Director General of the Universal Postal Union (UPU) Masahiko Metoki and Chair of Express Mail Service (EMS) Cooperative Patrick Richon presents the EMS Cooperative Customer Care Award for 2023 to Acting Postmaster General of the Postal Services Department, Ministry of Transport and Infocommunications Dr Rosdi bin Haji Abdul Aziz at the UPU International Bureau in Berne, Switzerland. PHOTO: POSTAL SERVICES DEPARTMENT
Brunei Darussalam once again received the Express Mail Service (EMS) Cooperative Customer Care Award for 2023, ranking 17th out of 175 countries.
This marks the second consecutive year the country received the award since becoming a member of the Universal Postal Union (UPU) and EMS Cooperative in 1984. Acting Postmaster General of the Postal Services Department, Ministry of Transport and Infocommunications Dr Rosdi bin Haji Abdul Aziz received the award on behalf of the Sultanate, presented by Director General of the UPU Masahiko Metoki and Chair of EMS Cooperative at the UPU International Bureau Patrick Richon in Berne, Switzerland on April 19. The award was presented during the EMS Cooperative General Assembly.
The award was presented to the Postal Services Department in recognition of the exceptional delivery of EMS customer care services throughout 2023.
Key accomplishments include maintaining a response timeliness rate of over 98 per cent for inquiries received via call centres and addressing ticket requests within three working hours.
Moreover, the Postal Services Department achieved a resolution rate exceeding 92 per cent within 10 working days, ensuring prompt handling of inquiries without any remaining unanswered for more than 30 calendar days. – James Kon & Lyna Mohamad
Director General of the Universal Postal Union (UPU) Masahiko Metoki and Chair of Express Mail Service (EMS) Cooperative Patrick Richon presents the EMS Cooperative Customer Care Award for 2023 to Acting Postmaster General of the Postal Services Department, Ministry of Transport and Infocommunications Dr Rosdi bin Haji Abdul Aziz at the UPU International Bureau in Berne, Switzerland. PHOTO: POSTAL SERVICES DEPARTMENT
Members of the public are called on to replace STAR, INHE and PLESSEY meters in their homes with Unified Smart Metering System (USMS) smart meters as soon as possible to avoid power disruptions caused by the global Token Identifier (TID) Rollover event on November 24, 2024.
In a statement yesterday, the Department of Energy at the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), Department of Electrical Services (DES) and DST Network Sdn Bhd (DSTN) said the rollover event will affect legacy electricity prepaid meters.
The global event will affect similar meters worldwide. The meters will need to be replaced before November 24, as the system that runs on credit tokens will run out of numbers and the existing meters will stop accepting tokens.
Following the event, customers still using STAR, INHE and PLESSEY meters will not be able to perform top-ups and will experience power disruptions. The shift to USMS smart meter has been an ongoing project since October 2022. The new meters do not run on a tokens-based system and will not be affected by the November rollover.
DSTN and DES will roll-out a mandatory national USMS smart meter replacement programme to ensure continuous electricity supply to all customers.
During the transition, any electricity token balance in the existing prepaid meter will be transferred to the smart meter account within three working days. The swapping of existing prepaid meters is free of charge and no changes will be made to the electricity tariffs.
The Department of Energy at the PMO, DES and DSTN call on the public to give full cooperation to the scheduled replacement works under the programme.
Members of the public will also be notified in advance prior to the replacement of the meters. – James Kon
The Ministry of Education (MoE) through the Examinations Department, yesterday announced that the registration for Brunei-Cambridge GCE ‘O’, ‘AS’, ‘A’ Level and IGCSE examinations for October/November 2024 will open until June 20.
Registration forms and information can be obtained from the Examinations Department counter at the One Stop Centre (Ground Floor, Block C of the MoE in Jalan Airport Lama, Berakas) during office hours or by downloading the form and information about the subjects offered in Surat Pemberitahuan Jabatan Peperiksaan, Kementerian Pendidikan Bilangan: 2/2024 through the ministry’s website at www.moe.gov.bn.
The Examinations Department will only accept completed registration forms every Monday to Thursday from 8am to 11am and 1.30pm to 3 pm and on Saturdays, from 8am-10am.
Completed registration forms along with other documents must be submitted to the Examinations Department counter no later than June 20.
Yang Amat Mulia Tengku Amalin A’Ishah Putri binti Al-Marhum Sultan Ismail Petra, Yang Amat Mulia Pengiran Anak Hajah Taiyibah Qalbul Bolqiah and Pengiran Haji Mohammad Hakimmuddin bin Pengiran Haji Hashim at the event with Malaysian High Commissioner to Brunei Darussalam Dato’ Raja Reza bin Raja Zaib Shah. PHOTO: RAFI ROSLI
Twenty-four invited personalities, including members of the diplomatic corps, showcased their talent in poetry recitation in the Malay language during the Malam Deklamasi Puisi event organised by the Malaysian High Commission in Brunei Darussalam yesterday.
