 37th Aseanapol conference to be held in Singapore.

The Chief of the Russian MIA reminded that in 2018 the Aseanapol chairmanship will be passed to Brunei, and stressed that the country applies reasonable approaches to tackling urgent regional and international issues, and strives to promote a fair and safe world order.

He emphasised the need to consolidate efforts, including in countering international terrorism, extremism and transnational crime.

“We can also exchange information within Interpol since both Russia and Brunei are member states of the organisation,” said the minister, adding that the Russian MIA is ready to share its considerable experience accumulated in those areas.

Kolokoltsev also stressed the importance of enhancing the human capacity of the police and reminded that the Russian MIA and colleagues from Southeast Asian countries have been successfully cooperating in that area for several years.

Professional development courses and dedicated workshops for representatives of law enforcement bodies of Asean member countries in various areas of professional activities are being held in the Russian MIA educational institutions.

The Chief of the Ministry proposed that its Brunei colleagues take part in a workshop on investigation of information technology crimes to be held this October in the Voronezh Institute of the Russian MIA.

The Brunei delegation was also invited to visit the International Exhibition of State Security Equipment Interpolitech 2017 that will take place this October in Moscow. Many foreign companies and specialists traditionally take part in that exhibition.

“The Russian MIA is ready to cooperate in a variety of law enforcement issues,” said Kolokoltsev at the end of the meeting. – Courtesy of Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation.

The post Brunei, Russia discuss law enforcement cooperation appeared first on Borneo Bulletin Online.

|     James Kon     |

THE Borneo Bulletin Photography Contest is back again this year with more categories and prizes worth more than $36,000 to be won.

This year’s contest will run from August to November with five categories for the readers to participate in.

The first category is Golden Jubilee, which will share golden moments from His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu’izzaddin Waddaulah ibni Al-Marhum Sultan Haji Omar ‘Ali Saifuddien Sa’adul Khairi Waddien, Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam’s 50 years on the throne.

The second category is 50 Years of Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) and is seeking entries which depict the presence of other Asean member countries in Brunei and significant aspects of the various Asean member countries.

The third category is Bandar Seri Begawan Asean City of Culture which seeks photos of people in everyday activities, cultural practices and reflections of what makes Brunei stand out from the rest of the world.

The fourth category is Places and Landmarks that may include photos of prime examples of Islamic architecture such as palaces, mosques, museums, Kampong Ayer or even the national parks.

The last category is Food and Sports that encourages participants to capture images of food and sports synonymous to Brunei.

There will be 40 winners in the competition. Participants can fill up entry forms published in both Borneo Bulletin and Media Permata throughout August to November. Multiple entries are accepted and entries can be sent to Brunei Press Sdn Bhd office located at Lot 8 & 11, Complex Perindustrian Beribi II and at Unit 8B Supa Save, Panaga.

An official Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) Signing Ceremony to mark the partnership between Brunei Press Sdn Bhd, Baiduri Bank, Interhouse Company, QAF Auto Sdn Bhd, Progresif Cellular Sdn Bhd (PCSB), PAR Food & Beverages Sdn Bhd, Radisson Hotel and Ben Foods (B) Sdn Bhd for the Borneo Bulletin Photography Contest 2017 was held yesterday at Millennium Restaurant, Gadong.

Representing Brunei Press was General Manager Reggie See with Deputy General Manager Hazizah Osman as witness.

Signing on behalf of Baiduri Bank was Chief Executive Officer Pierre Imhof, witnessed by Head of Group Communications Department Dorothy Newn.

Assistant Marketing Manager Hasmin Masri of Interhouse Company signed on behalf of Canon and witnessed by Product Manager Chiu Siew Yii.

Head of Sales and Marketing Andy Tian of QAF Auto signed on behalf of BMW and MINI, witnessed by Head of Aftersales Pengiran Shahrulzaman bin Pengiran Haji Abdul Rahman.

Signing on behalf of PCSB was Chief Marketing Officer Devin Edwards and witnessed by Corporate Communications Manager of Marketing and Product Division Hafiza Mohamad.

Marketing Manager Ida Patera of PAR Food & Beverages signed on behalf of The Coffee Bean Brunei, Charcoal and MyTown. It was witnessed by Public Relation and Events Executive Amy Cheong.

