The young Bruneians bringing aid to Syria - How to survive a startup: We talk to the CEO of DARe - The Scoop
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F E B R U A RY 2 0 1 9
ISSUE 01
The young Bruneians How to survive a
bringing aid to Syria startup: We talk to
the CEO of DARe
The search for
Bruneian screen
identity
THE FIRST ISSUE
AUSTRALIAN
DIPLOMA
3
IN BRUNEI
Achieving Masterpieces
Level 3 Plaza Athirah, Batu Satu
BA1912 Negara Brunei Darussalam
enquiry.mahakarya@gmail.com
https://www.miaa.edu.bn
Getting
EDITOR’S The business of media — not just locally,
but globally — has been disrupted by
Google and Facebook, who monopolise
NOTE advertising revenue, leaving news outlets
struggling to adapt to new economic
realities.
PUBLISHER
Scoop Media Almost 18 months ago in September Legacy news organisations have
2017, we launched The Scoop as Brunei’s downsized operations and cut
first digital-only news platform. circulation. Smaller metro and rural
Down to
EDITORIAL
newspapers around the world have had
Ain Bandial We pegged ourselves as the country’s to close, leaving “news deserts” where
Hadthiah Hazair first media brand for millennials, there is virtually no localised reporting.
Rasidah Hj Abu Bakar aimed at a generation of readers who
Rafidah Hamit were consuming content through It is important that we underscore what
Wardi Wasil smartphones and social media. this transition means, and what it does
not.
PHOTOGRAPHY In those 18 months, our growth has
Rudolf Portillo
exceeded our expectations – readership Media is an industry in transition,
has grown from just 10,000 website but the need for journalism is still as
Business
Hazimul Wai’e
visitors in our first month to an average powerful as ever.
of 80,000 unique visitors per month.
LEAD DESIGNER Our weekly reach on Facebook and Our aim with the first print magazine
Liyana Hanif Instagram exceeds 120,000 users. is to expand our reader and advertiser
base, and firmly establish our presence
DESIGN SUPPORT Not bad for a group four ex-newspaper as part of Brunei’s media landscape.
Noriati Puli reporters who launched a website from
Rebecca Sekhon a living room in Jerudong, with no We want our readers to explore a world
backing, no investors and with less where they shape the possibilities and
than $2,000. But don’t all great startup the future — to identify, understand
MARKETING
stories begin that way? and analyse the conflicts, energies
4
5
A. Jaafar
and opportunities of a country at a
We started our company, Scoop Media, crossroads.
WEB DEVELOPMENT with few resources but clear vision — to
Hazirah Marzuke, Longan Digital inform the community in which we live. We get asked a lot these days whether
To empower citizens to be engaged. To we’re optimistic about the future.
shape our country — our home — for the
better. When we’re feeling overwhelmed by
CONTACT negative headlines, we remind ourselves
Brunei media lacks independence and that none of us has the right to sit back
www.thescoop.co a diversity of voices. However small our and expect that the world is going to
@thescoop.co efforts may be, our goal is to remedy get better. We have a responsibility to
@thescoop.co that. do everything we can to push it in that For years, Brunei has been trying to shake
@thescoop_co direction.
To borrow from Margaret Atwood: “A off its reliance on oil and gas with major
Get in touch: word after word after word is power”. We’ve found that optimism can be a
hello@thescoop.co powerful call to action, which is why we investments being put in place to help pave
Our journey has not been easy – the thought it apt to release our magazine
For advertising:
economic downturn, small size of
the local market, and lack of business
on Brunei’s 35th National Day. the way. From tourism to agriculture and
advertising@thescoop.co support for startups has all played a role
in the challenging circumstances many
Every day is a new chance to make a
choice: give up, or build the solutions
foreign direct investments, take a peek inside
small businesses find themselves in. you want to see in the world.
to track how these key areas are contributing
towards a more diversified economy.
Unit 1-5, Block A&B, Spg 137-65, Kg Kiarong, Rasidah Hj Abu Bakar Ain Bandial Hadthiah Hazair Rachel Thien
Jln Pasar Baharu, Bandar Seri Begawan BE1318
Coming off a prolonged economic
downturn — and volatile oil prices
— Brunei’s efforts to diversify
its economy have taken on a
new sense of urgency. So what’s
to be done about it? We take a
look at some the country’s key
diversification efforts and their
potential impact
6
7
By Hadthiah Hazair
The recovery in global oil prices from
2016 to 2018 helped nudge Brunei’s
economy forward after a four-year slump,
with GDP coming in at $16.5 billion for
2017 — growth of 1.3 percent.
But after oil prices dropped suddenly
in October last year, economists revised
the sultanate’s growth forecast to 0.5
percent for 2018, and to 2.1 percent for
2019, with growth fueled by downstream
investments and other diversification
efforts.
Despite diversification efforts in recent
years, Brunei’s economy is still heavily
reliant on oil and gas, accounting for 65
percent of the GDP and over 90 percent
of exports.
BRUNEI’S GDP
From 2007-2017 (US$)
BILLION
19
19 18.5
18.1
18
17.1
17
When the national budget for 2018/2019
16
fiscal year was announced during the
Legislative Council meeting in March
last year, the government stressed 15
that despite the recovery in oil prices, 14.4
the value of crude would remain 14
unpredictable, continuing to have a 13.7
significant impact on the country’s 13
economy. 12.93
12
Indeed, after hitting a four-year high of 11.4
12.2
US$80 a barrel in October, the market 11 12.1
flipped from mid-year concerns about
an oil shortage to fears of a renewed 10.73
crude glut after the United States, Russia 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017
and Saudi Arabia all boosted output, and
oil lost more than a third of its value in YEAR
Source: IMF
the fourth quarter of 2018.
The refinery and petrochemical plant — The second phase will focus on
To compound matters, in the third
a joint venture between China’s Hengyi manufacturing more downstream
quarter of 2018, Brunei’s oil and gas
products such as aromatics and
9
8
Industries and the Brunei government
sector showed a downturn which caused
industrial chemicals that are used to
Moving into
— is the largest foreign direct investment
the economy to contract by 1.2 percent Globally and within the ASEAN
into the sultanate to date, valued at make clothing and plastics — and could
year-on-year. region, the oil and gas industry has
US$15 billion. generate revenue of about US$10 billion
downstream
seen tumultuous conditions in 2018, per annum, according to Hengyi.
