The Daily Brunei Resources

Royalty launch new attractions at Jerudong Park Playground July 30, 2017 | Abdul Hakiim Yakof | HIS Royal Highness Prince ‘Abdul Wakeel and Her Royal Highness Princess Ameerah Wardatul Bolkiah launched Phase 2 of the Jerudong Park Playground last night breathing new life into Brunei’s premier tourist destination with new water rides, futuristic simulators and the Eco-Adventure Kingdom. His Royal Highness launched the area with an impressive eruption of pyrotechnics, simultaneously lighting up the 50-metre Scary Drop. Their Royal Highnesses were accompanied by the Deputy Minister of Finance in his capacity as the Jerudong Park Country Club Chairman, Dato Seri Paduka Awang Haji Hisham bin Haji Mohd Hanifah. Also in attendance were Pehin Orang Kaya Seri Kerna Dato Seri Setia (Dr) Haji Awang Abu Bakar Haji Apong, Minister of Home Affairs; Pehin Orang Kaya Laila Setia Dato Seri Setia Awang Haji Abdul Rahman bin Haji Ibrahim, Minister at the Prime Minister’s Office

Rape laws tightened July 29, 2017 | Fadley Faisal | 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 has consented to the Penal Code (Amendment) Order 2017 whereby amendments have been made to the offences of rape and unnatural offences contained within the Penal Code, Chapter 22, the Attorney General’s Chambers said in a press statement yesterday. As per the amendments under Section 375, the definition of rape includes even situations where a woman consents to sexual intercourse with a man who is in a position of trust or authority towards the woman or is a person with whom the woman is in a relationship of dependency. The amendments also provide that the defence of consent cannot be used by any accused person if the sexual intercourse is committed under those circumstances. The current punishment for the offence of rape under Section 376 of

Crown of the people July 24, 2017 | Dr Muhammad Hadi bin Muhammad Melayong Senior Special Duties Officer Secretariat Office Malay Islamic Monarchy (MIB) Supreme Council | WE, THE people of Brunei Darussalam, especially the youth who are the future leaders must remember and understand how difficult the struggle was for our top leaders, especially Al-Marhum Sultan Haji Omar ‘Ali Saifuddien Sa’adul Khairi Waddien ibni Al-Marhum Sultan Muhammad Jamalul Alam and His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu’izzaddin Waddaulah, Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam in bringing back the sovereignty of Brunei Darussalam, lost since World War II, on January 1, 1984. In fact, the dream of full independence was born ever since the country became a protectorate state of the British Government after the nation signed the 1888 Protectorate Agreement with Britain. Thus the independence, regained after a long struggle, is a precious treasure and should be cherished all the time, a

UBD 37th in QS Top 50 Under 50 ranking July 15, 2017 ADDING another feather to its cap, Universiti Brunei Darussalam (UBD) achieved a prime spot in a ranking exercise by Quacquarelli Symonds (QS). It is another first for Brunei’s prestigious academic institution which is now 37th globally in the QS ranking for universities founded less than 50 years ago. UBD had recently broken into the QS World University Rankings for the first time, attaining a creditable 349th rank. The QS Top 50 Under 50 is published annually, based on the latest edition of the QS World University Rankings, which assesses universities’ performance across six indicators including academic reputation, employer reputation, research citations per faculty member, faculty/student ratio, proportion of international students and proportion of international faculty members. First published in 2012, the QS Top 50 Under 50 allows some of the world’s fastest rising young universities to shine, rewarding those which have est

35 honoured with state decorations, titles July 16, 2017 | Azaraimy HH | 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 bestowed state honorary decorations to 35 recipients in a state investiture ceremony held yesterday in conjunction with His Majesty’s 71st birthday celebration which took place at Balai Singgahsana, Istana Nurul Iman. At the state investiture ceremony, two people were bestowed the Most Exalted Order of Paduka Keberanian Laila Terbilang, 1st Class (DPKT) that give the recipient a state title of ‘Dato Paduka Seri’. The recipients were:  General Tan Sri Raja Mohamed Affandi bin Raja Mohamed Noor, the Chief of Malaysian Army, and  General Police Drs H Muhammad Tito Karnavian, Chief of Police National Indonesia.  Born in June 20, 1957, General Dato Paduka Seri Tan Sri Raja Mohamed Affandi, the Chief of Malaysian Army

Boosting FDI, SMEs key growth strategy: Sultan July 16, 2017 | Azlan Othman | AS BRUNEI Darussalam’s economic growth is at a slower pace, government ministries and departments must focus their efforts towards speeding up productivity growth of companies under their respective jurisdiction, especially in the non-oil and gas sector. This was stated by 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 in a titah delivered during the audience and investiture ceremony held in conjunction with the monarch’s 71st birthday celebration at the Balai Singgahsana of Istana Nurul Iman yesterday. The ruler also urged parties concerned to boost productivity to enhance competitiveness of companies, allowing local entrepreneurs to penetrate the export market, contribute to gross domestic product (GDP) growth and improve government finances. “I am pleased

