|     Azlan Othman     |

BRUNEI Darussalam has registered an 18 per cent increase in tourist arrivals through the Brunei International Airport (BIA) last year with 258,955 tourists visiting the Sultanate compared to 218,809 arrivals in 2016.

This achievement has exceeded the 10 per cent growth target projected for last year, recording the highest number of international tourist arrivals after 2011, the Tourism Development Department of the Ministry of Primary Resources and Tourism said yesterday in a press statement.

Over the last three years, tourist arrival growth has showed an upward trend, contributing to the development of the country’s tourism industry with 2017 ending on a strong note on the back of a 18.3 per cent year-on-year (y-o-y) growth, the ministry said.

The growth was mainly attributed to the consistently high travel demand from the main market areas since January 2017; the introduction and enhancement of several tourism products; continuous increase in air connectivity by Royal Brunei Airlines (RB) and Lucky Air with the introduction of new services from South Korea and China; and improved travel facilitation such as visa on arrival and multiple entry visa for the nationalities of China and Taiwan, the statement noted.

Furthermore, tourist arrivals from the main source markets have shown significant improvement from 2016 with the Far East market contributing the highest y-o-y growth of 34 per cent, followed by the Long Haul market (16 per cent), Asean market (11.8 per cent) and Australia and New Zealand markets (both 5.8 per cent).

Another contributing factor to the solid performance in 2017 was a slew of events held in conjunction with 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 on October 5, 2017.

Malaysia was the top contributor to tourist arrivals in 2016 due to its easy air accessibility and proximity with a 23.2 per cent share (24.8 per cent in 2016), followed by China at 20.2 per cent (18.7 per cent in 2016); Philippines at 8.9 per cent (7.8 per cent in 2016); Indonesia at 8.7 per cent (9.5 per cent in 2016); and Singapore at 5.8 per cent (6.6 per cent in 2016).

In total, the top five countries have contributed the majority portion of international tourist arrivals into the country for 2017 at 66.8 per cent.

South Korea was one of the top performing countries in 2017 with a y-o-y growth of 145.1 per cent – from 3,551 arrivals in 2016 to 8,705 arrivals last year.

Asean region remained the largest source market in 2017 with a 50.3 per cent share (53.2 per cent in 2016), followed by Far East market with 27.1 per cent (23.9 per cent in 2016), Long Haul markets such as Europe and the Middle East with 10.9 per cent share (11.1 per cent in 2016), while Australia and New Zealand markets contributed 3.9 per cent each (4.3 per cent in 2016).

According to the department, the main purpose of visiting Brunei Darussalam in 2017 was leisure and holiday with a share of 44.2 per cent (42.8 per cent in 2016). About 13.6 per cent travelled for business purposes (17.1 per cent in 2016), followed by visiting friends and relatives (VFR) at 10.3 per cent (11.6 per cent in 2016), in transit at 8.9 per cent (10.7 per cent in 2016); government purposes at 2.5 per cent (2.9 per cent in 2016), exhibitions at 0.6 per cent (0.6 per cent in 2016), others at 9.9 per cent (11.0 per cent in 2016), and not specified at 10 per cent (3.3 per cent in 2016).

China and Malaysia remained the main contributors to the leisure and holiday market with a share of 39.2 per cent and 15.7 per cent respectively.

In addition to the total tourist arrivals by air, a total of 4,057,029 international visitor arrivals were also recorded at other Immigration control posts in 2017.

The average length of stay for hotels in 2016 and 2017 remained the same at 2.2 days. Whereas, the average hotel occupancy rate for 2017 was 41.2 per cent compared to 39.3 per cent in the year before.

For accommodation in 2017, there were a total of 87 establishments ranging from luxury resorts (for example The Empire Hotel & Country Club) and international-standard hotels (for example Radisson Hotel) to business standard and budget facilities, lodgings, apartments, guest houses and homestays.

The total number of hotels, resort and apartments were 52, followed by 16 homestays, 16 guest houses and rest houses and three government guest houses.

Meanwhile, in 2017, the total number of rooms and beds available were 4,455 and 6,226 respectively. In 2016, the total number of establishments was recorded at 83, with 4,311 rooms and 6,044 beds.

In 2017, the total number of registered travel agents under the Tourism Development Department was 65 compared to 60 in 2016. All travel agents offer inbound and outbound activities.

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HIS Royal Highness Prince ‘Abdul Mateen, as Personal Representative 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, consented to attend the Sultan of Brunei Prize ceremony and celebratory dinner at the Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies, United Kingdom last Thursday.

Upon arrival at the Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies, His Royal Highness was greeted by Dr Farhan Nizami, Director of the centre and John Harwood, Vice Lord-Lieutenant of Oxfordshire. His Royal Highness then consented to sign the guest book and viewed an exhibition organised as part of the Sultan of Brunei programme at the centre.

His Royal Highness then proceeded to the auditorium for the Sultan of Brunei Prize award ceremony. The event commenced with the recitation of Al-Quran verses by Dr Talal Al Azem, Senior Fellow at the Oxford Centre, followed by a speech from Dr Farhan Nizami and the announcement of the recipients of the awards.

