APICTA 2023 Awards

Brunei Darussalam’s representatives received three (3) Merit awards at the 22nd Asia Pacific ICT Alliance (APICTA) Awards 2023 which was held in Hong Kong from 5th-8th December 2023.  

Ma’had Islam Brunei received two (2) Merit awards under the Junior Student Category with their products called ‘Brugency’ and ‘Mr Grabbish’. ODE Aquaculture and Agriculture Company Sdn Bhd received a Merit award under the Technology – Internet of Things of the Year category with their product ‘Alquatic Tech’. 

Present at the Brunei International Airport to welcome home the Merit Award recipients and the rest of the Brunei delegation were Yang Mulia Pengiran Dato Seri Paduka Haji Mohammad Tashim bin Pengiran Haji Hassan, Deputy Minister of Religious Affairs; Yang Mulia Ir. Awang Haji Mohammad Nazri bin Haji Mohammad Yusof, Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Transport and Infocommunications (MTIC) and Co-Chairman I of Brunei ICT Awards (BICTA) 2023 Steering Committee as well as Yang Mulia Haji Mohammad Rosli bin Haji Ibrahim, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Religious Affairs (MORA).  

Also present were Yang Mulia Haji Shamshol bin Haji Omar, Acting Deputy Permanent Secretary, MORA; and Yang Mulia Ir. Haji Jailani bin Haji Buntar, Chief Executive of the Authority for Info-communications Technology Industry of Brunei Darussalam (AITI) and member of the BICTA Steering Committee. They are also joined by senior officers from MTIC, MORA, Universiti Teknologi Brunei (UTB), AITI as well as members of the InfoCom Federation Brunei (IFB).  

Upon arrival of the delegation at the Brunei International Airport, the recital of Doa Kesyukuran was led by Haji Mohamad Aduka bin Haji Abdul, Imam of the Brunei International Airport Surau.   

A total of 200 teams from sixteen (16) member economies and over 250 entries competed in the twenty-four (24) categories of APICTA Awards 2023. Brunei Darussalam was represented by nine (9) teams with ten (10) products comprising winners and runners-up of the Brunei ICT Awards (BICTA) 2023.  

Throughout the competition period, the APICTA participants underwent intensive judging sessions with a panel of judges comprising international ICT industry experts, members of the academia and government representatives. Participants also experienced the local culture and networked with fellow ICT industry players and competitors among the APICTA member economies.  

Brunei Darussalam was also announced as the host for the 23rd APICTA Awards which will take place in 2024. Present to receive the handover as host of APICTA 2024 was Yang Mulia Awang Haji Hairul Mohd Daud bin Haji Abdul Karim, the Deputy Permanent Secretary (Infocommunications), MTIC who received the APICTA flag from Ir. Tony Wong JP, Government Chief Information Officer, The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and Mrs Agnes Mak MH JP, Chief Judge of APICTA 2023. Present witnessing the handover was Mr. Fulvio Inserra, Chair of APICTA Committee, other officers from MTIC, AITI and APICTA judges. 

Brunei Darussalam’s participation in the APICTA Awards is a continuous initiative by MTIC, AITI and IFB to stimulate innovation and creativity in ICT. It is also aimed to develop the nation’s ICT sector by encouraging individuals, students and businesses to compete at the international level. APICTA Awards has given the winners international recognition and further elevates their products on a global platform.