SIXTY-ONE students of Jigsaw Primary School and five teachers, led by Principal and Managing Director Helen Chin, went on an educational school trip to the Rimba Garden Central in Tungku recently.

The school entourage was welcomed by Rimba Garden Central Managing Director Patrick Lau and Director Richard Koh, as well as its staff members.

The students were enlightened by a briefing on the process of photosynthesis and food chain, called ‘Love the Plant Station’.

The students and teachers also learnt plant cutting propagation technique.

The students and teachers enjoyed repotting their own plants selected from the garden and took them home as a souvenir.

During the visit, the students and teachers were introduced to many different types of plants and were also briefed about the greenhouse’s evaporative cooling system which helps to regulate temperature and enable the growth of plants.

After the tour, a quiz was organised by Rimba Garden Central staff.

The prizes were awarded by Richard Koh.

The visit concluded with a musical fountain activity.

|     Azlan Othman     |

AFTER scorching heat over the past weeks due to dry and hazy conditions, Bruneians woke up to a cold weather yesterday morning.

Heavy thunder showers with wind speed of up to 45km/h were recorded, prompting the Brunei Darussalam Meteorological Department (BDMD) to issue a yellow stage, or ‘be alert’ warning.

Air quality was good with Pollutant Standards Index (PSI) reading ranging from 10 to 21 in all four districts.

Several cases of road accidents were reported yesterday morning during heavy rains including at Jangsak where four cars were involved in bumper-to-bumper collision while a car veered off and hit a lamp post in Kampong Katok in another accident.

The BDMD forecasts more thunder-storms in the days to come.

The ASEAN Specialised Meteorological Centre said on Sunday that conditions for rainfall are active in most parts of the Mekong sub-region and the winds over the northern ASEAN region are expected to blow from the southwest or west.

Despite having conditions of rainfall over parts of the southern ASEAN region, clusters of hotspots continued to be detected in West Kalimantan and moderate to dense smoke haze could be observed to emanate from these hotspots.

In southern parts of Sumatra, localised smoke plume was observed in the vicinity of isolated hotspots.

For the next few days, scattered showers are expected over the southern ASEAN region and the winds are forecast to blow from the southeast or southwest.

|     Hakim Hayat     |

TO CELEBRATE Hari Raya Aidiladha and as a sign of gratitude to the grace of Allah the Almighty, a mass Aidiladha prayer was organised for civilian and military personnel in the Ministry of Defence (MinDef) on Wednesday.

The mass Sunnat Aidiladha prayer held at the Surau Ad-Difa’ in Bolkiah Garrison was led by the Imam of the Surau and was attended by Captain Spry bin Haji Seruji, the Chief of Staff of RBAF with the Acting Director of Administration and Manpower, civilian and military senior officers, officers, and personnel.

The highlight of the event was the recitation of the Takbir of Aidiladha, to praise the greatness of Allah the Almighty, which was also initiated in the evening before during the event Malam Takbir Aidiladha in Surau Ad-Difa’.

|     Hakim Hayat     |

ROYAL Brunei Armed Forces (RBAF) Commander Major General Pengiran Dato Paduka Seri Aminan bin Pengiran Haji Mahmud recently made an introductory visit to Thailand during which he discussed ways to further strengthen the existing ties between the two countries’ armed forces.

During the visit from August 19-21, the RBAF Commander was welcomed at the Royal Thai Armed Forces (RTARF) Headquarters by the Chief of Defence Force of the RTARF General Dato Paduka Seri Tarnchaiyan Srisuwan.

The RBAF Commander inspected the guard of honour and later paid a courtesy call on the Chief of Defence Force of the RTARF.

During the call, both sides discussed ways to further strengthen military cooperation through exchanges of high level visits as well as courses and trainings between RBAF and RTARF.

The RBAF Commander also visited the Counter Terrorist Operations Centre (CTOC), a body that coordinates counter-terrorism measures across various agencies, established in affiliation with the RTARF Headquarters.

During the visit, Major General Pengiran Dato Paduka Seri Aminan and his delegation also attended an official dinner hosted by General Dato Paduka Seri Tarnchaiyan.