His Royal Highness then consented to present the Sultan of Brunei Prize firstly to Dr Ahmad Mohamed Ali, Founding President of the Islamic Development Bank, as the individual recipient of the award, and then to Dr Zamir Iqbal, Vice-President of the Islamic Development Bank, as the institutional recipient. The awards were given in recognition of both recipients’ success and achievement in promoting Islamic finance.

The ceremony then saw Dr Ahmad Mohamed Ali and Dr Zamir Iqbal give speeches in honour of their achievements and on behalf of the Islamic Development Bank. John Harwood delivered the closing remarks.

His Royal Highness Prince ‘Abdul Mateen also consented to attend a dinner at the hall of the Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies which was also attended by diplomats, city dignitaries, representatives of the City of London and senior members of Oxford University as well as officers from the High Commission of Brunei Darussalam in London.

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|     Ishan Ibrahim     |

FROM stalls selling food, drinks and fashion wear, to a pet show, horse riding, bowling and various other activities, there is certainly something for everyone at the Universiti Islam Sultan Sharif Ali’s (UNISSA) Entrepreneurship Day held over the weekend.

The event, aimed at encouraging youth to delve into the world of entrepreneurship, was officially launched by Dr Haji Norarfan bin Haji Zainal, Rector of UNISSA, and attended by the university’s lecturers, deputy deans and deputy directors, officers, undergraduates and members of the UNISSA community.

After participating in a ribbon cutting ceremony, Dr Haji Norarfan proceeded to tour the various stalls at the event.

Dr Abdul Nasir bin Haji Abdul Rani, Dean of the Faculty of Islamic Economics and Finance at UNISSA, said that Entrepreneurship Day is part of UNISSA’s efforts to imbue “an entrepreneurial mindset” among the university’s undergraduates.

The event, organised by the Faculty of Islamic Economics and Finance, runs from April 7 – 8 and is open from 8am to 5pm.

It features 21 stalls set up by 60 entrepreneurs from the UNISSA community sprawled out across three locations within the university: the auditorium, gymnasium and zone C car park.

Also featuring in the event is the university’s Entrepreneurship Project involving Year 4 students of the Faculty of Islamic Economics and Finance.

The project saw the students exercising their creative talents and making their own products based on the Islamic concept of business.

The post Food, fun and exotic animals at UNISSA Entrepreneurship Day appeared first on Borneo Bulletin Online.

|     Fizah HAB     |

AIR Vice Marshal Mahmud Hussain, the High Commissioner of Bangladesh to Brunei Darussalam, officiated the opening of the garment factory NI Sdn Bhd in Pekan Muara yesterday.

His arrival was received by the owner and Bangladesh expatriate Nazrul Islam, and local partner Dato Paduka Haji Mohammad Alimin bin Haji Abdul Wahab, as well as invited guests from Brunei Malay Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DPPMB).

The event began with the recitation of Doa, followed by a ribbon cutting ceremony, and a tour around the garment factory by the high commissioner.

Nazrul Islam shared that the garments, including school uniforms and blankets produced in the factory will be sold in local market apart from exporting.

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|     Fizah HAB     |

A FILIPINO student studying at Haji Mohd Jaafar Maun Religious School in Kiulap embraced Islam in a conversion ceremony at the school’s hall yesterday.

Paul Anthony Caspillo, nine, is now known as Saiful bin Abdullah, who is a pra student at the religious school.

Haji Shamsul bin Haji Omar, a senior officer at the Ministry of Religious Affairs, was the guest of honour.

The ceremony began with the recitation of Surah Al-Fatihah by Muswadi bin Saftu and followed by a welcoming speech by Amran bin Haji Majid, the headmaster of the school.

The ceremony concluded with a Dikir Marhaban performance by Primary 4, 5 and 6 students of the school, sprinkling of scented flowers on the new convert and recitation of Doa Selamat by Azwan bin Alawi.

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|     Fadhil Yunus     |

DPMM FC ushered a new era under the tutelage of newly-appointed head coach Rene Weber in style following a 4-2 win over Home United FC in their opening fixture of the Singapore Premier League at the Hassanal Bolkiah National Stadium last night.

DPMM FC new Ukrainian striker Volodymyr Prryomov enjoyed a dream debut after underlining his scoring pedigree with a brace to firmly establish himself as the main man upfront.

The ‘Gegar Gegar’ men first foreign signing Mojtaba Esmaielzadeh ended a roller-coaster week in the best possible fashion after marking his debut with a goal.

DPMM FC local forward Adi Said and Mojtaba was originally in Weber’s plans of first-team selection but after a surprise failure in the mandatory Yo-yo test led to their omission in the friendly on Monday possibly to allow them ample time for rest ahead of a redo.

However, the attacking duo who looks set to compliment a dynamic attacking force in a newly-assembled DPMM FC side, passed their test and was named in the match-day squad.

With a sense of expectation, the home starting squad mirrored a side that featured against Sabah FA in their final pre-season friendly with a couple of expected changes.

