Attorney General Dato Seri Paduka Haji Ahmad bin Pehin Orang Kaya Laila Setia Bakti Diraja Dato Laila Utama Haji Awang Isa yesterday attended an Israk Mikraj celebration organised by the Attorney General Chambers (AGC) at the Golden Jubilee Hall, The Law and Courts Building.
Solicitor General Hajah Zuraini binti Haji Sharbawi, as well as AGC senior officers, officers and staff members were also present.
The event opened with the recitation of Surah Al-Fatihah, followed by verses of Al-Quran recited by Dayangku Nurul Sakinah Adawiyah binti Pengiran Ainolazahar. This was followed by a special talk from Isham bin Ismail. The event aimed to foster ties among its officers and staff.
Attorney General Dato Seri Paduka Haji Ahmad bin Pehin Orang Kaya Laila Setia Bakti Diraja Dato Laila Utama Haji Awang Isa and Solicitor General Hajah Zuraini binti Haji Sharbawi during the Israk Mikraj eventABOVE & BELOW: Speaker Isham bin Ismail delivering a talk; and Dayangku Nurul Sakinah Adawiyah binti Pengiran Ainolazahar reciting verses from Al-Quran. PHOTOS: FADLEY FAISAL
Increased military tensions arising from potential flashpoints, climate change and more intense and frequent weather events and unemployment and economic recession were the top three challenges listed by respondents from Brunei Darussalam in a recent State of Southeast Asia survey conducted by the ASEAN Studies Centre at the ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute. Brunei Darussalam and Vietnam felt most acutely about the security threats arising from potential conflict over flashpoints, such as the South China Sea, Taiwan Strait and the Korean Peninsula, at 75 per cent and 64.7 per cent respectively.
Some 74.2 per cent of Brunei respondents expressed strong worries about climate threat and climate change, while 49.2 per cent of respondents named unemployment and economic recession as their main concerns.
Findings from the survey revealed that the region’s top preoccupations are recessionary pressures, potential military tensions, and a ‘slow and ineffective’ ASEAN.
China continues to be regarded as the most influential economic and political power while Japan remains its most trusted major power in terms of “doing the right thing”.
Director and Chief Executive Officer of ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute and Head of the ASEAN Studies Centre Choi Shing Kwok said the survey reflected heightened regional concerns about economic and geopolitical issue and showed that the region remains open to the United States (US) and China playing constructive roles and welcomes the presence of other major powers.
Legislative Council member Yang Berhormat Abdul Aziz bin Haji Hamdan called on relevant parties to help local job seekers find employment at the ASEAN level during yesterday’s 19th LegCo session.
During the deliberation of motion of thanks, Yang Berhormat Abdul Aziz said that he hoped relevant parties, particularly Job Centre Brunei, can offer more employment opportunities at the ASEAN level to provide a wider range of options for local job seekers, especially for skilled workers, graduates and professionals.
The LegCo member said the highest number of job seekers are youth, and there must be a continuous effort in providing youth with an ecosystem and direction, as it is important in developing them as the next generation.
He said this includes reviewing the existing policies and programmes that focus on the youth in creative, digital and entrepreneurial industries.
He noted the importance of the i-Ready programme, introduced in 2017, and the SkillsPlus programme, and hoped that the programmes can be strengthened.
The LegCo member noted that the Tutong District has boosted its tourism activities by introducing the Tutong Destination programme in 2015, and believed that such initiatives can revitalise the tourism industry, adding that training and guidance programmes, as well as specific assistance for service providers can help drive the development of domestic tourism and contribute to the country’s economy.
An overview of the 19th Legislative Council session yesterday. PHOTO: BAHYIAH BAKIR
Unemployment must be addressed with foresight, Legislative Council (LegCo) member Yang Berhormat Pehin Orang Kaya Indera Pahlawan Dato Seri Setia Haji Awang Suyoi bin Haji Osman said during the deliberation of motion of thanks during yesterday’s meeting of the 19th LegCo session.
Yang Berhormat Pehin Orang Kaya Indera Pahlawan Dato Seri Setia Haji Awang Suyoi noted that providing local employment is an important issue, as the country’s investment in education will be wasted if youth who have completed their studies are not able get a job or are forced to work abroad because of the lack of opportunities.
