|     Hakim Hayat     |

THE first meeting of ASEAN Inter Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA) Advisory Council on Dangerous Drugs that concluded recently stressed on the need to boost efforts in tackling problems of drug abuse through cohesive cooperation at the regional and international levels.

The report following the Advisory Council on Dangerous Drugs meeting between parliamentary members in ASEAN highlighted that cooperation should not only be limited to enforcement agencies but it is a joint responsibility in the government and non-government sectors, especially in providing awareness and knowledge to the public on drug abuse.

The four-day meeting that took place in Singapore discussed and endorsed two main topics – the Resolution to Tackle a Drug Free ASEAN Community for the Future Generation and the Resolution on the terms of reference of the AIPA Advisory Council on Dangerous Drugs.

Brunei Darussalam was represented by Legislative Council (LegCo) members Yang Berhormat Nik Hafimi binti Abdul Haadii and Yang Berhormat Ong Tiong Oh and Deputy Clerk to the LegCo Rose Aminah binti Haji Ismail.

The meeting concluded with the signing of the Meeting Report by all heads of delegation of all 10 AIPA member nations.

Among the recommendations in the meeting included the development and maintenance of shared cooperation in strengthening the work in combating cross-border crime and also inter-agency cooperation to respond in transnational organised crime that is becoming more complex and rampant in the region.

The meeting also stressed on the importance for legislators in ASEAN to have the regulations, resources, strategy and framework in place to combat the menace.

|     Rokiah Mahmud     |

THE Authority for Info-communications Technology Industry of Brunei Darussalam (AITI) and the two leading telecommunication service providers in the country – Telekom Brunei Berhad (TelBru) and DST – said yesterday that they will continue to monitor and investigate hoax phone calls received by subscribers in the country, assuring that the telecom companies are striving together to address the issue.

Some of these calls are coming from overseas while some are originating in Brunei Darussalam itself.

“The hoax calls have raised concerns over the safety of call recipients, who find themselves confronted by unknown phone numbers that, when answered, may or may not speak in a language that is familiar with the aim to deceive unsuspecting victims,” TelBru said in a press statement.

“The persistence of these phone calls has made social media news over the past week with many airing their grievances over the inconvenience stemming from such hoax calls. Though Bruneians are generally aware of the risks that they may face if they choose to proceed with such calls, TelBru will continue to implement measures to better protect Bruneian public and is working with relevant authorities to better mitigate this issue.

“Not limited to Brunei, these calls are currently trending worldwide with the likes of the United States, Australia, Canada and other countries in Southeast Asia facing similar concerns with reported cases of those who have, regrettably, fallen victim to such an elaborate hoax,” the statement added.

As part of the efforts to protect consumer interests, TelBru urged members of the public to practise caution when answering these calls and immediately disconnect if any suspicion arises.

The company also urged them to refrain from divulging personal information of sensitive nature such as identification numbers (IC), bank account numbers, passwords to devices and home address to strangers including those who claim to represent certain companies.

These tactics also include requesting network access to an individual’s personal computer. As part of TelBru’s security protocols, its representatives are barred from acquiring such information over the telephone, the company said.

Meanwhile in another statement, DST said, “Many individuals in Brunei are currently being affected by an international hoax phone call scam originating from various operators, masked as genuine local numbers, some of which are active numbers.

“When subscribers answer these calls, there is an automated message from a pre-recorded voice speaking in Chinese. In such a situation, DST’s active subscribers are either affected by receiving calls, or their numbers are being used by phone scammers to call other subscribers without their knowledge. We are not alone as many other operators around the world are facing the same issue.”

The telecom provider added that it has been working around the clock to address these issues to prevent such incidents.

Sharing some ways to counter the situation, DST said, “Subscribers can choose to reject a call and await a response via SMS or text from the caller. If a call is answered and it is a spam call, hang up immediately. Do not call back a number which you suspect is a spam call. Never provide important information to these scammers upon request. By using these methods, you can better protect your information from these hackers.”

DST thanked its subscribers for assisting it in this investigation by providing updates on numbers being affected.

In a separate statement, AITI advised members of the public to alert their respective telecommunication service provider should they receive any suspicious calls. The customer care help lines are DSTCare 151, Progresif Customer Care 177 and TelBru Customer Care 111.

“Customers need to be extra cautious when answering calls from unfamiliar local or international numbers. If any subscribers have given their personal details to what they believe is a hoax call, they should contact the Royal Brunei Police Force to lodge an official report,” AITI added.

|    Fadhil Yunus    |

BRUNEI Darussalam participant Ruby Ang will be taking part in the International Basketball Foundation (FIBA) Youth Leadership Seminar in Singapore which will run from June 22 – 24.

