|     Fadhil Yunus     |

THE 23rd Baiduri Masters charity golf tournament concluded with a prize presentation ceremony attended by Dr Yang Amat Mulia Pengiran Muda Abdul Fattaah, a member of the Board of Directors of Baiduri Bank at the Hua Ho Manggis Ballroom last night.

Dr Yang Amat Mulia Pengiran Muda Abdul Fattaah presented the coveted Challenge Trophy to Johari Haji Ahmad, the winner of this year’s Baiduri Masters 2018.

Such is the customary tradition last year’s winner Qawim Aslimon was given the honour to present the green jacket to Johari, who carded a 73 gross to win the Baiduri Masters.

It has been an eventful 2018 for the experienced golfer after registering his biggest score adding to his triumph in the Pusat Ehsan Charity Golf tournament earlier this year.

The local golfer also erased the agony of losing out to Qawim in the playoffs in the same tournament last year.

“Alhamdulillah, I improved my game from last year. Last year, it was already enough but through training my target is there for me especially in the Pusat Ehsan and Baiduri Masters. I have to make an effort to achieve success,” said Johari in an interview with the Bulletin.

Johari also continued the trend of winning the Pusat Ehsan and the Baiduri Masters winner in the same year emulating the exploits set by his predecessor Qawim.

Asked whether he felt nervous when leading the championship, the close-knitted golfing community allowed him to put his game at ease.

“We are all competing against the course rather than each other,” said Johari who is undoubtedly the nation’s most decorated golfer this year.

Johari, who has already tasted success at the RBA Golf Club, shared that training must be continued highlighting that work should not end after a tournament win.

Meanwhile, in his welcoming address, Pierre Imhof, Chief Executive Officer of Baiduri Bank spoke on the aim of the Baiduri Masters.

“We organise the Baiduri Masters as one of our contributions to supporting our community by making a difference. Through this platform, we help to raise funds for local charities, particularly the charity organisations that cater towards individuals with special needs with the hope to alleviate their burden.

He further elaborated that for this year, besides the usual charities which will benefit from the Baiduri Masters, Baiduri Bank Group has identified another area to channel the funds to the Dana Hospital RIPAS to help them to provide palliative and adaptive care.

A total of 800 golfers registered in the tournament which was held over two weekends.

“We recognise and appreciate that the success of the Baiduri Masters is owed to the continuous support of our event partners and the passionate following of the tournament from our growing community of golfers.”

From the Baiduri Masters charity golf tournament proceeds, a total of BND81,000 was donated to six charity organisations namely Children’s Cancer Foundation (YASKA), Pusat Ehsan Al-Ameerah Al-Hajjah Maryam, Learning Ladders Society, Child Development Centre, Dana Hospital RIPAS and SMARTER Brunei.

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|     Abdul Hakiim Yakof     |

THOUSANDS flocked to the Jerudong Park (JP) Garden Family Carnival for the second night with a showing of the animated movie ‘Trolls’, a musical fountain show, 12 food vendors and 20 carnival game booths around JP Garden on Friday night.

Families had a ball with games such as Can Blaster, Catch-a-fish, Ring Toss, Tip-a-jug, Angry Bird, Big Mouth, Roll-a-ball, Bowling Pin Knockdown, Milk Bottle, Shoot the Duck, Ping Pong Plingko, Ring-a-peg, Balloon Darts, Minions, and Bucket Balls.

Among the prizes were luggage tags, note pads, plush toys, mobile pouches, tumblers, magnets, JP caps and JP T-shirts sponsored by Progresif Cellular Sdn Bhd, Chill Café, Vjan Beauty, Ghanim International Corporation Sdn Bhd, and Kingston Beverage and Creamery Sdn Bhd.

The carnival also had lucky draw prizes up for grabs from the event’s sponsors ranging from airline tickets, hotel room stays and travel vouchers.

The prizes were sponsored by Chill Café, The Rizqun International Hotel, The Centrepoint Hotel, Garden Sentral Hotel, Parkview Hotel, Wafa Hotel, StarLodge, Armada Properties, The Empire Hotel & Country Club, Royal Brunei Golf & Country Club, Neuva Boutique, Fitness Zone, Sinar Tour, Wira Group of Companies (Bali Paradise, De Layar Seafood, Bali Boutique and Bali Beauty) and DCon.

The last night of the JP Garden Family Carnival 2018 also had a screening of the animated movie Moana and a musical fountain show.

The JP Garden Family Carnival was held for the second year running. Last year saw more than 15,000 visitors to JP Playground during the carnival.