“It is hoped that the issue of unemployment will be discussed transparently and openly to find ways to increase employment opportunities through various strategic policies,” he said.
“We must has a solid strategic plan to address the unemployment issue for upcoming five to 10 years and identify in which sectors that employment opportunities will exist.
“This is so that educational institutions will be able to provide appropriate curriculum, courses and areas of expertise for students looking for jobs in the future, and the current situation where our students who have completed their studies finding it hard to get employment, will no longer happen,” said the LegCo member.
ABOVE & BELOW: Legislative Council members Yang Berhormat Pehin Orang Kaya Indera Pahlawan Dato Seri Setia Haji Awang Suyoi bin Haji Osman; and Yang Berhormat Pehin Orang Kaya Johan Pahlawan Dato Seri Setia Haji Awang Adanan bin Begawan Pehin Siraja Khatib Dato Seri Setia Haji Mohd Yusof during yesterday’s 19th LegCo session. PHOTOS: BAHYIAH BAKIR
LegCo members during deliberations of motion of thanks
Meanwhile, LegCo member Yang Berhormat Pehin Orang Kaya Johan Pahlawan Dato Seri Setia Haji Awang Adanan bin Begawan Pehin Siraja Khatib Dato Seri Setia Haji Mohd Yusof said it is important for job seekers to be given training and an opportunity to upgrade their professional skills to meet the needs of the current job markets.
He said the issue of unemployment is not only related to those with academic and technical qualifications, but also job seekers without qualifications such as school drop-outs.
“What we need to do for them is to find an opportunity for employment, as unemployment is much related to social problems, including poverty, crime, drug abuse, family problems, divorce and others,” he said.
MSMEs and exports
Yang Berhormat Pehin Orang Kaya Johan Pahlawan Dato Seri Setia Awang Haji Adanan said they must look at how to help local micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) export products.
An access to infrastructure including electricity, water, logistic and manpower management will also enhance the probability of success towards efforts in exporting local products, he said.
He added that solid strategies in the aspect of packaging, high technology machine usage, large-scale productions, and marketing strategies and skilled manpower management are needed to successfully export products overseas.
Eighty staff and students of Universiti Teknologi Brunei (UTB) attended a talk on ‘Innovation in the Big Data Era, organised by Dell Technologies’ at its lecture theatre yesterday.
Keynote speakers from Dell Technologies shared the latest advancements in big data, artificial intelligence and machine learning and how they are being used to drive innovation and improve business processes.
Dell Technologies’ Data Analytics Workload Specialist Vasanth Pandiaraj delivered a talk on the value of data while Chief Technology Officer in Asia Pacific and Japan Field, Robert Stevanoski focussed on optimising workload with Dell’s mid-range storage solutions and data protection.
The talk was an opportunity for students to learn the latest trends and technologies and network with industry professionals to gain an understanding of cutting-edge technologies and their impact on the future of business and society.
Dell Technologies’ Data Analytics Workload Specialist Vasanth Pandiaraj and Chief Technology Officer in Asia Pacific and Japan Field, Robert Stevanoski in a group photo with attendees
It is paramount for the nation to be united in the face of global uncertainty to be able to achieve Brunei Vision 2035, said Legislative Council (LegCo) member Yang Berhormat Pehin Orang Kaya Laila Setia Dato Seri Setia Awang Haji Abdul Rahman bin Haji Ibrahim during yesterday’s meeting of the 19th Legislative Council session.
In the deliberation of the motion of thanks, the LegCo member said it is not impossible to realise the national vision by 2035.
“What is needed is cooperation and strong coordination from all stakeholders as well as confidence from the people from all walks of life,” he said.
“Due to global uncertainty such as pandemic, socio-economy, geo-politic and climate change, it is paramount for us to be united to achieve Brunei Vision 2023,” he added.
“This is a core strategic matter that should be given deep thoughts due to its overall impact on the stability and peace of the nation and for the people’s well-being,” he said, adding that it encompasses fundamental issues like economy, the people’s involvement in nation building, unemployment, poverty eradication, a future-ready education system, social guarantees and digital transformation of the country.
