TINKERBELL Learning School held a motivational talk for Year 6 sudents and their parents recently.

The talk aimed to provide awareness to both parents and students on the importance of mental preparedness for the upcoming Primary School Assessment (PSR) exam.

Acting Head of the Special Education Unit of the Ministry of Education Haji Ali Yusri bin Haji Abdul Ghafor was the guest speaker.

According to Haji Ali Yusri, quality time for students and parents at home is important. He also emphasised the involvement of parents’ support and the need of the pupils to focus in class for retention of knowledge to ensure success in achieving best result.

Principal of the school Iidil Rahmah binti Abdullah and Year 6 teachers were also present.

Tinkerbell Learning School is committed to serve through quality education and runs an intensive class programme which helps students to strengthen their knowledge in the five core subjects.

|     Fizah HAB     |

THE Brunei Darussalam National Road Safety Council (MKJJR) yesterday organised a religious event as part of its monthly activities to seek blessings from Allah the Almighty, and to pray for the safety of all road users in the country.

The Sunnat Hajat prayer and Ratib Al-Attas were held at the Brunei International Airport Surau, and attended by Minister of Health Dato Seri Setia Dr Haji Mohd Isham bin Haji Jaafar as the Acting Minister of Transport and Infocommunications.

MKJJR urged road users to begin their journey with prayers, to be vigilant while driving and practise care.

Drivers were also asked to continuously put safety first, buckle up, avoid using mobile phones while driving, and obey the speed limits and road signs.

Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Transport and Infocommunications (MTIC) Haji Mohammad Nazri bin Haji Mohammad Yusof in his capacity as Deputy Chairman II of MKJJR, Deputy Permanent Secretary at the MTIC (Transport, Research and Development) and Secretary of MKKJR Pengiran Mohd Amirrizal bin Pengiran Haji Mahmud, Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Health Haji Abdul Manap bin Othman, members of MKJJR, head of departments and senior government officials from the MTIC also attended.

|     Aziz Idris     |

MOUNTAIN Wedding Services founder Diwi Ahmad yesterday praised DARe (Darussalam Enterprise) for organising Brunei’s biggest showcase of local products and services at the Bridex Hall in Jerudong.

Diwi, who has been in the wedding business for almost two years, said the “fantastic” event showcased a mixture of vendors.

Some 220 local micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) are participating in the MSME Festival helping develop trade opportunities for expansion or collaborations.

Diwi said participating in the MSME Festival validates her business as a local company while also finds potential collaborators among other vendors.

First time vendor, Hafidh Furniture CEO Muhammad Iskandar bin Haji Duraman said the event is a common platform for the MSMEs community to share knowledge and engage with the public.

He said he usually deals with customers via social media interactions but having a physical ‘showroom’ at the festival makes it easier to communicate and understand customer’s needs. Despite the belief that social media is an important marketing tool, he said.

“But not everyone is on social media, especially the older generation.”

“Therefore it is important to be present physically (for your customers) to further understand customer’s needs and wants.”

Saifulizam of Visual Pro joined the MSME Festival to create a bond with customers. He said, “The bond can only be created by meeting face-to-face and DARe provided the perfect platform for such interactions.”

He admitted that social media is an effective marketing tool to showcase his service but added it has its limitations.

“Creating that personal bond with your customer is harder through text message,” he said.

“Thank you DARe for providing a platform for local MSMEs to have better engagement with their customers.”

Some vendors were not looking to make a quick buck during the event but raise awareness on the environment. Founder of UPSYKL – Brunei’s first ever recycled clothing – Nabilah binti Jeffery said, “We aim to do our part in reducing pollution by recycling used fabrics.

“UPSYKL is also in the process of getting underprivileged families be part of our upcycling team in the hopes to lessen their burden and provide them with a basic income.

“This is our first-time participating in the event and we are happy that the public can learn more about upcycling. Some are interested to donate their clothes, while others requested to redesign their donated clothing.”

The event is organised by DARe. A myriad of products and services are available ranging from food and beverage, cosmetics, healthcare, fashion, textiles, electronics, household furniture, IT, e-Commerce, logistics, education, insurance and banking.

Prior to the festival, majority of the vendors depended heavily on on-line marketing via free social media sites to raise awareness on their business and never had a physical store before.

The MSME Festival will continue today and tomorrow from 9am to 9pm. The public can use the free shuttle buses provided at the JP Food Court due to limited parking space at Bridex Hall.

|     Fizah HAB     |

THE ASEAN-Japan Centre (AJC) selected Royal Brunei Airlines’ (RB) Tropical Mirage 6 Days in Brunei travel package for the New Destination Award during the recent ASEAN Tourism Awards Japan 2018 at the Tokyo Prince Hotel.