The decline was chiefly due to a 7.4 with geopolitical factors — from
The operation will have the capacity
percent decrease in the manufacturing Iran sanctions to political crisis in
activity to refine 175,000 barrels of crude oil Across the country in Belait,
of liquefied natural gas and methanol Venezuela — weighing heavily on oil
a day for export to China and other construction of one of Southeast Asia’s
due to unscheduled maintenance of prices for 2019.
regional markets, eventually increasing biggest fertiliser plants is underway at
facilities.
to 22 million tonnes per year when the Sungai Liang Industrial Park
The average Brent crude oil prices in The push to enhance competitiveness Valued at $1.8 billion, the Brunei
construction of phase two is complete
However, compared to the same period 2017 stood at US$54 per barrel, which of the oil and gas sector globally has in 2022. Fertilizer Industries’ plant — a
in 2017, the gross value added of the oil improved to US$71 in 2018. Industry seen many downstream activities government joint venture with
and gas sector indicated an increase by experts are predicting this average to mushrooming, including in Brunei. Hengyi claims that after completion of Germany’s Thyssenkrupp AG’s Industrial
$500 million in Q3 2018 totaling to $2.6 hover between US$60 and US$70 in
its first phase, the oil refinery will be Solutions (tkIS) — will use natural gas
billion. 2019. The start of operations for the crude able to contribute as much as 40 percent from Lumut as feedstock to produce
oil refinery on Pulau Muara Besar is to Brunei’s GDP. fertiliser.
slated for July 2019, and is hoped to
be a much-needed boost to Brunei’s
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Planting the
seeds of the
future
The government’s hard push into
agriculture kicked into high gear in
2018, and has been identified as one
of the country’s main investment
clusters, along with the halal industry,
technology and tourism.
Agriculture’s contribution to GDP in
2011 was 0.33 percent ($240.6 million),
and has since grown to 0.54 percent
($379.6 million) in 2017.
Despite the sector’s less than one
percent contribution to the GDP in
2017, there has been more movement
in policy circles to address some of
the issues hindering agricultural
development, such as soil acidity and
Ocean gold
lack of irrigation infrastructure.
Photo courtesy of Golden Corporation
For the 2018/2019 financial year, $40 The fisheries, aquaculture and fish By 2020, the Ministry of Primary In December last year, China’s Pure
million was earmarked under the processing industries have seen more Resources and Tourism is targeting Fresh signed an agreement with state-
10
11
National Development Plan for rice and favourable success in recent years, $400 million annual revenue from the owned Ghanim International to invest
vegetable cultivation, and His Majesty growing multiple-folds in the last two aquaculture industry alone, compared to $400 million into the setting up of
the Sultan recently announced that a decades. just $10 million in 2015. a complete supply chain facility for
500-hectare commercial farming site aquaculture.
has been allotted in Kandol, Belait to The fisheries industry grew from $43 There have been several joint ventures
boost rice output. million in 1998 to $112 million in 2017 in the field recently, and with plans to Singaporean company Barramundi Asia
— an average rate of 5 percent per year — provide more support to fish farmers, also inked a deal last May with Brunei’s
Another initiative taken to increase while aquaculture grew from $2 million the ministry is bullish in its outlook. Department of Fisheries to develop a
paddy yield and bring up self-sufficiency in 1998 to $17 million in 2017, an average major offshore aquaculture site that will
in rice was the introduction of hybrid of 17 percent per year. Blue shrimp and tuna in particular have produce up to $300 million of sea bass
varieties such as Titih, BDR5 and been luring international businesses for export each year.
Sembada188. Fish processing too has seen a boost — it to the sultanate’s shores, with firms
went from just $2 million in 1998 to $22 like Taiwan’s Golden Corporation and
These new paddy strains have the million in 2017, an average growth rate Japan’s Yamako Pacific already exporting
potential to more than double the of 14 percent. from their base in Brunei.
average output of the local Laila variety.
Brunei imports its rice from other
ASEAN countries such as Thailand,
Vietnam and Cambodia, but is trying
to cut reliance on food imports by
encouraging more local farmers into
rice cultivation.
National rice self-sufficiency stood
at 4.74 percent in 2017, and the
government’s goal is to reach 11 percent
by the year 2020.
HOW TO SURVIVE A STARTUP Helping startups find
One of the fallacies of a great business
Learn to crawl
their footing person is that they are combined knowledge
[and expertise] in one. It is about how to
As part of its initiatives, DARe has
rolled out the Accelerate Programme — bring a winning team together.
before you walk
formerly known as Startup Bootcamp
— which brings industry experts and
established entrepreneurs to mentor
local startups in order to help them “Amazon is always coming up with new
maneuver around new territory. things… It went from a bookstore to
a video store, from kindle to Amazon
To date, 4,638 participants have been Echo. [Through it all, it remains true to
trained under DARe’s capacity-building What’s your unique its core business] which is being a major
retailer.”
programmes, including Accelerate.
Meanwhile, 312 jobs have been created selling point?
from businesses that have joined the In the context of Brunei, businesses
bootcamp programmes. need to be unique and avoid being
With unemployment at 9.3 percent and job But how long do businesses remain copycats. This is something that the
a startup and what does it take to owners of Junjung — a storefront selling
opportunities hard to come by, many are Javed says the bootcamp sessions give
entrepreneurs and business owners the progress? Javed says companies should traditional layered cakes — has banked
turning to entrepreneurship as a means to an confidence to sell their ideas. not remain in the startup stage longer
than three to four years.
on successfully.
end. But the CEO of Darussalam Enterprise “Through [the bootcamp] they learn
“The honeymoon period is over within
“Having our kiosk at the airport means
to connect with people within the that we are not limiting our market to
(DARe) says the opportunity is much bigger ecosystem, with other businesses.” a year, and you better have something just Bruneians,” shares Ummi Maryam
unique that you can actually build on.” Hj Yussof, Junjung’s assistant manager.