The workshop, which unites 15 representatives from Southeast Asia and the Pacific region, will see participants undergo intensive leadership training, with the goal of delivering a FIBA-sanctioned U18 Mixed National 3×3 tournament in their respective countries.

Each individual will be educated on the intricacies of presiding over a FIBA-sanctioned 3×3 tourney. FIBA will fully support and fund the U18 3×3 Mixed tournament in preparation for the Youth Leaders Basketball Cup.

The national tournaments will be the official qualifiers for the Youth Leaders Basketball Cup on September 7-10 in Bali, Indonesia and the winning teams will represent their country in the final tournament.

The seminar will be supervised by Mthoko Madonda, the former captain of the South African basketball national team and founder of Reach Sports Management. Madonda supervised the IBF 3×3 Young Lions Cup in Antilles last year.

“We are excited to be working with IBF on the Youth Leadership Cup again. We are looking forward to meeting 15 amazing youth leaders from Southeast Asia and the Pacific and providing them with leadership and basketball for good training,” said Mthoko.

The selected participants for the youth leadership seminar also include Indonesia’s Laurentius Oei, Singapore’s Wan Qing Chin, Malaysia’s Zhong Shin Thea, Cambodia’s Sunleang Dy, Myanmar’s Min Zin Thun, Thailand’s Pornutcha Sawatong, Vietnam’s Lam Quach Trung, Northern Mariana Islands’ Liamwar Rangamar, Papua New Guinea’s Anderson Hewe, Philippines’s Amanda Alejandrino, Guam’s Kali Benavente, Laos’s Vontavanh Kompadith, Timor Leste’s Virinia Da Cruz and Fiji’s Tiyana Kainamoli.

|     James Kon     |

FOUR Malaysians and a permanent resident were detained by personnel of the Anti-Vice and Gambling Suppression Unit of the Crime Investigation Department of the Royal Brunei Police Force for allegedly involving in the SCR888 online gambling activity, during a raid in a house at Kampong Junjongan on Thursday night.

During the operation, nine gaming machines and six laptops containing SCR888 games were seized that were brought to the Criminal Investigation Department for further investigation.

The case is being investigated under Section 4 of the Common Gambling Houses Act, Chapter 28, which carries a penalty of 12 months’ imprisonment and a BND20,000 fine and Section 6(1) for people participating in gambling, which carries imprisonment for six months a fine of BND10,000.

The Royal Brunei Police Force said in a statement that it will continue to monitor and trace individuals who are carrying out any criminal activities in the country through its Criminal Investigation Department in each district.

Cooperation between the public and enforcement agencies in channelling information is important to stamp out illegal activities in the country, it added.

|     Danial Norjidi     |

TWO police stations – Berakas Police Station and Tutong Police Station – separately conducted Hari Raya Aidilfitri visits yesterday as part of the Neighbourhood Watch programme.

According to a press release, during the Hari Raya Aidilfitri festivities, personnel from Berakas Police Station led by the station’s Supervising Officer, Assistant Superintendent of Police Muhd Nurfairuz Nazri bin Salleh, carried out visits to the residences of penghulus, acting penghulu and village heads of Mukim Berakas A and B.

Neighbourhood Watch members also took part to enliven the visits, including those of Kampong Jaya Setia/Jaya Bakti/Burung Pingai and Kampong Pancha Delima.

According to a press release, the aim of the visits was to present pamphlets regarding crime prevention steps to the penghulu, acting penghulu and village heads of Mukim Berakas ‘A’ and ‘B’. Other aims included to share information regarding incidents of crime that have been reported and also to provide a reminder regarding steps to prevent crime during Hari Raya.

Meanwhile, Tutong Police Station conducted a Hari Raya visit to the Village Head of Kampong Keriam and Acting Village Head of Kampong Bukit Panggal Haji Morsidi bin Haji Mahadi.

The visit was led by Sergeant Major 2150 Jaidin bin Abdullah as well as seven personnel from Tutong Police Station.

Among the primary focusses of the visit was to present a certificate of appreciation to former members of the Neighbourhood Watch of Kampong Keriam and also to forward the names of new candidates.

The press release added that approaches such as this will continue to be carried out to establish good cooperation between teams, particularly with penghulus, village heads and neighbourhood watch members.

PERBADANAN Tabung Amanah Islam Brunei (TAIB) announced three winners of its monthly lucky draw for this year’s Participate & Win Lucky Draw Campaign yesterday.