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|     Daniel Lim     |

A CLEANING campaign and the presentation of donations to less fortunate families were held at the Pekan Seria Mosque yesterday morning.

The campaign, organised by the Takmir Committee of the mosque as an annual activity, aimed at cleaning the surrounding areas of the mosque. The event saw local agencies pitching in to aid the campaign.

The agencies involved included Takmir Committee members and Muslimah group of Pekan Seria Mosque, staff and officers of local companies and the Fire and Rescue Department in Seria.

Donations were also handed over to more than 24 families from the surrounding area of Seria in preparation for Ramadhan, observed later this month. One of the families was non-Muslim.

Present during the cleaning campaign and handing over of donations was Haji Aminorddin bin Haji Mohd Yussof, Imam and Chairman of the Takmir Committee of Pekan Seria Mosque.

Representatives of local companies that contributed to the donations, along with the Pekan Seria Mosque Takmir Committee handed over the items to the families.

“One of the event’s objectives is to help those in need, while conducting activities to encourage participation from the local community,” said Haji Aminorddin.

He also noted that the campaign served as a platform for the Pekan Seria Mosque Takmir Committee to showcase activities held to aid those in need, and hoped that the public, local communities and agencies will continue to work together.

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|     Daniel Lim     |

THE Brunei Malay Teachers Association (PGGMB) has continued to grow since it was launched in 1973, said Legislative Council member and Penghulu of Mukim Liang YB Haji Abdul Hamid bin Haji Mumin.

He made these comments as the guest of honour at the PGGMB’s 68th General Assembly of Representative for the Year 2017-2018 at the multi-purpose Hall of Tunas Jaya PGGMB School, Kuala Belait yesterday.

He said, “The association had continued to grow, and various strides has been made to benefit the association as to help the nation achieve its Brunei Vision 2035.”

He hoped the assembly will help provide opportunities to spark ideas and suggestions that help enable PGGMB and relevant ministries to pave a bright future for the members and benefit the future generations.

The guest of honour was welcomed by the Chairman of the General Assembly and Vice President of PGGMB in the Belait District Cikgu Haji Mohd Ibrahim bin Datu Maharaja Setia Dain.

Also present were the President of PGGMB Cikgu Haji Antin bin Ahad accompanied by PGGMB Executive and Administrative members, association members and principals of PGGMB schools.

The ceremony started with the recitation of Surah Al-Fatihah by Ustaz Haji Mohamad Hafidaan bin Haji Yahya followed by the recitation of Al-Quran verses by Mohammad Syahrolldennie bin Juni, a Tunas Jaya PGGMB School, Kuala Belait student. Both the Chairman of the General Assembly and PGGMB President delivered a brief speech welcoming the guest of honour, representatives and PGGMB members for being able to attend the annual meeting.

The guest of honour also officiated the General Assembly by striking a gong to signify the start of the 68th General Assembly of Representative for the Year 2017-2018 for PGGMB.

The General Assembly continued through the day as more than 100 representatives of various zones in the country gathered to discuss the annual report, as well as share ideas and suggestions to help develop the association.

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|     Hakim Hayat     |

HAJI Muhammad Fikri bin Haji Metussin and Hajah Norfaezah binti Haji Emran will represent Brunei in the 60th International Al-Quran Reading and Memorising Competition from today until May 12 at the Putra World Trade Centre in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Among those who saw them off at the Brunei International Airport yesterday was the Deputy Permanent Secretary (Administrative and Financial Affairs) at the Ministry of Religious Affairs (MoRA) Roslan bin Haji Taja’ah.

The pair were joined by Head of the Islamic Syiar Development Division and leader of the delegation Haji Madzneh bin Haji Mohd Noor; Dato Paduka Haji Mohd Yusop bin Bakar as the Qari coach; and Religious Officer at the MoRA Murni binti Haji Ismail, as the officer-in-charge to Hajah Norfaezah.

Haji Muhammad Fikri and Hajah Norfaezah were both champions in the Qari and Qariah categories during the National Al-Quran Reading Competition for Adults in February.

This will be Haji Muhammad Fikri’s first participation, while Hajah Norfaezah had represented Brunei in the annual competition.

In last year’s edition, Hamed Alizadeh Marghzari Gholamhassan from Iran and Normalina Alias from Malaysia emerged as the top Qari and Qariah, while Brunei’s Awangku Muhd Adibul Amin bin Pengiran Haji Marjuki and Hajah Siti Noor Dzuhairah binti Haji Damit both clinched second place in the male and female categories.

The competition was first introduced in 1961 in Malaysia.

Brunei has participated since 1965, along with other Qaris and Qariahs internationally.