General Manager Jerome van Helden signed on behalf of Radisson Hotel and witnessed by Director of Sales and Marketing Paula Munoz.

Darren Yap of Ben Foods signed on behalf of Supa Save, witnessed by Senior Administration Assistant Jocelyn Neo.

Reggie See in his remarks said, “In 2016, Borneo Bulletin photography contest attracted more than 700 entries from two categories. In view of the enthusiastic response for the photography contest, Brunei Press is proud to organise it again in 2017.”

With the photography contest, he highlighted that aspiring and talented photographers will have the opportunities to capture and share interesting snapshots of Brunei Darussalam. The winning entries will be judged on the basis of creativity, photographic quality, relevance and effectiveness in conveying the message of the photographs.

He added that all the winners in the five categories will receive cash prizes in addition to other prizes sponsored by the various companies.

The post Borneo Bulletin Photography Contest is back appeared first on Borneo Bulletin Online.

|     James Kon     |

THE 14th Southeast Asia Survey Congress (SEASC) 2017 ended yesterday morning with a closing ceremony attended by Haji Muhammad Lutfi bin Abdullah, Permanent Secretary (Administration and Finance) at the Ministry of Development.

Pengiran Haji Matusin bin Pengiran Haji Matasan, the Director of 14th SEASC 2017 in a speech expressed his appreciation to the organising committee, participants, volunteers and the local media as well as other stakeholders for the success of the congress.

Pengiran Haji Matusin revealed that 20 papers were delivered by speakers from Brunei Darussalam in this year’s congress.

Pengiran Haji Matusin, who is also the President of Brunei Institute of Geomatics, said, “We hope that the congress had lived up to its theme – Bridging the Gap – physically and spiritually. Realistically, we would have narrowed the gap in terms of our understanding of the various issues facing us. On the regional front, the realisation of Asean Free Trade Agreement certainly should spur us to conclude as many Mutual Recognition Agreements as possible.”

On the domestic front, as Bruneians and as geomaticians, he said, “We hope to continuously contribute towards nation building, in particular to realise Vision 2035.”

The highlight of the ceremony saw Haji Ali Bakar bin Haji Kasim, Surveyor General who is also the congress chairman handing over the SEASC flag to the next host, Darwin of Australia, which was received by Peter Barratt. The event was witnessed by the guest of honour.

The handing over of the flag symbolised the end of the 14th SEASC 2017 and beginning of preparations for 15th SEASC in 2019.

Over the three days of the 14th SEASC 2017, over 300 participants from Brunei and overseas attended the event with over 70 papers delivered for deliberation.

The post 14th SEASC concludes successfully appeared first on Borneo Bulletin Online.

|     Rokiah Mahmud     |

MINISTER of Home Affairs Pehin Orang Kaya Seri Kerna Dato Seri Setia (Dr) Haji Awang Abu Bakar bin Haji Apong participated in the second dialogue session for Mukim penghulus and village heads in the Brunei-Muara District for Zones 2, 4 and 5.

The dialogue, held at the Brunei-Muara District Office at the Old Airport in Berakas, focussed on ideas and views on current issues, and is meant to foster closer ties between the ministry and penghulus and village heads.

During the meeting, the minister reiterated the roles of the penghulus and village heads in the dissemination of information on the Golden Jubilee celebrations 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’s Accession to the Throne.

The minister also urged the penghulus and village heads to contribute their ideas, particularly with regard to the welfare of their residents in their capacity as grassroots leaders.

The minister thanked them for their efforts and initiatives to involve their residents in numerous national activities which inculcate and strengthen unity among the people.

The Bulletin caught up with several of the penghulus and village heads to gather their views on the upcoming celebrations of His Majesty’s Golden Jubilee and what it will mean for them and their residents.

A member of the Legislative Council, YB Pengiran Haji Mohamed bin Pengiran Haji Osman @ Othman, Village Head of Kampong Masjid Lama, Pekan Muara, Sabun and Pelumpong, said a key aspect of celebrating the Golden Jubilee is the hoisting of the national flag during the designated period.

“Apart from that, the Golden Jubilee also marks the success and glory of His Majesty’s rule; there are not many countries that will have such a golden opportunity to see their monarchs reigning for over 50 years,” he added.