ABOVE & BELOW: Legislative Council members Yang Berhormat Pehin Orang Kaya Laila Setia Dato Seri Setia Awang Haji Abdul Rahman bin Haji Ibrahim; and Yang Berhormat Mohammad bin Abdullah @ Lim Swee Ann. PHOTOS: BAHYIAH BAKIR
ATTRACTING FDI’S
Yang Berhormat Pehin Orang Kaya Laila Setia Dato Seri Setia Awang Haji Abdul Rahman said foreign direct investments (FDIs) can give positive impact to local businesses and while it is not an easy task, efforts to attract FDIs need to be empowered and improved.
“Brunei is renowned for its political stability, strong financial background and educated workforce and geographical central location in Asean. We need to improve our pre-requisites to attract foreign investors, and assist local businesses to be transparent, open, quick and have practical decision-making along with a future-ready and disciplined workforce.”
PRIVATISATION
The privatisation of public sectors should be considered as a strategy to increase government revenue, said LegCo member Yang Berhormat Mohammad Bin Abdullah @ Lim Swee Ann during yesterday’s meeting of the 19th LegCo session.
Yang Berhormat Mohammad added that the implementation method through public-private partnership (PPP) needs to target medium and large-scale projects, especially in the Belait District.
The LegCo member hoped that every plan that has been implemented should not stray away from the concept of Malay Islamic Monarchy (MIB) and support achieving Brunei Vision 2035.
Meanwhile, he said the responsibility of LegCo members “can be expanded, especially in efforts to solve the people’s problems”.
The LegCo member proposed the creation of a special people’s development and welfare provision under the purview of LegCo members as an alternative to financing specific projects and activities aimed for the welfare of the people. This could also later be channelled to government agencies, private parties or non-governmental organisations, and could speed up the implementation of aid to deal with urgent issues.
Adding another dimension to the all-conquering family of all-terrain vehicles, the new Land Rover Defender 130 that can accommodate up to eight adults across three rows of full-size seating was unveiled by Indera Motors Sdn Bhd in an exclusive private preview at the Land Rover showroom yesterday.
General Manager Alfred Yong Foh Sen, managers, guests and members of the press attended the preview.
Alfred Yong said, “Defender is a vehicle loved by many. It is distinctive, capable and durable, with a rich history that can be traced to the start of Land Rover.”
He added, “The new Defender 130 brings a new dimension of capability to our most durable and rugged family of vehicles. Its spacious interior welcomes and transports up to eight people in supreme comfort, enabling unparalleled adventuring opportunities for families, with unique design signatures to create a distinct new Defender experience.”
Defender 130 was unveiled by Sales Manager Hairol Ajak, After Sales Manager Ong Ching Chai and Defender Champion Pengiran Nizem. Currently, there are only two units of Defender 130 at the showroom.
A host of exterior and interior design enhancements and technologies distinguish New Defender 130, uniquely balancing comfort with customary Defender durability and capability.
The latest Defender has its own colour palette, with a new, exclusive Sedona Red option ensuring the 130 stands out in the line-up.
ABOVE & BELOW: General Manager of Indera Motors Sdn Bhd Alfred Yong Foh Sen with his team in the new Land Rover Defender 130; and the interior of the Defender 130. PHOTOS: JAMES KON
The interior design features new colour and material options, providing an amplified all-terrain experience. The latest connected technologies and chassis systems provide the ultimate support and comfort for modern off-road excursions.
Defender’s iconic silhouette has been elegantly extended by 340 millimetres (mm) at the rear to provide enhanced interior space across all three rows, without compromising its unparalleled all-terrain capabilities.
Defender 130 provides a spacious and practical load area, with up to 3,891 litres of cargo volume even with the rearmost seats in place. When the seats are not in use, they stow to create a large loading area, giving customers the ultimate choice in configuring the interior arrangement that best suits their needs. They are split in 40:20:40 configuration for added convenience.
For families, ISOFIX child seat attachments are found on up to five of the passenger seats, on the outer seats of the second and third rows, as well as the front passenger seat.