The Ministry of Defence (MinDef) in a statement said the visit aimed to further enhance the existing bilateral military ties between the two armed forces in general.

|     James Kon     |

IT WAS a proud moment for 103 University of Chester UK degree students who received their graduation certificates yesterday during the University of Chester (UK) Laksamana College of Business’ (LCB) Graduation Ceremony 2018, held at The Rizqun International Hotel.

The guest of honour who presented the certificates to the graduates was Minister of Education Dato Seri Setia Awang Haji Hamzah bin Haji Sulaiman.

Also in attendance were Deputy Minister of Education Datin Seri Paduka Dr Hajah Romaizah binti Haji Mohd Salleh, British High Commissioner to Brunei Darussalam Richard Lindsay, Principal Director of LCB Ian Pirie, Director of LCB Haji Suhaimei bin Haji Besar as well as other officials.

Eleven students pursuing the University of Chester degree programme secured first-class honours degree.

The graduates completed their degree courses in Business Management, Marketing and Computer Science.

In his speech, the British High Commissioner highlighted, “This is the end of your Laksamana journey, and of course this also started your journey, a journey of partnership, because partnership is what Laksamana College of Business and University of Chester have established.”

The partnership, he said, “provided a great opportunity to bring UK higher education into Brunei Darussalam. I am very proud to be able to support the success Laksamana College of Business has achieved and continues to achieve”.

Richard Lindsay also highlighted the strong links established between the people of Brunei and the UK through education, and expressed hope to continue this strong relationship including the partnership between LCB and University of Chester.

Meanwhile, Deputy Head of Computer Science Department, University of Chester Andrew Muncey in his speech congratulated the students on their graduation. He also recalled the history of University of Chester and the success of its partnership with LCB.

Today, 432 more LCB students will receive their certificates in another graduation ceremony.

|     James Kon     |

THE Ministry of Education has always put emphasis on high participation rate in education, especially on transition of students from secondary education to post-secondary and higher education which is of paramount importance to ensure the alignment of human resources for the economic development of the nation, said Minister of Education Dato Seri Setia Awang Haji Hamzah bin Haji Sulaiman.

This is in line with 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 titah to mark the 34th National Day on February 23, 2018 that called for giving close attention to human resources development, the minister noted in his remarks as the guest of honour at the University of Chester (UK) Laksamana College of Business’ (LCB) Graduation Ceremony 2018, held at The Rizqun International Hotel yesterday.

“Focussing on the enrolment to post-secondary education, a National Key Performance Indicator (NKPI) has been put in place to ensure that a high participation rate in education will be achieved in line with the national Vision 2035.

“One of the many initiatives under His Majesty’s Government to support enrolment into post-secondary education is the Technical and Vocational Education Scholarship Scheme (BPTV) to enable further studies at local private higher education institutions in Brunei. Initiatives such as these further underline the importance of the role of private higher education institutions in complementing the national education system to provide targetted human resources for the diversification of Brunei’s economy,” the minister said.

“Significant challenges associated with enhanced globalisation, rapid technological progress and demographic changes lead to uncertainty in the labour market. Countries are struggling to tackle issues such as youth unemployment, the mismatch of skills and job growth and so on. Many countries are finding it hard to generate job growth required to provide employment opportunities for the large number of young people entering the labour market each year.

“Brunei Darussalam too is not spared of these challenges. In the midst of preparing students for a resilient future, I call upon all education institutions in the nation, be it public or private, to be innovative in terms of narrowing the curriculum gap and offer courses that are aligned with the demand of economic development and industries.

“Emphasis should also be placed on the development of students holistically, be it physical, mental and spiritual in accordance with our Malay Islamic Monarchy (MIB) values as well as the teachings of Ahli Sunnah Wal Jama’ah,” the minister added.

Earlier in the speech, the minister congratulated the graduates, saying that “Education is a never-ending process and higher educational institutions widen your paradigm for life-long learning. As new graduates, your highway to success will be moulded by the kind of commitment you are willing to make to gain more knowledge. Therefore, continuous learning is essential to your personal development that will enable you to effectively contribute to society.”

The minister also congratulated Laksamana College of Business for establishing the Culinary School and offering City and Guild programmes.

|     Azaraimy HH     |

AN ISLAMIC conversion ceremony was held yesterday for a local Chinese man residing in Kampong Pad Nunok in Lamunin, Tutong District.