It marked the last diplomatic event for Malaysian High Commissioner to Brunei Darussalam Dato’ Raja Reza bin Raja Zaib Shah before his term in the Sultanate finishes.
Among the distinguished guests in attendance were Yang Amat Mulia Tengku Amalin A’Ishah Putri binti Al-Marhum Sultan Ismail Petra, Yang Amat Mulia Pengiran Anak Hajah Taiyibah Qalbul Bolqiah and Pengiran Haji Mohammad Hakimmuddin bin Pengiran Haji Hashim.
Diplomats reciting the poetry were British High Commissioner to Brunei Darussalam John Virgoe, United States Ambassador to Brunei Darussalam Caryn McClelland, Australian High Commissioner to Brunei Darussalam Luke Arnold, Indonesian Ambassador to Brunei Darussalam Dr Achmad Ubaedillah, Ambassador-Designate of Iran Embassy to Brunei Darussalam Muhammad Taghi Rajabi and spouse of the Ambassador of Timor-Leste to Brunei Darussalam Ana Guterres.
Abdul Wafiy bin Haji Ibrahim on behalf of former Legislative Council (LegCo) member Pehin Orang Kaya Putera Maharaja Dato Paduka Haji Abdul Ghani bin Pehin Datu Pekerma Dewa Dato Paduka Haji Abdul Rahim; LegCo member Yang Berhormat Abdul Aziz bin Haji Hamdan; and Permanent Secretary (Culture) at the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports Pengiran Haji Mohd Hasnan bin Pengiran Haji Ali Hassan also participated.
Also showing off their recitation skills were Progresif Sdn Bhd Chief Executive Officer Hajah Nurul Haniah binti Haji Jaafar, Universiti Brunei Darussalam (UBD) Vice-Chancellor Dr Hazri bin Haji Kifle, UBD lecturer Mohammed Zefri Ariff bin Mohamed Zain Ariff, Deputy Director of the Language and Literature Bureau Suip bin Haji Abdul Wahab, Head of International Affairs Division Radio Television Brunei (RTB) Frankie Chan, SEA Write 2005 Award recipient Professor Ampuan Dr Haji Brahim bin Ampuan Haji Tengah, artist and poetry writer Pengiran Haji Mohd Don bin Pengiran Haji Besar, Founder of Sutera Memento Hajah Kartini Dewi binti Abdullah, former LegCo member and founder of Green Brunei Khairunnisa binti Haji Ash’ari, RTB news readers Haji Omar bin Haji Abdul Rahman and Norbaizura Andy and Champion of UBD Malay Poetry International Reading Competition in 2003 Mohamad Hajib Sarhan bin Mohamad Harkani.
The event also saw welcoming remarks by the Malaysian high commissioner, a cultural dance and gulingtangan performance as well as a presentation of souvenirs and certificates to the participants. – Lyna Mohamad
Yang Amat Mulia Tengku Amalin A’Ishah Putri binti Al-Marhum Sultan Ismail Petra, Yang Amat Mulia Pengiran Anak Hajah Taiyibah Qalbul Bolqiah and Pengiran Haji Mohammad Hakimmuddin bin Pengiran Haji Hashim at the event with Malaysian High Commissioner to Brunei Darussalam Dato’ Raja Reza bin Raja Zaib Shah. PHOTO: RAFI ROSLIABOVE & BELOW: Puisi delivered by Permanent Secretary (Culture) at the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports Pengiran Haji Mohd Hasnan bin Pengiran Haji Ali Hassan; and a cultural dance performance. PHOTO: RAFI ROSLIPHOTO: RAFI ROSLI
Deputy State Mufti Dato Seri Setia Dr Haji Japar bin Haji Mat Dain @ Maidin with Assistant Head of Istinbat at the State Mufti’s Office Haji Mohamad Raimi bin Tengah.
PHOTO: STATE MUFTI’S OFFICE
Deputy State Mufti Dato Seri Setia Dr Haji Japar bin Haji Mat Dain @ Maidin left for Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia yesterday to attend the International Conference of Religious Leaders 2024.
The conference is hosted by the office of the Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Religious Affairs) and the Department of Islamic Development Malaysia (JAKIM), in collaboration with the Muslim World League (MWL).
The deputy state mufti will participate in the conference as the representative of State Mufti Pehin Datu Seri Maharaja Dato Paduka Seri Setia (Dr) Ustaz Haji Awang Abdul Aziz bin Juned. Assistant Head of Istinbat at the State Mufti Office Haji Mohamad Raimi bin Tengah is also part of the delegation.
The conference themed, ‘Unity in Diversity’, is held today at Sunway Resort Hotel in Petaling Jaya, Selangor.
