| Azlan Othman |

ARABIC education came under close scrutiny once again by 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, when the monarch made unscheduled visits yesterday to three Arabic schools in the Brunei-Muara District.

His Majesty first visited the Bandar Seri Begawan Arabic Preparatory School and the Raja Isteri Pengiran Anak Damit Girls Arabic Religious Secondary School (SUAMPRIPAD), followed by a tour of the Hassanal Bolkiah Arabic Boys Secondary School (SMALHB).

Upon arrival at the Bandar Seri Begawan Arabic Preparatory School, His Majesty was greeted by the Pehin Udana Khatib Dato Paduka Seri Setia Ustaz Haji Awang Badaruddin bin Pengarah Dato Paduka Haji Awang Othman, Minister of Religious Affairs, and Principal of the school, Ustazah Sarimah binti Haji Ahmad. The monarch took a closer look at the learning sessions for Years 5 and 6 and later visited the teachers’ room, medical unit, meeting hall and dining hall.

Established in 1984 for the early enrolment of female students, the preparatory school has 30 rooms including two ICT rooms, administration room, meeting room, security room and a canteen.

It offers core religious subjects like Al-Quran, Arabic language, At-Tarbiyyah Ad Diniyyah and general subjects like Malay, English, Mathematics, Science and Malay Islamic Monarchy (MIB). Compulsory subjects such as Social Studies, ICT, Practical Religious Subject and Physical Education are also offered.

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, during a surprise visit to one of the Arabic schools – INFOFOTO

ABOVE & BELOW: 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, during the visit to one of the Arabic schools. – PHOTOS: INFOFOTO

Currently, the school has a total of 851 students (476 in Year 5 and 375 in Year 6), 84 teachers and 24 staff members.

His Majesty then visited SUAMPRIPAD and was greeted by the Principal of the school, Ustazah Hajah Rusidah binti Haji Talip.

SUAMPRIPAD accommodates 1,197 students from Years 7 to 11 and offers them the opportunity to take Brunei Religious Education Certificate examination and GCE ‘O’ Level exam before completing their education at the school.

Came under scrutiny during the monarch’s visit was facilities like car parking space, dining hall, surau and teachers’ room. The ruler also visited several classes of Year 7 and witnessed students carrying out revision for their Brunei Religious Education Certificate and GCE ‘O’ level exams.

The monarch then toured the Hassanal Bolkiah Boys Arabic Secondary School and was welcomed on arrival by Dayang Hajah Norjainah binti Haji Buntar, principal of the School. His Majesty later toured a gallery that portrays the education achievements of the school in 50 years of its establishment.

The school has 491 students at the school of whom 312 are at pre-university 1 and 179 in pre-university 2 classes taking Usuluddin, Syariah and Arabic language. There are 91 officers and staff, out of whom 56 are locals.

Before concluding his visit, His Majesty joined the students in performing mid-day prayers at the school surau which was renovated recently at a cost of $217,321. It can accommodate 400 congregants.

Also in attendance werePehin Orang Kaya Laila Setia Dato Seri Setia Awang Haji Abdul Rahman bin Haji Ibrahim, Minister at the Prime Minister’s Office and the Minister of Finance II; Dato Paduka Awang Haji Abdul Mokti bin Haji Mohd Daud, Deputy Minister of Religious Affairs; Awang Yahya bin Haji Idris, Permanent Secretary at the Prime Minister’s Office; Dato Seri Setia Awang Haji Abdul Aziz bin Orang Kaya Maharaja Lela Haji Mohd Yussof, Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Religious Affairs; Deputy Permanent Secretaries and senior officers at the Ministry.

Delivering a titah during a meeting with the Brunei Islamic Religious Council (MUIB) at the Legislative Council (LegCo) building in late February this year, His Majesty had raised concerns on the direction and future of Arabic education in the country.

“This is a matter of much concern to me – the future direction of Arabic schools. Are their roles fading into irrelevancy or diverting towards another direction? This calls for a thorough reassessment to steer it back to the original course. Do not allow it to be diverted,” the monarch noted in the titah, adding that more students are inclined towards science-based subjects than Arabic.

In January this year, the Ministry of Religious Affairs said that the trend towards Arabic education in Brunei showed signs of increase, with 1,034 students (446 male and 588 female) registering for Year 5 education.

Out of the four districts, Brunei-Muara heads the list, with 790 students registered at the Sungai Akar Arabic School and the Bandar Seri Begawan Arabic Preparatory School. Currently, there are around 800 students studying in Years 5 and 6 at the Preparatory School, while the Hassanal Bolkiah Boys Arabic Secondary School has about 400 students.

Arabic school students have an advantage of receiving religious education together with the national curriculum.

If the students achieve outstanding exam results, they have a choice of taking degree courses or pursuing religious knowledge at higher institutions such as Universiti Islam Sultan Sharif Ali (UNISSA), Religious Teachers University College of Seri Begawan (KUPU SB), and Egypt’s Al-Azhar University, besides taking general subjects and exams to pursue tertiary education at both foreign and local institutions.