With the debate of who will partner Brian McLean at the heart of defence, a string of fine performances in pre-season has convinced Weber that Abdul Aziz Tamit was the ideal local pairing.

DPMM FC local recruits Suhaimi Anak Sulau and goalkeeper Haimie Anak Nyaring also made their debuts with the latter installed as the club’s number one choice goalkeeper.

The hosts enjoyed a dream start after foreign import Volodymyr Prryomov opened his account with a neat finish in his debut in the 13th minute before Abdul Aziz Tamit doubled the lead two minutes later for his first goal since re-joining the club this year.

The visitors were punished after failing to clear a succession of set-pieces as Volodymyr nicked in to score his first goal of the club before Abdul Aziz steered the ball home from close range from yet another corner.

The new era under newly-appointed head coach Weber looked bright as DPMM FC found a third goal of the game with the Ukrainian on target in the 55th minute.

Mojtaba made it 4-0 for the hosts before the Protectors finally got their name on the score-sheet albeit to an unfortunate own goal by Haimie.

Shahril Ishak netted in injury time for the visitors but it was more of a consolation as DPMM FC started the season with a win.

Meanwhile, in the other match, Tampines Rovers FC cruised to a 3-1 win over Geylang International FC at the Our Tampines Hub in Singapore.

Jordan Webb opened the scoring for the Stags in the first minute before adding his second of the game in the 36th minute.

Fairoz Hasan pulled a goal back for the Eagles deep into injury in the first half but Khairul Amri ensured all three points after converting his penalty eight minutes from time.

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|     Aziz Idris     |

INDERA Motors Sdn Bhd, the sole and exclusive distributor for Jaguar and Land Rover in Brunei, debuted the latest addition to the Jaguar family with the new E-Pace last night at Indera Samudra Grand Hall, The Empire Hotel & Country Club.

The latest model from the British car maker has kept the brand’s trademark style to the ever-expanding segment of small luxury crossovers.

The unveiling of the New Jaguar E-Pace saw some 100 guests including Alfred Yong Foh San, General Manager of Indera Motors.

In his welcoming remarks, the general manager shared his excitement to welcome Jaguar’s first compact SUV that gives the rewarding Jaguar driving experience and adds everyday practicality with class-leading interior stowage.

“It is a five-seat compact SUV that packs the design and performance of a Jaguar sports car into a spacious, practical and connected all-wheel-drive vehicle,” he added.

He went on to describe that the Jaguar E-Pace is a “fun and clever” vehicle that suits people with a family of three to four members or for those who have an active lifestyle.

The all-new crossover SUV comes in two variants: the Jaguar 2.0 First Edition AWD and Jaguar E-Pace 2.0 AWD. It follows the DNA from the F-Pace performance SUV coupled with the I-Pace Concept all-electric SUV and takes design inspiration from the F-Type sports car.

Powered by Jaguar’s modern four-cylinder ‘Ingenium’ petrol engine, the E-Pace delivers outstanding performance, refinement and fuel efficiency.

Revealed worldwide in July 2017 with a dramatic, Guiness World record 15.3-metre barrel roll leap and landed perfectly on all wheel, the new Jaguar E-Pace has proved itself as a high performing vehicle with superb precision and agility.

Customers were seen whipping out their smartphones for an opportunity to take a photo as the Jaguar E-Pace rolled out to the centre stage marking the official launch.

This was followed by a special product presentation on the all-new Jaguar E-Pace by a representative from Indera Motors who highlighted key features of the compact SUV.

Every purchase of the new Jaguar E-Pace comes with five-year free service plan, three-year warranty and three-year roadside assistance.

Members of the public are invited for a ‘test-drive’ of the new Jaguar crossover today from 12.30pm onwards at its showroom in Lambak Kanan Industrial Area.

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|     Danial Norjidi     |

A YOUNG woman from Brunei Darussalam has become the first from the country to work in the film music industry in the United States (US) of America.

Aisyah binti Zulkarnain, 22, composes music for visual media, mainly for films. She graduated from the University of Rochester, New York in May last year with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Music and a minor in Studio Arts.

Her degree focussed on music composition and film scoring, and during her time in university she completed an honours project that showcased some of her original film scores, presenting them in front of a panel of faculty from the Music department.

While studying, she also collaborated with filmmakers in New York and composed music for their projects. She currently works for film composer and guitarist Bryce Jacobs as his technical score engineer in Los Angeles, California.

Speaking to the Sunday Bulletin on how she came to work in the US film music industry, she said, “I first came to the US in 2013 to study music in New York. My father was the one who encouraged me to study there because of the distinguished liberal arts education programmes offered.

“Having done the International Baccalaureate (IB) programme at the International School Brunei (ISB), I was really drawn to the idea of a well-rounded educational curriculum, which solidified my decision in applying to universities in the US,” she continued. “Before I left for the States, I knew that I wanted to pursue a career in film music. While the music degree at the University of Rochester covered a more general curriculum, I enrolled in specialty courses at the university and at the Eastman School of Music to focus on music composition and film music.