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|     Abdul Hakiim Yakof     |

BRUNEI Shell Marketing Company Sdn Bhd (BSM) recently started its ‘Can You See Us’ campaign in a roadshow at the Brunei LNG Headquarters in Lumut to create awareness among motorists on the challenges faced by drivers of Heavy Goods Vehicles (HGV).

The campaign, held in conjunction with Global Shell Safety Day and the nationwide National Family Day celebrations, was launched last year, with BSM paying visits to sixth form centres in the country with their rigid tankers.

Talking about the campaign, Huwaida Moksin, the campaign’s project lead, said, “What we are trying to say is that drivers cannot see everything. Blind spots exist and are wider on bigger vehicles. From this campaign, we would like to educate the public on where our drivers’ blind spots are and the need to make themselves visible on the roads by avoiding the blind spot areas.

“Let the drivers see you, so that you along with the drivers of the heavy vehicles can be safe. This is the goal of the ‘Can You See Us’ campaign, which will continue at selected schools in the near future.”

In an interview at the roadshow, Managing Director of BSM Pengiran Shamhary bin Pengiran Dato Paduka Haji Mustapha noted that the campaign was initiated by BSM after being alarmed by statistics of previous moving vehicle incidents.

Many of the incidents were those caused by blind spot issues leading to accidents at slow traffic areas, where motorists are tempted to overtake the heavy vehicles and usually fail to keep a safe distance from them.

“This is not only applicable for BSM tankers but also any heavy vehicles such as trailers and heavy lorries. In light of the increase in recreational activities on the roads, joggers and cyclists should also make themselves as visible as possible and maintain a safe distance from heavy goods vehicles,” he said.

Pengiran Shamhary added that several years ago, 11 or 12 accidents involving heavy vehicles were reported every year, but after BSM began spreading awareness on the problem, the number of incidents dropped.

“Even though we managed to contribute in reducing the number of such incidents, we didn’t stop with our safety awareness efforts. We are still continuing with our safety campaigns. Our drivers can only do so much, and we want others who share the roads to also know its dangers and maintain safe distances from the heavy vehicles,” he said.

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UNIVERSITI Brunei Darussalam (UBD) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Shanghai Normal University (SHNU) on Saturday, renewing a five-year partnership between the two institutions.

The signing, held at the Integrated Sciences Building in UBD, is a renewal of the MoU originally signed on June 14, 2012.

Signing on behalf of UBD was Vice-Chancellor Datin Dr Hajah Anita Binurul Zahrina binti Pehin Orang Kaya Laila Wijaya Dato Seri Setia Haji Awang Abdul Aziz, while SHNU was represented by Chairman of SHNU Council Professor Teng Jianyong. Also present were UBD principal officers and SHNU representatives; Director of International Affairs Office Dr Wu Cheng, Director of Human Resource Dr Chenglai and Director of Academic Affairs Dr Gao Xianping.

There have been active student exchanges between UBD and SHNU in the past five years, particularly through UBD’s Discovery Year programme.

The scope of the renewed MoU includes the exchange of students, faculty members and publications, as well as collaborative research.

Both UBD and SHNU look forward to the next phase of strengthened research collaboration in additional fields, including environmental science and herbal plants as well as increased mobility between the two universities among the students and researchers, a release stated yesterday.

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|     Lyna Mohamad     |

THE stability of the family institution is integral to the country’s stability, said Ustaz Mohammad Muslihuddin Syah bin Haji Mustafa, a Research Officer at the Ahli Sunnah Wal Jama’ah Understanding Studies’ Centre at the Religious Teachers University College of Seri Begawan (KUPU SB).

He made these comments during the pre-dawn talk leading up to the National Family Day celebrations yesterday.

“The parents’ success in shaping a happy and harmonious family, characterised by Islamic teachings, will be an example to their children in setting up their own families later, enabling them to contribute to society, nation and country,” he said.

In attendance at the pre-dawn talk titled, ‘Keluargaku Penyayang, Negara Gemilang’ (My Happy Family, Glorious Country), were the Minister of Religious Affairs Pehin Udana Khatib Dato Paduka Seri Setia Ustaz Haji Awang Badaruddin bin Pengarah Dato Paduka Haji Awang Othman; Minister of Defence II Pehin Datu Lailaraja Major General (Rtd) Dato Paduka Seri Haji Awang Halbi bin Haji Mohd Yussof; Minister of Health Dato Paduka Dr Haji Mohd Isham bin Jaafar; and Minister at the Prime Minister’s Office Dato Seri Paduka Awang Haji Abdul Mokti bin Haji Mohd Daud.