Malaysian Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar bin Ibrahim is scheduled to deliver an opening speech.
The conference’s objective is to develop a shared understanding of civilisation and uniting the values of moderation and unity, addressing the threats of extremist ideologies, and transforming conflicts into cooperation.
The conference is a continuation from the Conference of Southeast Asia Religious Scholars 2022.
Some 1,500 participants, comprising religious scholars (ulama), intellectuals, political leaders, Members of Parliament, academicians, and Muslim and non-Muslim leaders from over 50 countries will attend the conference. – Rokiah Mahmud
Deputy State Mufti Dato Seri Setia Dr Haji Japar bin Haji Mat Dain @ Maidin with Assistant Head of Istinbat at the State Mufti’s Office Haji Mohamad Raimi bin Tengah. PHOTO: STATE MUFTI’S OFFICE
ABOVE & BELOW: Photos show the delegation during their visit to Universiti Islam Sultan Sharif Ali. PHOTO: UNISSA
Universiti Islam Sultan Sharif Ali (UNISSA), through its Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Faculty of Law, recently received a visit from the Faculty of Law, Ahmad Dahlan University of Indonesia, to conduct a comparative study on teaching methods, curriculum structure, staff and student mobility, and student achievements.
Ahmad Dahlan University’s head of the Master of Law programme Professor Fithriatus Shalihah led the delegation.
The delegation was also accompanied by Universitas Muhammadiah Yogyakarta, Universitas Muhammadiah Tangerang, Universitas Muhammadiah Mataram, Universitas Sumatera Utara, Universitas Islam Riau, Universitas Islam Negeri Sunana Kalijaga, and Sekolah Tinggi Ilmu Hukum Gunung Jati Tangerang as well as Perkumpulan Pengajar dan Praktisi Hukum Ketenagakerjaan Indonesia (P3HKI).
Ahmad Dahlan University Dean of the Faculty of Law Dr Megawati and UNISSA’s Dean of the Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Faculty of Law Dr Ahmad Masum were also in attendance.
The event began with remarks from Dr Ahmad, followed by a sharing session from the Indonesian universities on the programmes offered for future collaborations and cooperation with UNISSA. The visit serves as a platform to establish future collaborations between the universities.
ABOVE & BELOW: Photos show the delegation during their visit to Universiti Islam Sultan Sharif Ali. PHOTO: UNISSAPHOTO: UNISSA
The Universiti Brunei Darussalam (UBD) library launched a workshop yesterday aimed at enhancing the skills and knowledge of library professionals in cataloguing resources using the latest standard, resource description and access (RDA).
The workshop will be held until May 9 at the university’s library.
RDA is a comprehensive cataloguing standard designed to facilitate the description and access of diverse information resources in various formats.
Acting Chief Librarian at the UBD Library Haji Muhammad Yussuf bin Pehin Orang Kaya Indera Dewa Dato Paduka Haji Musa officiated the workshop.
Meanwhile, UBD library officer Hajah Normah binti Mohamad Zain emphasised the significance of the workshop in advancing knowledge and skills in information organisation and access.
She also spoke on the pivotal role of libraries, archives, education, research and information expertise in ensuring effective information provision and retrieval.
Associate Professor Hamidah binti A Rahman, who was previously a senior lecturer at the Faculty of Information Management of the Universiti Technologi MARA in Selangor, Malaysia, led the workshop. – Azlan Othman
Permanent Secretary (Civil Service Governance) at the Prime Minister’s Office Ajman bin Haji Meludin in a group photo with the participants. PHOTO: MUIZ MATDANI
Twenty-seven civil servants attended the opening ceremony of the 35th Executive Development Programme for Middle Management Officers (EDPMMO) at the Civil Service Institute building yesterday.
Permanent Secretary (Civil Service Governance) at the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) Ajman bin Haji Meludin officiated the ceremony.
The 13-week programme aims to develop leadership knowledge and competencies of civil servants at the middle management level to equip them with the required skills to lead their teams. The programme also focuses on strengthening the capabilities of future leaders to be more agile in planning and implementation, as well as effective decision making to meet the ever-changing needs of the public.
Steered by the Public Service Department, the EDPMMO is a programme under the Civil Service Leadership Pipeline (CSLP).
IPA has been mandated to run the 35th cohort following the implementation of the 33rd and 34th cohortslast year.
Deputy Permanent Secretary (Civil Service Governance) at the PMO Pengiran Haji Raffizanna bin Pengiran Haji Razali, Director-General of Public Service Department Dr Norfarizal bin Othman and Director of IPA Hajah Noor Maya binti Haji Mohd Salleh were also present at the opening event. – Rokiah Mahmud
Permanent Secretary (Civil Service Governance) at the Prime Minister’s Office Ajman bin Haji Meludin in a group photo with the participants. PHOTO: MUIZ MATDANI
ABOVE & BELOW: Permanent Secretary (Civil Service Governance) at the Prime Minister’s Office Ajman bin Haji Meludin delivers a speech; and the ceremony in progress. PHOTO: MUIZ MATDANI
The Executive Development Programme for Middle Management Officers (EDPMMO) is designed to develop future leaders for the public sector and equip them with knowledge through exposure to in-class and out-of-class activities to produce civil servants who are competent, forward-thinking and keen in acknowledging the needs of customers and government stakeholders.