“During one of my film scoring courses, we had a visit from a guest lecturer who worked at Hans Zimmer’s studio (composer for films such as ‘Dunkirk’, ‘Gladiator’, ‘Inception’, ‘Interstellar’, and ‘The Lion King’) and I approached him after the lecture to inquire about opportunities at the studio. That was the start of getting my foot through the door into the film music industry in the States.

“After that, I found my way to Henry Jackman’s studio (composer for films such as ‘Captain America: Civil War’, ‘Kong: Skull Island’, ‘Big Hero 6’, and ‘Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle’) and then moved to Arkenstone, Inc earlier this year, where I was hired as Bryce Jacob’s technical score engineer.”

She shared that, so far, she has mostly composed music for short films, all varying between live action, animation, and experimental. One of these projects included collaborating with award-winning independent filmmaker, Ambarien Alqadar, on her short film entitled ‘Ayesha’, released in June 2017 and has since been accepted into many film festivals. The film won the Award of Distinction at the 2017 Canada International Shorts Festival, and was nominated for Best Ensemble Narrative Short at the 2018 Queens World Film Festival.

“Currently, I’m scoring for a short film called Sentinel by James Abrams, which is coming out this May. I’m super excited – this will be our third time collaborating on a project together.” she said.

Aisyah shared that when she was at Henry Jackman’s studio, she had the opportunity to work with his team and learnt a lot about the tech side of the film music industry.

As Bryce Jacob’s technical score engineer, she has so far worked on two projects with him. “We recently wrapped up an animation project produced by Icon Animation Propriety Limited. Icon Animation is a subsidiary of Icon Productions LLC, an American-Australian independent production company based in LA, which was founded by actor and director Mel Gibson and Australian producing partner Bruce Davey. The project consisted of seven ‘webisodes’ and is set to release this month.”

The second project is still in post-production and is being produced under Legendary Entertainment, Flynn Picture Company, as well as Seven Bucks Productions. “It’s set to release this July. I’m helping with the tech side for Bryce’s music cues, programming score mockups of his arrangements, printing stems for the cues, and creating sample instruments for us to use.”

On what it’s like to work in the film music industry in the US, she said, “It has been amazing so far! There have definitely been challenging moments and a couple of all-nighters to ensure cues were created with the highest quality and delivered on time. It has been a learning curve, compared to what I had been taught at school, but I have been learning so much while in the industry and am grateful to have met some amazing people whom I’ve had the pleasure of working with, too.

“It’s so diverse here in LA, and it’s where many of the big film composers are based. LA is also the place where the majority of films in the US are produced, so for me, the best decision was to pursue my career in the States.”

On her plans for the future, she said, “I plan to continue working in the US because of the opportunities here. Again, LA is a wonderful place to network and connect with people not only in the film music industry, but also in the film industry as a whole.”

She also shared her thoughts on the potential for a film music industry in Brunei Darussalam. “I think it would be really great if Brunei had a film music industry, as I’ve seen many aspiring Bruneian filmmakers. I can also see people working remotely in Brunei, even if a project is based elsewhere.”

On whether she has worked with anyone here, she said, “No, I have not worked with anyone in Brunei so far, but I would love to.”

Aisyah also shared her goals. “I love composing orchestral pieces, so I’d like to one day be able to record my pieces with a live orchestra – they have this natural warmth to them that you can’t really get with sample libraries. I also plan to keep working in the film music industry in the US and continue working on great projects.”

Her advice to those who aspire to have a career in a similar industry? “Networking plays a huge role in this industry, so I would encourage meeting as many people as you can – don’t be afraid to step out of your comfort zone, because you never know where a conversation or connection may lead you, nor the opportunities they offer.

“Also, this industry can get tough at times, so it is important to be focussed, motivated, persistent and prepared for whatever comes your way,” she added.

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|     Daniel Lim     |

THE Islamic Studies Department (JPI), Ministry of Religious Affairs conducted a Jawi Calligraphy competition at the Paduka Seri Begawan Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddien (PSB SOAS) Religious School, Kuala Belait, yesterday, in conjunction with the celebration of Maulidur Rasul, the birth anniversary of the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) in the Belait District for the year 1439 Hijrah.

The competition, organised by the Executive Committee in charge of Maulidur Rasul celebration for 1439 Hijrah, and led by the Belait District Islamic Studies Department, marked the 28th time it was conducted in the Belait District.

The contest aimed to further enliven the celebration of the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh)’s birth anniversary, and provide an opportunity for the residents to showcase their skills, Jawi calligraphy in particular.

The competition also allowed the participants to learn more about the methods and strokes used in Jawi calligraphy, as well as raise interest and awareness in maintaining and preserving the art.

The competition had 10 categories, and saw officers and staff members from government and private agencies, as well as students in the Belait District participating in it.

As many as 182 participants were involved, and they were given a time period of 45 minutes to an hour during the context to complete their Jawi calligraphy pieces, based on the requirements of their category.

Eight of the categories allowed Nasakh cursive writing, while two others allowed the submission of both Nasakh and unrestricted calligraphy, excluding Kufic calligraphy.