Acting Managing Director of Perbadanan TAIB Hajah Noorrafidah binti Sulaiman presented the prizes.

First prize winner, Muhammad Nikman Waie bin Abdullah Kwa received a cash voucher worth BND200 followed by Siti Nur Saleha binti Damit a cash voucher worth BND150 and Zuratul Amanee binti Haji Ahmad a cash voucher worth BND100.

The Lucky Draw Campaign is open to the public and will conclude on October 31. Three lucky winners will be announced every month and a Grand Prize presentation will be held in the final month of the campaign. Monthly winners will also be eligible for the final Grand Draw.

|     Ishan Ibrahim     |

THE Brunei Darussalam Scouts Association (PPNBD) is currently being represented by scout leader Norfaezah binti Masri at the Asia-Pacific Regional (APR) Workshop on Diversity and Inclusion in Manila, Philippines, until June 26.

Muhammad Syahmi bin Halimshah, the Public Relation Commissioner, was among those present at the Brunei International Airport for Norfaezah’s departure to the Philippines.

Norfaezah is also the Assistant Belait District Commissioner, Communication Section of the Brunei Darussalam Scouts Association.

The five-day workshop, organised by the World Organisation of Scout Movement (WOSM) of the APR Office in Manila, with the cooperation of the Boy Scouts of the Philippines, aims to enhance the principles of all aspects of the scout movement from regional to national levels; identify the specific and generic issues for the scout movement for every nation; and provide the workshop participants with the practical procedures in strengthening the diverse issues at every level of the scout movement.

PPNBD’s participation is hoped to bring further innovation and diversity to its existing programmes, which in turn will help to generate more interest among the youth and senior members.

|     Aziz Idris     |

INTERNATIONAL School Brunei’s (ISB) primary school was treated to an array of song, dance and cultural performances during its annual Hari Raya assembly held at the school’s theatre yesterday.

Participating in the performances were Yang Teramat Mulia Pengiran Muda ‘Abdul Muntaqim ibni Duli Yang Teramat Mulia Paduka Seri Pengiran Muda Mahkota Pengiran Muda Haji Al-Muhtadee Billah and Yang Teramat Mulia Pengiran Anak Muneerah Madhul Bolkiah binti Duli Yang Teramat Mulia Paduka Seri Pengiran Muda Mahkota Pengiran Muda Haji Al-Muhtadee Billah.

The assembly began with opening remarks by Primary Principal Darren Sibley.

He reminded the students of the significance of the occasion.

“As an international school, ISB places a strong emphasis on tolerance and acceptance of all cultures, especially those of our host country Brunei.”

The importance of learning about other cultures was displayed in each performance, particularly a mini drama performance with an open house sketch.

The cultural performances featured songs and dances celebrating Hari Raya Aidilfitri and included an open house sketch where children from different countries spoke solely in Bahasa Melayu, a modern Raya twist dance Selamat Berhari Raya as well as a joget dance Seloka Hari Raya. Popular pop songs also attracted the crowd at the Hari Raya assembly.

The entire school was awash with colour as students were encouraged to wear their Baju Raya or the types of clothing that would be worn during Hari Raya Aidilfitri in different parts of the Muslim world.

|     Hakim Hayat and Izah Azahari     |

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 Her Majesty Duli Raja Isteri Pengiran Anak Hajah Saleha binti Al-Marhum Pengiran Pemancha Pengiran Anak Haji Mohamed Alam brought cheers to Jerudong International School (JIS) yesterday as they graced His Royal Highness Prince ‘Abdul Wakeel’s Year 6 graduation ceremony.

The event was organised by JIS Junior School at the JIS Arts Centre where Their Majesties were greeted on arrival by Minister of Finance II and Chairman of JIS Dato Seri Paduka Dr Awang Haji Mohd Amin Liew bin Abdullah; JIS Board of Directors members – Deputy Minister of Education Datin Paduka Dr Hajah Romaizah binti Haji Mohd Salleh, Acting Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Education (MoE) Dr Haji Azman bin Ahmad and Datin Paduka Magdalene Chong; JIS Principal Barnaby Sandow and senior members of the school.

Also present at the ceremony was Her Royal Highness Princess Ameerah Wardatul Bolkiah who is currently in Year 5 in the school.

The Year 6 graduation ceremony was led by the Year 6 graduating students who each spoke at some stage of the event with students sharing with the audience their favourite memories in Junior School.