By Hadthiah Hazair than that This is crucial to help budding
entrepreneurs identify their weaknesses, Gone are the days when doing business “We want to offer tourists something
“[At the moment] we are basically was about “this is my idea and my idea
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12
and give them opportunity to find that represents Brunei in an exclusive
crawling. We will need to learn to walk is correct”, Javed says. To survive the way. We are unique in the sense that we
partners to complement their strengths,
and then walk faster,” Javed Ahmad says hardships of running a business, it sell individually wrapped kek lapis.”
he says.
on the entrepreneurship environment in requires the ability to be agile and the
Brunei, stressing the need for businesses tenacity to continue experimenting. Junjung has its eye on exporting to
“One of the fallacies of a great business
to be adaptable in the face of challenges. overseas market, and is currently taking
person is that they are combined
knowledge [and expertise] in one. It However, remaining focused is key, he part in DARe’s Standards Consultancy
“SMEs’ contribution to GDP in Brunei is adds, citing an example of one of the to achieve certification for international
is about how to bring a winning team
one of the lowest in ASEAN, so growth world’s biggest retail giant — Amazon. standards.
together.”
opportunity is huge.”
In 2015, micro, small and medium
enterprises (MSMEs) contributed to
38 percent of the sultanate’s GDP, Solving real world
equivalent $8.3 billion, compared to 60
percent in Indonesia and close to 50 problems “Don’t get me wrong, I think knowledge
in finance plays a role, particularly
percent in Singapore. coming from an accountant,” Javed says. When Hj Loqman Al-Hakim Hj Hamdan
Coming from a business background started the business back in 2016, he
Established in 2016, DARe is a national does not guarantee success in the world “But there are other important areas, had less than 50 registered teachers
SME body aimed at supporting local of entrepreneurship. such as knowledge in understanding onboard. In less than three years, that
businesses by providing training and your customers, what their pain points number has grown three-fold, with
promoting entrepreneurial culture by What matters more is being able to are, the problems that they need growing demand for Al-Huffaz services,
facilitating a conducive ecosystem. identify a problem within society and solutions to and technical know-how. such as tahlil recitations, an imam to
offer solutions — the keystone of any lead prayers at private functions and Al-
“Since the very start, we are constantly successful startup. “This is far, far more important.” Quran tutors.
looking to develop and improve our
programmes and initiatives… I hope our “I have seen great innovation coming Founder of Al-Huffaz Management, “One of the reasons we started this is
DARe website becomes a useful tool for from people [who have graduated in an online platform providing Islamic definitely to help out Islamic graduates.
aspiring entrepreneurs and businesses fields outside of business],” Javed shares. religious services, was quick to identify Also, according to a survey we conducted
to find out how they can increase their two problems which he had the there is a shortage of institutions
competency and growth,” he tells The The misconception is that many are solutions for: unemployed Islamic providing reliable services, says Siti
Scoop. held back because they do not have studies graduates and the lack of Missalina Abd Rahman, the company’s
Photo by Rudolf Portillo knowledge in finance. executive administrator.
qualified Al-Quran tutors.
Access to capital
Al-Huffaz was recipient of an interest- “This is what we want… To give Brunei “When I joined the Accelerate
free loan from the LiveWIRE Brunei businesses opportunities in other programme, I had just made the decision
Business Awards Start-Up Funding countries to connect with other to quit my full-time job and concentrate
Scheme last year, receiving $20,000 to businesses.” on growing the business,” he shares,
help scale its business. adding that outside investment helped
When asked whether there are any him grow his business in new ways.
“I think it is extremely important if the startups from the Accelerate programme
public sees that home-grown businesses that have received investor offers, he says This “give it your all” mindset, Javed
or businesses started at incubation there are a few but declined to go into stresses, is important to a successful
centres [can attract investors or receive detail. entrepreneurship journey.
grants]. It will be a confidence boost and
assure them that ideas do matter and “I know for a fact, but I am not at liberty “I don’t think business can be successful
drive does pay,” the DARe CEO says. to say… But, there are few businesses that if you do it as a hobby, this is what [a lot
have received firm offers.” of entrepreneurs] need to address.
Over the last two and a half years, DARe
has seen hundreds of people go through For Mordeny Hj Modihi, founder of
the Accelerate Bootcamp training, with ice-cream parlor Rumah Gelato, signing
businesses raising more than $1 million up for the second Accelerate Bootcamp
in investment. helped him better understand how to
nab an investor.
In January 2019, during the fourth cycle
of the bootcamp, three top startups were He managed to hook a local investor
given the chance to pitch in Singapore, through a networking opportunity
and according to Javed, most of the presented during his bootcamp session.
investors were pleasantly surprised.
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TOURIST GROWTH
From 2014 - 2018
PROJECTED
8%
278,000
258,955
18%
0.3%
218,809
218,213
8.5%
200,989
2020 TARGET
450,000
2014 2015 2016 2017 2018
Taking a slice of the Source: Brunei Tourism & Immigration Department
China tourism market
China has toppled Malaysia as Brunei’s Additionally, Royal Brunei Airlines “Our new network with a very strong
number one source of tourist arrivals. In in the past year alone has expanded footprint in key tourism markets will
the first quarter of 2018, the number of its Chinese network, adding five help us in delivering the 500,000
16
17
Chinese tourists was recorded at 18,530. destinations in 2018, with more planned visitors to our shores by 2021, and with
With visitor numbers seeing an average of 8% According to a government report,
for this year. it very significant economic benefit
to Brunei and the tourism industry
annual growth, can the Chinese tourist boom the main reason for this “was due to
Chinese tourists visiting for the Chinese
Its current network now services
Shanghai, Nanning, Changsa, Hangzhou,
stakeholders,” Chand said.
New Year celebration in February, Hong Kong and Taipei. In an interview However, with markedly less than
fuel the growth of Brunei’s tourism sector? international sports events held in with media last year, CEO Karam Chand 100,000 Chinese visitors annually —
Brunei in March such as The Richard also announced Beijing as part of its 52,000 in 2017 — Brunei is tapping into
By Hadthiah Hazair Mille Brunei Championship and Korea 2019 list of new destinations. just a fraction of China’s tourism market
Ladies Professional Golf Association’s in ASEAN, which stood at 28 million
tournament, which gained exposure in Working closely with the Tourism visitors in 2017.