YB Hanapi bin Mohd Siput, member of the Legislative Council and Acting Penghulu of Mukim Labi was present during the closing ceremony, held on the same day of the competition. Also present were Haji Asminan bin Haji Chuchu, Head Religious Officer at the Belait District Religious Affairs Office, heads of department, and participants.

Each category had five winners, who received cash prizes, a trophy and a medal to commemorate their achievement in the competition.

As the competition was open to the public, several of the participants were non-Muslims, and served to inspire others to take part and polish their own Jawi calligraphy skills.

One of them was Eddy Syahrron bin Johan, from the Institute of Brunei Technical Education (IBTE) Jefri Bolkiah Campus (JBC), who said the competition was an opportunity to further ignite one’s passion as a Bruneian.

“By entering the contest, I was able to learn more about Jawi calligraphy by meeting like-minded people and sharing that knowledge,” he added.

The chairman of the competition, Pengiran Adiyura bin Pengiran Haj Mohammad, Assistant Officer of the Belait District Islamic Studies Department, noted that the contest was hoped to ensure that Jawi calligraphy will continue to flourish, be appreciated, and to be used in everyday life.

The invited guests and participants were able to view the submissions, which were displayed at the venue at the end of the competition.

The post Over 180 participants in Jawi calligraphy contest appeared first on Borneo Bulletin Online.

|     Achong Tanjong     |

THE Brunei-Muara District Office through its Licensing and Enforcement Division and Stall Unit yesterday conducted its first joint operation codenamed ‘Operasi Bersih 2018 kali ke-1.’

Officers from the Royal Brunei Police Force Sengkurong branch, Immigration and National Registration Department, Labour Department, Royal Customs and Excise Department, Tobacco Control Division, Food Quality Division, Environmental Health Division, Pharmacy Enforcement Division, as well as the Halal Food Control Division of the Syariah Affairs Department were also involved in the operation.

The operation was conducted to ensure vendors operating businesses at the Jerudong market and its surrounding areas comply with the acts, rules and regulations of each of the agencies involved.

Several offences were uncovered during the joint operation.

The Enforcement Division of the Labour Department found two Indonesian men – one of them a fisherman at Syarikat Sapanjang Zaman, and another a driver at Syarikat My Ice Enterprise – hawking at a fish stall at the market.

Their acts constitute placement and position violations, meaning their employers are committing an offence under Chapter 112 (1) of the Employment Order 2009.

Another three Indonesians – Ihzam Syamsuddin Kele holding passport B1399044, Samian with passport B7590294, and Slamat Ryadi – were caught after failing to provide documents under the provisions of Chapter 55 (4) (a) (b) (c) of the Immigration Act.

The three men were brought back to the Immigration Enforcement Section for further investigation.

Meanwhile, four business premises were found to have committed an offence under Section 5 (1) (a) of the Medicines Regulation (Cosmetic Products) 2007, selling prohibited products under the category of unidentified cosmetics. All aforementioned products were confiscated by the Pharmacy Enforcement Division and the businesses were ordered to not sell or display the items the future.

The owners of the premises were advised to ensure that cosmetic products must first be brought to the Cosmetic Unit of the Pharmaceutical Services Department for identification and approval before they are sold to the public.

Four cafés were found to be without Halal certificates and permits. The owners were issued with an Order Letter by the Syariah Affairs Department’s Halal Food Control Division requesting them to apply for the Halal certificate and permit.

A $300 compound fine was issued to a fish hawker for smoking in a prohibited place, a violation under Chapter 14 (2) of the Tobacco Order 2005.

A $500 compound fine was also issued by the Licensing and Enforcement Division of the Brunei-Muara District Office to a shop – Aprina Supermarket Sdn Bhd – for an offence under Chapter 30, Section 12 (1) (f) (ii) of the Minor Offences Act, ie improper disposal of trash. The company was given seven days to settle the fine.

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THE Brunei National Road Safety Council (BNRSC) held a mass Sunnat Hajat prayer and reading of Ratib Al-Attas to mark Remembrance of Road Traffic Victims for 2018 at the Al-Ameerah Al-Hajjah Maryam Mosque in Jerudong yesterday.

Present as the chief guest was Awang Abdul Mutalib bin Pehin Orang Kaya Seri Setia Dato Paduka Haji Mohd Yusof, the Minister of Communications, as the Chaiperson of the BNRSC.

Also present were the Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Communications (MinCom), Haji Azhar bin Haji Ahmad, as the Deputy Chairperson II of the BNRSC; Dr Haji Supry bin Haji Ladi, Deputy Permanent Secretary of the MinCom as the Secretary ofthe BNRSC; and students and teachers of Jerudong Religious School.

The religious gathering was part of the efforts by the BNRSC in coordinating religious activities in answering calls by 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, to make the nation a Zikir Nation and to seek blessings from Allah the Almighty for the nation, especially protection for road users from accidents and any undesirable mishaps.

The event was also part of the continuous effort of the BNRSC to enhance road safety.The BNRSC urged all road users to be more alert while behind the wheel by reciting Doa before making any journey, being cautious, disciplined and considerate, and adhere to road rules and regulations for everyone’s safety.