The event was enlivened by poem recitations by Wa’iz, Iman, Sakhawi and Yi Hui, a memorable photo montage and music performances, namely Chanson Napoliante on the trumpet by Caitlyn, Prelude by Yi Hui and Jordan accompanied by the Foundation Strings and All is Calm by Melodee on the piano.

Head of Junior School Paul Bannister gave closing remarks, followed by the graduating students singing a rendition of the popular hit Hall of Fame.

Following the ceremony, Their Majesties took a closer look at the creative artworks displayed by JIS students at the foyer of the JIS Arts Centre. Their Majesties later went on separate tours of the Junior School campus.

His Majesty visited the classrooms of His Royal Highness Prince ‘Abdul Wakeel and Her Royal Highness Princess Ameerah Wardatul Bolkiah, where the monarch met their classmates and teachers during a classroom session.

His Majesty, who takes a keen interest in the development of education in the country, was seen happily interacting with students who proudly explained and showed their work while in their learning sessions.

His Majesty also visited the classrooms His Royal Highness Prince ‘Abdul Wakeel and Her Royal Highness Princess Ameerah Wardatul Bolkiah will study in for the new academic year which starts in August.

Meanwhile, Her Majesty enjoyed meeting early years students aged two-four years from the JIS Nursery and Kindergarten classes.

At the end of their visit, Their Majesties were greeted by students from the Junior School and class teachers.

With His Royal Highness Prince ‘Abdul Wakeel graduating Junior School, His Royal Highness will be entering Year 7 of the JIS Middle Years, joining 132 other students in August.

On Their Majesties’ visit, JIS Principal Barnaby Sandow said, “Everyone at JIS is tremendously proud and honoured to have Their Majesties joining us today.”

JIS was established in 1997 and currently has around 1,650 international and Bruneian students aged two-19 years. Students study the British International Curriculum from age two. From 14-16 years, students study the I/GCSE programmes. Senior students may choose between the ‘A’ Level programme and the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme for their pre-university course.

|     Aziz Idris     |

THE Kuala Lumpur Metro Group is back in the Sultanate for another preview of the group’s latest development in Kuala Lumpur, the Imperial Lexis @ KLCC.

The group along with local agent Pan Villa Properties (Brunei) was previously in the country last December which saw an overwhelming response from the public.

According to the General Manager of Pan Villa Properties (Brunei) Sarah Maggie, Imperial Lexis will be the first hotel in Kuala Lumpur to incorporate a private swimming pool into each unit.

The feat is made possible by the developer’s experience from the Lexis Hibiscus @ Port Dickson, where the group won numerous local and international awards including two Guinness World Records for having the most water villas and swimming pools in a single development.

She added the Imperial Lexis @ KLCC will be a 53-storey high development structure holding 272 units of Sky Pool Villas and 167 units of Luxurious Suites once completed by the end of 2021. All units are fully renovated and furnished with five-star hotel standards.

“A selling point for Bruneians is the location – right in the centre of the Zone 1 district of KLCC, surrounded by the Petronas Twin Towers, Pavilion Shopping Mall, KLCC Park, Prince Court Medical Centre, Royal Selangor Golf Club – all within minutes away,” she added.

The property will also have a 15-year ‘hassle-free’ programme for buyers looking for a golden investment opportunity. The first three years are guaranteed at seven per cent of the purchase price, while the next 12 years will be based on profit sharing. Owners will also get a 10-night free stay every year without any black-out dates.

With full five-star hotel facilities, six food and beverage outlets, a full glass sky viewing deck (at Level 51) and an open air sky lounge on the rooftop, the Imperial Lexis is set to be the highlight of Kuala Lumpur upon operation.

The Imperial Lexis will have two-and-three bedroom units to choose from for those looking for a private home in the core of Kuala Lumpur.

|     Rokiah Mahmud     |

MCDONALD’S Brunei, one of the most popular fast food outlets in the country, is among a number of private companies actively involved in corporate social responsibility (CSR) projects. Operating under its parent firm Makan Ceria Sdn Bhd, the company is renowned for not only offering customers good deals through the frequent running of promotions, but also for regularly carrying out and being involved in community projects.

During their 25 years in Brunei, McDonald’s Brunei has been spreading its love, kindness and joy to the less fortunate, orphans, youth and local communities in the country and has collaborated in a number of projects with government and private bodies such as the Ministry of Defence, Pengiran Muda Mahkota Al-Muhtadee Billah Fund for Orphans (DANA), Radio Brunei, Pusat Ehsan Al-Ameerah Al-Hajjah Maryam in Bengkurong, local charities, sports organisations and a number of mosques throughout the country.

