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    Gang robber’s sentence reduced, canings remain

    Muhammad Kamarul bin Kamsul recently received a reduced prison sentence from the Court of Appeal.

    The original sentence of six years’ imprisonment with 12 canings was lowered to five years and six months’ jail, while the 12 canings unchanged.

    On March 21, 2022, Muhammad Kamarul, along with four others, targeted a house in Jalan Mulaut. The group, armed with a metal rod and a broomstick, confronted the victim who was gambling with others at the time. They stole cash amounting to BND53,000, a gold necklace and a bag. Muhammad Kamarul’s share from the robbery was BND5,500.

    Muhammad Kamarul was initially sentenced to six years’ imprisonment with 12 whippings by Judge Radin Safiee bin Radin Mas Basiuni in the Intermediate Court. Muhammad Kamarul appealed the verdict, claiming it was excessive. He argued that his imprisonment would cause undue hardship to his mother, who depended on him.

    The prosecution, led by Prosecutor Syazwani bin Jumat, acknowledged Muhammad Kamarul’s assistance in the trial against an accomplice, although minimal.

    Chief Justice Dato Seri Paduka Steven Chong, sitting with Justices Conrad Seagroatt and Edward Timothy Starbuck Woolley, acknowledged Muhammad Kamarul’s cooperation and reduced the sentence by six months. – Fadley Faisal

    PHOTO: ENVATO

    Jail term shortened due to cooperation with prosecution

    Mohammad Khairol Azizan bin Abdul Karim on June 12 received a reduced prison sentence from the Court of Appeal. The original five-year sentence was lowered to four years.

    Chief Justice Dato Seri Paduka Steven Chong, along with Justices Conrad Seagroatt and Edward Timothy Starbuck Woolley, presided over the case. Prosecutor Ahmad Firdaus bin Mohammad explained that the incident occurred on January 11, 2015. During a gambling session, Mohammad Khairol (the appellant) lost BND2,000 to another individual (the victim).

    The following day, with an accomplice’s help, Mohammad Khairol attacked the victim in a Kampong Tungku car park using a metal rod. He stole BND1,000 and inflicted injuries on the victim.

    Mohammad Khairol initially pleaded guilty to gang robbery under Section 395 of the Penal Code. The Intermediate Court sentenced him to five years in prison and 12 strokes of the cane. However, he appealed the verdict, claiming it was excessively harsh, especially considering he is a widower with three dependent children.

    The appeal revealed that the Intermediate Court Judge mistakenly believed Mohammad Khairol had a prior conviction. The prosecution acknowledged this error and Mohammad Khairol’s assistance in their case against his accomplice.

    Chief Justice Dato Seri Paduka Chong stressed the importance of accurate court considerations. He highlighted the prosecution’s responsibility to rectify factual errors during sentencing. While acknowledging the hardship faced by Mohammad Khairol’s family, the Court of Appeal maintained that such circumstances typically don’t influence sentencing in serious offences.

    The Court of Appeal concluded that the original sentence was appropriate for a gang-robbery offence, even for a first-time offender. However, they reduced the sentence due to Mohammad Khairol’s cooperation with the prosecution. – Fadley Faisal

    PHOTO: ENVATO

    86 pints collected at blood donation drive

    A blood donation campaign at Suri Seri Begawan Hospital in Kuala Belait collected 86 pints of blood yesterday.

    The event, organised by the hospital’s blood bank, was held in conjunction with World Blood Donor Day.

    Some 102 public members registered for the campaign and 86 were eligible for donation. Donors also received gifts for their contributions. – Daniel Lim

    ABOVE & BELOW: Photos show donors at the blood donation campaign. PHOTO: DANIEL LIM
    PHOTO: DANIEL LIM
    PHOTO: DANIEL LIM

    Young tennis talents to compete in Singapore

    Brunei Darussalam’s under-12 tennis national team yesterday left the country to compete in the Asian Tennis Federation (ATF) 12 and Under Team tournament at Kallang Centre, Singapore from tomorrow until June 21.

    The tournament is hosted by the Singapore Tennis Association and supported by ATF.

    The local team comprises two girls – Jamielee Wei Rou Goh and Dayangku Nur Adrianna Jasmine binti Pengiran Haji Mohd Sufferizal, led by Captain Billy Wong; and two boys – Joel Elijah Tzong Han Lim; and Rafiq Azizi bin Khairul Sabirin, led by Captain Pengiran Haji Mohd Sufferizal bin Pengiran Haji Murzuki.

    Captain Pengiran Haji Mohd Sufferizal, in an interview, said, “We hosted the tournament last year. This time it is held in Singapore and this is the golden opportunity for our young tennis players to gain experience. We hope our team will give their all in the meet.” Successful juniors will gain entry to the finals of the ATF 12 and Under Team Championships to be held in Kazakhstan later this year, he added.

    The Brunei Darussalam Tennis Association (BDTA) aims to groom young tennis players through a structured training programme for national and regional competition. – James Kon

    Brunei Darussalam’s under-12 national team with their families at the Brunei International Airport. PHOTO: JAMES KON

    Baiduri Masters leaderboard sees new top contenders on Day Two

    The second day of Baiduri Masters leaderboard experienced dramatic shifts with 10 new contenders making bold moves up the ranks.

    Making his debut in the leaderboard this year was Irwan Hamid with a score of 67 eclipsing Bryan’s previous lead at 72. Bryan Chiew remained in top 12 standing at second place with 72 and rounding off the top three was Tony Hajij Karim also with 72 on count back.