“We must therefore, as Bruneians, demonstrate our undivided loyalty and appre-ciation for what His Majesty has done for our country’s develop-ment by taking part in activities and programmes organised to commemorate this historical event. They can also contribute ideas and give suggestions as to what activities can be organised.”

Meanwhile, Pengarah Haji Abdul Rahman bin Haji Naim, Penghulu of Mukim Mentiri, explained to the Bulletin that the celebration is “not just to commemorate the historical monarchical milestone, but also an event to tighten the bonds between His Majesty and his people”.

Haji Abdul Wahab bin Kampong Timbang, Village Head of STKRJ Rimba, urged the mukim and village consultative councils to take responsibility in leading their residents to take part in activities for the celebrations, especially during the main event on October 5.

For Haji Jumat bin Akim, Village Head of Kampong Putat, the Golden Jubilee is particularly significant for the citizens and residents of Brunei Darussalam.

“In the 50 years of His Majesty’s rule, our country has witnessed vast development, not only in the form of infrastructure or buildings, but also in our socio-economic development as well as mutual ties with other countries – both regional and international,” he said.

“We must therefore express our thanks and gratitude to His Majesty by contributing back to the country. One of the ways to do this is by taking part in the celebrations.”

The post Minister reminds penghulus, village heads of role in disseminating information on Golden Jubilee celebrations appeared first on Borneo Bulletin Online.

|     Danial Norjidi     |

BRUNEI Darussalam is important in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) and will continue to make a tremendous positive contribution to the grouping.

Dr Surin Pitsuwan, the former secretary-general of Asean and former foreign minister of Thailand, shared this with the Bulletin on the sidelines of the recent Asean Media Forum in Manila, the Philippines. Asked for his thoughts on Brunei’s role in Asean, he said, “I think the fact that you get along with everyone well and the leadership has been long-lasting in collecting a lot of experiences, would give Brunei a continued contributing role into the Asean process.

“It’s very important. Size is not decisive,” he said, noting the ideas and initiatives that come from Brunei. “Brunei will continue to make a tremendous positive contribution to Asean.”

Dr Pitsuwan was one of the featured speakers at the Asean Media Forum that took place on August 4, where he delivered a talk entitled ‘Asean – the next 50 years’.

In his speech, he shared a personal perspective on the next 50 years for Asean, in which he said that Asean at 50 can take pride in its considerable achievements.

He noted that Asean has evolved into a regional platform which has allowed major players to discuss political and security issues, helping bring stability and peace to the region.

He said that Asean has contributed greatly to the vast improvement in living standards of people in the region, noting that over half of Asean’s 620 million people now enjoy middle-class status with rising purchasing power and sustainable growth, contributing to a total Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of US$2.5 trillion.

The region has also benefitted from the relocation of many global industries, along the way creating lucrative markets for imported consumer goods, he said, noting that combined trade volume has reached $2.6 trillion, while Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) has been hovering around $130-150 billion a year.

However, he added that while much has been accomplished, much more needs to be done. “The second half of the first century of Asean will require full ownership, active participation and meaningful contributions from its people.”

The Asean Media Forum was jointly organised by the Asean Secretariat and the Deutsche Gessellschaft fur Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), in consultation with the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs.

The forum was aimed at providing a platform for Asean to convey key messages of its goals, achievements and challenges to top media leaders, while at the same time, allowing for engagement, discussion and debate on topical and timely international issues which affect the region.

The post Kudos to Brunei’s ‘tremendous contribution’ to Asean appeared first on Borneo Bulletin Online.

|     James Kon     |

CLIMATE change due to global warming has impacted countries globally and Brunei Darussalam is no exception.

According to data collected by the Brunei Darussalam Meteorological Department, the Sultanate is getting wetter and warmer.

On average, Brunei’s maximum tempera-ture is going up by +0.3 degrees Celsius with mean temperature increasing by 0.6 degrees Celsius while the annual rainfall is showing a rising trend, with the mean rainfall increasing to 37.2mm.

The data recorded at the BIA Observational Station was revealed by Harnina Morani from the Meteorological Department in her presentation on Brunei’s climate during a parallel session of the 14th Southeast Asia Survey Congress (SEASC) 2017, held at The Rizqun International Hotel recently.