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BAIDURI Bank began operations in its newly relocated Tutong branch yesterday, following recent major renovation and upgrading works. Centrally located, the new branch sprawls over two units in Petani Mall.

Offering full banking services to individuals and businesses as well as complimentary personal financial planning consultation, the new branch features modern and contemporary décor to reflect the dynamism and innovative spirit of Baiduri Bank.

The Tutong Branch operates at normal banking hours of 9am to 4pm on Mondays to Thursdays, 9am to 12pm and 2pm to 4pm on Fridays, and 9am to 11am on Saturdays. However, during the month of Ramadhan, it will observe temporary banking hours of 9am to 3pm on Mondays to Thursdays, 9 to 12pm and 2pm to 3pm on Fridays, and from 9am to 11am on Saturdays.

The new Baiduri Bank Tutong branch located in Petani Mall. – BAIDURI BANK

The upgraded premises is also equipped with complimentary Wi-Fi as well as new ATMs to cater to the growing number of customers transacting electronically.

The Tutong Branch relocation and upgrade works is part of Baiduri Bank’s branch network configuration project which seeks to revitalise each branch to suit the market demographic segment. An official launch ceremony for Tutong Branch will be held towards the end of the year.

For more information, the public may visit the website on www.baiduri.com.bn and follow Baiduri Bank Group on Facebook or @baiduribank on Instagram and Twitter.

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| Faza Suraj |

BRUNEI is seen as an excellent destination for schools from other countries to learn and witness how the Malay Language is used as a part of the day-to-day activities.

St Margaret’s School in Seria recently received an educational visit by 28 students from the Bedok View Secondary School of Singapore.

They were treated with an array of cultural performances by the students of St Margaret’s School such as the ‘Tarian Ngajat’, an Iban cultural dance, and also the ‘Tindak Alu’, a Dusun cultural dance, and also a demonstration on making a traditional delicacy.

Speaking to the Bulletin was Syaiful Bahari bin Abdul Latif, a Malay Language teacher from the visiting school and he explained that Brunei was chosen as a place to visit particularly due to the wide usage of the Malay Language in the Sultanate.

“We want the students to experience using Malay Language more regularly and it’s difficult to do that in a country where English Language is commonly used and what more of a suitable place other than Brunei, which prioritises Malay above other languages,” said Syaiful Bahari.

A student learning to perform the Tindak Alu which is a Dusun cultural dance. PHOTOS: FAZA SURAJ

Students observing a lady making a Penyaram

He added that another aim of the visit was also to learn about the culture of Brunei along with the essence of tradition which it was built upon to further understand the language.

In relation to that, he informed that among the places listed in their ‘Kembara Ilmu’ itinerary included the Sago factory in Ukong of the Belait District, where the Sultanate’s iconic dish, the Ambuyat, is made.

“The students enjoyed the visit as the factory is known to produce one of the raw ingredients to make the delicacy which is unique to Brunei. It’s delicious,” expressed the teacher as he went on explaining that apart from exposing the students to the culture of Brunei, the trip also helped them learn about each other as schoolmates.

“I’ve noticed changes among the students during the five-day visit as they’ve started to not only have more interactions with their own schoolmates but also with the students in Brunei,” he added.

This was also an important part of the visit, which taught the students that even though they’re from different countries, they can bridge new connections and make new friends by having something in common such as the Malay Language.

The group comprised 28 Year 7 and Year 8 students and the five-day visit marked their first visit to Brunei.

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| Fadhil Yunus |

THE Brunei Darussalam Athletics Federation (BDAF) expressed pride over the athletes returning from Ho Chi Minh City following the end of the 17^th Asian Junior Athletics Championships for their highly spirited performance, persistence and never-say-die attitude to fight in lifting the image of the country on the global stage.

Despite a subtle hint of satisfaction, the preservation of current personal bests represents a big challenge in the way forward for the association’s next course of action with Mohd Hakeem @ Faiz Sulaiman’s best time of 22.98 unable to change the outlook of targets not being met.

The General Secretary of BDAF, Md Shahjohan bin Haji Shari remarked that mental and physical preparations must be enhanced because athletes competing in every stage of the event must withstand diverse mental and physical pressures.

The newly-appointed general secretary, who succeeded Adia Tawang, stressed the importance of exposure in competitions saying that athletes must get used to it especially young athletes.

In Brunei, programmes devoted to preparing individuals should exist to multiply their chances of accomplishing great results on the international stage.

Md Shahjohan bin Haji Shari, General Secretary of BDAF (Left) with the Brunei junior athletes and Belait-based national athletes coach, Fidel Gallenero. – KHAIRIL HASSAN

The general secretary called for the establishment of leagues at various levels to help identify a candidate to be selected in international competitions.