It was only a few years ago that tourist Can Brunei sustain tourism as a To make tourism a sustainable revenue
the Far-East market”. Development Department, Chand said
arrivals into Brunei surpassed the significant contributor to its GDP and stream, short to medium term solutions
the focus in east and north Asia is Nevertheless, this means that there is
200,000 mark, basically half of the job creation? have already been set in place, with the
because of the forecasted commercial room for expansion.
population of the tiny sultanate. Far-East region being the sultanate’s
passenger traffic there where it is
To put into perspective, in 2017, the main focus for tourism marketing.
predicted to increase by 1.8 billion.
In 2014, the total tourist arrivals into agriculture, forestry and fishery sector
Brunei reached nearly 201,000. This totaled an annual revenue of $181 The increase in arrivals has been
number jumped almost 30 percent to million. Meanwhile, at its target of attributed to several factors such as the
258,955 in 2017, and as Brunei opens its 278,000 tourist arrivals, the government introduction of a visa-on-arrival for
gates to higher tourism numbers, the estimates that this will rake in $140 visitors from China, the national flag
count for 2018 and 2019 looks to surpass million in tourism dollars. carrier adding more destinations in
the national target of 278,000 arrivals. the Far-East (China, Japan and Korea)
With unsteady oil prices becoming the and the enhancement of local tourism
Globally, tourism makes up 10 percent main push for economic diversification, products such as the Brunei December
of the world’s GDP, making it one of tourism has become one of the main Festival.
the fastest growing sectors. However, industries Brunei is prioritising. During
a recent report by the World Travel & the Legislative Council meeting last year,
Tourism Council, indicated that to the Ministry of Primary Resources and
keep the growth momentum going, it Tourism (MPRT) earmarked $3 million
will require constant innovation and for tourism — less than one percent of
reinvention. its total $54 million budget.
18,53
15,208
Reaching out to Advent of downstream Local businesses keen to cash in on the
new wave of tourism activities are urged
As early as the mid 1990s, Brunei has
already identified culture, heritage and
Korea and Japan TOURIST ARRIVALS tourism businesses to be adaptable. nature as the main attractions to be
Q1 2018 Top 5 Markets promoted abroad.
According to the recent World Travel
& Tourism Council report, to benefit Hinging on these main attractions,
But China isn’t the only Far-East market
from tourism activities, companies have recently there has been more initiatives
Brunei is casting its sights on. In
to respond quickly to new customer to cater to visitors’ needs in order to
November 2017, spurred by the increase
demands and expectation by utilising make their stay more memorable.
7,413
in tourist arrivals from South Korea, the
data to their advantage.
national carrier introduced twice-weekly
5,139
As part of an ASEAN-wide project,
flights to Incheon. “For travel and tourism organisations, Brunei was the first country to undergo a
3,217
merely establishing presence in new three-day course in April 2018, aimed at
Prior to the announcement, RB had markets will not suffice as it will tailoring to the growing Chinese market
frequently chartered flights to South be critical to understand the future for travel in Southeast Asia.
Korea, which it said received very consumer,” the report concludes.
encouraging response.
“RB is committed to developing new
markets… As the national carrier, TOURIST ARRIVALS
we are behind the development of
BY REGION
tourism in Brunei to assist economic 5% 7% 11% 22% 26% Far East
diversification,” its CEO said during Growth from
the launch of its South Korea route, Long Haul
Singapore Philippines Indonesia Malaysia China Q1 2017 to Q1 2018 40.5% Australia &
adding that these initiatives are hoped New Zealand
to generate jobs by ramping up tourism Source: Brunei Tourism & Immigration Department
-13.3% ASEAN
activities.
-5.1% -8.4%
The new destination has facilitated
South Korea to become Brunei’s
fastest growing tourism market, with
an increase of 145 percent from 2016.
From January to October 2018, official
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18
statistics show that 7,442 Korean tourists
landed in Brunei.
The twice-weekly Incheon flights also
come as an opportune occasion to
increase trade. Last year, the MPRT took
the opportunity for business matching
by welcoming Korean business delegates
to explore investment opportunities
in Brunei, especially in the areas of
tourism, ICT, manufacturing and
agriculture.
The Korea-Brunei Friendship
Association has also taken no time in
realising business potential, submitting
Source: Brunei Tourism & Immigration Department
proposals for several development for the
Brunei government to review.
Their plans include a proposal to
Need a Ride?
develop a marina at the Jerudong beach,
a market and cultural centre in Kg
Ayer as well as the revitalisation of the
Jerudong fish market.
Soon, similar opportunities may also
arise with Japan as RB is slated to fly Download the Dart app
to Narita in March, 2019. Japan has
predominantly been Brunei’s biggest
export market mainly for oil and gas,
but there is perhaps room for increased
trade diversity once the route takes off.
+673-8383278 www.dartbrunei.com
.
Taxi Car 6-seater .One of the areas looked into was the Quick to catch on to this trend and the
need for Chinese-speaking tour guides. overall industry demand, the Institute of
Take
Kong Roatlomang, the ACC’s director Brunei Technical Education (IBTE) has
of Education, Culture and Tourism, said seen an uptick in the number of students
the robust development of ASEAN-China registering for hospitality courses,
tourism means there is greater demand reflecting the job market.
for this.
According to the IBTE School of
As of April 2018, Brunei has 127 Hospitality and Tourism, it receives
licensed tour guides, and this can be an more than 500 applications a year for
opportunity for job creation, especially if its course, despite only being able to
tourism numbers continue to grow. accommodate 180 students per intake.
charge,
Hoteliers are also welcoming the spike This popularity is in large part due to
employment rate of in arrivals, with statistics indicating an IBTE’s employability rate for hospitality
hospitality graduates increase in occupancy rate for 2017, at graduates, which is 81.4 percent as of
41.2 percent compared to 39.3 percent 2017 — an appealing prospect, especially
2017 the previous year. when youth unemployment is at 28.4
percent nationally.
