Bank Islam Brunei Darussalam (BIBD) today awarded scholarships for the BIBD Advocating Life-Long Learning for an Aspiring Future (BIBD ALAF) to 48 new students, continuing the Bank’s contribution to Wawasan 2035 and ongoing support for the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, specifically Goal 4 (Quality Education).
Present to hand over the BIBD ALAF scholarships to the recipients was Yang Berhormat Pehin Udana Khatib Dato Paduka Seri Setia Ustaz Haji Awang Badaruddin bin Pengarah Dato Paduka Haji Awang Othman, Minister of Religious Affairs.
The event took place at the PGGMB Building in the capital. Also present were Permanent Secretaries, senior government officials and personnel from the Ministry of Education and Ministry of Religious Affairs as well as management and representatives from BIBD.
In his welcoming speech, BIBD’s Managing Director and CEO, Awang Junaidi bin Haji Masri said “The main objective of the BIBD ALAF programme is to enable BIBD to support and develop the manpower needs of the country. This programme not only provides education assistance but gives them the opportunity to become a competent and sustainable generation of Bruneian youth that can function as the core of the country’s leadership, as envisaged by His Majesty the Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam, toward achieving Brunei Vision 2035.”
A total of 29 students received scholarships as part of the 9th intake of BIBD ALAF which commenced in the 2022 academic year, while 19 students are receiving scholarships for the 10th intake which commenced in the 2023 academic year.
The event was also held to mark the occasion of BIBD ALAF’s first university graduate; Dayang Hajah Nurhafikah binti Haji Awang Bakri has been under the BIBD ALAF programme since 2017 and recently graduated with a Degree in Syariah Islamiah from the Al-Azhar University in Egypt.
Currently the BIBD ALAF programme supports 329 students at various levels in their education and is the only of its kind in the country that provides a holistic and comprehensive support to students from targeted segments. The programme not only provides financial and academic support but also aims to mould the students into well-rounded, industry-ready individuals while still aligned with the values of Melayu Islam Beraja.
In 2020, BIBD opened the Centre for Excellence and Empowerment which acts as a central hub for BIBD ALAF student activities, and is fully-equipped with a reading centre, computer labs, tuition rooms, discussions areas and an IT incubator along with a range of other facilities aimed at enriching the ALAF students’ educational experience. Students regularly participate in soft skills workshops like public speaking, technical skill-building like coding and 3D printing and spiritual activities like Al-Quran recital and a Khatam Al-Quran programme every Ramadhan.
A total of 276 students have been supported through the programme since its inception in 2013. BIBD ALAF students sitting for public examinations such as the GCE ‘A’ Level Examinations and the Lower Primary Assessment (PSR) Examination regularly record excellent results with a 100% pass rate. The achievement rate at the highest levels, for example the percentage of students who achieved 5 A’s in the PSR exam and 3 A’ Levels in the GCE A’ Level exam, was either better or on par with the national rate. This is evidence of both the individual capabilities of the BIBD ALAF students as well as the collective impact of BIBD ALAF’s support and capacity building efforts.