“I believe what should be done is to expand sports development programmes at home such as leagues, age group championships, district and national level championships before they are selected to represent the national team in the regional or international stage,” Md Shahjohan said.

The general secretary’s suggestions do not come as a surprise as the globally-known IAAF Diamond League has produced a multitude of talents across the world.

“As an example, an international professional athlete will require 30-40 competitions per year. This includes national and overseas competitions,” he continued.

“In the development stage, they require 20-30 competitions per year while at grassroots level they require 10-20 competitions per year.”

In covering the performance of the athletes, they must be assessed based on improvements or deterioration the training programmes designed by the coach whereby their targets are in accordance with a general plan which contains several phases including peak performance.

“Each athlete can only see an increase of three to five per cent in one year. This depends on how long the training is conducted.

“There is a time where an athlete does not perform well for various reasons.”

The adaptation of the body could be one of the factors affecting the individual who needs to find adjustments in the change of weather or their adaptation in training such as competition time.

An athlete has the chance to compete in the preliminary, semi-finals and finals in the national or regional stage.

However, the national track athletes have limited opportunities and face a heavy burden as they could only demonstrate their performance in the preliminary stage as only the top two athletes’ advance to the next round.

The general secretary also encouraged the national field athletes to work extremely hard towards posting their best performances in the three initial attempts before being selected in the top eight and continue with the three subsequent attempts and complete the six allocated throws or jumps.

“From these several aspects we can already notice the comparisons between our athletes and those from overseas,” he asserted.

Md Shahjohan also shared that a professional athlete requires 18-20 training sessions per week which takes two to three hours per session.

He said that development athletes or athletes to be absorbed require 10-16 training sessions per week which is equivalent to 90-120 minutes per session, adding that a grassroots athlete requires six to eight training sessions per week which takes 60-90 minutes per session.

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| Azlan Othman |

THE establishment of DARe (Darussalam Enterprise) indicates that the government has the sense of urgency to come up with something to face the challenged posed by the economic downturn where emphasis is on non-oil and gas sectors like agriculture, aquaculture and the fishing industry, said Dr Haji Kamaruddin bin Dato Seri Paduka Haji Talib, President of the Brunei Malay Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DPPMB) and Chairman of the National Chamber of Commerce and Industry (NCCI).

“It is also to encourage Bruneians to engage in activities which are ‘import substitution’ like planting our own produces like onions, mushrooms and chillies instead of importing them from outside,” added Dr Haji Kamaruddin, who is also one of the business representatives of DARe.

“The World Bank’s Ease of Doing Business ranking is very important for the Sultanate. DARe could help iron out issues that hampers the Ease of Doing Business by engaging with different ministries to tackle the issues.

“It is a good move made by the government in creating DARe. Significant reforms carried out by the government have had a positive impact on the business environment with hopes to yield more growth and contribute to the gross domestic product (GDP),” he told the Bulletin.

Dr Haji Kamaruddin bin Dato Seri Paduka Haji Talib. – AZLAN OTHMAN

And as the President of the Brunei-China Friendship Association as well as the President of Brunei-Korea Association of Friendship, Dr Haji Kamaruddin added that we need more foreign direct investments (FDIs) not just from China and other East Asian countries but also from the Middle East and Russian Federation.

“But we have to be selective. The industries that we are going to attract must benefit us in terms of employment and transfer of technology.”

The Middle East countries are now interested in Islamic banking in Brunei Darussalam while the Russian Federation is scouting for more investment opportunities through Brunei Business Council at Asean-Russia Partnership led by the Malay Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Asean Business Advisory Council, APEC Business Advisory Council and other affiliate members.

The Russian trade and business delegation has been here in the Sultanate twice in recent months and showed keen interest in bridge construction, water treatment plants, and logistics.

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| Izah Azahari |

BUREAU Veritas Brunei recently celebrated World Environment Day 2016 with a visit to the Marine Biodiversity Centre at Meragang Beach, under the association’s ‘Save Our Turtles’ programme.

The guest of honour was Dr Haji Kamaruddin bin Dato Seri Paduka Haji Talib, the Chairman and Director of Bureau Veritas Brunei.

Farid Salleh, the events coordinator of Bureau Veritas Brunei, said that this year’s theme for World Environment Day is ‘Zero Tolerance for Illegal Wildlife Trade’, which includes raising awareness on the effects of human exploitation to Brunei sea turtles through the consumption of turtle eggs.

The celebration commenced with a presentation on Saving Our Turtles by Biodiversity and Natural History Society (BruWILD), which was followed by the signing of a pledge by Bureau Veritas members and their family members, in a bid to support the enforcement laws set by the government.

Dr Haji Kamaruddin bin Dato Seri Paduka Haji Talib (C) presenting a commemorative gift to representative of BruWILD, Muhammad Abdul Hakeem Julaihi (R). PHOTOS: BUREAU VERITAS

Group photo of participants

Bureau Veritas Brunei personnel with a sea turtle in Marine Biodiversity Centre

The team members were then allowed to get close to some live sea turtles in the centre, during which they learned about the ways to identify Brunei sea turtles, in addition to the reptiles’ biological make-up and functional morphology.

