The JA Story

JA Brunei was officially launched on Jan 20, 2016, making its appearance in the Sultanate as a registered society. The ceremony was held at The Rizqun International Hotel with Dr Haji Junaidi bin Haji Abdul Rahman, the Permanent Secretary (Core Education) at the Ministry of Education, as the guest of honour.

 

During the event, Vivian Lau, the President of JA Asia Pacific, presented a certificate to JA Brunei Managing Director, Louis Tan, to mark the official launch of JA Brunei. Certificates of appreciation were also presented to JA sponsors, as well as headmasters and principals of 16 participating local educational institutions.

 

In 2013, the Brunei Economic Development Board (BEDB), in collaboration with JA Worldwide and support from the Ministry of Education, introduced JA programs to several schools in the country. Since then, JA programs have been conducted in 16 schools, assisting a total of 800 students.

 

In his opening speech at the launch ceremony, Louis emphasized the importance of financial literacy, citing a recent study by the Authoriti Monetari Brunei Darussalam (AMBD) and the Centre for Strategic and Policy Studies (CSPS). "For Brunei to have sustainable financial sectors and a competitive economy, Bruneians need to manage their financial live," Louis said. "Like reading and math, teaching our kids to be financially savvy is a gift - one that will keep on giving throughout the course of our lives."

 

Louis went on to note that entrepreneurship can be a vital contributor to the nation's economic growth and prosperity. Successful path-breaking offerings by entrepreneurs, in the form of new goods and services, can produce a cascading effect in the national economy. "With the establishment of JA Brunei, we will have dedicated resources to drive JA programs and enlist more schools, benefitting more Bruneian youths." concluded Louis.

 

Vivian Lau congratulated Louis and JA Brunei on a remarkable launch and stressed the importance of financial education, entrepreneurship and work readiness programs' access for the youth. "We understand the need to do even more, and to be part of the solution for the employability of young people, so that they can either be starting their own businesses or joining organizations that they admire. This is where JA has a big part to play in Brunei - from supporting youths to go aboard, solving eco-challenges, to even practice for schools, the focus here goes beyond employability, but the aspirational goal of education is to support our young people through education to fulfil their dreams." Vivian said in her congratulatory speech.

 

*JA Brunei Launch was covered in local print and broadcast channels, you may view the full media articles and launch ceremony in action by clicking on the following links:

 

The Brunei Times

Borneo Bulletin

The News Centre of Radio Television Brunei