Together with the JTB Media Retailing Corp and Overseas Network Co Ltd, the ‘Tropical Mirage 6 Days in Brunei’ package is one of the 11 tour products in six categories for the trips with destinations to the ASEAN member states (Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam) chosen as winners of the ASEAN Tourism Awards Japan 2018.

The award ceremony was attended by some 90 guests including travel agents, land operators and airlines and representatives of tourism organisations and the government representatives of the ASEAN member states and Japan.

Vice Commissioner of the Japan Tourism Agency Jun Takashina commented that the number of foreign visitors to Japan was on record high last year and the ASEAN Tourism Awards Japan is significant to recognise quality tour products besides encouraging more Japanese to visit the ASEAN member states.

The judging committee consisting members of the Japan Association of Travel Agents (JATA), the Overseas Tour Operators Association of Japan (OTOA), and the ASEAN-Japan Centre, screened 76 entries.

Awards were given to 11 selected tour products in six categories.

There was also commendation of influencers to one group and three individuals who contributed to the promotion of tourism in the region.

With the implementation of the ‘Mekong Tourism Award’ in the past, the AJC has expanded its prizes range by launching the ASEAN Tourism Awards Japan in FY2018 to honour excellent, quality tour products to all ASEAN destinations, aiming to encourage the Japanese tourism sector to diversify tour products and to further promote the ASEAN member states as attractive tourism destinations.

|     Hakim Hayat     |

SOME 50 Kampong Panchor Mengkubau Village Consultative Council (MPK)-registered orphans were treated to a dazzling show of lights at the Hadfa Garden Lighting Festival in Kampong Rimba yesterday.

The event, organised by the Brunei Malay Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DPPMB) in collaboration with Hadfa Garden and supported by Higher Hotel, aimed to encourage tourists to visit the country, and to draw locals as part of the school holiday activity.

According to one of the organisers, the orphans were invited to the event to experience the festival and spread joy, as part of their corporate social responsibility programme.

More NGOs such as those dealing with differently abled individuals have been invited to visit the festival.

The festival also offers activities and games.

Food and beverage stalls are also available.

|     Azlan Othman     |

A HEARTWARMING gesture by Royal Brunei Airlines (RB) cabin crew Nurhairi Tahir which received praise from netizens has been recognised by the national carrier.

RB rewarded Nurhairi with the Star Hospitality accolade which RB posted on its Instagram site.

A video went viral recently over Nurhairi’s hospitality recorded by renowned Malaysian businessman Dato’ Aliff Syukri Kamarzaman who posted it on his Facebook page.

Nurhairi, assisted by another cabin crew member, was seen helping a senior citizen in business class with his meal and also treating him with courtesy and sincerity. The cabin crew also wiped food from the elderly man’s shirt.

Dato’ Aliff said the gesture reminded him of his late father and thanked RB’s cabin crew for the hospitality.

Nurhairi said, “The senior citizen struggled to cope with his meal and for me, I tried my best to assist him. I sliced his food to make it easy for him. You have to look after the passengers. Royal Brunei Airlines treats passengers as a family.”

Netizens prayed to Allah the Al-Mighty to reciprocate the cabin crew’s kindness and bless him with wealth for his service to the elderly.

Others were touched by the kindness and gentleness adding this act brought a good name to the national airline.

A post by Hairani said there are numerous and uncounted acts of kindness by cabin crew to their passengers. It’s just that they did not go viral like Nurhairi’s act, the post said.

|    Daniel Lim    |

MORE than 160 participants from the Belait District attended a half-day Jenazah Management Workshop at the RPN Kampong Pandan Mosque in Kuala Belait yesterday.

The workshop was organised by the mosque’s Youth Group and Takmir Committee in collaboration with the Belait District branch of the Mosque Affairs Department to coincide with the school holidays.

It aimed to equip the participants with the knowledge to organise and manage a funeral.

Religious teacher at Paduka Seri Begawan Sultan Omar ‘Ali Saifuddien Religious School Haji Abdul Afiq bin Zainuddin delivered the briefing and demonstration on funeral management.

“Despite the workshop having been held multiple times, knowledge such as this cannot be fully comprehended just in one sitting, instead it is learnt over the course of multiple workshops,” said Head Imam at the RPN Kampong Pandan Mosque Abdul Qayyum bin Haji Aminnuddin, adding that there is an upward trend in the number of youth who expressed interest in learning how to properly manage and conduct a funeral.

“While many would assume that the responsibility of managing a funeral falls upon Imams, religious teachers, and pengapai (individuals who handle the cleaning/preparation of the deceased before burial), in reality, this responsibility falls onto the community.