Showing charts and graphs of the increase in rainfall, Harnina Morani explained that the “recent trend shows significant increase in rainfall from January to April and slight increase from June to August. The months of January to April are getting wetter in recent years.

“The annual total rainfall is showing an increasing trend. There is a significant increase from 2006 to 2011 and the recent trend shows a mean rainfall of 37.2mm,” she said.

Meanwhile, she highlighted that Brunei was affected by strong El Nino years – 1982-1983, 1997-1998 and 2015-2016, while 2009-2010 was a moderate El Nino year. The maximum temperature tends to peak during El Nino years.

“Monthly maximum temperature has shown a slightly increasing trend during recent years (2013-2016), particularly from August to January. Monthly variation from the highest and lowest maximum temperature is about two degrees Celsius.”

Harnina Morani revealed that from 1978 to 2016, Brunei’s maximum temperature is warming by +0.3 degrees Celsius on average. The mean temperature from 1981 to 2013 shows that Brunei’s temperature is warming up by 0.6 degrees Celsius.

“This (data) shows that climate change is having an impact on Brunei as well,” she added.

Harnina Morani highlighted that in 2016 Brunei witnessed a weird weather pattern because of the El Nino phenomenon. The year saw the lowest ever rainfall recorded in the Sultanate at 1,900mm compared to the country’s annual rainfall of 3,000mm.

The monsoon season in the country has also seen a shift, she said. The northeast monsoon started at the end of December while the inter monsoon began in middle April and southwest monsoon started in late July until November.

“These calculations are based on data from a single station which represents Brunei,” she said, adding that “there is a need for more stations to give a better representation of Brunei Darussalam”.

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|     Abdul Hakiim Yakof     |

THE National Football Association of Brunei Darussalam (NFABD) Acting General Secretary Pengiran Mohd Amirrizal bin Pengiran Haji Mahmud yesterday advised the coaches who completed the five-day FIFA Domestic Youth League Coaching Course to stay motivated and disciplined at the closing ceremony of the course at NFABD House.

Pengiran Mohd Amirrizal told the coaches they have a responsibility to further develop grassroots football in the country.

“Coaches are like teachers on the field. It is important that you maintain discipline – not only for yourself but also your teams and players,” he said.

“You need to be a good example to the players. Don’t teach them they should take revenge for a mistimed tackle. It is also important you, and your players, discipline yourselves to eat well and have enough rest.

“This certificate should not be the end of the road. There are many other certificates coaches can obtain, and I hope some of you will take up coaching as a career.

“Do your best to develop football, especially at the grassroots level as that is where we can find young, new talent who can one day represent the country.

“Football in Brunei is slowly developing day by day, and NFABD – with the help of FIFA and AFC (Asian Football Confederation) – will continue to organise such courses so Brunei can compete well at the regional and international stage.

Among the topics which FIFA Coaching Instructor Islam Akhmedov covered during the course include how to organise defence in various formations, finishing on goal, how to play pressure football, attacking and defending play: set play, how to improve building up from goalkeepers, how to develop speed, endurance and power, how to play counter-attacking football and attacking play against compact defences.

There were also theoretical sessions on trends and analysis of the 2014 World Cup, a presentation titled ‘Coaches on the topic of what has been done in 2016-2017’, planning a season, what are football problems, scouting, psychology, physical preparation, analysing the game, how to analyse opponents and lastly, formations and systems.

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|     Abdul Hakiim Yakof     |

THE Embassy of Japan in Brunei Darussalam announced that the Japan Foundation Asia Centre and the Japan Football Association (JFA) will be hosting the Brunei National Under-18 Football Team in a training camp from August 21 – September 1, to prepare them for the qualifiers of the AFC U-19 Championship 2018 in Myanmar.

The participants were invited to the Embassy of Japan yesterday and were welcomed by the Ambassador of Japan to Brunei Darussalam, Motohiko Kato. The ambassador was present to congratulate the players and coaches to give them encouragement.

“They are wonderful young boys, I hope they can fulfil their potential in the training and come back with strong confidence. I hope they can make friends with the Japanese youth players and establish friendship with them. We would like to continue this programme and we hope that in the near future, our Japanese players will come to Brunei Darussalam,” said Motohiko Kato.