One of the company’s community service efforts was its CSR project during last Ramadhan when they made deliveries of items on their menu to a number of mosques in the country every evening for nearly 20 days for the congregants’ Sungkai.

McDonald’s Brunei also organised a Sunnat Tarawikh prayer, Tedarus Al-Quran and Qiyamullail for a number of youth from the Lambak Kanan Mosque to further share the spirit of giving during the last 10 nights of Ramadhan. The McDonald’s Brunei team also often carries out volunteer work at mosques, for example cleaning the ablution areas and other parts of the mosques for the comfort of the congregants.

A marketing executive at McDonald’s Brunei Noor Hafilah binti Mohd Salleh said that the community initiatives that they carried out are an example for other organisations in the country to follow, besides efforts to assist the needy.

McDonald’s Brunei is also involved in youth development activities such as sponsoring sports attire for school athletes and handing over of donations to the less fortunate youngsters, among others.

“We are excited to have the opportunity to work with our partner Radio Brunei to help needy families,” she said, adding that it is vital for Bruneians to be grateful for the things that they have, and try to help out the less fortunate and ease their daily burden whenever possible.

The fast food company was also involved in the Jalinan Kasih project, a collaborative effort with Radio Brunei initiated to carry out charitable activities during the month of Ramadhan.

Under this project, already in its fourth year running, the team from McDonald’s Brunei visited a number of households of less fortunate families to hand over daily necessities as donation items during the fasting month and Hari Raya Aidifitri.

|     Izah Azahari     |

THE Girl Guides Association of Brunei Darussalam (PPPBD) held its annual Hari Raya Aidilfitri celebration at the PPPBD Headquarters in Anggerek Desa yesterday.

The guest of honour was Chief Commissioner of PPPBD Hajah Siti Hafsah binti Haji Abdul Halim.

Also present were the association’s assistant chief commissioners, commissioners and members.

The event aimed to enliven the Hari Raya Aidilfitri celebration, and strengthen the bonds of camaraderie among the association members.

Activities during the event also tested general knowledge and basic Girl Guides skills, and the creativity of the association’s youth members, the Brownies, Girl Guides, Ranger Girl Guides and youth leaders.

THE Centre for Innovative Engineering (CIE) at Universiti Teknologi Brunei (UTB) has secured funding from ASEAN-IVO for its project proposal titled ‘Event Analysis: Applications of Computer Vision and AI in Smart Tourism Industry’, a UTB press release stated.

This is the first time ASEAN-IVO has selected a project led by a university from Brunei.

The proposal is a response to a theme in the ASEAN-IVO 2018 project – ‘Smart Tourism’.

Explaining the motivation behind the proposal, Director of CIE, Associate Professor Dr Somnuk Phon-Amnuaisuk said, “After the establishment of the AEC (ASEAN Economic Community), travelling has become easy for people living in this region.

“One of the main concerns of tourists when travelling is safety and well-being. Our ‘event analysis’ project explores a cost-effective approach to enhance safety and well-being of visitors.”

The project proposal is designed to exploit recent advances in media streaming technology, deep learning, computer vision and artificial intelligence (AI), the director said. “We hope to deliver ‘visual event analysis’ services to tourism industries after the successful completion of the project.”

CIE shall lead the joint collaboration with the following research institutes and universities: Lao-Japan Technical Training Centre, National University of Laos; Mahanakorn University of Technology, Thailand; Multimedia University, Malaysia; National Electronics and Computer Technology Centre, Thailand; National Institute of Information and Communication Technology, Japan; Nanyang Technological University, Singapore and University of Computer Studies, Yangon, Myanmar.

UTB is also a member of two other projects selected by ASEAN-IVO. A senior lecturer from School of Computing and Informatics Dr Wida Susanty binti Haji Suhaili will be involved.

The first one is ‘A Mesh-topological, Low-power Wireless Network Platform for a Smart Watering System’ under the Smart-Agriculture project theme.

Her second project is ‘Harnessing ICT for Environmental Protection through the Networked ASEAN Peat Swamp Forest Communities’ under the Smart Environment Protection project theme.

An information and communication technology (ICT) virtual organisation, ASEAN- IVO is a global alliance of ICT research and development institutes and universities in the ASEAN region and National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (NICT) Japan. UTB’s CIE is led by its director Associate Professor Dr Somnuk Phon-Amnuaisuk and Deputy Director Dr Minh-Son Dao.

The centre is focussed on applying innovative technologies across various industries of importance to Brunei including agrifood, education and learning, national security, disaster management and tourism, among others.

|     Danial Norjidi     |

THE Brunei Malay Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DPPMB) organised a dialogue session for the stakeholders of DPPMB at the 4th World Cafe 2018 at the Radisson Hotel yesterday.