Commemorative gifts were presented by the guest of honour to the Department of Environment, Parks and Recreation (JASTRe) and to the Biodiversity and BruWILD for lending their support.

Members of the public are urged to report the poaching of sea turtle eggs, or any other type of exploitation of endangered animals, by contacting the Wildlife Division at 7216533 and BruWILD at 7127379.

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| Azaraimy HH |

ALL roads leading to Gerai Ramadhan Tutong moved at a snail’s pace late yesterday afternoon as Muslims came to buy gastronomical delights to break their first day of fasting.

The Tutong District Office provided 90 units at the Gerai Ramadhan Tutong located at an open area near Pengiran Muda Mahkota Pengiran Muda Haji Al-Muhtadee Billah Hospital for vendors to sell foods such as local delicacies and Western cuisines. Seventy-six units were allocated for selling food and 14 units for beverages.

Just like in other districts, the Gerai Ramadhan Tutong attracted large crowds.

‘Ayam Bakar’ is among the local favourites

The crowd at Gerai Ramadhan Tutong. PHOTOS: AZARAIMY HH

Mini Gerai Ramadhan were also held in several other Mukims in Tutong District such as in Kampong Kupang and at the open area at Mukim Telisai Community Hall (at Perpindahan Bukit Beruang).

During the month of Ramadhan, many are taking the opportunity to earn extra income by selling food especially for Muslims breaking their fast.

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|     Azlan Othman     |

THE Universiti Islam Sultan Sharif Ali (UNISSA), through the Student Affairs Section and the Social Welfare and Promotion Unit of the Student’s Council has organised a charitable programme known as the ‘Ramadhan Food Drive’ from June 3-5.

The Ramadhan Food Drive is the first project that was initiated by UNISSA in conjunction with the month of Ramadhan. It was carried out through the contribution in the form of financial aid and food including rice, cooking oil, sugar and salt. The donations were handed over to 35 families comprising people with special needs and the less fortunate.

The project was successfully conducted with the support of Dr Haji Norarfan bin Haji Zainal, Rector of UNISSA, who also presented the contributions. The programme was also attended by senior officers of UNISSA and the Student Affairs Section.

Dr Haji Norarfan bin Haji Zainal (R), Rector of UNISSA, giving contributions to a recipient

Dr Haji Norarfan with students taking part in the Ramadhan food drive in a group photo. PHOTOS: AZLAN OTHMAN

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|     Abdul Hakiim Yakof     |

THE National Tadarus Al-Quran at mosques, suraus and prayer halls for the month of Ramadhan opened with the first Tedarus Al-Quran held at Jame’ ‘Asr Hassanil Bolkiah on Monday.

The opening for the National Tadarus was organised by the Ministry of Religious Affairs (MoRA), through the Mosque Affairs Department in cooperation with the Jame’ ‘Asr Hassanil Bolkiah Takmir committee.

Present as guest of honour was Minister of Religious Affairs Pehin Udana Khatib Dato Paduka Seri Setia Ustaz Haji Awang Badaruddin bin Pengarah Dato Paduka Haji Awang Othman.

The event began after mass Isyak, Tarawikh and Sunnat Witir prayers with a recitation of Surah Al-Fatihah by the guest of honour to commence the Tedarus Al-Quran.

Minister of Religious Affairs Pehin Udana Khatib Dato Paduka Seri Setia Ustaz Haji Awang Badaruddin bin Pengarah Dato Paduka Haji Awang Othman joins others at the event – MUIZ MATDANI

A recitation of tafseer, its explanation, and conclusion was carried out by Haji Sham bin Haji Amin, Mosque Affairs Officer at the MoRA. The event concluded with a recitation of Doa Selamat by Begawan Pehin Khatib Dato Paduka Haji Mat Jaya bin Haji Ibrahim.

The Tedarus is one of the Takmir activities held annually in the month of Ramadhan and is well received by the Muslim community in Brunei Darussalam.

Also present were Deputy Minister at the Prime Minister’s Office Dato Paduka Awang Haji Mohamad Roselan bin Haji Mohamad Daud, Deputy Minister of Education Pengiran Dato Paduka Haji Bahrom bin Pengiran Haji Bahar,  Deputy Minister of Religious Affairs Dato Paduka Awang Haji Abdul Mokti bin Haji Mohd Daud as well as permanent secretaries and deputy permanent secretaries.

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|     Ishan Ibrahim      |

A DELEGATION comprising 33 students and four teachers from International School Brunei (ISB) yesterday departed from Brunei International Airport to Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam for a week of volunteer service at the Phat Minh Pagoda Orphanage in the Ben Tre Province.

Home to 80 children between the ages of one to 18 years, the orphanage is funded solely by donations and life can be very difficult for them at times.

