|     Fizah HAB     |

STARDOM Quest 3 & Charity Carnival opened its door at the Jerudong Park Garden yesterday afternoon.

Representative of the Jerudong Park Country Club Management Evy Vaizura binti Haji Abdul Raup launched the event. Performances by the 10 finalists of the Stardom Quest 3 were also held.

The three-day carnival features several activities including the Dinosaur Fair, Cat Show, Bird Show, Reptile Exhibition, Eagle Showcase, Car Display, as well as various food stalls and local SME products. The Stardom Quest 3 & Charity Carnival will also host the 5km Charity Run for Autism as part of raising awareness on autism in Brunei.

Booths for local entrepreneurs showcasing local SME products are also available during the carnival.

Other programmes include RiseUp (Brunei Got Talent) showcasing their performances as well as the SugarBun’s Colouring contest and family games for members of the public.

Stardom Quest 3 will also be hosting the grand finale on December 30 at Jerudong Park Amphitheatre.

|     Izah Azahari     |

GUARDIAN Brunei opened its 22nd branch during a ceremony at Annajat Complex, Beribi yesterday.

The guest of honour was Minister of Primary Resources and Tourism Dato Seri Setia Awang Haji Ali bin Haji Apong.

Also present were Datin Hajah Norhayati binti Pehin Orang Kaya Shahbandar Dato Seri Setia Haji Awang Mohd Nawawi, Head of Business of Guardian Brunei Jennifer Yang, and other guests.

The event began with the recitation of Surah Al-Fatihah and Doa by the Mosque Affairs Officer at the Centre of Studies and Dissemination of Al-Quran (MABIMS) of the Ministry of Religious Affairs Ustaz Muhammad Hanafi bin Haji Zaini and the welcoming speech by Jennifer.

Jennifer highlighted that Guardian has been in Brunei for 27 years with 21 established branches prior to this recent opening.

She added that Guardian has worked hard on improving their customer service and is continuously bringing in new and interesting products for its Brunei market at reasonable and affordable prices so Bruneians can shop at local stores.

The event proceeded with a ribbon-cutting ceremony by the guest of honour, along with invited guests and Jennifer, followed by a tour around the store.

Guardian is also currently holding a Scan, Scratch and Win Campaign from December 28 to 31 at all their branches where customers can stand a chance to win over 18,000 giveaways through scanning the QR code at Guardian Ad panels to win.

|     Khairil Hassan     |

THE Brunei Darussalam Petanque Federation (BDPF) elected new committee members for the session 2019-2022 during an Annual General Meeting at the Lecture Theatre of the Hassanal Bolkiah National Stadium in Berakas yesterday.

BDPF still retains Haji Mohamad bin Panglima Asgar Dato Paduka Haji Abdullah as the President and Haji Abdul Karim bin Haji Ahmad as the Vice President. Hamidun bin Haji Abdul Hamid is the new Secretary General and Hajah Noraini binti Haji Dollah as Assistant Secretary. Junaidi bin Haji Mohd Said retains his position as the Treasurer of the federation.

|     Wani Roslan     |

THE Royal Brunei Airlines (RB) held a ceremony last night at the Brunei International Airport to mark the official launch of its services to Kuching, Sarawak.

The guest of honour was Minister at the Prime Minister’s Office and Minister of Finance and Economy II Dato Seri Setia Dr Awang Haji Mohd Amin Liew bin Abdullah who is also Chairman of RB Board of Directors.

Others present were Sarawak Minister for Tourism, Arts, Culture, Youth and Sports Datuk Haji Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah, Permanent Secretary of Sarawak Ministry of Tourism, Arts, Culture, Youth and Sports Hii Chang Kee, Sarawak Tourism Board CEO Sharzede Datuk Salleh Askor and Acting CEO of RB Captain Saiful Bahrin bin Bahar.

“Today marks another historic day as we take an expanded role to stimulate tourism in Brunei and Sarawak with the new connectivity to Kuching,” Captain Saiful Bahrin said.

“As one of the first destinations RB flew to back in 1975, we are extremely delighted to reconnect the beautiful city of Kuching with the rest of our network and provide the missing link to Brunei once again,” he added.