“This shows the need to disseminate information on the proper steps and practices necessary to conduct a funeral,” Imam Abdul Qayyum added.

|    Hakim Hayat    |

WITH no restrictions on foreign ownership as an attraction, one of the main factors why the Astaka units in Johor Bahru in Malaysia are selling well is the price factor and the exchange rate. For just under BND1 million, you can own a top-notch high-rise luxury unit that is on par with other upmarket developments around Kuala Lumpur and Singapore, that may be priced higher,” Chief Executive Officer of Astaka Holdings Dato’ Zamani bin Kasim said.

He made these comments to the Sunday Bulletin on the sidelines of the property’s exclusive showcase at The Empire Hotel & Country Club in Jerudong yesterday.

Hartanah Impianika, the local agency marketing The Astaka in Brunei Darussalam, invited potential investors or buyers to visit the final day of the exclusive showcase at the Conference Room of The Empire Hotel & Country Club today from 11am to 6pm.

The Astaka, a twin-tower luxury residential development comprising two towers of 65 and 70 storeys, is catching the eyes of many admirers as it soars high at the centre of Johor Bahru, Malaysia’s city centre and overlooking neighbouring Singapore about one kilometre away from the development.

The prestigious and luxurious upmarket apartment project lies in the financial hub of the Iskandar Malaysia Corridor, a strategic development project by the Malaysian Government aimed at transforming Johor Bahru into a new urban metropolis of international standing.

At the heart of the architectural marvel with the 70-storey tower soaring 305m above sea level is the tallest residential tower in Southeast Asia, the Astaka Holdings, an integrated property developer in Iskandar Malaysia that is listed on the Catalist Board of the Singapore Exchange.

Apart from its strategic location, the upmarket development is designed for quality living, integrating a combination of architectural marvels together with complete clubhouse facilities, landscaped gardens and stylish interiors to complement the entire elements of excellent luxurious living.

It is no surprise that the development has already bagged a few awards, including the best high rise residential property development for ASEAN and the 14^th Asia Property Award, and is also nominated as the best residential and best interior design in the Asia-Pacific Property Award, Dato’ Zamani said. “All these awards are testament to our hard work and commitment towards quality for the project, and we are humbled by this,” he added.

The Astaka, located at One Bukit Senyum, is less than one kilometre from the Johor Bahru Customs, Immigration and Quarantine (CIQ) complex as well as the future Rapid Transit System (RTS) station. It is surrounded by an efficient traffic network accessible to all major highways and expressways with upgraded infrastructure and improved road system. An access tunnel has also been built for easy access to The Astaka.

This freehold integrated development also includes a luxury hotel, serviced apartment and three ‘Grade A’ commercial office towers and comes with its own retail, supermarkets, greenery garden and deck, basement and podium parking.

When completed in 2021, the mixed-use integrated development in One Bukit Senyum will have a gross floor area of 6.6 million sq ft and gross development value of up to RM5.3 billion.

The Astaka features 438 units of luxury residences fitted with top notch finishing and installation, with units starting from 2,207sqft for a typical three-bedroom apartment to 2,659sqft for a typical four-bedroom apartment. Each floor contains four units – two three-bedroom and two four-bedroom apartments – and each comes with private lift access. The development also obtained its Certificate of Completion and Compliance earlier last year, allowing residents to move in immediately.

According to Dato’ Zamani, only 100 units are left for The Astaka, with most of their buyers from international backgrounds, from the United States (US) to Europe and Asian countries including Brunei.

|    Khairil Hassan    |

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 officiated the opening ceremony of the 1^st Borneo Karatedo Open Championship 2019 at the Multi-purpose Hall of the Hassanal Bolkiah National Sports Complex in Berakas yesterday morning.

The championship is organised by Rengokai Karatedo Brunei Darussalam in collaboration with the Brunei Darussalam Karate Federation (BRUKAF).

Sabah, Sarawak and Labuan Federal Territory participated in the two-day tournament.

The minister officially launched the tournament by striking the gong and was introduced to the participating teams.

The minister also witnessed the final of the Kata event and presented medals to the winners.

The tournament will continue today with more finals and medal presentations before the closing ceremony this evening.

|    Fadhil Yunus    |

PERGURUAN Panca Sukma emerged the overall champion of the National Youth Pencak Silat Championship during the final and closing ceremony at the Indoor Stadium of the Hassanal Bolkiah National Sports Complex last night.

The best male athlete went to Mohd Iqbal from the Federal Territory of Labuan Silat Association while Nur Wasiqah Aziemah binti Rosihan from Perguruan Panca Sukma scooped the best female athlete award.

Legislative Council member Yang Berhormat Iswandy bin Ahmad, the guest of honour, presented prizes to the winners.

