✰ Brunei Darussalam ~ NEWS & HILITES ✰

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慞ostcards Across Asean

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Brunei-KL Flights For $15
By Azlan Othman

Bandar Seri Begawan - Brunei travellers can now fly to Kuala Lumpur for as low as B$15 through AirAsia's Fast & Furious campaign.

AirAsia celebrated the recent 2007 Malaysian Grand Prix by announcing its partnership agreement as the "Official Airline" of AT&T Williams, one of the world's leading Formula One teams.

To celebrate this Grand Prix partnership associating the airline to a wider global audience, Asia's leading low-fare airline is offering 600,000 seats with fares as low as RM1.00 (excluding airport taxes and fees, fuel surcharges; applicable for one way travel only) through its Fast & Furious promotion.

The promotion is available online and customers can start booking from midnight April 23 to 29, 2007 for travel period between October 1, 2007 and March 29, 2008. Prices start from as low as RM1.00 one way to Penang, Langkawi, Johor Bahru, Kelantan, and Kuala Terengganu.

Fares for international destinations start from as low as RM11.00. For a shopping spree, this latest deal will take travellers to Macau (Hong Kong) from RM61.00 or Chiang Mai from RM41.00.

Customers can also head to Palembang, Jakarta or Padang from RM11.00 and Bandung from RM21.00. One can also fly to holiday destinations like Phuket from RM2l .00 or Hanoi from RM51.00.

"We want to keep the momentum going," Kathleen Tan, Executive Vice President - Commercial, AirAsia Berhad.

"As fast as the Formula One cars go, we want to do the same with our low fares, offering unbeatable low fares that no other airline can beat.

"Our aim is simple

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Musical & Mascot Show

Archmedia Advertising holds  Musical & Mascot Show from Friday, April 27 to May 1 at Seri Q-lap Mall, Kiulap.

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Jazz Concert


Brunei Music Society holds a Jazz Concert on Friday, April 27 at 7.30 pm located at Orchid Garden Hotel, Berakas.

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Spending The Night With The Crown Ambassador of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia


Brunei Darussalam De Classiclife Sdn Bhd (DCL) Company is organising Spending the Night with Yang Mulia Kamarulzaman Jailan, Crown Ambassador of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on Friday, April 27 at 8 pm located at SEAMEO VOCTECH Buidling, Jalan Pasar Baru, Gadong.

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Anthony Tours & Travel First Roadshow


Anthony Tours & Travel First Roadshow will be held from Friday, April 27 to 29 from 10 am to 10 pm located at Level 1, The Mall, Gadong.
For more information contact 222 6666, 222 8668 or 222 7980.

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Workshop Closing Ceremony


Ministry of Health is organising a Workshop on Strengthening Drug & Therapeutics Committee to Improve Medicine Use in Hospitals Closing Ceremony on Friday, April 27 at 9 am located at Taqwa Hall, Public Service Institute, Rimba, Brunei Darussalam.
The guest of honour is Yang Mulia Dr Haji Affendy Bin Pehin Orang Kaya Saiful Mulok Dato Seri Paduka Haji Abidin, Director of Medical Service, Ministry of Health.

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Election Certificate Handing Over Ceremony


Brunei & Muara District Department is organising Head of Village Election Certificate Awarding Ceremony on Friday, April 27 at 8.30 am located at the residence of Yang Mulia Awang Haji Ismail bin Haji Rajab, Tungku/Katok, Mukim Gadong 'A' Head of Village, No 7, Spg 207, Kampong Katok, Tungku Gadong, Mukim Gadong 'A'.
The guest of honour is Yang Mulia Awang Haji Mohammad Mahdi bin Pehin Orang Kaya Digadong Seri Diraja Dato Laila Utama Haji Abdul Rahman, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Home Affairs

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French Trade With Brunei On The Rise
By James Kon

Bandar Seri Begawan - Some 14.885 million euros worth of French exports made their way to Brunei Darussalam in the year 2006, and the main export came in the form of motor vehicles, worth 9.4 million euros.

This was stated by Mr Jean Marie Demange, head of the Economic Departments for Southeast Asia, French Embassy in a talk on "Partnership Between France & Asean: A case study for Brunei Darussalam", which was held at the Sheraton Utama Hotel in the capital, yesterday afternoon. The talk was organised by the France-Brunei Business Association (FBBA).

Also present at yesterday's event were Dato Paduka Awg Hj Hamdillah bin Hj Abdul Wahab, Deputy Minister of Industry and Primary Resources, Mr Patrick Bonneville, the Ambassador of France to Brunei Darussalam, Mr Pierre Imhof, General 'Manager of Baiduri Bank Berhad and president of FBBA, and Mr Michel Bru, Finance Manager, Total E&P BomeoB.V.