Eddy Nicholas Hong recited the oath and took an Islamic name as Muhammad Eddy Nicholas bin Hassan Hong.

The guest of honour was Legislative Council member Yang Berhormat Haji Umarali bin Esung.

The ceremony began with the recitation of Surah Al-Fatihah and the conversion ceremony, a mass Dikir Marhaban by members of Association of New Muslim Converts of Kampong Kiudang (BASKIM), and a recitation of Doa Selamat by Secretary of BASKIM Saifulbahri bin Haji Umarali followed.

|     Fizah HAB     |

A BIG crowd of students and parents were seen flocking to the first day of the second two-day ‘Yes2Malaysia’ Education Fair 2018 at the Mulia Hotel, Berakas yesterday.

The event, hosted by the Higher Education Unit of Malaysia (REXPO), in collaboration with MEG Educational Services to bring Education Malaysia Global Assist Initiative (EMGA) to the Sultanate, features 26 top universities and colleges from both East and West Malaysia offering a variety of undergraduate and post-graduate programmes.

According to a representative from REXPO, the turnout this year was even greater than that of previous years.

He explained that the participants include public and private universities and branch campuses of universities from the United Kingdom and Australia in Malaysia.

He said that the Education Malaysia Global Assist Initiative helps students in course counselling, scholarships and bursaries.

|     James Kon     |

A GRUESOME accident which took place just after midnight yesterday claimed the lives of two locals, a 29-year-old man and a 37-year-old woman. The duo was killed after the car they were travelling hit a tree at Jalan Menteri Besar area in Berakas.

According to a statement from the Royal Brunei Police Force, the Berakas Police Station received an emergency call at its hotline 993 at around 12.37am, alerting about the fatal accident.

According to the initial investigation report, the car driven by one of the victims crashed into a tree on the road divider.

The mangled vehicle was seen wedged into the tree’s trunk.

The cause of the accident is still under investigation.

The Royal Brunei Police Force reminded the public, especially road users, to always drive cautiously, comply with speed limit regulations and make sure that the vehicle is in good condition.

AUTORITI Monetari Brunei Darussalam (AMBD) said that it has come to the attention of the authority that United Formula Company (UFC) has allegedly been making false representations to potential and existing clients that their business or products are approved by AMBD.

Members of the public should be aware that UFC has been listed on the AMBD Alert List since January 10, 2018, it informed in a press statement yesterday.

AMBD said it has received an increasing number of complaints and queries from members of the public who have incurred losses from participating in unregulated financial investments, and reiterated its advice to members of the public to be extremely cautious when participating in any scheme or financial transaction that are not regulated under the laws administered by AMBD or are listed in the AMBD Alert List.

The authority also advised the public to only deal with persons or entities that are regulated by AMBD. “AMBD’s regulatory framework aims to safeguard the interests of investors by ensuring that only competent and qualified persons may provide financial services,” the statement noted. “The public should exercise caution when they come across what appears to be an investment opportunity that promises high returns with representations or assurances of negligible risks or even being risk free. The public should also be wary of schemes that focus on attracting new clients to make investments.

“These are most likely to be financial scams or even Ponzi schemes that fall outside of AMBD’s regulatory protection,” it added.

“Members of the public may check on the AMBD Alert List available on the AMBD website at www.ambd.gov.bn for the list of individuals, companies and websites which are neither authorised nor approved under the relevant laws and regulations administered by AMBD or whose activities raise a suspicion of illegal financial activity,” the authority urged.

The list of persons and institutions licensed by AMBD can also be found on AMBD’s website; or on the AMBD app downloadable at App Store and Google Playstore.

|     Azlan Othman     |

BRUNEI Darussalam has the eighth fastest 4G network in the Asia-Pacific with 17.48Mbps speed, according to a report by Open Signal, a UK-based wireless technology company.

The report compares 4G performance across 88 countries worldwide.

Singapore has the fastest 4G network followed by South Korea, Australia and New Zealand in the Asia-Pacific. Singapore is also the fastest 4G country in the world.

In Australia, Vodafone has jumped ahead of Telstra in the 4G speed metric, averaging LTE downloads of 40Mbps.

Taiwan’s operators are quickly joining the global elite in 4G availability with the fifth fastest network speed in Asia.

It is followed by Japan and Vietnam at 25.39 and 21.49Mbps respectively.

