SOME 898 participants gathered at Taman Haji Sir Muda Omar ‘Ali Saifuddien to participate in the World Maritime Day Charity Walk, Run, Cycle yesterday morning in conjunction with World Maritime Day and Brunei Gas Carriers’ (BGC) 20th anniversary.

The event, organised by BGC in collaboration with the Maritime and Port Authority of Brunei Darussalam (MPABD) and support from the Ministry of Communications, was also held to support children living with and recovering from childhood cancer.

BND26,108.60 was raised and donated to the Children’s Cancer Foundation (YASKA) from the event.

The guest of honour, Minister of Communications Dato Seri Setia Awang Abdul Mutalib bin Pehin Orang Kaya Seri Setia Dato Paduka Haji Mohd Yusof officiated the event.

Also present were Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Communications Haji Azhar bin Haji Ahmad, Acting Deputy Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Communications Hajah Airah binti Haji Abdullah, Chief Executive of MPABD Haji Mohd Salihin bin Haji Aspar and Ambassador of Japan to Brunei Darussalam Motohiko Kato.

BGC Managing Director John Cook said, “We pay tribute to World Maritime Day which took place on September 30 with the theme ‘Our Heritage – Better Shipping for a Better Future’.

“This event also marks BGC’s 20th anniversary celebration, which fell on March 9. BGC has come a long way since its establishment in 1998. Today the company plays a vital role in transporting liquefied natural gas cargo to Brunei Darussalam’s international clients.”

He added, “Today, we ‘fight the fight together’ and we ‘Walk, Run and Cycle’ for a worthy cause – to support children living with and recovering from childhood cancer.”

Cook presented mock cheque of the event proceeds to YASKA President Haji Mohd Suffian bin Haji Zainal at the end of the event. The guest of honour also presented medals to YASKA children who participated in the 3km walk and run category.

World Maritime Day is celebrated to signify the 70th anniversary of the establishment of the International Maritime Organization (IMO), a United Nations specialised agency responsible for the safety and security of shipping and the prevention of marine and atmospheric pollution by ships.

Brunei Darussalam joined the IMO as a member in 1984 to promote the country’s maritime interests under the then Brunei Marine Department, which is the present-day MPABD.

Borneo Bulletin

VARIOUS items from the recently decommissioned Brunei Shell Tankers Sdn Bhd (BST) vessels SS Bebatik and SS Belanak were officially handed over to the Brunei Maritime Academy (BMA), Institute of Brunei Technical Education (IBTE) Jefri Bolkiah Campus (IBTE JBC), Kuala Belait, following a signing ceremony between Brunei Gas Carriers Sdn Bhd (on behalf of BST) and the BMA, IBTE JBC at the IBTE JBC administrative building on Monday.

BGC Managing Director John Douglas Cook (representing BGC on behalf of BST) and Head of BMA Dr Suhaimi bin Haji Abdul Wahab (representing the BMA, IBTE JBC) signed the certificate signifying the handover of the items.

Also present were IBTE Acting Chief Executive Officer Dr Haji Mohd Zamri bin Haji Sabli; IBTE Satellite Campus Principal Norjemee bin Jenek; and officers and staff of BGC and IBTE JBC.

Among the items handed over included equipment and tools used in the operations and maintenance of SS Bebatik and SS Belanak during the years of their service delivering liquefied natural gas (LNG) to Brunei’s LNG export markets.

The equipment handover is part of BGC’s social investment initiative to support marine industry education in Brunei in alignment with the goals of Vision 2035.

Dr Suhaimi presented a certificate of appreciation to John Douglas Cook to mark the occasion.

Cook and other BGC representatives then toured the BMA workshop, where they met the academy students and observe them at work under their respective study programmes.

Borneo Bulletin

BRUNEI Gas Carriers Sdn Bhd (BGC) hosted its 2nd RAKAN event for existing and registered vendors at the Serambi Suluh Hall of Tarindak D’Seni, Brunei Arts and Handicraft Training Centre yesterday.

Over 150 guests attended the event, including existing and registered vendors of BGC, I-Usahawan participants and BGC staff.

The purpose of the event was held for BGC to foster good relations with its business partners and to promote dialogue on the themes of optimisation, innovation and digitalisation.

The event began with a recitation of Doa Selamat led by BGC’s religious counsellor Asril Amin bin Ahmad followed by a speech by BGC’s Contracts and Procurement Manager Pengiran Dianawaty binti Pengiran Haji Matzin.

“We look forward to working with our business partners in identifying potential synergies in how we conduct business via optimisation, innovation and digitalisation opportunities – all while promoting ‘In-Country Value’. Ultimately, our objective is in ensuring that we not only achieve our Licence to Operate (DOC), but to achieve it with excellence,” Pengiran Dianawaty said.

