Lyna Mohamad
Bank Islam Brunei Darussalam (BIBD) awarded scholarships for the BIBD Advocating Life-long Learning for an Aspiring Future (BIBD ALAF) to 48 new students yesterday at the Brunei Malay Teachers Association (PGGMB) building in the capital.
Present as the guest of honour and presenting the BIBD ALAF scholarships to the recipients was Minister of Religious Affairs Pehin Udana Khatib Dato Paduka Seri Setia Ustaz Haji Awang Badaruddin bin Pengarah Dato Paduka Haji Awang Othman.
Also present at the ceremony were permanent secretaries, senior government officials and personnel from the Ministry of Education and Ministry of Religious Affairs as well as management and representatives from BIBD.
Of the 48 students, 29 received scholarships for the 9th BIBD ALAF in the 2022 academic year, while 19 received scholarships for the 10th intake, which begins in the 2023 academic year.
“The main objective of the BIBD ALAF programme is to enable BIBD to support and develop the country’s workforce needs. This programme also allows them to be a competent generation of Bruneian youth that can function as the core of the country’s leadership,” said BIBD Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer Junaidi bin Haji Masri in his welcoming speech.
He added that BIBD aims to expand the selection criteria within the target segment as part of their commitment to promote inclusivity and an equitable future for everyone in line with their support of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs).
Yesterday’s event also celebrated BIBD ALAF’s first university graduate, Hajah Nurhafikah binti Haji Bakri, who has been in the programme since 2017. She recently graduated with a Degree in Syariah Islamiah from the Al-Azhar University in Cairo, Egypt.
The programme, apart from providing financial and academic support, also aims to mould the students into well-rounded, industry-ready individuals while still aligned with the values of Malay Islamic Monarchy (MIB).
Some 276 students have been supported through the programme since 2013 with a 100-per-cent passing rate for their GCE A levels and their students’ Primary School Assessment (PSR).