The Year 10 ISB students discovered their plight and along with their teachers, researched to find out how they could help, and had spent the term brainstorming and fundraising to be of assistance to the orphanage.

The students opted for two fundraising events – a Bake Sale and a Family Fun Day – as well as a donation drive calling for clothing and toys.

Vietnamese Ambassador to Brunei Darussalam Nguyen Truong Giang with the ISB delegation. PHOTOS: ISHAN IBRAHIM

ISB students and teachers at the Brunei International Airport prior to departure

The third aspect of the initiative was to plan a weeklong trip to Vietnam to deliver the donations and volunteer at the orphanage to help build a playing and reading area, and to teach English.
Another exciting aspect of their work at the Phat Minh Pagoda Orphanage will be the cultural exchange activities, a set of games and exercises aimed at teaching the Vietnamese about Bruneian culture, and in turn learning about Vietnamese culture from their counterparts.

The ISB contingent received support from numerous parties within the Bruneian community, with the Royal Brunei Airlines providing 300kg of free baggage space in order to transport the donations, as well as logistical support from Danny Chua from Globex; Patrice Faivre from Intermovers; Aewon clothing, and Mr Baker’s Bakeshop.

The day before the departure, four students and one ISB teacher were granted an audience with Vietnamese Ambassador to Brunei Darussalam Nguyen Truong Giang, who wanted to hear more about the trip, as well as give advice about how to conduct themselves in Vietnam.

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|     Syazwani Hj Rosli     |

RAMADHAN has already begun and the annual food stalls (gerai) were in full swing yesterday, with an array of delicacies for the breaking of fast.

This year, the Gerai Ramadhan is leaning towards budding entrepreneurship, and providing young people with a platform to start their own businesses.

During the Bulletin’s visit to the Gerai Ramadhan at the Hassanal Bolkiah National Stadium, there were several emerging youth participants managing their own stalls, offering up savouries and drinks for everyone, including tourists.

Nurul Aini binti Haji Besar, 21, who manages her family’s business named Roses Food, said that she has been part of the family business since she was seven, and that helping to supplement her family’s income has now grown into a passion.

Among the food items at her stall are curry puffs, doughnuts and cakes. She also said that preparations start as early as three in the morning, after Sahur.

Photos above show some of the entrepreneurs at the Gerai Ramadhan at the Hassanal Bolkiah National Stadium. PHOTOS: SYAZWANI HJ ROSLI

“One of the challenges is the competition from other vendors, but I still believe in ‘rezeki’ (providence) and I look up to these challenges as healthy for the growth of our family business,” she said.

Meanwhile, Saifuddin bin Haji Ramli, 28, of Thai Kitchen, who manages the business with his wife, is bringing out the flavours of Thailand for Thai food enthusiasts.

He said that their stall offers up dishes which are popular with local crowds, including the Red Ruby dessert, Coconut Pudding, their signature Grilled Chicken, Kerabu Sotong, Kerabu Tang Hoon, Mango and Durian Sticky Rice, Somtam Papaya, Somtam Mango and Somtam Kawin.

“Our business began a few years back when my wife started to try out her late mother’s recipes. Our journey has been quite overwhelming and we are happy to be where we stand today,” he said.

Fa’adhli bin Haji Rosli and friends of KaPOW Burger

Ali Hardi (2nd R) of Cendol Temburong

Nurul Aini of Roses Food

His advice to young and aspiring entrepreneurs is to persevere and continue striving towards success, no matter how difficult it may be.

At the same time, the Gerai Ramadhan is providing part-time jobs for unemployed youth looking for work opportunities.

Fa’adhli bin Haji Rosli, 19, who works part-time with KaPOW Burger, said that the experience is giving him a good opportunity to learn about responsibility, people skills, teamwork and professionalism. In addition, he also hopes to gain a solid working background, to add to his career resume.

Ali Hardi bin Haji Mohammad, the owner of Cendol Temburong Awang Haji Saban bin Haji Yahya, said that he was pleased at how youths were being involved in businesses during their spare time and earning their own income.

He told the Bulletin that Islam encourages entrepreneurship and encourages its followers to be enterprising, like the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) who started his own business at the age of 25.

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| Azlan Othman |

UNIVERSITI Islam Sultan Sharif Ali (UNISSA) received donations from the private book collection of Ahmed Ali Sirohey, Acting High Commissioner of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan to Brunei Darussalam during a ceremony at the university yesterday.

Over 10 books were donated and presented by the acting high commissioner to Dr Haji Norarfan bin Haji Zainal, Rector of UNISSA.

Among the books presented were those that he wrote besides the works of other Pakistani envoys.

The donated books were about the facts and history of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan.

Present during the event were Dr Arman bin Haji Asmad, Acting Deputy Rector of UNISSA and Hajah Surianah binti Haji Alias, Acting Registrar of UNISSA.