The event highlighted the Business, Economy, Social and Technology (BEST) approach to address issues impacting business development and nation building. The session saw reports presented on challenges encountered in the four areas of this approach as well as actions needed.

The reports were presented by lead representatives from Universiti Islam Sultan Sharif Ali (UNISSA), Universiti Brunei Darussalam (UBD), Religious Teachers University College of Seri Begawan (KUPU SB), Universiti Teknologi Brunei (UTB) and DPPMB.

The presentations were followed by a moderated panel discussion and round table dialogue session.

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 attended the session as guest of honour.

President of DPPMB Dr Haji Kamaruddin bin Dato Seri Paduka Haji Talib delivered opening remarks at the event in which he shared, “In pursuit of accomplishing our National Vision 2035, we have successfully organised the 4th World Cafe 2018 on May 5, 2018, a social dialogue with various experts and stakeholders exploring ideas on how the public and private sector may better contribute to accomplishing the National Vision.

“The preliminary session saw 90 registered participants joining the morning activity and 50 selected business people gathered for the exploration session in the afternoon.”

He said that yesterday’s dialogue session aimed to further refine the recommendations drafted during the aforementioned preliminary and exploration sessions.

“We aim to finalise the report of the 4th World Cafe which will soon be submitted to relevant government and non-government agencies for further action.

“The preliminary and exploration sessions discussed a range of key issues and challenges facing the private sector that include the business community. We believe that there is a collective wealth of wisdom among our experts and stakeholders that need to be articulated and shared in order to get the best solutions to the many challenges raised in the preliminary and exploration sessions.

“We encourage the exchange of ideas, but most important of all is we walk the talk. These issues need to be addressed and it has become imperative for DPPMB to take an active role in monitoring the actions taken and those actions that still need to be taken,” Dr Haji Kamaruddin said.

He expressed hope that the dialogue session would bring forth the need for inclusive, interactive and ongoing information sharing between the private sector and government authorities.

“We can strengthen the bond among us in our pursuit to accomplish the National Vision 2035,” he affirmed.

“We are positive that the DPPMB World Cafe is a great open space to cross-pollinate ideas and find connectivity and commonality among our common challenges and together we can rise above the occasion and be active participants in steering the socio-economic goals of the National Vision 2035.”

The DPPMB President expressed appreciation to the guest of honour, programme supporters including UNISSA, UBD, KUPU SB and UTB as well as consulting partners MDG Services and BN Hartajati Management Consultant and strategic partner Creativo Sdn Bhd.

“Your full support made a meaningful impact in our 4th World Cafe,” he said.

“Last but not least, I wish to thank the DPPMB team whose relentless support became a backbone to all our efforts in getting the business community and the rest of the stakeholders together to participate in this important and relevant event,” Dr Haji Kamaruddin said.

|     Danial Norjidi     |

THE relationship between Brunei Darussalam and the United States of America was lauded yesterday by the US Ambassador to Brunei Darussalam Craig B Allen.

Delivering a keynote address at the Power Lunch event hosted by the Brunei Malay Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DPPMB) at the Radisson Hotel, the ambassador shared his perspective on the US economy, the development of trade and investment activities in the US as well as Brunei-US relations.

“The US and Brunei have had close relations for 170 years,” he said. “We have been trading partners for generations and we have a very good relationship in military, security, trade, investment, etc.”

Another important area is oil equipment, he noted. “We sell a lot of oil equipment to Brunei. We’d like to sell more. There’s been a revolution in oil and gas technology. The US is in the lead there and we’re happy to share the best of what we have with our Bruneian friends,” the envoy added.

“On the investment side, there is a large Bruneian investment in the US. We welcome that.” The ambassador also highlighted that Bruneian citizens do not need a visa to go to the US.

He further elaborated on the relationship between Brunei and the United States in an interview with the Sunday Bulletin.

“The trade side is dependent on the health of both economies and the two economies are doing well right now, so I think that we can expect an upswing in the exports from both sides,” he said.

“Also, on the services, be it education or tourism, there’s more and more activity going on. Oil field services as well,” he continued.

“So I’m very bullish about the economics in the second half of 2018 and 2019 for both countries.

“On US investment in Brunei, I know of a number of projects that are in one stage or another. When those are mature they’ll be announced, and I think that there’s a lot of interest.”

|     Danial Norjidi     |

THE Brunei Malay Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DPPMB) held its third Power Lunch event yesterday at the Radisson Hotel.