As per the report, Japan’s 4G network speed is by no means slow, but it is still well away from matching the LTE speeds of the elite countries.

It is followed by Myanmar and Malaysia. Other countries below 15Mbps are Sri Lanka, Cambodia and Pakistan.

According to the report, through improved smartphone technology and new spectrum, mobile operators have elevated average 4G speeds first beyond 20Mbps, then beyond 30 Mbps, and in the last two years, beyond 40Mbps.

“However, now the industry seems to have reached a limit to what current technology, spectral bandwidth and mobile economics can support on a nationwide level. The LTE average download speeds have stalled at just over 45Mbps, as per the report.

“Speeds, though, remained stagnant, could soon change as the wave of consolidation clears the way for new high-capacity networks,” the report noted.

In last year’s Akamai State of the Internet Report, Brunei’s overall average speed stood at 7.4Mbps, with Telekom Brunei Berhad’s (TelBru) own average speed gauging significantly higher than this due to its Fibre-to-the-Home (FTTH) infrastructure that can comparatively carry higher load.

|     Syazwani Hj Rosli     |

HUMAN trafficking is becoming more prevalent and has become the second largest type of criminal activity, after illegal drug trade.

This was stated by member of the Legislative Council (LegCo) Yang Berhormat Iswandy bin Ahmad, while delivering a speech as guest of honour at the opening of the ‘Combating Trafficking in Persons’ conference (CTIP 2018) organised by Youth Against Slavery Brunei (YAS Brunei) at the ICTC2 Galley of the Universiti Brunei Darussalam (UBD) yesterday.

“We have seen an increase in the occurrence of trafficking in persons in recent years in every part of the world. It has become a global trend which our region is not immune to,” he explained.

“Trafficking in persons is an insult to human dignity and is a heinous crime as it exploits human vulnerability for the purpose of servitude, slavery, forced labour, sexual exploitation and other forms by means of fraud, deception, abuse of power, coercion and abduction.

“The United Nations estimates that human trafficking has victimised 21 million men, women and children around the world. Between 600,000 and 800,000 victims are trafficked across borders globally each year.

“According to the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), 79 per cent of human trafficking falls in the category of sexual exploitation, followed by forced labour at 18 per cent,” he said.

“Perpetrators make more than USD20,000 a year from each victim of commercial sexual exploitation and about USD4,000 from forced labour exploitation. An International Labour Organization (ILO) report estimates that the Asia-Pacific region leads the world in annual profits of forced labour at USD51.8 billion dollars due to the high number of victims,” he continued.

He further emphasised that traffickers now have become more refined in their use of information and communication technology (ICT) as a tool for recruiting and exploiting their victims.

ASEAN has 689 million mobile subscriptions, exceeding its population of around 660 million and the largest Internet users are people aged 15 to 24, followed by the 25-34 age group.

Yang Berhormat Iswandy highlighted that Brunei is ranked to have the highest usage of ICT and social media, adding that ICT opens up opportunities and also vulnerabilities for both youth and exploiters.

“Social media, as identified by UNODC, is a platform to prey on children for the purposes of sexual exploitation, drug trafficking and child labour,” he said. He further noted that given the popularity of social media use in Asia, communications technology can be an amazing tool to empower individuals and communities to practise positive behaviours that protect them from human trafficking. The LegCo member emphasised on the cooperation between the government and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) which he said will play a significance role in addressing a multi-faceted problem such as trafficking.

“The government has to enforce existing laws and policies to properly and effectively combat trafficking; business sector has the responsibility to ensure clean supply chains; and NGOs have to promote awareness and provide assistance in protecting victims. Not to forget, every citizen, has a role to play in the campaign against trafficking,” he said.

He concluded the speech by saying, “We need to start from something small. If not us, who? And, if not now, when?”

|     Syazwani Hj Rosli     |

THE Youth Against Slavery Brunei (YAS Brunei) yesterday launched a two-day conference titled ‘Combating Trafficking in Persons’ conference (CTIP 2018) at ICTC2 Gallery, Universiti Brunei Darussalam (UBD).

The conference was inaugurated by guest of honour of the event Yang Berhormat Iswandy bin Ahmad, a member of the Legislative Council. Also present during the event was the High Commissioner of Bangladesh to Brunei Darussalam Air-Vice Marshal (Rtd) Mahmud Hussain.