Long-term investment needed to
be the
help Brunei’s tourism sector thrive
The need for better tourism To help address the sporadic bus Other tourist hotspots like Pelompong
infrastructure has been raised time and timings in Brunei, the government Island — popular with divers — lack
again — from better amenities to public announced it will implement a new basic amenities such as washrooms.
transportation solutions. “intelligent” transport system in 2019, Freme Travel Services’ Inbound & MICE
which will leverage on GPS technology Division Manager, Sugurman Nair,
After the launch of the first month- to help make services more reliable. said most visitors to Pelompong Island
20
21
change
long Brunei December Festival in are locals and Freme is the only travel
2017, stakeholders took note of several But transportation is not the only agency that brings foreign tourists there.
shortcomings including transport issues problem area, some of Brunei’s
to go from event to event. local attractions are also in need of “The problem [with the lack of
improvement and repair. amenities on Pelompong] is that it is
“Transportation was a big issue among an open island and no one wants to be
visitors [to the Brunei December Festival For years the bridge in Tasek Merimbun, responsible to construct permanent
2017]… We are working to include which connects Pulau Jelundong structures.”
this into our packages so tourists to smaller islands, has been left in
who stay in hotels can go easily to disrepair. Residents there believe
the Brunei December Festival events,” that this is the main reason visitors
a representative from the Brunei have overlooked Brunei’s only ASEAN
Association of Hotels said. Heritage Site.
These ambitious youths are taking it onto
themselves to become the change they want
to see. Read inside to learn about their cause,
what drives them and get inspired.This young group of Bruneian volunteers
has ventured boldly into refugee
camps and disaster zones to provide
humanitarian aid to those in need
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22
By Ain Bandial
Among the rubble of bombed-out They were also among the few foreigners
refugee camps of northwestern Syria, given permission to cross the border
young children walk around with no into northern Syria, accompanied by
shoes in the bracing cold of a spring the Turkish army and aid groups, to
morning. distribute humanitarian relief to Syrians
displaced by the eight-year civil war.
A bitter winter was coming to end
for the people of Azaz, a town just 32 Azaz has been a battleground for several
kilometres outside of Aleppo, most of different actors — from ISIS and the Free
them surviving without heating, clean Syrian Army to Kurdish militants — the
water or enough warm clothing. town is highly valued as a supply route
close to the Turkish–Syrian border,
“This area is still a conflict zone, nearby which is now controlled by the Turkish
towns — even refugee camps — were army.
bombed just two weeks before we
arrived,” says Rusdi Adani, a Bruneian “When we crossed the border on the way
volunteer who recently returned from to Azaz, we were going through territory
a humanitarian mission to Turkey and that was once controlled by Daesh. There
Syria. were bullet holes in the buildings, some
were bombed out — those were ‘normal’
As former president of local NGO, conditions in the villages,” says Rusdi.
WeCare, Rusdi and a group of three
other Bruneians and one Malaysian “We were only allowed to stay there for a
volunteer, travelled to southern Turkey few hours, just enough time to supervise
in mid-March 2018 to facilitate the the distribution of the food packs and
delivery of Bruneian-sponsored aid to school supplies to the Syrians in the
Syrian refugees. refugee camps.
Photos courtesy of WeCareWhen we crossed the border on
the way to Azaz, we were going
through territory that was once
controlled by Daesh. There were
bullet holes in the buildings, some
were bombed out — those were
“I wish we had more time to talk to and
interact with the people, but the security
‘normal’ conditions in the villages.
situation was not stable enough to allow
us to stay longer.”
At the time, there were 18 camps in
Azaz for the tens of thousands of people A sustainable
displaced by the conflict in nearby Afrin,
where a battle was raging between Syrian humanitarian solution
Kurds and the Turkish military for
control of the city. Six months after their first trip to
Syria, WeCare carried out a second
WeCare had partnered with a Syrian- humanitarian mission to Turkey,
led NGO based in Turkey, called Shafaq supplying food baskets and winter
25
Sham, to distribute more than $70,000 clothing for refugees in the border town Vice-president of WeCare, Siti
24
in food baskets and education packs to of Kilis. Nurazimah Hj Hashim, says social media
people fleeing the conflict. has been crucial in their efforts to raise
The Turkish ambassador to Brunei, Suat awareness and educate Bruneians about
More than 430 Bruneians had donated Akgün, reached out to WeCare after he humanitarian crises around the world.
to the mission, dubbed “Untukmu Syria” read about their mission on Instagram,
(For You, Syria), which highlighted the hoping to help coordinate their efforts “We document our missions and
huge humanitarian burden shouldered with Turkish government authorities. the distribution of aid on social
by the countries hosting Syrian refugees, media, so people can see where their
with Turkey hosting the largest number “Turkey has spent US$30 billion in aid money is going and there is a level of
at 3.4 million. and support for Syrian refugees since transparency.”
the war started,” he tells The Scoop.
“You think distributing the aid would be “It’s not just Turkey’s domestic issue, “There aren’t many NGOs that can be a
a good feeling,” says Mohammad Azlin it’s a humanitarian issue that goes channel for Bruneians to give outside
Azlani, another member of the mission. beyond the Muslim world, and we need Brunei, and we aim to be the country’s
“But I had mixed feelings, there were too international support.” leading humanitarian organisation.”
many competing emotions.”
“There was one moment when I saw
kids playing near a truck, smiling, and
their mother was sitting nearby looking
at our bus full of boxes. I think she was
hoping to get one. But unfortunately we Our heartiest congratulations to the government of
were headed back, we couldn’t stay any His Majesty the Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam
longer because there was a war going on on the country’s 35th National Day
in Afrin. 23rd February 2019
Congratulations
“It’s hard for me to think about,” Azlin BRUNEI DARUSSALAM’S
From
says. “She had a baby there as well, about The Management & Staff
three months. I have a son who is nine
months and I just can’t imagine how
this baby could survive all this.”
NATIONAL DAYWeCare was established a little over two
years ago, in October 2016, as a collective
of individuals who were passionate
about carrying out humanitarian work
for those in dire need, both in Brunei
and abroad.
Their first international mission in 2017
was providing food packs to Rohingya
refugees in Bangladesh, and in the past
year they’ve run fundraising campaigns
for projects in Gaza and Indonesia,
where there was a string of natural
disasters in 2018.
Siti says that in 2019 WeCare wants
to build long-term projects that will
have a lasting impact on those they
help, whether its rebuilding homes in
Indonesia or setting up sustainable food
supply chains for Syrians.