“Last month RB signed a Memorandum of Agreement with Sarawak Tourism Board which kick starts our collaborative efforts to join hands to maximise tourism opportunities for both Brunei and Sarawak, aiming to stimulate visitors’ inflow between Brunel and Kuching, and provide a vital link to connect to a wider region in the island of Borneo via RB’s network,” Captain Saiful Bahrin said.

The Acting CEO of RB said, “The Kuching direct flight is an exciting opportunity for RB to market our single and dual destination packages in all the cities we serve for the benefit of our tourism stakeholders in Brunei and Sarawak.

“It makes Kuching more accessible and an attractive option to our focus markets including London, United Kingdom; Melbourne, Australia; Shanghai, China and soon Tokyo, Japan, where our guests can enjoy a twin city experience in one trip,” he added.

In a speech, guest of honour Dato Seri Setia Dr Awang Haji Mohd Amin Liew underlined that the launching of the flight to Kuching is the resumption of direct flight between Bandar Seri Begawan and Kuching.

“As an economic catalyst for trade and tourism, the non-stop connection between Brunei and Kuching is part of RB’s evolution in an effort to further increase its role to promote Brunei as a connectivity hub in tune with the country’s vision to present itself as a tourism destination of choice,” he said.

Meanwhile, Sharzede expressed full confidence in the direct flight adding, “It is indeed good for the tourism industry in Sarawak to start the New Year with Royal Brunei Airlines making its return trip to Kuching after a five year absence.

“The direct flight sees Sarawak being connected to our focus markets of the United Kingdom, Australia and China and to our secondary markets of Japan and Korea where we can look forward to better arrivals,” he said.

“The board and the Sarawak industry partners look forward to work closely in ensuring the sustainability of the route and at the same time to facilitate joint promotion to ensure long term business interest of all concern,” he added.

Flights from Brunei to Kuching will be serviced by RB’s A320 with two weekly flights, increasing to four weekly flights from February 3, 2019.

The flight duration of just an hour and 15 minutes means a quick transfer between the two destinations and more time to enjoy the many sights and attractions on offer.

|     Khairil Hassan     |

THE Borneo Open 10-Ball Pool Championship in Kota Kinabalu continued with more action from our Brunei cueists.

Day 2 saw Azmi Bakar qualified into the Top 32 where he lost against Sabah’s Liau Moon Long 1-7, but bounced back winning 7-3 to Sabah’s Raki Salim and won against Liau Moon Long 7-1 in their second meeting.

Day 3 saw Md Hasrijam won 7-3 over James Saw, but lost 2-7 to Rashid Samy and 5-7 to Tan moon Eng.

Pengiran Md Faiq won 7-3 against Sabah’s Jamil Uyong but lost 2-7 to Sabah’s Rashid Samy. Pengiran Md Faiq came back after he edged Latim from Sabah 7-6 to qualify into the Top 32.

Md Khalid breezes into the Top 32 after winning both preliminary matches – winning 7-3 over Sabah’s Lim Boon Kian and 7-2 to Jeremy Ku also from Sabah.

Pengiran Haji Husairi won 7-2 against Sabah’s Jay Soh Wai but lost his second match against Sabah’s Casper Chin 4-7. Pengiran Haji Husairi won 7-2 against Lim San from Sabah to qualify into the Top 32.

Brunei’s Md Haikal, Amir Hassan and Mahmood will play on Day 4.

|     Azlan Othman & Achong Tanjong     |

BRUNEIANS taking advantage of their strong currency have been making a beeline to cross the border to Miri and Kota Kinabalu over the past weeks causing massive congestions.

With BND1 hovering around RM3 to RM3.02, many border hoppers hunt for bargains or take the opportunity for a year-end family getaway.

A retired public servant said he had been queuing at the Kuala Lurah-Tedungan border checkpoints as early as 5am and only reached the Pandaruan-Ujung Jalan border checkpoint at around 9am.

“Bruneians were seen buying school stationeries for the new school term as well as to feast on sumptuous food across the border,” he said.