Organised by Creativo Sdn Bhd, the event was supported by Bank Islam Brunei Darussalam (BIBD) and Adinin Group of Companies.

In his welcoming remarks at the event, President of DPPMB Dr Haji Kamaruddin bin Dato Seri Paduka Haji Talib said, “It is with great pleasure we welcome you once again to our third Power Lunch held this second quarter of 2018. We have generated very good feedback from our previous events and we are confident our Power Lunch series can be a strong flagship programme of the Brunei Malay Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

“An interesting feature of our Power Lunch is the space for our local members of the chamber to share their journey in growing their businesses within and beyond the shores of Brunei,” said the DPPMB President.

The event saw Ambassador of the United States of America to Brunei Darussalam Craig B Allen deliver a keynote address sharing his perspective on the current state of the US economy as well as the development of trade and investment activities in the US, before speaking on Brunei-US relations.

The keynote address was followed by a segment called ‘Our Story’, featuring two home-grown businesses in Brunei Darussalam who spoke about their journey, including their successes and challenges.

The first company was Riza Fudhlana Farming, one of the subsidiaries under the Riza Group. The business is carried out on a six-hectare plot at Tanah Tuah Agricultural Development Area in Bebatik Kulapis.

In 2017, Riza Fudhlana Farming produced 1,750 metric tonnes of broiler chicken worth BND7.9 million out of its current nine units of chicken coops using closed-chicken cooling system technology.

The company has tremendous opportunities to penetrate the overseas markets like Japan and Korea, noted the DPPMB President.

The second company that shared their story was Sahamada Corporation Sdn Bhd. Established in 1986, the company first engaged in construction and development projects and it was in 2003 that the company diversified into food manufacturing and began producing chilli sauce bearing the brand ‘CINTA’.

The company also shared its experiences in the export of its products to the region.

The DPPMB President said, “It is also a window of opportunity for the rest of the members of the business community to learn from the journey and take stock of the pitfalls and obstacles and how these companies strived to succeed beyond measure.”

Adding on, he expressed his thanks to VIP table sponsor BIBD and table sponsor Adinin Group of Companies.

He also acknowledged DPPMB’s strategic partner Creativo Sdn Bhd for organising the event as well as the full support of DPPMB officers and executive members.

|     Azlan Othman     |

THE 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 urged youth in the country to think big, think out-of-the-box and engage in digital economy.

While responding to queries during a panel discussion at the Brunei Malay Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DPPMB) 4th World Cafe 2018 yesterday at the Radisson Hotel in the capital yesterday, Major General (Rtd) Dato Paduka Seri Awang Haji Aminuddin Ihsan said that there is also need for strategic partnerships to engage youth in entrepreneurship and help them penetrate the outside market as the local market is already saturated.

“Youth can’t be spoon-fed. Accessibility is there and all the documents are there. I see a lot of potential in youth. The government sees the importance of youth. In the upcoming National Youth Day celebration, we want to showcase youth that excel in entrepreneurship,” the minister said.

On youth policy, he said that the recent Legislative Council session has discussed it and suggested that the policy has to be inclusive and needs to engage all stakeholders.

“The Youth Congress is going to be held in the coming months and we are going to share with the youth the right policy that needs to be implemented.

Meanwhile, speaking at the event, Deputy Permanent Secretary (Management, Cooperatives and Industry) at the Prime Minister’s Office Hajah Tutiaty binti Haji Abdul Wahab said the country is striving to increase exports, acknowledging that it is a big task.

“We are currently looking at ways to strengthen our local small and medium enterprises (SMEs) by organising workshops and providing training and finance. We are also in the process of drafting a Bruneisation policy which can look after the interests of Bruneians in business. We are also strengthening the Local Business Development (LBD) framework to benefit locals more and enhancing the participation of locals in the construction sector,” she added.

Yesterday’s discussion also highlighted the need to establish a data centre, increase Internet speed and access, promote more niche Halal products and form a proper business marketing plan.

The participants of the discussion also called for the oil and gas industries to be more realistic, lenient and not to enforce overly stringent terms and conditions on new players. This will ensure more youth participation in business, they said.

|     Fadhil Yunus     |

DPMM FC head coach Rene Weber has called his charges to perform under pressure in their clash against Hougang United in the Singapore Premier League at the National Stadium in Singapore today.

The Gegar Gegar men resumed training on Monday following a short Hari Raya Aidilfitri break on and is raring to build on their 6-2 success during their previous outing in Singapore.

“We must put the team under pressure because pressure makes the players play at a higher level. They must feel that they must win and when they put their mind into the game, they will improve,” said Weber in an interview after a training session at the Jerudong Mini Stadium.