According to Mr Demange, other French exports to Brunei in 2006 included pharmaceutical products worth 1.13 million euros, audiovisual transmission devices worth 1.01 million euros, industrial refrigeration systems (923,000 euros), steel tubes (307,000 euros) and chemical products (291,000 euros).

Highlighting the close economic ties between Asean and France, Mr Demange disclosed that the level of export from France to the Asean member countries had risen from a total of 4,831 million euros in 2002 to 6,858 million euros in 2006.

Exports from Asean to France had also increased from 8,145 million euros in 2002 to 9,367 million euros in 2006.

Mr Demange added that there are currently 1,400 French subsidiaries in Asean and that France has direct investment amounting to 6 billion euros in stock in Asean.

Detailing the breakdown of the French investment in Ascan countries, Mr Demange said Brunei has 235 million euros worth of direct investments from France, which is the fifth largest among Asean countries, behind Singapore (3,601 million euros), Indonesia (673 million euros), Thailand (651 million euros) and Vietnam (239 million euros). Myanmar has 118 million euros worth of French investment, while Cambodia has 28 million euros and Laos has 15 million euros, he added.

Touching on the reasons to do business with France, Mr Demangc said, "France is an entry gate to the New Europe. In the European Union, France has the greatest potential for logistics, in front of Germany, Slovakia, Czech Republic and Poland. And it only takes 24 hours from France to reach 450 million consumers."

He added that France has "one of the most productive and highly educated labour forces in Europe".

Prior to the presentation, Mr Pierre Imhof, the president of FBBA in his welcoming speech said, "This is the first time we have organised such an activity this year after the AGM."

Mr Imhof added that the talk touched on the relationship and partnerships between Brunei Darussalam and France as well as business opportunities in both countries.

In the Q&A session, the Deputy Minister of Industry and Primary Resources, Dato Paduka Awg Hj Hamdillah made inquiries on the prospects of attracting French tourists to Brunei as well as methods of penetrating the French market with Brunei's Halal Premium Brand. -- Courtesy of Borneo Bulletin

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Asean Hold Talks On Livestock And Biosecurity
By Yusrin Junaidi

Bandar Seri Begawan - "The veterinary officials from Asean countries, who are represented by ASWGL, have worked together for more than 15 year towards the common goal of strengthening the region's biosecurity and trade in the livestock sector, and this year would be no exception" said Pengiran Hjh Mariana Binti Pengiran Dipa Negara Laila Driaja Pengiran Hj Abdul Mumin, Deputy Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Industry and Primary Resources.

At the 15th Meeting of the Asean Sectoral Working Group on Livestock at the Purple Jade, Centrepoint, Pengiran Hjh Mariana, who was the guest of honour, noted in her speech that, "I am very confident that our technical groups will strive to achieve their objectives at this meeting, to progress towards the realisation of regional cooperation projects for the Regulation of Production and Utilisation of Animal Vaccines as well -as the Promotion of International Trade in Livestock and Livestock Products". "The regional cooperation among Asean members is fully supported by our respective governments. The 28th Meeting of Asean Ministers on Agriculture and Forestry held on November 16, 2006 in Singapore recognised the current situation on the Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI), which remains a serious threat to the Asean region," she added.

She noted that the Government of Brunei Darussalam has agreed to contribute a

sum of US$100,000 for the five-year term of the agreement. Recognising that the cost of the disease prevention programmes and control strategies may vary among the countries, it would be pertinent to raise sufficient funds to support the programmes. In this regard, contributions from other inter-national donors would be encouraged. "The continuous effort towards capacity building on combating animal diseases in the region by the international agencies, particularly OIE and FAO, and others with the likes ofAustralia through AUSID, New Zealand, Japan, USA, China, European Union, Republic of Korea, Asia Development Bank and others is commendable.

"The participation of representatives from the agencies in this meeting is a reflection of their full commitment. This coordinated approach and close collaboration among member countries are an absolute necessity in our effort to come up with technical standards, guideline and expertise, needed in the control and eradication of HPAI."

She said, "Like many countries, Brunei, although to date remains free of avian influenza, is not exempted from the negative impact of the disease.

"The Brunei poultry industry which contributes approximately 69 per cent of the total income of the agriculture sector has indirectly experienced the negative effects such as the increase in price of imported fertilised eggs and generally through the chain reaction the price of meat in the local market. Although self-sufficient in the supply of poultry eggs and meat, Brunei is still importing a substantial amount of fertilised eggs from our neighbours.