President of the Brunei Darussalam Pencak Silat Federation (PERSIB) Pengiran Haji Mohammad bin Pengiran Haji Ludin and senior members from the federation were also present.

Nur Wasiqah Aziemah excelled in the championship after winning the gold medal in Class ‘D’ of the tanding event with Nur Fadhilah Fikriyah binti Latif from Seni Warisan Pelangi settling for silver. Dayangku Siti Norfakhirah Naqibah binti Pengiran Haji Md Yussof from Sports Schools Council claimed bronze.

In Class ‘C’, Aminu Alif bin Hamidon from the Federal Territory of Labuan Silat Association emerged victorious in the gold medal match after a 5-0 win over Sports Schools Council’s Khirul Amirin bin Jasmin. Seni Silat Kembang Goyang’s Abdul Azim Dhaifullah bin Rodi and Pertubuhan Gagak Hitam’s Awangku Muhd Asyraf bin Pengiran Ali won joint bronze.

Pertubuhan Gagak Hitam’s Md Nur Rizal Hakim bin Md Nur Izan captured the gold medal in the Class ‘D’ tanding after a 5-0 win against Seni Warisan Pelangi’s Awangku Mohammad Nabil Mirza bin Pengiran Mohd Fazillah. Federal Territory of Labuan Silat Association’s Mohd Firdaus bin Bakar and PERPANSIB’s Low Wei Chin were awarded joint bronze.

Meanwhile, in the Class ‘E’ final, Mohd Iqbal from the Federal Territory of Labuan Silat Association won gold after beating Rumpun Silat Sarawak Wilayah Lawas’ Muhamad Zulhairi bin Ramli 5-0. Sports Schools Council’s Hafizuddin bin Kamaluddin grabbed the bronze medal.

The final and closing ceremony was further enlivened with a silat demonstration from various teaching bodies and organisations including young children who entertained the audience with a series of impressive moves.

The event also witnessed a special demonstration from renowned tanding coach Hassan bin Tuah, who has played an important role towards the development of pencak silat in the country.

After three days of healthy and intense competition, the guest of honour declared the closing of the championship.

|    Aziz Idris    |

WORLD renowned celebrity chef Martin Yan invited members of the public to indulge in Halal Chinese Cuisine with ‘A Culinary Journey with Martin Yan’ promotion at Dynasty Restaurant in Gadong from today until April 14.

The one-of-the-kind food promotion launched in a ceremony last night was attended by guest of honour Minister of Foreign Affairs II Dato Seri Setia Awang Haji Erywan bin Pehin Datu Pekerma Jaya Haji Mohd Yusof, alongside special guest 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.

Deputy Minister of Finance and Economy, who is also the Chairman of the Royal Brunei Catering (RBC) Board of Directors, Dr Haji Abdul Manaf bin Haji Metussin and Ambassador of the People’s Republic of China to Brunei Darussalam Yu Hong along with event sponsors and fans of Martin Yan were also present.

Prior to the launch, General Manager of RBC Haji Jeff Hadiman bin Dato Paduka Haji Danial said, “Dynasty Restaurant proudly presents renowned celebrity chef Martin Yan, flown in all the way from San Francisco to celebrate, nurture and honour chefs and other cooks, making good food culture sustainable for everyone.”

With the support of Baiduri Bank Berhad, the ‘Culinary Journey with Martin Yan’ promotion includes attractive prizes – two air tickets to Hong Kong inclusive of accommodation and entrance tickets to Disneyland Hong Kong, two air tickets to Taipei and one air ticket to Shanghai.

RBC Dining Privilege cardholders are entitled to a 10 per cent discount and Baiduri Bank cardholders are entitled to enjoy 15 per cent discount with Baiduri Visa Infinite Card, Baiduri Prestige Visa Infinite card and Baiduri Mastercard World Debit card and 12 per cent off with all other Baiduri Credit and Debit cards during the promotion period.

Martin Yan is a long-time TV show host, certified Master Chef, highly respected food consultant, professional instructor, star of 3,000 cooking shows, restaurateur and promoter of Chinese cuisine. He has crafted exclusive set courses for diners for lunch or dinner.

Customers are advised to make advanced booking and reservations with Dynasty Restaurant at 2430185/6.

|    Danial Norjidi    |

THE Autoriti Monetari Brunei Darussalam (AMBD) FinTech Regulatory Sandbox was highlighted during a FinTech (financial technology) talk as part of the Brunei MSME Festival at the BRIDEX Hall in Jerudong yesterday.

The talk featured two speakers – Head of FinTech Unit at AMBD Haji Mohammad Khairul Zaki bin Haji Mohidin and BruPay CEO Haji Sophian bin Dato Seri Setia Dr Haji Mat Suny.