Dr Haji Norarfan bin Haji Zainal (R), Rector of UNISSA, receiving book from Ahmed Ali Sirohey, Acting High Commissioner of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan to Brunei Darussalam

Meanwhile, the Pakistan High Commission said 16 books were presented where the new titles cover a wide range of topics in the field of Islamic studies, international relations, political economy, Pakistan history, and Pakistan in the contemporary world.

A huge volume of ‘Ancient and Contemporary Pakistan and Encyclopedia’ was also donated by Sirohey.

Dr Haji Norarafan said the books were a welcome addition to the library’s collection. The material would be useful to the university’s students he added.

He hoped that more contributions would be made to the collection in the future from Pakistan.

The acting high commissioner and the rector along with his team also discussed bilateral cooperation between the universities of Pakistan and UNISSA.

The envoy reiterated his resolve to convince leading universities to sign agreements with UNISSA.

Meanwhile, UNISSA expressed interest to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the International Islamic University in Islamabad.

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| Achong Tanjong |

MUSLIMS look for readymade food during the holy month at the annual Ramadhan stalls where they can purchase foods and drinks for breaking fast.

The stalls offering various Bruneian specialty cuisines are also popular among non-Muslims as well as tourists.

Tourists currently visiting the country are grabbing the opportunity to savour Bruneian dishes at Ramadhan food stalls located at Gadong market, parking area of Hassanal Bolkiah National Stadium in Berakas and many other areas.

A local tour guide said the occasion provides the travel agents with the chance to bring more tourists to the country to witness the Bruneian style of Ramadhan activities.

“We are bringing some 20 tourists from China to the Ramadhan stalls at Gadong market to enjoy the local foods and snacks. We will also take them around the town and to some places of interest, however, most places are closed down due to Ramadhan,” the tour guide said.

Several tourists at the Ramadhan stall yesterday

During Ramadhan, local travel agencies have come up with promotion packages to attract tourists to experience the exciting tourism activities in Brunei.

Some tourists also took the opportunity to capture the Ramadhan sights on camera and they said they will show the photographs to their friends back home.

They were all delighted having the chance to taste traditional ‘kuih’ and snacks sold at Ramadhan stalls.

Like in previous years, all districts have set up Ramadhan stalls to cater for Muslims to buy delicacies to break their fast.

The atmosphere at Ramadhan stalls becomes alive with huge crowds visiting the stalls especially in the afternoon.

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| Azaraimy HH |

THE East Maintenance and Integrity (EMI), Brunei Shell Petroleum (BSP) recently distributed food essentials to around 30 families from several areas in Kuala Belait to Sungai Liang.

The charity activity was led by EMI Manager Haji Asrul Saniy bin Haji Mohd Aarif Lim.

The families who received the donations were selected from a Ministry of Religious Affairs (MoRA) list.

The charity drive was one of the EMI Welfare Team’s programmes in conjunction with the holy month of Ramadhan that aimed to help the less fortunate.

Representatives from BSP’s EMI and its Welfare Team in a group photo with 4-Wheel Association members during the charity activity – PHOTOS: AZARAIMY HH

Food distributed to several areas in Kuala Belait

Prior to this, EMI also organised a charity project in Kampong Merangking.

The EMI Welfare Team expressed appreciation to the 4-Wheel Association for lending vehicles for transportion.

EMI also expressed their appreciation to MoRA; their colleagues – East Asset, Supply Chain Management and Asset Engineering Reliability, as well as family members who helped distribute donations and made the activity a success.

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| Bahyiah Bakir |

THE Freshco Sungkai Mega Buffet is back for the third year running and is available until the end of Ramadhan.

The menus include cuisines from All Seasons Restaurant’s peking duck and dim sum; Sushi Tei’s sashimi and maki; Pastamania’s pasta and baked specialties; Indonesian cuisines from Waroeng Penyet; Killiney’s laksa; Chinese cuisine from I Love Yoo and Auntie Anne’s pretzels. There is also Chicken Briyani for those who love Indian food. The newest addition to the buffet is the well-loved American brand, Cinnabon, serving cinnamon bites and pecan bites.

Patrons can expect a wide variety of appetisers, dim sums, soups, BBQ items and many more. There will also be live pasta cooking where one can request pasta of one’s choice. Sushi Tei’s chefs will also do live making of maki and sushi. The desserts section will be filled with various sweets, including Malay kueh, iced cendol and pudding to complete the gastronomical experience that is the Freshco Sungkai Mega Buffet.

ABOVE & BELOW: Some of the scrumptuous dishes served at the Freshco Sungkai Mega Buffet

Sushi varieties from Sushi Tei – PHOTOS: BAHYIAH BAKIR

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| Wani Roslan |

THE Religious Teachers University College of Seri Begawan (KUPU SB) yesterday held a Taustiah Ramadhan and the opening of Tedarus Al-Quran 1437H ceremony at its Surau.

The guest of honour at the ceremony was Dr Ustaz Haji Adanan bin Haji Basar, Acting Ra’es of KUPU SB.