An upcoming project aims to spotlight
a crisis that may seem far removed
for most Bruneians — the plight of
over 13 million people in war-ravaged
Yemen on the brink of starvation. The
United Nations calls it the world’s worst
humanitarian disaster.
“Sometimes we get a lot of question
about why we don’t focus on helping
needy people in Brunei,” Siti says. “It’s
26
27
not that we don’t — we do have local
projects — but there are many actors in
that space already.
“When we work towards finding
sustainable solutions for the people
in these crisis situations, it helps
promote peace in the world, and that is
something everybody benefits from.”29
28
Local fashion brand UPSYKL is out to
save the planet, one shirt at a time
By Rafidah Hamit
Green is the new black, going green The fashion industry, is in fact, one of
that is, and at the forefront of the eco- the biggest polluters, with recent reports
fashion movement in Brunei is UPSYKL suggesting that polyester materials are
founder Nabilah Jeffery. exacerbating plastic pollution. Industry
giants like Nike and Adidas have
Launched in April 2017, UPSYKL is introduced eco-friendly options, such
a startup that redesigns, repurposes as reproducing their garments from
and refashions old garments into new recycled plastic bottles.
pieces. Implementing this strategy would
not only reduce fabric waste but also According to the 25-year-old full-time
decrease the industry’s contribution to social entrepreneur, when clothes
land and air pollution. are trapped within layers of garbage
and start to decompose, it will begin
“The problem with the fashion industry to produce a number of by-products
is that it produces a lot of fabric waste including methane, a greenhouse gas.
in the production system, which is just Methane is far more potent than carbon
one of the many ways that fast fashion monoxide and absorbs 20 times more
negatively impacts the environment,” heat in the atmosphere which can
she laments. contribute to global warming. Nabilah
considers this problem a design flaw.
“I believe that if a garment or production
contributes to a lot of waste whether to
Photos by Hazimul Wa’ie the environment or to the consumer’s
perspective, it is a design flaw.”The problem with the fashion
30
31
industry is that it produces a lot “Back when I was in university, I would
always go thrifting, not just for clothes
of fabric waste… one of the many but also books as well as furniture at
stores that would use the funds for noble
causes such as Cancer Research UK or
ways that fast fashion negatively the British Heart Foundation.”
impacts the environment. Influenced by the idea of giving back to
the community at the same time, being
eco-friendly, she started UPSYKL in
hopes of doing the same.
When she first kick-started UPSYKL,
Nabilah would tell people to recycle for
Drawing from An active member of Projek Bina
Ukhwah — an NGO which aims to
cash and was surprised to receive an
overwhelming response. Cutting against
inspiration empower underprivileged families —
Nabilah had noticed that the most With more than enough material, she the grain
donated item from the public is started looking for a designer to start
clothing. production and seven months later, she
engaged local designer Humaira Zakaria Because upcycling is a very new
This realisation coupled with her love and started work on her first collection concept in Brunei, Nabilah says she
for thrift shopping was what sparked her — Pop-Recovered — which was launched faces challenges in trying to change
interest to upcycle clothes and advocate in March this 2018. perceptions.
for sustainable fashion.
This was followed by the June launch “It’s quite tough to shift mindsets,
Upcycling is the process of transforming of the second line, the ECOEID’18 let alone the stigma toward pre-loved
by-products or unwanted products into collection, outsourcing the work to two clothes which can actually be disinfected
new materials or products of better designers – Humaira Zakaria and Aisyah and cleaned”, she says.
Photos courtesy of UPSYKL
quality or for better environmental value. Azlan.She adds that this is particularly true
among the older generation who tend to
perceive them as dirty and unhygienic.
“There are a lot of factors to consider
when it comes to sustainable fashion.
For us at UPSYKL, we want to encourage
customers to buy less, choose well and
make an impact.”
Another challenge is the availability of
designers with sufficient training and
expertise in designing pre-loved clothes.
Upcycling involves a deeper level of
creativity to further expand the lifespan
of pre-loved clothes, says Nabilah,
adding that, 90 percent of the time
it is used in re-sewing and in the
deconstruction of clothes.
Hence, the creative process needs a
certain mental endurance and sewing
skill to be able to produce upcycled
pieces, she said.
“There are many other challenges,
however none is greater than the aim of
starting UPSYKL — which is to save the
planet one shirt at a time.”
“I am very fortunate to be surrounded
with talented designers and sewists who
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32
have helped me in raising awareness
of green consumption in fashion,” she
adds.
When asked about future plans, Nabilah
said in five years’ time, she aims to
expand her business to Singapore,
Malaysia, Indonesia and perhaps Korea
and Japan as an upcycling platform for
the public.
Photo courtesy of UPSYKL
Stitching together a sustainable future
It doesn’t just stop at upcycling, Nabilah The design process should include The fashion brand is also looking to
is keen to start practicing a zero-waste sustainability, longevity and ramp up production by introducing a
cutting strategy in order reduce fabric biodegradability of the products, the basics collection which will be regularly
waste and protect the environment. environment-conscious fashion designer updated every month.
says.
Inspired by her recent trip to Malaysia, “People may see it as mass producing
she explains that the zero-waste cutting In terms of giving back, UPSYKL is like other retail companies, but in fact,
OUR HEARTIEST CONGRATULATIONS TO THE GOVERNMENT OF strategy is when sewists design garments currently in discussions with a local we are performing mass cleaning.”