“With the experience they will bring home from the training, we hope that our team will achieve victory in the qualifying in Myanmar next year. So far in the DST Super League, they have shown a lot of improvement in matches so after they learn from better players in Japan, it will increase their skills, understanding and experience. With our lack of exposure internationally, we can make up for it in Japan. They will be more confident in Myanmar,” said Zulkifle bin Haji Duraman, the Team Manager.

The training will take place at J-GREEN SAKAI, one of the best training facilities in Japan, where the team will play friendly matches against the Japan Professional League 1st Division (J1) club’s youth team, Cerezo Osaka and Vissel Kobe. They will also be part of cultural exchange programmes.

The Brunei national under-18 football team, which is led by a Japanese head coach, Takao Fujiwara, is currently preparing for the upcoming qualifiers for the AFC U-19 Championship 2018 in November.

This programme has been held annually since the initiative was initiated in November 2014 by the Japan Foundation Asia Center, the JFA and the Japan Professional Football League (J-League), to encourage various football exchange programmes within Asia.

The aim of the initiative is to provide opportunities for people-to-people exchanges between football players, teams and enthusiasts to further strengthen the friendship between Japan and other countries and to develop a stronger football culture in Asia.

As part of the initiative, in March 2017, the JFA Center sent coaches of a J1 club, Kashima Antlers, to Brunei and held training sessions for the Brunei national under-18 football team and the Brunei DPMM FC youth team.

The increased exposure to Japan’s football culture and in playing friendly games against youth teams in Japan and Southeast Asia, will hopefully encourage young players to pursue their goal and aspiration of playing in the upcoming Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

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|     Fadhil Yunus     |

BRUNEI Darussalam under-22 national team suffered their second consecutive defeat in the men’s football event of the 29th Southeast Asian (SEA) Games following a 6-0 whitewash to Myanmar in Group ‘A’ at the UiTM Stadium yesterday.

The mauling vanished hopes of the Brunei under-22s staying in contention of at least making a challenge in reaching the knock-out stages and instead will now be playing to restore some pride in their remaining fixtures against Laos and Singapore.

The result equalled the country’s 6-0 defeat to Vietnam in the previous edition in Singapore two years ago at the Bishan Stadium.

The young Wasps contained the Myanmar threat, who sealed their progress to the knock-out stages, in the opening 20 minutes or so but their hard work were undone after neglecting a player that they should be most concerned with in the form of Aung Thu.

With the young White Angels posing no immediate threat as the Brunei defence were content with their opponents dictating play with all the passing, Hlaing Bo Bo sliced a pass to Aung Thu as screams reverberated across the Brunei camp to look out for the man in the middle.

However, it was too late as the advancing danger-man who followed his intelligent run with delightfully prodding the ball forward before coolly slotting home past goalkeeper Haimie Anak Nyaring for his fourth goal of the competition.

A Brunei player showed strength and wonderful vision at the centre of the pitch to pick out a team-mate who were chased by three Myanmar defenders but goalkeeper Sann Sat Naing moved out of his line and unorthodoxly denied him with his legs.

Myanmar’s second goal should go down as a schoolboy error not once or twice after gifting possession which should be frustrating having made a good play.

It started from Brunei’s throw-in and after a forward appeared to be too casual overplaying his ball and as Myanmar raced hurriedly a Brunei marker who tried to hold off Aung Thu lost his balance allowing the lethal forward to roam free who found Shwe Ko in the box.

The Shan United FC forward unselfishly laid the ball to Sithu Aung who calmly placed it into the back of the net in the 40th minute.

Myanmar defender Nan Wai Min cleverly lobbed the ball forward for Maung Maung Lwin who did well to cut the ball back from the by-line into the box as Aung Kaung Mann coolly guided the ball home in the near post in the 73rd minute.

Aung Kaung scored his second of the game after converting the rebound having missed his initial attempt following brilliant individual play from Maung Maung Lwin.

Up to that point, the only thing missing for the outstanding Maung Maung was getting on the score-sheet from otherwise a complete performance but his name was finally written after Than Paing sliced a fine pass before slotting the ball past Haimie.