Another local Haji Ahmad Kilai observed that people started driving their vehicles towards the Sungai Tujoh Control Post as early as 5.30am with queues stretching as far as 6km.

“We don’t mind travelling a long way to Sabah because we wanted to enjoy our holiday with family members there. We will be sharing an apartment for three nights and celebrating the New Year in Kota Kinabalu. It is more happening over there with many interesting activities,” said 44-year-old Morshidi of Temburong.

A frequent traveller said, “It is common to see Bruneians shopping with multiple trolleys in areas like the New World Mart in Miri especially for their groceries and other daily needs. But in the meantime, they should also spend prudently.”

A survey by the Weekend Bulletin at several restaurants in Jalan Gadong and Jerudong on Thursday night, however, showed a steady flow of customers especially families for dining.

At a seafood restaurant in Jerudong, tables were filled up for family dinners or birthday celebrations.

Meanwhile, the country is holding the ‘Brunei Salebration’ from December 1, 2018 to February 13 next year to include the Chinese New Year celebration.

However, businesses have the option to conduct their sales activity for a shorter period, from December 1, 2018 to January 31, 2019.

The event is part of the government’s efforts to promote Brunei as a shopping destination and contribute towards local economy.

The 75-day-long Brunei Salebration offers attractive prices to encourage members of the public to shop locally.

Participating stores offer as low as 20 per cent discount on at least 50 per cent of their goods.

The event also complements the Brunei December Festival, a Brunei Tourism Board initiative which offers over 40 events in several festival themes through collaborations with various organisations showcasing activities for locals and tourists.

|     Aziz Idris     |

THE Royal Brunei Police Force (RBPF) through its Public Relations Unit organised a Neighbourhood Watch patrol at villages in Tutong District.

RBPF members from Tutong Police Station led by the Officer-In-Charge, Inspector Ahmad Faez bin Haji Mohd Salleh held a meeting with Village Head of Kampong Bukit Udal Juhno bin Perak.

The main objective of the meeting was to ensure the safety for distribution of pension funds for senior citizens as well as discussions on crime preventions.

Meanwhile, a crime prevention patrol was conducted by Kupang Neighbourhood Watch members led by Office-In-Charge of Tutong Police Station Probationary Inspector Abdul Hakim bin Haji Mohd Salleh along with police officers from the station.

Present was Deputy Chairman of Kupang Neighborhood Watch Haji Mokti bin Haji Rauf. The night patrol focussed along Jalan Maraburong.

In a separate operation, the Lamunin Police Station along with Layong Neighbourhood Watch members patrolled areas at Bukit Barun Water Treatment Plant and Jalan Kampong Tanjong Dangar.

Leading the operations was Assistant Officer-In-Charge of Lamunin Police Station Probationary Inspector Awangku Mohd Waie @ Awangku Fathurahman bin Pengiran Abdullah Sani and Acting Chairman of Layong Neighbourhood Watch Major (Rtd) Mohd Noh bin Haji Mohd Taib.

No criminal activities were detected during the operations.

|     Lyna Mohamad     |

THE ‘Egg Burger Project’ held on Thursday initiated by the Al-Huffaz Leaders received an encouraging response from members of the public.

It also collected many pledges from supporters to contribute to the project next year.

The initiative provided local youth opportunities to not only practise good deeds but also use their time productively and unearth entrepreneurial potentials.

Project Manager Hamiz bin Haji Osman expressed gratitude at being able to accomplish Al-Huffaz’s mission.

He thanked the public as well as local corporate bodies for their strong support.

Hamiz applauded the participation of volunteers comprising Al-Huffaz campers, most of whom are secondary and tertiary students.

“I hope more youth will participate in our future projects because that will benefit them tremendously,” he added.

Volunteer Nazirul Shah bin Sufri had always been looking forward to engaging in such activity and did not hesitate to be part of it when once the opportunity arose.

Nazirul, who is waiting for his ‘O’ Level examination result, noted that he was immensely excited to see the huge public support during the course of the Egg Burger Project.

“The preparation process was a lot of fun due to the excellent teamwork of the volunteers,” he pointed out.