Also present were the Minister of Development Dato Seri Paduka Awang Haji Suhaimi bin Haji Gafar; Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports Major General (Rtd) Dato Paduka Seri Haji Aminuddin Ihsan bin Pehin Orang Kaya Saiful Mulok Dato Seri Awang Paduka Haji Abidin; and Deputy Minister of Religious Affairs Pengiran Dato Seri Paduka Haji Bahrom bin Pengiran Haji Bahar.

The talk, initiated by the Ministry of Religious Affairs through its Mosque Affairs Department, the Islamic Da’wah Centre and the Islamic Syiar Development Division, was part of the ‘Masjidku Makmur, Negaraku Berkat’ programme to encourage the presence of more worshippers for mass Subuh prayer at the Omar ‘Ali Saifuddien Mosque.

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|     James Kon & Daniel Lim     |

FIVE locals were each issued a BND100 compound fine after they were caught disposing rubbish in a public area at the Hassanal Bolkiah National Stadium during the Hassanal Bolkiah Trophy for ASEAN Youth Football Tournament 2018 finals between Timor-Leste and Cambodia on Saturday night.

The culprits were caught during a joint operation dubbed ‘Bersih’ led by officers from the Department of Environment, Parks and Recreation, the Law Enforcement Unit of the BSB Municipal Department, and the Ministry of Health.

The offenders were found to have violated Chapter 30, Section 12 (1) “disposing rubbish in public places” of the Minor Offences Act.

They were given seven days to settle the fine, failing which the matter will be forwarded to the courts. If found guilty, each of the accused will be handed a further BND1,000 fine or a month’s imprisonment.

For subsequent offences, a penalty of a BND3,000 fine or imprisonment of not more than three months will be levied.

The Law Enforcement Unit of the BSB Municipal Department reminded the public to comply with the regulations under the Minor Offences Act. Incidences of public dumping or offences under the Minor Offences Act can be reported by contacting the unit at 2244151 (ext 253/127).

Meanwhile, a local company in Seria was issued a compound fine for disposing cooking oil into the drainage behind its premises.

The company, Abu Yazid Al-Bustomi, was given seven days to settle the fine failing which, the matter will be forwarded to the courts.

Members of the public can lodge complaints about improper disposal of trash in public areas by contacting the Enforcement Unit of the Kuala Belait and Seria Municipal Board at 8896108.

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|     Azaraimy HH     |

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 joined thousands of Brunei citizens and residents yesterday, in celebrating National Family Day 2018 at the Taman Haji Sir Muda Omar ‘Ali Saifuddien in Bandar Seri Begawan.

His Majesty was accompanied by His Royal Highness Prince Haji Al-Muhtadee Billah, the Crown Prince and Senior Minister at the Prime Minister’s Office; His Royal Highness Prince Mohamed Bolkiah; Yang Amat Mulia Pengiran Anak Khaliilah Khalilatul Bolqiah; and Yang Amat Mulia Pengiran Anak Naafi’ah Khairul Bulqiah.

His Majesty was greeted by Minister of Religious Affairs Pehin Udana Khatib Dato Paduka Seri Setia Ustaz Haji Awang Badaruddin bin Pengarah Dato Paduka Haji Awang Othman; Minister of Communications cum the Acting Minister of Home Affairs Awang Abdul Mutalib bin Pehin Orang Kaya Seri Setia Dato Paduka Haji Mohd Yusof; and Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports Major General (Rtd) Dato Paduka Seri Awang Haji Aminuddin Ihsan bin Pehin Orang Kaya Saiful Mulok Dato Seri Paduka Haji Abidin upon arrival at the Taman Haji Sir Muda Omar ‘Ali Saifuddien.

Also present were Cabinet Ministers, deputy ministers, permanent secretaries and guests.

The celebrations began with His Majesty leading cyclists from all four districts in a mass cycling event, on an 11.490km route which took them past the iconic Omar ‘Ali Saifuddien Mosque and along Jalan Kianggeh, Jalan Sekolah, Jalan Kumbang Pasang, Jalan Gadong, Jalan Perdana Menteri, Jalan Stadium, Jalan Pertahanan and Jalan Lapangan Terbang Lama Berakas, before heading back to the capital.

Later, His Majesty made a tour of the Taman Haji Sir Muda Omar ’Ali Saifuddien for a good view of several games and activities in progress, as well as a family-themed exhibition by various government and private agencies.

His Majesty also toured a sales bazaar especially set up for the festivities, featuring an array of food and drink, locally made perfumes, handicrafts and affordable clothing.

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|     James Kon     |

THE national rugby team yesterday received a morale boost after receiving sponsored jerseys from Head Hunter sport, in an event yesterday at the Balapan Track and Field of the Hassanal Bolkiah National Sports Complex.