Brunei lost possession with Myanmar purposefully driving the ball forward and Than Paing completed the former’s misery after chipping the ball past Haimie in injury time.

Meanwhile in the other match, Singapore kept their slim hopes of reaching the knock-out stages alive after beating Laos 2-0 through goals from Taufik Suparno and Ikhsan Fandi.

The young Wasps will be meeting winless Laos in the next match at the UM Arena on August 21, who like them are out of contention after back-to-back losses.

Myanmar will play Malaysia next in a tie which could decide top of the group and even a defeat for the latter a point against Laos will guarantee them a place in the last four.

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|     Fadhil Yunus     |

BRUNEI Darussalam national synchronised swimmers Jacqueline Lim Guan Fan and Nur Hafizah binti Ahmad finished in eighth place in the Duets Technical Routine finals in the 29th Southeast Asian (SEA) Games after posting a total score of 50.9759 points at the National Aquatic Centre in KL Sports City, Bukit Jalil yesterday.

The national synchronised pair was awarded a total of 15.3000 points for execution, 15.6000 points for impression and 20.0759 points for elements from a panel of judges.

Jacqueline and Nur Hafizah underlined the need to maintain their focus in their last event in the Duet Free Routine.

“Unfortunately our first performance didn’t go as we had planned and hoped, we can do much better than what we did today, as we have proved from our previous competitions,” the pair said in an interview with the Weekend Bulletin.

“We still have one more event so we have to stay focused on that and we will do better,” they concluded.

Despite the result, synchro coordinator and team manager Awangku Abdul Farid bin Pengiran Idrus felt that it was a marked improvement from the national swimmers compared to their performance in the Japan Open FINA Synchro World Series.

“The swimmers might be nervous since this is our first participation in the SEA Games. We hope the girls will do better in the next event in the Duet Free Routine,” said the team manager.

“We’ll review our performance today and look at the ways we can improve for our next event,” he added.

Singapore’s pair of Miya Yong Hsing and Debbie Soh Li Fei clinched gold after registering an unbeatable mark of 75.1791 in a near flawless display of synchronised swimming to blow their Malaysian rivals off the waters.

Debbie Soh has already won gold for the Republic in the Solo Free Routine and silver in the Solo Technical Routine while 17-year old Miya Yong claimed bronze both in the Solo Free Routine Solo Technical Routine.

The Malaysians were hoping to continue their gold medal assault in the SEA Games and get one off their fierce rivals Singapore with a one-two in the podium.

The score knocked the Malaysian duo of Chai Jia Yue and Wong Mei Teng who temporarily grabbed hold of top spot with a score of 68.9187 points but with their compatriots due to take their turn their point tally suddenly hanging on a tightrope.

The Malaysian hopes for gold shifted to the pair of Gan Hua Wei and Lee Yhing Huey who announced their intent with a backflip.

But after the board read a total of 74.3659 points, Singapore were on their way in collecting their second synchro gold and it would have taken an immeasurable effort from the Indonesians, who were next in line, to outperform their excellent rivals.

Indonesia pair of Anisa Feritrianti and Claudia Megawati Suyanto secured a podium finish after edging Malaysia’s Chai Jia and Wong Mei with a total of 68.9504 points in the last act of the routine.

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|     Hakim Hayat    |

SIX Bruneian students with economic and business backgrounds gained insightful knowledge and experience from their regional peers during a workshop on Asean economic engagement organised by the United States Government’s signature youth development programme – Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative (YSEALI) – held recently in Hanoi, Vietnam.

The YSEALI Generation: ECommunity! Workshop held earlier this month brought together 80 students and young professionals with relevant experience and interests in the Asean Economic Community (AEC) and policy development process.

According to Catherine Muller, Public Affairs Officer at the US Embassy in Brunei Darussalam, the workshop enabled the students to gain deeper insight and interactive views into intra- AEC and US-Asean trade relationships.

Through the workshop, YSEALI members from across the region learnt more from economic experts and honed their negotiation, lobbying and advocacy skills that will enable them to make a greater impact in their communities.

Most of the participants have a passion for engaging with governments, business leaders, community organisations and youth groups to advance economic and social developments at the community, national and Asean levels.