"Brunei is fortunate to be able to continuously carry out our capacity and capability building and strategic surveillance programme. The establishment of the National Committee on the Handling of the Influenza Pandemic of Brunei chaired by His Royal Highness The Crown Prince and Senior Minister at the Prime Minister's Office in 2004 and the approval of a significant allocation of budget for the purpose of compensation and capacity building reflect the commitment from the highest authority of the Government of His Majesty." -- Courtesy of Borneo Bulletin

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Errant Drivers Must Change Their Attitudes
By Za'im Zaini

Bandar Seri Begawan - Errant drivers were sharply criticised by Imams throughout the Sultanate, as the issue of road accidents became the main focus in yesterday's nationwide Friday sermon.

In the sermon, the Imams said one of the things that bring devastation and destruction of property, as well as potential loss of life, is road accidents. "Road accidents are one of the main causes of deaths aside from various chronic illnesses," they said. The Imams attributed the occurrence of road accidents to "recklessness and negligence as well as the egotistical attitudes of the drivers themselves".

One of the most probable causes of road accidents, the imams said, is the selfish attitude of some drivers who do not think of the safety of other road users. Also brought into light was the driver's failure or refusal to obey road and traffic rules and regulations. Common violations include speeding, not putting on a safety belt, using the mobile phone while driving or texting an SMS, riding a motorcycle or bicycle without using safety helmet and not following any instructions or warnings from road signage including traffic lights.

Imams also turned their attention to parents or guardians, citing the irresponsible act of letting children travel without the use of safety restraints such as seat belts and child safety seats and of letting underaged youths or teenagers drive without a valid licence.

"Some youths gather for enjoyment by holding illegal races which can disturb public peace as well as endanger themselves and others," the Imams added in their sermon.

Looking at the number of road accidents that has been increasing from year to year, said the Imams, a number of efforts have been made by the relevant authorities to avoid the incidence of accidents.'

Such measures include:

• Conducting roadblocks and inspections on vehicles to prevent the incidence of illegal car modification;
• Reminding drivers to obey the road and traffic rules and regulations through campaigns, advertisements and others; and
• Advising drivers to ensure safety as well as to put on a safety belt and inspect their car before their journey, among other safety precautions.

The nationwide Friday sermon coincides with the ongoing Road Safety Week celebrated by the whole world including Brunei from April 23-29. Imams said the slogan "Road safety is no accident" focuses on the young road users. Citing statistics, Imams said, "Of all the road accidents recorded in the country, youths make up the majority of the victims."

The road and traffic rules and regulations are meant to guard the safety and comfort of all road users. Thus road users need to obey and have good morals by instilling attitudes such as awareness and love for oneself, one's family as well as the society. -- Courtesy of Borneo Bulletin

TheHawk

Cars Broken Into Outside The Mosque
By Azaraimy

Bandar Seri Begawan - Police cautioned the public against keeping valuables in their vehicles as an incident of a worshipper's car being broken into was reported.

An irate victim related to the Weekend hotline that his sibling's car was broken into during Friday mass prayers yesterday.

The victim had just finished his prayers and was approaching the car parked near the Kg Pulaie mosque, when he saw a crowd gathering nearby and was startled to hear that there had been a car break-in. Upon close inspection, he found out to his horror, that his car too had been broken into.

"Two other cars were also broken into, and it looked like a random job," he said. -- Courtesy of Borneo Bulletin

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His Majesty Attends Royal Banquet In KL
By Sonia K in Kuala Lumpur

Bandar Seri Begawan - His Majesty the Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Negara Brunei Darussalam yesterday night attended a Royal Banquet marking the installation of Seri Paduka Baginda Yang Di-Pertuan Agong Al-Wathiqu Billah Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin the 13th Yang di-Pertuan Agong of Malaysia at the Istana Negara, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Accompanying His Majesty at the royal banquet were Her Majesty Raja Isteri Pengiran Anak Hajah Saleha, Her Royal Highness Pengiran Isteri Azrinaz Mazhar Hakim, His Royal Highness Prince 'Abdul Malik, Her Royal Highness Princess Hajah Masna and YAM Pengiran Lela Cheteria Sahibun Najabah Pengiran Anak Hj Abdul Aziz.

The royal banquet was also attended by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, Malaysian rulers and its royal family, ministers and heads of state governments.

Their Majesties and Her Royal Highness were greeted by Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin and the Raja Permaisuri Agong Tuanku Nur Zahirah upon arrival at the Istana Negara. After proceeding to the banquet hall, Malaysia's national anthem `Negaraku' was played.