Around 150 participants including senior officers, lecturers, staff and undergraduates of the university participated in the ceremony.

The event started with Tausiah Ramadhan delivered by the guest of honour and continued with Tedarus Al-Quran which began with the recitation of Surah Al-Fatihah followed by the recitation of verses of the Al-Quran from Juzuk 1.

Acting Ra’es of KUPU SB Dr Ustaz Haji Adanan bin Haji Basar delivers the Tausiah Ramadhan

ABOVE & BELOW: Sections of the attendees at the event – PHOTOS: WANI ROSLAN

The ceremony then concluded with the recitation of Doa Selamat and Doa Allah Peliharakan Sultan by Pengiran Haji Mahmud bin Pengiran Haji Othman, Imam Surau of KUPU SB.

The ceremony aims to embrace the holy month of Ramadhan with full piety, instil a sense of ‘taqwa’ among the community of KUPU SB especially during Ramadhan, gain valuable lessons from the practices of the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) during Ramadhan and to enhance relationships between members of the KUPU SB community.

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| Hakim Hayat |

THE holy month of Ramadhan is not only a month for Muslims to abstain from food and drinks during daylight and increase their devotion but is also a month to remember those less fortunate in the society.

Muslims are already seen flocking mosques across the nation to fulfil their duties of the Zakat or payment of the tithe, which is the third pillar of Islam, a requirement for all Muslims, whether male or female, minor or adult, as long they have the means to fulfil the duty.

Performed annually before the end of Ramadhan, the head of the household may pay the required amount for the other members.

The current rate of Zakat Fitrah in Brunei Darussalam is $2.84 for every individual who consumes the ‘Beras Wangi’ (Thai Hom Mali Rice) and $1.93 for those who consume the ‘Beras Siam’ (Thai White Rice).

For those who prefer to pay the Zakat in terms of staple food, they have to offer 2.268kg of ‘Beras Wangi’ or ‘Beras Siam’.

File photos show two men paying Zakat at a mosque – photos: Azrol Azmi

A man pays Zakat “Tithe” during the Ramadhan month at Jame Asr’ Hassanil Bolkiah mosque. Paying Zakat is payment made under Islamic observance and is one of the Five Pillars of Islam.

The Zakat is an act of charity to provide the less privileged and Muslim converts with a means to celebrate the Hari Raya Aidilfitri along with the rest of other Muslims.

The significance of the Zakat comes when those who have wealth are obliged to come in direct contact with the poor, and the poor are put in contact with the extremely poor.

This contact between the various levels of society helps to build real bonds of brotherhood and love within the Islamic community and trains those who have to be generous to those who do not have.

This year, a total of 309 Amils have been appointed to 140 areas around the nation. The Zakat collection areas are designated at mosques, suraus, prayer halls, homes of Amil representatives (Penghulus and village heads), Zakat Collection and Distribution Office and its branches at all districts.

Since the implementation of the Zakat and Fitrah Regulations 1969, Amils come from different backgrounds in the community including mosque officers, Imams, Bilals, Penghulus, village heads, religious teachers, uniformed personnel from the Royal Brunei Armed Forces (RBAF), Royal Brunei Police Force (RBPF), Fire and Rescue Department and other government agencies.

The financial institutions of Islam appointed as Amil representatives for Zakat Harta are Tabung Amanah Islam Brunei (TAIB) and Bank Islam Brunei Darussalam (BIBD).

Figures last year indicated a 0.47 per cent increase in the amount of Zakat collected nationwide compared to the previous year with $931,638.97 collected from 330,976 individuals.

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|     James Kon     |

TWO young local and innovative entrepreneurs, Hiro Tien and Sophia Siu, will get a chance to expand their horizons on the business mindset and gain enterprising exposure with over 700 other entrepreneurs from around the world, along with investors, speakers and leaders in the entrepreneurship space after they were invited to attend the Global Entrepreneurship Summit (GES) from June 22-24 in Palo Alto, California, US.

According to the US Embassy in Brunei Darussalam, the pair will be joined at the Global Entrepreneurship Summit by high-level US Government officials including US President Barack Obama; Penny Pritzker, Secretary of Commerce; Maria Contreras-Sweet, Administrator of the Small Business Administration; Gayle Smith, Administrator of United States Agency for International Development; Catherine Russell, Ambassador at-Large for Global Women’s Issues; and Richard Stengel, Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs.

The summit will be the 7th instalment in a series. Previous Global Entrepreneurship Summits were hosted by the United States and the governments of Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, Malaysia, Morocco, and Kenya.

Hiro Tien is the founder of Escape Square, the first locally developed escape room in Brunei that allows guests to play as London detectives solving mysteries in the 1900s.

Hiro Tien. – JAMES KON

Sophia Siu is the founder of Evesta, a social events app that connects like-minded people to build stronger communities around the world.

