James Kon
Stalls selling raw chicken and meat as well as coconut milk (santan) at the Gadong wet market have been moved to the chicken and meat market building next to the wet market, the Bandar Seri Begawan Municipal Department announced yesterday.
The operation hours for the chicken and meat market building are from 6am to 6pm everyday, except Fridays from and 6am to 12pm and 2pm to 6pm.
Lyna Mohamad
The results for HECAS 2032 (first round) application to public higher education institutions (HEIs), Universiti Brunei Darussalam (UBD), Universiti Islam Sultan Sharif Ali (UNISSA), Universiti Teknologi Brunei (UTB) and Politeknik Brunei for the academic year 2023/2024 have been released yesterday.
Applicants can login to their account at https://hecas.moe.gov.bn to find out their application status.
Unsuccessful applicants, who meet the entry requirement set by HEIs and wish to appeal must take note of the following:
– Applicants are given three working days to submit appeal;
– The last day to send the letter of appeal and related documents from tomorrow until June 13 before 4.30pm; and
– Applicants are advised to apply to a different programme from the one originally applied in February with the letter of appeal and related documents (hardcopy or softcopy) submitted according to the information given by each institution.
Photo shows Universiti Brunei Darussalam Corp Sdn Bhd General Manager Mohd Iswandi bin Maaruf presenting the donation to The Centre for Children with Special Needs (KACA) Managing Director Haji Abdul Alim bin Haji Othman.
Azlan Othman
The importance of aquatic food role in national food security in ASEAN was highlighted by Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific Dr Simon Funge Smith virtually on the final day of the Sustaining Marine Biodiversity Through Blue Economy Symposium on ‘Fisheries & Oceans Canada; Conservation and Protection, Canada’s Efforts & Partnership in the Fight against Illegal Fishing’ to mark Mid-Year Conference and Exhibition (Brunei MYCE 2023) at Universiti Brunei Darussalam yesterday.
He added that capture fishery sector contributed to 6.5 million jobs in the capture fishery primary sector.
Dr Smith also said the total output in the ASEAN aquaculture sector, including seaweeds, is at 24.5 million tonnes while fish, crustacean and mollusk contributed to 15 per cent of the global total.
Another speaker Chief of International Enforcement for Conservation and Protection at Canada’s Fisheries and Oceans Department Sean Wheeler highlighted the issue of illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing around the world, and how the Canadian agency is working in partnerships with countries, technology providers and non-governmental organisations to combat the issue.
He also noted Canada’s use of satellite data to detect and track illegal fishing, as well as its operations in the high seas to uphold international agreements.
Rokiah Mahmud
Forty licensed tour guides under the Tourism Development Department completed their training yesterday.
The training organised by the department in collaboration with Brunei Arts and Handicraft Training Centre is an initiative conducted by the department to ensure tour guides deliver precise information related to the centre.
The briefing was delivered by officers from the centre to encourage tour guides to play their role in delivering the information to the tourists accurately.
With the briefing, tour guides are hoped to provide professional services and generate a good image of tourism in the country, said the agency.
Lyna Mohamad
Brunei Minister of Foreign Affairs II Dato Seri Setia Awang Haji Erywan bin Pehin Datu Pekerma Jaya Haji Mohd Yusof on Wednesday met with Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian at the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Tehran.
The Brunei delegation attended a meeting with Iranian top diplomat and officials from the Iranian ministry during which they discussed cooperation between the two countries as well as regional and international issues.
Last year, the two ministers spoke on the phone, vowing to boost bilateral ties between the two countries.
The Iranian minister said he appreciated the Sultanate’s positive stance at international forums and called for the establishment of a technical committee to strengthen technical, trade and economic relations between Brunei Darussalam and Iran.
Azlan Othman
Minister of Religious Affairs Pehin Udana Khatib Dato Paduka Seri Setia Ustaz Haji Awang Badaruddin bin Pengarah Dato Paduka Haji Awang Othman received a courtesy call from Islamic religious advisor to chief of the defence staff and service chiefs in the United Kingdom (UK) Imam Asim Hafiz OBE MA.
Imam Asim Hafiz OBE MA’s visit to the Ministry of Religious Affairs (MoRA) sought to understand more the functions of the ministry in overseeing Islamic matters in the Sultanate.
The advisor was in the country on a two-day visit starting on Monday. Imam Asim Hafiz OBE MA was accompanied by British High Commissioner to Brunei Darussalam John Virgoe, UK’s MSC Royal Navy Captain Jonathan Caple and UK’s Royal Air Force Sergeant Wazeeha Laher.
Permanent Secretary at the MoRA Haji Mohammad Rosli bin Haji Ibrahim and Deputy Permanent Secretary at the MoRA Haji Mohd Serudin bin Haji Timbang were also present.
Daniel Lim & James Kon
The Enforcement Division of the Kuala Belait and Seria Municipal Board slapped BND400 compound fines on two individuals as well as a BND1,000 fine to a company for illegally disposing rubbish in public areas.
The company was fined for disposing cardboard boxes and aluminium frames at the back of a commercial building in Jalan Bunga Raya, Belait District.
The two individuals were slapped with a compound fine of BND200 each for disposing of cigarette buds on public premises.
Meanwhile, the Enforcement Unit of the Tutong District Office on Wednesday issued a BND500 fine on a local mini mart for disposing rubbish in a public space.
Fadley Faisal
The Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday handed jail sentences to a local duo for thieving a freezer from a shop in Gadong.
Magistrate Syaffina binti Shahif sentenced Rusdi bin Besar, 38, to four months’ jail and Jalina binti A Haji Omar, 45, two months’ jail.
Prosecutor Nurul Husna binti Haji Abidin revealed that the duo was looking for scrap metal in the Gadong commercial area on a night between May 2 and 23 when they discovered electrical appliances left out in the back of a shop.
They took a freezer to sell off to a scrapyard for BND15.
The shop owner filed a police report on learning that the freezer had gone missing.
Police investigations led to the duo’s arrest.
Azlan Othman & Daniel Lim
To mark 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 77th birthday anniversary, a nationwide monitoring of recitation of Al-Quran for 77 times Khatam Al-Quran took place yesterday.
In the Brunei-Muara District, the monitoring was held at Jame’ ‘Asr Hassanil Bolkiah mosque in Kampong Kiarong. Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Health Haji Maswadi bin Haji Mohsin, department heads at the Ministry of Home Affairs (MoHA), Ministry of Religious Affairs (MoRA) and Ministry of Education (MoE) and as well as village heads attended.
Meanwhile, in the Belait District, the ceremony was held at the RPN Kampong Pandan Mosque and attended by Permanent Secretary (Safety and Welfare) at the MoHA Salminan bin Haji Burut.
Acting Belait District Officer Haji Amirol Hafidzin bin Haji Muhammad, Head of Religious Officer from the Belait District Religious Affairs Office Mohamad Aliyani bin Ismail, as well as penghulu mukim, village heads, and students from schools and higher learning institutions in the district were also present.
In the Tutong District, the monitoring was held at Pengiran Anak Haji Mohamed Alam Mosque in Kampong Sengkarai and saw the attendance of Permanent Secretary at the MoRA Haji Mohammad Rosli bin Haji Ibrahim. Acting Tutong District Officer, heads of departments and officers from the MoHA, MoRA, MoE, village heads and consultative council members were also present.
In the Temburong District, it was held at Utama Mohamad Salleh Mosque, Pekan Bangar in the presence of Permanent Secretary (Municipal and District) at the MoHA Abdul Walid bin Haji Matassan, as well as the Temburong district officer, senior officers at the MoHA, the MoRA and the MoE.