The Head of FinTech Unit at AMBD in his presentation shared that on February 27, 2017, AMBD formally issued the FinTech Regulatory Sandbox guidelines which aim to aid the development of FinTech in Brunei Darussalam through the creation of a regulatory sandbox for safe and responsible experimentation.

“The pace of innovation in the financial services industry is accelerating because of the advances in technology,” he said, noting as an example that in China it is more convenient to pay at shops and restaurants using mobile wallets.

“FinTech is transforming financial services that can bring benefit to businesses and consumers, but this phenomenon is not without risk and the financial services sector is known to be one of the most highly regulated sectors in the world.”

“There are regulations that providers must comply to, but introducing regulations prematurely may stifle innovation and potentially derail the adoption of useful technology.”

“In balancing risk and keeping up with the pace of innovation, AMBD has introduced a FinTech Regulatory Sandbox,” he said.

“The FinTech Regulatory Sandbox is a framework that enables qualified companies or businesses to experiment with innovative FinTech solutions in a relaxed regulatory environment, for a limited period of time and legal parameters.”

He noted that, to date, there are more than 20 FinTech Regulatory Sandboxes that have been established by regulators and authorities globally, including in the United Kingdom (UK), Australia, Singapore, Malaysia, Dubai and many more.

He then explained how interested FinTech companies or licensed financial institutions can apply to enter the sandbox.

“Before submitting an application to our sandbox, as prerequisites, applicants should be able to show that they have done their due diligence including testing the proposed solution in a laboratory environment, as well as have knowledge on the relevant legal and regulatory requirements.”

He added that applicants may engage AMBD through the feedback office if they require any further information or clarification.

“So there are three phases for our sandbox,” he said. “Upon submission of the application, relevant AMBD functions will assess the application and will inform the applicants of the potential suitability or otherwise for our sandbox within 10 working days of receiving all necessary information for making the assessment. This is called the application phase.

“Once an application has been assessed as suitable, they will then move to the evaluation and preparation phase.

“We will then evaluate the application in more detail. There is no fixed time for this phase, as this depends on the complexity of the applications, the completeness of the information and the specific legal and regulatory requirements involved.

“AMBD will work together with the applicant on any further refinements that might need to be made during the application.

“Applicants will be informed in writing. Upon receiving written approval, successful applicants may begin testing during the experimentation phase. AMBD and the sandbox entity will be in constant communication on the progress of the testing. Relevant AMBD functions will also start to consider if any regulatory requirement is required at the end of the testing period.

“Upon successful completion of the experiments, a sandbox entity must fully comply with all relevant legal and regulatory requirements,” he added.

One of the approved applicants in the AMBD FinTech Regulatory Sandbox is BruPay. It offers an electronic wallet system that allows users to make payments to traders using the BruPay smartphone app.

During the talk, the BruPay CEO spoke on some of the events and public outreach activities it carried out and participated in.

He spoke of BruPay’s launch in November 2018, as well as release of its latest update which incorporates the merchant offering into the existing BruPay app and automates the merchant registration process.

Speaking to the Sunday Bulletin, he elaborated on the response they have received to the merchant update. “We’ve had a few merchants that have already signed up and they’ve started to make use of BruPay as a form of payment.”

“The feedback from them is that it’s user-friendly and not as complicated as they would have thought it was going to be,” he said, noting the positive response to how payments can be conducted using QR codes.

“We are aiming to work with several larger organisations but when you launch it at an early stage, it’s the smaller ones that can adopt it first, because it’s less of a process for them to adopt. But when you want to take it to a larger scale you have to bring it in with the all of the processes and control measures that they have, and we are working towards that.”

He shared that 10 merchants are already registered, while another 30 are in the registration process.

On what is next for BruPay, he said, “You will see us being active in raising the awareness levels. Now the product is at a stage whereby it can go out to everybody and can go out into the merchant phase.”

|    Lyna Mohamad    |

SKYLINES around the world went dark at 8.30pm local time last night as millions marked WWF’s Earth Hour, a movement aimed at sparking global awareness and action on preserving nature and the environment.

From the Eiffel Tower and the Empire State Building, to Beijing’s Bird’s Nest Stadium and the Burj Khalifa in Dubai, thousands of landmarks worldwide switched off their lights in solidarity for the planet and in a symbolic move urging individuals, businesses and governments globally to move forward the conversations and solutions we need to build a healthy and sustainable future for all.

Beginning as a symbolic ‘lights out’ event in Sydney in 2007, this year’s Earth Hour was celebrated in more than 188 countries and territories across the globe.

Taman Mahkota Jubli Emas (as the focal point location) and the Raja Isteri Pengiran Anak Hajah Saleha Bridge joined the rest of the world in participating in the global initiative for the second time, switching off their lights for an hour last night alongside the Yayasan Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Complex and Omar ‘Ali Saifuddien Mosque.