CEO and founder of Head Hunter sport Yusuf Flynn presented the jerseys to the team captain of the Brunei rugby team, Mohd Azahar bin Timbang.

Present to witness the occasion was the Acting President of Brunei Rugby Football Union, Dr Haji Kamaruddin bin Dato Seri Paduka Haji Talib.

During a speech, the acting president exerted his confidence for the team, citing the team’s loss to at the hands of Guam in 2009.

“We have a history with Guam where we went to Guam nine years ago and were demolished. We learned a lot from the game and I am sure that rugby has improved in Brunei since then. So I hope that the Brunei team will give a very good fight to Guam and China,” Dr Haji Kamaruddin said.

“You will be playing against Guam in the opening match and we are looking forward to the game. We do not want history to repeat itself. Win or lose, we must give them a very good run for their money.”

He also congratulated the selected players and also thanked the sponsors for supporting the team.

As host of the tournament, he also hopes that Brunei team will show discipline and maintain sportsmanship.

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|     James Kon     |

BRUNEI’S rugby team captain Mohd Azahar bin Timbang called on his team to “play like there is no tomorrow” and only stop when they have achieved the goal of winning their matches in the 2018 Asia Rugby Championship Division 3 taking place today until May 12 at the Balapan Track and Field of the Hassanal Bolkiah National Sports Complex.

Mohd Azhar said this during an interview with the media yesterday.

Asked on the preparation for the tournament, Mohd Azahar said, “I have been playing with the boys quite long. We have played against many strong teams and semi-pro teams from England. We lost few points in those games, so I think we have no problem to face Guam and China.”

He pointed out that the team has a good mix of locals with five army personnel from the British Garrison.

“The team treat each other like brothers. They show us how to treat each other in rugby. The local boys have always shown their discipline by turning up for training and looking after their diet.”

Asked on his thoughts on the teams from Guam and China, the captain said, “We respect both Guam and China. I can see that Guam has been playing rugby for a long time. While we don’t have much information on China, our boys have been through many friendly games so it is important for us to execute our game play and to not worry about the opponent.”

Meanwhile Guam team captain Brian Ramiro expressed confidence and highlighted the importance of winning the first game.

“Every time when we go outside of the country, it’s always going to be a challenge for us especially when we face the home team. So we have to be prepared and stay on top of our game as well as concentrate on our play.”

“It’s very crucial (to win the first match). Given that Guam has a relatively small rugby community and we don’t have too many chances to practise and play, it is very important for us to execute what we need to do properly.”

This year’s edition is the sixth Asia Rugby Tournament that Brunei has hosted since its inception in 2007. The 2014 edition saw Brunei compete against Mongolia and Laos, where the former emerged champion.

The Brunei Rugby Football Union hopes to make the tournament as an annual sporting event as it will be a holistic approach to promote rugby in the country, and is also hoping to organise an Asian 7s tournament and Asian age group tournament in the future.

In addition, Brunei Rugby Football Union will also organise Level 1 Medic First Aid in Rugby (L1FAIR) course during the tournament, to be conducted by Dr Azril Syazwan bin Mohd Ali, a World Rugby Medical Educator from Malaysia’s Institute of Sports.

It is hoped that the course can produce rugby players, coaches, referees and administrators, as well as medical professionals in the sports of rugby.

Brunei will play Guam today at 4pm, and China on May 12. China will play against Guam on May 10. All matches will be played at the Balapan Track and Field of the Hassanal Bolkiah National Sports Complex.

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|     Achong Tanjong, Wani Roslan & Daniel Lim     |

THE nation recorded the birth of 14 new babies (eight male and six female) on May 6, in conjunction with National Family Day 2018.

The ‘Anakku Kesayanganku’ event was marked with a Doa Kesyukuran and presentation of gifts to the newborns’ parents at ceremonies held at the Raja Isteri Pengiran Anak Saleha (RIPAS) Hospital in the Brunei-Muara District and Suri Seri Begawan Hospital in Kuala Belait.

Datin Hajah Nahriah binti Haji Asbi, spouse of Minister of Religious Affairs; and Datin Hajah Norhaida binti Haji Sulaiman, spouse of the Minister of Primary Resources and Tourism, presented the gifts to parents at RIPAS Hospital.

RIPAS Hospital recorded 12 newborns (six male, six female). The first birth was recorded at 2.44am, to proud parents Maskuri and Jamiatul Asiah Iding.