“As part of our ongoing commitment towards promoting In-Country Value, we are pleased to support the I-Usahawan initiative in collaboration with the Ministry of Energy, Manpower and Industry. Together we will identify opportunities for young, local entrepreneurs, and work to develop the capacities of these entrepreneurs who meet the I-Usahawan criteria,” she added.

Several booths were set up at the event for business partners to engage with the RAKAN focal points to explore potential opportunities.

Among these included booths on In-Country Value – which included a feature on an online platform that allows participating local businesses to access the global shipping industry, HSSE, Business Ethics, Business Opportunities, and the Procure-to-Pay process.

RAKAN, an acronym for ‘Raising Awareness, Knowledge and Networking’, is an initiative resulting from BGC’s Social Performance commitment to continuously engage with its business stakeholders – in this case, its existing and registered vendors.

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A TOTAL of 809 Brunei Shell Joint Venture Companies (BSJV) staff – comprising employees from Brunei Shell Petroleum Sdn Bhd (BSP), Brunei LNG (BLNG), Brunei Shell Tankers (BST) and Brunei Shell Marketing (BSM) and Brunei Gas Carriers (BGC) – and volunteers gathered at five beachfront locations in the Brunei-Muara and Belait Districts yesterday morning to take part in a major beach clean-up effort.

The two-district campaign, organised by the BSJV companies in support of International Coastal Clean Up 2018, yielded a massive rubbish haul of 6,506kg (6.5 tonnes).

This is the fifth successive year in which the clean-up is held by the BSJV companies in support of International Coastal Clean-up, the world’s largest single-day volunteering effort to clean up beaches, lakes and rivers. The movement is a global campaign first initiated by the Ocean Conservancy in 1986.

In the Brunei-Muara District, the clean-up was held at Jerudong Beach – which included an underwater clean-up – and Muara Beach.

The Jerudong Beach clean-up, led by BGC and involving 270 BGC staff and volunteers, saw a staggering 2,018kg of rubbish collected within three hours.

For the underwater clean-up, members from Poni Divers were involved, including Pehin Orang Kaya Seri Utama Dato Seri Setia Awang Haji Yahya bin Begawan Mudim Dato Paduka Haji Bakar, the former Minister of Primary Resources and Tourism.

Commenting on the environmental effort, BGC Managing Director John Cook said, “BGC firmly believes in protecting the environment in which we operate. It is crucial that we protect our sea life and that we clean up bottles and litter left behind.

“Our message through this initiative is that environmental protection is everyone’s responsibility and we are committed to playing our part in sustaining our environment for the coming generations. It is indeed very encouraging to see all volunteers together with students, members of community, business partners and youth from several associations working together towards a common goal, which is to keep our beaches clean and safe for our family and friends.”

As keen supporters of Brunei Darussalam’s efforts to promote environmental sustainability, Cook said, “BGC will continue to organise events such as these to further promote environmental conservation and increase environmental consciousness in Brunei especially among the younger generation.”

One of the companies participating in the clean-up was Mitsubishi Corporation. General Manager Masaki Fujiwara, who was suitably proud of his company, said of their involvement, “We are happy to join such a clean-up. This is our first time participating and we hope to be involved in more exercises. I am surprised with the amount of rubbish collected. The activity served as a good opportunity to raise awareness on maintaining cleanliness of the environment among participants.”

Fujiwara said, “In Japan, volunteerism is becoming popular especially among the youth. We see Japanese football fans cleaning up the stadium after attending games in the recent World Cup. I hope that such gestures can influence people positively around the world.”

In Muara beach, some 180 volunteers participated in the clean-up led by BSM, including BSM Managing Director Pengiran Shamhary bin Pengiran Dato Paduka Haji Mustapha and Brunei-Muara District Officer Misle bin Haji Abdul Karim.

A total of 545kg of rubbish was collected in this effort. Volunteers also discovered the remains of a sea turtle tangled in a fishing net – further highlighting the threat of marine pollution.

Meanwhile, in Belait District, the clean-up was conducted at three locations: Silver Jubilee Park, W10, and Sungai Liang Recreational Park.

BSP Managing Director and Shell Country Chair for BSJV Companies in Brunei Dr Ceri M Powell participated in the clean-up at the Silver Jubilee Park Beach.

Legislative Council member and co-founder of Green Brunei Yang Berhormat Khairunnisa binti Haji Ash’ari, Acting Belait District Officer Ridzuan bin Haji Ahmad, heads of government departments and local companies based in the Belait District and volunteers also participated.

“The campaign provides an initiative to inspire the cleaning of beaches in Brunei and an opportunity to instil environmental consciousness among the public,” said Dr Powell, in an interview with the Sunday Bulletin. “We hope BSP can help raise public awareness to help preserve and maintain the beaches.