The opening ceremony began with the recitation of Surah Al-Fatihah and Doa Selamat followed by a welcoming remark from the Co-founder of YAS Brunei Amal Kasibah binti Bahari.

She highlighted that the annual Trafficking in Persons (TIP) report showed that Brunei has advanced from being only a transit country to being both a transit and destination country – in other words, “there are people that are brought to Brunei to be trafficked or exploited, adding that it is our ultimate goal to change this status for Brunei”.

According to her, the conference will focus on the most vulnerable groups of people such as children and young people and discuss how they are made more vulnerable by means of cybersecurity breaches.

“This conference aims to deliberate on how to safeguard these groups of people,” she added.

Amal Kasibah further highlighted that the conference is to shine more light on human trafficking and modern day slavery and take actions to end exploitation.

“Together, we will create a more aware generation that strives to eliminate human trafficking. If we collaborate, we can each contribute a strand to form a safety net for trafficking victims and a web in which to catch perpetrators,” she said.

The first day of the conference yesterday featured a plenary session attended by Air-Vice Marshal (Rtd) Mahmud Hussain; Acting Head of Human Trafficking Investigation Unit, Criminal Investigation Department of the Royal Brunei Police Force (RBPF) Assistant Superintendent Ivy Han; Project Coordinator of Young Health Programme at Lentera Anak Foundation in Indonesia Margianta Surahman Juhanda Dinata; and representatives from the Labour Department, Ministry of Home Affairs (MoHA).

The two-day conference will see breakout sessions on topics including ‘Identifying Victims of Trafficking in Persons’ presented by the Human Trafficking Unit, ‘Awareness and Cybercrime’ by BruCert of ITPSS Sdn Bhd and ‘Combating Trafficking in Persons with Technology’ by Emancipate Indonesia, among others.

The second day will feature a plenary session on ‘Trafficking in Persons and Labour Law Violations’, led by panel speakers including members of the Human Trafficking Unit, Attorney General’s Chambers and the Labour Department, followed by a resolution presentation on the breakout session.

The guest of honour at the closing ceremony at Progresif Headquarters in Gadong today will be Acting Director of the Criminal Investigation Department of RBPF ACP Dato Paduka Haji Awang Mohammad Hassan bin Pehin Penyurat Haji Ahmad.

|     Hakim Hayat     |

EVERYBODY in the community plays an important part in identifying victims of human trafficking and should raise a red flag to the relevant authorities should they feel someone they know, or even themselves, is being exploited.

This was stated by Acting Head of Human Trafficking Investigation Unit, Criminal Investigation Department of the Royal Brunei Police Force (RBPF) Assistant Superintendent Ivy Han at the first plenary session of the ‘Combating Trafficking in Persons’ conference (CTIP 2018) hosted by Bruneian youth initiative Youth Against Slavery Brunei (YAS Brunei) yesterday.

In a session that focussed on identifying human trafficking victims, she shared that people should always be on the lookout for indicators of human trafficking such as forced labour including sexual servitude and prostitution, slavery as well as denial of basic rest, food and shelter.

Han said that many of the victims are trapped and being forced to work as well as face threats that also extend to family members of the victims. She further explained that human trafficking can be identified firstly through an “act” of recruitment and pre-planning, followed by the “means” of forcing, threatening and promise of money and cheating and finally “exploitation” where a victim is forced into labour, sexual services and even selling organs.

“We as a civil society should always be on a lookout, and if we feel or see that something is not right, we should raise them to the authorities, be it the police, the Labour Department or even the Community Development Department (JAPEM),” Han urged, while stressing that the police here take a very serious stance against human trafficking that can be brought up to the High Court for conviction.

Although human trafficking is not rampant in Brunei Darussalam, Han said that the multi-billion dollar industry is rampant worldwide, and is very common in lower-income countries and among lower educated and even highly educated individuals who are being tricked or just simply fall into the trap, and this poses a mounting challenge to law enforcement in the global landscape today.

Its prevalence, Han said, is mainly due to its highly profitable gains that require very minimum capital, which typically involves the movement of humans who are easily accessible. In “modern-day slavery,” she said there are cases of individuals being forced to work and exploited in industries such as fisheries and clothing manufacturing with low pay and squalid conditions, denying them their basic rights.