At the Suri Seri Begawan Hospital, special guests Datin Paduka Hajah Jahrah binti Haji Muhamad, spouse of Minister of Home Affairs; and Datin Hajah Zalina binti Haji Omar, spouse of Minister at the Prime Minister’s Office handed gifts to the new parents.

The hospital recorded the birth of two males. The first birth was to proud parents Mohammad Shahirul bin Haji Adam and Anita Omar.

No births were recorded in the two other districts.

The gifts – in the form of baby necessities – are an initiative by the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports, together with Ministry of Home Affairs, Ministry of Religious Affairs and Ministry of Health as the joint coordinator of the National Family Day celebration.

This is Brunei’s sixth celebration organised in conjunction with National Family Day.

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|     Hakim Hayat     |

BRUNEI Darussalam deeply values the role played by Egypt’s Al-Azhar University in propagating true Islamic teachings and in enhancing the understanding of the ‘Wasatiyyah’ concept, in accordance with Brunei Darussalam’s strong adherence to the teachings of the Ahli Sunnah Wal Jama’ah, said Minister of Religious Affairs Pehin Udana Khatib Dato Paduka Seri Setia Ustaz Haji Awang Badaruddin bin Pengarah Dato Paduka Haji Awang Othman yesterday.

The minister made the remark in his welcoming speech on the occasion of a special talk at the International Convention Centre (ICC) in Berakas, which was organised as part of the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar, Professor Dr Ahmed Mohammad Ahmed El-Tayeb’s visit to Brunei.

“The Ahli Sunnah Wal Jama’ah creed is the mainstay of the country’s policies in its education system and nationhood, apart from its teachings that are consistent with the national philosophy of Malay Islamic Monarchy (MIB),” he said.

He also stressed the importance of stronger cooperation between the educational authorities in Brunei and the Al-Azhar University, to ensure the preservation of Islamic faith within the Sultanate, in line with the creed of Ahli Sunnah Wal Jama’ah.

The special religious lecture delivered by the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar, on challenges within the Muslim community in facing the threat of terrorism, was attended by over 2,000 individuals, comprising staff from the Ministry of Religious Affairs (MoRA) and other ministries, as well as academics and students.

Prior to the lecture, Ahmad Zulwaqar bin Suhaili, the first-place winner of the Southeast Asian Al-Quran Recitation Competition 2017, recited a selection of verses from Al-Quran.

The event also featured the launching of the Brunei branch of the Al-Azhar University International Alumni.

According to joint organisers MoRA, Universiti Islam Sultan Sharif Ali (UNISSA) and the Religious Teachers University College of Seri Begawan (KUPU SB), the lecture should serve to provide a better understanding on the issue of terrorism which has affected the global community, especially Muslims.

Also present at the event were other Cabinet Ministers and senior government officials.

The Grand Imam of Al-Azhar arrived in Brunei Darussalam on May 5 as part of his tour of Asian countries that began a week ago in Indonesia.

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|     James Kon     |

ALL prospective valuers and estate agents must be registered with and licensed by the Board of Valuers and Estate Agents before they can start practising in Brunei Darussalam. This is in accordance with the Valuers and Estate Agents Order 2009 which was amended in 2016, said Minister of Development Dato Seri Paduka Awang Haji Suhaimi bin Haji Gafar.

The order is aimed at ensuring professionalism in the local property industry, specifically in strata title management and unit entitlement by valuers and estate agents, the minister said in his keynote address at the opening ceremony of the Strata Title Workshop at the Ministry of Development yesterday.

“I would also like to see more local students take up relevant professional courses in valuation and real estate to pursue a bright career,” the minister said.

“As we all know, strata title is relatively new in Brunei Darussalam and much has to be learnt from others who have already implemented the system. The Strata Act was enacted in the Sultanate with the objective of allowing people who wish to own property in the form of strata units within a building and opening up the property market. It is expected to improve the country’s economy by encouraging the property industry and attracting local and foreign investors to the realty sector,” the minister explained.

He added, “The subsidiary strata title for original perpetuity land in Brunei is for a maximum of 99 years’ lease. As for the leasehold title, the maximum length of the subsidiary title will be one day less than the original lease, provided the remaining lease is not less than 20 years.

“Once the strata title is issued, unit owners can sell, transfer or probate administration/sub-lease their units to an approved person. The title can also be used as loan collateral as mentioned in Chapter 23 of the Land Code.”

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|     Hakim Hayat & Danial Norjidi     |

GRAND Imam of Al-Azhar, Professor Dr Ahmed Mohammad Ahmed El-Tayeb, paid a courtesy call to Minister of Religious Affairs Pehin Udana Khatib Dato Paduka Seri Setia Ustaz Haji Awang Badaruddin bin Pengarah Dato Paduka Haji Awang Othman on Sunday.