“I find such activity beneficial as it builds my self-confidence through the many interactions with the public. It also helps me to be a better Muslim,” Nazirul said.

Nurhanisa Syazirra binti Abdullah Hanizan too was overwhelmed seeing the positive response from the public.

She was touched to see how the local community favourably responded to their charity project.

Nurhanisa Syazirra participated in the project so that she could be more involved in religious activities.

“It’s part of Prophet Muhammad’s (pbuh) Sunnah and I wanted to remind myself to help those in need,” she explained.

Having said so, Nurhanisa Syazirra who just sat for the ‘A’ level examination and now waiting for her result hopes to be able to engage more in charitable projects.

“I want to help organisations engaged in community and religious missions,” she said.

|     Izah Azahari     |

UNIVERSITI Teknologi Brunei (UTB) held a one-day UTB Usrah Carnival yesterday, organised by the Executive Committee of Publicity and Info-Communication Technology of the Student Representative Council UTB (MPPUTB) Session 18/19 at the Multipurpose Hall and Common Engineering Building of UTB.

The guest of honour was the Deputy Dean of Student Affairs at UTB Dr Haji Rajul Adli bin Haji Asli.

The event began with the recitation of Surah Al-Fatihah and Doa Selamat followed by a Muay Thai performance by members of UTB Muay Thai Club.

The guest of honour then toured the booths and Co-Curricular Activities (CCA) showcase before concluding the ceremony.

The event was part of an initiative to bring students, staff and the public together to celebrate the end of the year with activities including CCA Showcase, carnival games, charity drive, UTB film showcase, UTB Got Talent and E-Sports competition.

The organisers hoped to create a sense of togetherness and belonging within the community by getting families and friends together over activities, as well as to showcase the talents and skills of UTB students and provide an opportunity for them to develop their entrepreneurship skills and help them initiate networking opportunities with future collaborators.

|     Achong Tanjong     |

DAIMUN Security Services (DSS) held a parade and a Doa Kesyukuran ceremony at the Hall of the Perkampungan Sukan, Hassanal Bolkiah National Sports Complex in Berakas yesterday.

The ceremony began with the inspection of parade by Managing Director of DSS and Chief Operation Officer Major (Rtd) Wan Mohd Tambrin Sah bin Haji Suhaili.

Major (Rtd) Wan Mohd Tambrin Sah said that DSS, established in 2012, has over 1,000 employees.

He said after over six years of DSS operations they have accumulated an array of clientele ranging from the oil and gas industries, governmental institutions to private personal properties.

The event proceeded with a recitation of Doa Kesyukuran followed by the presentation of commendation awards to outstanding security guards assigned to Brunei Shell Petroleum Company Sdn Bhd (BSP), Hengyi Industries Sdn Bhd and Golden Corporation Sdn Bhd.

The awards included the promotion of two senior officers and the awarding of certificates of appreciation to staff who have demonstrated excellent performance.

|     Aziz Idris     |

FORTY-TWO teams, comprising over 200 local gamers, have registered for the three-day Rules of Survival (RoS) eSports Tournament in conjunction with Brunei December Festival 2018 at Royal Brunei Recreation Club (RBRC).

Organised by Dojo Studios, in collaboration with The Triple A BN, the competition commenced on Friday with 14 teams competing in the first preliminary rounds.

Another 14 teams competed in the second round yesterday while the final round will be held tonight.

Only the top five teams from each round qualified for the finals at the same venue.

The champions will receive BND300 cash prize, followed by BND200 and BND150 for second and third teams.

Members of the public are welcome to view the tournament streamed live at RBRC.

|     Lyna Mohamad     |

THE Singers, Dancers and Musicians Association of Brunei Darussalam (3P Association) held a dinner at the Caesar’s Hall of Mulia Hotel recently in celebration of its 30th anniversary.

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 was the guest of honour.

The dinner began with the recitation of Surah Al-Fatihah and Doa Selamat, followed by welcoming remarks by 3P President Sa’adiah binti Haji Ghazali.