HIS MAJESTY THE SULTAN AND YANG DI-PERTUAN OF BRUNEI with pattern pieces which generate no NGO to empower underprivileged
DARUSSALAM ON THE COUNTRY'S 35TH NATIONAL DAY
waste. women in the country. “Through this Locally, she says that she has observed a
23rd February 2019
[upcoming] project, we hope to teach growing trend and awareness to be eco-
“It is actually difficult to practice a zero- and sharpen their skills to produce friendly and hopes everyone can do their
waste cutting strategy, which is why not garments. A portion of the sales will be part to make the world a better place for
FROM THE MANAGEMENT & STAFF many designers want to embrace it. It donated towards this cause.” the future generation.
requires creativity and a lot of thought
process goes into it,” Nabilah says.The stage is set for the
country’s first film school
By Ain Bandial & Rasidah Hj Abu Bakar
“In Brunei we don’t have enough feature
When you step into the sleek hallways of Siti, whose first feature film, Yasmine, films and its a great way to share stories
Brunei’s first filmmaking college – with met international acclaim, released Hari with the rest of the world,” Siti says.
its slick film studio, sound and editing Minggu Yang Ke-Empat (The Fourth
suites — it’s like being transported on to Sunday) last year, a movie filmed on “I personally grew up with Malaysian
the set of a Hollywood movie. location in a perpindahan, with an black and white films, P. Ramlee movies.
entirely Bruneian cast. And when I think about it, it makes me
Mahakarya Institute of the Arts Asia sad that we don’t have that history of
is the brainchild of local director Siti “I really loved the process of making of `filmmaking.”
Kamaluddin and her producing partner Hari Minggu Yang Ke-Empat because
Munji Athirah, who both felt the of the crew we trained. We tried as much “We should start and it has to start with
country had a strong talent for content as we could to use locals and I was very local stories — we need to make
creation but lacked one key ingredient -- really impressed by their passion and content locals can relate to.”
proper training in the art of filmmaking. dedication to filmmaking,” she says.
The Mahakarya Institute wants to
For sure, Brunei has an under-developed nurture local talent in order to showcase
film industry, with only a few local Bruneian identity on the big screen, as
movies made in the past five years, well as create a sustainable ecosystem for
including Siti’s films and the Apa Ada filmmaking and creative content in the
Dengan Rina franchise. sultanate.
Even fewer have been screened The film school is offering a two year
internationally. Diploma of Screen and Media, which
focuses on teaching skills needed
34
35
behind-the-camera such as content
creation and production.
They partnered with TAFE Queensland
to help design the diploma programme,
‘We want
and to give students a chance to gain
industry experience in Australia.
to build a
community
of Bruneian ORIGINAL
brown sugar
filmmakers’ FRESH MILK. chewy PEARLS.
+673 829 8616 TIMES SQUARE BRUNEI LIHO BRUNEIFinding a Bruneian screen
identity is much more than
using kedayan language or
shooting on location in Brunei...
When you watch a film it has to
be instantly recognisable.
“The pool of potential in this country is
amazing and it’s just a matter of giving
people the opportunity, which is why we
want to help Brunei to develop not only
its filmmakers, but the audience as well,
because these will always influence each
other.”
Photo by Hazimul Wa’ie While Siti acknowledges that there are
filmmakers who are trying to showcase
Bruneian identity on screen, she believes
36
37
that it is still not representative of the
whole Bruneian experience.
“When they graduate in two years, there Through the film blitz we discover a
are a number of pathways they can take. lot of talent, says Siti, such as local “Finding a Bruneian screen identity
One of them is to go straight ahead comedian Babu Sinur, whose short skits is much more than using kedayan
into the industry... or they can also satirising Bruneian culture became language or shooting on location in
choose to continue their education in hugely popular on Instagram and gained Brunei... When you watch a film it has to
Australia, where they can enter a degree him a devoted following. be instantly recognisable.”
programme at partner universities,”
says Dr Alexander J. Fischer, dean of “When I saw him starring in one of the Photo courtesy of Origin Artistic “The country has not produced enough
Mahakarya. competition entries I thought — ‘ Why content yet to establish itself uniquely,
hasn’t anyone made a film for this boy?’ because most Bruneians are growing
The students in the first intake of the He is hungry and dedicated, and has up nowadays with foreign content,
diploma programme -- which kicks off created this very edgy character that is Hollywood films and TV shows from
in February -- will get the chance to work uniquely Bruneian.” neighboring countries… There is just
on Siti’s third feature film, a comedy not enough Bruneian content for us to
which is scheduled to begin shooting in Khai Anwar, the comedian behind the consume.”
March. turban-wearing Babu Sinur, later went
on to star in Hari Minggu Yang Ke- Bu telling local stories is important to
With the desire to drive better training Empat. give voice to our shared experiences, she
and standards in the local film industry says emphatically.
-- beyond slapstick comedy and self- While Babu Sinur is the exception to
indulgent action flicks -- the Mahakarya the rule, Fischer adds that most local “We want our school to become great
team says it wants to bring forth a new filmmakers fail to be daring enough to community for filmmakers, where it’s all
age, where there will be more content create content that is unique to their about education and being creative. We
that is “undeniably Bruneian”. experience, instead replicating what they believe in people’s ideas and stories, and
see in global media. their voices should be heard.”
One way they hope to do that is by
staging an annual Bruneian short film
festival, dubbed the Brunei Film Blitz,
which is now in its second year.
Photo courtesy of Mahakarya School of the ArtsREBIRTH:
For Fanboys,
By Fanboys
As the shop saw its last days, there
was an outpouring of support by loyal
customers hoping that the decision
would be reversed, but in the end many
reluctantly bid farewell to the beloved
comic book den.
THE
The venture was always intended to
END? be a linchpin of the geek community;
nurturing and sustaining comic book
culture and giving fans access to the
Fanboys’ Menglait branch ceased extraordinary worlds and characters they
39
38
operations at the end of May 2018 due had come to love.
to issues with finances and the location
of the store. It was an end that was “Eighty percent of why we do this
undesired but not unforeseen. is because of the customers, the
community,” says Khairul.
The shop’s co-founder, Khairul Anwar,
was unsure whether Fanboys would When the owners of Fanboys were
reopen elsewhere, especially when he packing up, resigned to taking some
was hit with the news that his business time out from the industry, a longtime
partner had fallen ill. friend and collaborator came along with
a proposition.
FANBOYS
“It was as if everything was hinting at us
that we needed to close, take a breather. “When we were winding down, Times
I told my partner to take the time that Cineplex, who has always been one of
he needed to heal, while I closed up the our greatest supporters, told us that they
INFINITE’S
shop,” says the 28-year-old. While the could help provide a space for us, and we
On April 2 this year, the local comic idea of a return seemed unlikely at the thought it was perfect, especially for our
book community was devastated when time, it was never far from his thoughts. market,” Khairul recalls.