Earlier in the day, the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar was taken on a tour of Bandar Seri Begawan, including a visit to the Royal Regalia Museum and a river cruise around Kampong Ayer.

The Grand Imam of Al-Azhar arrived in Brunei Darussalam on May 5, for a three-day visit, as part of his tour of Asian countries that began a week ago in Indonesia and later Singapore, before heading to the Sultanate for the last leg of his tour.

Following the courtesy call at The Empire Hotel & Country Club, the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar and his delegation were hosted to a welcoming dinner, where welcoming speeches were delivered by senior religious officials from both sides.

The Minister of Religious Affairs also presented a gift to the visiting Grand Imam of Al-Azhar.

Among those present during the tour of the capital, courtesy call and welcoming dinner were Minister at the Prime Minister’s Office Dato Seri Paduka Awang Haji Abdul Mokti bin Haji Mohd Daud, Deputy Minister of Religious Affairs Pengiran Dato Seri Paduka Haji Bahrom bin Pengiran Haji Bahar, Chief Syar’ie Judge Pehin Orang Kaya Paduka Seri Utama Dato Paduka Seri Setia Ustaz Haji Awang Salim bin Haji Besar, Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Religious Affairs (MoRA) Dato Seri Setia Haji Abdul Aziz bin Orang Kaya Maharaja Lela Haji Mohd Yusof, Deputy Permanent Secretary (Administrative and Financial Affairs) at the MoRA Roslan bin Haji Taja’ah, Deputy Permanent Secretary (Policy and Religious) at the MoRA Haji Mohd Serudin bin Haji Timbang and Deputy State Mufti Dato Seri Setia Dr Haji Japar bin Haji Mat Dain @ Maidin.

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|     Azlan Othman     |

BY COMMAND 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, state honorary medals were conferred on 448 individuals yesterday to mark the monarch’s 71st birthday last year.

During an investiture ceremony held at the Istana Nurul Iman, His Royal Highness Prince Haji Al-Muhtadee Billah, the Crown Prince and Senior Minister at the Prime Minister’s Office, as the personal representative of His Majesty, presented the Excellent Service Medal (PIKB) to the recipients comprising government officers and members of the private sector as well as athletes.

Also in attendance at the ceremony were His Royal Highness Prince ‘Abdul Malik and His Royal Highness Prince ‘Abdul Mateen.

Yang Amat Mulia Pengiran-Pengiran Cheteria, Cabinet ministers, members of the Legislative Council, deputy ministers, Pengiran-Pengiran Peranakan, Pehin-Pehin Manteri, members of foreign diplomatic missions, permanent secretaries and heads of departments and village heads also attended the event.

Of the 448 recipients, 135 are officers and staffs from the Ministry of Education; 123 from the Ministry of Religious Affairs, eight from the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports; 156 from the Ministry of Health and 26 are from the private sector including athletes who have raised the pride of the nation.

The honorary medals were awarded to recognise recipients’ meritorious work and their contribution to the nation, either in the government or in the private sector, as well their clean track record and discipline.

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|     Azrol Azmi     |

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, yesterday afternoon received in audience Professor Dr Ahmed Mohamed Ahmed El-Tayeb, the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar at the Istana Nurul Iman.

Accompanying the Grand Imam were Professor Dr Mohamed Hussin Abdelaziz Hassan, President of Al-Azhar University; and Gamal Abdel Rahim Mohamed Metwally, the non-resident Ambassador of the Arab Republic of Egypt to Brunei Darussalam.

Also present at the ceremony were Pehin Udana Khatib Dato Paduka Seri Setia Ustaz Haji Awang Badaruddin bin Pengarah Dato Paduka Haji Awang Othman, Minister of Religious Affairs; Pehin Datu Seri Maharaja Dato Paduka Seri Setia (Dr.) Ustaz Haji Awang Abdul Aziz bin Juned, the State Mufti; Pehin Orang Kaya Paduka Seri Utama Dato Paduka Seri Setia Ustaz Haji Awang Salim bin Haji Besar, Chief Syari’e Judge; Pengiran Dato Seri Paduka Haji Bahrom bin Pengiran Haji Bahar, Deputy Minister of Religious Affairs; Dato Seri Setia Haji Abdul Aziz bin Orang Kaya Maharaja Lela Haji Mohd Yusof, Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Religious Affairs; and Dr Haji Norarfan bin Haji Zainal, the Rector of the Universiti Islam Sultan Sharif Ali (UNISSA).