Insan Seni 2018 appreciation awards were then presented to Major (Rtd) Haji Abdul Manaf bin Haji Kamis, Haji Hussin bin Haji Tuah and Zulkifli bin Haji Butir.

The highlight of the dinner was the cutting of the pulut kuning (yellow rice) by the guest of honour.

Guests were also entertained with a gulingtangan performance by the Gulingtangan Group of Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports, as well as several singing and musical performances by veteran artistes and 3P Association members.

The 3P Association was established in 1987, and has 53 active members, comprising veteran artistes and newcomers in the entertainment industry who are actively engaged in acting, dance, poetry, composing songs, musical arrangements and other arts-related activities.

Since its establishment, the association has also been involved in various religious and national activities such as the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) procession, birthday celebrations of His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu’izzaddin Waddaulah ibni Al-Marhum Sultan Haji Omar ‘Ali Saifuddien Sa’adul Khairi Waddien, Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam, National Day celebrations, as well as entertainment-related competitions, workshops, and visits to other countries and festivals abroad.

|     Danial Norjidi     |

CHEVENING Alumni Brunei and Chevening Alumni Indonesia will jointly host the 2nd edition of the Chevening Youth Forum on January 19-20, 2019 at Binus University, Anggrek Campus, Jakarta, Indonesia a press release stated.

The Chevening Youth Forum – Southeast Asia edition (CYF SEA) is a platform to bring together Chevening Alumni and up to 250 young leaders from across the region to discuss insights, challenges and opportunities to the progress and development of ASEAN.

The CYF SEA is aimed at creating the opportunity for Chevening Alumni members to contribute to the development of the ASEAN region through engagements with the young leaders.

The inaugural forum originally launched as ASEAN Chevening Youth Forum (ACYF) was successfully convened in March 2018 in Kuala Lumpur. Chevening Alumni Brunei and Chevening Alumni Indonesia will co-host the 2nd edition of the Chevening Youth Forum and will focus on the theme ‘Empowering Youth for ASEAN 4.0’ to collectively explore how youth can lead ASEAN into the 4th Industrial Revolution.

The format consists of forum sessions, capacity building sessions as well as insight and open space sessions with topics ranging from unpacking industrial revolution in ASEAN, human capital development, sustainable development agenda, entrepreneurship and MSMEs and innovation among others.

The sessions will be led by young change-makers and social innovators from the Chevening Alumni Community in Southeast Asia who are at the forefront of development from policy to technology to environment to business and civil society.

At the forum, attendees will have the opportunity to meet, network and build linkages with like-minded individuals from all over ASEAN with aspirations to make a difference in their communities.

Founder and Co-Convener of the Chevening Youth Forum Fatin binti Arifin said, “The success of last year’s forum led us to continue this initiative forward as we see massive opportunity for our Chevening Alumni to contribute to the development of the region.”

“So the Chevening Youth Forum isn’t just about gathering our alumni from across Southeast Asia but is also about bringing together like minded youth who want to play a dynamic role in the 4th Industrial Revolution of ASEAN,” she continued.

“This is a youth-led forum and a majority of the speakers are actually young people themselves, and our goal is to make the forum as engaging as possible to create meaningful exchanges.”

The press release added that the forum is funded by the Chevening Alumni Programme Fund and is supported by the British High Commission in Brunei Darussalam, British Embassy in Jakarta, Binus University and Tauzia Hotel.

|     Aziz Idris     |

A WEDDING videographer from the Belait District, Wan Amirul Azizan turned into an overnight film sensation last night, winning the hearts of a panel of professional judges to bag the top award of the second edition of Brunei Film Blitz.

Minister of Primary Resources and Tourism Dato Seri Setia Awang Haji Ali bin Haji Apong presented the award at the ceremony held at Mahakarya Institute of the Arts Asia in Batu Satu.

The 29-year-old won the grand prize of a two-year diploma in screen and media at Mahakarya Institute of the Arts Asia sponsored by Progresif for his film Yang Hilang Akan Berganti.

A group of high school filmmakers, meanwhile, received the Special Mention Award and a Canon Powershot SX70 camera sponsored by Interhouse Company for their short film Candas.