Here in Brunei Darussalam, Earth Hour is connecting the dots between climate change and biodiversity, and focus on forest and energy/climate action.

“Biodiversity forms the foundation of healthy forests, rivers and oceans. Take away [world’s] species, and these ecosystems will collapse along with the clean air, water, food and climate services that they provide us,” said Country Manager of Earth Hour Brunei Mohd Rimey. “Quite simply, we need nature to survive and thrive so that people can live in a sustainable future.

“WWF’s Earth Hour has helped bring climate action from global conferences to people’s homes since 2007, and it is now the time to do the same for nature and biodiversity, which underpin the well-being and prosperity of people everywhere on Earth.”

|    Aziz Idris    |

ALL aquaculture products of Brunei Darussalam’s Pelumpong fish farming site will have the potential to be marketed by the largest Chinese e-commerce retailer, JD.com Executive Vice President of Pure Fresh (B) Sdn Bhd Eyan Ou said.

Eyan who operates from the Pelumpong site said this during the granting ceremony for two Brunei fishery companies – Fresh (B) Sdn Bhd and Tong Kee Products (B) Sdn Bhd by JD.com as the first Overseas Off Coast Fresh Farm.

The granting ceremony took place at Tong Kee’s sea cages site in Tanjong Pelumpong Fish Culture Industrial Site yesterday witnessed by Minister of Primary Resources and Tourism Dato Seri Setia Awang Haji Ali bin Haji Apong as the guest of honour.

“JD.com as our new strategic partner in the Chinese e-commerce business will add on value to the aquaculture and seafood industry in Brunei Darussalam. Following the strict quality and standard imposed by JD.com, all aquaculture products of Brunei Darussalam’s Pelumpong site can be marketed over JD.com,” Eyan said.

He added that this will also provide a “window of opportunity” for local farms to expand further and farm more high quality seafood products.

“With our processing capability, we are not limited to providing live products but also provide processed value-added seafood product options to the Chinese customers,” Eyan said.

JD.com senior manager Zhaoyu believes that such collaborations would bring more and new options for Chinese customers via online and offline.

“Brunei is renowned for being pollution free environment. We can be assured about the quality and standard of the produce. Tong Kee farm will follow the strict standards throughout the whole process.

“We will continue with our many years of experience. We look forward to seeing more high-quality seafood products from Brunei,” Zhaoyu said.

JD.com is the first Chinese Internet company to make to the Fortune Global 200 List. With its strict “zero-tolerance” policy toward counterfeit goods, customers have put their trust in JD as the brand is a guarantee of authenticity.

It has the largest e-commerce logistics infrastructure in China covering 99 per cent of the country’s population that enables customers to purchase variety of products anywhere, anytime.

Established in 2017, Pure Fresh (B) Sdn Bhd is a shrimp processing operator at Serasa. Its sales volume reached 39 tonnes last year worth about USD600,000. It has 13 workers, mostly locals.

Tong Kee Products (B) Sdn Bhd is a fish (cages) farming company in Tanjong Pelumpong. It was established in 2017 and employs 15. Last year, the company sold 100 tonnes of marine fish (grouper and seabass) worth about USD420,000.

With close collaboration with JD.com, both Pure Fresh and Tong Kee will couple the resources to bring more seafood-related products from Brunei to the Chinese market.

Deputy Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Primary Resources and Tourism Haji Halidi bin Haji Mohd Salleh and senior government officials from government agencies were also present.

|     Daniel Lim     |

A STRONG crowd of illuminated runners turned up for the ‘We Run The Night’ event in Kuala Belait, notching another success for RYS Entertainment who brought back the night run.

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 officiated and participated in the run.

Over 500 participants set off for the run at 7.30pm, putting their mental and physical endurance to the test. The starting and finish point was the area fronting the park along Jalan Sungai in the Belait District. The run was split into three categories: 3km Fun Run, 6km and 11km Run.

Following a warm-up, the minister flagged off the runners, before joining others in the 3km Fun Run.

Speaking to the Bulletin, the minister noted that it was his first time participating in the run, which was held alongside the KBku Ceria at the end of every month.

He was delighted to see the large turnout of participants, demonstrating a show of support for events that promote healthy living and family bonding.

The minister awarded prizes to the top three winners of the 6km and 11km categories, before receiving a token of appreciation from Managing Director of RYS Entertainment Ampuan Haji Yusof bin Haji Kula. RYS Entertainment expressed gratitude to the participants and contributors of the event.

|     Wani Roslan     |

RELIGIOUS Teachers University College of Seri Begawan (KUPU SB) conducted the Ukhuwah Islamiyyah Camp Programme from March 28-29 at Kampong Bukit Mosque, Tutong.