The Grand Imam of Al-Azhar arrived in the Sultanate on May 5 for a four-day working visit.

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|     Fadhil Yunus     |

BRUNEI Darussalam national rugby team started their campaign in the 2018 Asia Rugby Championship Division III East with a 66-12 loss to Guam at the Balapan Track and Field of the Hassanal Bolkiah National Sports Complex in Berakas yesterday.

The Guamanians blew the hosts away 42-0 in a lopsided first half but Brunei got off the scoreboard with a couple of good tries from Martin Brighty and Joseva Lauvanua in the second half as well as a conversion from Shen Quan Lim.

Brunei head coach Shafeek Kamalie acknowledged the efforts of his troops despite not being able to execute their game plan “They blew us away in the first half. They were leading 42-0 at half-time. If you look at the score in the second half, basically we managed to score 12 points so we definitely closed the gap down,” said Shafeek in an interview with the media.

“But in terms of what they came on to do we just never could get to our game plan and do what we wanted to do. They just blew us away in the first half and it was points coming at regular intervals,” added the head coach.

“Our defence just could not hold up at times. There were just overlaps and gaps started appearing in the field.”

The head coach congratulated their conquerors who he described as a “well organised and well drilled team.”

“They knew exactly what they wanted to do and they came out and did it. We knew what we wanted to do but they did it to us before we could do it to them.

“It is difficult to come back from a 42-point deficit so what we’ve told the boys at half-time in the changing room that we draw a line in the first half. It didn’t happen and we start new and try to implement what we want to do,” the South African continued.

“All in all, I’m not happy with the result but I am happy with the effort that the team has put in. We will obviously have to work really hard when we play China on Saturday so there is a lot of work ahead of us. But I do believe that we can bounce back from this.”

“The score-line is a massive one but for us the game is done so now we look to the next game.”

Shafeek shared that 85 per cent of the team is made up of under-23 players with many of them just starting out their international career adding that there is still a long way to go at this level.

“The important thing is that we have to learn from every experience. We will regroup, we will look at what we can improve and we will come out and try to do better next time.”

Brunei’s previous international experience was in 2015 when they faced Lao PDR and Mongolia and Shafeek said that most of his players were still at school at that time.

“It is a new team and though we have a lot of experienced players, the core of the team is quite young and quite new. We just have to take it on the chin and take it as it comes and come back again on Saturday,” added the head coach.

Meanwhile Guam head coach Tony Penn was pleased with the outcome of the game though he admitted the team lost structure in the second half.

“Obviously overall I’m very happy with the outcome of the game. In the second half we made a few changes and I thought we lost our structure a little bit.”

The head coach credited Brunei for coming out as a spirited side in the second half before moving on the need to improve on their performance ahead of their match against China tomorrow.

“China is a very tough side. Every team in this level of the competition is tough. They will be very structured and organised and we just got to work on a lot of our policies, game plan and structures.”

“We’ll do a little bit of debrief and assess that and go from there and looking at improving on what we lack at from the game and looking at improving against China,” he added.

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BRUNEI’S total trade in February 2018 increased to BND971.7 million compared to BND922.9 million in February 2017, representing an increase of 5.3 per cent year-on-year (y-o-y).

Meanwhile, the trade surplus fell by 13.7 per cent year-on-year from BND376.9 million (February 2017) to BND325.3 million.

This was announced in a press statement on International Merchandise Trade Statistics (IMTS) by the Department of Economic Planning and Development (JPKE), Prime Minister’s Office yesterday.

According to the statement, exports decreased by 0.2 per cent y-o-y to BND648.5 million from BND649.9 million (February 2017).

This was mainly due to the fall in crude oil exports by 9.9 per cent y-o-y as a result of a 17.9 per cent y-o-y decrease in the export volume, which was moderated by the increase in the average price of crude oil by 17.6 per cent.

Imports of goods increased by 18.4 per cent y-o-y from BND273.0 million (February 2017) to BND323.2 million (February 2018).

Meanwhile, the main contributors to imports were manufactured goods (33.2 per cent), machinery and transport equipment (32.2 per cent) and food (13.6 per cent).

In February 2018, the biggest export market was Japan with 47.9 per cent of total exports, followed by the Republic of Korea (18.8 per cent), Malaysia (10.8 per cent) and others.

In terms of imports by country of origin, the highest share came from China with 35.3 per cent, followed by Singapore (15.1 per cent), Malaysia (14.5 per cent) and others.

The IMTS for Brunei Darussalam adopts the General System for recording trade statistics, which cover imports, domestic exports, and re-exports.

The IMTS full report for February 2018 is available from DEPD’s website at www.depd.gov.bn

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