“I feel thrilled and excited about heading to the summit in Silicon Valley. There are a lot of things to look forward to,” said Hiro Tien.

“The CEO of Instagram, airbnb and uber will be speaking and there are opportunities to visit the NASA research centre.

“I was selected by GES organisers based on my latest business, the Escape Square. I hope to gain regional partners and investors to grow this business into other countries. We are already working on it on our own but the timing of GES couldn’t be any better. I hope to capitalise on this opportunity and network a lot with entrepreneurs from all over the world,” he added.

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| Abdul Hakiim Yakof |

DRESSMAKERS are experiencing mixed fortunes this year as they work hard to finish orders for Baju Cara Melayu and Baju Kurung before the Hari Raya Aidilfitri celebrations.

Some shops have reached their targets for orders but others have received fewer orders than last year.

One of the employees at a tailor shop in Kampong Delima, Berakas said they received orders for more than 700 pieces last year but only about 200 this year.

The dressmaker at a shop next door said they received orders for 1,000 pieces three months before the fasting month last year.

“This year, we have only received orders for about 800 pieces but we are still thankful as we expect more orders from our regular customers,” he said.

An overview of one of the shops

A dressmaker at work

Dressmakers have been busy at work after receiving a large number of orders to make festive attire for the upcoming Hari Raya celebration – PHOTOS: DEAN KASSIM

However, it’s business as usual for other dressmakers.

“We are seeing a lot of stylish Baju Kurungs this year and the use of a lot of materials such as batik and lace,” said a dressmaker from Kamar Aswanzy that has reached their order target.

Hajah Hidayati, Manager of Hayaa Musfirah boutique in Kampong Kiarong said the shop has seen good business this year since it first opened less than a year ago.

She said the boutique has stopped accepting orders for HarI Raya attire.

She said that chiffon accompanied by lace are the popular fabrics used for making the festive clothes.

“Orders started coming in the first quarter of Ramadhan and we still have customers coming in to make orders. We hope to get more tailors so we can accept more orders next year,” she said.

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| James Kon in Hong Kong |

LOOKING to expand trade relations with Brunei Darussalam and other countries in the region, the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China will open a new Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in Jakarta, Indonesia, which is expected to further boost business opportunities as well as investments between the two countries.

The new office in Jakarta that is set to be launched by the year’s end will be in charge of promoting bilateral ties with four countries – Brunei, Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines.

The move to strengthen trade relations with Brunei and Asean countries was revealed by Francis Ho, Associate Director-General, Invest Hong Kong, during a briefing session for invited members of the media under the Sponsored Overseas Journalists Programme for the Belt and Road Summit jointly organised by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) and the Government of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region’s Information Services Department (ISD).

Earlier this year, the Hong Kong government launched its economic and trade office in Thailand to look after the vital Thai markets, while the Singapore office is tasked to look after the market in Singapore, Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos.

Francis Ho also acknowledged that there was lack of initiatives to promote investments between Brunei and Hong Kong, but hoped that the momentum would improve with the Jakarta office’s opening.

Francis Ho, Associate Director-General, Invest Hong Kong. – JAMES KON

“With the new office in Jakarta, we hope to have more visits as well as participation in Brunei,” he said. “Last year, our Chief Secretary of Hong Kong led a business delegation to Brunei and has promoted the business potential of Brunei to Hong Kong’s investors. As the next step, we have to check with the office in Singapore for any concrete developments from the visit. We need to do more to further promote investments in both countries.”

The total trade between the two countries was only US$28 million in 2014, but growth has been encouraging. In the last five years, there was an average growth of 16 per cent every year.

In his presentation, he also said, “HK Invest also plays a vital role in encouraging investors to invest in Hong Kong. Our mandate is to assist multi-billion companies to small start-up companies.”

The China’s Belt and Road Initiative looked set to enhance the orderly free-flow of economic factors as well as the efficient allocation of resources by expanding business cooperation between the East and West, from Asia to Europe via Southeast Asia, South Asia, Central Asia, West Asia and the Middle East.

The ‘Belt’ and ‘Road’ refer to the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21^st Century Maritime Silk Road respectively. The initiative offers companies unparalleled opportunities to tap into new markets and explore the tremendous potential of the Chinese mainland, Asean member countries, as well as many other economies along the Belt and Road.

Touching on the Belt and Road initiative, he explained, “We are expecting to see increasing Mainland China companies investing overseas, and Hong Kong is the world’s second most popular destinations for

foreign direct investments (FDI), according to the UN Conference on Trade and Development in 2014, when it recorded US$103 billion of FDI. The number of mainland companies investing in Hong Kong has increased by more than 12 times in the last 10 years.”

There are over 3,200 companies from Mainland China in Hong Kong, using the special administration as a hub to propel to overseas markets because of the relative low taxes in Hong Kong, the pool of professionals and the well-established financial institutions, where over 60 per cent of top 100 banks are in Hong Kong providing various channels to raise capital and others.”

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