GERMAN runner Andreas Bussinger, 28, was smitten by the charms of Tutong District, while passing through Brunei to raise awareness and funds for environmental projects across Borneo. The run through the western coastal line of the Borneo Island has never been attempted, and Bussinger has set himself the mammoth task of running 1,500km through Sabah, Brunei, Sarawak and Kalimantan. More details in Saturday’s Borneo Bulletin.
IN CONJUNCTION with the Brunei Technology Expo (TechXpo) 2018, an official event partner signing ceremony between InfoCom Federation Brunei (IFB) and Dart Logistics Sdn Bhd was inked on Thursday. More details in Saturday’s Borneo Bulletin.
An Iban woman yesterday embraced Islam in a conversion ceremony at No 9 Simpang 18, Jalan Kecil Kiudang, Kampong Kiudang. Faezah Anak Bejau @ Suzanne Anak Bejau opted for the Muslim name Nur Qaisara Mikhayla binti Abdullah Bejau. More details in Saturday’s Borneo Bulletin.
Brunei Gas Carriers Sdn Bhd (BGC) organised a two-session dialogue under the iUsahawan programme for over 70 entrepreneurs from new and currently operating small and medium enterprises (SMEs), at its office in Jerudong yesterday. More details in Saturday’s Borneo Bulletin.
The Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia in Brunei Darussalam held a flag hoisting ceremony in conjunction with the 73rd anniversary of the Independence of the Republic of Indonesia at Jalan Kebangsaan, Kampong Kawasan Diplomatik, Mukim Kianggeh yesterday. More details in Saturday’s Borneo Bulletin.
Bank Islam Brunei Darussalam (BIBD) will add two new products to the BIBD NEXGEN universe – BIBD BizNet and QuickPay – to bolster Brunei Darussalam’s move towards a fully cashless society via seamless transactions. The two new upgraded systems will be launched today during the TechXpo 2018 at the International Convention Centre (ICC) in Berakas, said Head of BIBD Retail Banking Hajah Nurul Akmar binti Haji Md Jaafar in a press conference held yesterday at the BIBD Head Office in the capital. More details in Saturday’s Borneo Bulletin.
With the consent of 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, Minister of Defence and Supreme Commander of the Royal Brunei Armed Forces (RBAF), Brigadier General (U) Dato Seri Pahlawan Haji Hamzah bin Haji Sahat has taken over the reins as the Commander of the Royal Brunei Air Force (RBAirF) from Brigadier General (U) Dato Seri Pahlawan Shahril Anwar bin Haji Ma’awiah. More details in Saturday’s Borneo Bulletin.
Her Royal Highness Princess Fadzilah Lubabul Bolkiah led Brunei Darussalam’s Royal Bees Netball Team to victory against Terengganu Darul Iman Netball Team yesterday evening at the Multi-Purpose Hall of the Hassanal Bolkiah National Sports Complex in Berakas. Brunei’s Royal Bees defeated Terengganu Darul Iman Netball Team 54-38 after four quarters. More details in Saturday’s Borneo Bulletin.
CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro raised wages for the fifth time this year and said he wanted to peg prices to the nation’s fledgling cryptocurrency as part of a package of measures that economists say is likely to accelerate hyperinflation. More details in Sunday’s Borneo Bulletin.
GENEVA (AP) – Kofi Annan, one of the world’s most celebrated diplomats and a charismatic symbol of the United Nations (UN) who rose through its ranks to become the first black African secretary-general, has died. He was 80. His foundation announced his death in Switzerland yesterday in a tweet, saying he died after a short unspecified illness. “Wherever there was suffering or need, he reached out and touched many people with his deep compassion and empathy,” the foundation said. More details in Sunday’s Borneo Bulletin.
MAKKAH, Saudi Arabia (AP) – Saudi Arabia is preparing to host the annual Haj pilgrimage beginning today, as over 1.6 million Muslims from abroad have arrived in the kingdom. The pilgrimage represents one of the five pillars of Islam and is required of all able-bodied Muslims once in their life. In recent weeks, the pilgrims have arrived in Makkah from across the world, all chanting Labayk Allahuma Labayk, or “Here I am, Allah the Almighty, answering your call. Here I am”. More details in Sunday’s Borneo Bulletin.
NEW DELHI (AP) – Thousands of stranded people were waiting for rescue yesterday and officials pleaded for more help as relentless monsoon floods battered the south Indian state of Kerala, where more than 190 have died in a little over a week and much of the state is partially submerged. More details in Sunday’s Borneo Bulletin.
MANILA (AFP) – A Chinese plane that slid off the runway at Manila airport was removed from the muddy spot where it had been stuck for more than a day, officials said, allowing normal operations to resume yesterday. Around 165 international and local flights were cancelled on Friday and yesterday at the Philippine capital’s main airport after the plane’s bumpy landing, said airport Media Officer Connie Bungag. More details in Sunday’s Borneo Bulletin.
Officers of the Royal Brunei Police Force (RBPF) and penghulus, village heads and longhouse chiefs, and members of the Neighbourhood Watch of the Belait District held their second quarterly annual meeting session for 2018 yesterday. More details in Sunday’s Borneo Bulletin.