The four-day programme was an interactive learning experience, where participants explored case studies, a model Asean Summit, as well as dialogues with business leaders, social entrepreneurs and policymakers.

They also had hands-on training on presentation advocacy and negotiation skills – all key traits that will enable the young leaders to make a profound impact in their communities.

One of the Bruneian participants, Dayangku Amal Zawanah binti Pengiran Dr Abdul Razak, a University of Leicester, UK graduate in Economics and Politics, shared that the workshop has enabled her and fellow Bruneian students to gauge more information about different economic policies across Asean and how the AEC will benefit the whole region.

“I was particularly interested to join because this workshop emphasised on community and economic engagement and gathered people from similar backgrounds,” she said.

“I really wanted to network with like-minded people to hear what their thoughts are and also the economic issues they face in their own countries.”

She also mentioned that this was her first-ever regional workshop and thanked YSEALI for giving her the opportunity to participate.

“Before the workshop, I never really had a full experience and interactions with people from other Asean member countries.

“Through this workshop, we all came together and worked on things like research, evaluating case studies, group work and presentations and I think one of the key takeaways is that even though we are of different nationalities and cultures, we are still interested in tackling similar economic issues,” she added.

Dayangku Amal praised the workshop’s emphasis on youth developments in the region, saying that this is important, as the role of youths is becoming more important and needs more awareness as well as understanding.

“Not a lot of us can fully grasp how important we are for the near future, especially in this region.,” she said.

“Asean is the 6th largest economy and 3rd largest market in the world and already more than half of us are youths under 30 years, so that is why they keep reasserting that they have to educate us because we are the people that will solve problems in the future,” she further explained.

The workshop, held for youths aged 18 to 25 years, explored the AEC and its impacts on trade and sustainable growth.

A line-up of expert speakers detailed the key concepts and intricacies of the Asean economy, and participants applied what they learnt through a series of hands-on activities, including a Asean Summit simulation.

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|     Hakim Hayat     |

TWO Bruneians recently had the opportunity to discuss with their regional counterparts issues surrounding increasing urban growth and challenges during an urban planning workshop organised by the United States Government’s signature programme, the Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative (YSEALI), held in Singapore.

The five-day workshop brought together 60 young leaders aged 20-35 years from all 10 Asean member countries and engaged the participants – through panel discussions, speakers, site visits and group projects – on a range of issues surrounding urbanisation and also how planning can help address them.

The programme covered opportunities and challenges, not only in terms of configuring the physical environment (natural and man-made), but also policy, governance as well as economic considerations when dealing with issues of culture and heritage, industry and tourism, infrastructure and social developments.

It also exposed the participants to solutions used in Singapore and elsewhere, and inspired them to find ways to adapt and apply these in their home countries, using governance and policy, social innovations, cross-sector partnerships and technology.

At the end of the workshop, participants are expected to begin the process of implementing projects and share the lessons they learnt with their colleagues in government, business, and other civic/institutional groups, such as community organisations, non-profits and schools.

With a keen interest in balancing the environment and developments towards a more resilient city, Masridah binti Mahmud, who has been working with the Bandar Seri Begawan Municipal Department for two years, shared with the Weekend Bulletin in an interview yesterday that the workshop had enabled her to learn more from her counterparts as well as the different and unique issues that they face and how to solve them.

“The transfer of skills and learning materials that we were exposed to during the workshop can actually be incorporated into our current scopes of work and also help us to begin one of our outreach programmes under the department and to work more closely with the community in the future in urban planning,” she said.

Another participant of the workshop, Siti Nor Nazatul Saifa Fathrine binti Haji Md Rosellan, an officer at the Department of Town and Country Planning who is keen to be updated with the ‘Smart Cities Urban Growth’ initiatives, shared that the workshop has given her deeper insights and different perspectives on each countries’ needs, especially in land management and planning.

“We went to several exhibitions on urban planning and from there I was very impressed with the way they presented their plans interactively (such as simulation of housing schemes) to the community, so that they will better understand, instead of just reading from reports,” she said.

“I hope one day we can emulate this kind of exhibitions here as well.”

Masridah during one of her presentations elaborated on the Bandar Seri Begawan Master Plan, while Siti Nor Nazatul Saifa Fatherine talked more about the housing schemes available in Brunei.

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