Brunei’s sole comic book shop, Fanboys
SECOND ACT
Infinite, announced it was shuttering its “Everything had to go, we needed to get But after clearing most of its stock —
Menglait store. rid of everything but keep the essentials: and with one partner ill — reopening
the comics. If there was a day that we in time for Hari Raya seemed beyond
It was a place that had become were going to return, the comics are the reach. So Khairul did what he often
synonymous with geek culture since most important thing at Fanboys, they’re did in a bind — he reached out to the
opening in September of 2012. Many the lifeblood,” Khairul says. community. His supplier shared his own
Many thought they had closed for good. thought that they had closed their doors
for good, so Fanboys’ recent resurrection “After our announcement [of Fanboys’
stock with Fanboys; customers-turned-
friends helped out with renovations and
But fan loyalty has brought Brunei’s only at a small unit in the Times Cineplex
took the community by surprise, and
closure] we organised four Sunday sales
and stocks were flying off the shelves. By
decoration of the new store — it was
a labour of love, by individuals with a
sparked hope that there was still a place
comic book store back from the brink. for geek culture in the sultanate.
the fourth and last Sunday, all the non-
essentials were gone.”
shared interest in keeping comic book
culture alive.
By Wardi Wasil“We spent hours and hours almost
everyday to fix the shop, and we had to
do it discreetly so that it’d be a surprise.
On opening day to see the faces of I grew up super poor, I used to
be ashamed of admitting that
our supporters — old and new — was
heartwarming, it was priceless,” says
Khairul.
“Our journey has always been filled but now I’m not, because it is
a part of who I am.
with the community’s help, whether
they’re customers who became friends
or friends who have been long time
customers, Fanboys has always been a
joint effort.”
ORIGIN
STORY
For Fanboys to become what it is now “With the family struggling, it didn’t feel
requires a certain kind of passion and right for me to waste money on comics.
drive, one that Khairul has nurtured I wanted them, but I never needed them,
since he was just a boy. so I would hide them in my shirt when I
got back home and put them under my
While his love for comic book bed.”
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41
superheroes has been a constant
throughout his life, it was not always The ultimate sacrifice would come six
accessible when money was in short years later in 2011, when Khairul was
supply. “I grew up super poor, I used to on his way to getting a business degree
be ashamed of admitting that but now in Malaysia. He decided to drop out of
I’m not, because it is a part of who I am,” university, and that’s when the gears of
he says. Fanboys Infinite started to turn.
“In my early teens, I would get a dollar Just before he made his decision,
a day for lunch money, and for the first Khairul was recruited to work on
three days of the week I would starve Business Icons, a book that profiled
myself just so that I could buy comics. Brunei’s most successful businessmen
including the late Pehin Lau of the Hua
“There was an old comic book shop Ho franchise.
across from The Mall called Bluestone,
and at the back end of the store, they The stories of these entrepreneurial
would sell these really old comics for $2, giants ignited a spark within Khairul to
so I would buy them with the money I open his own comic book shop.
saved, and the third dollar I would use “I learned that the one thing that they
for the bus.” all had in common was hard work and
ambition. None of them had a degree,
Even though Khairul could only buy old I just thought that I didn’t need one
issues of comic books, it was enough to [either]. I also got a bit frustrated
keep him happy. But he had to keep his academically so I thought, ‘I’m going to
growing collection a secret. quit’.”
Dropping out of university was kept a
secret from his family, and when the
eventual truth came out, the family was,
understandably, not happy.
Photos by Hazimul Wa’ie“They were pissed off, so I told them I
was going to open a comic book shop
and they thought it was a joke, they told
me it wasn’t going to work. But because
of that, I thought, then I really have to
Our customers used to be from a
make this work,” he says.
certain demographic. Usually they
The following year — using the cash
he earned from Business Icons as seed
money, and with some help from the
would be working twenties and
comic book community — Fanboys
Infinite opened its doors for the first thirties, but that has changed.
time in September 2012.
It was the same year the first Avengers
I’ve seen customers of all ages
movie came out.
by now, from five to 15 year olds.
“My mum and I made a bet, she bet
that I couldn’t sell a certain amount on
opening day. I told her that If I beat that
Even 40 to 60 year olds.
amount then they [his parents] will have
to give me complete independence and
trust me to make my own decisions.”
“On opening day, I sold ten times that
amount.”
While the geek community in the For Fanboys, this shift has changed the
sultanate is still relatively small, comic game, helping small-town stores like
book culture is growing and becoming theirs survive and remain relevant, and
more prevalent, Khairul says. giving hope that it can expand outside
what was once considered a niche
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42
“Our customers used to be from a business.
certain demographic, usually they would
be working twenties and thirties, but in “The movies really do help in moving
recent years, that has changed. I’ve seen comic books off the shelves. Of course,
customers of all ages by now, from five to loyal fans will still keep buying comic
15 year olds. Even 40 to 60 year olds.” books regardless of any [movie] release,
but the new readers — they’re the ones
From movies to television, a shift has who will become the lifeblood of this
THE Movie franchises have played an occurred in the entertainment industry
where characters and stories that were
business, they will keep the fandom
alive.”
important role in Fanboys’ evolution.
NEXT By the time the Brunei-based store
made its debut, comic books and
once confined to the pages of a graphic
novel have been given fresh life on the
CHAPTER geek culture was no longer ‘niche
entertainment’ but had become part of
silver screen.
mainstream pop culture.
Fanboys synchronise their stock with
the release of superhero films, always
“It’s funny, there is a sort of symmetry trying to capitalise on the hype that
between the Fanboys’ journey [and revolves around movie franchises.
the Marvel and DC movie franchise],” “This year, I have sold more copies of
Khairul says. The Infinity Gauntlet — the comic book
that featured Thanos’ main arc — than
“When we first opened, the first Avengers the previous four years I carried the
movie came out and at the end of that issue. It has become our best selling
movie, they teased the appearance of title this year.
Thanos... By the time we closed, Thanos
became one of the major characters for “So while Fanboys is grateful to have a
the third Avengers movie, so honestly, loyal customer base, there is something
you can trace our journey through the to be said about the effect of these
superheroes and science fiction movies movies have on making people want to
that were released over the years.” pick up a comic book.”You can also read