“We want to play (good) football but when we lose the ball, we must press our opponent and come back more quickly.”

After six months at the helm, Weber said that he is currently overseeing the second stage of his team’s development having moved from the first stage which was learning his squad.

Weber highlighted that the second stage involved working on the physical and technical organisation while the first stage was about understanding the team’s organisation.

“I want to use the quality of the players and with power. I want to reach the top four target and I want to keep this position,” the former Altetico Mineiro assistant manager said.

Weber also indicated that fringe or reserve players should be given the exposure to feature in competitive matches evident by the growing influence from the bench in recent matches.

The Brazilian has given opportunities to forward Azizi Ali Rahman, who is making his debut season, and winger Shafie Effendy to shine in Singapore.

“In Brazil, we always say that we must put games in the shoulders of the players. They need to play more. Shafie can be a good player and he’s young too.

“Azizi also comes in now to the team. He has experience but he hasn’t played before in a higher level. He can help our team,” the coach said of the former MS ABDB man.

“You must prepare one full group with a strong mentality. The substitutes must also keep the level (which started from the first half) high,” Weber further added.

The head coach also acknowledged the sheer qualities of defender Yura Indera Putera despite seeing his role limited from the bench. “Yura is a young player and has power,” he said.

The head coach will also be focussing on making sure that his charges are better equipped with greater physical strength. “We must improve our physical part of the game to put pressure on our opponents. It is our target now,” he added.

|     James Kon     |

U14 Brunei national youth football team and Projek Ikan Pusu (PIP) U12 players are receiving trainings from coaches with Renofa Yamaguchi FC, a second division Japanese professional football team.

The training sessions at the National Football Association of Brunei Darussalam’s (NFABD) artificial turf are made possible thanks to Japan Foundation Asia Center and the Japan Professional Football League.

Japanese Ambassador to Brunei Darussalam Motohiko Kato visited the training ground yesterday to encourage the young footballers and to observe the sport exchange programme between Brunei Darussalam and Japan.

The Japanese Ambassador said, ” Football is a very popular sport in Asia including Japan. The Japanese national team is currently doing well in the World Cup and Japan would like to share our experience as well as expertise with Brunei.

“The relationship between Brunei Darussalam and Japan is very important and as the Ambassador of Japan to Brunei, I attach great importance on youth exchange programme especially in sports because the future of the relationship of both countries lies on the shoulders of the young people.”

He also said with the JENESYS Programme (Japan-East Asia Network of Exchange for Students and Youths), Japan invited young participants in the field of football, rugby and judo to the country while Japanese young badminton players were recently in Brunei for friendly games. Brunei also established its judo national federation and a Japanese judo instructor is currently visiting Brunei.

The Japanese Ambassador added, “We are trying to do everything we can to promote the many sports in Brunei especially football because it is very popular among Bruneians. I feel that there is still rooms to promote football among the young people.”

With the long-term commitment of Coach Takao Fujiwara who has been in NFABD since 2015 together with short-term programmes like visiting coaches, local young footballers are motivated to become professional players.

Through the many initiatives, he said, “I hope that the young footballers can achieve their dream to become professional footballers.”

Toshifumi Takahashi and Taru Otaki are the coaches from Renofa Yamaguichi FC currently in Brunei to train the children until tomorrow.

It is expected that through the three-day sessions, the youth teams would be exposed to new ideas and form innovative ways of thinking about the game to help their development as players.

In addition, it is also hoped that Brunei youths and coaches can interact with Japanese coaches and vice versa to build mutual understanding for further development of friendship between Brunei and Japan.

|    Abdul Hakiim Yakof    |

PASTAMANIA announced its new ‘Fun Meal with Pastamons’ kids’ meal promotion and upcoming colouring competition for kids last weekend during a press conference at Pastamania, Times Square Shopping Centre.

As part of the promotion, kids can choose pasta dishes such as the Creamee Rasher, Crumbee Cheesy, Ollee Chicken Broccoli and Tomee Meatball.

The meal comes with a beverage choice of either orange or apple juice, with side dishes – the cheesy cheddar cheese sticks, the crispy waffle potato, or the cheesy garlic bread and three choices of ice-cream for dessert.

Kids under 12 years who purchase the meal during the promotional period, which runs until August 14, are entitled for a chance to enter the colouring competition.

Participants will have their works featured on the Pastamania Facebook and Instagram pages on a bi-weekly basis. Those who receive the most likes for their artwork will stand a chance to win food vouchers.