The doa selamat was then read by an Istana Negara Religious Officer and the Royal Banquet marking the installation of Yang Di-Pertuan Agong began.

During the royal banquet, those in attendance were entertained by artistes such as Dato Julie Sudiro, Ning Baizura, Yani and Anuar Zain.

Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin was elected as the 13`h Yang Di-Pertuan Agong by the nine Malay rulers at the 208th Conference of Rulers meeting at Istana Negara on November 3 last year, succeeding the 12th Yang Di-Pertuan Agong Tuanku Syed Sirajuddin Syed Putra Jamalullail whose five-year term ended on December 12, 2006. -- Courtesy of Borneo Bulletin

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Brunei In Asia-USA Cable Link
By M K Anwar

Bandar Seri Begawan - A 20,000 km submarine fibre optic cable system will be linking Brunei, as well as other Asian countries, to the United States.

Considered the first to directly link Southeast Asia and the US, the US$500 million Asia-America Gateway (AAG) will involve a 17-member consortium of firms which include AT&T, British Telecom, Thailand's CAT Telecom, Eastern Telecom of Philippines, Australia Telstra, Singapore StarHub, Telekom Malaysia and other major telecommunication companies. According to sources at TelBru, the national telecom provider, Brunei is committed to the project which is expected to be completed and operational by December 2008.

Besides TelBru, other parties involved from Brunei are DST and AiTi.

The Weekend learnt that the project was part of the nation's long-term planning and when completed it would ensure continuous interconnectivity with the outside world.

Furthermore, communication capacity is

expected to increase with the new undersea cable. Though Brunei's investment into the project was not revealed, several key members of the consortium were reported to have invested $50 million each in the project.

AFP reported that the new cable system will have a capacity of up to 1.92 terabits per second of data bandwidth and is designed to provide an "alternative and more secure link" between Southeast Asia and the US. It also complements the existing networks like the APCN2 and the Japan-US Cable Network.

StarHub said that the 20,000 km cable system will connect Brunei, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, Hong Kong, the Philippines, Guam, Hawaii and the US West Coast.

Malaysian Telekom Chief Executive, Abdul Wahid Omar was quoted saying that the undersea cable provides timely increase in both the capacity and diversity of Internet links between Asia and the US.

"When it begins operation, Internet users can look forward to faster and more reliable international connectivity," he added.

The Malaysian Communication Minister, Lim Keng Yaik, meanwhile, said that the cable will strengthen communications and business ties between Asia and the US by ramping up international broadband capacity at competitive cost.

The undersea cable will stretch from Hong Kong via the Philippines, Hawaii and Guam before reaching the US West Coast. Another cable will then link Hong Kong to Malaysia and connecting it to the other Asean countries.

Lesson learned as a result of last year December earthquake off Taiwan was also one of the main reasons why such project was initiated. The earthquake severed links and caused widespread communication disruption when the underwater cable was damaged.

Brunei, as well as other countries, was also severely affected by the disruption. Services were gradually restored in a matter of days after the earthquake.

With this in mind, the new cable system is said to take a low risk route and avoid the volatile and hazardous Pacific Ring that is often associated with sub-sea volcanoes and earthquakes.

France's Alcatel-Lucent and Japan's NEC Corp have been awarded the contract to construct the link. -- Courtesy of Borneo Bulletin

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25 Vehicles Stopped By Police In Triple Roadblock Operation
By Za'im Zaini &Amin Hosni

Bandar Seri Begawan - In an effort to curb the number of accidents in Brunei and to ensure that the road and traffic rules and regulations are adhered to, some 60 personnel of the Traffic/ Investigation Department of the Royal Brunei Police Force set up roadblocks at three `hotspots' along the nation's roads on Friday night.

Led by an operations officer, the one-and-a-half-hour operation saw several vehicles being stopped for inspection at the connecting road between Kiulap and Beribi, Jalan Tungku Link and Jalan Haji Basir.

According to a spokesman from the Traffic/Investigation Department, the objective of the operation was to uphold the road and traffic rules and regulations.

The police recorded 25 cases

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It Expo Promises Better Offers For All
By Azlan Othman

Bandar Seri Begawan - Tech-savvy visitors are generally spoilt for choice, thanks to the abundance of the latest gadgets, laptops and PCs sold at rock-bottom prices in the market nowadays. The latest products are usually showcased in an endless series of IT expos and exhibitions that are organised more frequently now than ever before. The expos are normally held towards the end of the month to coincide with the payday.

One such expo is currently being held at The Mall in Gadong. The event was launched yesterday and runs till May 1, 2007. The expo is open to the public from loam to 1 Opm daily.