SAYYIDINA Abu Bakar Secondary School emerged champion in the first Religious Drama Competition for Government Secondary Schools final yesterday morning at the Sarmayuda Hall of the Language and Literature Bureau, Old Airport Berakas. More details in Sunday’s Borneo Bulletin.
THE Brunei Technology Expo (TechXpo) 2018 was launched by Minister of Communications Dato Seri Setia Awang Abdul Mutalib bin Pehin Orang Kaya Seri Setia Dato Paduka Haji Mohd Yusof. The inauguration of the fifth edition of the expo event took place at the Plenary Hall of the International Convention Centre (ICC) in Berakas yesterday. More details in Sunday’s Borneo Bulletin.
His Royal Highness Prince Mohamed Bolkiah, yesterday received in audience the new Ambassador of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar to Brunei Darussalam U Htin Lynn. More details in Sunday’s Borneo Bulletin.
A SPECIAL reception to celebrate the 72nd birthday of 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 was held yesterday at the Royal Berkshire Hall, Royal Brunei Polo and Riding Club. More details in Sunday’s Borneo Bulletin.
| Azaraimy HH |
WHILE Brunei Darussalam’s population at present is dominated by young people, the number of elderly in the country is rising steadily, bringing concern on whether the country is able to handle the problem this engenders, said Head of the Health Promotion Centre at the Ministry of Health Dr Hajah Norhayati binti Haji Md Kassim.
Dr Hajah Norhayati spoke to the Bulletin after delivering a talk during the launch of the seniors health programme at the Senior Citizens Activity Centre in Tutong (Tutong PKWE Centre) earlier this week.
The proportion of seniors in Brunei in relation to its overall population is expected to grow to more than 15 per cent by 2030, and to more than 30 per cent by 2050, according to figures from the UN Development Programme.
Dr Hajah Norhayati added that growing concern over a country’s ability to address an ageing population has been brought up every now and then at the regional level. In Brunei, the definition for the elderly is “those currently aged 60 and above”. Internationally, this applies to individuals aged 65 and above.
“We know the number of our seniors is increasing, we have evidence of this over the last few years. For us at the Ministry of Health, the concern is whether we are ready to face it, as elderly people tend to have a higher prevalence of suffering from chronic diseases in comparison to the general population,” she said.
Within a time period from 2012 to 2017, the population of Brunei Darussalam has steadily increased from 298,700 (2012) to 403,300 (2013); 407,600 (2014) to 412,400 (2015); and 417,257 (2016) to 421,300 (2017).
In 2016, the life expectancy for males was 80.5 years and 80.8 years for females. (For comparison, this figure was 75.6 years for males and 78.5 years for females in 2011.)
“So we want the elderly who live longer to be as healthy as possible. Even though they might be living with a chronic disease, we want their condition to be under control, we want them to at the least maintain that state and not develop new diseases,” she added.
“But with chronological ageing also comes biological ageing, this cannot be avoided. The body slows down in a lot of ways, and thus the elderly need to do specific things to maintain a good health condition, including not overstressing their bodies as well as not underutilising it. Meaning, it is important to maintain a good physical balance at their age.
“Also, if an elderly person contracts a disease that requires prolonged hospitalisation, this is not good for them as they might get exposed to other diseases in hospital as their immune system is no longer as strong as before.
“At the end of the day, our message is – ‘Prevention is better than cure’. It is important for the elderly to practise a healthy lifestyle. While they tend to not eat as much as they used to when they were younger, they still need food, especially healthy food such as a good amount of fruits and vegetables for their daily diet.”
Dr Hajah Norhayati added that studies show that 86.9 per cent of the elderly in the country do not consume enough fruits and vegetables.
“This is a matter of concern issue, not just for the seniors but for the general Brunei population as well. We did a survey on the general population back in 2015-2016, and what we found was Bruneians – be they children, young adults or the elderly – on average were not consuming enough fruits and vegetables in their daily diets,” she said.
“The recommendation is to take two to three servings of fruits, and two to three servings of vegetables daily.” According to a 2015-2016 survey on non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in the country, it was found that 7.2 per cent of the elderly are smokers, and 19.1 per cent do not exercise regularly or are not physically active.
“Physically, the body deteriorates a bit faster, and for the elderly who are not physically active and staying at home and not getting much social interaction, they lose this important human need for social networking. This can give rise to loneliness and other mental issues as well,” Dr Hajah Norhayati cautioned.
“Thus it is important for seniors to be physically and socially active, as well as mentally engaged. It is proven that elderly individuals who are more mentally engaged, be it through taking part in debates and discussions, tend to be a bit healthier and possess more positive attitudes – this is important.”
| Fizah HAB |
HAJI Amir Azman bin POKPS Dato Paduka Haji Abdul Rahman yesterday took home the BND5,000 grand prize of the Prima Lucky Draw at the DST booth of the TechXpo 2018.
DST Chief Executive Officer Haji Suhaimi bin Haji Hussain, who was the guest of honour, awarded the grand prize to Haji Amir Azman, and BND500 consolation prizes to nine others. The lucky draw was part of DST’s new Prima Postpaid campaign for customers who signed up for the new postpaid plans, those who committed to a 12-month contract plan and those who upgraded their plan.
DST will be at the TechXpo 2018 until tomorrow, showcasing its new product experiences and services, including the newly revised GO!Broadband postpaid plans.