Many of these human trafficking victims are trapped because they have to pay off debts, support their family members, but in the process, they are being tricked, she added.

Han said this is why it is imperative for the public to be aware of human trafficking traits and always be wary of the legitimacy of job offers and they should check such offers through authoritative channels.

Over the last few years, a number of individuals, including locals, have been convicted for human trafficking crimes in the country – mostly for trafficking of individuals from outside the country to work in the country illegally or for denying their wages.

Han shared that in the Sultanate, several cases classified by the police as human trafficking crimes have not been charged in the court as the cases do not satisfy the requirement, or has not enough evidence to be charged under the Human Trafficking Order, or fall under other legislations such as the Penal Code, Labour Violation Order and Women and Girls Protection Act.

The conference is aimed at strengthening the network’s ability to combat trafficking in persons, including protecting the youth from exploitation and preventing Brunei from becoming a destination for trafficking in person and travelling sex offenders, easy access to online pornography, misuse of the Internet as well as other forms of human exploitation.

The conference puts particular attention to the importance of working with those most likely to come into contact with trafficking victims such as medical practitioners, national security forces, border patrol agents, teachers and those in the transportation and hospitality industries.

YAS Brunei said they are placing special recognition on the important role they can play in sharing their first-hand experience to strengthen the effectiveness of anti-trafficking policies.

YAS Brunei is a Bruneian youth initiative which is a product of Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative (YSEALI) – a US government endeavor.

|     Syahmi Hassan     |

HIS Royal Highness Prince Haji Al-Muhtadee Billah ibni His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu’izzaddin Waddaulah, the Crown Prince and Senior Minister at the Prime Minister’s Office watched Yang Teramat Mulia Pengiran Muda ‘Abdul Muntaqim in action at the semi-finals of the Brunei Open Badminton Championship 2018 at the badminton court of The Centrepoint Hotel in Gadong last night.

Also joining His Royal Highness the Crown Prince in watching the semi-finals were Her Royal Highness Paduka Seri Pengiran Anak Isteri Pengiran Anak Sarah binti Pengiran Haji Salleh Ab Rahaman and Yang Teramat Mulia Pengiran Anak Muneerah Madhul Bolkiah binti Duli Yang Teramat Mulia Paduka Seri Pengiran Muda Mahkota Pengiran Muda Haji Al-Muhtadee Billah.

At the semi-finals match, Yang Teramat Mulia Pengiran Muda ‘Abdul Muntaqim put up a valiant effort before losing to Dessen Chung Min Ting.

Yang Teramat Mulia Pengiran Muda ‘Abdul Muntaqim won the first set 23-21 before the opponent came back to draw the match at 1-1 by winning the second set 16-21.

Yang Teramat Mulia Pengiran Muda ‘Abdul Muntaqim tried to rise up in winning the deciding tie-breaker but Dessen Chung Min Ting won the tie-breaker set 19-21.

Yang Teramat Mulia Pengiran Muda ‘Abdul Muntaqim beat Mohd Daffa Dany bin Ali Hussin 21–9 and 21–18 a few days ago to earn his place in the quarter-final berth.

In the quarter-finals, Yang Teramat Mulia Pengiran Muda ‘Abdul Muntaqim defeated Hung Wei Li in a straight set, 21-14, 21-17 win to advance to the semi-finals.

|     Lyna Mohamad     |

WOMEN in the 21^st Century too face challenges as the current workplace culture designed by and for men is not working to ensure gender equality, said co-founder of Brunei Womenpreneur Network (BWN) Noorhafizah binti Haji Rashid.

In her welcoming remarks at an event to mark the Women Equality Day celebration, jointly hosted by BWN and Dilmah T Lounge yesterday, she noted that “there are different forces – from latent bias to blatant sexism – that hold women back from advancing up the ladder. Both women and men should come together in the fight for equality – as mentioned by Forbes ‘Equality is not a female issue, it’s a social and economic imperative’,” she said.

“Today in Brunei, majority of university graduates are women, many businesses are run by women and there are more women taking up senior level roles in the corporate world. Despite that, we still have a problem where women are not getting promoted to higher roles,” she added.