The five-seat version of Defender 130 offers a vast load area of up to 2,5162 litres with row two folded.
Up front, Defender 130 features a larger 11.4-inch Pivi Pro touchscreen as standard, allowing enhanced control over the vehicle’s core functions via a crisp and intuitive display. The curved glass interface provides fast, state-of-the-art functionality and is responsive as soon as the vehicle is started.
Interior air quality on every trip is enhanced by Cabin Air Purification Plus, which makes its Defender debut in the new 130.
It is fitted to the largest Defender in the line-up as standard and combines nanoe X technology for allergen reduction and pathogen removal, to help significantly reduce odours and viruses. CO2 Management and PM2.5 Cabin Air Filtration improve the cabin environment by monitoring interior and exterior air and adjusting accordingly, ensuring occupants experience the best available air quality.
Defender 130 is available with a powerful and efficient choice of electrified powertrains, including the P300 and P400 mild-hybrid Ingenium six-cylinder petrols, and the D250 and D300 Ingenium six-cylinder diesels.
Mild-Hybrid Electric Vehicle (MHEV) technology underpins Land Rover’s six-cylinder Ingenium powertrains, providing seamless responses as well as enhanced fuel economy.
Every Defender 130 is fitted with Land Rover’s Intelligent All-Wheel Drive (iAWD) system and eight-speed ZF automatic transmission as standard.
The iAWD technology efficiently and effectively manages the powertrain and power distribution between the front and rear axles, optimising on-road efficiency and all-terrain capability as necessary.
Every Defender 130 is fitted with Electronic Air Suspension with Adaptive Dynamics and Land Rover’s advanced Terrain Response® system for unrivalled all-terrain capability and driver confidence in all environments.
The Electronic Air Suspension system allows for up to 430mm of articulation, with 75mm of additional lift at the front and the rear in off-road height to clear obstacles and assist when wading – Defender 130 will ford up to 900mm of water.
The foundations for the Defender’s all-conquering all-terrain capability rely on Land Rover’s aluminium-intensive monocoque D7x architecture. With a torsional rigidity of 25kNm/Degree, the Defender is three times more rigid than traditional body-on-frame designs and features the basis for the all-independent air suspension, twin-speed transfer box and Intelligent All-Wheel Drive system.
Defender 130 provides towing capacity of up to 3,000kg3, while hitching is made easier with the Electronic Air Suspension – controlled via a switch panel inside the tailgate.
The new Defender 130 is available in SE, HSE, X-Dynamic and X specifications, and is available for viewing and customisation at the Land Rover Showroom in Beribi until March 11.
The Setia Bersatu Archery Club (SBAC) organised its second annual meeting at the Civil Services Club in Kampong Mentiri recently.
New president Haji Razali bin Haji Hashim and a majority of the club’s executive committee were re-elected through voting.
The club, as a registered archery club, will continue to cater the needs of archery enthusiasts in the Sultanate. The club also vows to continue to provide a safe and secure environment to experience and develop archery skills.
Setia Bersatu Archery Club executive committee and members in a group photo. PHOTO: SBAC
JAKARTA, INDONESIA (AP) – Indonesian rescuers and firefighters yesterday searched for possible victims under the rubble of charred houses and buildings after a large fire broke out at a fuel storage depot in the capital, killing at least 18 people and leaving 16 others missing.
The Plumpang fuel storage station, operated by state-run oil and gas company Pertamina, is near a densely populated area in the Tanah Merah neighbourhood in North Jakarta. It supplies 25 per cent of Indonesia’s fuel needs.
At least 260 firefighters and 52 fire engines managed to extinguish the blaze just before midnight on Friday after a fire spread through the neighbourhood for more than two hours, fire officials said. They were working to secure the area yesterday.
Video of the fire broadcast on television late on Friday showed hundreds of people in the community running in panic while thick plumes of black smoke and orange flames filled the sky and firefighters battled the blaze.
A preliminary investigation showed the fire broke out when a pipeline ruptured during heavy rain, possibly from a lightning strike, said Pertamina’s area manager for the western part of Java Eko Kristiawan.