The programme was organised by the university’s Faculty of Usuluddin, Fikrah Club in collaboration with the Islamic Da’wah Centre and Kampong Bukit Mosque.

Guest of honour Dean of the Faculty of Usuluddin at KUPU SB Dr Mikdar Rusdi launched the programme.

Themed Ukhuwah Penjana Negara Zikir, the two-day programme consisted of religious talks relating to strengthening the Aqidah, Syaksiah and raised the importance of ukhuwah.

It also included an Amali guidance clinic, Taharah, prayers, Azan and Tausyeh workshops as well as community

services. The programme, which has been running since 2011, focussed on the concept of ‘3S’, namely Syiar, Salam and Silaturrahim.

It also aimed at instilling a sense of responsibility as Muslims and strengthe-ning ties between the students and village residents.

|     Fadhil Yunus     |

BRUNEI-MUARA fencer Anaqi Danish Asahrin captured his maiden title in the men’s sabre event at the Brunei Open Fencing Championship after a closely-fought 15-14 victory over teammate Mohd Haziq Asahrin in a brotherly affair at the Youth Centre in the capital yesterday.

Mohd Haziq Asahrin, the elder of the Asahrin brothers, enjoyed a bright start in his title defence with separate 4-1 and 6-2 leads in the halfway mark of a tense final.

But Anaqi Danish, who got into the final after a tough semi-final battle, clawed his way back into contention and recovered four successive points to ensure a nail-biting contest.

This year’s Brunei Open marked the first time that Anaqi Danish has struck gold after few attempts in previous editions.

He lost in the semi-final last year against his uncle Md Yunus Haji Abdul Hamid and exited the quarter-finals stage after a defeat to a Filipino fencer in 2017.

Anaqi enhanced his hopes of wresting the crown from his brother after he pulled a stunning effort in a 15-13 win over Nilai University’s Adam Nicholas Linbichler.

The pair met recently at the 3^rd ASEAN University Fencing Championship with the Malaysian emerging victorious but now the roles have reversed.

“I met (Adam) in the quarterfinal of the ASEAN University Fencing Championship. In Nilai, I lost against him 15-13 but in Brunei I met him again in the semi-finals where I beat him by the same score-line,” said Anaqi Danish in an interview with the Bulletin.

“My brother (Haziq) is a strong opponent and we know how each other plays. In the final, it is down to having a bigger heart to win,” he added.

Anaqi Danish, who is still studying in sixth form, shared that he is balancing his time between his ‘A’ Levels and his fencing.

“Our training for now is three hours so for me we train our fullest during that time. When I come home, I focus on my studies. I am trying to balance my education and sport.”

The bronze medallists for the men’s sabre events were Malaysia’s Adam Nicholas Linbichler and Eu Wen Wong.

Meanwhile, Brunei-Muara’s Anis Sabrina binti Hajah Yahya emerged winner of the women’s foil category in a victorious return to the discipline after defeating Malaysia’s Fathiah Syazliyana Samsudin 15-13.

The national fencer was plagued with illness last Friday as she made her final preparations towards the two-day tournament, where she also won silver in women’s sabre.

“I am thankful that my sickness does not affect my game. It has been a long time since I last played foil because I used to play foil a lot in the last two years.

“I was a representative in the SEA Games in 2017 in women’s foil. It was a good opportunity to come back to play foil for Brunei.”

Asked about her immediate plans after the tournament, she replied, “I might continue my training after this and I look forward to another competition because I think I need to go for a lot of exposure competitions for the sabre event.”

Malaysia’s Zarith Amiera Khir Azman and Putri A Elisa Isabela Megat Iskandar won joint bronze.

Meanwhile, Malaysia’s Jing Xuan Yap won gold in the women’s epee after defeating Brunei’s Alina Ali in the final. Brunei’s pair of Nadhirah Mohd Salleh and Nurul Massanita Baharuddin won shared bronze.

There were also under-12 individual competitions for boys’ and girls’ foil events with Abdul Waiz bin Hashim and Nur Harisah binti Harrisman Ashady, winning the final respectively.

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 presented the prizes.

|     Daniel Lim     |

THE Village Consultative Council of Labi 1 (MPK Labi 1) held its ‘Fitness Run and Walk’ health activity yesterday morning. It was held as part of an initiative to help promote healthy lifestyles among residents of Labi and provide families residing in the area the opportunity to spend quality time with each other before the start of the new school term.

Sixty residents participated in the activity, with the government building at Kampong Terunan Jalan Labi Lama as its focal point.