“This effort is one of BSP’s six key priorities in Brunei. I am pleased with the large turnout of volunteers.

“The message we want to send is that the trash found and collected from the beaches during the clean-up are left by those who are less responsible about their surrounding environment,” said Yang Berhormat Khairunnisa. “We hope the volunteers learnt the importance of disposing rubbish responsibly and take care of the environment.”

Around 4,000kg of trash was collected from the Belait beach clean-ups – 1,950kg from Silver Jubilee Park Beach, 1,733kg from W10 Beach and 260kg from Sungai Liang Beach.

Borneo Bulletin

The iUsahawan programme – an entrepreneurship development initiative by the Ministry of Energy, Manpower and Industry (MEMI) supported by Brunei Gas Carriers Sdn Bhd (BGC) seeks to support Rakyat Jati Business Entrepreneurs planning to, or currently operating small and medium enterprises (SMEs), to aid them in starting, owning, and growing their business. 

The programme is an initiative rolled-out as part of BGC’s Social Investment strategy to realise 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 vision to boost economic growth, specifically in encouraging SMEs to penetrate the regional and international markets. The initiative was launched by His Majesty at the recent 13th National Youth Day, held on 1 August 2018. 

BGC is invested in supporting the nation’s efforts towards enhancing the local economy, and in developing local capability and local businesses in Brunei. As such, BGC recently organized a two-session dialogue for entrepreneurs on Friday, August 17, 2018 at the BGC Office in Jalan Jerudong. Over 70 entrepreneurs attended the dialogue which comprised new and currently operating SMEs. 

At the briefing, presentations were given by BGC representatives on topics that included an overview of the iUsahawan programme, BGC Vendor Registration System and modules covered by the Training Programme. Representatives from Darussalam Enterprise (DARe) were also present to brief on the capacity development programmes available for iUsahawan participants such as courses from the Industry Business Academy and the Microbusiness Bootcamp.  This is part of an ongoing collaboration between BGC and DARe to support the iUsahawan initiative. 

BGC Contracts & Procurement Manager, Pg Dianawaty Pg Hj Matzin in her remarks mentioned, “To be awarded with contracts, vendors should be commercially and technically competitive. They must also demonstrate commitment towards safety and business integrity at all times.  Recognising that these are building blocks that are necessary, the program intends to deliver these prerequisites, so vendors would then be better equipped and are able to offer quality services not just for BGC but for other operators in the industry”.  

iUsahawan targets aspiring and existing Rakyat Jati business owners between the ages of 18 and 40, who have yet to earn a contract with the Government or Government-linked companies (GLCs) and Statutory Bodies. Programme participants will receive training to start, run, and grow a business through a startup accelerator programme; as well as be invited to a competitive tender exercise for selected contracts. Those who are successful will be awarded a three-year contract (with potential extensions) and guided by experienced mentors during the duration of the contract. 

The business areas targeted by the programme include: Office Cleaning Services and related materials, Event Management Services, and Transportation Services. BGC plans to issue an invitation of Expression of Interest (EoI) for the above contracts on 18 August 2018 to vendors who meet the iUsahawan criteria after which award for these tenders is planned in the first quarter of 2019. 

EMPLOYEES of Brunei Gas Carriers Sdn Bhd (BGC), Brunei Shell Petroleum Company Sdn Bhd (BSP), Brunei LNG Sdn Bhd (Brunei LNG) and Brunei Methanol Company (BMC) held a joint Tahlil ceremony for Al-Marhum Sultan Haji Omar ‘Ali Saifuddien Sa’adul Khairi Waddien ibni Al-Marhum Sultan Muhammad Jamalul Alam and Al-Marhumah Duli Raja Isteri Pengiran Anak Damit binti Al-Marhum Pengiran Bendahara Pengiran Anak Abdul Rahman, the late parents of His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu’izzaddin Waddaulah, Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam, at the Royal Mausoleum in Jalan Tutong yesterday.

The religious ceremony was also held for other royal family members who have passed away.

Present at the event leading the respective companies were Information Manager of BGC Mazlan bin Gapar; Head of Land Transport and Supplies Operation of BSP Rosman bin Haji Abdul Rahman; Legal Manager of Brunei LNG Haji Mohd Husaini bin Haji Bakar; and Deputy Chief Executive Officer of BMC Haji Daud bin Haji Jais; along with senior officers and staff of BGC, BSP, Brunei LNG and BMC.

BGC Religious Counsellor Asril Amin bin Ahmad led the recitation of Surah Yaasiin, Tahlil and Doa Arwah at the ceremony.

The joint Tahlil ceremony was part of an annual activity between BGC, BSP, Brunei LNG and BMC in conjunction with the holy month of Ramadhan.

Borneo Bulletin