“Regardless of job or background, every woman has her own story,” said Noorhafizah, adding that one of the problems today is the lack of visibility for women doing remarkable things; some impactful stories don’t get shared at all.

“How do we expect our next generation to lead if we’re not sharing with them our stories and journeys and inspiring them to take up leadership roles? When women help other women rise, we all shine,” she said.

Earlier in the speech, touching on the brief history of Women’s Equality Day, she pointed out that the event was first started on August 26, 1971 in the United States (US) to secure voting rights for women.

“It took 42 years for the US government to finally see that no one should be denied the right to vote based on their gender. The initiative’s success can be attributed to a group of passionate women – and some men – who worked for changing and rewriting old rules that were no longer working.”

Yesterday’s event began with sharing sessions, led by founder of BenchLab Wan Nurul Naszeera and a member of BWN Wina Hafizah binti Haji Sallehuddin.

This was followed by an ice-breaking session where each person had to introduce and tell three things about themselves, and explain why they were at the event.

The highlight of the day was a panel discussion, led by five inspiring women. The speakers at the event, mostly business owners operating in several male-dominated industrial sectors, shared their views on gender equality.

The discussion was participated by Managing Director of Flux Supna; founder of Ash Health & Fitness Sharimawati; ophthalmologist from Raja Isteri Pengiran Anak Saleha (RIPAS) Hospital Dr Nooraffizan; and co-founder of Tyne Solutions Aimi.

ISLAMABAD (AP) – Vladimir Putin’s Russia appears to have emerged as a player in Afghanistan after 17 years of Western involvement that has left the country no closer to peace than before.

To some, Russia’s offer to host talks next month might contain at least the seeds of a positive pivot if the Taleban are coaxed to the table at a time when they have been more aggressive on the battlefield than in recent years, causing much mayhem in Kabul and other cities.

But the move may be stuck before it even begins. The Afghan government has said it will not attend, unable to agree on a coherent strategy because of divisions within the government that many see as a function of personal and ethnic rivalries, and calling for the Taleban to first agree to direct talks with Kabul.

The insurgents have consistently refused, instead demanding direct talks with the United States (US).

The US, for its part, seems displeased by the manoeuvre, even though Washington has been trying to find a reasonable exit strategy for years in vain.

On the ground in Afghanistan, the situation has given rise to boundless cynicism about the various players and almost no hope for a quick improvement in the violent, corruption-plagued nature of daily life.

Analysts say the wrangling over a meeting to talk peace offers a window into the enormity of the task of actually reaching a peace pact in a region of competing influences.

Pakistan, Iran, Russia and China have a growing influence even as the US spends billions of dollars covering much of the USD6.5 billion spent annually to support the Afghan National Security Forces who are struggling to contain an energised Taleban.

Specialists who have tracked Afghanistan’s four decades of war say navigating the road to peace in this poor nation of 32 million people is like walking through a minefield.

Michael Kugelman, Deputy Director of the Asia Program at the US-based Wilson Center, said the situation is explosive.

“In Afghanistan you have not just the US and Russia in competition, but also China, Iran, and Pakistan,” said Kugelman.

“And none of these countries have warm relations with the US. It’s a real powder keg, to say the least.”

Pakistan, considered key to a lasting peace in Afghanistan, has a new Prime Minister who said he is ready to be a partner in peace with Washington, but will no longer partner in war.

There has been no indication that the Afghan Taleban, who are known to move between Pakistan and Afghanistan with an ease that varies often depending on Islamabad’s relationship with Washington, will be asked to leave.

Yet Prime Minister Imran Khan was quick to condemn last Tuesday’s rocket attack in Kabul, accusing the perpetrators of “cowardly thinking”.

Still, relations between Pakistan and the US are prickly and even a simple phone call from US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to Khan on Thursday turned into a confrontation as the two countries disagreed over its content.

Pakistan is now demanding an apology, saying Pompeo said nothing of terrorists in Pakistan, contrary to the State Department’s reading of the call, which said, “Pompeo raised the importance of Pakistan taking decisive action against all terrorists operating in Pakistan and its vital role in promoting the Afghan peace process.”

But Afghanistan’s neighbours and competing world powers are only part of the problem of bringing peace to Afghanistan, said analysts, who point to a deeply corrupt and fractious Afghan government and deepening ethnic divisions within the US-crafted Unity government.