The Jury Award went to Yit Chuan Lee, who directed Mr Rook.

Six shortlisted films were screened during the ceremony: Mr Rook, Candas Sisters, Yang Hilang Akan Berganti, Story of Anne, Room 210EQ and Candas.

Prior to the commencement of the award ceremony, Brunei Film Blitz Director Siti Kamaluddin noted in her welcoming remarks that, “Film education is also important in order to acquire the right skills in accordance with industry standards.”

She praised all participants in this year’s competition for the variety of genres and level of creativity shown in the short films based on the secret ingredient Candas.

This year’s edition of Brunei Film Blitz had 20 final entries from a whopping 800 participants, who underwent an intensive three-week film education experience and the 96-Hour Blitz challenge – during which they created their three-to six-minute-long films – before they were shortlisted.

Participants attended master classes by Professor Mark Shephard, workshops by filmmakers from Brunei, Indonesia, and the Philippines, as well as international screenings from Japan, France, Korea, India, Nepal, the Philippines, Pakistan, the United States and Australia.

Also present at the awards ceremony were members of the Diplomatic Corps and sponsors that have supported Brunei Film Blitz 2018.

The shortlisted films will continue to be developed and curated for submission to the Yala International Independent Film Festival for a chance to be showcased overseas.

|     Fadhil Yunus     |

DPMM FC have acquired the services of trio Charlie Clough, Blake Ricciuto and Andrey Varankow ahead of the upcoming season in the Singapore Premier League, according to the club’s website.

The Brunei-based outfit filled their foreign imports quota following the departures of Brian McLean, Volodymyr Pryimov and Mojtaba Esmaeilzadeh at the end of last season.

Charlie, who plays as a defender, could be slotted in at the heart of the Gegar Gegar men defence with his pairing likely to be central to the thinking of new coach Adrian Pennock.

The Taunton-born native made his Football League debut for Bristol Rovers aged 17 against then-League One outfit Brighton & Hove Albion at the Memorial Stadium on April 26, 2008 as a substitute.

He joined Dorchester Town on a permanent deal in 2012 and was part of the side that stunned Plymouth Arygle in a 1-0 victory in the first round of the FA Cup.

Charlie also featured for Forest Green Rovers where he helped them reach the semi-finals of the 2014-15 Conference National Playoffs for the first time, before bowing out in a two-legged tie to former club Bristol Rovers.

After representing Barnet FC for a couple of seasons, he returned to Sutton United in the 2018-19 season before joining his former manager at Forest Green Rovers Adrian Pennock at DPMM FC.

Blake Ricciuto plays at central midfield and could help bolster the club’s attacking options especially after the departures of Adi Said and Volodymyr Pryimov.

He has built a reputation with Rockdale City Suns in the National Premier League NSW where he was named the club’s player of the year and was selected in the team of the year in the National Premier League.

The Sydney-born midfielder also played a key part in Canadian SC’s push for promotion in the second division of the Uruguayan league after making 25 appearances but fell short after losing to Boston River in the playoffs.

Andrey Varankow could be leading the line for DPMM FC as a forward and has experience at the international level.

Varankow made his debut for the Belarus national team in a Euro 2008 qualifying match against Luxembourg on October 13, 2007 before winning another eight caps.

He was also part of the Belarusian team at the 2012 Summer Olympics, scoring a goal against Egypt.

|     Azlan Othman     |

THE ‘Mushaf Brunei Darussalam and its Translation’ app was launched yesterday by the Ministry of Religious Affairs (MoRA).

Part of the ministry’s efforts to diversify the medium of and increase the effectiveness of Islamic propagation as a measure to increase cultural and religious practices in the country, the app was built as a project undertaken by the Islamic Da’wah Centre in collaboration with the Information Technology Division of Institut Tahfiz Al-Quran Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah and the Religious Ministers of Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore (MABIMS) Al-Quran Studies and Dissemination Centre.

The app’s primary aim is to facilitate the reading of Al-Quran and easier understanding of its contents by the public. Correct Islamic references are also provided in the app for Muslims in the country to use both locally and throughout the world.