The post Road accident victims remembered appeared first on Borneo Bulletin Online.

|     Azlan Othman     |

EACH year, 350,000-400,000 people are seeking basic healthcare services in the country, according to Dato Paduka Dr Haji Md Isham bin Jaafar, the Minister of Health.

However, there has been a slight decrease in the number of people availing such services, the minister noted, quoting statistics for the last three years. “This is due to the introduction of Self-Approved Medical Leave (CSDS) policy for public servants in 2016 as well as the appointment system at health centres,” he added.

Speaking at the World Health Day gathering yesterday at the Al-‘Afiah Building of the Ministry of Health, the minister said the number of patients with diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol level who visited the chronic disease clinics has increased from more than 69,000 in 2015 to almost 77,000 in 2017.

“This clearly shows the growing burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in Brunei Darussalam, which needs to be addressed more effectively and in an integrated manner,” he said.

“At the Emergency Department of Raja Isteri Pengiran Anak Saleha (RIPAS) Hospital, the total annual attendance of patients stands between 104,000 and 131,000 patients.

“As we all know, the primary function of the Emergency Department is to handle emergency cases to ensure the best outcome immediately for patients. The department conducts screening or ‘triaging’ where the patient will go through an initial check and will be categorised as Priority 1, 2 or 3.

“Priority 1 is a critical case to be handled immediately, while Priority 3 is mild illnesses such as cold cough, diarrhoea, sore throat, ear problem and skin diseases that can usually be addressed by the Basic Health Care Division.

“Figures compiled by the Emergency Department of RIPAS Hospital over the last three years have shown that 71-78 per cent of those who visited the department were Priority 3 category patients.

“This clearly shows the burden of work on the department which is not in line with its primary purpose, which is to handle emergency cases. Therefore, we need the cooperation of all parties to ensure the services provided are properly utilised for patients who rightly deserve them,” the minister said.

Dato Paduka Dr Haji Md Isham also noted that the 21st century healthcare system continues to face challenges of globalisation that are increasingly complex.

He said, “In Brunei, the burden of non-communicable diseases is increasing; old and new infectious diseases are challenging the nation’s healthcare services. The rapid development of medical and health technologies along with increasingly knowledgeable and informative population also pose additional challenges. This diverse challenges require us to make new approaches that are more efficient, proactive, innovative and rewarding to overcome it.

“The achievements of the Ministry of Health that we are witnessing today cannot be sustained, if it is not equipped with more health professionals that are highly educated and skillful.”

The minister urged all employees of the ministry to embrace the ‘People-Centred HealthCare’ concept, to be more caring, ethical and professional and adhere to the standard procedures. “They should be determined to give the best service and, more importantly, communicate better with the public,” he said.

The event yesterday also featured an exhibition depicting the achievement of the nation in healthcare over the years.

The post Most want ‘Emergency’ care for minor ailments appeared first on Borneo Bulletin Online.

|     Khairil Hassan     |

TEAM Waktu ‘A’ emerged champion of the 30-Paddler Local Open Marathon category at the National 2018 Traditional Boat Race Championship at the Serasa Beach Water Sports Complex yesterday.

The champion clocked 3:49.20 to claim the championship trophy, while Team Saba were just a few seconds behind in second place. The Royal Brunei Police Force Sports Council (MS PDB) trailed in third.

Yang Amat Mulia Pengiran Lela Cheteria Sahibun Najabah Pengiran Anak Haji Abdul Aziz bin Pengiran Jaya Negara Pengiran Haji Abu Bakar, Chief of Adat Istiadat Negara attended the championship and presented the trophy to team Waktu ‘A’.

In the 10-Paddler Fibreglass Mix Local Open category, team Lela Cheteria ‘A’ emerged winners, followed by team Waktu ‘A’ in second and Royal Brunei Armed Forces Sports Council (MS ABDB) in third.

Team Waktu ‘A’ once again won the 20-Paddler Traditional Boat category, while Team Saba second and MS PDB settled for third.

In the Lawyers and National Laws category, team AGC grabbed first place, followed by Law Society in second and Judiciary third.

MS ABDB emerged winners using their ‘Belais’ Fibreglass in the 15-Paddler Inter-Ministry category. Prime Minister’s Office were second Ministry of Development third.

TelBru Regatta Club won the 15-Paddler Invitation Private Companies category, leaving Hengyi Industries at second place and Tabung Amanah Islam Brunei (TAIB) in third.

Team Waktu ‘A’ also won the 20-Paddler Local Open category, while team Saba trailed in second and Lela Cheteria team third.

Lela Cheteria team emerged champion of the 15-Paddler Fibreglass Mix Local Open category. Team Waktu ‘A’ were runners-up and Lela Cheteria ‘B’ second runners-up.

Prime Minister’s Office won the 20-Paddler Fibreglass Inter-Ministry category, while Ministry of Education were second and Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports in third.