    This year’s defending champion, Awangku Syakir bin Pengiran Haji Alli entered the leaderboard in fourth with an even par followed closely by Faiz Damit one stroke over.

    Seruji bin Haji Setia, Suhaimi bin Haji Ibrahim and Chui Vui Kiat, in sixth, seventh and eighth, respectively each tied at 74.

    Rounding off the top 12 were Khairul bin Haji Paun at 75, Dato Paduka Haji Harith bin Haji Karim at 76, Wee Hung Boon and Hing Swee Foh at 77.

    Golfers can compete across four categories: Men’s Open, Senior, Ladies Open and Junior (age 13-18) and registrations are still open.

    Participants are vying for the Challenge Trophy and the coveted Green Jacket. The hole-in-one prizes include a BMW 520i on hole 16, MINI One on hole 9 or BND30,000 on holes 7 and 13.

    ABOVE & BELOW: Photos show players during the competition. PHOTO: BAIDURI BANK
    PHOTO: BAIDURI BANK

    Brunei team lose opening matches

    Brunei Darussalam national ladies basketball team and national veteran basketball team suffered defeats in the hands of Kota Kinabalu basketball team in their respective opening matches in the Borneo Cup in Miri, Sarawak Malaysia.

    The national ladies team were crushed by their counterparts from Kota Kinabalu 29-88.

    Venessa Pang was the only player with double-digit score of 10 points for Brunei, while compatriot Ashely Chua scored eight points in the match.

    Kota Kinabalu team’s captain Liaw Mei Fun meanwhile scored 15 points. 

    Between Brunei’s veteran team versus their counterparts from Kota Kinabalu, Brunei narrowly lost the match 64-62.

    Brunei’s Wee Aik Teck scored 20 points while Edmond Tan and Kevin Tay each contributed 12 points.

    Meanwhile, Brunei’s national men’s team suffered defeat in their opening game against Miri 80-48. 

    Brunei’s national ladies and veteran teams will both face Miri in their respective categories, today.  – James Kon

    Brunei national basketball teams at the opening ceremony of the Borneo Cup. PHOTO: JAMES KON

    Registration for basketball tournament opens until July 7

    GHK Tutong Cup will begin on July 17 at the Chung Hwa School Tutong’s basketball court and interested teams are welcome to join the competition.

    Only Brunei citizens and permanent residents as well as green IC holders, under 18, are eligible to enter the tournament.

    Registration fee is BND350 and the deadline for submission is July 7. Interested teams can contact David Moh at 8163191 or Li Chin (Irene) at 8868601 for more information. – James Kon

    PHOTO: ENVATO

    Microsoft delays AI feature on new computers

    AP – New laptops equipped with Microsoft Windows start shipping to customers next week without a flagship feature called Recall that drew concerns about privacy and cybersecurity.

    Microsoft chief executive officer Satya Nadella touted the new Recall feature at a showcase event last month, describing it as a step toward artificial intelligence (AI) machines that “instantly see us, hear, reason about our intent and our surroundings”.

    Recall works by periodically taking snapshots of a computer screen to give Microsoft’s AI assistant Copilot a “photographic memory” of a person’s virtual activity, ostensibly to help someone remember what they did earlier.

    “We’re entering this new era where computers not only understand us, but can actually anticipate what we want and our intent,” Nadella said in May.

    The Microsoft logo on a mobile device. PHOTO: AFP

    But on Thursday, the company said it was delaying a “broadly available” preview of Recall that was supposed to be included with new PCs starting on Tuesday.

    Instead, it will first go to a smaller set of users who are part of the Windows Insider software testing programme. Those expert early adopters will help “ensure the experience meets our high standards for quality and security”, said Pavan Davaluri, Microsoft’s corporate vice president of Windows and devices, in a statement.

    The software giant revealed a new class of AI-imbued personal computers at its annual Build event last month as it confronts heightened competition from Big Tech rivals in pitching generative AI technology that can compose documents, make images and serve as a lifelike personal assistant at work or home.

    The new AI features in Microsoft’s Windows 11 operating system will appear on new high-end computers made by Microsoft partners Acer, Asus, Dell, HP, Lenovo and Samsung, as well as on Microsoft’s Surface line of devices.

    Singapore’s Sentosa island beaches closed due to oil spill

    SINGAPORE (AFP) – Beaches on Singapore’s top resort island of Sentosa, which also house luxury waterfront homes, were shuttered Saturday due to an oil spill at a nearby port, maritime authorities said.

    The oil spill resulted from an accident on Friday at the Pasir Panjang terminal between a Netherlands-flagged dredger and a stationary Singapore-flagged bunker vessel, Singapore’s Maritime and Port Authority (MPA) said. Waters of three popular beaches on the island “are currently closed for beach clean-up works due to instances of oil spillage observed in the sea waters”, the island said in a notice on its website.

    Black residue from the oil slick is visible on the beaches, an AFP photographer on the scene said.

    One sign put up on a cordoned off beach read “Oil slick spotted. Clean up in progress. Please stay clear of water”.

    The MPA said patches of oil and light sheens have been observed off Pasir Panjang Terminal and along Tanjong, Palawan, and Siloso beaches.

    Sentosa is a popular tourist destination that hosts a casino, Southeast Asia’s only Universal Studios attraction and luxury waterfront homes for expats and the ultra-rich.

    “Oil spill response craft have been deployed to continue spraying oil dispersants and to collect the oil slicks on the water surface,” said the MPA adding that navigational traffic has not been affected.

    A worker clears the oil slick in plastic bags on Sentosa island’s Siloso beach in Singapore. PHOTO: AFP

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