During its launch yesterday, Minister of Religious Affairs Pehin Udana Khatib Dato Paduka Seri Setia Ustaz Haji Awang Badaruddin bin Pengarah Dato Paduka Haji Awang Othman said that the app is a compilation of the Mushaf Brunei Darussalam publication and its translation, including the first three chapters published in 2009 and an additional 30 chapters completed five years later in 2014.

“Alhamdulillah, the first phase for the app completed in 2018 is about ‘Mushaf Brunei Darussalam’ only, followed by Mushaf Brunei Darussalam and its Translation in the published version and tutorial display,” the minister said of the development of the app.

“In the near future, we will follow up with the second phase of the app, which will see the incorporation of the voices of local Al-Quran readers reciting the complete 30 chapters of the Mushaf.”

After the second phase, it is anticipated that the digital version of the Mushaf Brunei Darussalam – which is complete with its interpreter – will be further developed as a digital version of Al-Quran with the Brunei identity, such as the digital versions of some of the Quranic Mushaf available on social media presently.

“I am confident that the Islamic Da’wah Centre is capable of supporting and pursuing this mission simultaneously by developing local skills in the field of digital and info-technology,” the minister added.

Six Islamic Da’wah Centre publications were also unveiled during yesterday’s launch event: Looking Forward whilst Looking Backward, by Pehin Udana Khatib Dato Paduka Seri Setia Ustaz Haji Awang Badaruddin bin Pengarah Dato Paduka Haji Awang Othman; Isra’ & Mi’raj: Generating Shalat and Munajat, by Pehin Jawatan Luar Pekerma Raja Dato Seri Utama Dr Ustaz Haji Awang Md Zain bin Haji Serudin; Interview: The Perspective of Religious Development, Nation and Country, by Pengiran Dato Seri Setia Dr Haji Mohammad bin Pengiran Haji Abdul Rahman; Collection of Al-Quran verses and Hadiths Concerning Animals, by Nor Rashida binti Abdul Rahman and Jalijah binti Sable; Collection of Al-Quran verses and Hadiths on Marriage and Divorce, by Hajah Rokiah binti Mohammad and Latifah binti Haji Ismail; and Corpse Handling: Guidance and Practice, by the Planning, Research and Publication of the Islamic Da’wah Centre.

|     Danial Norjidi     |

A WORKSHOP on ‘Power of Family In Recovery From Addiction’ took place at the Health Promotion Centre yesterday.

The workshop was organised by Al-Amin Recovery Management, and presented by its founder and Director Md Fazirul Hakeem bin Haji Md Zenudin, who is also an addiction recovery coach with credentials from the Asia-Pacific Certification Board.

National Anti-Drug Association (BASMIDA) President Datin Hajah Masni binti Haji Mohammad Ali was among those who attended the event.

The workshop tackled the issue of drug abuse and assisted members of the public, particularly families, in providing timely intervention to help loved ones.

In an interview with the Bulletin, Md Fazirul Hakeem said the workshop focussed on parents and how they can teach their children about the issue of drug abuse.

He said, “In the workshop, I’m going to teach how to approach their children in a different way.”

On the event’s aim, he said, “I want to help people to prevent addiction,” adding that “prevention is better than treatment”.

|     Daniel Lim      |

THE first family day celebration was held at Kampong Sungai Mau Community Hall in conjunction with the National Family Day 2018 last weekend. It was a joint effort between the five Mukim Consultative Councils (MPM) – Liang, Bukit Sawat, Labi, Sukang, and Melilas – with support from Brunei Methanol Company Sdn Bhd (BMC), Belait District Office and the Belait District branch of the Community Development Department (JAPEM).

The two-day event themed Keluargaku Penyayang, Negara Gemilang was held to promote spending quality time with the family and seek exposure for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in the area.

Guest of honour was 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 accompanied by his family.

Also present were Legislative Council (LegCo) member and Village Head of Kampung Labi 1 Yang Berhormat Hanapi bin Mohd Siput; Acting Belait District Officer Ridzuan bin Haji Ahmad; officers of various government departments based in the Belait District; representatives and staff from BMC and members of the organising committee.