TelBru Regatta Team once again won the 10-Paddler Fibreglass Invitational Private Companies category, with TAIB in second and Total E&P Borneo BV third.

Waktu ‘A’ won the 25-Paddler Traditional Boat Local Open category, while team Saba took second and Sungai Bunga Village Consultative Council came in third.

The National 2018 Traditional Boat Race Championship was organised by the Brunei Darussalam Regatta Association in collaboration with Youth and Sports Department at the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports.

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|     Daniel Lim     |

THE Youth Club of RPN Kampong Pandan Mosque yesterday held a Solat Subuh Camp to promote healthy living among village residents.

A host of activities was line lined up including a dawn lecture titled ‘Praying Subuh in congregation.’

After morning aerobics, participants engaged in the fun walkathon and jogathon, down a route that passed through various points within Kampong Pandan area.

Participants were flagged off from the RPN Pandan Mosque.

In the fun walkathon, participants got to opt for the 1km, 2.5km or 4km route; while runners who signed up for the jogathon were required to cover a 5km (male participants), and a 3.5km for their female counterparts.

“Insya Allah, we hope to continue holding similar events in the near future, with greater involvement from various agencies and institutions,” said youth club representative Mohd Syaari bin Rosli.

Kampong Pandan ‘A’ Village Head cum guest of honour Sulaiman bin Haji Udin noted that the camp served as an excellent opportunity to support youths in their effort to enliven mosque activities.

“The Solat Subuh Camp should be organised consistently as it presents an opportunity to promote healthy living and at the same time develop the youth club members’ skills in preparing for events, especially in view of the upcoming Ramadhan. As such, we should provide youths the necessary aid to support their effort – big or small,” he said.

The guest of honour presented prizes to the top three winners of the jogathon.

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|     Daniel Lim     |

THE Minister of Primary Resources and Tourism, Dato Seri Setia Awang Haji Ali bin Haji Apong, visited various Agriculture Development Areas (KKPs) in the Belait District recently.

Dato Seri Setia Awang Haji Ali, together with Dr Haji Abdul Manaf bin Haji Metussin, the Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Primary Resources and Tourism (MPRT); Hajah Aidah binti Haji Mohd Hanifah, Director of Agriculture and Agrifood; senior officers and officers of the MPRT and Agriculture and Agrifood Department, visited various KKP sites to view the progress in the field of agriculture, fishery and forestry in the KKP sites.

Among the KKP sites visited included companies operating at the sites such as Syarikat SCY Farm at KKP Labi; Syarikat Pertanian Tropikal Utama at KKP Rampayoh, Labi; Syarikat Usaha Tani Deli Duman at KKP Rampayoh, Labi; Syarikat Asia Enterprise at KKP Merangking; and Syarikat Norajijah Plantation Sdn Bhd at KKP Merangking.

The minister was welcomed to each site by the respective chairperson of the companies operating on the site.

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|     James Kon     |

LOCAL filmmaker, Abdul Zainidi, recently took time off from his studies in Busan, Korea, to attend the Asean Culture House event that features and promotes Brunei culture.

The Asean Culture House is a government organisation and institute where Asean member countries promote their culture, arts and handicraft.

Brunei was invited to showcase its culture at the event, with Abdul Zainidi being one of the participants.

Abdul Zainidi is on scholarship at the Busan Asian Film School this year, where he is undergoing an intensive one year course in filmmaking business and producing. The young local filmmaker was invited to introduce two of his films ‘More Vanishing Children’ and ‘Yasmine’ to the Korean public.

‘More Vanishing Children’ left the audience intrigued, presenting a somewhat unusual side of Brunei Darussalam.

Beforehand, he noted that the film was his way of presenting in a package a collection of ghost stories told to him in Tutong, Brunei.

Meanwhile, Abdul Zainidi’s films have also been selected for this month’s Busan International Short Film Festival, notably ‘Still Vanishing Children,’ the third in the series, which will be shown on April 27.

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|     Danial Norjidi     |

BRUNEI Darussalam is important to Australia, on a bilateral level with strong ties between the two countries, and as a member of Asean and other broader organisations.

Nicola Rosenblum, the Australian High Commissioner to Brunei Darussalam shared this during a recent interview with the Bulletin.

She said that Asean as a grouping is one of Australia’s largest trading partners, and that it is absolutely essential to stability and security in the region. “Asean is our doorstep. We talk a lot about the Indo-Pacific region and that’s our terminology for the broader region in which we have strong interests, but for us Asean is at the heart of that.

“Asean is really at the centre of those regional structures which matter most to us, so the East-Asia Summit, the Asean Regional Forum; these are groupings that matter a lot to Australia. We see them as norm-setting bodies for the entire region, and Asean is really at the heart of those decision-making bodies.

“That’s why the Asean-Australia Special Summit was so important to us, because it was a way for our government to demonstrate to Asean the level of commitment we have to integrate into the economies, but also our political commitment to working with those countries to try and improve security and stability in the region.

“I think one of the real strengths of Asean is the fact that every country has its own voice and has its own weight, and that means that every voice in Asean is important,” she added.