Present to oversee the event was Legislative Council member and Village Head of Kampong Labi 1 Yang Berhormat Hanapi bin Mohd Siput. The activity began with a warm up session led by Muhammad Nur Farhan @ Joehan bin Ummar, Muhd Izzat Izuddin bin Abdullah Leong and Halmi bin Haji Hamid.

Yang Berhormat Hanapi flagged off the 3.1km walk for women and children, before participating in the 3.9km run for men. The event also included a cycling activity around the area.

|     Fadhil Yunus     |

SERUJI bin Haji Setia overcame the notoriously tough conditions at the RBA Golf Club course to become the latest recipient of the coveted Patron’s Challenge Trophy and the 18^th Pusat Ehsan Charity Golf Tournament title yesterday.

The seasoned golfer carded a two-over-par 73 to win the final round by three strokes, ahead of runners-up Md Haswandy Haji Paun with former Baiduri Masters winner Tony Karim one shot back with 77.

No player in the top 12 ticked an even par or better on their scorecard as a combination of volatility of wind direction and the sophistication of holes proved to be an obstacle.

Much talk has been centred on the absence of notable players including defending champion Johari Haji Ahmad, who elected to play in the 30^th Pantai Mentiri Amateur Open, which was held on the same day.

Johari was the last man to successfully navigate his way at the RBA golf course when he posted a low score of 69 at the previous edition of the tournament. In fact, he won his maiden Pusat Ehsan title last year as the same total as the man who succeeded him as champion.

Brunei national golfers Awangku Muhd Syakir bin Pengiran Haji Ali and Aritz Maldini were also in Mentiri as well as Adam Yani, the winner of at least two minor tournaments in 2017, Zulhimi bin Haji Rosli, Pengiran Adam bin Pengiran Atan and Suhaimi bin Ibrahim.

Seruji left it late to register a solitary birdie in the 18^th hole after a perfectly-executed approach shot with the ball landing uninterrupted in the green. None from his flight came close in matching Seruji whom two of his closest rivals came in the group before him.

The golfer found the course similarly tough as his rivals highlighted by a bogey in hole four before saving par while two bogeys on the 15^th and 17^th did not hurt his chances of triumph.

Seruji, a household name in the local golfing community, bagged the first major domestic title of the year alongside the winner in Mentiri as the golfing season kicked off in earnest.

Fauzi bin Haji Timbang was behind the overnight leader Seruji heading into the final round but drifted away with a 79.

Minister of Defence II Pehin Datu Lailaraja Major General (Rtd) Dato Paduka Seri Haji Awang Halbi bin Haji Mohd Yussof was the guest of honour at the prize presentation ceremony and recognition lunch at the Royal Brunei Recreation Club yesterday.

Organised by the Pusat Ehsan Al-Ameerah Al-Hajjah Maryam, the tournament attracted a total of 219 participants for the three-day event.

Besides the top 12 players and division winners, there were also novelty prizes on offer such as putt stop challenge, nearest to pin, hole-in-one and bull’s eye prizes in holes 2, 5 12, 14 and 16.

Meanwhile, a total of BND22,700 was raised in the event. The tournament proceeds will support the children and youth with special needs at Pusat Ehsan and to the centre’s monthly expenses and development plans.

Among the main sponsors of the tournament was GHK Motors Sdn Bhd. Present was Chong Thien Fook on behalf of Pehin Kapitan Lela Diraja Dato Paduka Goh King Chin.

GHK Motors has been a sponsor for the Pusat Ehsan Golf Tournament since 2004.

|     Lyna Mohamad     |

THE pre-dawn talk yesterday focussed on the topic of frequently overlooked Sunnah from Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) regarding fitness and health.

Department of Public Services’ Counselling Officer Haji Ady Zaky bin Haji Matassim said, “Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) taught the Ummah about practices and supplications that should become habits in our daily lives to earn blessings.

“Such practices have gradually been forgotten, where among them are showering before the dawn prayers, breakfast and going for early morning walks, as well as taking up archery, horse-riding, swimming and so on.

“Going on early morning walks was a habit that Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) particularly enjoyed and encouraged, due to its healthful benefits, including the beneficial effects of the early morning sun.”

Present at the talk were Minister at the Prime Minister’s Office Dato Seri Setia Haji Awang Abdul Mokti bin Haji Mohd Daud and Deputy Permanent Secretary (Policy and Religious) at the Ministry of Religious Affairs (MoRA) Haji Mohd Serudin bin Haji Timbang.

The weekly pre-dawn talk is part of the Masjidku Makmur, Negara Berkat programme to encourage the presence of more congregants for mass Subuh prayer at the Omar ‘Ali Saifuddien Mosque prior to the Bandarku Ceria activities.

The programme is initiated by the MoRA through its Mosque Affairs Department in collaboration with the Islamic Da’wah Centre and the Islamic Syiar Development Division.