Among the activities held were Mukun performances, Doa Kesyukuran, Tahlil, recording session by Harmoni FM radio, and Bergandung contest, a cycling event, tug-of-war and Silat performances.

|     Fizah HAB     |

A FILIPINO family embraced the Islamic faith in a recent conversion ceremony held at their private residence in Jalan Binglu Selatan, RPN Kampong Tanah Jambu.

Rosalie Sumaljag Germano, 43, together with her three sons – Eric Chia Chien Voon, 13, David Ong Germano, nine, and Michael Chia Chiew Hee, six – recited the formal declaration of the Syahadah in the presence of several Islamic Da’wah Centre officers.

From January to November this year, 359 people embraced the Islamic faith, with 187 being from the Brunei-Muara District.

Last year, there were 409 new Muslim converts across the country.

|     Lyna Mohamad     |

“LIFE is not guaranteed at all, while death is absolutely guaranteed upon all, yet we still prepare for life more than we prepare for death.”

Speaking in her sharing session titled ‘Death.. Are We Ready For It’ on December 25 at the Rashidah Sa’adatul Bolkiah Mosque in Kampong Sungai Akar, religious speaker Hajah Sharifah Khadijah binti Husein Alkaff added that “most of us are never ready for death, except those who are true servants and lovers of Allah the Almighty”.

“We are all travellers. The life of this world is a plantation for the life of the hereafter and it is up to us what kind of seeds we want to sow – ‘seeds of goodness’ or ‘seeds of evil’,” she said.

The speaker also pointed out that we as humans will reap what we sow, and death is inevitable as it is the one thing that we can be certain of in life.

“We are on a journey and we should therefore know about the whole journey’s itinerary, and be prepared for the whole journey, not just this (part on Earth),” she continued.

“Thus, it is indeed something to ponder; that we die each night and Allah the Almighty gives us another chance at life when we wake up the next day. “What if we do not wake up? Shouldn’t we also ponder how we would like to die?”

Hajah Sharifah Khadijah noted that most people are so engrossed in worldly pursuits that they tend to not think about death as often as they should, and forget that life is temporary.

She cited an example of a visitor to a holy land who once visited a famous scholar and was astonished to see that the scholar’s home was only a simple room filled with books, with the only furniture being a table and a bench.

“‘Ya Shaykh, where is your furniture?’ asked the visitor. ‘Where is yours?’ replied the scholar. ‘Mine? But I’m only a visitor here.’ ‘So am I,’ said the scholar,” Hajah Sharifah Khadijah said, narrating the dialogue between the two.

She explained that those who love to meet Allah the Almighty will be patient in the face of fatal illnesses and in accepting the death of their loved ones, and that there is a bond between the body and the soul, such that the greater the love one places towards the worldly life, the greater the pain of pulling apart the soul from the body.

“Let’s learn to love the world less and instead love meeting with Allah the Almighty more,” Hajah Sharifah Khadijah said.

People in general tend to think that once a person has died, there is nothing left other than just memories, which is actually untrue, she added, as there are different realms in this consciousness we call life.

She continued, “The realm of the dead is called the barzakh and although we know nothing about the barzakh, those who are there know all about us in this world, and death ends a life, not a relationship.

“Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) has said that human beings are asleep in this world and at the time of death they will wake up.

“The life of this world might well be a dream while the life to come might be the reality that is hidden from us and will become apparent on awakening in the hereafter, and this is why perhaps Imam Ghazali said not to grieve at his death:

“‘Say to my friends… when they look upon me dead. Weeping for me and mourning me in sorrow.

“Do not believe that this corpse is myself.

“In the name of Allah the Almighty, I tell you, it is not I!

“I am a spirit and this is nothing but flesh

“It was my abode and my garment for a time….

“I am a pearl which has left its shell.

“I am a bird, and this body was my cage…

“I have now flown forth and it is left as a token.

“All praise be to Allah the Almighty, who has now set me free (from the shackles of life).

“Think not that death is death… No!…it is (the beginning of a new) life.’”