| Rokiah Mahmud |
INSURANS Islam TAIB Holdings Sdn Bhd (IITHSB) and Darussalam Holdings Sdn Bhd (DHSB) marked a new chapter in their history yesterday as they celebrated their 25th year as subsidiaries under Perbadanan Tabung Amanah Islam Brunei (Perbadanan TAIB) with a ceremony at the International Convention Centre (ICC), Berakas.
His Royal Highness Prince Haji Al-Muhtadee Billah ibni His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu’izzaddin Waddaulah, the Crown Prince and Senior Minister at the Prime Minister’s Office and His Royal Highness Prince ‘Abdul Malik graced the event.
Minister of Religious Affairs Pehin Udana Khatib Dato Paduka Seri Setia Ustaz Haji Awang Badaruddin bin Pengarah Dato Paduka Haji Awang Othman in his capacity as Advisor to Perbadanan TAIB; Minister of Defence II Pehin Datu Lailaraja Major General (Rtd) Dato Paduka Seri Haji Awang Halbi bin Haji Mohd Yussof, in his capacity as Chairman of Perbadanan TAIB Board of Directors; and Deputy Minister of Finance and Economy Dato Seri Paduka Ahmaddin bin Haji Abdul Rahman in his capacity as Chairman of the Board of Directors of Insurans Islam TAIB Holdings Sdn Bhd greeted Their Royal Highnesses on arrival.
Pehin Datu Lailaraja Major General (Rtd) Dato Paduka Seri Haji Awang Halbi highlighted the achievements and progress of both subsidiaries in a speech.
“It is evident that the people of Brunei strongly support the two companies offering products and services that comply with the Syariah principles and fulfill the needs of Brunei Haj pilgrims, thus replacing the Muassasah system for the Haj and Umrah packages. The country is grateful to 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’s vision in prioritising the needs of his people,” he said.
The minister also touched on the development and progress made by both companies and how they fended off stiff competition in their respective markets.
He noted that both companies were formed in 1993 under the flagship of Perbadanan TAIB, where Insurans Islam TAIB Holdings – the first Islamic insurance (Takaful) company to operate in Brunei – now offers both general and family Takaful products, while Darussalam Holdings, entrusted primarily to facilitate the wellbeing of Brunei Haj pilgrims, has now developed into a one-stop agency offering not only Haj and Umrah packages, but also inbound and outbound tour products and airline ticketing services.
His Royal Highness the Crown Prince presented certificates to two employees in recognition of their long service with the companies: Assistant Managing Director of Darussalam Holdings Pengiran Hajah Noraini binti Pengiran Haji Sablon and Senior Manager at the Insurans Islam TAIB Family Takaful Hajah Nornaimah binti Haji Zainip.
His Royal Highness the Crown Prince also handed over cash donations to five non-governmental organisations (NGOs), with each receiving BND5,000.
The recipients were DANA Pengiran Muda Mahkota Al-Muhtadee Billah, with the donation received by DANA Chief Executive Officer Dato Paduka Eddie bin Dato Paduka Haji Sunny; Pusat Ehsan Al-Ameerah Al-Hajjah Maryam, with the donation received by the centre’s Senior Trustee Dato Paduka Haji Mohd Alimin bin Haji Abdul Wahab; Centre for Children with Special Needs (KACA), with the centre’s Managing Director Haji Abdul Alim bin Haji Awang Othman receiving the donation; the Association for Paraplegic and Physically Disabled (PAPDA), with the association’s Deputy Chairman Haji Sahari bin Haji Tinggal receiving the donation; and the Society for the Management of Austism Related issues in Training, Education and Resources (SMARTER) Brunei, whose donation was received by President Malai Haji Abdullah bin Malai Haji Othman.
Prior to leaving the ceremony, Their Royal Highnesses previewed a short video presentation on the background of both Insurans Islam TAIB Holdings and Darussalam Holdings, and visited the exhibition gallery showcasing the development of both subsidiaries for the past 25 years.
A number of products were also launched during the event.
Insurans Islam TAIB Holdings launched a new family Takaful product called Pelan Takaful Khairat and the Insurans Islam TAIB Mobile App.
Takaful Khairat provides coverage for funeral expenses for individuals who passed away due to an accident or illness. The product helps alleviate and reduce the financial burden of the individual’s family members in terms of bearing funeral costs.
The Insurans Islam TAIB Mobile App meanwhile features thorough information on Takaful products and claims guidelines, and allows users to ask for quotations on their latest Takaful coverage from both Insurans Islam TAIB Family Takaful and Insurans Islam TAIB General Takaful.
Darussalam Holdings, meanwhile, launched its iManasik Haji & Umrah and iBrunei mobile applications, both of which can be downloaded for free.
The iManasik Haji & Umrah app includes guides, steps, materials and information for anyone wishing to perform Umrah and Haj, while iBrunei is targetted at local and foreign tourists, providing information on places of interest in the country.