This was said by Permanent Secretary (Civil Service Governance) at the Prime Minister’s Office Ajman bin Haji Meludin during the opening ceremony of the 35th EDPMMO yesterday.
The permanent secretary expressed hope that each participant will give their full commitment during the 13-week programme and hone their skills.
He also called on participants to cultivate a visionary mentality and to always seek effectiveness in meeting the targeted aspirations and goals.
The permanent secretary said in the current era of globalisation, the Sultanate is facing unprecedented challenges that could lead to unexpected outcomes.
Given that civil servants are the backbone of the government’s administration, he said they need to increase their efforts in implementing necessary changes and make improvement to keep up with current and future developments and demands.
ABOVE & BELOW: Permanent Secretary (Civil Service Governance) at the Prime Minister’s Office Ajman bin Haji Meludin delivers a speech; and the ceremony in progress. PHOTO: MUIZ MATDANIPHOTO: MUIZ MATDANIParticipants at the opening ceremony. PHOTO: MUIZ MATDANI
These changes, according to the permanent secretary, “require civil servants to equip themselves with an array of knowledge and skills to help the nation achieve its aspirations, especially Brunei Vision 2035”.
He also believes that civil servants need to have the ability to make use of technology in carrying out their duties.
“The mastery of digital literacy will not only assist them in effectively perform and carry out tasks but also help to address any negative perceptions raised on multimedia platforms today. Addressing these perceptions is crucial in improving the public image of civil service and maintaining the trust with the people and government stakeholders, including foreign entities,” added Ajman.
“The emphasis on change management should be the approach of every government organisation in the country, where employees are encouraged to be more open-minded and not be bound by conventional systems or work processes,” he said.
He also reminded the participants on the importance of having a sense of urgency at all levels of public service. “Agility and speed in decision-making is crucial in ensuring excellent service delivery and the integrity of civil servants,” said the permanent secretary. – Rokiah Mahmud
Head of Cluster II of the Department of Schools, Ministry of Education Hajah Sarifah binti Haji Matsawali in a group photo with the delegation. PHOTO: JAMES KON
A delegation of 12 students from Pengiran Isteri Hajjah Mariam Secondary School flew to Singapore for a five-day school twinning programme at Boon Lay Secondary School from May 6-10.
The delegation is made up of Years 9 and 10 students. They are Nur Syasya Bazilah binti Haji Razman, Nur Amirah Syafiqah Alisha binti Abdul Bari, Nurfarzanah binti Zulkarnain, Nurul Farzana Batrisyia binti Sulaiman, Dhyalaila Insyirah binti Abdul Rahman, Muhammad Danial Haikal bin Muhammad Abdul Hafiz, Nor Aiman bin Mohd Isham, Mohammad Akmal Zuhair bin Merkawi, Dayangku Nur Alia Natasya binti Pengiran Osman, Muhammad Nuraiman Hazwan bin Abdullah, Razeeq Darwishy bin Mohammad Amin and Awangku Abdul Raziq Naufal bin Pengiran Matassan.
One of the students selected for the programme, Razeeq Darwishy bin Mohammad Amin, shared his excitement in visiting Singapore. He said, “This is my first time to Singapore so I am really excited and happy to be part of the delegation under the programme. I hope to gain invaluable knowledge during the trip and learn about the culture and food.”
He also hopes to make new friends at the Boon Lay Secondary School, as well as find out more about the school’s background and education.
Deputy Principal of Administration Siti Salmiah binti Awang Abas headed the delegation, along with teachers Ali Zainul Amsyar bin Haji Aliamat and Nadiah Maimunah binti Khanafiah. Head of Cluster II of the Department of Schools, Ministry of Education Hajah Sarifah binti Haji Matsawali was present to send off the delegation.
Among the objectives of the visit are to strengthen the relationship between the Sultanate and Singapore at the secondary school level, and using the platform to share information, ideas and experiences, as well as best learning and teaching practices.
The visit will also provide an opportunity for students to increase their knowledge and expose them to the learning conditions of secondary schools in Singapore. – James Kon
Head of Cluster II of the Department of Schools, Ministry of Education Hajah Sarifah binti Haji Matsawali in a group photo with the delegation. PHOTO: JAMES KONHajah Sarifah gives the delegation advice. PHOTO: JAMES KONRazeeq Darwishy bin Mohammad Amin. PHOTO: JAMES KON