A number of vendors when interviewed said laptops are now outselling desktop PCs due to the cheaper price and conveniences. Customers in Brunei would normally go for laptops within the B$1,000-$2,000 price range, they added.

"For the tight-budget customer, one could buy a laptop that comes with a built-in camera for chatting and other features for less than B$1,000," said Alan Chai, Chief Technician of Concepts Commercial Suppliers, the vendor for Acer brand computer. Two Acer booths have been put up at the expo at The Mall.

"Student loan facilities offered by the vendors further encourage the purchase of laptops, though this applies to students who are given school allowance from which we would deduct the amount."

Speaking on the current expo, Alan said, "It is time that we take part in this expo as it coincides with the payday period."

"Customers who are new to IT would normally go for desktops. The buying power is there," Alan said.

Pardi Chua, Sales Executive of Net Zone Computer, formerly known as Beseller said, "Since today is the first day of the expo, it is still too early to gauge the overall response from the crowds."

For those who are less IT-savvy, the expo 'also features several booths showcasing the latest bridal collections, car accessories, promotional travel fares as well as health products. -- Courtesy of Borneo Bulletin

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Flash Flood Hits Terrace Block
By James Kon

Bandar Seri Begawan - Thousands of dollars' worth of furniture and electronic items were damaged at seven units of a terrace housing block at Simpang 538-40, Jln Kebangsaan Lama, Berakas during a flash flood that took place on Friday evening.

The three-hour-long heavy downpour caught the residents off-guard, sending floodwater gushing into the homes with levels reaching 1.5 feet at some points.

"The flooding took place around 7.30pm and we couldn't do anything to save our furniture," said Miss Helen Heng, one of the residents affected by the flood. "We were lucky to have been able to move our car away from the garage."

Miss Helen Heng, who had been living at her terrace house for eight years, added that it was the first time such flooding had occurred in the area.

"I think it's due to the poor drainage system caused by earth construction works just opposite my house."

Pg Mohd Alexander bin Hj Mohd Don wasn't so lucky. In addition to the furniture at the ground floor of his house, his car was also damaged as a result of the flash flood.

"I've been living here for six years, and this is the first time that such incident has happened here," he said.

He also attributed the flooding to the nearby land development project. "There wasn't any proper drainage system at the construction site and the water has no where to go."

Aside from the cost of the damages, Pg Mohd Alexander said; "We'll not get any good night's sleep at the moment because we'll be very worried that something like this could happen again when it starts raining again."

The affected residents meanwhile hoped that the relevant authorities could look into the matter. -- Courtesy of Borneo Bulletin

TheHawk

Deputy Sultan Presides Over Two New Judges
By Amin Hosni

Bandar Seri Begawan - His Royal Highness Prince Haji Al-Muhtadee Billah the Deputy Sultan yesterday afternoon consented to preside over the swearing-in ceremony for the newly-appointed President of the Court of Appeal and the Judicial Commissioner of the Supreme Court.

The ceremony at Istana Nurul Iman began with the reading out of the letters of appointment by the Grand Chamberlain, YAM Pengiran Penggawa Laila Bentara Istiadat Diraja Dalam Istana Pengiran Haji Alauddin bin Pengiran Paduka Tuanfengiran Haji Abu Bakar. The recitation of the oath before HRH the Deputy Sultan began with Judge Sir Noel Plunkett Power as the new President of the Court of Appeal to replace Judge Dato Seri Paduka Sir Derek Cons who had ended his appointment on December 6, 2006.

The oath recitation was then followed by Judge Henry Denis Litton as the new non-resident Judicial Commissioner of the Supreme Court for a two-year term. He is also a Justice of the Court of Appeal.

Also present at the ceremony were Dato Seri Paduka Haji Kifrawi bin Dato Paduka Haji Kefli, Attorney General, Judge John Barry Mortimer, Commissioner of Judiciary

for the High Court and Judge Awang Hairolarni bin Haji Abdul Majid, Judicial Commissioner and Chief Registrar of the Supreme Court. -- Courtesy of Borneo Bulletin

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Jaya & Nestle Colouring Contest

Jaya & Nestle Colouring Contest will be held on Sunday, April 29 at 2.30 pm to 3.30 pm located in Jaya Hypermart Centrepoint, Gadong.
Contest are divided into two categories, Category A participant 5 to 9 years old & Category B participant 10 to 12 years old.
Participation form can be obtained by every purchase of Nestle Koko Krunch Products

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Sunday Market

Hua Ho Delima Branch holds Sunday Market on Sunday, April 29 (Every Sunday) at 6.30 am to 10am.