Develop expertise in oil, agri fields, urges Sultan on: July 11, 2017 | Lyna Mohamad | ACHIEVERS in the country must devote their energies towards the accomplishment of greater success in fields that are essential to the country’s development. This was stated in a titah delivered by 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 during the 14th Yayasan Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Hari Raya Aidilfitri celebrations at the Plenary Hall of the International Convention Centre (ICC) in Berakas yesterday. “Among these primary fields are the oil and agriculture industries, which undoubtedly are the country’s lifeblood,” said His Majesty. “But do we have the expertise required for these fields? “Our oil industry is nearly a century old, but the possibilities for locals to occupy top or senior positions have been most disappointing. “This sh

Commemorative currency notes a big hit on: July 08, 2017 | Hakim Hayat | IT WAS worth braving the long queue for Salinah binti Haji Mohd Yusof at a bank in the capital yesterday as she managed to obtain two of the brand new $50 notes, released by Brunei and Singapore to mark the golden jubilee of the Currency Interchangeability Agreement between them. “The last time we had a commemorative note was a decade ago when Brunei and Singapore celebrated 40 years of the agreement,” said an elated Salinah, a government servant. People in large numbers yesterday queued up at retail banks in the country to get their hands on the new $50 Brunei and Singapore commemorative notes that were launched three days ago in Singapore. The new polymer $50 notes began circulation through banks effective yesterday. Most retail banks in Brunei reported high demand for the notes, which the public can exchange at face value for both the $50 notes issued by Autoriti Monetari Brunei Darussalam (AMBD) and

Hundreds queue up for commemorative notes on: July 07, 2017 | Hakim Hayat | HUNDREDS queued up to get their hands on the commemorative $50 notes launched Wednesday by Brunei Darussalam and Singapore to mark the 50th anniversary of the Currency Interchangeability Agreement between both countries. The limited edition $50 polymer notes, jointly issued by Autoriti Monetari Brunei Darussalam (AMBD) and Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS), has since Wednesday been made available at the AMBD Currency Gallery and Gift Shop at the Ministry of Finance Building in Commonwealth Drive. Testament to its popularity, avid collectors and the public at large were seen making a beeline at the AMBD Currency Gallery since AMBD started selling the numismatic sets, with many expressing their delight with the issuance of the notes. “As a money collector, I was ecstatic when I first heard the news about the limited edition notes. I made my way here early this morning to get my hands on it. This is

Limited edition commemorative notes released for sale on: July 06, 2017 | James Kon | MEMBERS of the public can now get their hands on the limited edition $50 polymer note that commemorates the 50th anniversary of the Currency Interchangeability Agreement between Brunei Darussalam and Singapore, which was launched by 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 and Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong yesterday. The special note, carrying the ‘Flourishing Growth’ theme, is issued by both Autoriti Monetari Brunei Darussalam (AMBD) and Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS). In marking the occasion, AMBD is making available five types of numismatic sets. The Identical Numbered Notes set contains one $50 Brunei commemorative note and one $50 Singapore commemorative note sharing the same serial number with the CIA prefix. It is priced

New $50 commemorative notes launched on: July 06, 2017 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 and Lee Hsien Loong, Prime Minister of Singapore jointly launched the new $50 commemorative notes issued by the two countries in a ceremony held yesterday at the Istana, Singapore, to mark the 50th anniversary of the Currency Interchangeability Agreement between Brunei Darussalam and Singapore. The Currency Interchangeability Agreement took effect on June 12, 1967 between the two countries to facilitate improved economic and trade relations between the parties, and is a key economic cooperation between them. It was signed by the then Chairman of the Brunei Currency Board (now known as Autoriti Monetari Brunei Darussalam or AMBD) and the Chairman of the Board of Commissioners Currency, Singapore (which merged with the Monetary Authority of Sin

Brunei keeps Tier 2 status in US TIP Report on: July 05, 2017 | Azlan Othman | BRUNEI Darussalam has maintained its Tier 2 status in the 2017 United States Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Report, released by the US State Department recently. The annual report assessed 187 countries on their efforts to combat human trafficking through three key components, namely prosecution, protection and prevention. Tier 2 was accorded to the governments of countries that do not fully meet the Trafficking Victims Protection Act minimum standards but are making significant efforts to bring themselves into compliance with those standards. The Sultanate has been retaining the same status since 2012. “The Government of Brunei Darussalam does not fully meet the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking; however, it is making significant efforts to do so. The government demonstrated increasing efforts compared to the previous reporting period; therefore, Brunei remained on Tier 2,” the re

WB sees comprehensive reform agenda in Brunei on: July 02, 2017 | Danial Norjidi | THE structure is in place and there is good coordination between agencies for Brunei Darussalam to keep implementing a comprehensive set of reforms, according to two top officials from the World Bank Group. Antoni Albert Nogues Comas and Nadia Novik recently concluded a nine-day visit to Brunei Darussalam, during which they met with various government agencies and private sector companies to assess and verify the reforms being implemented by the Brunei government to improve the business environment. They have been collecting information pertaining to the ease of doing business in the country, in line with the group’s Doing Business Report, which measures the efficiency and strength of business regulations in 190 economies worldwide. The World Bank’s Doing Business Index is one of the benchmarks used by Brunei Darussalam to gauge the progress of ongoing efforts to improve the business environ