Residents living near the depot said they smelled a strong odour of gasoline, causing some people to vomit, after which thunder rumbled twice, followed by a huge explosion around 8pm.
Sri Haryati, a mother of three, said the fire began to spread in their neighbourhood about 20 minutes later, causing sudden panic among residents.
“I was crying and immediately grabbed our valuable documents and ran with my husband and children,” Haryati said.
ABOVE & BELOW: A woman at a neighbourhood affected by a fuel depot fire in Jakarta, Indonesia; and residents walk through the rubble. PHOTOS: AP
Data from the Indonesian Red Cross’ command centre said the death toll had been revised after authorities found that some victims were counted twice.
Rescuers continued searching for 16 people who were reported missing.
About 49 people were receiving treatment in five hospitals, some of them in critical condition.
Acting Jakarta Governor Heru Budi Hartono said about 600 displaced people were being taken to temporary shelters at government offices, a Red Cross command post and a sport stadium.
Pertamina’s president director Nicke Widyawati apologised for the incident and said the company would provide help to affected communities.
She said the company is working closely with related institutions and law enforcement to investigate the cause of the fire at the depot.
“We will carry out a thorough evaluation and reflection internally to prevent similar incidents from happening again,” Widyawati said in a statement, adding that the company ensured the supply of fuel oil will be safe.
The company will utilise fuel supplies from a number of Pertamina’s fuel terminals on Java island and support the Cilacap and Balongan refineries, which are channelled by sea to Tanjung Priok terminal in North Jakarta.
As investigators tried to piece together what happened, grieving relatives went to a police hospital’s morgue in eastern Jakarta yesterday morning to identify loved ones. Officials said all of the bodies were burned beyond recognition.
“The condition of corpses made them hard to recognise… they could only be identified through DNA and dental data,” said Trunoyudo Wisnu Andiko, the Jakarta Police spokesperson.
Friday’s fire was the second large blaze at the Plumpang fuel depot. In 2014, a fire engulfed at least 40 nearby houses, but no casualties were reported.
Energy analyst from Gajah Mada University Fahmi Radhi, urged Pertamina and the government to immediately move the depot away from the nearby community settlements.
“Pertamina has been negligent by not using international standard security systems,” he said in an interview with Kompas TV. He said that since the 2014 fire there have been no efforts to put such a system in place and that regular inspections should be conducted to avoid future fires.
“Pertamina’s board of directors should be held responsible for this deadliest fire by being dismissed immediately,” Radhi said.
An oil spill in 2018 caused a fire that killed five people and sickened hundreds in the port city of Balikpapan. Authorities said it came from a broken pipe that Pertamina was using to transfer crude oil.
In March 2021, a fire at Cilacap gasoline storage facility at the largest oil refinery on the main island of Java prompted the evacuation of 80 nearby residents and injured at least 20 people. Cilacap is one of six Pertamina refineries with a processing capacity of 270,000 barrels a day. Eight months later, more than 900 people were evacuated after a fire broke out at the Pertamina Balongan Refinery in West Java province.
The Santai Aja Bladerz team emerged champion of the Brunei Darussalam Beyblade League for 2022-2023 after defeating Underground Beys (UG) 119 to 118 recently.
Third place went to Jakusha Bladers (JB) with 98 points, Ghostbeys Team earned 81 points, Beyblade Community Brunei got 27 points and Hageishi Bladers was last with 24 points.
Harris Abdullah from Jakusha Bladers emerged as winner of the ‘Open Bey Right Spin Layer’ after defeating Md Runi bin Haji Mohid from Underground Beys at the final round of the competition at FunFit Studio in Kampong Delima Jaya.
Meanwhile, Aizul Shazwan bin Shamzul Rizal from Santai Aja Bladerz collected one point seated in third place and with the win led his team to emerge as champion in the league.
Fourth place went to Md Runi.
The consolation prize for top eight winners went to UG Norhayati, JB Amiruddin, UG Pengiran Hasswandy and JB Aediesopian.
Santai Aja Bladerz lift the trophy. PHOTO: DBOS BEYS BEYBLADE BRUNEI DARUSSALAM