Speaking on Brunei, the high commissioner said, “Brunei is important to Australia. We have strong bilateral ties, but Brunei is important to us as an Asean member and as a member of these other broader organisations, so the Asean Regional Forum, the East-Asia Summit.”

On how the relationship between Australia and Brunei is developing on a bilateral level, she said that the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) is a great example of how the economic relationship is going.

“Brunei, like Australia, is a really early member of that grouping, and we share a lot in the way of trade commonalities, and I think we’ll be looking to use those agreements to try and push that forward, and I also think we’ll be working through RCEP (Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership) to do that as well.”

She also touched on the Asean-Australia-New Zealand Free Trade Agreement (AANZFTA). “Brunei is the lead for that trade arrangement, and we’re currently in the process, between Australia, New Zealand and Brunei of reviewing that agreement to see how we can improve it and to see what level of implementation we have, to see if there are areas that we can increase implementation, or barriers that we need to further work on.

“So I think there’s a lot of really practical trade cooperation going on there,” she added.

The high commissioner shared that she was pleased that these economic ties, as a result of the Australia Awards-Asean Scholarships, will be increased.

She affirmed that education ties between Brunei and Australia are strong, noting that more than 12,000 Bruneians have already studied in Australia.

In addition, there is also the Bridge School Partnerships Programme, which she explained “is where we take primary and secondary school teachers from Australia and Brunei and we have exchanges, and they actually form relationships between their classrooms”.

The high commissioner shared that it is a good way to grow an understanding of both sides of different communities and different cultures, but also to facilitate an exchange of ideas around different ways of education.

“And of course, we also have other arrangements between different universities,” she said.

She added that education is a great example of how close the relations actually are between Australia and Brunei, and how underpinned they are by people to people links.

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|     Wani Roslan     |

THE Royal Brunei Police Force (RBPF) recently conducted a joint operation with several law enforcement agencies at the Kuala Lurah Control Post.

During the operation, the RBPF issued a compound fine to the owner of a vehicle for window tinting, while the Royal Customs and Excise Department (RCED) detained three Malaysians for possessing 19 packets cigarettes and another Malaysian for possessing a bottle of alcohol.

The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) also detained a Malaysian who was believed to be under the influence of drugs. The operation involved 52 officers from the RBPF, the Immigration and National Registration Department (RIND), RCED, Internal Security Department (ISD), NCB and Department of Agriculture and Agrifood. It was led by Acting Officer-In-Charge of Limau Manis Police Station, Inspector Mohammad Faizal Iswandy bin Ali Othman.

The checks were carried out as part of efforts to combat cross-border crime and strengthen cooperation between the law enforcement agencies in enforcing the law within their jurisdictions.

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|     Achong Tanjong     |

HUGE crowds flocked to Taman Haji Sir Muda Omar ‘Ali Saifuddien in the capital yesterday to participate in the activities organised by the Department of Schools, Ministry of Education (MoE) together with Heroes Event Management.

The activities, which included a bicycle ride, run and booths selling various items, were organised to run in parallel with Bandarku Ceria programme.

The chief guest was Nadia Lee Siew Hoon binti Abdullah, Deputy Permanent Secretary (Core Education) at the MoE.

Marina Chek binti Bujang, Acting Director of Schools, and Hajah Anis Faudzulani binti Haji Dzulkiflee, Acting Director-General of Education at the MoE, welcome the chief guest.

Some 150 people participated in the cycling event while 1,500 people participated in the running event. Participants comprised teachers under the MoE, students and members of the public.

A total of 20 booths selling various products from students of several primary and secondary schools such as food, drinks and handicrafts were set up at the event.

An activity promoting a reading culture called ‘Bersama Menjayakan Budaya Membaca’ was held by representatives from the School Library Monitoring Unit, Department of Schools.

The day’s activities began with warm up exercise followed by the chief guest flagging off the cycling event which covered a distance of 11km. The 3km run around Bandar Seri Begawan, starting and ending at the Taman, commenced shortly after.

The activities were meant to enliven Bandarku Ceria while at the same time to get the staff of the MoE to participate in healthy activities.

A prize presentation ceremony for winners of the event’s lucky draw was held at the end of the programme. The winners received their prizes from the chief guest.

Heads of departments and units, senior officers, officers, school leaders and staff under the MoE were also present.

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DATO Seri Paduka Awang Haji Abdul Mokti bin Haji Mohd Daud, the Minister at the Prime Minister’s Office recently received a courtesy call from Richard Stephen Lindsay, the British High Commissioner to Brunei Darussalam.

During the courtesy call, the Minister at the Prime Minister’s Office and the British High Commissioner to Brunei Darussalam discussed bilateral cooperation between Brunei Darussalam and the United Kingdom including in the field of security.

Present during the meeting was Lieutenant Colonel (Rtd) Pengiran Haji Muhamad Sazali bin Pengiran Haji Yakob, Permanent Secretary (Security and Enforcement) at the Prime Minister’s Office and Director of the Internal Security Department.

The meeting was held at the Office of the Minister at the Prime Minister’s Office, Prime Minister’s Office Building.

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